Leanne released a blissful sigh and crushed the T-shirt to her chest. ‘Oh, Chrissie, it was fantastic. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel after all this time, but Jake was really gentle, and he didn’t try to rush me at all. It never felt as good as that with Dean,’ she went on. ‘Or anyone else, come to think of it. It was just . . . amazing.’
‘Well, who’d’a thunk it?’ Chrissie chuckled. ‘No wonder he looked so pleased with himself just now. He must think all his Christmases have come at once.’
‘He’s not the only one,’ Leanne admitted. ‘I know it’s fast and you probably think I’m an idiot, but I really like him.’
‘I don’t think you’re an idiot at all,’ Chrissie said softly. ‘This is the happiest I’ve seen you in ages, and if that’s his doing, good on him.’
‘Does this mean we’ve got your blessing?’
‘I wouldn’t go quite that far,’ Chrissie grunted. ‘But he’ll do for now, I suppose.’
Grinning, because that was the closest thing to the royal seal of approval in Chrissie-speak, Leanne said, ‘Glad you think so, ’cos he asked me to marry him.’
‘Say what?’ Chrissie snapped her head up and peered at her through slitted eyes.
‘I’m joking!’ Leanne laughed. ‘God, you’re so easy.’
‘Very funny,’ Chrissie drawled, snatching the screwed up T-shirt out of her hand. ‘If you’re not going to help, go and put the kettle on. Some of us have got better things to do than sit around playing the fool.’
Doing as she’d been told, Leanne made a brew and then set about clearing up the broken glass and picking up the CDs and books while Chrissie dealt with the clothes. Chatting as they worked, she told Chrissie about Jake’s fake proposal at the restaurant, and the rose seller’s whispered warning.
‘What do you think she meant by it?’ Chrissie asked.
‘No idea.’ Leanne shrugged. ‘But Jake thinks it probably had something to do with those muggings.’
‘Maybe,’ Chrissie mused, reaching into her handbag for her phone when it started ringing. ‘All right, Mum. What’s up?’ Frowning as she listened to what her mum had to say, she said, ‘Okay, I’ll be there in five.’
‘What’s wrong?’ Leanne asked when Chrissie cut the call and stood up. ‘Is your mum okay?’
‘I don’t know.’ Chrissie reached for her coat and quickly pulled it on. ‘The doctor’s just been round to see her, and he’s sending her to hospital for some tests. But our Tina’s gone AWOL, so I’ve got to look after Dylan.’
‘Oh, no. I hope everything’s all right.’
‘Me too,’ Chrissie replied worriedly. ‘I keep telling her she’s overdoing it, but she won’t listen. If anything happens to her, I’ll swing for our flaming Tina.’
‘Nothing’s going to happen,’ Leanne said firmly. ‘She’s probably just a bit run-down.’
Chrissie nodded and looped her handbag over her shoulder. ‘Hope so. Will you be okay on your own?’
‘Course I will,’ Leanne insisted, herding her out. ‘Jake will be back soon, so stop worrying about me and go see to Dylan.’
When they reached the landing, Chrissie gave her a quick hug and promised to come back as soon as she could, then hurried down the stairs.
Going inside, Leanne took the bread knife out of the kitchen drawer before heading into the bedroom. She’d said she would be all right on her own, but it was a lie, and the silence her friend had left behind was already settling over her like a dead weight. Terrified that the burglar might return to finish what he’d started, and acutely aware that Speedy probably wanted to kill her for almost getting thrown over the banister, she cleaned up the rest of the mess as best she could, and then sat down on the armchair facing the door.
And there she stayed for the rest of the day; knife in hand, heart in throat.
*
Jake wasn’t impressed to find the front door standing open again when he arrived at Leanne’s at eight that evening. But he was even less impressed when he rushed up to the bedsit and found Leanne sitting in the pitch-dark with a knife in her hand.
‘What’s going on?’ he asked, switching the light on and going over to her. ‘Has something happened?’
‘No, nothing’s happened,’ she assured him, shaking with relief to see him. ‘I was just a bit nervous about the door being broken.’
‘Where’s Chrissie?’ Jake asked as he removed the knife from her grasp and laid it on the table. ‘I thought she was supposed to be staying with you?’
