She threw caution to the wind and embraced the soaked man in front of her; knowing that he would not read into the gesture after all. He returned her embrace, this time without awkwardness.
Deep inside Greg surged an unwelcomed emotion, which felt a little bit like sadness….
“Mallory, sweetheart. How lovely to see you.” Renee helped her off with her wet coat and embraced her warmly.
Cara came to join in the hug as Ryan bounced baby Dylan around on his hip, smiling.
“It’s great to see you all too. I had no idea you were coming. It was such a wonderful surprise.”
“Well, we knew it was your thirtieth birthday and wanted to come over to celebrate with you, but didn’t want to intrude. Anyway, when we received Greg’s call we accepted his invitation without giving it a moment’s thought.”
So it was true, Greg had done all the inviting. So sweet. Mallory smiled to herself.
“He is quite the character isn’t he?” Renee stated rather than questioned, smiling at Mallory.
“Yes he is a good friend. He has been so helpful since I moved here.” Mallory wanted Renee to understand that friendship is all it was.
“Yes, he seems to care a lot about you which is so reassuring, especially knowing that everyone else you care about is so far away. It must be good to know he is there for you.” Renee hugged her again.
Ryan stood. “I’m going to go and put Dylan down for his nap and then we can all catch up properly.” He walked through the large one story building toward the bedrooms.
“Tea, Mallory? And perhaps a slice of this delicious carrot cake that the owners of the cottage left for our arrival?”
Mallory smiled. She hadn’t realised that Colin and Christine owned the cottage, but the signature carrot cake made the fact apparent.
“Oh yum. Yes please,” Mallory accepted enthusiastically. Renee disappeared into the kitchen.
Fiddling with the hem of her top Cara touched Mallory’s arm. “Mallory, can I speak to you in confidence?”
Mallory placed her hand over Cara’s. “Yes Cara, course you can. What’s up?”
“Renee and I have been chatting about you lately. We are both a little worried.”
“Worried? Why?” Mallory didn’t quite understand.
“Well, Renee is concerned that you feel you will never be able to move on. You know, meet someone new?”
Mallory suddenly wanted to make a quick exit and looked to the door. She couldn’t have this conversation. Not with Sam’s family. Not now. Cara didn’t stop there. “Renee wants you to feel able to fall in love again someday. She’s terrified that you’ll feel you’re betraying Sam or the family if you do fall in love. But that’s not the case.”
They heard Dylan crying and Renee came into the room with a tray full of tea and cake. The two young women looked as if they had been caught with their fingers in the cookie jar.
“Giiirls? What are you talking about? Come on now. Don’t stop just because the old lady walks in.” Renee looked saddened.
Cara cringed a little. “Mom, I was just telling Mallory what we had been saying about her recently.”
“Ah, I see.” Renee blushed under her beautifully done, natural, photo-shoot quality make-up. “I didn’t want to interfere, Mallory, dear, but I think you should know that when the time comes, as long as you’re happy and the man who wins your heart treats you well, you’ll have the whole families blessing, darling.”
Why was everyone so intent on matching her up and making her move on? She felt annoyed, but did her best to soften her tone as she spoke, “Renee, how can I think of moving on when I’m still in love with your son? It’s only been two months or so since he…since…it’s too soon to even be thinking like that.” Mallory looked pleadingly at the Mother figure that she held in such high regard.
“That may be, honey, but we still wanted you to know how we felt, sooner rather than later. We’d hate to think of you falling in love and dreading telling us. You’re so young. Too young to spend your life in mourning for what you lost. You owe it to Sam to go and be happy. That’s all he ever wanted for you.” Renee was right and it was good to know, but it was knowledge that she would fasten away in a little box in the depths of her mind with a sign on it saying ‘In emergency break glass.’
Mallory had tea and cake with the Buchanan family and then left with Ruby. The rain had eased and Mallory was glad to be going home. She needed to apologise to Josie for her stern nature and to tell her that everything was okay with her and Greg.
