‘Why can’t you just do what I tell you to do, you stupid, ugly bitch? Too stupid to live, that’s your problem. Can’t think what I ever saw in you...’
‘Oh, my...’ The charity shop volunteer had her hand to her chest. ‘Young people these days...it must be drugs or something, surely? Should I call the police, do you think?’
Kelly could only see the girl’s back but she’d known instantly exactly who it was. Nobody else could have that half-spiky, half-shaved scarlet hair teamed with a pair of purple dungarees.
Kelly shook her head. ‘I’ll see if I can deal with it. If I can’t then I’ll call the police on my radio. They might get here quicker that way. You stay in here.’
It was a very good thing she was in her uniform, Kelly decided as she stormed out of the shop. Not only did she have that radio clipped to her belt so she could call for urgent assistance if needed, just the sight of someone in uniform was enough to startle and then intimidate the man who was threatening Stacey. He gave her another shove against the window, hard enough to make the glass rattle again, and then spat on the footpath as he took off, pushing through the knot of people who had stopped to see what was going on.
Stacey looked frozen for a moment as she took in the fact that her attacker had gone, that she was being stared at by a small crowd of people and that Kelly was standing beside her, looking official in her uniform.
‘What?’ she shouted at the onlookers. ‘Take a picture, why don’t you?’
Kelly could sense how scared the teenager was under her aggressive bravado. ‘Come with me.’ She put a hand on Stacey’s arm. ‘My car’s just over there. I’ll take you home.’
Stacey shook her arm free. ‘I don’t want to go home.’
‘You want to talk to the police instead? The lady in the charity shop might have rung them already.’
That lady was coming towards them, in fact. ‘Here,’ she said, handing Kelly a paper bag. ‘Don’t forget this.’ She stared at Stacey. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked. ‘Who was that lout and why was he hitting you?’
‘He wasn’t hitting me,’ Stacey muttered. ‘And it’s none of your beeswax, anyway, so shut up...’
‘Well, I never...’ The older woman tutted at the rude tone. ‘Keep it away from my shop in future. Go and break someone else’s window. I know what you look like, young lady, and I can give your description to the police.’
‘This way...’ This time, Kelly’s hand didn’t allow her hand to get shaken off. ‘In the car. Now—before you get yourself into any more trouble. And put your safety belt on. I’m taking you home.’
She started the vehicle and pulled into the traffic. ‘So...who was that? A friend of yours? Boyfriend?’ If he was the boy Ari had heard about, he looked like trouble.
Stacey turned to stare out of the side window, clearly having no intention of responding. All Kelly could catch a glimpse of was the back of her head and her hunched shoulders. Taking a slow breath in, Kelly tried to channel some of Peggy’s patience. What actually came into her head, though, was an image of a young Ari holding a tiny, miserable baby who was suffering from the effects of the drugs her mother had been taking while she was pregnant. She could imagine those strong arms sheltering the infant. She could even imagine how it would feel to be within that hold and, suddenly, that was more than enough to give her the patience and strength not to allow herself to be irritated enough to step back from this troubled girl. To try and step closer, even, and find a connection that might help.
‘Maybe it isn’t any of my business,’ she said quietly. ‘But I’ve been there, Stacey. That boy might not have been hitting you hard enough to leave a mark but even getting yelled at and being called names is still abuse. You don’t deserve that. Don’t let him put you down.’
She’d been watching the road as she spoke but, from the corner of her eye, she could see Stacey’s head turning. She could feel the disbelieving stare.
‘You’ve been there? What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘I was in an abusive relationship. For a lot longer than I should have been.’
‘Is that what you told Ari? To make him like you so much?’
The words slipped past but Kelly knew she’d be thinking about that later. Not about the idea she might try and use her story to garner sympathy, though. What really mattered from those words was what “so much” might mean and why Stacey might have got that impression.
‘Actually, you’re the first person I’ve ever told,’ Kelly said. ‘It’s not something a lot of people can understand—unless they’ve experienced it themselves.’ She was silent for a moment. ‘I’m sorry you’re being treated like that. You deserve better.’
‘What would you know? You don’t even know me.’ Stacey had wrapped her arms around herself. ‘I’m nothing like you. My boyfriend’s right—I’m rubbish. Just a nobody.’ The words were flooding out now. ‘Look at me. I’m only seventeen and I’m pregnant and I don’t even know who the father is. I don’t know who my father is and my mum did a runner years ago.’ She was sobbing now. ‘I’ve never had a family...’
Kelly pulled the SUV to the side of the road and sent up a silent plea that her radio wasn’t about to crackle into life and demand that she take off somewhere else.
She reached for the box of tissues in the central console and handed Stacey a handful.
‘That’s not true,’ she said. ‘You’ve got two of the most amazing people that I’ve ever met in your life. Peggy’s been caring about you since you were born. So has Ari. I’ve only spent one evening in your house and it felt like a family to me. It’s something special and I think you know that.’
Stacey didn’t bother with the tissues, ignoring the tears streaming from her eyes and her running nose. ‘Peggy’s going to die soon and Ari’ll disappear back to his flash job in Scotland and they’ll take my baby away to give it to someone who can look after it properly and then what?’ Her voice rose. ‘I’ll have nothing. No one...’
