The Fire House on Honeysuckle Street Page 20

  Iain looked towards the staircase. ‘I’ll get it.’ He was off and up the stairs before she could stop him, and she didn’t want to make a scene, so she just stood there, making breakfast. Waiting for the men to decide her fate. OfIain. That’s what they’d call her if she went back. Look at him now, only two minutes he’d been here, and she already wanted to scratch his eyes out, scream at him to leave them alone. She looked at Xander, and he was reading the book Mrs Holliday had given him. He looked subdued, hunched over. She hated Iain again.

  She could hear the phone still ringing, and then Iain’s voice saying hello. SHHHHHIIIITT! Her heart was pounding hard, flopping and flinging itself against her ribcage like a wild bird trying to escape her cage. She wanted it to be Sam on the phone just as she prayed it wasn’t him. Iain walked into the room and passed it to her, a smug little grin on his face.

  ‘Your auntie,’ he stated, before going over to sit at the table with Xander. She whisked the batter, her phone in the crook of her arm.

  ‘Hello? Marlene?’

  ‘I was told he was there, but I didn’t believe it till I heard his voice. Why is he answering your phone?’

  ‘I’m making breakfast, yeah,’ she said as nonchalantly as possible. ‘Pancakes. Everything okay?’

  ‘No it bloody well isn’t okay, my girl. Why is he there?’

  ‘Hmm-hmm,’ was all that Lucy could say. Big and little ears were listening.

  ‘You can’t talk can you! Oh, the gall of that man. Listen, leave breakfast, Grace is on her way for you and Xander now. She’s bringing you both here, I’ll make pancakes. Bring your stuff for today, and don’t tell him what you are doing, we don’t want him there.’

  She was just saying okay to Marlene, grateful that an escape plan was mapped out for her, when she heard Xander telling Iain about the auction.

  ‘It’s so cool, you bid money and then people clean your house for you! My friends are all in it. Gary’s going to cook, and I think Sam might cut down trees with his bare hands.’ He leaned forward, right into Iain’s face. ‘He’s so strong, and muscly! He’s like an actual giant. I’m going to play though, Mummy says she’s helping out there, and it might get a bit rude, so I’m going to be somewhere else.’

  From the mouths of autistic babes. They tell it like it is, and he had sold her right out. She couldn’t be mad though, and watching Iain’s face drop at the mention of Sam’s physique was priceless to her.

  ‘Er,’ she said into the phone. ‘We’ll be ready but the cat is out of the bag.’

  She heard Marlene swear under her breath, and steeled herself for the day.

  ‘Welcome, dear residents of Westfield, and to all our dear visitors. Thank you so much for coming out today to help our very worthy causes!’

  Mayweather House was transformed, and the great hall was packed. A runway was centre stage with seating to both edges, all placed around circular tables. Waiters were milling around with drinks and fruity jugs of juice, Pimm’s and champagne. Canapés were being walked around by waitresses.

  ‘Also, a very big thank you to our volunteers!’

  ‘Tributes, more like,’ Grace quipped. The ladies were all sitting around one of the centre tables. Dot, Grace, Marlene and Lucy, all sat around with a few of the other craft and chatters from the village. Agatha had gotten them a pretty good table too. Lucy had started handing some things out, canapés etc., but Agatha had ushered her to a seat on the table.

  ‘You rest, dear, I don’t want you to miss the auction!’

  They were all listening to the speech with interest.

  ‘Ha! May the odds ever be in your favour,’ Dot guffawed, earning a high-five from Grace. Agatha, ever the pro, looked across and gave her an evil look so hidden, so well-timed that no one else would have even seen it, before turning back to the audience. Dot shrank down in her seat, taking another glug of her champagne. ‘Oops. I’ll get it in the neck for that later.’

  Lucy laughed. She had been on edge since Grace had turned up, but she was starting to relax a little now. She’d ushered Iain out of the cottage, locking up behind her, and Xander was settled at the community centre. Mrs Holliday was there, and she knew not to hand him over to anyone but her or Marlene. Iain had roared off in his car, none too happy. She had been on edge when they’d first arrived, but his car wasn’t there when they arrived at Agatha’s.

