Without a word, he took the vase from her, placed it on the purple painted cupboard to one side of the door and slipped his arms around her waist.
‘Oh,’ was all she could manage.
He grinned, and it was the sexiest grin she had ever seen.
‘I didn’t know that.’ His face was merely centimetres from hers, his voice soft and sensual. ‘About Advent and purple. But I do know this. Something’s happened to me since I met you. The first time I saw you, you took my breath away. Tonight …’ His increasingly passionate gaze wandered from her face to the glimpse of her breasts in the low-cut, black dress she was wearing, and back again. ‘You’ve done more than take my breath away. I think you’ve also taken my heart.’
‘Aidan,’ she croaked. ‘I …’ Her voice trailed off as his lips came down on hers in a kiss that was gentle but at the same time, demanding and possessive.
She steadied herself by grasping the kitchen worktop beside her with her right hand, her legs seemingly buckling beneath her. For a split second she considered pushing him away and raised her left hand to do so but clung to his arm instead, her fingers twisting the cloth of his jacket the more she leant into him. She rose herself up, in the low-heeled sandals she had borrowed from Jules, until she was on tip-toe and hungrily returned his kiss. All thoughts of planning applications, lies and the future, gone in what was undoubtedly a moment of madness, but somehow, she didn’t care.
Every move of his hands, every brush of his mouth against her skin, sent new sensations racing through her. She tugged at the sleeves of his jacket, sucking in a breath as his fingers unzipped the side of her dress; moaning his name when his hand slipped inside, and cupped her bra-less breast. She heard him whisper her name, his voice cracking with emotion and he kissed her again, deeper this time, more demanding, more passionate. His hand slid down, hitching up the hem of the short dress and pulling her closer. His fingers moving oh so slowly towards the slash of black lace she wore beneath.
‘Ali!’
That sounded like Jules was calling her in the distance. Why on earth was she hearing Jules’ voice at a time like this? Guilt? A warning voice in her head? It definitely couldn’t be Jules in person. She and Bruce left for their weekend away about five minutes before Aidan arrived.
‘Ali! What the …!’
The living room door banged against the wall and Ali opened her startled eyes to see Jules standing in the doorway, eyes bulging, mouth wide open.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gertie shuffled along the corridor towards the waiting room, and Tom stopped pacing when he saw her and Simon.
‘Where is she? Where’s my Tabby-cat? Is she badly hurt?’
Tom was almost grateful for the company, even if it did mean tolerating Gertie’s odd conversational manner. At least Simon’s conversation would make sense.
‘I’m waiting for the doctor to tell me. He’s examining her now.’
‘So she’s alive? Thank the Lord for small mercies. What’s taking them so long?’
‘The ambulance no doubt only arrived here shortly before I did. They need time to ascertain what injuries may have resulted from her fall.’
‘I’m sure she’ll be fine, Gertie,’ Simon said. ‘She’s in good hands. Let’s sit down and wait.’
‘Simon’s right,’ Tom said. ‘There’s nothing we can do but sit and wait.’ Tom had always liked Simon, but tonight the young man had risen significantly in his estimation. Simon had proved to be a man of logical thinking; someone a person could turn to in the midst of chaos.
‘You sit and wait, if you like. I’m going to find someone to give me some answers.’
‘Let her go,’ Tom told Simon, with an affectionate smile. ‘She’s like her daughter. There’s no point in trying to stop either of them doing something when they’ve set their minds on it. Believe me. I have learnt that the hard way. Did you manage to contact Ali? I’ve been trying since I got here but there’s no reply.’
‘No. But I did get hold of Jules who told me she had left Ali at her flat less than five minutes earlier. She got her boyfriend, Bruce to turn the car around immediately so that they could go back to see if Ali was still there. Apparently, Ali has a date tonight.’
‘A date? Ali? With whom?’
‘Aidan Rourke. Jules said he was picking Ali up at seven.’
Tom glanced at his watch. ‘So they may have left for their date before Jules gets there?’
Simon shrugged. ‘Possibly, but I hope not. Jules has no idea where he was taking her, so until Ali eventually picks up her phone, we have no way to get in touch with her. I don’t know anyone who would have Aidan Rourke’s phone number.’
‘No. Nor do I.’
