by Karen King
Logan bristled with anger. How dare some guy he didn’t even know tell his daughter off? ‘Chloe has only stayed over with you a few times and you think it’s okay for your latest man to tell her off? No wonder she doesn’t want to come and stay again.’
There was a pause and… was that a quiver he heard in Jade’s voice? ‘She really doesn’t want to come?’
‘No.’
‘Please can I speak to her? Can I FaceTime her?’
Jade had added herself to FaceTime on Chloe’s iPad when Chloe had stayed over last time, which really annoyed Logan so he had immediately blocked her, insisting that all contact came through him first. He didn’t want Jade calling Chloe whenever she felt like it.
‘I’ll pass her the phone, you can talk to her,’ he agreed.
He went back into the lounge and held out his mobile. ‘Mummy wants to talk to you.’
Chloe shook her head. ‘I don’t want to talk to her. She’ll try to make me go and stay with her.’
‘Please put her on, Logan,’ Jade begged.
She actually sounded upset. Logan held out the phone again. ‘Mummy really wants to talk to you. Please talk to her, poppet.’
Chloe shook her head and crossed her arms.
‘I’m sorry, Jade, she won’t. I can’t make her,’ he said.
‘Then I’m coming over.’
‘No you’re not,’ he said firmly. ‘You’re going to have to be patient, you can’t just waltz into Chloe’s life and expect it all to go smoothly. I’ll talk to her over the weekend, see if I can persuade her to go out with you for the day next weekend. And no Grant.’
‘You’ve turned her against me, haven’t you?’ Jade accused. ‘I’m going to speak to my solicitor and make sure I get full custody. You can’t stop me from seeing Chloe.’
Chapter Thirty-Two
Three weeks later
‘Hello, Saffy, have you come to visit Hannah and Lee?’
‘Ariane! I didn’t know you worked here!’ Saffy said, surprised to see her standing behind the shop counter. ‘How are you? And yes, I’m down for the weekend.’
‘I started here a few weeks ago. I do a few shifts during school hours and the kids go to their dad’s every other Saturday so I work weekends then.’ She smiled. ‘It’s lovely to see you again. We all had such a good time at the Christmas party, thanks to you.’
‘It was a pleasure, I enjoyed it too.’ Saffy took her purse out of her bag. ‘You might be seeing more of me in future. I’ve been promoted and moving to Exeter soon and am hoping to pop down and see Hannah, Lee and the twins most weekends.’
‘That’s fantastic. I know Hannah would love that,’ Ariane said.
‘Daddy! There’s Saffy!’
Saffy spun around as she heard the familiar voice, a smile spontaneously leaping to her face as she saw Chloe running towards her.
‘Saffy! You’re back!’ Chloe hurled herself at her and Saffy instinctively bent down and gave the little girl a hug.
‘Hello, darling. Yes, I’m back for the weekend. How lovely to see you.’ As Chloe wrapped her arms around her neck, Saffy looked over the little girl’s shoulder to Logan, her heart doing a somersault as those familiar blue eyes met hers. The sandy hair was a bit longer now, the stubble she’d run her fingers over a little more unkempt than she remembered. He looked tired and strained, she thought, wondering if that was anything to do with Jade. Hannah had told her that she was fighting Logan for custody of Chloe. ‘Hello,’ she said, feeling a bit awkward.
‘Hello, Saffy. How are you?’
‘I’m good, thanks. I’ve come to stay with Hannah and Lee for the weekend,’ she explained needlessly. ‘How are things with you?’
‘Okay.’ He nodded. ‘Good to see you again. Enjoy your weekend.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Are you coming to visit us?’ Chloe asked, tugging at Saffy’s sleeve. She turned to Logan. ‘She can, can’t she, Daddy? I want to show her the doll’s house Mummy bought me.’
Saffy’s eyes flitted to Logan’s face again. ‘Er…’
Chloe was tugging her hand. ‘Please, Saffy?’
‘I’m sure Saffy’s too busy. She’s come to visit her sister and the twins, not us, Chloe,’ Logan butted in. He stepped forward and took hold of his daughter’s hand. ‘Come on, poppet, we’ve still got a lot of shopping to get.’
