I knew the bus had several more stops before it left our road. Maybe I could catch it. I ran outside with the lunchbox. Several feet from the house, I remembered I hadn’t grabbed the car keys. I didn’t have time to go all the way back. Not when Chrissy’s bike was leaning against the garden shed. The road at the end of the driveway was downhill for almost a mile. I wouldn’t even have to pedal.
Steering one handed with the lunchbox tucked under an arm, I sped down the hill. It had been a while since I’d ridden a bike. Going so fast was a little nerve-wracking. The bus was just pulling away from a stop, when Marren must have seen me coming in his rear view mirror. He stopped and waited for me.
It was a miracle I didn’t crash into the bus at the speed I was going. Somehow, I braked accordingly, and casually pulled up alongside. Marren opened the door, and I held up the lunchbox, the other hand on the side of the bus to steady myself.
“Robert’s lunch.” I was breathless, despite the lack of pedalling.
“Wow, great job.” Marren grinned at me. He got out of his seat to take the item so I didn’t have to get off the bike, which I was most grateful for. “Well, thanks again. Have a great day.”
The bus door eased shut and began to pull away. I then noticed the loose end of my jacket belt wedged in the hinges of the door. Oh. My. God. Why did these things keep happening to me? I couldn’t get Marren’s attention, and I was just low enough that the kids wouldn’t see me through the windows. There was no time to wriggle out of the jacket or try to wrench the belt free. I had no choice but to hold on for dear life.
Halfway to the next stop, Marren happened to glance over and saw me bumping against the glass door. His eyes bulged in their sockets and he slowed down at once. When we’d finally come to a stop, he opened the door. In an attempt to get off the bike, I stumbled backward and deposited myself in a blackberry bush. The entire busload of kids burst into laughter.
Marren was at my side in seconds. “Leona! Are you okay?”
“I’m not really sure,” I managed. “I think my hair is hooked up in the thorns.”
He reached over and started to untangle it for me. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to find ways to stay in my life.”
A gasp escaped my throat. “I would never do that!” The cookies were a mistake. What had I been thinking?
“Relax! I was trying to make a joke. I know it must have been scary. I’m sorry I didn’t see you sooner. There… your hair is free, now.”
I picked myself up and dusted off my clothes. “Thank you.”
“You’ve got to admit though, it’s rather serendipitous the way we keep meeting like this.”
“Oh, is that what you call it?” I mumbled as I collected Chrissy’s bike from the gravel on the side of the road.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I wish you didn’t have to ask me that so often,” I grumbled. “But, yes. I’m fine.”
“Should I drop you back at the house?”
I pulled a twig out of my hair. “No, it’s okay. I’ll ride back. Thanks.”
Climbing back on the bike before he could try to talk me out of it, I rode off and didn’t look back once.
Eleven
I wanted to cry. I didn’t, but I wanted to. Why had Chrissy left me in charge of her babies? Who in their right mind thought I could do this? I crawled onto the window seat and hugged both knees to my chest.
I wasn’t sure I believed Marren, when he’d said he was joking. It wouldn’t have been out of the question for him to think I was throwing myself at him. It did look that way. Especially, after the bag of cookies. Damn the bloody cookies!
My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t had breakfast, but I couldn’t bring myself to get off the window seat. So lost in thought, I didn’t have a clue how long I’d been sitting there. If it hadn’t been for the sound of a vehicle in the driveway, I could have sat there the whole day. Thinking it was most likely the rural postman, I pulled myself together and went to answer the door.
Instead of the postman, I found Marren standing there.
“Hi. Sorry to drop in unannounced,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I came back to check on you as soon as I’d finished the bus run.”
“I swear I’m fine. Slightly humiliated, but not injured, I promise.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it. I know you always talk about your bad luck, but that last one was my fault. I should have made sure you were clear of the bus before I drove away. I’m sorry.”
“You really need to stop apologizing,” I said. “Did you want to come in for a cup of coffee?”
He flashed his swoon-worthy smile, creating little dimples in his cheeks and crinkles around his eyes. “I can’t stay long, but that would be nice.”
I led him through to the kitchen and put the kettle on.
“So, doing some babysitting?”
“Yeah, my sister went to Fiji for a week. I don’t know what she was thinking leaving me in charge.”
Marren sat down at the kitchen counter. “You’re doing a great job. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“I suppose you’re right. The children are all fine, it’s me that keeps behaving like a lunatic.”
“It’s just lucky you weren’t wearing your nightie this morning.”
I whirled around to find a mischievous gleam in his chocolate-brown eyes, and stopped myself a moment before reacting to the statement. “Why yes, it was,” I said instead. “Milk, sugar?”
“Yes, please.”
“So, why are you driving a school bus? Chrissy described the usual guy to me, and you definitely don’t fit the description.”
“I should hope not!” He pretended to be offended and then laughed. “The other driver is my dad. He’s just had knee surgery and can’t drive. I got my hours changed at work to fill in for him.”
I handed him his coffee and gestured toward the living room as I responded. “And, the bus run just happened to go past my sister’s house, where I just happened to be babysitting?”
