Hero

by Ronni Meyrick

  Willing to pay above market price, she called out from the door. “I’ll take it.”

  The young woman, who was standing beside the man, smiled brightly. “I guess you were right, you sold it quick for us, Mum.”

  •••

  A loud roar from behind caused Jackie to look in the rear-view mirror at the vehicle pulling up behind her. It was her father’s dark blue Land Rover. She stepped out of her car and waved.

  “What are you doing here?” Her gaze landed on the large metal tool box he was carrying.

  Robert kissed her on the forehead. “I thought my services might be needed to help my daughter move in, and assemble the furniture in her new house.”

  “Thank you, Dad.” Jackie looked over his shoulder, and wondered where her mother was; she’d been dying to see inside the house, and Jackie thought she would’ve been the first to be there. “Where’s Mum?”

  Robert followed Jackie’s gaze and patted her on the shoulder. “She won’t be long. She stopped to pick up a few groceries for you.”

  Jackie smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand, I knew there was something I’d forgotten. Thank God her mother remembered, there was no way she was going to be able to get through the day without coffee. “Mum will always be a mum, and that’s why I love her.”

  The first few hours, Robert feverishly put the large items together, while Jackie unpacked the boxes in the kitchen. In the centre of the kitchen, the rectangle counter with a built-in glass stove top, offered her the support needed as she hung the pans from the black pot and pan holder attached to the ceiling. That was another plus, the house had all the modern conveniences she’d only seen in magazines.

  Tucking her hair behind her ear, she balanced on her good leg as she put the last few items in the cupboard. One room down. She breathed in, shut the cupboard door, and turned slowly around.

  Sore from standing on her leg for so long, she walked leisurely into the living room and sat down on the closest chair. On the table next to her, she traced her fingers over the pile of portraits. The top one, her favourite, had been taken when the twins were no older than five. No matter how rotten Dave was to her, he had given her the best gift—two of the most amazing children.

  “You’ve got yourself a fine house here, Jack.”

  Positioning her arm over the back of the chair, she tilted her head back and smiled at her father, who was standing in the doorway. She waved for him to join her.

  “I know. I think I did the right thing, letting Carrie convince me to keep looking until I found the one that I’d fall in love with. Although, by the time I looked at this one, I think she was ready to strangle me.”

  “What number was this one?”

  Jackie’s cheeks flushed with heat as she looked down at her feet and whispered, “Fourteen.”

  A loud burst of laughter filled the room. “Damn, Jack, I think I would have strangled you after five.”

  They both looked up when they heard Molly beeping her horn. Robert held up his hand for Jackie to remain seated as he disappeared out the front door. He didn’t make it as far as the car, before a bag was thrust at him. Molly cursed under her breath as she rushed past him into the house.

  From her seat, Jackie chuckled. “Mum, there’s no need to rush around like a headless chicken.”

  “The delivery people are here with your stuff, and I have to move my car.”

  Before Jackie could respond, she heard the deep, loud, rumbling noise from the street. Looking at her watch, she pushed herself up, and made it to the door just as the large, two-tiered lorry slowly backed into the driveway. Here we go—let mayhem commence. She raised her arm and waved the driver down.

  The next hour was a whirlwind of activity, and Jackie breathed a sigh of relief as the moving supervisor said, “That’s everything, Ma’am,” and handed her the paperwork for her to sign.

  “Excellent.” She took the pen and signed her name. “Thank you for doing it so quickly.” She slipped him an extra twenty pound note with the clipboard. “Take them all to a local coffee shop and get them a drink on me.”

  Grinning, he took the money from her hand, and nodded his head. “Thank you.”

  Leaning against the doorframe, Jackie gazed at her dishevelled parents. “Well, that’s it. We’re officially moved in.” Sighing heavily, she rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Christ knows how long it’s going to take to get through all these boxes.”