Patience could be pushed just a bit too far. Kelly could feel anger building at the way Peggy and Ari’s love for this teenager was being dismissed. She could also feel immense sadness that Peggy might be close to the end of her life and having to deal with an attitude that was so completely undeserved.
‘I know you’re only seventeen,’ she said, keeping her tone level. ‘And I know life hasn’t been easy for you but...here’s a newsflash, Stacey. It’s not always all about you.’
Stacey’s hiccup was a shocked sound but she had stopped crying.
‘You’ve got good people in your corner—amazing people—and you’ve still got your whole life in front of you,’ Kelly continued. ‘There’s no reason you can’t turn things around and become whatever you want to be but right now it’s Peggy who needs to be cared for. She’s given you so much and all you can think about is how you’re going to be affected when she’s gone. Can’t you see how selfish that is? You know what she’s doing? The present she’s making for you?’
Stacey’s gaze was downcast, her chin tucked into her chest, but she shook her head.
‘She’s knitting peggy squares to make a special blanket. She wants you to be warm if you’re up in the night feeding your baby. The way she probably got up in the night countless times to feed you.’ Kelly was close to tears herself now as she reached for the paper bag that she’d tucked in beside the tissues and pulled out a ball of wool. ‘Here.’ She shoved it into Stacey’s hands. ‘Take this and give it to Peggy from me. She might need it to finish that blanket.’ She turned away and put her hands on the steering wheel. ‘You can walk home from here. It’s not far.’
She had to clear her throat as a beep announced an incoming radio message.
‘Rover One, are you receiving?’
‘Rover One,’ she replied. ‘Receiving you loud and clear.’
‘Code Red call. Stand by for details.’
&n
bsp; ‘Standing by...’
Stacey had already unclipped her safety belt. Kelly dismissed her with a nod as the teenager opened the door and climbed out of her vehicle. She had turned on her beacons by the time the door was slammed shut and was ready to program the address into her satnav before she pulled out onto the road again and took off, flicking her siren into life.
There was a child choking only half a mile away. Kelly didn’t look back.
* * *
Ari Lawson glanced up at the clock on the wall of the waiting room and then closed his eyes for a moment. How could time be moving this slowly? Peggy had only been in Theatre for a little over an hour but it felt like he’d been waiting for a lot longer.
‘You’re still here... I thought I might be too late.’
His eyes flew open and something with the force of a fist slammed into his gut. In a good way, that was. Seeing Kelly was the best surprise he could have had. A reprieve from being alone in this vigil with his memories and fears for what the near future might hold. ‘Too late for what?’
‘To keep you company. I had a feeling you’d be pacing around in here.’ Kelly’s gaze raked the otherwise empty room. ‘Stacey didn’t come in?’
‘She said she hates hospitals. And she’s got stuff she wanted to do. I said I’d ring as soon as Peggy’s out of Theatre.’
‘How long since she went in?’ Kelly perched on the chair beside Ari.
‘Over an hour ago.’
‘Did they tell you how long it might take?’
‘A while. They couldn’t be precise. They’re doing a full hysterectomy and probably need to remove a section of bowel as well so it could be quite a while. Don’t feel you have to stay.’
He wanted her to stay, though, didn’t he? So much so it felt more like a need than a want.
‘I don’t have any other place to be...’ Ari might be getting used to that lovely smile of Kelly’s but seeing it was never going to get old. ‘And look...’ Kelly opened her shoulder bag to show him what was inside. ‘I’ve got my knitting. I can get another peggy square done. Maybe two. I’m getting faster now.’
Ari smiled. ‘Peggy will be proud of you. She’ll be very touched when I tell her that you came to wait, too. She already thinks that you’re some kind of angel.’
Kelly ducked her head, clearly embarrassed. Was she remembering that first time she met his foster mother—when she’d said that it was about time Ari met a nice girl like her? Had she also realised that that dinner invitation had been an attempt at matchmaking on Peggy’s part?
If so, it didn’t seem to be standing in the way of them becoming friends. Okay, there was that undercurrent of attraction that he was pretty sure was mutual, but he also knew that Kelly wasn’t going to act on it and neither was he. It was just there. Something they could ignore because, for whatever reason, neither of them wanted anything more in their lives. And that was fine by Ari because it meant that they could be real friends with no expectations of it turning into anything more than that. No pressure. No strings. It was more than fine, really. More like perfect.
Conversation was easy because they had the same interests, thanks to their work. Ari told Kelly that someone from the O&G department had contacted him to see if he was available for an observer shift with the flying squad on the coming Sunday.
‘Really? I’m doing a day shift that day. It would be cool if you had your first shift with me but... Peggy will still be in hospital, won’t she?’
‘Which is exactly why it might be a good time to do it. If it’s not busy, I can visit. It’s a day shift so I wouldn’t be leaving Stace alone at night. And, if it is busy, I’d have lots to tell Peggy about when I visit on Monday.’
‘She’d love that. She really loved her work as a midwife, didn’t she?’