“Like I said.” Marren slid off the stool and followed me. “Serendipitous. Or fate, if you believe in that.”
“Well, I am starting to wonder.” I chuckled and sat down on the couch.
There were multiple places Marren could have chosen to sit, but he picked the spot right next to me. My heart skipped a beat. Was Chrissy right? Was he interested in me? In that moment, I knew I wanted it to be true.
“How’s the job hunt going?”
“No luck so far, but to be honest, I’ve sort of put it on hold until my sister Chrissy gets back.”
“Makes sense.” He took a mouthful of coffee and placed the mug on a coaster. “If you don’t mind me asking, what is it you do? In case I know anyone with a position available.”
“I’m an accounts secretary. I’ve also been both a PA and a receptionist before. I’m applying for anything I can get my hands on, but those are what I’m trained to do.”
Marren leaned toward me. Though his timing was bizarre, it didn’t bother me. My gaze zeroed in on his mouth, as I prepared for him to kiss me. My lips tingled in anticipation, right up until he pulled a stray twig from my hair. Wow. How stupid was I?
His lips parted in surprise when he saw my expression. “Oh, hell. You thought I was going to…”
I turned to hide my blush, grabbing my coffee to mask the shame. As my fingers closed around the handle, Marren reached for my arm. He must have thought I was going to flee the room. Everything happened so quickly. Before I knew it, the coffee was all over my thigh and the carpet. It was still very hot, and burned through the denim quickly.
“Ow!” I jumped to my feet and brushed at the wet spot. Of course, it did nothing to solve my problem.
“I think your bad luck is contagious…” He muttered. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“Did you want to do anything about the carpet?”
“No, I think I just want to sit.” I sat back down, one hand res
ting on each knee, my back and shoulders rigid. How could I recover from this? Why did the universe keep putting this man in my path if stupid things like this were all that was going to happen?
“Leona, look at me.”
Shutting my eyes for a moment, in a bid to gather courage, I turned.
“I’ve been wanting to kiss you since we met. At first, it was the wrong place and the wrong time. Then, I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way. You’ve been through a lot, and–”
He’d said everything I needed to hear. Acting purely on instinct, I planted my lips on his before he could finish the sentence. For a split second, he froze. Then, he kissed me back. My arms found their way around his neck, and he buried both hands in my hair. God, the man knew how to kiss. I lost myself in the moment, all but melting into a puddle on the couch next to him.
In the background, the front door slammed and footsteps could be heard. I drew back instantly, turning in the direction of the intruder, to find myself face to face with my mother as she entered the room.
“Marren is my bus police!” I blurted.
Mum slowly digested the scene she’d walked in on. Two coffee cups. A spill on my pants, coffee on the floor. My lipstick on Marren’s face. Unlike me, my mother kept her cool in a crisis. Or, whatever this was.
“Oh, I wondered why there was a police car in the driveway,” she said casually.
“Hi, I’m Marren Reid.” Marren, now on his feet, reached out to shake her hand. “I’m currently filling in as the local bus driver, but my regular job is a police officer.”
Moving her gaze back and forth between Marren and me, Mum nodded slowly. “Uh huh. I don’t see any bus. What does that have to do with anything?
“I sort of maybe had a bit of an incident this morning.”
“Of course you did,” said Mum. “Do I need to sit down for this?”
“The children are all fine. Leona went above and beyond to make certain they were all on the bus with everything they needed.”
I knew this would never satisfy my mother. “I accidently got dragged along by the bus, but it’s okay. I wasn’t hurt, because I was on Chrissy’s bike.”
“Why were you on a bike – you know what, never mind. I don’t want to know.” Mum threw both hands in the air. “I just came to see how you were getting on with the kids.”
“I should probably get going anyway,” Marren said.
“It was lovely to meet you, Marren.” Mum smiled politely.
“You too…” He gave me one last glance as he was leaving. “I’ll call you later.”
“Sounds great!” I replied a little too enthusiastically.
Twelve
Once he was out of sight, I sank back down onto the couch with a thump. Mum, on the other hand, sauntered over to the window to watch Marren drive away.
“Well now, this is an interesting turn of events…”
“I swear I haven’t lost my mind. We’ve met several times, when… things happened.”
“Things?” Mum arched a brow.
Wow, she thought I meant sex. I was really on a roll. “Not those things! He was at the station when I got arrested. I saw him again to get my coat back, and when I got a parking ticket – which was overturned! It was also his car I ran into.”
“I thought it was he that ran into you?”
“Is that not what I said?” Man, I was a hopeless liar. I hated to think what she was thinking right now. Mum was a kind person who made sure I always knew I was loved. She had put up with far more than most parents would have in terms of my dramas, and had never once acted like I was a disappointment. But… she hated being lied to.
I combed both hands through my hair and sighed. “Okay, make yourself a cuppa and we’d better start at the beginning.
By the end of her coffee, Mum was fully caught up. There were several points during the conversation where I could tell she was struggling to hold back the laughter. I didn’t blame her. If she didn’t know me personally, it would have sounded like something that belonged on a soap opera, not real life.
