by Joanna Neil
In fact, her life at home had coloured her thinking about relationships in general. She wasn't at all sure that she would ever want to be so close to any man that she might trust him with her heart and soul. There was always the risk that everything would fall apart, the way her parents' marriage had slowly disintegrated.
She said quietly, 'Besides, Rhea and I have always been great friends.'
Rhea was still concerned. 'I feel bad that we're taking up so much of your living space, but I couldn't face the thought of going back to my house with Steve hanging around there. I tried to go home to collect some more things the other day, but he was prowling around and I drove straight by without stopping.'
'It's really difficult for you, isn't it?' Allison was sympathetic. 'Is there any chance that he might have found a job? At least that would keep him occupied for part of the day and it might give you more of a chance to collect what you need.'
'Yes, I saw him getting into the driver's seat of a delivery van that was parked nearby, and it occurred to me that he might have started to work regular hours. I made up my mind that I'd have another go tomorrow at fetching some things from the house. There's a good chance that he only comes around to my place when he's on a lunch-break, so I'll choose my time with that in mind.'
'Whatever you do, be careful.' Allison was busy clearing up some of Connor's toys, while he was quietly drawing a picture at the table. At first he had been lending a helping hand, but he kept discovering things that he wanted to play with, and time was getting on. Allison wanted the place cleared up for suppertime.
She glanced at her brother. 'Couldn't you spare Ben to go with Rhea?'
'I would, but the auditors are coming in, and we both have a meeting with the accountant tomorrow. I could sort something out for later on in the day, or we could arrange something for the day after tomorrow.'
Rhea shook her head. 'Thanks, but I want to do it while Poppy's spending some time at her father's house. It will be the ideal opportunity for me. That way, I'll only have one little person tugging at my jeans pocket.' She sent a quick grin in Connor's direction. 'I'll pick him up from school and take him with me.' Glancing at Allison, she said, 'I don't know how long I'll be there—maybe an hour or so.'
Allison nodded. 'Just keep a lookout for trouble.' She went into the kitchen and started to serve up the supper, while Rhea and Nick detached Connor from his drawing and began to lay the table. 'You can help,' she heard Rhea say to Connor. 'See if you can set out the cutlery for us.'
The doorbell rang as Allison was setting out dishes of steaming vegetables and spicy hotpot on the table. Rhea went to answer it, and a moment later Taylor walked into the room.
'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb your meal,' he said, flicking his gaze over the appetising spread. He started to turn away. 'I'll come back another day.'
'No, don't do that.' Allison intervened quickly. 'Stay and have some food with us. I'll get another plate. There's plenty for everyone.'
'If you're sure?'
He looked doubtful, but Connor said on a bright note, 'It'll be all right. If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. If I leave my dinner, my mummy doesn't say anything. She just takes it away. It's only if you say yuck that she gets cross, and then she makes you try a bit.'
Taylor's mouth crinkled at the corners. 'I'll try to remember that. Never say yuck about your mother's cooking.'
They all sat down to eat just a moment or so later, and generally there was a cheerful atmosphere around the table. It was only Nick who was quiet and withdrawn, and Allison caught a sombre expression in his eyes whenever he glanced towards Taylor.
Taylor must have been well aware of Nick's restrained hostility, but he said nothing in that regard, but instead outlined the details of a property that he had found for Rhea.
'Are you still thinking about moving out of your house for good?' he asked, and Rhea nodded.
'I've been to the police, as you suggested, but they can't do anything more than slap an injunction on Steve, unless he actually physically harms me.' She kept her voice low, so that Connor wouldn't take note of what she was saying. 'The truth is, I think he's obsessed, and nothing will stop him, short of him being locked up in prison.'
'Well, in that case, you might want to take a look at the house I have in mind. It's in the same catchment area for the school, but it's also fairly close to the local police station. It isn't very big.. .there's just one double bedroom and a smaller single room, which I imagine will be just about adequate for Poppy, but the reception room is quite large, and there's a separate dining kitchen. You don't have to accept it, of course, but if you do, it will tide you over for as long as you need it.'
