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“There’s a yew tree in Wales that’s said to be five thousand years old,” interrupts Griffin”

“Wow!” The little boy’s eyes widen like saucers “Did you know trees are good for us, Holly? And not just because they ive us wood”

“I do love things that give us wood” Tilting his dark sunglasses, Griffin stares suggestively over the top at me “Wood makes me very happy”

“Then you must love trees, too,” Archie says

“He wasn’t talking about that kind of wood,” Hughto sit next to his brother His fair hair is da to his head in so up in tufts in others

“Hugh, what kind of bird do you think that is?” I ask, pointing at one swooping overhead If in doubt, distract

“You’re not supposed to know about stuff like that,” Griffin mumbles

“I am almost nine,” the boy retorts

“And he goes to an all-boys school And as we know, boys are, by and large, gross”

“I’nation

“Of course you’re not I meant other boys, obviously And Griffin”

“Take that back,” the ainst the blanket and half against the grass I squeal and kick out as he grabs ins to tickleis always vicious All those poking and pinching fingertips and being ement

“This is what you get for laughing at rowls, clearly entertained at his form of payback

“I Didn’t” My head flails from side to side, my words breathless

“I think I’ve changedyour teeth,” he asp as his attentions move under the hem of my T-shirt “I quite like the view from here”

I can hear the boys coo as far as to pull in Griffin’s belt loops in an atte but gasp and wheeze and flail

“Get Off!”

His eyes suddenly gleam, intent on mine as he pauses for the first tied your mind”

“What?” My chest heaves between us It doesn’t go unnoticed by him

“You want ht here? Over you?”

“E! You know that’s not what I mean” I pull on my arms and buck up from underneath

His groan is a little less than PG despite our audience “You know that’s what I do for a living, right? Get people off I’ood at it”