  Agatha went on to talk about the community centre, the swimming pool, and the plans for community services in the area.

  ‘Now, we move on to the fun part of the event, the auction! As part of their efforts to raise money for the Westfield Fire House, our lovely firefighters are here to cater to your every whim!’

  She raised her hand, and the music started. It was then that they noticed a DJ booth in the corner, her husband Taylor standing next to the DJ. Probably planted there by Agatha to make sure the poor bloke hit all the cues he was supposed to.

  ‘First of all, we have the wonderful Norman! Norman likes long walks in the village, cask ales and sparkling conversation! What will you bid for an afternoon with Naughty Norman?’

  The guests, mainly women, with a few bored-looking men, all whooped and cheered. Norman’s wife stood up with a handful of cash, screaming, ‘A hundred pounds for cleaning the gutters round ours!’ Norman groaned. ‘Woman, shut up! Get back home!’ He pointed to the woman next to her, who was laughing hysterically. ‘Hilda, I told you, she’s not to have the Prosecco!’

  Agatha pursed her lips and ploughed on. The whole thing was hilarious, and when Norman’s wife was the victor, she came and carried him off the stage, yelling, ‘I told ya I’d get my odd jobs done, now home! Hilda, grab that bottle!’ The three of them headed out to loud applause and approval, and that set the tone for the rest of the event. Lucy was on her second glass of Prosecco, savouring the taste and the feeling of being relaxed and in adult company, when she noticed Iain standing at the back, looking intently at the stage. He’d been there a while by the looks of it, a side table nearby holding a few empty glasses. It was orange juice though, she noticed with relief. A waitress offered him a glass from her tray of Prosecco flutes, but he waved her away.

  ‘Iain’s here,’ she said to Marlene, and she looked around her.

  ‘Where?’ Her auntie was scanning the crowd. ‘Shall I get security? Taylor will make him leave.’

  ‘Make who leave?’ Iain said jovially, having come over unseen. ‘Lucy, can we talk for a minute?’

  Marlene and the other women all shook their heads at her, but she didn’t want to make a scene, and Agatha was moving on to the next poor auction victim.

  ‘Just a minute, outside the hall,’ she stated. She stood up, pushing her chair back as quietly as possible, and navigated the exit. Just outside the doors, she moved to one side and he followed her.

  ‘What is it, Iain? I’m a bit occupied at the moment.’

  ‘Yeah, watching men get sold like pieces of meat, while your son is carted off God kno—’

  She held up a hand. ‘You don’t talk to me about parenting. Ever. What do you want?’

  He sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I know you look after our son, that was a cheap shot. I want you to come home. I have the car, we can travel together.’

  She was already shaking her head, an involuntary movement that her body put into action before she could even process what was said.

  ‘Our train leaves in six days, and you know that Xander hates travelling long distances in the car.’

  She didn’t tell him that she hadn’t made her mind up yet whether they would be on the train when it left. She hadn’t banked on him being here today, to have to answer this question.

  ‘So, change the tickets. I’ll bring your stuff home, and meet you there.’

  ‘It’s not that easy, Iain, I don’t know—’

  ‘It is that easy! You have a job, and a home, and a husband. You can’t just gallivant off up the country when you feel like it. What is it, a midlife crisis or something?’

  ‘No,
Iain, people tend to do shit things like play golf, and get their teeth capped in midlife.’

  A deliberate dig at him, and he narrowed his eyes. ‘Change the tickets, buy new tickets. I don’t really care, Lucy, you need to come home, both of you do. How can you manage on your own?’

  The fact that she wasn’t sure herself wasn’t lost on her, but she would die before she told him that.

  She heard a cheer come from the crowd, and she pushed past him. ‘I have to get back, please just go home!’

  She opened the doors just as the next act was coming down the runway. Iain bolted after her, shouting, ‘I want you both back, Lucy, I still love you!’ Just as there was a lull in the music. All eyes fell on them, and she headed straight for her chair. The man on stage was looking at her, and she turned around, her breath catching in her throat.

