by Amanda Ward
“I can’t deal with this anymore Rhean. Go. Just go and leave me alone!” Laura cried, and ran into the bathroom.
****
When he heard her muffled sobs, Rhean swore vehemently under his breath, left the house and slammed the door in frustration. He was furious, yet confused by Laura’s behavior.
Rhean strode purposefully toward the school, and saw a group of teenage boys outside the gate, smoking―one of whom was Laura’s eldest son, Theo. For Rhean it was the final straw. He tapped Theo on the shoulder, and pointed to the school doors.
“My office. Now,” he commanded, not giving Theo a chance to answer back. “And as for you lot, I want you in my office after school’s ended. Understood?”
With guilty expressions on their faces, the boys nodded and walked back through the gates.
With the teenager in front of him, Rhean strode through the doors to his office. Once inside, he sat down behind the desk and pointed at the chair in front of it.
“Sit,” he told Theo, who complied immediately, and shuffled his feet on the floor.
“Look sir, I’m really sorry” Theo started to apologize, but Rhean cut in.
“I didn’t bring you in about the smoking. We will talk about that later,” he told the boy firmly. “I brought you in to find out what is wrong with your mother.” He saw Theo’s eyes look down at the floor.
“Enough of all this hiding. What on earth is going on?” Rhean asked in a soft, kind voice.
The teen stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. His copper-colored fringe of hair flopped over his forehead.
“Preferably before I turn forty,” Rhean muttered under his breath. He was rapidly losing patience with the teen, and counted to ten in his head. He could tell from Theo’s body language that the conversation was uncomfortable.
“Mum had another phone call this morning,” Theo said in a quiet voice.
“From who? And what do you mean another?” Icy fear twisted round Rhean’s heart. His eyebrows rose in inquiry. He needed to know more, and leaned forward to give Theo his full attention.
“I don’t know, sir. Mum hasn’t said anything to us,” Theo told his headmaster.
“They’ve come off and on for about three months now. Mum answers, and then she goes all quiet and runs upstairs or to the bathroom for a while. She comes out and her face is all red and her eyes are swollen, as though she’s been crying.”
“Is there anything else bothering her?” Rhean asked as he began to understand why Laura had been so upset.
“Did Mum ever tell you why we moved here?” Theo asked Rhean, who shook his head.
“I never asked. I thought she would tell me, but now I think you should tell me exactly what happened,” Rhean replied as Theo rubbed his eyes with his blazer sleeve.
“James and I caught Dad beating up on Mum two years ago,” he said in a very quiet voice.
Rhean’s spine stiffened on alert. Fury flooded through him at the thought that someone hit Laura—his Laura. Instead of rising out of the chair, Rhean leaned forward and encouraged Theo to open up.
“We all got home early from school. When we came in, we heard Mum scream and then a crash. James and I went upstairs, broke the door down and saw Dad— “ Theo broke off and his adolescent voice cracked. “We saw Dad kick Mum in the head. She was on the floor huddled up. Her eyes were black and her face was bleeding.”
Rhean felt sick and bile rose in his stomach at the thought of what Laura must have gone through. His gaze lingered on Theo, as tears rolled down the teen’s face.
“James and I yelled at Dad to stop. We jumped on him to pull him away from Mum, and while we were trying to stop him from hurting her again, we knocked him to the ground. He hit his head. Then Maisie rang the ambulance and our grandparents.”
“What happened after that?” Rhean asked. His heart went out to them and what they witnessed at such a young age.
“Dad was arrested and taken away. Mum was in hospital for a while. Dad broke her ribs. We went to stay with Nan and Granddad until Mum was better. I’m surprised Mum didn’t tell you, seeing as the two of you are neighbors.”
“I didn’t know any of this. To be honest Theo, your mum is the type who keeps stuff like this pretty close to her chest and bottled up,” Rhean told him.
Theo nodded. “She asked us to keep this to ourselves. Not really the sort of thing you tell your mates in the playground, is it sir?”