Simon sat; Tom resumed pacing, and watched as Gertie grabbed the first man she saw wearing a white coat.
‘Are you a doctor, young man?’
Clearly surprised to be grabbed so firmly on the forearm by a frail old woman, half his size, the doctor took a step back, blinking as he did so.
‘Cat got your tongue?’ Gertie persisted.
‘I’m sorry, madam, but would you mind letting go of my arm, please? And yes, I am a doctor. I’ll call a nurse to help you.’
‘I don’t want a nurse. I want to know where my daughter, Tabitha Warner is and if she’s injured or not. You should know if you’re a doctor. And if you don’t know, young man, then I suggest you find out. Pretty damn smartish, too. Unless you want to find out just how strong a frail old woman can be when she’s worried sick about her only child.’
‘Please forgive her doctor,’ Tom said, marching towards them. It was clearly time for him to intervene. ‘But I’m sure you can understand how anxious we are for news. Tabitha, who is my wife and is also the daughter of this, usually pleasant, well-mannered woman, had an accident tonight. We weren’t present, so have no idea as to the extent of her injuries. We appreciate how busy you all are, but if there is any way that someone, anyone, can set our minds at rest, we would be exceptionally grateful.’
Gertie burst into tears the second Tom had finished and whether it was Tom’s words, or Gertie’s tears, the doctor seemed to mellow.
‘I completely understand. I’m not sure if there’s anything I can do but I’ll see if I can find someone to help you. What did you say the patient’s name is?’
‘Tabitha Warner. Mrs Tabitha Warner,’ Tom said, the words scratching at his throat. ‘My wife.’ He wouldn’t have reason to say that for very much longer if the separation and divorce went ahead.
‘Please give me a few minutes. If you will kindly go back to the waiting room I’ll see what I can do.’
Gertie hesitated but Tom grabbed her arm and ushered her back the way they had come, saying: ‘Thank you, doctor. We greatly appreciate it.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
‘Jules!’ Ali tugged at her hem as Aidan abruptly released her. He smoothed back his hair and coughed; she pulled up the zip at the side of her dress. ‘Did you forget something?’
‘No. But I think you did. You hardly know this guy. That’s not important now. Where’s your phone? Why aren’t you answering it?’
‘What? I don’t know. In my bag, I suppose.’
‘Then check your bloody messages! Both Simon and your dad have been trying to get hold of you for the last fifteen minutes or so. Sorry, babe.’ Jules shook her head and dashed towards Ali. ‘I didn’t mean to shout at you. That’s the last thing you need.’ Elbowing Aidan out of her way, she grabbed Ali in her arms and hugged her. ‘Your mum’s had an accident.’
‘What!’ Ali pushed herself away from Jules. ‘When? How? Is she badly hurt?’
Jules grabbed Ali’s hand. ‘I don’t know, babe. All Simon said was that she was found at the bottom of the stairs by someone, and that the person called an ambulance.’
‘Oh my God! Where is she?’ She darted a look at Aidan who seemed uncertain what to do. ‘I must go to her.’
‘Of course,’ Aidan said.
‘We’ll ta
ke you,’ Jules offered. ‘Bruce is in the car outside. Your mum was taken to St Joseph’s.’
Ali dashed to the sofa and searched her bag for her phone, but couldn’t find it. She tossed the bag to one side and frantically moved books, swatches, cushions and more as she hunted for the phone. ‘I can’t find my phone! Where’s my phone? Where is it?’
‘Don’t panic, babe,’ Jules said, helping her to look. ‘We’ll find it. And I’m sure your mum will be fine. It’ll take a lot more than a flight of stairs to do her any serious damage.’
‘I’ll go with you, if you like,’ Aidan said, stepping forward and squeezing Ali’s arm as he assisted in the search. He looked at Jules. ‘Aren’t you and your boyfriend supposed to be going away for the weekend?’
Jules narrowed her eyes at him. ‘How do you know that?’
He threw her a friendly smile. ‘Ali told me.’
‘Oh. Yes we were. But obviously we won’t be now.’
