A Walk in Wildflower Park

by Bella Osborne

  ‘You do, you’ve got a fear of heights and flying.’

  Anna was pacing the kitchen. ‘It’s the same thing. It’s one phobia. I only have one phobia. And it doesn’t mean I can’t do the job; it means I just can’t do it … over there.’ She gestured with her hand.

  ‘Right. What do you want me to do then?’ He sounded as exasperated as she felt.

  Anna paused for a second. It was a good question and she didn’t know the answer. ‘How do we get out of this almighty cock-up?’

  Hudson chuckled. ‘Bloody hell, Hudson, this isn’t funny.’

  ‘Sorry, it’s that phrase it always makes me laugh. Cock-up. It’s funny. It’s so British.’ Anna huffed. ‘Again, I’m truly sorry I screwed up. Just tell me how to fix things and I will.’

  ‘I wish I knew.’

  ‘Okay. How about we both get in early on Monday. I shout you breakfast and we hatch a plan where you look awesome?’

  Anna was annoyed with herself for grinning but how could she not when he said things like that. ‘I had better look totally amazing.’

  ‘I promise you will. Okay? Am I out of time-out now?’

  ‘No, but I no longer want to harm you.’

  ‘I’ll take that,’ said Hudson. ‘See you Monday. Seven thirty?’

  ‘Okay. I’m expecting a full cooked English breakfast and no more cock-ups.’

  ‘Absolutely.’ And the phone went dead. Anna flopped onto the sofa. She was drained like she’d been running again. Something about a fight with Hudson always did that to her.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Sophie woke on Sunday with her husband’s arm wrapped around her baby bump and the smugness level that comes after lots of sex. It had been ages since they’d been like that in the bedroom. The opportunity to get a bit vocal without worrying about waking the children or being interrupted mid enthusiastic shag had unleashed their passion and the last thing Dave had said before he drifted off into a contented sleep was: ‘Remind me tomorrow to fit a lock on the door.’

  They had enjoyed such a perfect evening. It had reminded them both why they were together as a couple as well as being parents. Employing a cleaner had been a masterstroke. Who would have thought a cleaner could save a marriage? Dave had also made a real effort by fixing a few things around the house that had been bugging her and had pledged to keep on top of things.

  Today they were drawing up a rota for bath time and they were also planning to have date night once a month. After last night’s bedroom activity they were hoping to get Kraken to have Arlo and Petal overnight and make it a regular event on their grown-up calendar.

  Sophie eyed the clock. Eight thirty-eight. A nice lie-in. Another benefit of Kraken having the kids.

  ‘Morning, gorgeous,’ mumbled Dave.

  ‘Hiya, lover boy,’ said Sophie.

  ‘I’m not re-enacting Dirty Dancing again. I think I might have pulled something. But beg me and I might consider it.’

  Sophie turned over and kissed him. ‘I love you, Dave Butterworth.’

  ‘I love you too.’

  A smile was stuck on Sophie’s face and she couldn’t help it. ‘What time is your mother bringing the kids home?’

  ‘She said about nine.’

  The smile slid from Sophie’s face. ‘Bollards. We’ve got twenty minutes!’

  They raced about not unlike Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone, collecting up their discarded clothes, which were strewn up the stairs. They cleared the table and wiped down the kitchen but it was all done in good humour and as a team with them stealing kisses whenever they passed each other. Sophie was about to set the dishwasher off when the doorbell rang announcing their time was up. She straightened her hastily thrown-on dress and opened the door. Dave joined her as Arlo barrelled inside and into his father’s arms. Petal was being held by Karen and was grizzling until she saw her mother and immediately beamed a toothy smile and lunged forwards.

  ‘Hi, Mum,’ said Dave. ‘Come in.’

  ‘I won’t stop. We’re exhausted,’ said Karen, throwing an accusatory look at Sophie. ‘These children barely sleep, they don’t listen and they don’t do as they’re told.’

  ‘We know,’ said Dave, with a stupid grin on his face.

  ‘Aren’t they brilliant?’ said Sophie, breathing in the smell of Petal as she jiggled happily in her arms. ‘Did you have a nice time?’

