Chapter 32
After downing a bottle of beer, she was feeling suddenly rather more relaxed. She was unsure whether it was the effects of the drink or that the fact that she wasn’t going to be arrested after all.
It had never occurred to her that she would meet any of David’s family that night. It had never occurred to her that he even had any. Of course, she knew he had a father who ran the general store in town, but other than that, she had assumed he was all alone, like her. She suddenly realised that she knew a lot less about her date than was probably wise. Finding out his brother was a police officer should have been a comforting thought, but in her current predicament it was not – far from it.
‘David told me he was bringing a girl called Robyn to the Hogmanay celebrations, but what I want to know is the reason he has never mentioned how you met.’ Joe studied her intently.
Robyn looked away from his penetrating gaze, unwilling to answer that question. So, it turned out that Joe wasn’t aware of the accident on Christmas Day after all. For some reason, David had kept what had happened to himself. She thought that was rather odd. Joe had obviously not been at work that day, and hadn’t read the local paper or spoken to their father, who knew all about it. It was him who’d spoken to a news reporter about it – or rather, about his once-famous son, David.
Thinking of that, she looked at Joe and wondered if maybe the two brothers weren’t especially close because of David’s fame. She could just imagine sibling rivalry; how one of them making it big and the other living a small-town existence might cause jealousies, bitterness. But looking at Joe’s friendly, easy-going, relaxed demeanour, she couldn’t imagine that being the case. Besides, the life David had enjoyed once, the fame and the money, was all gone now. Well, she didn’t know about the money, but the fame, along with his career in sport, certainly was.
David was a good few inches taller than Joe, who was broader, and heavy-built, with nothing like the athletic slim build and dark good looks of his older brother. She guessed they must take after different sides of the family. She wondered which side David took after – his mum’s or his dad’s.
Joe looked in the direction of the crowd. Some people were dancing in the street, and others were sitting at trestle tables that had been laid out in a u-shape in the centre of the square, chatting amiably and eating burgers and hotdogs.
Robyn looked too. She spotted him first. ‘There.’ She pointed. ‘He’s with that man. Do you see him?’ Robyn looked at Joe, who nodded.
David and the man appeared to be arguing.
‘Who is that guy?’ Robyn said, more to herself, although she spoke out loud. ‘He was so rude when I met him. I don’t know why David even introduced us. He didn’t even have the decency to give me his name.’ Robyn gave the rude man a hard stare.
‘Ah, I see you’ve had the pleasure of meeting the old man then,’ Joe said cheerfully, raising his beer in the direction of David and the rude man before swigging a mouthful.
Robyn’s eyes shot to Joe. His grey eyes and solid build were familiar; now she knew why. Joe took after the man she’d shaken hands with – his father. Robyn cringed. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t be. He can be rude. That’s just the way he is, I’m afraid, but I’m not excusing his behaviour. I’d like to apologise, on my father’s behalf,’ Joe said sincerely. ‘I guess David didn’t give you any advance warning about who you were about to meet when—’ Joe stopped abruptly. ‘Excuse me.’
Robyn watched him put his beer down. He strode off quickly in David’s direction.
‘Well, how rude!’ exclaimed Robyn, surprised that amiable Joe had just walked off like that, mid-conversation. Like father, like son , she thought. But then she looked over and caught sight of David being pushed hard by his father. Joe must have seen it coming; that was why he was heading in their direction at pace.
She couldn’t see what happened next, as Joe’s broad shoulders blocked her view.
Robyn put her drink – which she’d hardly started – down on the table too, and then waded through the crowd. She could see Joe standing in between his father and brother, a hand on his father’s chest, keeping him at arm’s length, and a hand on David’s shoulder. He was looking at his father and saying something. David had his hand to his mouth.
No one around them seemed to have noticed the brief fracas. The music was still in full pelt and people were dancing and drinking as frantically as ever.
As she neared them, she saw their father backing away from David, shaking his head. Joe turned his attention to his brother. She could see Joe, still with his arm on David’s shoulder, lifting David’s chin. Only then did she see that David was bleeding.
‘Oh god, what happened?’ she said in dismay.
David brushed Joe’s hand away, ‘It’s alright. Really.’
‘I can charge him with assault,’ said Joe.
Good idea , thought Robyn, eyeing their father as he turned his back on them. She’d be a witness, gladly, even though she hadn’t actually seen the punch being thrown. Robyn looked at David, hoping for a positive response to this suggestion.
‘No.’
Robyn was about to object when David said, ‘It was my fault, Joe. I started it.’
‘So what!’ Robyn persisted. ‘He threw a punch.’
‘Yep, I agree,’ said Joe.
‘Still my fault,’ said David.
