Chapter 28

A few minutes later,and after a little more positioning of straw bales and milk churns that someone had found from somewhere,everyone agreed that things were set and the photograph was taken.

Andy approached Luke and put an arm around his shoulders.

“You’re shivering.”

“Yeah.I’m glad we did it,but I’m just as glad it’s over.”

Andy kissed the top of his head again and they walked back to the farmhouse together.Luke could easily walk the short distance unaided,but he enjoyed how Andy fussed over him.

“I brought over Photoshop,”Tom was saying,“So I’ll load it onto Andy’s computer and we can mess about with the images if we need to.I think we’ll have to lighten the foreground a touch,because—”

Luke didn’t pay attention to the rest of Tom’s words.His shivers were jarring his ribs.Muchas he didn’t want to,he knew he’d have to take one of his pills;otherwise Andy would get on at him for being stubborn.This from the most obstinate,immoveable and inflexible man he knew.He’s also the kindest,most caring and protective man I know.Luke sighed.

“You all right?”Andy asked.

“Just a bit sore.”

“Sorry.”

Why was Andy apologising?It hadn’t been his idea to have the picture taken.

“After your lunch you can go have a lie down.”

Luke nodded.Normally he’d have added something about how Andy ought to join him,but he was in too much pain.

****

“Bloody hell,not the prized oxtail soup.We are honoured,”Paddy said to Andy,clutching hischest in mock surprise.

“Piss off.”Andy emptied a third can into a large saucepan.

Paddy must have seen Luke’s confusion,because he took the chair next to him.

“You don’t know about Andy and the oxtail soup saga?”

Luke shook his head,though he was smiling,sensing a funny story was coming.

“Luke doesn’t want to hear about that,”Andy said from the cooker.

“Oh,yes,I do.”Luke settled more comfortably into his pillows and drew up the blanket Andy had insisted on putting over his knees.

“Well.”Paddy rubbed his hands.“You know that we Yorkshiremen are meant to be careful with our brass.”

“Uh huh.”Luke nodded.

“Last year,the corner shop in the village had some cans of soup on special offer.”

“They were about to put their prices up,”Andy said,leaving the soup and starting to butter slices of bread.

“Yeah,right,”Tom added.He had taken a seat at the table and was grinning mischievously.

Paddy continued.“Only,to stop people from walking off with all the soup in the shop,they would only let you buy two cans at a time.So our fearless hero decided he’d go in,ask them to ring up two cans,and then put another two cans on the counter,telling the shop owner that theywere for someone else.But there was no one else.Least ways we never saw any of the soup.”

“I’m letting you have some now,aren’t I?”

“That’s only because Luke’s here,”Tom called out.

Andy grumbled something that Luke didn’t catch.

“Well,our master tactician here—”

“Piss off,”Andy said again,going back to the cooker to stir the soup.

“As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted from the peanut gallery,”Paddy winked atLuke,who was doing his best not to laugh,“Andy had previously reconnoitred his target and came up with a plan to perform a stealth attack on the corner shop at lunchtime.He’d found outthrough secret intelligence reports—”

“You daft bugger.”Andy removed the pan from the hotplate and began pouring its contents intobowls.

“Our Andy knew that between twelve and two o’clock,”Paddy smirked at Andy’s back,“Sorry,Lieutenant,twelve hundred and fourteen hundred hours,a relief shop assistant takes over while the shop keeper has his lunch.So Andy would go back down to the village and buy four more cans.”

Luke chuckled.

“And he did that every day for a week,until they’d sold out,”Tom said,accepting the soup Andy had just given to him.

“Well,it was going cheap.”Andy handed out more bowls.

“Ha!”Paddy picked up his spoon and looked over at Luke.“Yeah,ten pence cheaper.”

“It all adds up,”Andy said.“I ended up saving about five quid.”

“As well as helping to dry up the European Union’s soup lake.”Paddy blew on a spoonful of soup before putting it into his mouth.

Luke,mindful of his ribs,tried to hold in his laughter,but one look at Andy’s serious expression had him losing the battle.“Oh,no,you shouldn’t make me laugh,it’s not fair.”Luke continued to giggle,despite the pain.

“Then we best not tell you about the time when one of Andy’s army mates turned up with severalcases of green beans from the continent,”Tom said,after swallowing a spoonful of soup.

“I shared those beans with you,didn’t I?”Andy said.

“Yes,”Tom said,“and you could have lined us up in front of a wind turbine and we’d have been able to supply half the village with electricity.”

“They were a bit on the tough side,”Andy admitted.

“No,please.No more.”Luke fought down his need to laugh.He was enjoying himself;it was great to be able to sit round a table with good friends;people who weren’t the least bit interested in him as a now ex-porn actor.Once Tom and Paddy’s mild shock at the news of his retirement had sunk in,they’d not mentioned his career again.

“Sorry,let’s change the subject,”Paddy said.“What’s the latest on Craig?

The mood in the room instantly sobered.

Andy rubbed his chin.“Jessica had the good sense to tell Keith to get lost.She’s even started divorce proceedings.”

“Good,”Tom said,and seemed to speak for all present.

“He threatened to not pay child support.”

“No!”Paddy said.

“The slimy bastard,”Tom added.

“Yeah.But Jessica’s solicitor sent him a letter telling him that if he didn’t cough up,thecourt would likely take it directly out of his wages.So he gave in,as bullies usually do,whenyou challenge them.”

“Yeah,”Paddy said.

Andy finished the last of his soup.“Craig will come and stay here every other weekend or so.Least it’ll give Jess a bit of a break.She’s not taking this well.”

“Suppose it can’t be easy for her,”Tom said.

Luke remembered Andy telling him that both Tom and Paddy had been brought up in children’s homes.He was thankful,yet again,for his family and how well most of them had taken the news of his being gay.They were less thrilled at his choice of career,however.That reminded him;he should call his mam and tell her the good news about his retirement.

****

“You sure you wouldn’t rather go and have a sleep?”Andy asked.

“Maybe later.I want to see how the photos turned out.”Luke stifled a yawn,but of course Andy saw it.

“Give over fussing at him,”Paddy said,nudging Andy.“Luke’s a big boy.”Paddy winked andAndy harrumphed.

“So,let’s have a butcher’s at this morning’s efforts.”Tom stood up and went to the computer and fired it up.Luke admired how fast Tom could type.He remembered Andy telling him that he was an author of children’s books.Luke couldn’t remember what Paddy did for a living.It would have to be something that allowed him flexible working hours since both Tom and Paddy seemed to be available to help out with anything Andy needed at short notice.

“Here,look.As I thought,the foreground is too dark.”Tom pushed his chair back from the monitor to let everyone see.

Luke admired the framing of the shot;all the elements seemed to be present,not that he knew much about photography.He was in the centre of the picture,his right arm behind him,hiding his cast.He looked closely,but couldn’t see the slight bruising that he knew was still present,especially around his right eye.

“We’re not taking the bloody thing again,”Andy said,approaching the computer and putting a hand on Luke’s left shoulder.

“My dear Andrew,you are so behind the times.We can do almost anything with digital images these days.I could,for example,superimpose my head on Luke’s body.”Tom reached for the mouse.

“That’d be nice,”Paddy said.

“You’ve no need to bother,”Andy warned,staying Tom’s hand.

Tom shook his head.“Okay,okay,I’ll leave your boyfriend’s body unmolested.”

Paddy chuckled.