by Joanna Neil
‘That sounds absolutely fine,’ he said quickly, and she tried to relax a little.
‘Oh, good. I’ve made some dips to go along with it, and I have some cheesecake for dessert.’ She was an idiot. What would she have done if he’d said no—started again with something simple, like cheese on toast? She was far too jumpy. She must calm down.
‘It should be ready any time now.’ So far, despite her anxieties, everything was going according to plan. She even allowed herself a quiet moment of satisfaction but that small oasis of peace was brutally shattered when, all of a sudden, shrill voices erupted from the living room and spilled over into the kitchen. The smile froze on her lips. What now?
‘I’m keeping it. I found it.’ It was Charlie’s voice.
‘No, you didn’t. You stole it. It’s mine. Saskia gave it to me.’ Becky marched into the room, righteous indignation bringing hot colour to her cheeks as she glared furiously at her brother.
‘What are you two arguing about?’ Saskia threaded her fingers through her hair, trying to push back her unruly curls. It was hot in the kitchen, and she was overly conscious of anything that threatened to disrupt her timetable. A ripple of alarm ran through her at this latest intrusion. Everything had to run smoothly if she was to make a good impression on Tyler—she needed to finish setting the table, add a squeeze of lime juice to the salsa, stir cheese into the rice, and take the enchiladas from the oven. What else was there to do? Her mind had suddenly gone blank.
‘He’s got my buzzy bee pencil,’ Becky complained, stormclouds brewing in her eyes.
‘It was on the floor, so now it’s mine,’ Charlie retorted. ‘If I hadn’t picked it up, Boomer would have had it.’
‘That doesn’t count. It’s mine. Give it back.’ Becky gave him a push.
Charlie shoved back hard in return and Becky’s flailing arms sent a potted plant flying through the air like a guided missile. It landed on the floor, breaking into a mess of shattered china, soil and broken fronds.
Through all this, Saskia was ultra-conscious of Tyler, who had sprung to his feet to steady Becky and was now standing by the worktop, watching everything with an air of bemused expectation.
She braced herself. ‘Enough,’ she said. ‘All this fuss is about a pencil?’ She couldn’t believe this was happening to ruin her careful preparations. What would he think of them, and of her ability to cope? ‘Where is it? Let me see.’ She held out a hand, and Charlie reluctantly passed it to her.
‘Well, if it’s going to cause all this fuss, perhaps no one should have it—for now, at any rate.’ She put it away in a cupboard, high up where neither of them could reach.
‘That’s not fair!’
‘Give it back!’
‘You can have it back after supper, Becky. For now, why don’t both of you go and see if you can fill in some more pieces to the jigsaw puzzle? You like doing that.’
Both children were scowling at her now, and she said quietly, ‘Out of the kitchen now, both of you. I’m trying to cook here.’ She felt as though she’d been parachuted into the middle of a menagerie.
She glanced at Tyler. ‘I’m sorry about all the noise,’ she said. ‘I thought I’d settled them down with colouring books and word puzzles, but it looks as though their interest has worn thin. And Charlie’s been out of sorts ever since we went over to the hospital.’
‘It looks that way, doesn’t it?’ He seemed distracted, then added in a vaguely warning tone, ‘You know, I don’t want to tell you your business, but I think I can smell something burning.’
Saskia looked at him, her whole body stiffening. In all the confusion had she missed the alert of the kitchen timer? With every minute that passed she could see her well-laid plans turning to rubble all around her.
She gave a small gasp. ‘The enchiladas...the rice.’
Becky and Charlie hadn’t moved from the spot and now they were looking on, wide-eyed as she skirted the broken plant pot to turn off the heat under the pan of rice. Then with growing trepidation she reached into the oven to slide out the hot baking trays.
It was scary how fast things could fall apart. ‘They’re burnt,’ Charlie pronounced in his usual blunt fashion, and her shoulders slumped a little.