'When will it be ready?' She speared vegetables with her fork.
'Not for a couple of days. The decorators are working on it at the moment, but as soon as they've finished we can move you in there.'
'Oh, that's great news. Thanks, Taylor. That's good to know.' She sent Allison a quick grin. 'You'll be able to have your house to yourself again.. .and Poppy will be so excited.'
Taylor sampled the meat on his plate, and seemed to appreciate the flavour, so much so that he took another enthusiastic bite. 'Take a look at the property before you make any decisions,' he cautioned Rhea after a moment or two. 'You might not like it, and I imagine Poppy will have something to say about the place you choose.'
'I'm sure she'll love it if I'm happy with it, but thanks again.'
'Poppy isn't here,' Connor piped up in an earnest voice, looking at Taylor. He was holding a fork in his fist, gesturing with his forearm as he spoke, and the potato on the end of the prongs made a spiral journey through the air. 'She's gone to stay with her daddy.'
'Has she? That must be nice for her.' Taylor looked at him thoughtfully, as though he was studying his features, and Allison experienced a small frisson of anxiety. Would he recognise that this child was his son?
'Do you miss her when she isn't here?' Taylor asked.
Connor nodded. 'Yes, I do, because we play Mums and Dads together.' He put down his fork and frowned, his mouth jutting in a belligerent fashion. 'I don't see why she has a daddy and I don't. The children at school have daddies.'
'Do they? All of them?'
Allison caught her breath. This was the first time that Connor had expressed his feelings in this way, and she couldn't help but feel anxious about what was going on in his head.
Connor mused on that. 'Well, mostly they do.' He screwed up his eyes and bunched up his knees, so that his feet were on the seat of his chair. 'I want a daddy, because I want to play at fighting and go motorbike racing and a daddy would buy me a big yellow racing car what I can sit in.' He glowered at Allison. 'Mummy won't buy me one. She says I have to wait and see what Santa brings me, and that's not going to be for a long time, is it? Not for ages.' He spread his arms wide as though to demonstrate the enormity of that expanse of time.
'Well, I can see how that might be a problem,' Taylor said, tilting his head on one side and looking closely at Connor. 'Boys need their cars, don't they?'
'Yes, they do.' Connor's head nodded vigorously.
Taylor sent a fleeting glance in Allison's direction, and then turned his attention back to her little boy. 'I know it seems like a long while, but you might not have to wait until Christmas time to be able to enjoy yourself. There are some places where you can go and ride on the play equipment, just like you do sometimes at school, perhaps—there may not be a yellow car, but I know a farm where you can ride on pedal tractors. That might be a lot more exciting than just sitting in a car.'
Connor's eyes widened. 'Tractors?' he said, his interest tweaked. Then he asked, 'Can you ride on real tractors?'
Taylor nodded. 'You might be able to sit on one, as long as it's not moving, but I know they do trailer rides, where the tractor pulls you along.'
Connor looked at him curiously. 'How do you know?'
'My sister has two little boys, Adam and Josh—they're a bit older t
han you, but she takes them out to visit a farm sometimes, and they really like it there. There are lots of animals to see, and there's an adventure playground where they can climb on things. They have a lot of fun when they go there.'
'Do they? Will you take me there?'
Taylor's mouth stayed open for a second or two as he realised what he had just walked into. 'I, um.. .1 think that would depend on what your mother has to say about it.'
'She won't mind. She lets me go places with Rhea.' Connor looked at Allison. 'Can I go, Mum?'
Allison gave it some thought. 'We'll see. If I get the weekend off work and the weather is fine, I might take you.'
'But I want to go with him.' Connor waved a hand in Taylor's direction.
Taylor smiled wryly. 'What about your mother? What will she do if you go to the farm with me?'
'Oh, that's all right. She can come, as well.'
Taylor chuckled, and Allison tried to hide a smile. 'Well, I'm glad about that,' she told Connor. 'I thought perhaps you were going to leave me at home.'