‘Oh, you must, Jules,’ Ali said, abandoning her search. ‘As you said, I’m sure mum will be fine, and even if she’s … well, she will be perfectly OK, so we won’t think about anything else. Whatever the situation is, there really isn’t much you can do. Dad and Simon must be at the hospital, and probably Gertie too. Oh sod the phone. Let’s just go. Wait! I can hear it.’ She turned back and saw Aidan holding his phone in his hand.
‘I’m calling you to help you find it.’
‘Why didn’t I think of that?’
Her ringtone was coming from the vicinity of the sofa but it couldn’t be there; they’d already searched that.
Aidan got down on his knees and felt beneath. ‘Got it.’ Retrieving it from where it had fallen, he handed it to Ali, switching off his own phone as he did so.
‘Thank you,’ she said, staring down into his eyes. Um. If you wouldn’t mind coming with me, just for an extra bit of support. That would be really kind of you.’
‘I’ll go anywhere you want me to, Ali. You only have to ask.’
‘Jesus.’ Jules rolled her eyes, grabbed Ali by the arm and led her towards the door. ‘I don’t care what you say. Bruce and I will at least take you to the hospital. If we get there and your mum is absolutely fine, then – and only then – will I even consider leaving you.’ She shot a look at Aidan. ‘Come on then, if you’re coming. And grab Ali’s bag from the sofa. She may need it.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
‘I have some news,’ the young doctor declared, keeping a safe distance between himself and Gertie, and directing his words to Tom. ‘Good news, I should add. Mrs Warner is conscious, rational and vocal and doesn’t seem to have suffered anything more than a few bruises.’
‘Thank the Lord for that,’ Gertie said, sniffing. ‘Are you sure?’
The doctor nodded. ‘Yes. There don’t appear to be any broken bones, and as everything seems to be working as it should be, without excessive pain, we’re not intending to send her for x-rays. We’re keeping her in overnight for observation but all being well, she should be able to go home tomorrow.’
‘That is good news,’ Tom said, smiling broadly.
‘She can remember falling, quite clearly,’ the doctor added. ‘She’s certain that she was within a few steps of the bottom, so the fall wasn’t as great as first suspected. Landing on a hardwood floor is what rendered her unconscious. We’ll obviously keep an eye on her in case of concussion, but there are no signs of that at the moment.’
‘May we see her?’ Tom asked.
‘Yes. She’s in Bennett Ward. That’s just along the corridor, one floor up. Take the lift to the first floor, turn right and it’s the third set of double doors on the left. She’s in a private room. I believe it’s room two, but the nurse on the ward will confirm that.’
Gertie scuttled forward and grabbed the doctor’s hand, visibly startling him. ‘Thank you so much, young man. You seem to be as wise as an owl. Now that wasn’t difficult, was it? Simon? Would you mind waiting until Ali-ba-ba gets here? She’ll need to know where to find her mum.’
‘Of course. Jules texted to say they were on their way. They should be here any minute.’
‘Come along, Tom. Don’t just stand there like a statue.’
Tom rolled his eyes. ‘I’m not … Oh never mind. I’m coming, Gertie. Thank you so much, doctor.’
‘You’re welcome.’ The doctor gave Tom a brief smile, threw Gertie a wary look, nodded his head and marched away.
‘Dad!’ Ali raced towards them as Tom turned back to meet her. ‘How’s Mum? Have you heard? Is she OK? She’s not badly hurt, is she?’
Tom caught her in his arms, hugging her as tightly as he could without stopping her from breathing. ‘A doctor has just told us that she’s fine. No broken bones, merely a few bruises. She can return home tomorrow, all being well.’
Gertie had remained where she was, but she stretched out her arms, and when Tom finally released his daughter, Ali ran to her gran and they hugged too.
‘Hello, Jules,’ Tom said. ‘And Bruce. Thank you for finding Ali and bringing her here.’
‘Our pleasure, Mr Warner,’ Bruce and Jules replied, simultaneously.
‘Oh Jules,’ said Ali, smiling at her friend before running back to her and giving both Jules and Bruce a hug. ‘You two get off on your wonderful weekend. There’s no need to hang around here. Thanks for everything. I’ll text you and let you know once I’ve seen Mum.’
Jules seemed a little uncertain but Tom met her eyes and smiled reassuringly. Jules smiled back before giving Ali another hug.
‘Well, if you’re sure, babe. Give her our love. We’ll chat later, OK? Bye then everyone.’