  Molly moved past Jackie, pulled the lid of the first box she came to open, and looked up at the two loafers, the impatient tone warning them she wasn’t joking. “What are you two doing just standing there? Let’s each take a room and get this done.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Jackie saluted and did an about face. Before she could reach the bottom of the stairs, the doorbell rang again. She didn’t bother to check who it was, and threw the door open. Her eyes grew as wide as her smile when they locked on Carrie’s. “What are you doing here, I thought you had to work?”

  Carrie stepped inside and kissed her on the cheek. “I decided to take the day off to help you move. I don’t want you to hurt yourself lifting boxes.”

  “That’s so sweet of you.” She gestured to the pile in the middle of the room. “As you can see, we need all the help we can get.”

  From the other side of the room, Molly poked her head up. “Hello, Carrie, so good of you to come and help.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Powell, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

  Laughing, Jackie stepped back, slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, and watched Molly chastise Carrie for not calling her by her first name.

  Trying not to laugh, Carrie looked at Jackie and winked. “So, Molly, where do you want me?”

  Finding it funny the way Carrie had backtracked, Jackie had to stop herself from interjecting. She instantly licked her dry lips, as her internal voice screamed several suggestions, each one a little more X-rated than the first. “Erm…” She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. “Dad’s assembling furniture down here. Mum’s tackling the boxes in here, the kitchen’s done, and I’m going to assemble my new bed. Start wherever you want to.”

  Carrie spun around, not knowing where to start. “I can help upstairs,” she said in a soft voice, following closely behind Jackie as they walked up the stairs. Once they reached the top landing, they could hear Molly clapping her hands and saying she was going to reorganize the kitchen.

  Jackie rolled her eyes playfully. “It’ll be a miracle if I can find anything in there once she’s finished,” she whispered.

  “I heard that!” Molly shouted. “I’m going to set it out like mine, and then you’ll know exactly where everything is, smartass.”

  Carrie chuckled and playfully elbowed Jackie in the abdomen. “You were caught.”

  “Yeah. Yeah.”

  •••

  From upstairs, Carrie heard her name being called. She searched from room to room, and found she was alone on the second level. When she heard her name again, she looked over the balcony, and frowned when she saw Molly and Robert with their jackets on.

  “Are you leaving?” she called down, lifting an eyebrow in question to Jackie.

  Molly looked from her daughter to Carrie and back again, and answered before Jackie could. “Sorry to leave you two with all of this. We’re having a dinner party tonight, and I need to get home to get everything ready.”

  Carrie quickly jogged down the stairs, taking them two at a time, and accepted the mug of coffee Jackie handed to her. Their eyes locked, fingers brushing together. When she heard Robert clear his throat, she remembered they weren’t alone, and took a quick gulp of the black liquid. Playfully, she slid her arm through Jackie’s, and faced Molly and Robert. “I’m sure we can cope on our own. Besides, the kids will be home in another couple of hours to help, and I’ll get my two to come over as well.”

  “I suppose we can do without them,” Jackie said, motioning to her parents.

  “Oh, I’m sure you c
an.” Molly winked at Jackie, causing her to blush.

  What the hell was that little comment about? Carrie looked to a now blushing Jackie, and wondered why.

  The air became instantly thick. Needing to put space between her and her meddling parents, Jackie corralled them out of the dining room and to the front door.

  “Okay, see you soon.” She closed the door behind them and leaned back against the cool wood. “Well, that was strange.”

  Avoiding discussing what just happened, Carrie peered up the staircase, before saying, “I’m going to go up and tackle the boxes in your room.”

  “My room can wait,” Jackie protested.

  Carrie could feel her heart pounding in her throat. Shaking her head, she ran up the stairs, taking them two to three steps at a time, and went straight to Jackie’s bedroom. She needed to put space between her and Jackie; she wasn’t sure, but she had gotten the feeling that Molly was pushing them together. The thought made her smile, but she had so much going on with Toni, the last thing she needed was to cause more complications. Alone in Jackie’s room, her back against the wall, she eyed the boxes she’d been unpacking earlier—Jackie’s lace bra’s and underwear. The delicate material felt good between her fingers.

