‘Us,’ Mark said quietly. ‘I realise it’s not a great time, but I was hoping we could…’ He trailed off, glancing skew-whiff at Donna, who was now trying very hard to keep her face straight.
‘What?’ he asked, obviously bemused as Nathan laughed too.
‘I’m glad someone’s enjoying my cooking,’ Nathan chortled, spearing a burger.
‘You’re dangling your sausage, darling,’ Simon enlightened him, spearing one of his own.
‘Damn.’ Mark tried to snatch the sausage back, but Starbuck was quicker.
‘Whoops.’ Donna all but doubled up as Starbuck took a fancy to his finger. ‘Well, he has been on a light diet,’ she pointed out. ‘He’s probably starving.’
‘I’ll save him the other nine for afters.’ Mark sighed good-naturedly. ‘Can we talk, Donna? Please? Somewhere quieter?’
‘Well, yes, but I am terribly busy, just now,’ Donna said, demonstratively shuffling plates. In truth, she hadn’t liked the I realise it’s not a great time bit. ‘Can’t we just talk while I work?’ She picked up a batch of burgers to deliver to the garden table.
‘We could,’ Mark said, sidestepping Sadie, who’d hopped out to greet the great benefactor of sausages interestedly, ‘but…’
‘Mark, how lovely.’ Evelyn appeared from the patio doors bearing picky bits. ‘We’re so glad you could come, aren’t we, Donna? Could you go now, please, and take your father with you? He’s in there,’ she rolled her eyes towards the lounge behind her, ‘trying to light the living-flame gas-fire with a match, dim-witted man.’
With which Robert appeared at the doors. ‘I might have lost a few marbles, but I heard that, woman,’ he boomed, closely followed by, ‘Ouch! Bloody hell,’ and tossed his lighted match out.
‘Shi-it,’ Mark muttered. ‘Could you, er?’ He glanced from Donna to Karl, then went to check on his dad.
No, Mark. I thought I’d give him a beer and let him wander around on his own. ‘Hi, Karl.’ Donna bent down to his level. ‘How’s Starbuck?’
‘Starbuck’s doing pretty good,’ Karl said importantly, obviously repeating something Mark had said, but his diction was becoming more his own, and his vocabulary seemed to be growing daily, which was progress with a capital P.
‘Ooh, I do like your shoes.’ Donna glanced down to see Karl was wearing a shiny new pair.
‘We went shopping.’ Karl said, taking a bite out of his burger. ‘Starbuck chose Karl’s shoes,’ he went on, looking pleased with himself. That little speech wasn’t verbatim, she was willing to bet.
‘How’s the burger, Karl?’ Simon asked, looking super-pleased with himself as second master-chef in command.
‘Shi-it,’ Karl repeated what Mark had said matter-of-factly.
Simon arched an eyebrow. ‘We’ll work on the recipe,’ he said, with a resolute nod. ‘Nathan, more sauce, less burning please…’
‘Come on, Karl,’ Donna laughed and took Karl’s hand, ‘let’s go and find Starbuck a nice bed we can bring out and put next to Sadie’s, shall we?’
‘Karl’s going to sleep next to Sadie, but that’s all right, Sadie doesn’t snore,’ Karl said, referring back to the conversation he and Donna had had when he camped out on Mark’s lounge floor.
‘Good idea, Karl. We’ll find you a cushion, while we’re at it.’ Donna squeezed his hand.
‘Karl’s going to sleep next to Starbuck, too.’ Karl chatted on. ‘When someone’s sad or not well, they sometimes need someone who loves them to hold them, and then they’ll feel better.’
‘That’s right, Karl.’ Donna blinked, to facilitate seeing where she was going.
She felt quite overwhelmed, happier for Mark and Karl both than they could possibly know, yet sad at the same time. How amazing was it that Karl seemed to be linking up conversations? How devastating would it be if she didn’t get to see much of this little boy she’d grown so fond of, which well she might not if Mark and she drifted apart.
Donna sighed, supposing she would have to hear Mark’s let’s just be friends speech if they weren’t to keep skirting around each other, which would be a bit difficult on the back lawn of a semi-detached house.
Talking of whom. She smiled as she came across Mark in the kitchen, dousing his dad’s ardour with a glass of beer.
‘Back in five minutes, Dad,’ Mark said. ‘I just need to have a word with Donna, okay?’
‘Fine.’ Robert took a swig of his ale. ‘Leg over, is it, son?’
‘Pardon?’ Donna glanced at Mark goggle-eyed.