‘Um...I don’t think they’re too bad,’ she said, a dubious note creeping into her voice.
Tyler glanced at the once perfect tortilla wraps. ‘Actually, I think it’s only the edges that are a little overdone,’ he murmured, ‘just where the sauce has stuck a bit. Shall I ease them out for you? Do you have a spatula?’
‘Uh...yes, I’ll get it for you. Thanks.’
She handed him the spatula and fetched the serving trays from the warming oven. It was bad enough that he’d been here to witness all the shouting that had been going on, but now...what must he think of her? He probably thought that if she couldn’t handle things in the kitchen, she would be hopeless in the emergency room—but it wasn’t true, that was totally different. She was good at her job and she could handle A and E as though she had been born to it...even though Michael had made life difficult for her and tried to undermine her and trip her up at every opportunity after their split.
Swiftly, she pulled herself together. ‘Charlie, go and fetch the dustpan and brush, please, and sweep up that plant. Becky, we need the guacamole and salsa to be put out on the table, and then perhaps you could go and tell Caitlin that supper’s ready.’
What had possessed her to invite Tyler here? How could he ever see her at her best in these circumstances? She wasn’t used to having children around. In her normal, everyday life she was organised, capable, efficient. Wasn’t she...most of the time?
She sagged against the cupboard, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, and gazed for a moment into space, gathering her wits.
‘How about a glass of wine?’ Tyler popped the cork on the bottle he had brought with him and hunted for glasses in the cupboards. ‘That might make you feel a bit better.’
She managed a smile. ‘Thanks. That’s a good idea.’
She swallowed the smooth, chilled wine gratefully, and then put down her glass and set to work to serve up the meal. Tyler found dinner plates warming in the oven and put them out on the table, along with a jug of orange juice for the children. Between them, they set out platters of enchiladas and tortilla chips along with a dish of hot Mexican rice and a salad bowl that she’d prepared earlier.
‘It doesn’t look bad at all,’ Tyler commented charitably, and Saskia winced.
‘Caitlin says she doesn’t want anything to eat.’ Becky came and sat down at the table, surveying all the food on display. ‘I’m starving,’ she said.
Saskia frowned. Caitlin wasn’t coming downstairs? Something was definitely not right with her. She’d not been herself for days now and she really needed to get to the root of what was wrong.
‘Are you worried about her?’ Tyler asked, watching her expression. ‘If you want to go up and have a chat with her, we’ll be fine here.’
‘Are you sure? I really feel I ought to...’ She threw him an apologetic look. ‘But, please, make a start on the food before it gets cold.’
‘Don’t worry about it. We’ll be fine.’ He looked at Becky and Charlie for agreement and they both nodded vigorously, pushing their plates forward slightly as he started to serve out the food.
Saskia hesitated, waiting as Charlie cut the singed ends from his enchilada and tentatively bit into it. He savoured it for a second or two, and then said, ‘Yeah, that’s good.’
Relieved, she hurried away to find Caitlin. It would be something of an achievement if she could persuade her to come down and try just a morsel of food, but she’d have to tread carefully. The teenager had been very touchy of late.
‘I feel a bit sick,’ Caitlin said. ‘I just want to lie down for a bit.’
‘Are you worrying about anything?’ Saskia asked, sitting down on the bed beside her, but Caitlin gave a slight, negative shake of her head and didn’t answer. ‘Did it upset you, seeing your mum and dad today?’
‘Yeah, it did a bit.’ Caitlin bit her lip. ‘They’re really ill, aren’t they? Mum looked as if she was in a lot of pain, and Dad was white as a sheet.’
‘That’s true, but they’re in the right place,’ Saskia said carefully. ‘I had a word with the nurse, and she’s going to ask the doctor to prescribe a different painkiller for your mother. They’re both being well looked after and they should start to get better from now on.’
She talked to her niece for a while, gently stroking the girl’s silky hair. ‘Are you sure you won’t come down and try some food—just a little?’
