Chapter 21
‘Steady.’ Jack gripped Bill’s good arm by the elbow, and as he guided him into the house Bill was immediately struck by how empty it was without Patch.
God, he missed his dog. Fiona would bring him back soon, and he couldn’t wait to see him. He couldn’t wait to see her, either…
Jack said, ‘Sit down and I’ll grab your bag from the car, then I’ll put the kettle on. I bet you could do with a nice hot cup of tea.’
He could. The tea in hospital simply hadn’t tasted right.
Jack helped Bill lower himself into the chair, and he grunted as his backside hit the seat. Shuffling awkwardly and with a great deal of wincing, he got comfy. Or as comfortable as could be expected with a shoulder intent on making his life a misery – and he wasn’t just referring to the ache. Doing the simplest of things, such as brushing your teeth, was made that much more difficult when you could only use one arm. And let’s not mention the getting dressed fiasco. It had taken him a full twenty minutes, and that was with the help of one of the nurses. God only knows what he’d be like when he had to do it on his own. Changing into his pyjamas this evening was going to be fun.
Jack reappeared with his bag. Unfortunately, that wasn’t all – he also had Glenys with him.
She was beaming. ‘I guessed they might let you out today. How are you feeling?’
‘Like I’ve been run over by a bin lorry.’
‘We’ll soon have you on your feet again,’ she chirped.
We? Who was we ? Oh heck, he had become one of Glenys’s projects, hadn’t he? Great, that was all he needed.
Jack popped his bag on the floor. ‘I was about to make Bill a cup of tea. Would you like one, Glenys?’
She flapped a hand at him. ‘I’ll see to Bill. You go. I’m sure you’ve got lots to be getting on with.’
Jack shot him a questioning look, but what could Bill do? He could hardly beg Jack to stay, so he nodded. ‘Thanks, son. I appreciate everything you’ve done. I’m sorry to have been such a nuisance.’
‘Will you please stop apologising?’ Jack replied. ‘You’re not a nuisance. Molly said she’ll pop by later to check on you, and see if you need anything. And I’ll be back at bedtime to give you a hand if you need it.’
‘Thanks, son, but Molly needn’t bother. I’ll be fine.’
‘He’ll have me, won’t you, Bill?’ Glenys piped up. ‘Don’t you worry, Jack, I’ll see to him.’
‘I don’t need taking care of.’ Bill was becoming irate.
‘Now, now, don’t be like that. Of course you do, and I’m going to start by making you a nice cup of tea and a spot of lunch. And while the kettle is boiling, let’s empty your bag, shall we, and put everything away.’
Bill’s glare followed her as she scurried into the kitchen, and he heard her fill the kettle. He sent Jack a despairing look which Jack completely misinterpreted
‘Don’t worry, Glenys will take good care of you.’ Jack patted his uninjured shoulder.
Bill had no option but to give in, as Jack said, See you later.’ Then he was gone, leaving him alone with Glenys.
‘Kettle’s on,’ she announced, returning to the living room and picking up his bag. She placed it on the sofa and began pulling everything out. ‘While it comes to the boil, what can I get you to eat? Scrambled egg? Cheese on toast? A bowl of soup? That’s assuming you’ve got any of those. I’ll just unpack this, then I’ll have a rummage in your fridge and cupboards.’
Bill’s irritation grew with each word she uttered. He did not want her rummaging anywhere, thank you.
‘I’ll do that,’ he said sharply, as she removed his underwear from the bag.
Her reply was cheerful. ‘It’s no bother. I’ve seen dirty underpants before.’
You’ve not seen mine , and less of the dirty, he thought crossly. Anyone would think he wore the same pair for weeks on end, when in fact, he put a clean pair on every day.
‘What’s all this?’
Bill snapped his attention back to Glenys. She was holding the cool bag and peering at its contents. He had only managed to eat about a third of it – Fiona had packed far too much.
‘It’s full of food.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘I’ll throw this out, shall I?’
‘Don’t you dare. Fiona brought that into hospital for me.’
