by Anna Jacobs
It was Craig all over again, hopping into bed with any woman who tempted him.
Well, she wasn’t going to act like a stupid doormat for a second time. Definitely not!
A few minutes later she turned round and jumped in shock as she saw Jules standing in the doorway.
“Kit would like another cup of coffee. Shall I - ”
“I’ll pour it for you.” Laura could hear how stiff her voice was, but there was no law that said you had to be warm and friendly to the woman who’d been sleeping with the man you fancied.
Jules gave her a slow smile, as if she understood exactly how she was feeling. “We’ve known each other a long time, Kit and I.”
“Have you? That’s nice.”
“I’ve seen the way you look at him. Don’t waste your time. He’s not the settling down type and you obviously are.”
Laura managed a questioning look, as if she didn’t understand the implications.
Jules laughed. “Don’t say you haven’t been warned.”
Laura maintained the smile until Jules walked out, then closed her eyes tightly to hold in the tears she wanted to shed.
She wasn’t taking out part shares in a man again!
* * * *
Jules went to sit on the end of Kit’s bed as he drank his second cup of coffee. “Has Shaun spoken to you yet?”
“About what?”
“A job.”
“He skirted around it, but I told him flat: I don’t like office work and I’m not coming back to live in London.”
“What are you doing now but office work?”
“I may not be very active, but I’m living to my own timetable, doing what I want when I want. That’s quite different from following someone else’s rules.” He stared at her, eyes narrowed. “What’s all this about? Why does it matter to you what I do?”
She put one hand on his thigh. “Because we had something good going between us, you and I. Could have again if you lived in London.” She began to stroke the hand up and down his thigh.
He removed her hand from his leg. “I’m not interested, either in Shaun’s offer or yours.”
“You can’t be involved with that mouse of a woman!”
“Can’t I? I’m sure you know best.”
“But we’re still friends, surely, you and I? You can’t ignore the past.”
“Friends as long as you don’t try to push it any further.”
For a minute she stared at him, as if trying to read his mind, make sure he meant what he had said. “OK. Have it your own way. You usually do.”
Her voice had a sharp edge to it now that she wasn’t using her coaxing tone. He smiled. He wasn’t falling into her net again. She was a devil to live with, unlike Laura.
“Is it OK if I stay on for a day or two and go back to London with Shaun? Andy’s driving up to Edinburgh to see his aunt.”
He hesitated, not wanting her to stay, sure she had some hidden agenda.
“Oh, come on, Kit. For old times’ sake. You can’t say you don’t have room for us and it’s great to get a few of us together for a while. I do think you might listen to what Shaun can offer you.”
He’d already told Shaun he could stay a little longer and now wished he hadn’t. If Jules was going back with him, he could hardly turn her out. “OK. You can stay. But don’t get up your hopes. Whatever was between us is dead.” He gave her a long, hard look.
She held up her hands in mock surrender. “OK. OK. Whatever you say. I must have misread your signals last night.”
“I was just enjoying the company - the company of you all, not to mention the gossip and news.” He only hoped Laura would understand that - and she damned well wasn’t staying in the kitchen tonight, either, like a drudge.
He wanted her with him. Jules’s visit had made him realise that. Laura wasn’t a two-faced schemer. She was the person with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. This visit had only emphasised that.
He smiled, feeling good about that thought. He was famous for making rapid decisions. He hoped it wouldn’t take Laura too long to admit how great they were together.
* * * *
Shaun wandered into Kit’s office where he was fiddling with papers, unable to settle. “Got time for a chat?”
“Sure. But if you’re going to try to persuade me to take that job . . . ”
“No. It’s something else that needs clearing up.” Shaun hesitated. “Look, surely you must have remembered what happened before the accident?”
“No. It’s a complete blank. Probably it always will be, or so the doctors tell me.”
“Hmm.”
Kit leaned back in his chair. “What’s all this in aid of?”
Shaun perched on the edge of the table. “I didn’t say anything before because you weren’t well and even when you were in rehab, your brother said you shouldn’t be upset.”
“Oh, did he!”
“The thing is - I’m the one who sent you to Bangkok and I do know something about the project you were on. I had a few leads, we discussed it and you got interested.”
“Oh?”
“Surely you remember?”
“Sorry, I don’t. Not a thing. Why did you wait so long to talk to me? The real reason.”
Shaun shrugged. “The people you were researching had been warned. I wanted to give them time to cool off - and you time to recover.” His gaze held sympathy. “That was a rough deal, being mugged like that. But now, well, I thought you might like to finish off what you started.”
Kit shrugged. Once this conversation would have fired his blood, sent him haring off to investigate again; now he didn’t have the faintest desire to pick up the dropped threads. “I’ve retired from that sort of thing. Permanently.”
“I don’t believe it. Not you.”
“Doesn’t matter what you believe. My life, my decision.”
“You can’t just drop everything. You’re one of the best investigative reporters in the business. We need people like you to keep our world honest – well, as honest as we can.”
Kit smiled. “That part of my life is over. It was time even if this hadn’t happened.” He looked down at his leg, “I really have quit, Shaun.”