‘Me too, I’ve got lots to do,’ Saffy said quickly.
‘See you around, then.’ He turned and walked out of the shop with Chloe, leaving behind the basket of goods he’d been about to pay for.
‘Daddy, you forgot the shopping,’ Saffy heard Chloe say as Logan left the shop but Logan carried on walking. He obviously couldn’t wait to get away from her. She couldn’t believe how much it had shaken her to see him again. She thought she’d got over him but no, the attraction was still there. Not for him though, obviously – which was a good thing. She had a new job, new life; she didn’t have time right now for complications and with Logan it would definitely be complicated.
Shame, though. She liked him. A lot.
Too much.
She turned back to Ariane, feeling a bit embarrassed. Had she noticed how eager Logan had been to get away from her?
‘He’s not been himself lately, it’s all this business with Jade,’ Ariane said.
‘I’m sure it will all work out okay,’ she said vaguely, not wanting to discuss Logan’s private business. ‘Can I have some milk and a loaf, please? We’re right out.’
‘Of course. They’re just over there.’ Ariane pointed to the shelves on the right wall of the shop.
‘Thanks.’ Saffy picked them up, paid for them and left the shop, her mind still on Logan. He’d looked so strained. She wondered what Jade was up to now.
As she turned the corner to walk back to Liwus Helyk she saw a silver Mercedes convertible pull up outside. She stopped and watched as a tall, very well-dressed woman with short dark hair got out. There was something familiar about her. Then she realised it was the same woman she’d seen on Logan’s phone when Chloe FaceTimed him while Saffy was wearing his dressing-gown. Jade. The woman walked up the path and knocked on the door. Had she come for Chloe?
She ought to go, not stand and watch, but she couldn’t seem to move.
The door opened and Logan stood on the doorstep, Chloe beside him. ‘Mummy!’ Chloe shouted, running out to hug Jade.
‘What are you doing here?’ Saffy heard Logan demand. He didn’t seem pleased to see her.
* * *
What the hell was Jade doing, turning up out of the blue? They had an agreement that she messaged and they both arranged a suitable date first. Had she come to take Chloe? Well, there was no way he’d let her, but he had to tread carefully; he didn’t want to argue with her in front of Chloe. Ever since that weekend three weeks ago when Chloe had refused to go with her mother or even speak to her, Jade had pulled out all the stops to win the little girl over, sending presents of new clothes and expensive toys. Chloe was delighted, although she still refused to go out with Jade, insisting that she wanted her mother to come and visit her instead. So Jade had come – without arranging it beforehand, as usual.
‘I wanted to see Chloe,’ she said. ‘I had a meeting in Bude and it was too good an opportunity to miss. It’s not a problem, is it? She is my daughter.’ She looked down at Chloe. ‘You want to see Mummy, don’t you?’
‘Yes!’ Chloe gave her a hug, then suddenly peered around her and started waving. ‘Saffy!’
Logan glanced up and saw Saffy about to cross the road towards Liwus Helyk. She turned as Chloe called and waved back, looking awkward. She had obviously seen Jade and was trying to avoid them. Chloe ran over and started talking to her.
‘I see your girlfriend is back again,’ said Jade.
‘She’s not my girlfriend,’ Logan told her. He ran his hand through his hair. ‘Look, I don’t want to argue in front of Chloe so you can come in and see her for a bit, no more than half an hour though. I’ve got thing
s to do.’
Jade pouted. ‘I want to discuss access with you. The solicitor’s bills are costing me a fortune so I was hoping we could discuss it calmly and work something out.’
Logan considered this. He couldn’t afford the legal bills either. ‘Okay, but I don’t want to discuss it now, not in front of Chloe. We’ll meet up one of the days when she’s at school.’
‘I’m out the country soon. I want to sort it before I go.’ Jade pointed to Saffy, who was still talking to Chloe and said loudly, ‘Can’t your girlfriend look after Chloe for a while, so we can talk?’
‘Oh yes! Can she, Dad?’ Chloe asked. ‘Can I go with Saffy and see the twins?’
How embarrassing. That was typical Jade. She never stopped to think how anyone else felt about a situation. ‘I’ve told you that Saffy—’
‘I could take Chloe to see the twins for half an hour,’ Saffy told him.
