Page 72 of Rock Giant

“I could carry you off into the woodlands, if you don’t fancy security footage of the whole encounter making someone’s evening.”

“Hmm, think I’d better be getting back to my bus and away from your flirting.Normally I don’t worry about anyone picking me up and carrying me anywhere, but…”

But he’d proved how easily he could lift her off her feet.

“Find me later,” he called after her, letting her return alone to the Ghost Boys bus.“I want to know all about how you wound up touring with that lot.”

Over by the picnic tables, Lee was bouncing an empty cup off the top of Nash’s head, while the rest of them lobbed bits of bread at him.

“It’s not an interesting story.”

“Reckon it is.”

“Then maybe it’s just not one I fancy sharing.I’m sure you have a few of those too.”

“Aye.Maybe.”Mind you, he’d tell her whatever she wanted to know.He’d given her his heart.His loyalty.His everything, really.Besides, openness was the key to a long and happy relationship.His parents had taught him that.

The phone in his pocket bleeped.Paul took a glance at it.

Dad: When are you coming home, son?

RG: I don’t know when.I’ll let you know as soon as I can.

CHAPTER 23

Jodi Castle

They’d pulled off the road, as far as Jodi could tell, in the middle of nowhere nowheresville.The boys seemed as baffled as her as to the reason, but the Black Halo bus was stopped right there ahead of them.

“I’m pretty sure this isn’t Stavanger,” Balin said, squinting to see the outside world through their combined reflection.A dozen or so moths landed on the outside of the glass, attracted by the lights.“Do you think they’re having bus trouble?”

Brian was already on the phone to Samson.He made a few affirmatives and hung up.“Scheduled rest stop.I thought we were overnighting in central Egersund, but apparently, we’re sticking to the outskirts and only the crew are heading into town.The guys wanted to wake up to a view.”

“Outskirts.”The pitch of Nash’s voice matched what they were all surely thinking.This wasn’t the suburbs.This was wild country.There wasn’t a light in any direction other than upwards.That starscape, mind you, it looked impressive.Jodi got out her phone and opened up SkySafari.

“Where you going?”Lee asked, as she headed down the entry steps.

She turned the screen to him.“Says the Draconid Meteor Shower should be visible.”

“Cool.”He followed her out onto the gravelled area they’d parked up on.It appeared to be a maintained facility.There were a couple of picnic tables, though no amenities.

“Is this their idea of a joke, do you think?”Balin continued to complain, as the rest of them trooped outdoors, into the fresh night air.He rubbed his bare arms.“Where’s the nightlife?”

Something howled in the distance.

“Look up, fuckwit,” Lee replied, while lifting his own phone heavenward alongside Jodi’s.It hadn’t been visible from inside the bus due to the direction they were facing and the shadows of the mountains but hanging over the horizon were fantastic sheets of red and green, the starscape peeping through the gossamer strands.Having never witnessed the Northern Lights before, she was mesmerised.Black Halo were off their bus too, milling around in front of it.

“Sure, it’s cool.”Balin continued to sign and rub the goosebumps from his skin.“Anything else to do around here?”

Spook, who was nearest to them from among Black Halo waved an arm in a vaguely northern direction.Actually, was that north?Well, it was towards the pole star.“There’s Trollpikken.It’s about a forty-minute hike.Probably not a nighttime activity, mind.”

“Hiking?”The way Nash said it made it sound like he’d never walked anywhere in his life.And to think they’d all met while fruit picking their way around Europe.

“Trollpikken.What’s that?”Jez asked, sounding far more interested than he had in days.

“A rock formation that looks like a troll’s prick,” Rock Giant said wandering over to join them.“All mended now, after it’s unfortunate dismemberment in twenty seventeen.Some people have no bloody souls.”

“Like the morons that felled the Sycamore Gap tree.”Ash contributed.