Free Fireshadow by Anthony Eaton Page B

bump into you like that. I’m sorry for runnin’ off.’
    â€˜Don’t worry about it. Happens all the time.’
    â€˜Really?’
    â€˜Actually, no.’ She laughed softly and for a moment they faced each other across the flames, then she moved to go.
    â€˜Anyway, I wanted to come over and clear the air. I’ll leave you in peace.’
    â€˜You don’t have to. Stay a while. You want a beer?’
    â€˜You have beer?’
    Vinnie nodded towards where the creek burbled in the darkness.
    â€˜Chilled by nature.’
    â€˜In that case, as long as you’re offering . . .’
    Helen eased herself down beside the fire, and Vinnie clambered through the shadows, retrieving another two cans from the cold, black water.
    â€˜Here you go.’
    â€˜Thanks. You look after yourself okay. Do you do this a lot?’
    â€˜This?’
    â€˜Camping. You seem to have it all under control.’
    Vinnie shrugged. ‘Don’t have a lot of choice. I’ve always been pretty good at lookin’ after myself, though.’
    â€˜So why here?’
    Vinnie looked at her. Her face, half turned to the fire, picked up the red hue of firelight, and the blackness of the shadows.
    â€˜It’s . . . a bit personal.’
    â€˜You run away?’
    â€˜Yeah. But that’s not my worry. Mum and Dad never gave a shit about me before . . .’
    The silence of the night fell between them, until Helen spoke. ‘Before?’
    â€˜I was in a car accident. With my sister. She was killed. That’s how I got . . . all this. I guess I’m just trying to get myself a bit straightened out, you know? I’m pretty messed up.’
    â€˜Do you miss her?’
    â€˜Yeah. Of course. She was always lookin’ out for me. But that’s not why I’m here.’
    â€˜It isn’t?’
    â€˜Nah. I ran ’cause, well . . .’ A branch in the fire burst into popping sparks, interrupting him. Vinnie shook his head slightly. ‘Shit, I’m carrying on like an idiot.’
    â€˜No, you’re not.’
    â€˜Whatever. What about you?’
    â€˜Me?’
    â€˜Yeah. What brings you and Grandad all the way out here to the middle of the bloody bush? You can’t leave me wondering, you know. I’ll suspect the worst.’
    â€˜Nothing too sinister. A history project.’
    â€˜History?’
    â€˜Yeah. My grandfather spent some time in the POW camp here during the Second World War and he wanted to see the place again.’
    â€˜Is that where you were this morning?’
    â€˜Yeah. It took ages to get there and back again – he moves pretty slowly.’
    â€˜What did he think of it all?’
    â€˜Don’t know. He doesn’t say too much. He spent about an hour sitting on an old foundation and then we left again.’
    â€˜He didn’t look around?’
    â€˜No. Didn’t seem interested.’
    â€˜Weird.’
    â€˜Not really. He’s not a young man. I think he just wanted to see the place. He wants to go back again tomorrow.’
    â€˜I’d like to meet him.’
    â€˜Come across in the morning and I’ll introduce you, I should warn you though, he can be a bit bad-tempered, especially with strangers.’
    â€˜Ah, well then, we’ll see tomorrow, eh?’
    â€˜Sounds like a date.’
    â€˜Probably the only one I’m likely to get in the near future.’
    Helen threw a strange look in his direction. ‘Why?’
    â€˜Look at me. I’m not exactly Mr Universe.’
    â€˜So?’
    â€˜So, what girl’s gonna be interested in me now? Looking like this.’
    â€˜Plenty of them. You seem like a nice bloke.’
    â€˜Yeah, with a face like half a prune.’
    â€˜That shouldn’t matter.’
    â€˜Come on, you telling me you’d go for a guy with this sort of damage all over him?’
    â€˜If I knew him and I liked him, yeah, I think I probably