When she arrived home she gave Josie a blow by blow account of her conversation with Greg. Josie listened avidly. But she still had a look of concern on her face.
Josie scrunched her face. “Why is he so hung up on the age thing?” she asked. “It’s seven or eight years. You’re both adults. Age is not an issue.”
Mallory felt frustrated at this response. “That’s all you got from everything I just said?”
Josie blushed. “Well, I’m just saying. Age doesn’t matter.”
“No, Josie, age doesn’t matter but love does! I don’t LOVE Greg! I LOVE Sam! And I’m sick of people telling me that it’s okay to move on when it isn’t! Even if I loved Greg it would be too soon. When will you lot get that through your thick skulls?” Mallory’s risen voice and her outburst expressed her frustration at the whole situation. She stormed up to her room and slammed the door.
For the first time ever, she actually wanted to be alone. She wanted everyone to go and just leave her be. She sobbed into her pillow for a while.
She awoke to gentle knocking on her bedroom door. She must have cried herself to sleep. She sat upright and croakily called, “Come in.”
Josie sheepishly walked into the room. She hesitated and then shook her head. Walking toward her she sat on the edge of the bed.
She rubbed Mallory’s arm. “Hey, you.” She smiled. “Are you okay?” Her expression was filled with concern. Mallory’s heart twinged.
“I’m as well as can be expected given the circumstances.”
Josie nodded. “Well, Brad and I have packed our things; we’ll head home after dinner. Brad has made us a curry. It smells yum.” She encouraged Mallory to smile.
Mallory sighed. “Josie you don’t have to go tonight, that’s silly. You were supposed to go tomorrow. I’m sorry for being so grumpy.”
Josie squeezed Mallory’s hand. “No, no, it’s fine. I shouldn’t have interfered. I’m just worried about you getting hurt. You’re my best friend in the world and we’ve been through so much. I just don’t feel like I can help you with all this and it gets to me.”
“I know you only mean well. I just feel like everyone is forgetting about Sam and that gets to me.” Mallory explained.
“Lovey, no one is forgetting Sam, not at all. We all know how special he was and how happy he made you. But we just don’t want you to give up on loving someone in the future.”
“Well, that has to be in my own time. I have to decide when that’s going to happen.”
“Yes, you’re right. Give me a hug and come and eat.”
The two friends had made their peace and the curry was enticing them downstairs.
The curry was delicious. They chatted over the meal. Brad and Josie had decided to set off home after dinner, meaning they could travel home at night when the roads were quieter and they could both then work on Monday.
The friends said their goodbyes and exchanged bear hugs. Mallory waved them off, feeling a little guilty for their early departure.
On Monday morning, she received a visit from Renee and Cara. Ryan had taken Dylan for a walk. They both looked distracted. Mallory made tea and placed the tray on her beautiful gnarled wood coffee table. Renee and Cara were whispering when she walked in.
“What’s going on with you two?” Mallory was intrigued. They both grinned like Cheshire cats.
“Well, we have something for you.” Renee clapped her hands together like a teenage girl. It made Mallory giggle.
> “Okay, what is it?” Mallory’s excitement mounted. She had already received some lovely gifts of perfume, a beautiful scarf and a beautiful white gold bracelet. What more could they have to give her?
“Well, we figured that maybe you wouldn’t get around to booking a holiday this year…” Cara began, she looked at Renee. Gesturing for her to continue the story,
“Sooo, we got you this.” Renee handed her a long thin envelope.
Mallory opened it and removed the contents. She inhaled sharply and clasped a hand over her mouth. “You got me a ticket to come to Canada?” Her eyes were wide and her heart was pounding. This was too much. “I can’t accept this, you’ve already bought me my birthday gifts…I don’t—”
“Oh stop! You can and you will accept it. We discussed it with Stella and she has happily agreed that a holiday would be good for you. Greg has agreed to take Ruby for a few weeks. So you’re all set.”