She didn’t pass judgement on any of my escapades, but I could sense her concern. It was hard to blame her after all I’d been through recently. Despite her personal feelings, whatever they were, Mum hugged me tight.
“You know, I just want you to be happy.”
“I know.” I smiled a little. Mum’s hugs were the best.
“Marren seems nice, just take it slow, all right? I know you, Leona. You throw your whole heart into things from the get go, and always end up hurt.”
“I’ll be careful. Please don’t worry.”
“You, careful?” Mum laughed hard. “That will be the day.”
“Mum!”
“So everything else is okay? You’re managing with the kids?”
“Surprisingly, yes.” I grinned. “Who’d have thought, huh?”
“Chrissy wouldn’t have asked you if she didn’t think you could do it. We all know how much you love the kids. I think this is good for you.”
“Me too.” While those two words were true, I hadn’t grasped it until I said them. Moving in with Chrissy was exactly what I’d needed to get myself back on track.
Marren called while I was helping Tommy in the bath. This was announced by Robert and Sam yelling as they ran up the stairs to me.
“Aunty Leona, there’s a man on the phone for you.” Robert appeared in the doorway.
“It’s either the bus driver or the policeman.” Sam said, from right behind him.
“They’re the same person, you moron.”
“Robert! Be nice to your brother.” I scooped Tommy out of the bath and wrapped a towel around him. “Can you get dressed by yourself, or do you need help?”
Tommy rolled his eyes. “I’m not two anymore. Jeez.”
“All right, good for you.” I took the phone from Robert. “Hi.”
“I didn’t think about what time it was, things sound chaotic over there.”
“Yeah, they are, but I can talk for a bit.” I waited until the two older boys had jogged back downstairs, and slipped into Chrissy’s room to finish the call.
“I hope I didn’t make things too awkward with your mum.”
“Not at all. I was awkward enough for both of us.” I laughed a little.
“So, that kiss…”
“Mmm. I’ve been thinking about it too.” I lay back on Chrissy’s bed, allowing myself to remember what Marren’s lips felt like.
“Ew, you guys kissed?” Sam was on the second handset, somewhere in the house.
“Sam! Get off the phone, okay?”
Sam ignored me. “Did you like it?”
“I don’t know about your Aunt, but I sure did,” Marren said.
“Ewww!”
“I’m sorry…” I groaned. “Sam, please get off the phone.”
“I should let you go.” Marren laughed. “But, before I do, how would you like to go on a proper date? Maybe after the babysitting gig is over.”
“I’d like that very much.”
“Excellent.”
“I really appreciate your call.” The words came out somewhat formally, but on the inside I was dancing up a storm.
“Yes, well, here at the bus police, we aim to please.”
“There’s a bus police? I never knew that!”
Oh, great. Sam was still on the line.
For the rest of the week, I got the kids on the bus without incident. I didn’t crash any cars or bicycles. No disasters happened, and miraculously, I didn’t burn the house down. Chrissy returned full of smiles and hugs. The break had done her the world of good.
I now knew first hand, how difficult it was to solo parent five kids. My sister deserved a freaking medal. At least she’d have my help from now on. Secretly, I thought I might even enjoy it. As stressful as the babysitting had been at times, I’d loved the time with my nieces and nephews.
Naturally, I got the third degree about Marren. My mother had spilled the beans before Chrissy had even c
ome home. On her first night back, we stayed up late chatting over a bottle of wine. I opened up about my potential boyfriend, while she talked about her trip. I felt happy. Just maybe, the worst was behind me.
Thirteen
Marren arrived to pick me up Monday night. Chrissy was suitably charmed enough to mouth the words “oh my God” and gave me a double thumbs up when he wasn’t looking. I love that woman so damned much. Sam grilled Marren about the bus police, which resulted in some very interesting conversation, but finally we were on our way.
Five minutes into the journey back to the city, when the car was still filled with silence, I decided to initiate conversation. “So, where are we going for this date?”
He grinned. “Well, every time we’ve been together so far, has involved something embarrassing happening and an audience. This time, I decided I wanted you all to myself.”
With a soft laugh, I nodded in agreement. “It might be wise, though you still didn’t answer my question.”
“We’re going to eat at Mozzafiato.”
I wondered how that was going to enable him to ‘have me all to himself’. “I’ve never been there,” I said instead. “That’s on Willow Lane, isn’t it?”
“It is. They’re normally closed on a Monday night, but my cousin is the manager. I called in a favour, and voila.”
“We’re going to an Italian restaurant, and you’re spouting off in French.”
“Everyone’s a comedian, these days.”
I loved it when he pretended to be offended. It was so cute.
The only people at the restaurant were the chef, and Marren’s cousin, which made it a very intimate meal. The food was delicious, and we talked all night. I couldn’t believe how much we had in common, or how entertaining conversation with him would be. It was one of the best dates I’d ever had.
When we couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer, we reluctantly said our goodbyes to Marren’s cousin and thanked both him and the chef for the food.
It's the Little Things: A sweet romantic comedy novella Page 4