The Fire House on Honeysuckle Street. Rachel Dove

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СКАЧАТЬ seat she had vacated. Grace and Marlene hissed at each other and had a mini elbowing fight, Grace being the victor by jabbing her knitting needle into Marlene’s thigh.

      ‘Oww! Bugger off!’ Marlene shouted, trying to grapple the needle away from her. Her hand caught in the strand of wool, and started to unravel the stitching.

      Grace growled furiously, slapping Marlene’s hand, making her reel back with a startled yip.

      ‘Watch my blessed knitting, you ham-fisted old tart!’

      Dot ran to the pair, pushing her hands in between them.

      ‘Ladies, for chuff’s sake, pack it in!’

      Bing bong. The Tannoy sprang to life, stopping the sparring ladies in their tracks.

      ‘The delayed train from London King’s Cross is now arriving on Platform 2. Can all passengers please stand well back.’

      Dot sagged with relief.

      ‘Thank Christ for that.’

      Marlene and Grace both jumped up, ready to greet the newcomers.

      The train trundled to a stop on the platform, and the doors swished open.

      ‘Can you see her?’ Grace asked, putting her arm around Marlene, their fight long forgotten.

      ‘No, you?’

      Grace peered into the carriages as they moved along the platform, but the windows were tinted, making it difficult. A train employee stepped out, paddle in hand, and then the commuters started to disembark.

      ‘Dot, you see anything?’

      Dot stood open-jawed next to them, looking at something a little way down the train. She nudged Grace, who followed her gaze. Marlene was still looking frantically, Grace pulling on her arm.

      ‘What Grace, give up? What?’

      Grace tutted and, reaching across, she grabbed Marlene by the jaw and showed her what they were looking at.

      Down the platform, just getting off the train, was a man. Well, they assumed it was a man, not a mirage, but, sometimes, it was hard to tell the difference. Grace dropped her needles and they clattered to the floor with a metallic tinkle.

      ‘What, I ask you, is that?’ she asked, licking her lips slowly.

      Dot shook her head slowly, her eyes out on stalks. ‘I don’t know, but I want one.’

      Marlene, slack-jawed, babbled twice before muttering, ‘It’s Bruce Willis, I tell you. Or that other guy, the Statham guy, what’s he called?’

      Grace giggled. ‘Who cares what he’s called, where did he come from?’

      The three women watched as the man put down a suitcase and oversized holdall, and swept back onto the train, dipping his head as he walked back through the doors. A minute later, dressed in a long coat and jeans, he stepped back down off the train, more luggage in hand. A woman and a small boy followed, the woman taking the bag from him.

      ‘Figures,’ Dot whined. ‘A man like that, had to be taken.’

      ‘Lucky cow,’ Grace moaned, looking down at her forgotten knitting. ‘Bollocks, I dropped my jumper.’

      She bent to pick it up, and Marlene practically leap-frogged over her.

      ‘It’s Lucy! She’s here!’

      Marlene half ran, half trotted like a pony, over to the trio, and patted the woman excitedly on the shoulder.

      ‘Lucy dear, is it you?’

      Lucy turned around and smiled broadly, throwing one of her arms around her beloved aunt.

      ‘Auntie Marlene, hello!’ Marlene threw her arms around her, hugging her tight. Over her shoulder, she saw the Adonis they were ogling earlier, standing a little way back with the bags.

      ‘Did you have a nice journey?’ She pulled back, looking at her niece. She looked tired and drawn. She didn’t let her face betray her worry for her niece. A pair of little eyes fixed on her, and she looked at the little boy, holding his mother’s hand so tightly. He was looking around him as though he was fighting the urge to run off.

      ‘Hello, my darling,’ she said softly, bending down to look the youngster in the face. ‘Shall we go to the car?’

      Xander looked at her, his headphones making him look all the younger, and smiled slowly, nodding his head. Dot and Grace came up behind them, pointing to the bags.

      ‘These all yours?’ Grace asked. Or rather, she asked the crotch of the rather tall bald man guarding them.

      He nodded politely, pointing at two of them.

      ‘These are theirs, I just helped. You need a hand to your car?’

      Lucy shook her head, and opened her mouth to say no, but the women had already gone, cooing around the bloke that she had just spent two hours trying to avoid.

      ‘You are lovely!’ Dot simpered, reaching up and touching the man’s arm. ‘Ooo, have you felt this, Grace?’ She squeezed his bicep, and Sam blushed.

      Lucy looked down at Xander, and he giggled at her.

      ‘Come on then, let’s go sort these ladies out before they rip his pants off.’

      Xander gasped, a shocked expression on his face. ‘That’s not allowed in public, you told me!’

      Lucy laughed, cursing herself for not watching her phrasing.

      ‘It’s just a saying, that’s all, love. Sorry. They won’t touch his pants. Let’s go, shall we?’ She squeezed his hand and he squeezed it back, their little nod to each other. Their comfort to each other when out and about in the world. I’m here, it said to the other.

      They walked towards their cases, but Sam had seen them coming, and picked up their holdall.

      ‘I can take your bags,’ he stated, throwing the holdall over his shoulder with his own and taking the case handle in his hand with his own in the other.

      ‘No, it’s fine, I can manage.’

      The women were all flocked around him, rapture on their faces. Lucy wanted to slap the lot of them. What was it about him that had made them lose their mind like this? Sam paid them no notice, he was standing there, laden down, looking at her in his own quiet way. She felt naked under his gaze, like he could read her thoughts, and she swallowed hard. Why didn’t he say anything? What was in that lofty head of his?

      ‘I didn’t say you couldn’t manage. I have them. I’ll see you to your car.’

      The ladies sprang into action then, and she found herself being pulled along, Xander stuck to her leg. They left Leeds station, heading through the crowds of suits and shoppers, Sam a way in front, carrying their combined luggage with ease. Grace and Dot went on in front, heading towards the car park, and, once there, they both СКАЧАТЬ