  Karen shook her head and gave an exasperated eye roll. Sophie noted her usually perfectly coiffured look was very off its best this morning. ‘I wanted to bring them home early but your father insisted we stick it out.’

  ‘Thanks for taking them, Mum. We were wondering if …’

  Sophie gave Dave a nudge to shut him up. Now was not the time to ask for a monthly sleepover. ‘We were wondering if there was anything we could do to say thank you and show you how much we appreciated it?’ Sophie gave a big cheesy grin, which seemed to make Karen draw back.

  ‘No, of course it was our pleasure,’ she said, adjusting her hair and pulling out a lump of dried Weetabix.

  ‘Did you have a good time with Granny and Grandad?’ Dave asked Arlo.

  Arlo shook his whole body in response. ‘They smell funny and Granny shouts more than Mummy.’ Sophie failed to hide her smugness whilst Karen blinked rapidly.

  Dave’s father deposited the children’s bags on the doorstep. ‘You’ve a right pair of tearaways there,’ he said, with a chortle.

  ‘I need to get home and have some camomile tea,’ said Karen, appearing to speak more to herself than anyone else, and she headed back to the car.

  ‘Bye, and thanks again,’ said Sophie, waving them off. She really hoped they’d soon recover.

  For Anna Sunday morning was filled with ferrying Sophie’s things back to her house. It was interesting how much she had managed to amass at Anna’s in two weeks. Anna had the bed stripped, the sheets in the wash and had a quick run before she went to her parents’ for lunch.

  She loved being back at her parents’ home. It wasn’t a big house, but it was clean and tidy and welcoming. It was like putting on a comfy pair of slippers and in her case it was literally like that because they insisted she keep a pair there. She was sitting in the kitchen, swinging her rabbit slippers and watching her parents serve up the roast as they had both refused any help, which they always did.

  ‘When’s the party again?’ asked Anna, flicking through her phone calendar.

  ‘Third weekend of December,’ said Claire.

  ‘Etched on my brain, it is,’ said Terry as his wife took a playful swipe at him.

  ‘You can come, can’t you?’ asked Claire, seeming to sense something was amiss.

  Anna bit her bottom lip. ‘Yeah, it should be okay,’ she spoke slowly. ‘It’s just that a new opportunity has come up at work.’

  ‘Work should come first,’ said her father.

  Her mother was frowning. ‘Not at a weekend, Terry. What is it, Anna? What are you not telling us?’

  Anna slowly looked up. Her parents were in freeze frame holding saucepans and sieves. ‘The new opportunity. It might be in the US.’

  ‘America!’ She thought her mother was going to faint. Terry was quick to grab the pan of carrots.

  Anna explained about the changes thanks to Liam and how the New York opportunity had come about and how she and Hudson were going to hatch a plan to get her out of it. Even as she explained she was starting to question what she really wanted to do. It wasn’t as cut and dried as she’d first thought.

  ‘I think you should go,’ said her father, sitting down to his roast dinner, spearing an extra roast potato and adding it to the pile already on his plate.

  ‘Terry!’ The colour had drained from Claire’s face.

  He reached over and patted his wife’s hand. ‘She’ll be fine. There is no reason why she wouldn’t be fine on a plane.’

  ‘But what about her other problem after what happened at …’ After all these years her mother couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
r />   ‘Do you not think I should be over all of that by now?’ asked Anna, eyes darting from one parent to the other.

  ‘Yes, I do,’ said Terry, at almost the exact time her mother started shaking her head.

  ‘No. It’s probably something you’ll never get over,’ said Claire. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, noting the looks she was getting around the table. ‘Surely it’s better to be realistic than to set yourself up for something and then have to admit it’s too much?’

  She had a point. ‘I guess,’ said Anna.

  ‘But if you don’t try, you’ll never know,’ said Terry, ignoring his wife’s glare.

  ‘That’s true too,’ said Anna, feeling more confused than ever and she bit into a roast potato and winced as the hot potato burst in her mouth.

  Monday morning came around too fast as Mondays often do and despite not having slept well Anna was looking forward to breakfast with Hudson. They met at a café overlooking Cathedral Square. They found a table in the corner, ordered large breakfasts and tucked in.

