Rachel Dove - The Fire House on Honeysuckle Street

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 got into two different cars.

Marlene turned to her and smiled kindly. ‘We took two cars, because we all wanted to come. See you, and help you.’ She looked at Xander, who was looking at Sam, who was putting their luggage into one of the car boots. ‘Are you okay?’ she said lightly, looking at Lucy intently. She smiled faintly, a little movement of the head barely identifiable.

‘We will be.’ Marlene squeezed her shoulder, and the two women looked at each other for a moment, happy to be near each other finally. Sam turned to look at them, a frown across his features, and Marlene noticed.

‘Nice man, isn’t he?’ she said softly.

‘Yes, I dare say he is.’ Lucy noticed that he was putting his own case into the back of the other car. ‘What is he doing?’ Her voice came out shrill, panicked, and Xander looked up at her, picking up on the change instantly. She squeezed his hand to signal that she was okay.

She looked at her aunt just quickly enough to catch a sheepish look passing over her face.

‘Auntie?’ she tried again, but Marlene had already taken Xander’s hand and started off towards the car. To his credit, Xander didn’t make a fuss.

‘I’ll take Xander with me, you get in with Grace. Come on, Xander. Let’s get home, and then we can make some lunch, eh?’ Xander looked back at his mum questioningly, so she just smiled and waved him off.

‘See you there, honey. Make sure you put your seatbelt on.’

The others got into the car, and drove off, leaving Sam standing by Grace’s car. Grace was seemingly busy playing with the radio.

‘I hope you don’t mind – your friends didn’t really give me the option of refusing. I was going to get a taxi, but apparently we’re heading the same way.’

Lucy nodded, pointing to the front seat.

‘I don’t mind at all. Please.’

He shook his head, taking off his coat.

‘I’ll be fine in the back. You go ahead.’

He opened the door, and folded his tall frame into the back seat, his coat on his lap. She walked around to the other side of the car, opening the passenger side door. Grace’s large bag was strapped into the seat.

‘Sorry, love, I like to have my bag close, for my pills.’ She winked at Lucy, and Lucy blushed. Subtle .

‘Okay, no problem.’ She forced her face into a relaxed expression, even though she was utterly embarrassed. The rear door opened, and she saw Sam’s hand pull back onto his lap.

‘Thank you.’ She slipped into the seat next to him, putting her handbag onto her lap.

‘Please, use the middle seat. Don’t sit with your bag on you, all squashed up. There’s plenty of room.’

She eyed him, but saw the same calm expression. He was hard to read. She slid the bag off her lap and put it in the space between them.

‘So, what brings you to Westfield then?’ Grace asked brightly, pulling out of the train station car park at speed, startling a passer-by as she weaved into the busy morning traffic. ‘Meeting your wife?’