‘When?’
‘Yesterday afternoon.’
She pursed her lips. ‘It’ll have gone off by now.’
‘The cake and biscuits won’t,’ he insisted.
Scowling, she set the slice of cake and the biscuits to one side and gathered up the rest, taking it into the kitchen. She was back a minute later with a cup of tea.
Bill took it from her and sipped it gratefully. ‘Aah, that’s better. I don’t know what they do to the tea in hospital, but it tastes like dishwater.’
‘I’ll see about getting us some lunch,’ Glenys said. ‘Then I’ll put a load of washing on. How about if I change your sheets? There’s nothing nicer than fresh sheets.’
‘I only changed them on the weekend. They’re fine.’
‘What about your towels? Do they need doing?’
‘No, thanks.’
‘Shall I just—?’
‘No, Glenys, honestly. It’s fine.’
She looked put out and he felt guilty, but he wasn’t used to being fussed over and he found it a bit claustrophobic. Thankfully, she disappeared into the kitchen once more, giving him a chance to draw breath. It was nice of her to call in, and even nicer to offer so much help, but what he really wanted was to be left alone so he could process the last couple of days. He wanted to see Patch and Fiona too, and he hoped they—
The opening of his front door and the sound of little paws interrupted his thoughts, and Bill felt a smile stretch across his face as his dog skittered into the living room and bounded into the chair, throwing himself into his arms and smothering him with licks. Bill winced, ignoring the pain as he kissed the furry little head. Patch whimpered and squirmed, his tail going nineteen to the dozen.
‘Get off!’ Glenys cried, hurrying into the living room. ‘Down! Down!’
‘He’s OK, ‘Bill said through gritted teeth, as he tried to hold the wriggling little body with one hand, but Patch jumped down, giving Glenys a baleful look and slinking under the chair. It seemed that Glenys wasn’t his favourite person.
‘Dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the furniture,’ Glenys continued, then added, ‘If he knocks your shoulder, you could end up back in hospital. Hello, Fiona.’
Fiona was standing in the doorway, Patch’s lead in her hand. Her face was expressionless. ‘He’s just had a walk, so he should be all right for a while,’ she said, draping the lead over the arm of the sofa.
Glenys thrust the cool bag at her. ‘Is this yours?’
‘Er, yes.’
‘I’ve emptied it, so you may as well have it back.’
Bill tried to meet Fiona’s eye, but Patch leapt onto his lap again and by the time he had calmed the dog down, he realised that Fiona had gone.
‘She’s not left, has she?’ he asked over the top of the terrier’s head.
‘She has, but don’t worry, you’ve got me now. Which is just as well, considering she’s intent on going ahead with the cafe. She’ll have enough on her hands with that. Frankly, I don’t know why she’s bothering, not after all the trouble she’s had with it. Nasty business. I think it’ll be too much for her, but she won’t listen to me. Sit forward and let me plump your cushions for you. There, isn’t that better?’
Bill wasn’t listening. His mind was on Fiona, and he wished with all his heart that she was the one plumping his cushions, not Glenys.
***
Fiona pulled Bill’s front door closed with a gentle click, then leant against it, breathing deeply. She had heard every word Glenys had said, and it made her blood boil. Maybe the woman was right and the cafe would prove to be too much for her, but Fiona wouldn’t know until she tried. Anyway, she wouldn’t give Glenys the satisfaction of saying I told you so . Not just yet. She would give it her best shot, then if she had to pack it in, so be it.
But right now, all she could think about was the way Glenys had bulldozed her way into being Bill’s unofficial carer. Oh, and the hundred-and-one things she had to do before the cafe’s official opening tomorrow.
She had been depending on Bill’s help, but that was out of the question now of course, and he would be incapacitated for several weeks, if not months, so it was down to her.
With a sigh of resignation, she straightened up and set off for the cafe. Those cakes and pastries weren’t going to bake themselves.
***
A bang on the newly reglazed cafe window made Fiona jump, and she looked up from her pastry-making to see Liam and Connor peering through the glass.