“Wait, what? A few weeks?” Mallory couldn’t quite comprehend this.
“Yes, Josie is fine with the shop, Ruby is sorted and the pub will be fine. You’ll come home with us on Saturday and stay for three weeks. You will return to Scotland in the middle of July. You’ll have time to go off and do your own thing but we’ll take you sightseeing too.”
Cara waved her hands around, her girly giddiness exuding from every pore. “Oh Mallory, it’ll be so much fun!” she chirped, “Let me know if you need help to pack.”
“Ah, the silly thing is I hardly have any clothes to pack. Nothing is fitting me lately.” Mallory admitted feeling rather embarrassed.
“Well, we can take you shopping when we arrive so just get yourself a few essentials.” Mallory realised that today was Monday and she was flying on Saturday so she didn’t have long to get organised.
On Tuesday morning, Mallory rose early, showered and dressed in the black trousers and paisley top that fit her. She jumped into her car and set off for Oban. She needed to get some clothes to tide her over until the ladies took her shopping in Kingston.
She went in several shops and managed to purchase some new, smaller sized jeans, some leggings, three new tops and some new underwear to better accommodate her smaller assets. She had never really enjoyed shopping, but today was different. She was going on holiday and was quite a bit smaller than last time she had shopped. This made the whole process easier. But that fact in itself angered her. Why don’t more shops cater for curvy girls? Instead of presuming we want to wear gaudy tents!
She arrived home after six that evening with bags full of new things, feeling quite pleased with herself. Greg was walking down her road toward her. He was wearing his combats, boots and a black fitted tee. She had never really noticed his physique, but she could see through his T-shirt that he was very toned. She broke her eyes away from his abdomen feeling guilty.
“Hi, Matey. You seem to have been busy today.” He gestured to the bags she was piling up at the side of the car as she removed them from the boot.
“Yes I have. I think I’ve bought most of Oban. I only went for essentials,” she admitted cringing.
“Are they for your trip?” he asked solemnly.
“Yes they are.” She was giddy. “Oh by the way, thanks so much for agreeing to have Rubes. Her and Angus will have fun.” She smiled. “You coming in for a coffee?”
“Aye, why not as long as I can make it. You can do me a fashion show if you like.”
Mallory felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “Oh I don’t think that’s necessary. You’d be bored. I only got jeans and tops. Apart from one dress that I couldn’t resist.” Mallory took her bags into the house.
Greg followed close behind her. “Tell you what, you go put that lot somewhere and try your dress on. Maybe you need a second opinion, eh? I’ll make the coffee. Your coffees not as good as mine anyway,” he teased.
“Cheeky. Okay, if you’re sure.” She picked up the bags again.
“Oh I’m positive; it’s probably the worst coffee I’ve tasted.”
Mallory smirked but feigned annoyance. “I meant about the dress you cheeky sod.” She stuck out her tongue at him and carried on up the stairs. She dropped her bags on her bedroom floor and pulled out the dress that she had simply fallen in love with. Sam would’ve loved it; except he would’ve wanted her to be curvier, maybe.
She stripped down to her underwear and slid into the dress. It was red and clingy. It had a slash neck and a very low back. She’d had to buy a special bra to wear with it. It fit like a glove and clung in all the right places. She wasn’t sure where she was going to wear it, but she loved how it felt. She slipped on the black strappy sandals she had bought to go with it. She unfastened and fluffed up her hair and made her way down the stairs.
When downstairs she announced her arrival with a loud “Ta daaaaaa!” Greg turned to look at her. He didn’t speak. He just stared and swallowed hard.
Mallory’s shoulders hunched. “Oh God, I look ridiculous don’t I? I knew I shouldn’t have shopped alone. I always make stupid decisions.” Her hands came around to cover her body as her self-consciousness took over.
Greg cleared his throat. “Ah, no, no… ah…Mallory …you look…I mean…you’re...um…wow.”
“Is that good wow or wow I can’t believe you were so stupid?”