“No, it’s not Theo,” Rhean agreed. He admired the manner in which Theo conducted himself. Unfortunately, this did not excuse him from the smoking incident.
It explained so much to Rhean—why the children were so protective of their mother and the third degree that they gave him when he introduced himself as their neighbor. Rhean pushed his chair away from the desk. He stood up and reminded himself that he was Theo’s headmaster, so he resisted the urge to hug him. Instead, he gently patted the boy on the shoulder, and wondered what the next course of action should be.
“Okay Theo, why don’t you go to the library for a while and take some time to calm down?” Rhean took in Theo’s tear-stained eyes and stricken face. With his head down, Theo shuffled out of the office and closed the door behind him.
With purpose and determination in his stride, Rhean left the school and strode back up the hill to Laura’s house. He knocked three times, and tapped his foot impatiently. Finally, the door opened.
Laura’s stricken expression, her red-rimmed eyes and trembling lips shook Rhean to the core. It was obvious to him that she hadn’t stopped crying since he left.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him in a very quiet voice.
“Helping you,” Rhean stated as he walked past her, into the kitchen.
Rhean walked into the living room, and handed one of the steaming mugs of tea he carried to Laura. He sat down next to her on the sofa as she sipped the hot brew. Her hands were unsteady, and they shook the mug, sloshing some of the contents over the side.
“I’m sorry, Rhean, about earlier. I guess I kind of lost it,” Laura apologized.
Rhean could tell by her voice that she was about to cry again, so he held up his left hand.
“So help me woman, if you start to apologize once more, there will be trouble,” he commanded in what he thought was his best headmaster’s voice.”Come on Laura, drink this. We need to get you out of this house.”
“Yes sir,” Laura whispered and sipped the hot strong brew.
After he’d locked the front door, Rhean took Laura by the hand and led her to his beloved car—his pride and joy, a restored dark green Austin Cambridge that he’d found it in his parent’s garage. He opened the passenger door and Laura slid in. They buckled their seat-belts and Rhean started up the car with a roar. He drove away from the curb, up the hill and along High Street which bustled with shoppers, past the housing estates, over a cattle grid and through the ornate iron gates to Kirkleigh where Rhean’s parents, Earl and Countess Leighton lived. He noticed that Laura turned her face to the window and seemed to be concentrating on the scenery as it changed from town to desolate moorland. The ancient car ate up the miles and after a time, Rhean pulled over into a lay by in the middle of nowhere.
The moor stretched out endlessly, covered in heather and moss of varying greens and browns. He helped Laura out of the car, then leaned back against the door and crossed his ankles.
He pointed in the direction of a small, heather-covered hillock in the distance.
“See that small mound over there?” he asked and watched as Laura looked around. The crisp wind whipped her hair over her face and into her eyes.
“What? Where?” she asked.
He sighed dramatically, stalked over to where she stood, and turned her around in the direction he’d pointed.
“Over there, where that bunch of heather is. You can see that, right?”
“Yes I can. And?”
“I want you to walk over there, take a few deep breaths and then scream. Yell, swear, curse, e
ven blow a raspberry,” Rhean instructed her
“I beg your pardon?” She sounded taken aback at his instruction.
“Over on that mound,” Rhean repeated patiently. “I want you to take some deep breaths, then let every bit of frustration, anger, hurt and any other emotion out. Do it loud. There is no one around to hear, apart from Woolly over there,” he told her, his glance falling onto a lone sheep on the other side of the road. The sheep munched away on the grass.”Somehow I don’t think he will mind. Now go!”
Laura half-smiled at his quip.
The cold north wind teased the curls of his ebony hair around his head, which he knew made him look younger and more carefree than his thirty-four years. He rolled his eyes when Laura stood still, and pointed again towards the distant hillock. He mouthed, “Go.” Then he crossed his muscled arms and ankles.
