A Very Special Child

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘Why don’t we go inside and have something to drink while we make up our minds what we want to eat?’ Mark slipped his hand under her elbow, determinedly steering her towards the brightly lit building.

  Laura hung back, no longer sure that it was a good idea. Although it hurt to see people’s reactions to Robbie, she’d learned to deal with them on a practical level but Mark hadn’t. Was it really fair to expose him to such unpleasantness and possible embarrassment?

  ‘I’m not sure that it’s a good idea…’ she began.

  ‘Why? Surely you aren’t going to let other people’s ignorance affect you, Laura? Because that’s all it is—ignorance and fear of something they don’t understand.’ His voice grated with anger. However, the hand he laid on Robbie’s head was so gentle and protective that Laura felt a lump come to her throat. How could she have imagined even for a second that Mark would feel ashamed to be seen with them?

  ‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘I thought you might feel…well, uncomfortable.’

  He bent and looked deep into her eyes so that there was no doubting that he was telling the truth. ‘The only thing I feel at this moment, Laura, is pride that you and Robbie have agreed to spend some time with me.’

  He suddenly grinned as he bent and swept the child into his arms. ‘Now, let’s get in there. I, for one, am starving!’

  Laura laughed, feeling a new lightness in her heart. She didn’t stop to examine it as she followed Mark into the pub, didn’t need to. Mark was the cause of it, Mark and his attitude, his understanding, his compassion. What a truly wonderful man he was!

  It was a lovely evening. The food was as good as she remembered it—the steak they both ordered cooked to perfection, the chips and salad which accompanied it both delicious. Good traditional British food was the order of the day there and the landlord and his wife had built up an appreciative clientele.

  Robbie ate every morsel of his chicken nuggets and chips then polished off a dish of home-made ice cream while she and Mark had coffee. The family they had seen in the car park was seated at a table nearby and it was obvious that Robbie was dying to go over to play with the other children. However, bearing in mind what had happened earlier, Laura knew that it wouldn’t be wise so she kept him occupied with a colouring book and crayons she’d brought with her.

  ‘See, Mummy.’ He held up the picture he’d coloured in to show her, smiling proudly as she admired his handiwork. Robbie was oblivious to the fact that he was supposed to keep within the black lines and had no inhibitions about the colours he used either.

  Mark grinned as he saw the crimson grass and bright green sky. ‘Very surreal. You have a real eye for colour, young man!’

  Robbie grinned happily, not comprehending the words but understanding the warm tone in which they were said. He got up from his chair and went round the table to scramble onto Mark’s knee. Wrapping his arms tightly around the man’s neck, he kissed him on the cheek.

  ‘Robbie love Mark,’ he declared.

  ‘And I love you, too, sunshine.’ There was no hesitation as Mark returned the child’s embrace. Laura felt tears prick her eyes as she watched them. It wasn’t just an act—Mark really did care for the little boy. It made her start to believe that things could work out.…

  She sighed as she realised that was wishful thinking. Mark’s attitude towards Robbie was certainly more than she could have expected from any man, but it didn’t mean they had a future together. There were still so many other things to take into consideration like Ian and the guilt she would feel at replacing him, and the fact that Mark wanted children of his own. Both of those were major stumbling blocks and couldn’t be dismissed.

  They left the pub a short time later and got back in the car. Robbie was worn out by all the excitement and soon fell asleep. Mark took his time as he drove because the roads were still treacherous. Although the centre of the town was clear, once they reached the outskirts there was still a lot of snow about.

  Laura rested her head against the seat, content just to sit quietly. She felt so warm and secure being with Mark, trusting him completely to get them back safely, although her heart sank at the thought of spending the night in the cold, damp house. Still, she had the whole weekend to work on the place so she should be able to achieve something.…

  She must have fallen asleep on that thought because the next thing she knew something was tickling her cheek. She brushed it away then found her eyes flying open as she felt a warm hand grip hers.

  ‘We’re here.’

