Chapter 10
Ten
Lara and Tom sat in silence for a while, but not for long. The nurse brought Tom a cup of tea and also one for Lara.
‘I thought you might like one too,’ he said.
‘The doctor sends his apologies, but there’s been a slight delay.
One of the machines has broken down and he won’t have your test results until a little later.
But don’t you worry. He says he’ll come and see you before the end of his shift, and I’ll make sure he does.
’ The nurse winked at Tom. ‘Enjoy your tea. Don’t forget, if you need anything, I’m just a push of that button away. ’ He pointed to the call button.
‘Thanks,’ Tom said, and he took a gulp of his tea. ‘Ah. That’s nice.’
Lara couldn’t argue with that. It was a lovely cup of tea. She hadn’t realised how thirsty she was, and clearly so was Tom. He emptied his cup in just a few long gulps. Lara took the empty cup from him and placed it on the overbed table.
‘You’re an angel,’ he said.
She looked at him and smiled, but as his eyes were closed again, she wasn’t sure if he was talking to her, or having an hallucination. He had taken a bang to his head, after all.
‘I’m no angel,’ she said, and was pleased to see him grin. He had been talking to her. That was a relief.
Lara still could not believe that Tom could possibly own a painting by her mum. Especially one that must’ve been painted while Lara and her parents were on holiday in Bluewater Bay.
And how did Tom acquire it? He said he had purchased it for his wife, Bonnie, but where had he purchased it from? Had her mum left the painting for sale in a local gallery or shop?
Tom’s eyes were still closed and he might be having his own memories of his beloved wife. Lara wanted to ask him questions, but she didn’t want to disturb him, especially as he needed his rest after his fall.
Instead she sat pondering. She could get out her phone and search for a list of all her mum’s paintings, but she couldn’t do that in the A and E department of Poppleton District General. She would have to wait until she got home.
Home.
Was she already thinking of the cottage as home?
It had certainly felt like home when she had walked over the threshold yesterday.
Would she seriously consider moving from Woking to Bluewater Bay? She could imagine Jenny would have something to say about that. But Jenny would want whatever she thought was best for Lara, and if Lara believed she could be happy living in Bluewater Bay, Jenny would probably help her move.
No. She was being ridiculous. Fanciful. Totally unrealistic.
She loved her flat and her life in Woking.
She loved her job with Pliny Software. Although as she worked from home, she wouldn’t have to leave her job if she did decide to move to the cottage in Old Oak Lane.
It would mean a longer trip on the days she went to the office, but the drive down here hadn’t been too bad, and there must be a train service that would get her from somewhere close to Bluewater Bay to Woking.
She was getting ahead of herself. She had only been in the cottage for a day and a half. Far too short a period of time to make such a life changing decision. She could rethink the situation when she had lived there for a month.
Or she could stay in the cottage for longer.
And Jenny could come and stay with her in the cottage for a weekend or two.
Perhaps even for a week. It wasn’t as if Lara had to rush back to her flat in Woking.
There was nothing that depended on her being there.
No pets, no plants, no … Oh my God! Pets!
She had completely forgotten about her cat.
She looked at her watch. It was almost five-thirty.
Ula and Greg would be leaving soon. Thanks to Greg, who had three cats, she now knew Nicodemus was a boy.
She also knew that as much as he liked chicken, cat food was something he needed as an important part of his diet.
She had fed him at lunchtime, with chicken once again, but she had nothing for him for tonight or for the morning.
‘Tom,’ she whispered.
Tom opened his eyes and smiled at her.
‘I’m really sorry, but I need to go. I’m sure your grandson will be here very soon.
He’s probably been held up by the weather and the traffic.
’ She sincerely hoped those were the reasons that he had not arrived yet.
She had spoken to him around three or three-thirty and he had said that the journey would only take him an hour or so.
That meant he was already an hour later than expected.
But it had taken her longer than expected to get here and she only had to drive ten miles. ‘Will you be okay.’
‘I’ll be fine. You go. Don’t worry about me.’
‘Thanks. You won’t believe this, but I’ve been adopted by a cat. Unless he’s yours?’
‘No. I don’t have a cat. You’ve been adopted, you say?’
‘It would seem so. He was in my kitchen last night, although I have no idea how he got in. I opened the back door to let him out but he had no intention of going anywhere. Other than to sleep on my bed, that is.’