  Sam was stood still on the runway, wearing his firefighter standard-issue trousers, and a pair of black boots. That wasn’t what she noticed first though. Or the fact that he was bare-chested, his trousers held up by a pair of red braces. What she noticed was him looking at her, an expression on his face she’d never seen before. Not like this. Pain. Pain, pure and simple. Iain reached for her arm behind her, and she shrugged him off. She saw Sam’s eyes narrow, his gait change, his chest pectorals tense, along with his fists. Agatha was spluttering into the microphone.

  ‘Sorry about that, technical hitch!’ She cleared her throat, looking at the ladies and nodding her head towards Lucy. Was she kicking her out? ‘Take a seat, Lucy dear,’ she said kindly. No, she wasn’t trying to get rid of her. She wanted to support her, show her she wasn’t alone. She turned back to the rest of the crowd, turning up her kilowatt smile.

  ‘So, our next offering is single and ready-to-mingle Sam Harper! London born and bred, he is our newest fire officer and he’s certainly fitted in around Westfield already! At over six feet tall, our gentle giant is quite the Adonis, I’m sure you’ll agree. We have a bid already, from table ten, of £150!’ Lucy closed her eyes, cringing inwardly. Their table was number ten, and it looked like the ladies were not done meddling. The crowd was loud again, shouting out comments at Sam, and offering wads of cash.

  ‘Now he doesn’t need a ladder for those gutters!’

  ‘He’s a big un, isn’t he? Do you think he’s in proportion?’

  Grace stood up, and shouted, ‘Two hundred pounds and all the jumpers you could ever need!’ She raised her Prosecco glass aloft, stabbing it in the air and sloshing half the table in the process. She took a swig and moaned. ‘Awww, running low again. Waiter!’

  Iain grabbed Lucy again, and she yanked her arm back. She could see Sam jump off the stage, and in a second he was over to them. The crowd went wild, and it slowed his progress, having to pick his way through a sea of quite tipsy and rather excited women to get to them. Iain saw him growling at them and pulled her through the doors, Marlene shouting and swatting at him with her handbag as they went past. They burst through the doors, and the pair stood looking at each other.

  ‘It’s him isn’t it,’ Iain said, his face a mix of frustration and rage. ‘All this bad Iain this, bad Iain that. Truth is, you’ve bloody cheated on me with someone else. You’re nothing but a slut!’

  Mid rant, the doors had been flung outwards, Sam charging through. He looked so sexy and menacing, Lucy didn’t know where to put herself. He had a novelty blow-up axe in his hand, which made him look all the more the part.

  ‘Don’t you dare call her that! She’s done nothing wrong.’

  Iain laughed, but he took a couple of steps back, pushing Lucy between them.

  ‘Whatever, Magic Mike! Why don’t you piss off and go find a woman of your own, there’s plenty in there that’d climb your greasy pole!’

  ‘Shurrup,’ Sam spat, his teeth clenched tight. His eyes were black, shark-like and the look he gave Iain was one of great warning. ‘Leave, now!’

  The doors flung open again, and Agatha, Taylor and the ladies all came piling through.

  ‘I’ll second that,’ Taylor said, standing next to Sam. ‘Leave the establishment. We don’t need people pulling people about here. You’re not welcome, this is a private event. Invitation only.’

  Iain looked around him, Lucy taking the opportunity to step away from him. Marlene, Dot and a wobbly Grace all picked over her like monkeys looking for fleas.

  ‘Are you hurt, love?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ she soothed them, and saw Sam out of the corner of her eye. He was still standing like he was ready to throw a punch at any moment, but she saw the flicker of relief in his face at her words. ‘You need to go, Iain. It always ends like this with you, doesn’t it? Just go.’

  He looked like he was going to fight his corner, just for a second, but then he relented. Looking at the faces behind her, she knew that he must realise that he was beaten.

  ‘I’ll see you both in six days,’ he said airily. ‘I’ll pick you up from the station.’

