Back at the flat, Brooke and Rhianna were trapped in another blazing row.
‘Brooke, come on!’ Rhianna said. ‘It’s not any kind of snub to you and Mum, OK? I just can’t have Taryn here. She… she wouldn’t understand.’
‘Understand what? That not everyone lives in a home with multiple wings? That au pairs aren’t an essential part of every household? That there’s more to life for some of us than endless rounds of colonics and facials?’
‘She just inhabits a different world. I don’t want her…’
‘Don’t want her to what? Find out about us?’
‘I don’t want her to tell the people I know back in Nantwich that I’ve fallen on hard times, all right?’ Rhianna snapped, finally making eye contact. ‘I don’t want her to blame me for taking the kids from their home to live in… well, a place like this. I don’t want her to say anything that’s going to make me feel guilty for…’ She lowered her voice. ‘…for not going back to James.’
Brooke’s frown lifted slightly.
‘That’s what this is all about?’
‘Yes, Brooke, that’s what it’s about. I’ve got enough voices in my own head whispering that I’m a terrible mother for taking them away. I don’t need to add one more.’ Rhianna choked on a sob. ‘I’m not strong enough for one more.’
They were interrupted by the sound of the landline phone in the hall.
Brooke blinked. ‘Who’s ringing at this time?’
‘Mum?’
‘She’d ring us on our mobiles, surely.’ Brooke stood up, and Rhianna followed her out into the hall.
‘Hello?’ Brooke said, picking up the phone. Her eyes widened. ‘She’s what? Oh my God, what happened? Is she OK?’
‘Shit, Brooke, what is it?’ Rhianna said.
Brooke covered the mouthpiece. ‘It’s Mum. She’s at the bloody police station!’
‘Oh my God!’
‘Yes, I understand you can’t give us certain information over the… look, can you just tell us if she’s OK?’ Brooke demanded of the officer on the phone. She let out a sigh of relief. ‘All right, thank you. Yes, we’ll pick her up right away. Goodbye.’
‘What is it? What’s happened?’ Rhianna asked.
‘He wouldn’t tell me why she was there but she’s not hurt. He wants us to fetch her home.’
‘Do you think she… that this Mike guy…’
‘I’m sure it’s all OK,’ Brooke said, but she couldn’t help feeling worried.
‘What do we do?’ Rhianna’s tone was edged with panic. ‘We’ve been drinking, we can’t drive. Shall I phone a taxi?’
‘I’m sure Hayden would offer a lift. He’ll be closing up now, I’ll run down and ask. You stay here with the kids and I’ll be back as soon as I can.’
In the pub, Hayden was putting the chairs up on the tables.
‘Evening.’ He frowned as he caught Brooke’s expression. ‘You OK, love? You look – oof!’
Hayden staggered backwards as Brooke’s body collided with his, his arms instinctively wrapping around her.
She wasn’t sure what had made her fling herself at him. All she knew was that she was worried, and Hayden’s arms looked big and warm and comforting, and she’d probably had far too much prosecco.
‘Um, OK,’ he said, patting her back dazedly. ‘Not what I was expecting. What’s up, boss?’
‘It’s my mum,’ Brooke said, her voice muffled by his chest. ‘Hayd, have you got your car?’
‘Yeah, it’s in the car park. Why?’
‘Then can you drive me to the police station? I’m over the limit and I need to get her home, ASAP.’
‘The police station! What the hell’s happened? Is Janey OK?’
‘I don’t know, they wouldn’t tell me. All they said was that she’s not hurt.’
‘Well yes, if you need me to then of course I can. The girls… but never mind about that, I’ll text my mum in the car. Come on.’
Brooke summoned a weak smile. ‘Thanks, Bailey. You’re a good mate.’
She locked up the pub before following him to his car. Hayden tapped out a quick text to his mum to let her know he’d be late home.
‘What do you think’s happened?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know but I’m worried,’ Brooke said in a low voice. ‘God, she’s been fretting all day about this guy being some dangerous pervert and me and Rhia just laughed it off. What if she was right, Hayd? What if he’s… you know, done something to her?’