‘Her mum got sent into hospital, so she had to go home to look after her sister’s baby.’
‘Why didn’t you ring me? I’d have sent Ben round if I’d known she was going to abandon you.’
‘She didn’t abandon me, and I was fine, so there was no need to bother you,’ Leanne lied. ‘Anyway, you’re here now, so I’ll put the kettle on. What do you fancy – tea or coffee?’
‘Neither.’ Jake stood up and reached into his pocket for the lock he’d bought on the way over. ‘Soon as I’ve fixed your door, we’re leaving.’
*
In the car ten minutes later, Leanne took out her phone to let Chrissie know what was happening, just in case she was on her way back.
‘Something wrong?’ Jake asked when she let out a little groan.
‘I’ve had a message from my mum,’ she told him. ‘I arranged to go round for dinner on Sunday, and she’s reminding me to bring a card, ’cos it’s my dad’s birthday on Tuesday. I’d best tell her something’s come up and I can’t make it. Unless . . .’ She paused and gazed at Jake thoughtfully. ‘I don’t suppose you fancy coming with me, do you? Only it’s been a while since I saw them, so I should probably make the effort.’
‘I’d love to,’ Jake agreed.
‘Really?’ Leanne was delighted. ‘Great, I’ll let her know. Oh, but I’d best warn you that my dad might be a bit funny with you. It’s not personal; he’s just a bit protective after all that stuff I went through with Dean.’
‘I don’t blame him,’ said Jake. ‘If I had a daughter and some idiot treated her like that, I’d vet every lad who came within a mile of her for the rest of her life.’
Leanne smiled to herself as he drove on. Her mum would love Jake on sight, she was sure. And her dad, as wary as he would undoubtedly be to start with, would soon warm to him once he realized that Jake was nothing like her scumbag ex.
‘Have you eaten yet?’ Jake asked as he drove on. ‘I haven’t stopped all day, and I’m starving, so how about we drop your stuff off then go and grab a bite? There’s a nice Italian place near mine. Or we could go Chinese, if you prefer?’
‘Don’t you ever eat at home?’ Leanne asked.
‘No,’ Jake replied simply. ‘I’m too busy.’
‘Too lazy, more like,’ Leanne teased. ‘You must spend a fortune, eating out all the time.’
‘What’s money for if not to enjoy life?’ Jake grinned.
‘Well, I think it’s scandalous,’ Leanne said bossily. ‘Stop at a shop and pick up some stuff; I’m cooking for you tonight.’
‘Are you any good?’ Jake asked doubtfully.
‘Probably not up to the standards you’re used to,’ Leanne admitted. ‘But I do a mean spag bol, even if I do say so myself.’
‘Great.’ Jake sighed as if he were thoroughly underwhelmed by the idea. Grinning when she gave him a mock-offended look, he said, ‘I’m joking. I can’t wait to taste your . . . food.’
Shivering when he gave her a sexy wink which told her that the food wasn’t the only thing he intended to taste tonight, Leanne typed a quick reply to her mum, letting her know that she’d need to set an extra place for dinner on Sunday. After sending that message, and another to Chrissie, telling her that she’d be away for the weekend, Leanne switched the phone off and slipped it into her bag. Her troubles weren’t going to disappear overnight, and she would definitely have to start looking for another place to live come Monday. But, for now, she just wanted to forget about the rest of the
world and concentrate on enjoying some alone-time with Jake.
9
When Sunday afternoon came around, Brenda Riley stationed herself behind the net curtains at the living room window. She’d been there for a good fifteen minutes when a flashy car pulled up at her gate, and she craned her neck when the driver’s-side door opened, impatient to see the mystery guest her daughter had said she would be bringing.
‘I knew it!’ she exclaimed when a handsome young man stepped out and walked around to open the passenger-side door. ‘Norman, I was right; it is a man.’ She flapped her hand at her husband, who was sitting behind her, studying the racing pages of his newspaper. ‘Go and let them in while I fix my hair.’
‘Don’t go making a fuss of him,’ Norman grunted, slapping the paper down on the arm of the couch and turning his wheelchair towards the door. ‘He’ll be another chancer like the last one, knowing her luck.’