‘I’m not hungry.’
‘Okay. I’ll save some for you in case you change your mind later on.’
She went to join the others in the kitchen and found the three of them talking animatedly about the latest game that Charlie was playing on his Xbox. ‘The dragons breathe fire and you can cast spells on people,’ Charlie was saying.
Tyler smiled. ‘Wow, that sounds great.’ He looked up as Saskia came into the room and said softly, ‘How is she?’
‘Worrying about her mum and dad, I think. It’s been a difficult day for her...for us all.’
‘I miss them,’ Becky said, her eyes suddenly bright with unshed tears. ‘They looked really poorly.’
Charlie stopped eating and looked at Saskia. ‘When will they come home?’ There was a wobble in his voice. ‘I don’t like them being so far away.’
‘I know, sweetheart. I understand how you both feel.’ She looked at the children, saddened by the distress she saw written on their faces. ‘I’m not sure yet when they’ll be home, but they’re getting stronger every day, and that’s good, isn’t it? I know you miss them. It’s hard, having to get used to what’s happened, but we’ll look after each other, and together we’ll get through this the best way we can.’
They were still clearly upset, and Saskia searched for some way to steer them away from this downhill path.
‘Perhaps you could make them a card or take them something that will cheer them up next time you visit?’ Tyler suggested.
Becky nodded, while Charlie looked thoughtful. ‘Like a box with sweets in it? Dad likes mints and toffees. I could make a box out of card...’
‘That sounds like a good idea.’ Tyler gave him an encouraging smile. ‘Maybe you and Becky could make one each?’
‘Yeah.’ Becky’s mind had ticked into craft mode. ‘I want to make one for Mummy...one with shiny love hearts on it.’ The children looked at one another and returned to their food with renewed vigour. They obviously wanted to get started on their project straight away.
Saskia sent Tyler a quick, grateful look. ‘Thanks,’ she said softly. ‘That could have been difficult.’
‘It’s an awkward situation.’
They ate their meal, chatting about this and that. ‘Are your parents able to help out while all this is going on?’ Tyler asked after a while.
‘My parents divorced some years ago,’ she told him as she spooned more rice on to her plate. ‘Now my father lives in Spain, and we don’t really get to see him all that often. My mother eventually married again and moved to Somerset. She runs her own company so it’s difficult for her to get away for long periods of time, but she’s very worried about what’s happening. She visits Sam as often as she’s able to.’ She glanced at him. ‘What about you? Do you have any family close by?’
He nodded. ‘My mother lives not too far away from here, and I have a younger sister who’s working as an office manager in Tresco. I keep in touch with them on a regular basis. We’ve always been very close.’
She frowned. ‘And your father?’
‘He died a few years back—a heart attack.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry. That must have been very difficult for you.’
‘It was unexpected; it came out of the blue so, yes, it was painful at the time.’
She tried to imagine him with his mother and sister. He’d probably be very protective of them, especially of his sister, taking the place of the father they had lost.
They finished the main course, and he helped her to clear away the dishes. ‘That was good,’ he told her. ‘Very tasty.’
‘I suppose it wasn’t too bad, once we’d rescued it from the inferno,’ she said with a bleak smile. ‘It’s kind of you to say so, anyway.’ She took the cheesecake from the fridge and placed it in the centre of the table. ‘Perhaps this will make up for any failings in the first course.’
It did look good, a crumbly biscuit base, topped with cream cheese and generously covered with luscious strawberries. Charlie’s eyes widened. ‘Yum!’
‘Definitely yum,’ Tyler said with a grin, as they tucked in. He freshened Saskia’s glass of wine and proposed a toast. ‘Here’s to your new job. Let’s drink to it working out well.’
She clinked glasses with him, wondering if she would manage to convince him that she was the right person for the job. He seemed to be on her side, for the moment at least, so maybe things would work out all right after all.