‘Old Leg Over. It’s a traditional Yorkshire ale,’ Mark explained with a wince, ‘brewed with, er…’
‘Quality grain malts from a traditional Yorkshire maltster,’ his dad picked up. ‘Takes its name from fell-runners, who have to climb over thousands of stone walls in the Yorkshire Dales,’ Robert went on nostalgically
‘Yes, thanks, Dad.’ Mark ran his hand over his neck. ‘Donna, do you think we could…’
‘One fell-runner won three races in one day in the nineteen-twenties, you know?’
‘Yes, Dad.’ Mark sighed and went cross-eyed.
‘No mean feat that, lad.’
Mark slapped his hand against his head. ‘Yes, Dad. Thanks Dad. Donna could we, please…’
‘Babysitters, honestly,’ Alicia moaned, cutting Mark short as she stropped into the kitchen, arms full of fractious toddler. ‘I’m coated and ready to go, and she rings to say she has a headache. Oh, hello Mark.’ She gave him a distracted smile along with her child. ‘Hang on to Jack, will you?’
‘No problem.’ Mark smiled resignedly. ‘Fancy going outside for some peace and quiet and a sausage, mate?’ he asked as Adele burst into song from the garden. ‘Coming, Karl?’
‘Find Starbuck a nice bed we can bring out.’ Karl furrowed his brow sternly. Mark looked at Donna hopefully and hoisted Jack higher in his arms, who was repeating ‘sauthage,’ his hand outstretched in toddler-bordering-on-tantrum mode.
‘Save it for your husband, honey, I told her,’ Alicia moaned on, following Donna to the utility.
And back. ‘I mean do they want the job, or not? I have a headache every day. Can I just shrug off my responsibilities?’
Alicia walked straight past Mark to help herself to a glass of wine.
Donna hardly dared look up from her dog basket. ‘I’ll follow you out, shall I?’ she asked aware of Mark’s hands-full predicament.
‘Thanks.’ Mark smiled over Jack, and walked straight into Evelyn and Dot coming in from the garden.
‘But you’re like chalk and cheese, Eve,’ Dot said, deep in conversation with Evelyn. ‘I’m amazed that you can tolerate him for more than five minutes.’
‘Me too, if I’m honest,’ Evelyn said as the pair split up to walk around Mark. The man’s as mad as a hatter, but I suppose he makes me laugh. And we both enjoy the same things, watching old films…’
‘Gone With the Wind.’ Robert winked.
‘Nostalgia’s fine, Robert,’ Evelyn replied, haughtily. ‘Romance is most definitely not.’
‘Evelyn,’ Mark tried to get word in, ‘do you think you could take Jack …’
‘Aw, tha’s a reet spoilsport, sometimes, wench.’ Robert went colloquially back to his roots.
‘Wench?’ Evelyn huffed indignantly. ‘I’m as likely to serve you tea as pork pies are to fly, Robert Evans.’
‘Er, Evelyn…’ Mark tried again as Jack let out a sausage-deprived howl.
‘Like I said,’ his dad replied, with a smirk, ‘a right spoil…’
‘Right, that’s it!’ Mark shouted, startling Jack along with everyone else into silence. Then, without further ado, he plucked a sausage from Dot’s well-stacked plate, presented it to Jack, then presented Jack to Evelyn.
‘Donna, we need to talk.’ Mark turned to Donna, relieved her of the dog basket and presented it to Matt, who’d wandered in for some legal alcohol and was now looking perplexed under his Bart Simpson, I have issues cap.
‘But where are
we going?’ Donna asked as she trailed after Mark, no choice but to with her hand firmly in his.
‘To walk Sadie and Starbuck. Coming, Karl?’
Karl hesitated, then took Mark’s other hand.
‘But is Starbuck supposed to be walking after her op?’
‘Short walks only. And we’re not walking, we’re riding, then walking.’ Mark glanced at her. ‘If that’s all right with you?’ he asked, his macho-assertiveness faltering.
‘But what about my guests?’ Donna asked, confounded as they swung by two cooks debating their latest culinary catastrophe.
‘Ooh, a man with a mission.’ Simon pressed a hand to his chest. ‘I do like a good drama. Come on Nathe.’ With which the master-chefs downed spatulas and followed.
‘Come, Starbuck.’ Mark gestured with his head. Starbuck immediately obeyed, trotting alongside as they headed for the gate.
‘Sade?’ Donna called. ‘Oh,’ she said, noting Sadie seemed to have switched affections to tongue-lolling and tail swishing in pursuit of Starbuck.