‘You must be Aidan,’ Tom said, spotting the tall, strapping young man hanging a few metres back as Jules and Bruce left. He was staring at Ali as if he couldn’t take his focus off her. ‘I’m Tom Warner, Ali’s dad.’
Aidan stepped forward, giving Simon a passing smile as he reached for Tom’s outstretched hand.
‘Hello, Tom. Yes, I’m Aidan. Aidan Rourke. Very pleased to meet you, although I wish it had been in better circumstances. I’m so glad to hear that Mrs Warner’s OK and hasn’t suffered any serious injuries.’
‘Yes, we all are. Pleased to meet you, Aidan. We were on our way to see Ali’s mum. Would you like to join us, or will you stay here?’
‘I’d love to say a quick hello, if it’s not an imposition.’
‘Not at all. Simon is joining us, aren’t you Simon?’
‘Absolutely,’ Simon replied, frowning slightly at Aidan.
‘Well come along then,’ Gertie said, linking her arm through Ali’s the moment Ali returned to her side.
Tom felt a sharp slap on his arm as the five of them proceeded along the corridor, their shoes squeaking on the hospital floor.
‘What was that for, Gertie?’
‘You, being as foolish as a goldfish. Don’t you think there’s something we need to discuss?’
‘Discuss? Please enlighten me.’
‘The doctor said Tabby-cat can go home tomorrow.’
‘Yes, I heard him. That’s wonderful.’
‘Is it? Go home to what? An empty house? Ali’s moved out. You’ve moved out. Who’s going to look after her? I’m too old to be running up and down stairs with cups of tea and plates of toast.’
‘I’ll move back in, of course,’ Ali said. ‘Unless …? Um. Where is Alejandro, by the way? Was he there when Mum fell?’
‘Alejandro?’ Tom repeated. ‘I’d completely forgotten about the man. Stephanie didn’t mention him, so possibly not.’
‘Well … did he move in, or didn’t he?’ Ali glanced from Tom to Gertie.
‘Don’t ask me, my angel. Tabby-cat never tells me anything these days. But if I know my daughter at all, I’d say that was a definite no.’
Tom shook his head. ‘I don’t know. We’ll have to ask your mother.’
‘I bet he didn’t,’ said Gertie. ‘So, Tom, you’ll have to move back in, too. Ali can’t keep a twenty-four h
our watch on my daughter, and Tabby needs to be watched in case of concussion. It sometimes pops up days later, you know. You’re still her husband. Act like it.’
‘I’m perfectly happy to move back in, if that’s what Tabby wants. But I think we had better ask her before we start altering her new living arrangements. The last thing we need is for her to lose her temper.’
Gertie chuckled. ‘Or you may be the one at the bottom of the stairs, is that what’s worrying you, Tom?’
‘No, Gertie. That is not what’s worrying me. My wife having a seizure brought on by high blood pressure is what’s worrying me.’
‘OK,’ Ali said. ‘Let’s just see what Mum wants, shall we? And, let’s all try not to argue in the process.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
‘Mum.’ Ali rushed to the bedside and gently wrapped her arms around Tabitha as she opened her eyes.
‘Ali? Darling! How did you know I was here?’
‘Stephanie called me,’ Tom said, hovering in the doorway.
‘Tom? What are you doing here?’ Tabitha’s face flushed.
‘We’re all visiting you, Tabby-cat,’ Gertie said, shuffling into the room.
‘Mum?’ Tabitha croaked.
‘Well, she knows who we all are,’ said Gertie, sitting on the chair beside her daughter’s bed, on the opposite side from Ali. ‘That’s a good sign.’
Tabitha glanced around the room. Her head felt as if an upside-down porcupine had landed on it and her face ached from ear to ear. She could see her right cheek bulging slightly beneath her eye and it appeared to be turning purple.
Simon stepped out from behind Tom’s shadow. ‘Hello, Mrs Warner. I’m so pleased you’re OK. We were all very worried there for a moment.’
‘Simon? You’re here too. Yes. I expect some of you were.’ Her gaze settled on Tom, but he didn’t rise to the bait. He simply smiled. A smile that lit up his eyes, not just his face. Tabitha quickly looked away. ‘And who is that?’
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