  From the door, Jackie secretly watched Carrie handle her items; she was amused and embarrassed all at the same time. She cleared her throat and announced, “Dinner’s on me tonight, to say thank you.”

  Undergarments in her hand, Carrie’s body stiffened, and she avoided making eye contact, as she inhaled a sharp breath. “Okay. But, um, we can just order pizza, the boys eat a lot.”

  “It’s okay, remember, I’ve got Ben and Jess.” Jackie’s laughter filled the house as she left Carrie to her task.

  “What else can you handle?” she whispered, then grinned as she looked down at the delicate material in her hands. Refocusing on the task, she opened a box marked ‘Mum’s Clothes,’ and found Jackie’s dress uniform. She handled it carefully as she laid it out on the bed in front of her. Oh, Lord, she thought as her mind was assaulted with images of Jackie wearing it, she’d look unbelievably sexy and handsome in this. She reached out and ran her hand reverently down the fabric.

  “It needs to go to the dry cleaners before I can wear it again,” Jackie said from the doorway, making Carrie jump. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Carrie looked at her and gave her a lazy half-smile. “I bet you look as cute as hell in this.”

  “I don’t know about cute.” Jackie gazed at Carrie intently before speaking again. “If you like, I can take you over to the officer’s mess one night for dinner. It has a formal dress code, though, so you’d need to wear a dress, or trouser suit.”

  “I’d like that, and the dress code won’t be a problem. I have many dresses at home that I don’t get the opportunity to wear very often. You’d be surprised how well I scrub up.” She tilted her head to the side in a teasing manner, and bit her lower lip.

  “I’m sure you look stunning,” Jackie teased back.

  “I bet you look cute in your standard green trousers, shirt, and beret, too.”

  The crow’s feet showed around Jackie’s eyes as she raised her brow. “Happen to have a thing for a uniform do you, Ms. Spencer?”

  Carrie blushed and flashed a wide smile. “Just a tiny one,” she said, using her thumb and forefinger to demonstrate how much.

  Jackie took a step toward her. “Perhaps I should come pay you a visit at the centre wearing my greens.”

  Carrie edged closer, her gaze momentarily dropped to Jackie’s lips. It would be so easy; her tongue ran seductively over her lower lip. “I’d like that.” Fighting the urge to touch Jackie, she stuffed her hands into her pockets and took a step back. “We need to get back to work, there’s still a lot of boxes to tackle.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Jackie sighed, and dashed out of the room.

  Damn, that was hot! Carrie fanned her face. Another round like that would have me spontaneously combusting.

  •••

  Already tired, Jackie frowned when the children started to horse around. There was too much to do, and they were not getting out of helping.

  “Ben and Jess, I want you to concentrate on your rooms. Charlie, and Richard, I’d like you to set the entertainment system up for me.” When she received no arguments, she clapped her hands together and made a shooing motion towards them. “Let’s get to work.”

  Carrie laughed as all the children set off in different directions without complaint. “You’re amazing. I had to fight with Richard for a week to do my television at home.”

  “They’re all good kids, Carrie. We just have to remind them who the boss is.”

  Carrie’s eyes filled with pure adoration. “Yes we do.”

  A couple of hours later, Jackie straightened her stiff back muscles and hobbled out on to the landing. Raising her fingers to her lips, she blew and sent out a shrill whistle. “That’s enough for today. I think it’s time to order dinner.”

  •••

  Rounding the corner onto her street, Carrie slammed on the breaks when she saw the lights to the living room on. Crap! Toni’s home. She shifted in her seat to look at Richard and Charlie, who were both quite sleepy. “Boys, go straight upstairs when we get in, and go to bed.”

