Читать книгу The Girl Who Lied: The bestselling psychological drama - Sue Fortin, Sue Fortin - Страница 16

Kerry couldn’t help glancing up the garden of Apple Tree Cottage every few minutes. The barbecue was in full swing and still no sign of Erin. He really thought she would turn up, especially after Bex’s chat with her.

‘Another beer?’ said Joe, coming over with a cold bottle he had hooked out of a barrel of ice.

Kerry accepted the beer and, using the bottle opener Joe passed his way, flicked off the top and took a long slug.

‘You been stood up?’ said Joe.

‘She’s bringing her boyfriend,’ said Kerry. ‘Hardly call it stood up.’

‘Maybe she got a better offer.’ Joe gave his cousin a gentle punch on the arm.

Kerry resisted the urge to tell Joe where to go. He refused to rise to the bait. Besides, he was pissed off at himself for even thinking Erin would want to come to the barbecue, least of all because he was there.

He watched Storm and the other children race around the garden, squirting each other with water pistols. Skip was scampering after them, clearly enjoying all the excitement. As Storm tore past Kerry and Joe, screaming with laughter, one of the older kids grabbed the hosepipe and turning it on, pressed his thumb over the opening. The resultant jet of water sprayed both Kerry and Joe.

‘Hey!’ shouted Kerry, jumping back out of the way.

‘Little shit,’ muttered Joe, but he was laughing all the same.

‘Right, that does it,’ said Kerry good-humouredly. He thrust his beer bottle at Joe and strode across the grass. The lad screamed and, dropping the hosepipe, fled round the corner of the house.

Kerry picked up the hose and waited for the boy to come back into the garden. A movement caught Kerry’s eye and he squirted the hosepipe at the lad.

There was a scream and a curse.

A cheer went up from the guests in the garden.

‘Shit.’ Kerry dropped the hosepipe.

Standing in front of him wasn’t the lad, but Erin. Her clothes clung to her like she had entered a wet t-shirt competition. Water dripped from her hair. ‘Jesus, Erin. I’m so sorry,’ he said. He could hear Joe chortling in the background.

‘What the hell was that for?’ The man with Erin said.

Kerry noticed him for the first time. From the man’s accent, Kerry assumed that it was Erin’s English boyfriend. He wasn’t quite so wet, unfortunately. It seemed Erin had caught the full brunt of it.