“That’s only a limp. Won’t even slow you down much. Give you another couple of months and you’ll be raring to go off on an assignment again.”
“I won’t. And if that’s what you wanted to stay on for, to persuade me to work for you again, I suggest you reconsider and leave today. I’m not even faintly tempted to turn the clock back. I’ve got a new life now.”
When Shaun had gone Kit stared thoughtfully into the distance. He’d told the truth. He hadn’t been even remotely tempted. He still had his writing, a different sort of adventure.
He smiled. Not only had he changed, but he’d found Laura. That made all the difference to his life and happiness.
Chapter 26
That afternoon, as her cousin was getting ready to go to work, Deb went into the bedroom and flung herself down on her bed. “I’m getting cabin fever here.”
“Why don’t you go and see your mother, then?”
“Why don’t you go and see yours?”
Angie glared at her. “You know why. She doesn’t want to see me, doesn’t want anyone except Dad at the moment. But your mother’s great and she’d love it if you went over to see her.”
“How do you know? I might be interrupting something.”
Angie rolled her eyes. “Honestly, you’re paranoid about her. What if she is shacking up with Kit - though I don’t think she is, personally? Why would that matter?”
“I’m not in the mood to see her tonight. All right?” Deb started to get up.
“Just a minute.” Angie closed the door and went to sit on her bed, three feet away from Deb’s. “I’m a bit worried about Pop. He doesn’t look well.”
“He’s not looked well ever since I got here. Did he look better before?”
“Yes. Much better. But during the past mont
h or two his skin’s gone sort of yellowish-white, as if he’s exhausted all the time. The Social Services people would take Gran in for a couple of weeks to give him a respite and I’ve tried to persuade him to do that, only he won’t, says it’d upset Gran too much.”
Both girls stared down at their feet.
“I’d hate anything to happen to him,” Deb said at last.
“Me, too. He’s the best.”
“Isn’t he just!”
After Angie had left for work, Deb went down to see if she could help Pop with the tea.
He gave her one of his wide smiles. “There’s not much to do, love. Your Mum’s cooked a few casseroles and I pulled one out of the freezer this morning. She’s been a big help to me with the cooking. It was mostly chops or sausages before she came, or those frozen meals. I never was much of a cook. Pat did all that.”
“Well, I’ll get the meal ready tonight. You go and watch TV with Gran. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
She hummed as she worked. She wasn’t in her mother’s league as a cook, but she did enjoy making meals for people - sometimes. It’d be awful to go out to work all day and then come home at night and have to cook for a family, not to mention doing the washing and all that stuff. But every now and then it was nice to cook. “It’s ready, Pop!”
There was no answer from the front room, so she called again, more loudly this time. “Pop, the food’s ready!”
Still no reply, no movement, nothing. They must have the television on loudly, only if so, why couldn’t she hear it? She went into the front room and saw Pop asleep on the sofa with Gran sitting holding his hand beside him, staring in the direction of the television. Deb hesitated for a minute, but the food was going cold so she went to shake his shoulder. “Pop! Wake up.”
He fell slowly sideways, to lie with his head in the angle of the sofa back and arm, his mouth slightly open, his eyes staring at nothing. He didn’t move, not a fingertip.
She guessed then what had happened and put up one hand to stifle a scream. She mustn’t panic or it’d upset Gran. Perhaps he’d just had a stroke or something. She tried to remember the first aid course she’d done at school, but it was all hazy, so she felt on his neck for a pulse - only there was nothing. His skin was still warm, all wrinkled and leathery beneath her trembling fingertips, but he didn’t even twitch.
On the mantelpiece there was a crinoline lady ornament standing on a mirror mat, so she got the mat and held it in front of his mouth because she’d seen someone do that on TV. She bent over to watch, praying there’d be some sign. But there wasn’t even the slightest misting of breath on the mirror.
Panic pulsed through her but somehow she held it in check. When she heard a noise she saw Gran trying to peer round her at the television, showing no sign of understanding what had happened to Pop. Moving carefully, Deb edged backwards and out into the hall, leaving Gran sitting there.
Reaction hit her suddenly and she sagged against the wall, pressing her hands to her mouth, moaning under her breath. He was dead! Pop was dead!
She didn’t know how long she stood there in a sort of paralysis till she realised she had to call somebody. She went into the kitchen and took the phone off the wall with a hand that felt as if it belonged to someone else. What was her mother’s number? Where had she put it? Then she saw the bit of paper tucked into the edge of the little notice-board. Laura, it said, with a phone number.
Praying that it was her mother’s place, she dialled. It rang twice - three times . . . Please pick it up, someone pick it up, she prayed. And at the sixth ring someone did.
“Hello?”
It was Kit. Deb found herself sobbing as she tried to tell him what had happened.
“Calm down, love. I can’t understand you.”
She took a deep breath. “It’s Deb. Is my mother there?”
“Yes. I’ll fetch her.”
“Please. But Mr Mallinder, can you stay nearby, please? I think Pop’s just died. She’ll be upset.” Tears were rolling down Deb’s own cheeks and pouring out of her eyes. The pain of what had happened was cramping her breathing. When she heard her mother’s voice on the phone, she gulped and all that came out was another sob.