Then again, a three-month trial might throw up all manner of pitfalls along the way. What if Tyler were to speak to Michael again? That could easily happen if he transferred patients over there—he’d already shown that he liked to check up on their progress to reassure himself that all was well.
Would Michael try to discredit her all over again? Maybe he couldn’t do it professionally, but it wouldn’t be beyond him to tell lies about her private life. He’d done that once before when she’d refused to take him back after their break-up. He’d hinted that she’d slept around and cheated on him, both outright lies. She’d been fortunate in that her friends knew she wasn’t like that. They knew that she’d always behaved with honesty and integrity, but people who didn’t know her so well might have harboured doubts.
‘Is something wrong?’
She looked up, startled out of her reverie by Tyler’s gentle probing. How did he manage to read her so easily?
‘No, nothing at all,’ she said. ‘I was just thinking about what lies ahead. If you’d told me two months ago that I would up sticks and move to the Isles of Scilly to look after three children, a dog and a pet rabbit, I’d have said you were way out. And yet here I am.’ She frowned.
‘My life has changed so much lately. Instead of being footloose and fancy-free, I’m doing laundry for four, and most mornings I end up doing some last-minute ironing because there’s something they’ve forgotten to tell me they need. And then there are school bags and gym kit to be found and lunch money that needs to be handed out.’
Charlie’s ears pricked up at that. ‘I need some money for Tuesday for swimming lessons. We’re going on the bus. And I need some new swimming trunks.’
She gave him a puzzled look. ‘Did I get a letter about this?’
He thought about it. ‘Yeah.’
‘I don’t remember it. Where is it?’
He frowned. ‘In my school bag.’
Saskia glanced at Tyler. ‘I guess that’s another job for the end of the school day—checking the school bags for scraps of paper.’
His mouth quirked at the corners. ‘I’m sure you’re doing the best you can.’
They finished dessert, and while Saskia started to make coffee Becky and Charlie shot off upstairs to rummage through their craft boxes.
‘Thanks for inviting me here today,’ Tyler said a few minutes later as he drank coffee, standing by the worktop. ‘It’s been...’ he hesitated ‘...an experience. I have to admit I’m not used to the ups and downs of family life...not like this, anyway.’
‘Me neither. I always got on well with my brother.’
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‘It was the same for me with my sister. I suppose I looked out for her. Still do, to a certain extent. Things at home were...complicated. But I like my life how it is now. I like the challenge of work in the emergency department, and I look forward to the contrast of peace and quiet when I get home.’
Saskia bit her lip. It had definitely been a mistake to invite him over here.
She glanced out of the window. Darkness was falling outside, filling the garden with inky-black shadows. ‘I know things didn’t go quite to plan this evening, but I’m glad you came. I thought it might be a good way for us to get to know one another—since we’re neighbours and it looks as though we’ll be working together quite closely.’
He nodded. ‘It was a good idea.’
Her brow furrowed. ‘Actually, I’m not sure exactly what that involves—working together, I mean.’
At the interview it had sounded as though he expected her to slip up at some point and he wanted to be there to prevent any mistakes from happening. ‘I’m assuming we’ll both be in A and E, dealing with our own patients, and I’ll refer to you as the head of the team.’
‘That’s right. But initially we’ll go out on call together, so that you’ll get the lie of the land more easily. The same applies to going over to the hospital in Cornwall, should the need arise—at least until you find your feet.’
‘Oh, I see. Well, that will certainly help.’ He was being casual about it, but the truth remained that he would be keeping an eye on her. She’d have to earn his trust.
‘In fact,’ he said, ‘I could give you a lift in to work every day, if you like. There’s no point in us both going separately, is there?’
‘No, that’s true...’ She was startled by his unexpected offer. ‘That would be great...it’s really thoughtful of you...but I have to take the children to school...’
‘That’s okay. We’ll drop them off on the way.’
‘That’s very good of you. I appreciate it.’