‘His car’s a lot nicer,’ Brenda said, as if that made him a worthier mate for their girl than Dean had turned out to be. ‘And he opened her door for her, so he’s obviously got good manners.’
‘They all put on a show at the start,’ Norman reminded her. ‘But I’ll get his measure soon enough. And if he’s anything like the other bugger, he’ll be going straight back out of here with my foot up his arse.’
Too busy checking her reflection in the mirror hanging over the fire to be bothered reminding her husband that his legs didn’t work so his feet wouldn’t be going near anyone’s arse, Brenda shooed him on his way. It had taken her daughter a long time to get over what her ex had done to her, and Brenda had begun to fear that she might never trust anyone enough to risk starting a new relationship. Leanne was a stunningly beautiful young woman, but time wasn’t on her side if she was ever going to settle down and start a family, so Brenda had been delighted to think there might be a new man on the scene. She just hoped that Norman wasn’t going to give him too hard a time of it and send him running for the hills before they’d had a chance to get to know him properly.
Outside, Leanne was thinking pretty much the same thing as she and Jake walked up the path. Her father was sitting in the doorway, and from the guarded look on his face she instinctively knew that he wasn’t going to give Jake an easy ride.
‘Hi, Dad.’ She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek when they reached him. ‘This is Jake.’
‘Nice to meet you, Mr Riley.’ Jake extended his hand.
Ignoring it, Norman swivelled his chair around and wheeled himself into the living room just as his wife came bustling out.
‘It’s so lovely to see you,’ Brenda gushed, pulling Leanne into a quick hug. ‘We’ve missed you.’
‘I’ve missed you, too,’ said Leanne. Then, stepping back, she said, ‘This is Jake. Jake, this is my mum, Brenda.’
Brenda gave him a beaming smile as she shook his hand. ‘Come on in and make yourself comfortable, love. Dinner’s almost ready. Hope you brought your appetites with you.’
Grinning when her mother went through to the kitchen after closing the front door, Leanne reached for Jake’s hand and led him into the living room.
Norman had positioned himself in front of the window, and the sunshine pouring in behind his head made it impossible for Leanne to see the expression on his face when they entered the room.
‘Why don’t you go and give your mother a hand?’ he said as she and Jake made to sit on the sofa.
Aware that he was ordering her out so that he could interrogate Jake, Leanne gave Jake a reassuring smile, and whispered, ‘Don’t worry, I won’t be long.’
When she’d gone, Norman folded his hands in his lap and nodded for Jake to take a seat.
‘So what’s the score?’ he asked when Jake perched on the edge of the sofa and rested his elbows on his knees. ‘Are you and my girl seeing each other?’
‘Yes, sir, we are.’ Jake nodded. ‘But I know she had a difficult time with her last boyfriend, so we’re taking it slowly. She’s very special.’
‘You don’t have to tell me that,’ Norman grunted, unimpressed by the younger man’s overly polite tone. ‘She’s worth a million of the last bastard. But while I’ve got you to myself, I’ll tell you what I told him,’ he went on, lowering his voice in case the women were earwigging. ‘I might look like a decrepit old cripple, but I can still knock seven bells out of any man who tries to mess her around. You got that?’
Taking in the man’s muscular tattooed arms and huge fists, and guessing that he must have been a bruiser in his youth – and was probably still more than capable of packing a mighty punch – Jake said, ‘You don’t have to worry, Mr Riley. I’ve known Leanne for a long time, and I care about her very deeply. Her ex was a fool for disrespecting her, but I would never do anything to hurt her.’
‘Fool doesn’t even come close to what I think of that prick,’ Norman snarled. ‘And if I ever catch him on the street, I’ll . . .’ He left the rest of the sentence hanging and took a long slow breath before sinking back in his chair. ‘Okay, we’ll say no more about it for now. If she’s happy, I’ll be happy. Just make sure it stays that way.’
‘I will,’ Jake promised, relieved that he seemed to have passed the test.
Leanne walked in at that moment, carrying two glasses of lager. Smiling when she saw that the men weren’t beating their chests, she handed them each a glass and sat down next to Jake.
‘The card,’ Jake reminded her quietly.