‘Do we have leads?’ Donna caught breath to ask.
‘Leads.’ Matt dutifully replied, bringing up the rear, behind Dot and Alicia, closely followed by Robert and Evelyn, who was clutching Jack.
Matt’s mate, Ed, watched the entourage file past, not particularly moved. ‘We playing Mortal Kombat on your new PS3 then, Matt, or what?’
‘Lata, mate. Sorry. Adult-sitting.’ Matt trudged wearily on. Then stopped and turned back. ‘What PS3?’
‘The one that bloke said was for your birthday.’ Ed nodded at Mark.
Donna blinked sideways at Mark as he strode on. ‘But Mark, how did you …?’
Mark shrugged. ‘Isn’t that what all big boys want for their birthday?’
****
Once on the pavement, Mark headed for his car. ‘You riding shotgun with the dog posse, Karl?’ he asked, and waited, while Karl debated.
‘Come on, Starbuck, time for our walk.’ Karl made up his mind, scrambling into the backseat after Starbuck.
Mark turned to Donna. ‘Promise not to move?’
Donna nodded, perplexed. ‘I promise,’ she said, allowing him time to help Sadie into the car.
‘You’re a man of few words, suddenly,’ she said, climbing into the passenger side, as Dot and Robert argued over the passenger seat of Evelyn’s car behind.
‘Do hurry up, children.’ Evelyn sighed. ‘Before the happy couple dash off to their secret venue without us.’
Donna and Mark exchanged amused glances.
‘I’m driving,’ Simon announced, standing outside the car beyond that.
‘No, I’m driving,’ Nathan argued. ‘It’s my car.’
‘But you drove here,’ Simon protested, taking the keys.
‘Yes, and I was due to drive back, too, wasn’t I? Again?’ Nathan snatched the keys back. ‘Next time I’ll do the drinking and you can…’
‘Boys, save the lovers’ tiff for later, yes?’ Alicia relieved them both of the car-keys, handed Jack, whom Evelyn had handed back, to Simon, and hopped into the driver’s seat.
‘Matt,’ she called, patting the passenger seat as Simon climbed into the back, cooing, ‘who’s a pretty boy, then?’ to a mesmerised Jack, while Nathan climbed po-faced in beside him.
‘So?’ Donna said, as the charabanc finally pulled off.
‘So?’ Mark repeated.
‘A man of mystery, too, I see.’ Donna eyed him curiously.
‘Actions speak louder.’ Mark smiled elusively. ‘So Matt tells me.’
‘Matt?’ Donna’s frown went into overdrive.
They obviously had been furtively conversing, which was a darn sight more than Matt had done with his father. Donna smiled. Whatever the future for Mark and her, Matt, she thought, might just have found a role figure worth modelling himself on.
Five minutes later, Mark pulled into the park’s car-park, followed by Evelyn, followed by Alicia, then proceeded to drive through the gate towards the cricket pavilion, to Donna’s astonishment.
‘You’re not supposed to,’ she hissed, as if the park-keeper was about to leap from behind the nearest bush.
Mark laughed. ‘I’m a policeman. I’m allowed.’ He drove on, Evelyn and Alicia dropping lumpily down potholes behind.
Finally, Mark stopped and climbed out to let Karl, Starbuck and Sadie out. ‘One minute,’ he said to Donna, pausing to check Karl had a tight hold on Starbuck’s lead, which had Donna’s heart fair melting. He really was the most caring man she’d ever met.
‘Sadie okay off the lead?’ he asked, as Donna came around to his side.
Quite the most caring. Donna nodded. ‘Yes, she’s used to the park, but where…’
‘Come on, then.’ Mark took her hand. ‘Not far.’
And off they set again, followed by their odd crew of gongoozlers, across the short plain of grass that led to the bridge in the middle of the park.
Up the bridge they went, Donna thanking God for her passé trainers, down the bridge, then…
‘Agnes?’ Donna gawked, as there on the embankment stood Agnes amidst the entire stock of the local flower shop.
‘Ah, Donna,’ Agnes paused in her labours, to wipe a hand clutching secateurs across her brow, ‘I see you accepted. Wonderful.’ She bent to straighten a strategically placed flower, then picking out spaces with her wellies, made her way stealthily towards them.
‘I knew he wasn’t a sex-fiend,’ she announced, collecting her bag, then joining Donna to admire her handiwork.
‘So, what do you think?’ Agnes looked terribly pleased with herself. ‘I’ve been working all day, haven’t we, Mark? We been synchronising; on our walkie-talkies.’ Agnes demonstrated thus on her brand-new mobile.