  Mark’s tone was so deep and resonant that she felt a ripple run down her spine. Laura took a quick breath, struggling to surface through the layers of sleep. ‘Here?’

  ‘Home.’ He gave her a slow smile then sat back in his seat and looked around. And there was something about the expression on his face.…

  She sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she stared around her in confusion. It took a second before her addled brain absorbed the fact that they were parked in front of the building where Mark lived. She turned to him, her greeny-blue eyes awash with bewilderment.

  ‘But this isn’t my house.’

  ‘No.’ He gave her a slow grin. ‘But it’s where you’ll be living for the next week, Laura.’

  ‘Where I’ll be living…? I don’t understand.’ She stared at him in shock, watching how his smile faded to be replaced by a look of determination. This was a different Mark to the one she was used to, a Mark who intended to get his own way, and her heart began to thump as she realised it.

  ‘It’s quite simple really. I phoned the builders while you were getting changed tonight and arranged for a team of men to go to your house and sort everything out.’ He shrugged as he checked his watch. ‘They should be there by now. I told the foreman that I wanted the work doing as quickly as possible so he promised to get onto it right away.’

  ‘There? In my house, you mean? But how did they…?’ She stopped, thinking back to what had happened on the way to the pub. She’d worked out the answer to her question even before Mark confirmed it.

  ‘How did they get in? Simple. I gave them your keys.’ He held up his hand placatingly. ‘Don’t worry. They’re completely trustworthy. I know that for a fact because I used them myself when I moved into this place.’

  ‘That isn’t the point!’ Funny how quickly her head had cleared. She glared at him, her stomach lurching as she considered the implications of what he’d done. ‘Who gave you the right to do such a thing, Mark Dawson? I don’t recall asking for your help!’

  ‘You didn’t. But, then, you’re too damned independent for your own good.’ He leaned over and gripped her shoulders to give her a little shake. ‘Be sensible, Laura! You can’t possibly get that place straight all by yourself.’

  He was right, of course. It would be hard enough to cope with what needed doing even if she’d been at home all day, but with her job and everything else it was nigh on impossible. However, there was one major point he’d overlooked, one which made her feel sick as she thought about it.

  ‘I can’t afford to have people in to clear up, Mark,’ she admitted flatly, embarrassed at having to explain her straitened circumstances.

  ‘The insurance will cover it,’ he began, then stopped. He uttered what might have been a curse as his hands gripped her harder. ‘You aren’t insured, are you? That’s why you’ve been trying to get everything done yourself.’

  Laura shrugged, trying to make light of it. ‘I let the insurance lapse last year. The premiums were just too expensive for me to keep paying them. My bad luck, I guess.’

  ‘I should have guessed. I had a feeling that you were being evasive the first time I mentioned it.’ He sounded genuinely upset that he hadn’t worked it out before. However, his face was still set when she looked at him. ‘Still, it makes no difference. The work has to be done. And while your house is uninhabitable you can stay here.’

  ‘Oh, but I can’t!’ Laura forgot about her monetary problems as she was faced
with a far more pressing one. ‘Look, Mark, it’s very kind of you but—’

  ‘But nothing.’ He opened the car door and got out, bending to look back at her. ‘You need a place to stay and I’m offering you one. Simple, isn’t it?’

  ‘But…but what are people going to say? What am I going to tell them when they find out I’m staying with you?’ she asked, struggling to convince him that it wasn’t a good idea, even though she couldn’t think of an alternative.

  ‘Oh, that’s easy.’ Mark leaned back inside the car to lift the sleeping child from the rear seat. He smiled at Laura and his grey eyes were very soft in the glow from the interior light. ‘Tell them I kidnaped you!’

  CHAPTER NINE

  ‘HE COULD sleep for England! He hasn’t stirred the whole time you were undressing him.’

  Mark’s tone was warm with amusement and Laura sighed. She couldn’t decide if he was being deliberately obtuse or if he really didn’t believe there was a problem about her staying in his flat! So far he hadn’t given her a chance to voice her objections as he’d helped her put Robbie to bed, but somehow she had to make him see sense.