‘Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot.’ Leanne reached into her handbag and took out an envelope. ‘Happy birthday, Dad.’
Norman took a swig of his drink and wiped the froth off his mouth with the back of his hand before reaching for it.
‘I know it’s not till Tuesday,’ Leanne said, watching as he ripped the seal, ‘but I thought I’d best give it to you now, in case I don’t see you on the actual day.’
Norman frowned when a second, smaller envelope fell on to his lap. ‘What’s this?’
‘Open it and see.’ Leanne grinned.
Frown deepening when he pulled a Manchester United season ticket out of the envelope, Norman said, ‘Thanks, love, it’s a lovely thought. But you can’t afford this. Take it back and get a refund. The card’s enough for me.’
‘Jake got it, not me,’ Leanne told him.
‘I got it really cheap,’ Jake said quickly, sensing that Norman, like his daughter, was probably too proud to accept big gestures. ‘I know someone who works at the club.’
‘Thanks, son; much appreciated.’ Norman slotted the ticket back into the envelope and laid it down on the windowsill before picking up his lager. ‘How’s Mum getting on in there?’ he asked Leanne after taking a swig.
‘She’s flapping,’ Leanne told him quietly. ‘She must think she’s feeding the five thousand, judging by the amount of veg she’s done. And what’s with all that meat?’
‘Don’t ask me.’ Norman shook his head in despair. ‘I told her not to overdo it, but it’s like talking to a brick wall. I open my gob, she slams a brick in it to shut me up.’
‘He’s joking about the brick,’ Leanne said to Jake. ‘But he’s right about her not listening. The kitchen’s her domain, and God help anyone who dares to question what she does in there. Still, she’s a great cook, so we can’t complain, can we, Dad?’
‘You’re not wrong there, love.’ Norman reached for the TV remote and switched the set on.
‘How come you can’t cook if your mum’s so good?’ Jake asked quietly.
‘Hey, I’m not that bad,’ Leanne protested. ‘And I didn’t hear you complaining about my spag bol last night.’
‘I didn’t want to offend you.’
‘You’re a braver man than me if you ate the muck she dishes up,’ Norman muttered as he flipped through the channels.
‘Dad!’ Leanne gasped.
‘Sorry, love, but it’s true.’ He was unrepentant. ‘You might take after your mum in the looks department, but you definitely missed out on the cooking gene. And there’s
no point denying it, ’cos it sounds like the lad’s already found that out for himself.’
‘Don’t you dare agree,’ Leanne warned Jake, delighted that her dad had included him in the joke, because he’d have completely blanked him if he didn’t like him.
‘Wouldn’t dream of it.’ Jake grinned.
Brenda popped her head around the door. ‘I’m ready to serve, if you’d like to come through and take your seats.’
‘Why can’t we eat off our knees like normal?’ Norman grumbled, reluctant to miss the horse racing he’d just tuned into.
‘Because it’s common.’ Brenda flashed him a warning look. ‘Now come along before it goes cold.’
Muttering, ‘Drop the posh voice and I might think about it,’ when his wife withdrew her head, Norman raised his eyes at Leanne and Jake. ‘Come on, you two; best not keep her ladyship waiting.’
‘Are they always like this?’ Jake whispered as he and Leanne followed her father out of the room.
‘Always,’ she whispered back. ‘Doing well for almost forty years together, aren’t they?’
‘They certainly are,’ Jake agreed, winking at her as he quietly added: ‘Hope we’re like that when we’ve been together as long.’
Leanne couldn’t keep the smile off her face as they took their seats at the cramped kitchen table.
And it was still there when the visit was over a couple of hours later and she climbed back into the car.
‘Well, that went better than I expected,’ she said, turning to wave goodbye to her parents, who had both come out on to the step to see them off. ‘I think they really liked you.’
‘You reckon?’ Jake gave a doubtful smile as they set off. ‘Your dad looked like he wanted to lamp me one, and I thought your mum was trying to kill me with all that food.’
‘I know, bless her.’ Leanne laughed. ‘I’d probably be twenty stone by now if I was still living at home. I just hope you meant it when you said the lamb was delicious, because we’ll be eating it for a week, the amount she put in that doggy bag.’
‘Save me having to eat any more of your burnt offerings.’
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