Wiping her hands, she unlocked the door. ‘Shouldn’t you pair be in school?’
‘It’s half-past four.’
‘Goodness, is that the time?’ What with the delivery arriving early this morning, walking Patch and taking him back to Bill’s house (she growled to herself when she thought about Glenys being there), then spending the rest of the day in the cafe, she didn’t know where today had gone.
‘School finished ages ago, but we had detention.’
‘What did you do to deserve it?’
‘Called Mr Fenner an old fart. He’s a right saddo.’
‘What does he teach?’
‘Welsh. But when I swore in Welsh, he didn’t know what it meant and I had to translate. I told him to—’
‘That’s OK, I don’t need to know.’
‘Whatcha doing?’
‘Making stuff for tomorrow.’
‘Can we have some cake?’
‘No. Now go away and let me finish, otherwise I’ll be here all night.’
‘Aw, go on…’
‘I haven’t got any. I’ll make it fresh in the morning.’
‘A biscuit? Please? ’ Liam wheedled.
Fiona relented. ‘Just one.’
‘And a can of pop?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Go on, then.’ She would put the money in the till later.
‘We heard about Bill,’ Connor said, around a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie as Fiona carried on with making her pastry. ‘Is his arm in a cast?’
‘No, he broke his collarbone and they can’t put that in a cast. He’s got a dressing on it and his arm is in a sting.’
‘I bet it hurt.’ Liam’s eyes were wide.
‘It’s bound to have,’ Fiona agreed. She wondered whether Glenys was still there, trying to shove her size six feet firmly under Bill’s table. Huh! Glenys was going to have a shock when she realised that Bill wasn’t in the market for a wife, or any kind of relationship.
‘I heard he fell over chasing after the fecker who broke your windows,’ Liam said. ‘I heard he nearly caught ’em, too.’
‘Not exactly,’ Fiona said, and went on to explain what had happened. ‘You weren’t in the park around that time on Wednesday evening, were you?’
‘I didn’t do it. It weren’t me.’
‘I never said it was,’ Fiona replied calmly. ‘But you and your friends are often in the park in the evening, so I wondered if you saw anyone.’ She put the pastry in the fridge. ‘Someone you know, maybe?’
‘Like who?’ That was from Connor, who was scrutinising her intently.
Fiona knew she shouldn’t say this and that it would be tantamount to an accusation, but she said it anyway. ‘Pamela Edwards, the woman who owns Best Bites?’
‘Her?’ Liam’s voice was filled with scorn. ‘Nah, we didn’t see her.’
Connor said, ‘Everything was good when we left, nothing was smashed.’
‘Except you.’ Liam gave him a shove. ‘He’s a lightweight,’ he said to Fiona. ‘Can’t hold his beer.’
She refrained from telling them that they shouldn’t be drinking at all, but she knew they wouldn’t listen to her and all she would succeed in doing was souring their fragile relationship.
Connor added, ‘Wouldn’t be surprised if it was her though, the way she’s been mouthing off. She’s a right—’
Fiona put up her hand. There was no need to call the woman names, although privately she agreed with Connor.
‘She hates us, she does. Won’t let us in the cafe. Don’t wanna go there anyway – the food is naff. I wouldn’t go there if you paid me.’ He scowled and scuffed the tiled floor with his trainer-clad toe.
‘That’s a shame,’ Fiona sighed. ‘I was hoping you might have seen someone.’
‘Nah, only that old woman, Glenys. She lives near my gran, that’s how I know her. She can’t half move for an old biddy with a stick. Fair legging it, she was.’
Fiona froze. ‘Back up a sec. Did you say Glenys? ’
‘Yeah.’ The boys exchanged worried glances. ‘That’s OK, innit?’
‘And you say she had a stick. Are you sure about that?’
Another exchange of glances. ‘Yeah. So?’
Fiona nodded to herself. It was all beginning to make sense. ‘Would you like another cookie, lads?’ she asked with a smile. Hell, after what they had just told her, they could have the whole batch!