Logan went to protest but Jade butted in. ‘That’s settled then. I’ll see you later, darling,’ she said to Chloe. ‘You run off with that lady while I talk to Daddy.’
There she was again, taking charge as if everything was down to her. Logan could feel his anger rising but he kept it in check. He wasn’t going to cause a scene in front of his little daughter, but he’d be telling Jade a few home truths once they were alone.
‘I’m sorry to put this on you, Saffy, but if you don’t mind it would really help,’ he said.
‘No problem.’ Saffy took Chloe’s hand. ‘Come on, Chloe. I bet the twins have lots of games they want you to play with them.’ She shot Logan a sympathetic look. ‘I hope you sort things out.’
‘That was bloody embarrassing. Me and Saffy are finished. We haven’t seen each other since Christmas,’ Logan snapped, glaring at Jade. ‘You’d better come inside because I don’t intend to have an argument on the doorstep for the whole street to hear.’
‘I haven’t come for an argument. I want to sort things out between us, without the lawyers,’ Jade said as she followed him inside. ‘All I want is to see my daughter on a regular basis. Surely, that isn’t too much to ask.’
‘I’m going for full custody, Jade, and my solicitor is confident I’ll get it,’ he warned her.
‘I know,’ she admitted. ‘And so is my solicitor. Look, Logan, I don’t want to fight any more. I know I’m in the wrong. I walked out on Chloe and have hardly had anything to do with her the last few years. I regret that.’ She followed him into the kitchen and pulled out a chair, suddenly looking rather forlorn. ‘I hate myself for walking out on my daughter. Especially now…’ She swallowed and tears brimmed in her eyes. Logan was taken aback as he saw how distressed she was.
‘What is it?’ he asked gently. Then a horrible thought struck him. ‘You aren’t ill, are you?’
She shook her head. ‘No, not ill, but I am pregnant again.’
That shocked him. ‘What?’
‘I know. Who’d have thought it?’ She opened her handbag and took out a photo, passing it over to him. He stared at the middle-aged man in the picture.
‘This is Grant, I take it.’
She nodded. ‘We’ve been seeing each other for almost a year now. He wants me to marry him.’
Well this certainly was a day for surprises. ‘And are you going to?’
‘Yes. I’m ready to settle down now. I want to make a home and have this baby.’ She patted her tummy. ‘I guess loving this baby so much made me feel guilty about leaving Chloe. I wanted her back, to make it up to her. But I can’t turn back the clock. I did what I did and I have to live with it.’ Tears welled up in her eyes again.
Logan sat down beside her, not sure what to say.
‘What I can do is be a better mum to her from now on.’ Her eyes met his and he could see that she was serious. ‘Will you let me do that? I promise I won’t go for custody and I won’t cause any problems. All I want is to have Chloe to stay at least one weekend a month, preferably two, and some of the school holidays. I want her to be part of our family, mine and Grant’s. I know he was a bit stern with her at first, but that’s just his way. He loves her and I promise he would never hurt her. What do you say?’
Chapter Thirty-Three
‘Hi, come in. Saffy told me Jade had turned up out of the blue, how did it go?’ Hannah said warmly.
Saffy looked up from the Hungry Hippos game she was playing with Chloe and the twins, watched closely by Oscar, who barked excitedly every time one of the hippos snapped at the balls. She’d guessed it was Logan when the door knocked but deliberately left Hannah to answer to give her time to compose herself. She didn’t want Logan to have any idea how much it had shaken her to see him again.
‘Thank you so much, Saffy.’ He came in with Hannah, looking a lot happier than he had half an hour ago. ‘I can’t tell you how grateful I am. You too, Hannah.’ Then he spotted the game they were playing. ‘Who’s winning?’
‘I am but Saffy’s quite good too,’ Chloe said.
‘I bet she is. And the twins are a lot younger than you, remember, so give them a chance.’ He bent down and swooped Miles up into his arms. ‘How are you doing, little fella?’ Then he bent down to stroke Oscar, who had come up for some fuss too.
‘Has Mummy gone?’ Chloe asked.
‘Yes, she just stopped by on her way from work. But she’s going to see you next weekend. Is that okay?’