  Taylor stepped forward, pointing to the exit and Iain allowed himself to be seen off the property. The ladies all encircled her, hugging her, kissing her, saying nice things and generally making a fuss. Agatha stepped forward and parted them like the Red Sea.

  ‘You’ll be fine, my dear, you’re made of good stock. We’ll look after you. You are a Westfieldian, after all.’ She dropped a kiss on her cheek before enveloping her in a sweet fragranced hug. ‘Come along, ladies, we have men left to auction. The women all headed back in, Dot murmuring something about being an oiler backstage, and then Sam and her were left alone again. He was standing there, rubber axe still in hand, facing the door that Taylor and Iain had just exited.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Sam,’ she started, ‘I ruined the auction.’

  He turned around and she was in his arms. He hugged her so tight, and she could feel and hear his heart hammering all around her.

  ‘You’ve nothing to be sorry for. That guy is a dick. I wanted to kill him, Lucy.’

  ‘I’m not defending him, but he’s just out of his depth. He was from the minute Xander was born, really. I wanted kids and I thought he did too, but when the baby came, it was different.’ She thought of all the nights that Xander had been up screaming, refusing to eat properly, or sleep. Something was wrong, and they knew it.

  ‘I retreated into research and work, to look after Xander. In the end I just stopped including him, because he didn’t want to hear it.’ He’d worked later and later, and then he was working and out seven days a week, leaving Lucy alone with the appointments, and the therapy, and trying to raise their child. ‘He doesn’t get it, Xander is not the son he had imagined. He doesn’t like sports much, and he argues every little point. He’s not go with the flow, and Iain never got that.’

  Sam shook his head. ‘No excuse, and I hate him putting his hands on you like that.’

  ‘He’s never hit me, and he’ll never do that again. It’s over.’ As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt the weight lift off. It was over. There was no coming back from this. They were different people. The puzzle of their family didn’t fit together any more, and she couldn’t shave off any more parts of herself to make it work. Seeing the change in Xander, she knew it would work out.

  ‘Xander needs a father though. You’ll let him try, won’t you?’

  Lucy shrugged. ‘If he wants to see Xander, we can make a plan, a legal plan, get things in place.’

  Sam looked placated, but still troubled. ‘Good, he deserves the chance to have a father at least. I wish I’d had that chance. Still, I inherited some things from him.’

  Lucy looked at him in shock. Did he suspect what she did?

  ‘What do you mean?’ she asked tentatively.

  ‘I think you know what I mean, Lucy, you’re just too nice to say it.’ He tucked the axe into the waistband of his trousers, running both his hands up over his face and head, sliding them down the sides of his broad neck. ‘My father, Mr Mayweather. It makes sense, he was here, he knew my mother. There was no one el
se it could have been. Mary is my mother no matter which way you look at it, and Agatha said he was upset when she left. Tried to look for her even. It fits. He cheated on his wife, got poor old Mary Miller pregnant, she couldn’t cope with the shame, so she left. Whether he wanted to find her to silence her, pay her off, or if he really loved her, I’ll never know. Either way, I’m not taking a family and ripping them apart for my own needs and wants. I just won’t.’

  Everything clicked into place, and she wanted to scream.

  ‘That’s why you changed, on the date, isn’t it? You think you’re like him?’

  He looked at her, and smiled sadly. She felt like her heart was breaking, she could almost hear the tinkle of the shards splintering off as he spoke.

  ‘I don’t know, Lucy, but I have my answers, and I just want to move on now. You should too.’

  He came close to her, and dipping his head, he kissed her fervently. Passionately. Like it was the last kiss. She felt a splash on her face, and when he pulled back, a tear track shone down the side of his nose. ‘Take care of yourself and Xander, Lucy, and, for what it’s worth, thank you.’

  He left straight through the doors to the hall, and a cheer sounded his arrival. She started to cry, really sob, and saw something in the corner of her eye. Taylor was standing there, looking guilty. How much had he heard? Oh God. He walked over to her, pulling a set of keys from his pocket.