Bella Osborne - Willow Cottage – Part Two - Christmas Cheer

Carly dropped the controller as if it were molten lava. She would rather have her eyeballs tattooed than play for another minute. As the earlier lesson on building had also turned into a one-sided shouting match, Carly knew she had to walk away before she did or said something she would regret.

‘Beer?’ she signed and he signed ‘Please,’ which allowed her to escape to the kitchen where she could have a good rant without being heard.

Beth was juggling a PE kit and a lunch box as she tried to leave the house. ‘Hang on,’ said Beth as she locked the front door. She didn’t want Leo charging off without her. ‘Have you had Jack, I mean Mr Selby, teach your class yet?’

‘Nope,’ said Leo, fidgeting as he saw Denis come out of the side door of the pub.

Beth couldn’t work out why Jack was so busy if he wasn’t teaching. The school only had one class and, from what she’d gleaned, he was their IT teacher. Things weren’t adding up. On the walk to school, Petra was having a rant about brewery deliveries so Beth just listened and nodded in the right places.

Leo was swallowed up by the ancient school entrance without giving his mother a backward glance. It jabbed at Beth’s heart but she was pleased that he had settled in so well. As she walked back with Petra, the subject changed to being a single parent.

‘I don’t know how you run the pub as well,’ said Beth, who was truly in awe of Petra. There was no question that Beth was better off without Nick but it was no picnic managing everything alone.

Petra shrugged off the compliment. ‘How long have you been on your own with Leo?’

‘Since he was a baby. There was a boyfriend until recently but that didn’t work out. How about you?’

‘The same,’ she said, with a sad smile.

‘Leo’s father died. What happened to Denis’s?’

‘Disappeared,’ said Petra, wiggling her fingers into the air. Beth was smiling at the gesture but Petra wasn’t.

‘Like magic?’

‘Like the Devil,’ said Petra, with a frown. Beth wanted to ask her more but they were level with the pub and, with a forced smile and a wave, Petra was gone.

Beth started to think about what she had on her ‘to-do’ list for the day and decided that, although it pained her, Jack was right and she needed to get on with the outside paintwork. The trees on the green were turning all the colours of a fanned flame; some were starting to drop their leaves and, though the weather was fair and dry today, there was no telling how long that would last.

As she rounded the willow tree, she saw Jack. He was suited up and checking his watch. Beth slowed her pace for a second to give herself a moment longer to admire him. There was no getting away from the fact that Jack Selby was rather good-looking. His hair was neater than usual and his suit showed off his broad shoulders and slim hips. He really did suit a suit, she thought, and it made her giggle. Doris sat at his side looking around and probably wondering what was going on.

‘Good morning and welcome to doggy daycare,’ said Beth, striding past them to unlock the door. Doris padded in and started sniffing everything.

‘Here’s her bowl and blanket. She’s been fed, she just needs water. She’s been for a run so she’ll most likely sleep all day. Any problems, give me a call.’ This was going to be easy, thought Beth.

‘Have you got a busy day ahead?’ she asked but as soon as the words had left her lips she wanted to curl into a ball. She sounded like her mother; if she wasn’t careful she’d be asking if he’d got clean underwear on next. She shook her head to dispel any thoughts of Jack’s underwear.

Jack gave a half-smile. ‘Just the usual.’ He handed her a business card. She was still reading the card and holding the dog’s bowl and blanket when she realized that Jack had gone and Shirley was walking past, taking in the scene and shaking her head.

‘Morning, Shirley,’ she said, with a wave.

‘Morning, crazy lady,’ said Shirley, as she and her trolley shuffled by. Beth felt a thump in her thigh as Doris charged past her. Doris’s gruff bark made Beth jump and cost her valuable moments as she lunged unsuccessfully for her collar. Doris bounded up to Shirley, making Shirley look even smaller than usual.

‘Doris! Come here! Heel! Stop! Halt!’ Beth tried a series of commands as she ran over to the barking dog, but Doris wasn’t paying attention. Doris was fixated on barking at Shirley and her wheelie trolley.

‘Stupid animal!’ said Shirley, waving her arms about wildly, which put the dog on her guard and she stepped back and wagged her tail whilst continuing to bark.

This gave Beth a chance to grab hold of her collar and she marched a reluctant Doris back inside. ‘Sorry!’ Beth called over her shoulder. Shirley shook her head, muttered something, patted her wheelie trolley and moved off again.

Beth guided Doris inside, shut the door firmly, and the dog recommenced her exploration of the cottage whilst Beth reread the business card.

Jack Selby

IT Consultant

Selby Systems

She was intrigued. Was he moonlighting? Or just bigging up a very small part? She turned the card over in her hand, looking for more clues, but that would have to wait until later as there was a noise coming from upstairs. Beth started up the stairs but, before she got halfway, her tent appeared in the bedroom doorway. Doris had somehow managed to get inside the tent but now was unable to get out of it and looked as if she was wearing it as a fancy dress costume. She tried and failed repeatedly to get through the doorway but the springy tent frame bounced her back each time as she whimpered her frustration. Beth blinked hard; maybe this wasn’t going to be that easy after all.

Carly was waiting on the cobbles in Covent Garden. She and Fergus were having a date night. She froze when she saw the bouquet of pale roses coming towards her but relaxed as soon as she saw it was Fergus carrying them.

‘You okay?’ he asked, planting a kiss on her lips.

‘Yes. I wasn’t because, for a second there, I thought you were Nick.’

‘Whoops. I got the roses because you really liked the ones he bought you.’

She had to admit it was a lovely thought, even if it was borrowed from Nick. ‘Your bunch is bigger than his.’

‘I know,’ grinned Fergus, before handing them over and giving her another kiss.

Date night was another of Beth’s ideas and Carly hoped it would end better than the Minecraft tutorial. Carly and Beth had slipped into having long conversations on the phone on a Wednesday evening and it was definitely helping Carly’s state of mind. There were few people that Carly would listen to but Beth was one of them. She had suggested that the proposal was becoming a destructive obsession and that Carly needed to recognize this. It wasn’t what Carly had wanted to hear but she knew her friend was right. And now she was trying very hard to shove it firmly to the back of her mind.

Fergus had booked the restaurant so Carly was a little apprehensive, although she had said that they could pay for it from the bills account in the hope that it would steer Fergus away from fast food. Fergus was wearing trousers and a jumper. No jogging bottoms or lounge trousers in sight – it was a very good start.