okay?’
‘I think you’ll be fine.’ He frowned. ‘Mind you, your mother said she might like to do some of these things with you, so we do have to bear her old age and infirmity in mind, don’t we? She might need some help if she’s going to try it with you.’ He winked at the boy, and Jamie laughed, looking at his mother to see her reaction.
‘Cheeky monkey,’ she said, giving Connor a playful punch. ‘We’ll see who can keep up, just you wait and see.’
Connor shook his head, looking back at Jamie.‘These women are all talk and no substance, don’t you think? There was Phoebe telling me she wouldn’t even contemplate trying out the archery, and just because I pinched her toast she’s getting ready to paint a target on me. You and I will just have to stick together, lad. Men of iron, that’s us.’
Jamie giggled. ‘You’re daft,’ he said.
‘Never a truer word,’ Phoebe put in, glancing up from sipping her orange juice. She looked back at Jamie. ‘Of course, once you’ve had a go on the wire, you might want to try something completely different. We could always go for a wander round the wildlife site. I heard there were some roe deer hiding out among the trees, and all kinds of different birds to see. I know you said you were interested in bird watching. You might like to take some pictures for your photo album.’
Jamie nodded. ‘Perhaps we could do that this afternoon. I really want to have a go on the zip wire first. It looks as though it will be fun, shooting down over the trail and going through the trees.’
Connor looked at Jamie’s mother. ‘Is that okay with you? There’s a lift up to the top of the slope. He’ll be strapped into a harness—one that supports him in a kind of cradle seat, and then once he’s been lifted up to the start point he’ll be able to zoom along the wire in comfort. All the children seem to love it.’
Chloe nodded. ‘If you think he’ll be all right doing that, it’s fine with me.’
Jamie gave her a beaming smile, and Phoebe thought how wonderful it was that this young boy had been given his quality of life back after heart surgery. He hadbeen born with a defect to his heart that had made it difficult for his blood to circulate effectively, and as a consequence he had been frail, short of breath a lot of the time, and unable to take part in the normal activities that children of his age enjoyed.
Now, though, he was ready to sample the delights of outdoor feats that would have debilitated him before his surgery.
‘Come on, then, soldier. Let’s get moving, shall we?’ Connor said. ‘We’ll possibly need to stop off at the shop, so that your mother can buy her newspaper and a few postcards. That way, your breakfast will have time to settle.’
Jamie frowned. ‘Do we have to, Mum? You’ll be ages in the shop. You always are.’
‘Yes, we do,’ his mother said with a wry smile. ‘Anyway, you can go and talk to some of the other children while you’re waiting for me. Didn’t you say there was a boy you met last night that you were going to hang around with? I thought he said he would be near the photo shop first thing?’
‘Oh, yes…I forgot. That’s okay—take as long as you like in the shop.’
Phoebe smiled. Jamie was a typical boy, wanting to do everything all at once. Connor had been egging him on, but she knew that he had the boy’s welfare at heart. He had a medical bag on hand in case the child’s heart rhythm changed dramatically, and there was oxygen ready if necessary. She hoped it wouldn’t be needed.
‘Are you going to have a go?’ Connor asked her some half an hour later as they watched Jamie and his mothershoot past them in turn on the wire. Jamie was grinning in delight, and Chloe looked equally thrilled.
‘I’m game if you are,’ Phoebe said, ‘though I have to say this feature is a new addition to the centre and I haven’t ever tried it before.’
‘You’ll be fine. I had a go when I was on holiday
‘I think you’ll be fine.’ He frowned. ‘Mind you, your mother said she might like to do some of these things with you, so we do have to bear her old age and infirmity in mind, don’t we? She might need some help if she’s going to try it with you.’ He winked at the boy, and Jamie laughed, looking at his mother to see her reaction.
‘Cheeky monkey,’ she said, giving Connor a playful punch. ‘We’ll see who can keep up, just you wait and see.’
Connor shook his head, looking back at Jamie.‘These women are all talk and no substance, don’t you think? There was Phoebe telling me she wouldn’t even contemplate trying out the archery, and just because I pinched her toast she’s getting ready to paint a target on me. You and I will just have to stick together, lad. Men of iron, that’s us.’
Jamie giggled. ‘You’re daft,’ he said.
‘Never a truer word,’ Phoebe put in, glancing up from sipping her orange juice. She looked back at Jamie. ‘Of course, once you’ve had a go on the wire, you might want to try something completely different. We could always go for a wander round the wildlife site. I heard there were some roe deer hiding out among the trees, and all kinds of different birds to see. I know you said you were interested in bird watching. You might like to take some pictures for your photo album.’
Jamie nodded. ‘Perhaps we could do that this afternoon. I really want to have a go on the zip wire first. It looks as though it will be fun, shooting down over the trail and going through the trees.’
Connor looked at Jamie’s mother. ‘Is that okay with you? There’s a lift up to the top of the slope. He’ll be strapped into a harness—one that supports him in a kind of cradle seat, and then once he’s been lifted up to the start point he’ll be able to zoom along the wire in comfort. All the children seem to love it.’
Chloe nodded. ‘If you think he’ll be all right doing that, it’s fine with me.’
Jamie gave her a beaming smile, and Phoebe thought how wonderful it was that this young boy had been given his quality of life back after heart surgery. He hadbeen born with a defect to his heart that had made it difficult for his blood to circulate effectively, and as a consequence he had been frail, short of breath a lot of the time, and unable to take part in the normal activities that children of his age enjoyed.
Now, though, he was ready to sample the delights of outdoor feats that would have debilitated him before his surgery.
‘Come on, then, soldier. Let’s get moving, shall we?’ Connor said. ‘We’ll possibly need to stop off at the shop, so that your mother can buy her newspaper and a few postcards. That way, your breakfast will have time to settle.’
Jamie frowned. ‘Do we have to, Mum? You’ll be ages in the shop. You always are.’
‘Yes, we do,’ his mother said with a wry smile. ‘Anyway, you can go and talk to some of the other children while you’re waiting for me. Didn’t you say there was a boy you met last night that you were going to hang around with? I thought he said he would be near the photo shop first thing?’
‘Oh, yes…I forgot. That’s okay—take as long as you like in the shop.’
Phoebe smiled. Jamie was a typical boy, wanting to do everything all at once. Connor had been egging him on, but she knew that he had the boy’s welfare at heart. He had a medical bag on hand in case the child’s heart rhythm changed dramatically, and there was oxygen ready if necessary. She hoped it wouldn’t be needed.
‘Are you going to have a go?’ Connor asked her some half an hour later as they watched Jamie and his mothershoot past them in turn on the wire. Jamie was grinning in delight, and Chloe looked equally thrilled.
‘I’m game if you are,’ Phoebe said, ‘though I have to say this feature is a new addition to the centre and I haven’t ever tried it before.’
‘You’ll be fine. I had a go when I was on holiday
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