The Songbird and the Soldier Read Online Free

until we’re back now,” he said. “Take care, Sam.”
    Sam stood up and kissed Andy on the cheek. “No, you take care, all right? I want both of you back here in one piece, you hear me? Both of you, or I’ll definitely have something to say about it,” she added.
    “Cor. Are you going to keep me after school and thrash me, Miss?” said Dean, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
    Andy smiled, his brain barely functioning now. “I’ll, um…” he gestured toward the door, “be off.”
    Sam straightened. “I’m serious.”
    Andy could see that she was. He looked into her eyes. “I know. I’ll take care of him. I promise.” He smiled and then left her with Dean, walking out into the harsh winter night.
    He must try and forget about her now. The next nine months he was to be a soldier and nothing more. The army was his home and the men were his brothers, even Dean. In the grand scheme of things Dean was still his brother: an annoying younger brother, but someone he would gladly lay down his own life to protect- but God, how he sometimes just wanted to smash his head against a brick wall. He put on his gloves, zipped up his jacket and walked away from Sam and towards war. Back inside, Sam was left wondering about the familiarity of that kiss.

Chapter 2
    Sam was round at Kate’s house, slouching in the big pink beanbag underneath the window. Christina Aguilera sang quietly in the background and Kate traced the pattern of the duvet cover on her bed with her finger. “I still can’t believe you’re going out with creep-features,” Kate said.
    “He’s nice. He makes me laugh and you’ve got to admit he is very good looking.”
    “Oh he is better looking now, I suppose, but… really? Dean?”
    Sam smiled, remembering his tall handsome features, his blue eyes gazing down at her, making her feel like a million dollars.
    “He’s a twat, Sam. A womaniser.”
    “He is not.”
    “You’re really into him, aren’t you?”
    Sam sighed and hugged the soft white pony she found lying nearby, to her chest.
    “You’ve always been soft on him, even back in school days when he was ugly.”
    “He was not ugly.”
    “Yes he was. I remember.” She took a long look at Sam. “I give up. You’ve been a lost cause ever since he used to put his arm around you at break times. You know he was only doing that so that you would give him your Kit Kat. He was really after Big-Tits Bunstead,” she said, slumping back down on the bed.
    Sam lobbed the pony at her. Kate was obviously teasing. She didn’t believe for a minute that Dean had really used her like that. He was the one who had stood up for her when Tom Finley had teased her about her braces. He even said he would have taken her out only his parents had put their foot down and insisted he stay at home and work. “Just because he was a hard worker and not cool and trendy like all the boys you got off with,” she said.
    Kate spluttered out a hail of laughter and lobbed the pony back. “Cheeky mare!”
    “Listen, you never did tell me what the matter was with your mum the other night? Is she all right?”
    Kate propped herself up on one elbow again. “At the double date?”
    “Yes.”
    She sat up. “You really didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary with that guy then?”
    “No. He seemed really nice. Sort of… reassuring: like you’ve known him for ages, but you haven’t. You know what I mean? Why?”
    “’Cause he was gawping at you the whole night. I told you back at Chlo’s party that he was into you and you, like a plonker, went and gave your number to old smarm-breath. Why Dean thought he would be interested in me I have no idea.”
    “But your mum?”
    “Oh she was fine. I’d just had enough of blending in with the wallpaper. You know ‘shrinking violet’ was always more your style than mine. I’m not going spend my evening hanging around babysitting some poor love-struck squaddie.”
    Sam looked thoughtful for a moment. “Dean said he’d