‘She adored babies. It’s sad she didn’t get to have any of her own but...if she had, I guess there’d be dozens of kids who didn’t get to share that love. Kids like Stacey.’
Kelly’s fingers slowed as she carefully wound her wool around the needle. ‘And like you. Peggy told me a little bit about how you came to be with her. How long it took you to feel safe. She’s the one who’s the angel. How hard would it be to be that patient and just keep loving someone until they were ready to love you back?’
Ari had to swallow hard. He couldn’t remember those early years that well but, yeah...the love was there—on both sides—and it was so powerful it made the fear of loss hit hard. Another glance at the clock. Nearly two hours now. What was happening in that operating theatre? Was it going well? Well enough to mean that Peggy might be in his life for a bit longer?
He needed to think about something else because if he let his brain latch onto the other possible scenarios, it could undermine the strength he was going to need to support Peggy. And Stacey.
‘Stacey’s doing some housework. Cleaning the oven today, would you believe?’
‘Wow.’ Kelly’s glance was astonished. ‘No, I’m not sure I do believe that.’
‘She wants to get out in the garden if it ever stops raining, too. Said she’s going to go to the charity shop and see if they’ve got some gardening tools.’ He was watching Kelly’s fingers as she looped more wool and did complicated things with the knitting needles. ‘She told me she saw you there the other day.’
‘Mmm.’ Kelly didn’t look up. ‘I was following that good advice you gave me. Remember? About it being a good place to go and get some cheap wool? Did...um...did she say anything else?’
‘Not really.’ But that was when he’d noticed a change in Stacey’s attitude, though. ‘Why? Did you say something to her?’
‘Kind of...’ Kelly sounded cautious. ‘She was with a boy who looked like he had some issues. I told her that it wasn’t just physical stuff that was abuse and that she should know that she deserves better than that. I might have also said that she was being pretty selfish thinking only about herself instead of Peggy.’
‘Well, seems like you got through to her more than I’ve been able to, so thanks for that. I’m beginning to think I can trust her to do a good job of looking after Peggy when she gets home and that’ll make life easier for all of us.’
‘Let me know if I can help. I’d really like to...’
The knitting was forgotten as Kelly looked up and caught his gaze. They were that dark shade of blue that made Ari think again that it was emotion that had deepened their colour. Sincerity. An ability to care about others on a level that was a rare quality. Peggy had it. Maybe Stacey had been impressed by it. It was something that touched Ari on a very deep level because it tapped into the very foundations of what had changed his own life so profoundly.
He held Kelly’s gaze. ‘I will. Peggy would love that. I reckon Stacey would be happy to see you again, too.’
‘Really?’
‘Really.’ Ari could feel his lips curving gently. ‘And what you told her? It goes both ways, you know.’
‘How d’you mean?’
‘You said that Stacey deserved something better than being abused.’ His smile was fading but he held that eye contact. ‘So do you.’
Oh...help...
Ari wanted to put his arms around Kelly but not simply to give her a friendly hug to convey understanding, or encouragement to tell him her story if she was ready. No...at this moment, he couldn’t take his eyes off her face. Her eyes. Her lips...
He wanted to hold her all right.
But what he wanted to do even more was to kiss her. To put his lips against hers and see if there was a reason that this magnetic pull was so overwhelmingly powerful. That desire was just hanging there in the air between them in a silence that was increasingly significant. A balancing act that could have gone either way. All it needed was a tiny push and if that had come from Kelly, he would have been kissing her senseless in a heartbeat. Luckily the push came from an unexpected direction and i
t was exactly what Ari needed to get complete control.
‘Mr Lawson?’ The nurse in the doorway of the waiting area was smiling. ‘Your mum’s out of Theatre now. Would you like to come and see her in Recovery?’
CHAPTER SIX
IT WAS STILL raining on the following Sunday.
Peggy was sitting up in her corner bed by the window but she wasn’t looking at the dismal weather outside, like Ari was. She had several brightly coloured knitted squares in front of her and she was beaming at Kelly.
‘Look at that. You’ll have enough to make a blanket in no time. I’ll have to teach you how to crochet around the edges and join them together.’
‘I’d like that.’ Kelly smiled back. ‘You look like you’re feeling better today.’
‘I’m ready to go home. Three days of lying around like this is more than enough.’
‘Don’t think so.’ Ari turned back from the window. ‘You’ve had major surgery. You need to stay in here and rest for as long as they let you.’
‘What’s Stacey doing today? I do wish she’d come in and visit me.’
‘I think she was planning to tidy up a bit today.’
Ari’s glance shifted to where Kelly was sitting on the other side of Peggy’s bed and she couldn’t miss the twinkle of an understanding that was just between them. It seemed that Stacey’s new attitude was continuing and Ari thought that Kelly had influenced the positive change.
‘I tried to persuade her to come and visit,’ he told Peggy. ‘But she’s got a real phobia about hospitals.’
‘I know...’ Peggy sighed. ‘She needs to get over that before she has that baby. I don’t want her having a home birth. I’d never forgive myself if something went wrong. Has she even been back to those antenatal classes?’
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