****
Laura trudged through the prickly grass and heather toward the mound that Rhean pointed out, felt the cold wind in her hair, and saw the absolute wonder that brought her to this part of the country. She pulled her thick coat around her, and huddled deep into its collar, as the wind whipped the copper strands around her face. Words to describe the moors flooded her mind—ethereal, constant, and unending. The grass and heather stretched out before her. Clouds above her danced through the sky in a rhythm as old as time. She eventually came to the hillock and climbed it. Laura took deep breaths; in...out...in...out. She tried to keep the tears back, but it didn’t happen. They fell again. Misery, hurt, betrayal, and anger bubbled inside her as if she were a shaken bottle of Coke. More deep breaths, then finally, the bottle exploded. She raised her face to the sky and yelled her hurt and despondent feelings out, as tears rained down her face. Her scream faded away as the gentle perfumed breeze gained in strength and a slow drizzle began to fall and mix with her tears, as if the weather were in sympathy with her. She yelled again. This time, abject frustration took the place of the hurt and sadness that had fled her emotion-torn body. After taking more deep breaths, her yells eventually ebbed away to nothingness. Drained, her throat raw Laura bent down and put her hands on her knees, and gulped down the cold, fresh, pure moor air as it revitalized her.
Laura’s breathing calmed as a strong arm encompassed her, drawing her into the warmth and safety of Rhean’s wide chest. The rough texture of his duffle coat tickled her nose as she snuggled into his body. She inhaled his fresh masculine scent, allowing herself for the first time in ages, to be comforted. In Rhean’s arms there was safety, security and perhaps even peace. As Laura’s emotions settled, her body sagged into the strength Rhean exuded, and at that moment, she had never been more grateful for his tenacity and determination. Unexpectedly, she felt a soft kiss, as light as a snowflake on the top of her head. It seemed to awaken something within her she could not quite put her finger on. Laura closed her eyes, relishing the comfort offered to her.
“I don’t think my parents quite heard you, you know,” Rhean teased, breaking Laura out of her musings. “And Woolly didn’t seem bothered. He’s still over there munching. Feel better for that, do you?”
Laura pulled away from Rhean’s warmth into the chillness of the late afternoon sun. She turned her face upward, and attempted a smile at him with red-rimmed, tear-stained eyes.
“Actually I do. There is something about this place. It seems to be, well, just magical, if that doesn’t sound silly.”
Rhean shook his head and rewarded her with a warm smile.
“Not at all. Actually, I come up here a lot,” he confessed.
“Dare I ask if you and Woolly over there have a standing date then?” Laura tried to joke, feeling slightly better, and wanted to lift the mood.
He laughed as if sincerely amused. “Baa-rely,” Rhean quipped back, as Laura winced at his dreadful pun. He put his arm around Laura as they walked back to the car.
****
“Speaking of your parents...where are they at the moment?” Laura asked him. She knew them quite well, as her cottage was one of many that they owned and rented out. The Kirkleigh grounds were expansive and on a scale equal to that of several ducal estates.
Rhean thought for a moment. “Still on their cruise.” They reached the car and he opened the door. Laura got in, shivering. He turned on the engine and as they waited for the car to warm up, she rubbed her hands near the vents, as if encouraging the heat to flow faster.
Rhean checked his watch and grinned.
“Dad treated Mum to a world cruise for their fortieth anniversary.” He started the car, made a U-turn in the road, and beeped the horn at Woolly. But the sheep continued to munch on the rich moorland grass.
“I’m in the mood for a kebab for dinner,” Rhean announced. “I’ll buy.”
The journey back was more lighthearted. Laura appeared to be a lot happier, and her mood gave Rhean hope that he could take their friendship to the next level.
He parked in front of Laura’s cottage.
“I’ve got to get back to school for a while, but don’t make anything. I’ll be over later with dinner,” he told her, then hesitated. “You don’t mind do you?” he asked, not wanting to overstep the mark, but Laura shook her head.