'Nah.. .1 wouldn't do that,' Connor said. 'Can I go and play with my toys now?'
'If you've finished eating, yes.'
Connor slid down from the table and went to rummage through his toy box.
Rhea almost choked on her coffee. She was trying not to laugh, and Nick slapped her on the back in order to help her recover. When she had finished spluttering, she said, 'Well, Taylor, that will teach you not to put ideas into Connor's head. You might not have promised to take him but he'll keep on reminding you from time to time. He never forgets anything.'
'I'm beginning to realise that,' Taylor said. 'I can see I shall have to watch my step from now on.'
They sat and talked for a while longer, but then Nick excused himself, saying, 'I'd better go. I have to prepare for the auditors tomorrow.'
'Are you expecting things to go well?' Taylor asked.
Nick hesitated. 'We've nothing to hide, and as far as I know everything is in order. It's taken us a long while to get back on our feet, but I think we're getting there at last.' He didn't exactly say that Taylor had been to blame for what had happened in the past, but his eyes were dark, his expression bleak, and Allison was sure that Taylor received the message loud and clear.
'So you're not expecting a rerun of the problems you had before?'
Nick's eyes narrowed. 'No, we aren't.'
Allison knew what he was thinking. Although he had never said anything before this, Taylor must have known all along that the company had been the subject of a police investigation in the past. Did he know the full extent of it, that it had involved a problem with identity theft and fraudulent dealings? No evidence of their involvement had been put forward, and that had been why they had been able to start up again in business. Was it possible that he thought her brother had been responsible? Or maybe he blamed Ben?
She felt awkward about the tension between the two men, but she didn't know what she could do to make things right. One was her brother and the other her boss, the father of her child, and she was caught between the two of them.
'You've always had a good product,' Taylor remarked. 'There was never anything wrong with your designs or your workmanship. I hope things turn out all right for you.'
'Thank you.' Nick's mouth was set in a straight line. He went and said goodbye to Rhea and made his way to the door.
'I'll see you out,' Allison murmured, going with him.
When they were alone, she said softly, 'I know it must have been awkward for you, having Taylor stay for dinner with us. I could hardly turn him away, though, could I, especially when he's helping Rhea?'
'I know. I understand.' Nick gave her a long look. 'I'm not the only one who has a problem with Taylor, though, am I? You haven't told him that he's Connor's father, have you?'
She shook her head. 'I can't bring myself to do it. For one thing, I don't know how long he's going to be staying around.'
'But you heard what Connor had to say. Sooner or later, he's going to start asking deeper, more searching questions about why he doesn't have a father. What are you going to tell him then?'
'I don't know.' She made a face. 'All I know is that I don't want him to be hurt. I don't want him to get to know his father and then have him move away, out of his life.'
'Taylor wouldn't necessarily have to get to know him or be part of his day-to-day life. Perhaps it would be enough for him to simply acknowledge that he had a son and make some sort of financial contribution to his welfare.'
'I doubt that he would see things that way. He would probably feel obliged to do more than just acknowledge him, but it wouldn't work out for any of us that way. Connor would grow up feeling resentful, and Taylor would feel trapped. He doesn't want children in his life. He said so. I'm sure he would be alarmed to discover that he had a child.'
'He might have changed his mind on that score. He seemed to be getting on well enough with Connor back there.' Nick jerked his head in the direction of the sitting room.
'I don't think a brief encounter qualifies as groundwork for parenting. He hasn't changed that much. You should see his apartment. It's pristine, untouched, and not at all the kind of place where you would want children to wander about unfettered. I know that he looked after his nephews recently, but he went to his sister's house to do that, and I don't think he was at all comfortable taking on the responsibility.'
Nick squeezed her arm. 'You know that I'll support you, whatever you decide to do. I'd just prefer it if Taylor and I don't have to meet too often.'
Allison waved him goodbye a short time later and went back into the living room. Rhea was clearing away the supper dishes, and Taylor was sitting with Connor, looking through his sketchbook and admiring the various squiggles that covered each page. He seemed to be faintly bemused by the experience, and Allison took pity on him and went to rescue him.