‘Will Grant be there?’
‘Yes. He and Mummy have a new house they want to show you. It’s near Nanny and Grandad’s house.’
Chloe looked unsure. ‘Do I have to go?’
‘No you don’t, but it might be nice to see your mum’s new house, don’t you think? And Mummy has promised Grant won’t shout at you again. Will you give him another chance?’
Chloe considered this. ‘I s’pose.’
‘Do you have time for a cuppa?’ Hannah asked. ‘I was about to make one for me and Saffy.’
‘Love one.’ Logan put Miles down and knelt down to Chloe. ‘Are you okay playing with the twins while we all go and have a cuppa in the kitchen?’
‘Okay, we’ll play with the fire station – but if they start to moan I’m bringing them in to you,’ Chloe agreed.
‘Deal.’ Logan held up his hand and Chloe high-fived it. Then he smiled at Saffy. ‘That means we have about five minutes.’
Guessing he wanted to talk to her and Hannah about Jade, Saffy followed him into the kitchen. Hannah had already put a plate of biscuits on the table and was spooning coffee into the mugs. ‘I take it that things went well with Jade?’
Logan leaned over and took a biscuit off the plate. ‘After the initial few minutes, yes.’ He filled them in on the details.
‘She’s pregnant again? Wow!’ Hannah placed the mugs of coffee on the table and sat down. ‘Let’s hope she doesn’t walk out on this one.’
‘It does sound as if she regrets her action, though, and is trying to make up for it,’ Saffy said. ‘Which is more than our dad ever did.’
‘True,’ Hannah agreed.
‘I think she’s genuine. I’ve never seen her so upset.’ Logan gazed out of the window as if his mind was somewhere in the past. ‘She always seemed so cold and unemotional to me. It was all about how having a child affected her. But now, this baby seems to have brought out her maternal side. Something she never showed with Chloe.’
‘She’s older now, maybe she’s realised that a career isn’t everything,’ Hannah told him. ‘Best to make sure you still get full custody of Chloe though, in case Jade changes her mind again.’
‘I will, don’t worry. And we’ve agreed regular access and maintenance payments.’ Logan turned back and gave Saffy a devastating smile that made her heart skip a beat. ‘Good to see you again, Saffy, and thank you for coming to my rescue.’
‘No problem. I’m pleased you’ve got it sorted.’
‘Me too. I know I resented Jade turning up again at first but I do want Chloe to have her mother in her life. And I must admit, the odd night or weekend off wo
uld be useful. I could catch up on work and then have more time to spend with Chloe when she is home.’
Logan seemed happier now, more pleasant towards her, Saffy thought in surprise. Then she remembered how close they’d been and the gulf between them still seemed so wide.
Changing the subject, and with a twinkle in her eye, Hannah announced, ‘We should be seeing a lot more of Saffy now she’s been promoted and moving to Exeter.’
Was that a spark of interest she saw in Logan’s eyes?
‘Really? Well congratulations, Saffy. Is it the same line of work?’
‘It’s for the same company. A promotion, actually. We’re opening a new branch in Exeter so we can expand more into the West Country and I’ve been given the post of sourcing new creatives down here.’
‘My main office is in Exeter too. When are you moving down?’ Logan asked.
‘Next Saturday. I start the job on the Monday,’ Saffy told him.
‘Oh, Logan, didn’t you say you were popping in to your Exeter office on Saturday morning? I’m guessing you don’t want me to look after Chloe now as she’ll be with Jade, but maybe you could drop in on Saffy, give her a hand getting straight in her new flat.’
Saffy shot her a look. Trust Hannah to interfere and try to matchmake.
Logan paused. ‘Yes, I could. If you want me to that is, Saffy?’ He turned to her as he asked the question.
Well, that was a change of heart from ‘couldn’t wait to get away from her’ in the corner shop. Mind you, Hannah had almost twisted his arm. Still, she would like to get back on a friendlier footing with him, especially as she was hoping to pop down and see Hannah regularly. Besides, Robbie and Duncan would be there too, so it wouldn’t be just the two of them.
‘Thanks. Robbie and Duncan are helping me move in and I’m sure would love to see you again. I’ll WhatsApp you my address. I’ll be there all day.’