Tom chuckled. ‘Cheeky blighter.’
‘He certainly is. I’ve called him Nicodemus. He’s black and rather handsome, and I think he knows it. The thing is, I need to go and buy him some cat food. And other bits and bobs. Like a cat bed, for example. Not that I expect him to use it. But I can live in hope.’
‘There’s a pet shop in the village. It’s not particularly big, but it should have everything you need.’
‘It’ll probably be closed by the time I get there. I’ll find a supermarket or something.’
‘What’s the time then?’
‘It’s almost five-thirty.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. But if you’re worried that your grandson hasn’t arrived yet, I’m sure you needn’t be. It took me much longer to get here than I expected and I didn’t have anywhere near as far to come.’
‘I wasn’t worried. He’s a good driver, and he’s a sensible lad. He’ll be fine. Now go and feed your cat.’
Tom might not have been worried before she spoke but he looked worried now. And so was she. But she couldn’t let Tom know that.
‘Will you ask him to send me a text when he does arrive, please? Only because the doctor hasn’t been to have a word with you and I just want to be sure that you’re okay.’
‘I told you I’m fine. But yes. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll get him to text you. Now go.’
Lara hesitated.
‘I’m in a hospital,’ Tom said, as if reading her mind. ‘Nothing is going to happen to me, but if it does, I’m in the best place for it, so stop worrying, and go.’ He closed one eye and grinned at her.
‘I’m going. Get some sleep.’
Tom closed his other eye and let out a fake snore, making Lara laugh as she left his cubicle.
Spotting the male nurse, Lara went to have a word with him.
‘Sorry to trouble you, but I’ve got to go. Tom’s grandson should be arriving any minute. Tom is okay, isn’t he?’
The man nodded. ‘He’s fine. Don’t you worry, I’ll keep an eye on him until his grandson arrives. What’s his name?’
‘Oh.’ Lara laughed. ‘I don’t know. I’ve only spoken to him on the phone, and I never thought to ask his name.
I’ve asked Tom to ask him, whatever his name is, to send me a text to confirm Tom is fine.
I know you’re busy, and I hate to ask, but if you see him, the grandson that is, could you ask him to send Lara a text, please? ’
‘No problem. I’ll get a message to your mystery man.’ He winked at her.
‘Thanks. Have a good evening. And thanks again for the tea. It was just what the doctor ordered.’
He laughed. ‘Best medicine ever. You have a good evening too.’
Lara hurried towards the exit and was dismayed to see that the rain was torrential yet again. She didn’t want to get in a panic about Tom’s grandson, but she couldn’t help but worry that the man still hadn’t arrived.
She paid for her parking, via the ticket machine, and with her head bent to try to stop the rain hitting her in the face, she ran towards her car.
‘Oh! I’m so sorry,’ she said, knowing it was her fault that she had just run into someone because she couldn’t really see where she was going. Someone tall. Someone solid. Someone with strong hands. Hands that had grabbed her arms to stop her from toppling backwards.
‘My fault. I didn’t get out of your way. I’m in a hurry. Are you okay?’ The man’s voice was deep and strong but Lara wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or not.
‘I’m fine, thanks.’
‘Great.’ He let go of her and was gone before she had time to say another word, or to get a look at him.
She spun around but a large white van pulled up right in front of her, blocking her view. And then the window opened and an irate man yelled, ‘Gonna move, darlin’? I wanna park in that space and I ain’t got all day.’
‘Nor any manners, apparently,’ she snapped back, and was pleased to see a flicker of surprise on his face.
She turned around with a dramatic twirl and marched off to her car. She wanted to run so that she wouldn’t get drenched, but that oaf might think she was frightened of him, and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
She was soaked by the time she shut her car door, and she still had to go and get Nicodemus some cat food. The bed, and toys, and other items she had intended buying could wait, but she needed something for his dinner tonight and for his breakfast in the morning.
This was why she preferred to keep herself to herself. People – and animals – brought problems, responsibilities, worries and headaches. She was tired, cold, and felt like a drowned rat. All she wanted to do was go home, jump in a hot bath, with a large – very large – glass of wine, and go to bed.
But no. She had a cat to shop for and then to feed, and a text to sit and wait for, from a man whose name she didn’t know, about a man she had only met one day ago.
How had her life become so complicated?