‘No, actually – it was my fault, wasn’t it?’ said Robyn. She’d guessed what had happened; why David had suddenly disappeared. He’d gone to have words with his father about being rude to his date when he’d introduced her.
David and Joe looked at her.
‘How so?’ asked Joe.
‘If David hadn’t introduced me …’ Robyn trailed off, not bothering to finish what was obvious.
Holding a handkerchief to his bloody nose, David shook his head. ‘No, it’s not your fault, Robyn. I shouldn’t have bothered introducing you to my father. When will I ever learn?’ He rolled his eyes at Joe.
She saw the brothers exchange a knowing glance.
She looked at David and noticed he didn’t just have a bloody nose. There was a trickle of blood coming from his forehead too. ‘You’re bleeding,’ she said, pointing at his forehead.
Joe peered at David. ‘How did that happen?’
‘I think his ring caught the side of my face.’
Robyn couldn’t believe David’s dad had just walked off and left him like that. What a mean, horrible man , she thought, hoping she never had to meet him again.
‘You two are going to end up with matching bandages.’
David frowned at his brother. ‘That’s not funny, Joe.’
‘No, it’s not, is it?’ Joe turned his gaze on Robyn. ‘Sorry.’
Robyn smiled at Joe. ‘It’s okay.’ She could tell he wanted to ask what had happened to cause her injury, but thankfully he didn’t. Instead, he said, ‘Why don’t you two call it an evening?’
Robyn thought that this was a good idea. Although she’d heard there were going to be fireworks, and she would have loved to stay for them, and perhaps dance a slow dance with David, she didn’t want to risk running into his father again.
David caught Robyn smiling at his brother and took her hand. ‘Yep, time to go.’
David used the handkerchief to dab his forehead. He looked at the handkerchief. ‘I think it’s stopping.’
Joe nodded at his brother and sighed. ‘Like old times – eh?’
David grimaced.
Joe said, ‘I think you should get that checked out.’
‘I’d rather not have to make another trip to A&E.’
‘What did you go to A&E for?’ Joe asked, concern in his voice. ‘Was your knee playing up again?’
David frowned at his brother. ‘No!’ He stole a glance at Robyn.
Robyn really didn’t want to get into the reason that David had been at the hospital. There was an awkward silence. David stood dabbing his forehead, avoiding Joe’s question. Robyn looked at David. Their eyes met. Neither of them wanted to talk about the accident on Christmas Day. She imagined Joe would find out sooner or later, either through his dad, when he spoke with him, or when he returned to work.
‘You ok to drive?’ Joe asked David.
‘Oh sure.’ He gingerly lifted the bloodstained handkerchief. A trickle of blood seeped down the right side of his face. ‘Damn,’ he muttered.
‘Didn’t think so,’ Joe replied.
Robyn didn’t feel like a ride home in a police car, even if it was David’s friendly brother. Then she remembered that Joe had said he was off duty. Even so, she didn’t want to get on to the subject of David’s trips to the hospital to visit her.
‘I think you need that looked at,’ said Joe, pointing at David’s head. ‘I’ll drive you to the hospital, get you checked over.’
‘I said I’m fine.’
‘I can drive,’ Robyn blurted. David didn’t want to go to A&E, and the last thing Robyn wanted was to see in the New Year at the hospital. She had an idea. If they went back to Gayle’s together, then Gayle could fix David up and give him stitches if he needed them.
‘Yes, Robyn will drive.’ David turned to face Joe. ‘I’ll be fine, really.’ He headed off in the direction of the van, leaving Robyn standing there awkwardly with Joe.
‘I’d better get going.’ She was about to follow David when she stopped and did an about-turn. Joe was still standing there, his hands on his hips. She asked, ‘Why doesn’t your father like me?’
Joe dropped his hands to his sides. ‘Robyn, I think you will be good for my brother, and that’s all that matters. Drive carefully.’ He turned toward the crowd. ‘Now, where’s that wife of mine?’
Robyn stared after him. She barely knew David, although what she did know was that she liked him – a lot. She didn’t want them to stop seeing each other. And she didn’t want his father getting in the way of their budding friendship.
She turned towards the car park in the village, where David had parked the van. As she made her way through the crowd, she recalled the times he’d visited her in the hospital. He hadn’t asked her a single question – where she came from, where she was going in such a hurry, or how she’d come to be on that country road alone on Christmas Day.
The questions would come, sooner or later. It was inevitable that he’d want to get to know all about her, as she wanted to know about him. But will David even like the real me when he finds out who I am? she wondered. She frowned, wishing she could answer that question. I don’t even know who the real me is.
But what was really playing on her mind as she made her way over to David, who was waiting for her in the van, was the possibility that if something did get in the way of their relationship, it would not be his father, but something, or someone in her past.