  ‘How was your weekend?’ he asked.

  Anna gave him a brief summary and he made the suitable noises in the right places as he munched his way through three jam-laden croissants.

  ‘I could do your cat flap for you,’ he said, when she reached that part.

  ‘You?’ She failed to hide a snigger.

  ‘Sure. You have to be absolutely precise with the measuring. Have you chosen the sort of flap you want yet?’

  ‘No, I figured a cat flap is a cat flap.’

  Hudson shook his head. ‘There are different sizes for a start.’

  ‘Then I need a very big one.’ Anna bobbed her head as she ate a forkful of perfect scrambled egg and crispy bacon.

  ‘You can get ones that only open for your cat because they read their microchip. You have got him microchipped?’

  ‘Yep, they did it at the rescue centre. I like that idea. I had wondered how I’d keep all the other cats out.’

  ‘No need. Here …’ He showed her a link on his mobile phone. ‘I’ll send you this. You can order it and when it arrives I’ll pop round.’

  ‘Cool. Now, what the hell are we going to do about New York?’

  Hudson took a long drink of coffee and she watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. ‘Do you want to go to New York?’

  It felt like she needed to be completely honest with him. ‘I want to go, yes. But I don’t think I will be able to because of my phobia.’

  ‘Your one phobia of heights and flying?’ His eyes were full of mischief and they crinkled at the edges.

  ‘Yes, my one phobia.’

  Hudson sat back in his seat and appeared to be thinking. ‘How about we both go?’

  Anna pulled all kinds of faces. ‘There’s only one job in New York? And who would run the UK project?’

  ‘Not permanently. I mean how about we both go for a recce? This way we can both see how much work needs to be done. You can see if you can handle the flight. I’ll be there if you struggle and in New York I can show you around. We can tell Roberta it’s to inform who is best placed to manage it.’

  Anna was warming to the idea. She had to admit her fear of flying was greatly enhanced by the thought of going alone. ‘It might be worth a try. If I backed out at the airport, you could still go.’

  ‘I’d say you caught kuru disease and couldn’t fly.’

  ‘Kuru disease?’

  ‘You die laughing,’ he said happily.

  ‘Cheers.’ They laughed for a moment until something caught Anna’s eye outside. A group of youths were running across the square, vaulting walls and railings as they went.

  ‘Look at them.’ Anna was shocked at the speed and recklessness of the group as they jumped over other pedestrians. They both watched as one of them ran at a wall and flipped backwards off it.

  ‘Aren’t they cool?’ Hudson was nodding appreciatively.

  ‘You’re joking, right?’ She was horrified he’d think this was cool.

  ‘No. Check out the gymnastics involved. You have to be skilled to do something like that.’ One of the group did a handstand on a high railing and a back spring off. ‘Wow. They’re awesome.’

  ‘No, it’s irresponsible. It belongs in a gym, not outside. They could be badly injured or worse still, they could injure someone else.’

  Hudson’s brow furrowed. ‘You can’t see the skill in parkour?’

  Anna watched them vault and tumble their way across the square. ‘I can’t get past the stupidity. Why you would risk your safety befuddles me. I’ve known people who’ve …’ She stopped herself. ‘People get seriously hurt.’

  ‘Okay.’ Hudson held up his hands in surrender and returned to his breakfast.

  A thought struck Anna. ‘Do you want the job in New York?’

  Hudson’s expression changed and he leaned his forearms on the table, shortening the distance between them, his cornflower-blue eyes studying her closely. ‘I do want to return to New York at some stage in my career, but it doesn’t have to be now.’

  Anna tilted her head. ‘What does that mean?’

  Hudson blew out a breath. ‘I don’t plan on staying in England forever. Don’t get me wrong, I love it here but my heart belongs in America.’ He made a fist and bumped it on his chest twice. ‘I’ve got to sort some stuff out in my head first. Closet skeletons that need archiving. Then I’ll be all set to go home.’

  Anna desperately wanted to know what skeletons he had in his closet but was too polite to ask. ‘So when you go back, you go for good.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  They were staring at each other and both quickly looked away. Anna paid particular attention to buttering her toast. She picked up the pepper grinder and liberally ground fresh black pepper onto the toast.