'He doesn't know what that is,' Connor said, waving a page in front of her nose. A pencilled picture showed a vaguely rectangular shape that had several lines crossing through it. 'I told him it's a lorry.'
'Well, of course it is,' Allison agreed. She pointed with a finger. 'There's the cab with the window, and there's the driver at the front, see?' She looked at Taylor, shaking her head, sharing her son's incredulity. 'Anyone can see that it's a lorry.'
Taylor's brows rose. 'Ah, yes, of course it is. I see it now.' He smiled at the boy. 'I have to go now, Connor. I need to get on with a few things back at my apartment. Perhaps I'll see you again?'
Connor nodded. 'Bye.'
Taylor stood up and went with Allison to the door. 'There were no wheels,' he said in an undertone. 'How did you know what it was?'
'He was looking at pictures of lorries before he drew it. You have to use guesswork, or maybe ask a few subtle questions.' She sent him a quick grin. 'Never mind, you'll get the hang of it one day.'
He grimaced. 'I don't think so. Perhaps I'll pass on that one.' He glanced at her. 'Thanks for giving me supper. It was delicious... It seems as though it's a long time since I sat down to enjoy home cooking.' His gaze moved over her, and he looked as though he might have said more, but then he braced himself and said, 'I should go.'
Allison showed him out, watching him get into his car and take off down the road. She felt sad inside, because that was the crux of the matter really, wasn't it? He didn't want to get involved in the intricacies of being a parent, and in the end he would always be able to simply drive away.
She met up with him the next day in A and E, but there was little time to talk, because they were kept busy dealing with casualties from a road accident.
In a separate incident, later on in the afternoon, a woman in her fifties was brought in by ambulance after being involved in a car crash. Taylor was trying to fathom the extent of her injuries.
'She swerved to avoid an oncoming car,' he told Allison, 'and then she smashed into a tree at the side of the road. Her seat belt appears to have saved her from any major harm, but there's a
lot of bruising and she's very shocked and distressed. Apart from cuts and grazes caused by broken glass, I can't see any external injuries. Something's wrong, though. She's complaining of abdominal pain, which must be pretty severe, judging by her response to my examination and by the way she feels the need to lie very still. Since she was brought in here she's been vomiting.'
'Her blood pressure is very low,' Allison said, 'and her temperature is rising. Do you want to do blood tests and an X-ray?'
'Yes, that would be a good idea.' He seemed faintly distracted, his gaze flicking to the corridor beyond the main floor of the A and E department. 'Would you mind taking over here for a moment?'
'No, that's OK.' She studied him briefly, wondering what might be causing his preoccupation. It wasn't at all like him to be like this. She didn't query it, though, and as he hurried away she set about organising the lab tests.
When the woman came back from X-Ray, Allison studied the films and saw that they showed an area of free gas under the diaphragm. From the level of pain that the woman had to endure, she suspected that a CT scan would show a leakage of substances into the peritoneum.
'Mrs Walker, I'm going to give you morphine for the pain,' she murmured, 'and I'm going to add cyclizine, to stop you from being sick. Once you're feeling a little easier, perhaps we can talk and you can fill me in on some background details.'
Sarah came to assist after a while, and Allison put in a nasogastric tube. 'We'll give her saline, and I'm going to prepare an injection of antibiotics, cefuroxime and metronidazole. I want to send her for a CT scan, and then I think we need to ask for a surgeon to come down and take a look at her, so I'll go and organise all that now. Keep her on oxygen via a mask, will you, while I go and have a word with Taylor?'
'I will.'
Allison went in search of Taylor a few minutes later, and found him in the doctors' rest room. He wasn't alone. Two young boys, aged around six or seven, were there with him, one of them busily checking out all the cupboards in the room, while the other was applying a bandage to Taylor's ankle. That might not have been a problem, except that he was winding it around the leg of the chair near to where Taylor was standing.