  Leaving the bedroom door open just a crack so that the light wouldn’t disturb the sleeping child, she followed Mark into the sitting-room, determined to get her point across. ‘Look, Mark—’

  ‘Fancy a glass of wine? I’ve a couple of decent bottles in the kitchen which my father gave me at Christmas.’ He smiled as he waved her towards the sofa. ‘He’s a bit of a wine buff so I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Sit yourself down and I’ll fetch one.’

  ‘Mark, I…’

  She had no chance to finish yet again as he left the room. Laura raised her eyes to the heavens and sighed. Was he hoping to override her objections by ignoring them?

  She sank onto the sofa and resolutely marshalled her thoughts for when he returned. She had to make him understand that it was out of the question for her and Robbie to stay here…although where they would go instead was another question. She couldn’t impose on Claire for a whole week, neither could she invite herself round to any of her other friends’ houses, willing though they might be to offer her a bed.

  ‘Right, I decided on a rosé. I know a lot of people curl their lips at the thought of pink wine but I have to say that I find it more refreshing than red to drink on its own.’

  Mark put two glasses on the coffee-table and filled them with wine. He offered her one, his brows drawing together as he saw her expression.

  ‘What’s wrong, Laura? Come on, out with it.’

  ‘What’s wrong is that you seem determined to bury your head in the sand about this, Mark!’ She took a gulp of the rosy pink wine and paused. ‘Mmm, that really is lovely.’

  ‘Dad will be glad to know that you approve.’ He sank onto the sofa, studying her with innocently clear eyes. ‘Anyway, you were saying, sweetheart?’

  Sweetheart? Laura gulped in a little air, feeling a sudden constriction in her lungs. The endearment had slid off his tongue as though it were the most natural thing in the world that he should call her that. Did Mark think of her as his sweetheart? she found herself wondering before she promptly ditched that idea.

  Her mouth pursed as she looked at him, seeing past the guileless smile to the determination beneath. Pretty words were just a tool in his fight to get his own way! But if Mark thought that she was too naïve not to see through him then he was in for a surprise!

  ‘I was saying that you’re trying to ignore the facts, Mark, but they won’t go away just because you don’t want to face them.’ She took another fortifying swallow of wine, feeling her arms and legs tingle as the alcohol started to find its way into her bloodstream. It gave her the rush of courage she sorely needed to carry on.

  ‘People are going to start talking as soon as they hear that Robbie and I are staying here with you.’ She held up her hand when he went to interrupt. ‘No, I won’t let you sidetrack me. Please, hear me out.’

  ‘Of course.’ He settled back against the cushions, propping his feet on the coffee-table and making himself comfortable as though prepared to sit there and listen for the whole night if need be.

  Laura felt a little knot form in the region of her vocal cords, compounded of nervousness and a large dollop of suspicion. She hadn’t expected him to be quite so…so acquiescent. Was it all an act and was he merely paying lip-service to the idea of listening to her objections?

  She cleared her throat, determined to get her point across. However, it was funny how difficult it was to get the words to come out exactly as she wanted them to. ‘Do you want people gossiping about us, Mark? Do you really think that it’s wise in your position?’

  She bit her lip as she finished, wishing her voice had sounded a little less quavery and a lot more forceful. She’d been trying to present the sensible voice of reason, but had it worked?

  Mark didn’t say anything for a moment, seemingly content to study the way the firelight shone through the rose pink wine in his glass. The silence dragged on for so long that Laura actually jumped when he suddenly sighed.

  ‘I can’t imagine that anyone is going to pass comment in this day and age about two people living together, Laura. But if it’s a problem then we won’t tell anyone.’

  ‘That isn’t the point!’ she declared, jumping to her feet. Obtuse wasn’t the word for the way he was acting, and she was more convinced than ever that it was deliberate! ‘Although, frankly, whether or not we tell people about our arrangement is immaterial. You know as well as I do how fast gossip gets round a hospital!’