  As soon as they were inside, the boys did as they’d been told and went straight to their bedrooms. Pausing briefly at the living room door, Carrie took a deep, cleansing breath, bolstering her nerves for whatever awaited her. Tentatively, she pushed the door open and took a step inside.

  “Hey, babe.”

  Toni glared at her with narrowed eyes, her face a deep shade of red. Then, her glare widened, the whites of her eyes quickly turned black as her irises enlarged. She pounced off the sofa, and stormed over to Carrie, stopping inches from her face.

  “Where the fuck have you been?” she snarled.

  Carrie edged back, trying to put distance between her and Toni’s beer tainted breath. “The boys and I were at Jackie’s, helping her move.”

  Toni’s nose wrinkled, and the tight muscles in her jaw clenched. “There’s that name again!” She took a step closer to Carrie and grabbed her arms, digging her fingers into her skin. “Why is it that Jackie gets to see more of you than I do? I was given the rest of the night off from work, and wanted to surprise you and the boys by taking you out to dinner. But, as usual, you weren’t home! You were at her house! If it hasn’t escaped your notice, Carrie, I’m your girlfriend…not her!”

  Carrie winced at the painful hold Toni had on her, and looked down at her shoes, not wanting to meet Toni’s bloodshot eyes. “If I’d have known all of that, I’d have come home.”

  “Like I said, it was a surprise!” Toni shouted again.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Well, I’m hungry now. Make me something to eat. I’ll decide if I can forgive you afterwards.” She released her grip and pushed Carrie towards the kitchen, then returned to her position on the sofa.

  In disbelief, Carrie rubbed her arms to ease the pain as she quickly made her way into the kitchen. Away from Toni’s bullish behaviour, she stood looking down at her shaking hands. Why do I put up with this? Toni hadn’t always been such a massive ball of anger—she used to be soft and tender, and very loving towards her and the boys. She didn’t understand what had happened to make Toni change, but, as the years passed, the abuse increased.

  Inhaling a frustrated breath, Carrie combed her fingers through her hair. Enough is enough! I can’t continue to live like this anymore.

  Moments later, Carrie crept up the stairs, ran herself a bath and climbed in. Tears soaked her face as she lay back and rested her head. From her sanctuary, she could hear the sound of another beer can being opened; that only meant one thing – Toni had finished her meal, and once she swallowed down the spirits, she would be demanding a pound of flesh from Carrie.

  Biting her bottom lip to stop the tears, Carrie knew it was time to take action. She couldn�
�t continue to live in a volatile, abusive relationship. Submerging her aching arms and shoulders under the warm water, she slid down, letting it block out the sounds around her. She looked up from beneath the ripples, the bright lights appeared sterile, and lacked even a trace of warmth. They shone down, showing the imperfections on her skin, while she wished the tub would expand, so she could float away and hide.

  It’s time, she finally admitted. It’s time to leave Toni.

  Chapter Twelve

  The early morning sun sent a series of shimmering rays over the placid river, bestowing a golden path from the riverbank to the horizon. Jackie walked slowly along the water’s edge; it gave her time to think and make sense of the feelings that were stirring in her for Carrie. She blinked toward the rising sun and let the moment sink in, soothing her from the core right out to where the nascent rays touched her skin.

  For Jackie, the early morning walks along the river had their reward; she loved the way the silhouette of the rising sun played against the crimson sky. There were no cars hissing across the rain coated street—only the cry of the swans, geese, and ducks, as they called for their morning meal. There was something about the dawn that made each new day a gift, unwrapping the world anew. A new world is what was now awaiting her.

  She was ahead of schedule, and no longer needed the crutches, or any other device, in fact, she found with the help of the new prosthetic, she moved faster, could jog, and soon would be running with ease.

  Ready for the new chapter in her life to start, she reached in to her pocket for her phone and swiped the screen to the number of her CO’s office. It was time to get her life back on track. A grin spread across her face as she heard Mary’s voice. “Hi, Mary, its Jackie Holmes, is the boss in?” Her call was put straight through.