A Child in Need by Marion Lennox

that long night of the hostage drama, and it hadn’t just been Harry who’d received comfort.
    This was ridiculous!
    Yes, but just talking to Wendy couldn’t hurt—telling Wendy if she wanted a statement then he was prepared to make it. It couldn’t hurt to do that much—and then steer clear. And…Shanni was at the movies.
    It was only nine. Not too late. Decision made, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.
    With his hair still tousled.
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    â€˜If it’ll help then I’ll put that all in writing.’
    â€˜It will.’ Wendy stared across the table at her visitor, her eyes troubled. ‘The only problem is…’
    â€˜Mmm?’
    â€˜You’re saying he shouldn’t be institutionalised because he’s capable of attachment. But you’re not willing to allow that attachment.’
    â€˜I…no.’
    â€˜Do you know about our big brother scheme?’
    â€˜Shanni…Miss McDonald told me about it, yes.’
    â€˜And you’re not willing to be a part of it?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Hmm.’ She paused and regarded him across the table with knowing eyes. In silence.
    Which Nick found vaguely unsettling. The woman was still relatively young, close to thirty, maybe, but Nick knew instinctively that she’d make a great house mother for troubled kids. She was sort of…comfortable. She had kindly eyes that crinkled from too much smiling—eyes that said she accepted all comers as she found them.
    And she knew what she was seeing now. ‘You’ve had a tough time yourself,’ she said softly, and Nick stared.
    â€˜How…?’
    â€˜How do I know?’ She spread her hands. ‘You get to know the look. And Shanni told me.
    â€˜What on earth does Shanni know?’
    â€˜She sees as much as I do.’ Wendy smiled and pushed her fingers through her mass of dark curls. She’d tied them back into a knot but they were breaking free everywhere. ‘She’s quite a girl. If that’s all, then…’
    â€˜Is Harry asleep?’ Now, why had he asked that?
    â€˜I doubt it.’ She hesitated. ‘It’s hard to get him to sleep. He lies there for hours, just staring into the dark. But if you’re not willing to take this further then maybe it’s not such a good idea to prolong the agony.’
    â€˜The agony?’
    â€˜Harry wants you,’ she said simply. ‘He cries to go to you. That’s why Shanni took him to lunch with you today.’ And then she paused as she heard a car pull up outside.There was a click of the gate, and then a low laugh as someone greeted one of the older children. ‘Speaking of which…here she is.’
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    The first thing she saw was his hair.
    Shanni burst in the door and stopped dead. She’d never expected that Nick would come. She’d been expecting Wendy, and Wendy was there, but so was Nick and this was a very different Nick. So far she’d seen him groomed and immaculate and slick and smooth. Now…he was in casual trousers, a short-sleeved, open-necked shirt and his hair was tousled and thick and unruly.
    She could see why he combed it down. Smoothed, it looked like the hairstyle of a barrister of the highest standing. Now it was a tousled mop, and he looked years younger. He didn’t look like a magistrate, she thought. He looked…nice.
    Nick wasn’t nice, she told herself, strangely off-balance. He was a toad. All men were toads. John was toad number one but Nick was running a close second.
    â€˜How was the movie?’ he asked mildly, and she wrinkled her nose in distaste.
    â€˜Lousy.’
    â€˜How come?’ Wendy smiled and rose to fetch more coffee. ‘Weren’t you seeing the one about the runaway bride?’
    â€˜Yes—but it had a stupid ending. She didn’t keep running.’
    Wendy choked on laughter, then crossed to give her friend a hug. They were obviously