Page 47 of A Very Happy Easter

Heath nudged the bag across the seat. “Take whatever you want.”

“What about the other women in your life? Serena? Marissa? Janie?”

“Already taken care of.”

“So you’ve finished your Christmas shopping?”

“Yup. You?”

“I haven’t even started yet.”

Every December, I did the same dance with Salma. She offered to buy the gifts, and I insisted that this year, I was going to make it out to the shops. I psyched myself up to go, then crumbled at the last minute, and Salma ended up dashing around Selfridges, Regent Street, and Knightsbridge alone.

Heath chuckled. “Eh, you’ve still got a week left.”

This year, I’d go. I would. At least I knew what to buy for Heath now—a laser shooting game.

“Plenty of time.”

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet bag. “Happy Christmas, Edie. I wasn’t sure I’d see you again before, so…”

Was it jewellery? He’d bought me jewellery?

“Should I open it now?”

“For it to mean anything, I have to tell you the story behind it.”

He smiled, and it was the sweetest, saddest smile I’d ever seen. I unclipped my seat belt and scooched over to the middle seat. Heath buckled me back in again. Safety first.

“Go on.”

“Two and a half years ago, I was over in the Middle East—I can’t be more specific than that. My old job involved a lot of watching. Gathering information before the guys everyone hears about arrived.” He took a long breath. Let it out again. “One night, I saw a woman being attacked. Three men. They were trying to rape her, but she was fighting back. My role was to gather intel, but I couldn’t sit there and let it happen, so I got her out of there. Blew the fucking op in the process.”

Oh my goodness. I slid my hand into Heath’s and squeezed. “Was she okay?”

“I was with two other guys—who were both pissed at me—and we got her back to a friendly base. Her name was Aya. The last time I saw her, she took that off her wrist and gave it to me.” Heath touched the velvet bag with a fingertip. “She said it would bring me luck and happiness.”

I pulled open the drawstring and tipped a delicate turquoise bracelet into my hand. Turquoise and gold. I had a hundred pieces of jewellery in the safe at home, but none had made me shiver when I touched them the way this one did.

“It’s beautiful.” And the story behind it agonisingly so. “But you can’t give me this.”

“I want you to be happy, Edie.”

“But it’s so precious.”

“And you think you’re not? That lucky charm got me through the inevitable bollocking after the op, plus the year that followed, and head-wise, I’m in a better place now. The time’s right for it to go to a new home.” A tear rolled down my cheek, and he brushed it away with a thumb. “Don’t cry, Edie.”

“I’m okay. Just crazy emotional tonight.” And so, so touched by his gift. “That was why you left the Army? You got pushed out for rescuing a woman? Oh my gosh.”

“I wasn’t pushed out. But I did start seeing things differently after that. Only half the men in my unit agreed with what I did, and it was made clear that if I pulled the same stunt again, then I’d be gone.”

“And you would have done the same thing again?”

He nodded. “I could never just stand by and watch.”

I understood. I did. Because although Neil Short had broken me as a teenager, I’d fought back. Fought back in court, and fought back with Vocare.

“What happened to the girl?”