“Calm down and tell me what’s wrong, Deb darling.”
“I think Pop’s just died. I don’t know what to do. Can you come over?”
There was dead silence, then, “I’m on my way. See if you can find his doctor’s number. And if they don’t have someone on night call, dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.”
The phone buzzed in Deb’s ear and she stood holding it for a minute, still finding it hard to think or act. Then she put it down and fumbled in the drawer for Pop’s phone book. Doctor, it said. She dialled the number, listened to the answering service and scribbled down the number of the night service and called them. It seemed to be taking forever to get help.
The woman at the other end was very kind when she started crying again and promised to get a doctor out straight away.
* * * *
Laura put down the phone and turned towards Kit. “She says - ” She couldn’t get the words out, the dreadful words, and began weeping. Her daughter needed her, but the shock of this news was so terrible . . .
He dropped his crutches and came to take her into his arms. “She told me.”
Laura leaned against him and let the tears flow, feeling the strength of his arms holding her, the comforting warmth of his body. After a minute or two she managed to pull back a little, but it felt as if the whole world had changed, grown darker, more frightening.
She had to force words out. “I have to - go over there. Will you come with me? Please?”
“Try to stop me.”
Jules appeared in the sitting room doorway and stopped dead. “Something wrong?”
“We think Laura’s father has just died.”
“Oh, hell. I’m sorry. Anything I can do to help?”
Laura shook her head and looked pleadingly at Kit. “Can we go now? Deb’s on her own there.”
“Of course. And I’ll drive you,” he said firmly.
“You shouldn’t be driving. But I don’t think - I’d be very safe.”
“I’m damned sure you shouldn’t drive. And I’m very close to getting permission to drive, only another week or so, the physio said, so I’ll be all right.” He grabbed his coat from the hallstand and picked up his crutches. “Come on.”
Jules watched them leave then turned to look at Shaun, who’d just come down the stairs.
“What’s up?”
“The father of Kit’s lady friend has just died. From his reaction it looks like she’s got more than a foot in the door with him.”
“I told you before we came that he never revisits a relationship. I know you were together for a while, but he hasn’t contacted you since you broke off with him, has he? And anyway, he and I had a conversation earlier. He told me he was getting married. He didn’t say who to, but it can only be her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t they say something, instead of pretending he’s just her employer?”
“I gather he hasn’t asked her yet.”
“She’ll snap his hand off when he does.” Jules thumped the flat of her hand down on the nearest surface. “What the hell does he see in her?”
“His future, obviously.” Shaun put an arm round her shoulder and gave her a quick hug.
She let him for a minute, then shook him off. “Do I smell burning?”
“Yeah.”
They both headed towards the kitchen where Jules switched the burners and oven off. “I’d better sort this out if we want any food tonight.”
“You? Cook?”
She let out a snort of laughter and studied the contents of the various pans. “I’m still a disaster in the kitchen.” And in relationships, too. Why had she finished with Kit? Ambition, that’s what. Overseas assignments had slowed down when people saw her in a relationship, or at least, that’s how it had seemed to her. They�
�d speeded up since, so maybe she’d been right.
Shaun grinned at her. Jules’s hatred of cooking was well known to her friends. “Maybe we can make ourselves a sandwich. And we’ll leave first thing tomorrow. We found out what we came for.”
“Yeah. We should have gone today, really. You’re right. I shouldn’t try to flog a dead horse.”
He looked thoughtful, then said slowly, “I have a better idea. I wouldn’t mind booking into a hotel somewhere for tonight, just the two of us, and getting a decent meal.”
She looked at him and a half-smile crossed her face. “You never stop trying, do you?”
“Nope.”
“All right. Let’s get the hell out of here. You write Kit a farewell note.” Funny how she’d never really fancied Shaun. There was something very cold about him. But he had the power to give her good future assignments and she’d known him for years. So what if she didn’t burn for him? Sex could be fun anyway.
Just as they were about to leave there was a ring at the door. Shaun opened it to see two men standing there. “Yes?”
“I’m Kit’s brother. Is he in?”
Shaun explained quickly what had happened, ending, “We’re just leaving.”
“I think we’ll come in and wait. We may be able to help them.”
“You can clear up the kitchen,” Jules said, meaning it as a joke. “They forgot to turn the pans off and everything burned.”
Gil turned to Joe. “Show me the way. I’m a better cook than you.”
As they walked out, Jules exchanged glances with Shaun. “Didn’t know he had a brother who bats for the other side.”
“No. Neither did I.”
* * * *
Laura and Kit arrived at Pop’s before the doctor. The door opened as she raised her hand to knock and Deb stood there, her face tear-streaked. Laura put her arms round her daughter and gave her a hug, for once feeling no resistance. Guiding her inside, she left Kit to follow at his own speed.
But when Laura went into the front room to see her father, her mother got agitated.
Deb moved forward. “I’ll take Gran into the kitchen. You’d better check that I’m right about Pop.”