  ‘What the …?’ Hudson leaned back in horror.

  ‘I like black pepper,’ said Anna, with a shrug as she cut the toast into triangles and bit off a corner.

  ‘I know you do, but on toast? That is wrong. You have peanut butter or jelly on toast or even both. But not black pepper.’

  ‘You don’t have jelly on anything but ice cream,’ she said, before taking another large bite. ‘You can have savoury things on toast like Marmite. I just love black pepper.’

  ‘You’re weird.’

  Anna didn’t disagree. ‘So what are we telling Roberta in …’ she checked her watch ‘… twenty minutes?’

  ‘I think we go with the pitch for both of us to go out for, say, a week and do an initial assessment. Then we can make a call on who wants the job.’

  This all sounded a bit too good to be true and Anna’s bullshit radar was on high alert. ‘It still means me getting on a plane.’ She took a large gulp of coffee and swallowed.

  ‘It sure does.’

  Sophie and Anna were having a quick drink after work because it was Thursday and, thanks to the new timetable she and Dave had drawn up, it was Sophie’s night for doing what she wanted after work. After the baby was born she was planning on making Thursday her gym class night but for now it was socialising with Anna night.

  ‘Everything still good with Dave and the kids?’

  Sophie wobbled her head. ‘It’s a million times better but it’s still Dave we’re dealing with here. He was very excited to ring me earlier to tell me he’d unblocked the toilet. I questioned which toilet because I didn’t know what he was on about. Turns out he’d blocked the en-suite loo and then unblocked it but was after brownie points for doing it.’

  ‘Eww, brownie points sounds wrong in that context,’ said Anna, and they both recoiled. ‘At least he unblocked it.’

  ‘Exactly. It’s an improvement on before and now we’ve agreed he’ll use the downstairs toilet so it’s not like sleeping in a public loo. I am thankful for small amounts of progress,’ said Sophie, and they clinked their glasses together. ‘I have other news …’

  ‘Spit it out then.’

  ‘I think I’m almost over Hudson.’

  ‘Gr
eat. No more lusty thoughts?’

  ‘I’m not flustered around him any more but there may still be a few lusty thoughts. I’m only human.’ She gave a shrug. ‘How about you?’

  ‘How about me, what?’ Anna sipped her drink.

  ‘You and Hudson? You and Connor?’ Sophie bobbed from side to side as she spoke. ‘Bloody men are like bloody buses.’

  ‘Usually late and cost you more than you’d think?’ teased Anna.

  ‘You know what I mean. Are you interested in either of them?’

  ‘I’m off men. This stage of my life is all about me living independently and focusing on my career.’

  ‘Blah, blah, blah. Don’t go all local politician on me. Any feelings for either of them?’

  Anna sipped her drink again and Sophie knew she was giving herself some thinking time. ‘I like Connor …’

  ‘Because he’s nice.’ Sophie’s eyes did a loop the loop.

  ‘Yes. And Hudson drives me slightly crackers. We’re just colleagues. He’s not even an option.’

  ‘I say, shag them both,’ said Sophie.

  Anna’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

  ‘Nor do I but I wanted to see your reaction.’ Sophie grinned. ‘Do you want to shag either of them?’

  ‘Like I said, Hudson is a colleague so he’s off limits and he’s never shown the slightest interest in me like that anyway. And what worries me is I could easily shag Connor; when he’s being all gawky and vulnerable he’s quite attractive. But before I know it I’ll be knee-deep in another relationship, which will likely end in bitterness and cake hurling two years down the line.’ Anna stared miserably at her empty glass. ‘Another Diet Coke?’

  ‘I need salt and vinegar crisps and kippers.’

  ‘The crisps are on me. The kippers you’ll have to source yourself,’ said Anna and she went to queue at the bar.

  ‘Thanks,’ said Sophie, taking the packets when Anna returned. ‘I want you to be happy, Anna, and I get the distinct feeling you’re not.’ She held up a hand to stop Anna replying with platitudes. ‘You have proved you can be independent and live on your own. If your preference is to be in a relationship, where’s the harm?’