Greg blinked quickly. “Erm, I’d say it’s a good wow…definitely good.” He began walking toward the door. “Anyway, I should go. I’ve remembered I need to…ah…goodnight.” He walked out of the door and slammed it behind him.
“What the—? What just happened?” she asked Ruby, who simply wagged her tail. She went upstairs, removed the offending dress and pulled on her jeans, a clean sweater and her boots. She decided she was going over to Greg’s to confront him about what just happened. Had she offended him with her choice of attire? Did she scare him away with her flab? What the hell?
She drove over to Greg’s house and knocked on the door. There was no answer. What was wrong with this guy? She would have to wait until tonight when they were both starting work at half seven. It was close to seven now and she would just go straight to the pub. She drove back home, left her car and walked over to work.
Greg was already there, sitting at the bar with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked upset.
“What the hell happened to you back there?” she demanded.
“Mallory, not now, okay?” He waved her away with his hand.
“Yes, now. What did I do?”
“Oh yes, coz the world revolves around you now doesn’t it, eh?” he snapped.
“That’s unfair, Greg. All I want to do is understand? You said I should show you the dress, so I did. Then you went all Weirdsville and buggered off.” He didn’t speak. She held her hands up in defeat, “Okay, have it your way. I will just keep out of your way tonight, okay?”
“No need. I’ve got the rest of the week off so I’m taking off for a while.”
Mallory frowned, “Oh…right…what am I to do about Ruby then for my holiday? Do you know of a boarding kennel? Thanks for dumping me in the shit, Greg, really smooth.”
“Don’t fuckin’ worry, I’ll be back by Friday. God forbid I should let you down and disappoint you again, eh?”
“Oh whatever, Greg. I can take her somewhere else.”
“I said I’d have her and I will. Bring her to mine at five Friday. I’ll be there.” He stood from his stool, placed the glass with the untouched liquid back on the bar and walked out without another word.
After walking home to clear his head, Greg stuffed some clothes in his duffle bag, thankful that he hadn’t drunk any of the whiskey. He decided to leave straight away. He needed to think and to get some distance. Grabbing his small tent from the cupboard under the stairs he called Angus.
They climbed into the car. Greg was trying to make sense of the mixture of emotions he was feeling. He started the engine, turned on his CD player and cranked the volume right up to drown out the sound of the raw growling noise of the Land Rover and until 3 Libras
by A Perfect Circle was all that filled his auditory senses. He slammed his foot on the accelerator and pulled away from his house. The lyrics resonated deep within him as he drove.
Chapter Seven
Mallory didn’t see or speak to Greg at all for the rest of the week. When Friday came around she was dreading seeing him. She drove to his house with Ruby. Nervously, with more than a little trepidation she knocked on his door at five as he had instructed. The door opened, but it wasn’t Greg who answered.
“Hello, can I help you?” A woman, about the same age as Mallory, stood there in front of her. She had long black hair with blue streaks that fell, tied in bunches around her shoulders, big blue eyes lined with thick black kohl and bright red stained lips which stood out against her pale skin. She had nose and lip piercings and a tattoo on her left wrist of a series of Celtic symbols. She was Scottish, like Greg.
“Erm, is Greg here?” Mallory asked, a little bemused at the girl’s attire. She was wearing what looked like one of Greg’s T-shirts and little else.
Realisation spread across the woman’s face. “Oh yes, sorry. You must be Mallory. I’ve been hearing all about you. And this must be Ruby? Come in, he’s just upstairs.” Mallory followed her inside. “I’m Trina by the way.” She announced. Mallory didn’t much care.
Greg came down the stairs. He too was almost naked apart from his black jeans hung low on his hips. God he really was defined. She now saw that he had a tattoo stretching half way across his chest that she hadn’t seen before. His chest was very toned and muscular, with a small amount of hair scattered between his nipples. He looked good for thirty-seven. He was smiling as he went over and slid his arms around Trina’s waist.
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