“Thanks Rhean,” she said. “What would I do without your friendship?” And then realization appeared to hit her. “Oh crikey, the kids.... I forgot. Oh bloody, bloody hell!” Panic seemed to bubble in Laura as she got out of the car. She wrung her hands together, her movements jerky.
Rhean stepped in front of her, and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Hey, hey, hey. The kids are all sorted. Trust me. Everything is sorted. Now please get out of the cold. You need a hot drink and something to eat,” he ordered with a wink. Reaching in the car for his scarf, Rhean put it on and strode away down the hill to the school.
****
Laura unlocked the door and went inside. Everything was just as she’d left it, of course. The pile of magazines still lay unread beside her chair, the games system still next to the television, and photographs still on the wall. But, something was different inside her, as if a great weight lifted off her shoulders. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized that the children would be home soon. Laura shrugged off her coat and long cardigan, as she mulled over the events of the day and the caring way Rhean treated her. They had many things in common, and found pleasure in each others company, watching TV shows while sharing meals he’d ordered in. She knew Rhean didn’t date, and often wondered if he wasn’t interested in women. Admittedly, Laura found his dark gypsy looks very attractive. Rhean’s whole persona screamed male, but there wasn’t an arrogant bone in his body. Nevertheless, he could be exceptionally bossy at times. Whether that was part of his upbringing as the eldest son, or his teacher training, she didn’t know. It was part of who he was, and for Laura, acceptance of their differences was a big plus in their friendship. He was never condescending with her. Laura considered him her best friend. After moving to Kirkleigh, she had kept to herself. It took quite a while for her to become comfortable with their relationship. As to whether or not he found her appealing, the matter just never arose. With that thought in mind, Laura stood up, put away her outdoor things, and got ready for the arrival of her children.
Later that evening, Laura lounged on the sofa, her feet tucked up under her. She was sipping a mug of hot chocolate when she heard a knock at the door. The sound of thudding feet down the stairs heralded a teenage boy’s impatience to get to the door.
“Great, food at last,” Theo announced, his adolescent voice cracking. He took the large bags from Rhean and went into the kitchen. “Food!” he yelled and Laura winced.
“Hi Rhean, thanks,” said the provider of the food, coming through the door. He winked at Laura. Her heart jumped in her chest at the sight of him.
“I gather the hordes are hungry.” Rhean sat on the couch next to Laura. As their arms touched, she felt the tingle of an emotion she could not put her finger on.
“Are you okay now? You look muc
h better.” Rhean’s voice was full of concern.
She nodded.
“I am Rhean, and thanks.” Laura felt grateful for the way he looked after her.
Theo yelled again, “Hey guys, dinner’s ready.”
Laura winced as she heard more thuds on the stairs. James walked into the living room and loped through to the kitchen, with a careless hello to Rhean. They were so used to their headmaster coming round that seeing him on the couch didn’t appear to faze them. In fact, only the other day, Theo asked her why she hadn’t given Rhean a key yet so they didn’t have to keep letting him in.
“Where’s Maisie?” Rhean asked looking toward the stairs. “I counted only two teens.”
“Where is Maisie usually?” Laura asked.”She’s in the den, as usual.”
In the dining room, a door led down a steep flight of stairs to what had originally been a cellar. Together, Laura and Rhean redecorated it and made into a den for the children to go to when they needed some peace and quiet. It was lined with bookshelves, and had bean bags, cushions and even a small TV/ DVD player. Maisie, the reader and dreamer in the family, found it the ideal place for her, and was quite often found curled up asleep there at night.
Rhean stood up and held his hand out to Laura. “I think we’d better go get something ourselves before your darling children eat all of it.”
Laura put her hand in his, and as he pulled her up, she stumbled and fell into his arms. As she tried to conquer her involuntary reaction to Rhean’s gentle look, he gathered her into his arms. Laura felt reluctant to move away. She felt safe there, and feelings long suppressed bubbled to the surface. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, Laura tried to move away. His arms loosened and she took a much needed step back, plucking at some imaginary fluff on her skirt, and tried to regain her equilibrium.