  ‘And it bothers you what people are going to think?’ he asked evenly.

  ‘Yes, of course it does!’ She strode to the window then turned and marched all the way back, too on edge to sit down and discuss the situation calmly any longer.

  ‘Why?’ He shrugged when she stared at him. ‘It’s a simple enough question, Laura. Why should it bother you what anyone thinks if we’re happy with the arrangement?’

  Put like that, her concerns seemed ridiculous, but it really wasn’t as simple as he was trying to make it out to be.

  ‘Because…well, because people will get the wrong idea.’

  ‘You mean they’ll start to wonder why I offered you a place to stay? They’ll assume that it can’t possibly be because I couldn’t bear the thought of you and Robbie living in that house without any electricity? That it had nothing to do with the fact that I wouldn’t have had a minute’s peace, worrying about you both? Or that I wouldn’t have offered anyone who found herself in a similar plight a bed for a few nights?’

  He tilted his head and looked her squarely in the eyes. ‘Do you really believe that the people we work with would think it wrong to offer shelter to a mother and child who desperately need help, because I don’t.’

  It sounded crazy to have doubts when he explained it like that, but was it really so straightforward? Laura swung round and went back to the window, trying to sort through the jumble inside her head. One part of her believed what Mark had told her—that he would have offered help to anyone in her situation—but she knew instinctively there was more to it than that.

  ‘Laura, I just want to help you. That’s all.’

  She glanced around, seeming to feel her heart curl up inside her as she saw the bleakness on his face. She could tell that he was hurt by her seeming rejection of his help and that had been the last thing she’d wanted to do, to hurt him.

  Her hands clenched into fists as she struggled to keep all emotion from her voice. ‘Is it, Mark? Honestly?’

  ‘Yes.’ He stood and came over to her and she could see the sincerity in his eyes. ‘I’m not trying to put you under any kind of obligation to me. This isn’t an attempt to get you here so that I can seduce you.’

  He must have heard her shocked gasp because he grinned wickedly. ‘Although the idea is tempting, I must admit. However, you have my word that this won’t change a thing, Laura. This is just a breathing space. You’ll be free to leave as s
oon as your house is ready, and I won’t expect anything from you.’

  But would she be able to walk away so easily? Already she felt things for him that she wouldn’t have believed possible a week ago. How much more difficult was it going to be when she’d grown used to having him around? Her life had been so empty since Ian had died and she knew deep down that Mark’s warmth and compassion, his tenderness—just Mark as the man he was—could so easily fill the void. Would it be wise to risk that happening—to risk hurting them both—when there could be no future for them?

  Her mind whirled, questions tossing around like a ship on a stormy sea, and she felt tears fill her eyes. Mark gave a gentle murmur as he drew her to him, holding her tightly against the warm strength of his body.

  ‘Don’t torture yourself this way, Laura! There’s no need, I promise you.’ He lifted her chin and his eyes were both tender and sad. ‘I’ll be your friend if that’s all you want me to be.’

  Did she? Or did she want more than that? Could she have more? Was she entitled to take from this man when she had so little to give?

  Her head hurt with the dilemma but somehow Mark seemed to sense her confusion because he didn’t press her for an answer. He let her go and went to top up their glasses with more wine. And when he spoke, his tone was deliberately light.

  ‘Come along, drink up. You don’t want to run the risk of me having a hangover in the morning because you’re not drinking your fair share, do you?’

  Laura managed to laugh, relieved to take her lead from him. ‘Well, don’t expect any sympathy if you do have one. You should know your limitations at your age, Dr Dawson!’

  ‘Oh, you cruel woman! That was below the belt. My age, indeed! I’m a mere thirty-two years old, I’ll have you know.’ He grinned as she went to join him. ‘You make it sound as though I’m in my dotage!’

  ‘Well, you said it!’ She laughed as she saw his indignant expression. She sank onto the sofa and picked up her glass, sighing with pleasure as the fruity flavour of the wine burst on her tongue. ‘This really is delicious.’