‘I’m sure it’s nothing. Your mum’s a tough old broad. If he tried anything, it’ll be him who came off worse.’ Hayden unlocked the car and Brooke slid into the passenger seat.
‘Thanks for this,’ she said as they set off. ‘I’ll never forgive myself if anything bad’s happened. I shouldn’t have let her go on her own. We should’ve arranged for her to meet him in the pub, where we could keep an eye on her.’
‘You did everything that could’ve been expected of you. Your mum’s sixty-two, Brooke. If she wants to get out dating, you can’t hold her hand through it.’
‘No.’ Brooke fell silent, staring at her knees. ‘She’s so naive, though. I mean, about how things are nowadays: all these online predators. I can’t help worrying about her.’
‘I know. I’d be just the same.’ He glanced at her. ‘So what’ve you been up to on your night off other than getting smashed?’
She smiled. ‘I’m not smashed. Just… tired.’
‘Mmm, I can tell. That hug was a dead giveaway that you’d had a pretty “tiring” evening. Don’t tell me you and your sister have actually been getting along?’
‘Yes. And no.’ She grimaced. ‘We were doing really well, until another row broke out.’
‘What about this time?’
‘Oh, it was my fault. She got this call and… I was too quick to get offended, I think. I felt like she didn’t want her Cheshire friends to find out where she was living so I flew off the handle. I hadn’t considered that maternal guilt about taking the kids away from their dad might be at the root of it.’
‘Sounds like you ought to talk about it.’
‘We were about to. Then the police rang.’ She flashed him a wobbly smile. ‘You talking to me to keep my mind off worrying?’
‘Yeah, is it working?’
‘Not really, but I appreciate the effort.’
He took his hand from the gearstick to squeeze her fingers. ‘I’m sure your mum’s OK, Brooke. Here if you need me, eh?’
‘I don’t deserve you.’
‘No. But anyway, here I am.’
‘Hayd, you’re not, um… you don’t mind, do you?’ she said, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror.
‘Mind what?’
‘You know.’
He flushed slightly. ‘Just being friends, you mean? I don’t mind. I always did think you were a pretty cool girl to be mates with.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Honestly?’ He sighed. ‘I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t like to be more. I know you want different things in your life than the things I’ve got in mine, but I can’t help… liking you, I guess. I’ve told myself there’s no point, but there you go, I still do. But if this is what you want, well, you’re the boss. I mean, you are literally my boss.’
‘Hayden, I wish…’
‘What?’
‘I’d like to. If you’d asked me out when we were teenagers, I’d have said yes like a shot. But we’re grown up now, and I can see all too clearly where it’ll end.’
‘Me too.’
She blinked. ‘Can you?’
‘Yeah, I think so. With a nice dinner, followed by some energetic sex and a cuddle. Then maybe a bit more sex for a nightcap.’ He glanced over at her. ‘Why, where were you thinking it’d end?’
‘I didn’t mean where the date would end. I meant where we would. You and me.’
‘I didn’t know you were into astrology.’
‘Come on, don’t pretend you haven’t thought about it. There are three possible ways this can go. We’ll have a date, discover we don’t gel after all and decide to just stay friends. That’s outcome one, and definitely the best of the three.’
‘Christ,’ Hayden muttered. ‘She’s only gone and done a bloody flowchart.’
‘Outcome two,’ Brooke went on. ‘We go on a date, it goes great, much sex ensues, then I meet your kids, they hate me and that’s the end of that.’
‘What’s outcome three then?’
‘Three is the ultimate nightmare scenario. We go on a date, it goes great, much sex yada yada, and… we fall for each other,’ Brooke said, looking away. ‘And then I meet your kids, they hate me, you realise I’m never going to be stepmum material and we both get our hearts broken, plus we can’t even stay friends because it’ll be too painful.’
‘All right,’ Hayden said evenly. ‘Can I add an outcome to the list?’
‘If you want.’
‘How about we have a date, we gel like crazy jelly people, much sex yada yada, then you meet my kids, they think you’re as awesome as I do and we all live happily ever after?’