‘Um?’ Donna smiled uncertainly and looked at Mark.
Mark eyed the skies, sighed, and shook his head.
‘It’s lovely, Agnes,’ Donna finally said, though not entirely sure she knew what the flower arrangement meant.
‘Very artistic, isn’t it, Nathe?’ Simon observed, over Jack’s head.
‘Gorgeous.’ Nathan nodded appreciatively.
‘Absolutely,’ Evelyn arched an eyebrow, ‘if a little bit obscure.’
‘Obscure?’ Robert scoffed. ‘It’s as plain as the nose on your face.’
Matt came to stand next to Mark, cocked his head and had a think. ‘Nice, try, mate,’ he concluded. ‘I get it.’
‘Yeah.’ Mark dragged a hand across his neck. ‘Not sure your mum will though.’
‘Well?’ Agnes looked at him expectantly.
‘It’s great, Agnes. Brilliant.’ Mark glanced at Starbuck loves Sadie spelt out on the grass in white lilies and roses. ‘But it’s supposed to say…’
‘Yes?’ All ears cocked in Mark’s direction.
‘I love you. It’s supposed to say…’ He glanced awkwardly at Matt.
‘Bit slow, isn’t he?’ Matt rolled his eyes and draped an arm around Karl.
‘I love you, too, dear boy.’ Agnes batted her eyelids, patted Mark’s cheek, then bustled off to join the rest of the eager ensemble. ‘But I think your sentiments might be better declared to your intended.’
Intended? Donna’s eyes grew wide, her cheeks flushed and her butterfly nose-dived.
‘Right.’ Mark nodded, tugged in a breath and turned to Donna. ‘Donna, I…’
‘OhmiGosh, he’s going to do it,’ Simon interrupted excitedly, squeezing Jack so tight he let out a muffled wail.
Mark raked his hand through is hair, breathed slowly out, and tried again. ‘Donna, I wanted to —’
‘Oh, dear, it’s all so terribly romantic.’ Dot reached for her hankie.
‘Good God, woman! Show a little restraint!’ Robert bellowed as she blew. ‘The man’s trying to make an honest woman of her.’
‘She has a name, Robert. And she’s not pregnant,’ Evelyn informed him dryly. ‘Are you?’ She twanged astonished eyes towards Donna.
‘It would have to be immaculat
e-bloody-conception,’ Mark muttered, utterly despairing.
Donna dropped her gaze fast. ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, wondering whether now might be a good time to lose herself in the pond.
‘No, apologies, Donna, remember?’ Mark reached gently for her hand. ‘I, er, think this might be the bit where the girl’s supposed to be gazing deeply into the man’s eyes.’
Donna blinked up at him. ‘And the man’s supposed to pull her into his arms?’ she asked, a little bit hopefully.
Mark smiled his bone-melting smile and obliged. ‘And declare undying love for her,’ he whispered, his breath warm on her red-tipped ear.
‘Um?’
He laughed and eased back to lock five-thousand-watt twinkly-eyes on hers.
‘I love you, Donna, O’Connor,’ he said, his expression now deadly serious. ‘I love you today. I’ll love you tomorrow…’
‘Aw.’ The crowd sighed collectively.
Donna blinked, manically.
‘One day at a time,’ Mark continued throatily, wiping a single tear from Donna’s cheek with his thumb, ‘I will love you for the rest of my life. Marry me, Donna, please? Be my wife. Let’s face life’s complications together.’
‘What complications?’ Donna asked breathily, brushing his tempting lips with hers; and trying to resist stuffing her hands up his shirt. ‘I love you, too, PC Mark Evans,’ she managed, before giving in to sweet temptation, tasting him, feeling him touching every single one of her senses.
‘I will.’ She smiled, finally allowing him to draw breath. ‘And so will Sadie and…’
Donna glanced at Matt, suspecting he was a little bit in love with Mark, too, but wanting to check, nevertheless.
Matt leaned down to Karl’s level. ‘Your dad loves my mum,’ he explained. ‘That’s why he’s holding her. He wants to marry Donna. What do you think, Karl?’
Karl stared, studying Mark and Donna intently. Then, with monumental effort, he pulled in a breath and said, ‘Karl wants to marry Donna, so he can hold her and make her feel better.’
Epilogue
‘Cooee, only me.’ Simon’s tones drifted up from the answerphone, fortunately not at the crucial moment.
Somebody to Love: Sigh With Contentment, Scream With Frustration. At Time You Will Weep. Page 30