Brooke shook her head. ‘Not going to happen.’
‘Why not? I know they’d love you. I’m not sure why you think different.’
‘Because kids don’t like me, Hayden. They can smell the fear on me.’
‘What about your niece and nephew? They must like you.’
Brooke thought about Max, and the hug he’d given her earlier.
‘Well, they’re family so they have to. I still feel awkward as hell around them though, even then. I couldn’t take on any sort of parental role, whether it was my own kids or someone else’s. I’m just not cut out for it.’
Hayden slowed down as they approached the police station. ‘I was hoping you could start in a more my-girlfriend type role and we could discuss what comes next when we’ve practised that a bit.’
‘No, Hayd, I’m sorry. I’m just not what you and your family need. Honestly, you’ll thank me one day, when you and the girls are happily settled with the person you were meant to be with.’ She patted his hand. ‘I do like having you around, though.’
He smiled. ‘I’m glad I made the grade. I well remember those far-off days of four weeks ago when you were convinced I wasn’t barman material and bit my head off every time I tried to charm you.’
‘Well, I’m not too proud to admit I was wrong. Don’t go anywhere, will you?’
‘I won’t. Not just yet.’ He opened the car door, then glanced back at her. ‘Sure you won’t reconsider?’
She shook her head. ‘I’m the wrong fit for you, Hayden. One day you’ll see it too.’
He sighed. ‘I was afraid you might say that. Let’s go get your mum then.’
They entered the station and Brooke approached the front desk.
‘Um, hi,’ she said to the officer on duty. ‘I’m here to pick up my mum, Jane Padgett.’
‘Oh. So you’re here, are you?’ a voice said. Brooke turned to find her mum behind her with her arms folded, looking rather dishevelled. One arm was blue with a blossoming bruise, and there was bracken poking out of her hair.
‘Oh my God, Mum!’ Brooke pulled her into a hug. ‘Are you OK?’
‘This is her, Officer,’ Janey said to the woman on the front desk, pointing to her daughter’s back. ‘I think a twelve-year stretch in Wormwood Scrubs is a fair sentence for wasting police time, don’t you?’
The woman laughed. ‘Well, just this once we’ll let her off. But try not to let it happen again, eh, Janey? We would technically be within our rights to charge you with wasting our time if you started making a habit of it.’
Brooke stepped back. ‘I don’t get it. What’re you doing here, Mum? Mike didn’t… I mean, nothing happened to you, did it?’
‘Well, I learned some interesting facts about hydrangeas and got pretty tipsy. Actually I had a rather nice evening, apart from getting nicked by the Filth at the end.’ She nodded chummily to the woman on the desk. ‘No offence, Paula.’
‘None taken,’ the woman said, smiling.
‘Evening, sunbeam,’ Janey said to Hayden. ‘What’re you doing here?’
‘Giving Brooke a lift. She was over the limit,’ Hayden said. ‘How about you?’
Janey glared at her daughter. ‘Some young idiot thought it was a good idea to set up an SOS function on my phone, so it automatically calls emergency services when you press and hold the menu button. Well, two sherries and a few wines at the restaurant and I don’t mind admitting I wasn’t quite as steady on my feet as I might otherwise have been. I tripped and fell into Mike’s rockery. The phone was in my back pocket and my bum landed right on the emergency button.’
Brooke laughed. ‘Oh my God. That’s all?’
‘It’s no laughing matter, young lady,’ Janey told her sternly. ‘What with the state of me, I couldn’t convince the two coppers who turned up that I wasn’t covering for a “domestic incident” so they hauled us both in. Mike went home in a taxi a quarter of an hour ago after we finally persuaded the police it was all a misunderstanding. Then I realised I’d left my handbag, phone and purse at his house and I didn’t have the fare to get home, so one of the nice constables said they’d give you a call for me.’
‘Thank God! I thought you might’ve been assaulted or something awful.’ Brooke pulled her into another hug. ‘Let’s get you home, eh? Rhianna’s worried sick.’