Somebody to Love: Sigh With Contentment, Scream With Frustration. At Time You Will Weep. (21 page)

‘Oh, right, sorry.’ Mark unhanded the poor girl and relieved her of some of her baggage. ‘It’s just so bloody unbelievable. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine the dog would have such a beneficial effect.’

And he’d had a few wild dreams, waking up in a cold sweat, worrying even in his sleep about Karl.

Mark laughed again, bemused, then shook his head in wonder at the implausibility of himself laughing —
with
Karl, rather than
at
some of the comical situations he inadvertently created.

Mark recalled the bewildered expression of the woman from the Salvation Army, who’d knocked last week, collecting for charity, to be greeted by a six-year-old kid cursing, ‘Bloody door. Shit, now I burnt the toast.’

The lady was
not
amused. Mark couldn’t help but be, though he had reminded himself to watch his language in front of Karl, who repeated things verbatim, and who had hearing like radar.

‘You should laugh more often,’ Jody said, as they walked after Karl. ‘Takes years off you.’

‘As in I look like a complete miserable git when I don’t?’

‘No.’ Jody thought about it. ‘Moody and broody, but still handsome.’

‘Flattery will get you everywhere.’ Mark smiled his appreciation.

‘And miserable,’ Jody added.

‘You do know Starbuck’s a finely honed hunter-killer, don’t you?’ Mark said after a second, nodding at the great, black, lolloping Labrador, who was obviously as soft as a brush. ‘Trained to go for the jugular, should he sense his master has been upset or abused in any way?’

Jody laughed, watching Karl fight Starbuck for the ball. ‘Better not upset Karl then, hey?’

****

‘Ring him, dear. I’ve buried two, you know? I know what these men can be like.’ Agnes gave Donna the wisdom of her advice based on experience.

Donna looked at her askew, not sure whether she meant she’d buried them
because
she knew what they were like.

‘You have one of those walkie-talkie things, don’t you?’ Agnes asked, mopping a drip of ice cream up her cone with her tongue.

‘Mobiles. Yes.’ Donna smiled, chasing a drip up her own cone.

‘Well, ring him, then. No point waiting for him to make the first move, or you’ll end up like me, old and wrinkly.’

‘And lovely,’ Donna added. ‘Sadie certainly thinks you are.’ She nodded over her ice cream at Sadie hopping ahead of them, the proud owner of a smart new prickly red ball.

‘Thank you, Sadie,’ Agnes said earnestly. ‘She thinks you’re quite the loveliest human in the world, too; unlike some people.’

Agnes stopped and turned with a scowl to a woman who was being overly firm with her dog. ‘He’s not deaf, you know,’ Agnes boomed. ‘He is, however, too concerned with the tone of your voice to concentrate on your command.’

The woman stared at Agnes, astounded, taking in her slippers and melting ice-cream. ‘I beg your pardon?’ she said haughtily.

‘As the dog begs yours, my dear. Speak more softly,’ Agnes instructed, ‘the emphasis on the first letter of the word:
Sssssss
it,’ she demonstrated thus, talking to the dog, who obliged in an instant.

‘You see? Not rocket science, is it?’ Agnes smiled, satisfied. ‘Oh, and slacken his collar off, my dear. He said he may be forced to sink his teeth into your rather plentiful rump otherwise.’

So saying, Agnes turned to trot on, leaving the woman staring open-mouthed after her.

Donna scooted to catch up. ‘Agnes that was awful,’ she said, laughing nevertheless.

‘Wasn’t it just? Honestly, some people just shouldn’t be allowed.’

Allowed to what? Donna wondered as Agnes broke off the bottom of her ice-cream cone, offered it to Sadie, then proceeded to suck her ice cream through the hole.

‘Do you really talk to them, Agnes?’ Donna asked, as they walked on.

‘Well, they do communicate, don’t you think?’ Agnes answered evasively. ‘Can’t fail to see the love in her eyes, can you?’ She glanced down at Sadie, who was now hopping between them looking up adoringly.

‘No,’ Donna conceded, though she fancied Sadie might be more in love with her ice cream.

‘Come on then, ring your young man.’ Agnes said, as they neared the car park. ‘No time like the present.’

‘Well, I’m not sure.’ Donna hesitated. What was the point? Yes, Mark had left the door open for her to ring, but that was only if she needed him to serve her as a policeman… in his uniform. A blob of ice-cream slid mournfully down her throat.

‘
Pfffffft
, poppycock! You’re obviously quite taken by him — or you’d like to be.’ Agnes guffawed, giving Donna a nudge. ‘You wouldn’t be agonising over him otherwise. Ring him. Go on.’ Agnes stopped walking, and waited expectantly.

Donna debated, then, ‘All right. I will.’ She nodded determinedly and ferreted in her pocket for her mobile. They’d parted with a kiss, after all. A friend’s kiss, rather than a lover’s kiss, but affectionate nevertheless. No reason she couldn’t give him a call.

Donna selected his number.

Have a quick chat.

She waited while the call connected.

Update him on things.

Donna smiled as it rang out, then cocked her head to one side. Then blinked at Agnes, baffled.

Uh-oh. Donna’s eyes slid sideways, to peer through the sparse foliage dividing car park from park.

‘OhmiGod!’ The smiled skidded from her face. ‘It’s him!’

‘Where?’ Agnes scrunched her head into her neck.

‘There,’ Donna whispered hoarsely. She nodded towards where Mark — unmistakably Mark — closed the tailgate of his car, then turned his twinkly-eyed smile on…

Wait a minute!

‘That’s not silken-haired Sally!’ Donna tilted her head to get a better look.

Agnes did likewise.

So, who? Ooh. Donna quickly ended the call as Mark said, ‘Hi, Mark Evans?’ in her ear, his eyes still on the girl he was with.

‘They rang off.’ He shrugged and pocketed his mobile. ‘Thanks, Jody,’ he beamed her another smile.

‘It’s her, Jody-kiss-kiss.’ Donna’s ice cream plopped miserably from her cone to land with a splat on her Wellington boots.

Agnes glanced at her puzzled. ‘Who?’

‘His girlfriend. The one with the flexible toothbrush.’ Donna ran her hand under her nose and reached for Sadie’s collar, before the dog hopped over and announced she was lurking in the bushes, spying on her boyfriend, who never was.

Agnes narrowed her eyes. ‘Is he cheating on you, dear?’

‘No.’ Donna shrugged, embarrassed. ‘Not technically. Though he would have been, I suppose, if I, um… If we.’

‘With her!?’ Agnes looked back to Jody-kiss-kiss. ‘But she’s
much
younger than he is.’

Yes, thank you, Agnes, Donna’s shoulders sagged. ‘With two hers, actually,’ she confided, not sure why she was. Probably because she knew Agnes wouldn’t judge her.

Agnes stared at her, astonished. ‘Because you wouldn’t part with your virtue?’

Virtue
? A smile tickled Donna’s mouth, despite her tortured heart. ‘No, it wasn’t like that, Agnes. He didn’t push for…’

‘Shush.’ Agnes flapped a hand, and turned her eyes back to the car park.

Donna followed her gaze, just in time to hear Mark gasp, ‘Pregnant!?’ rake his hand through his hair, and stare at Jody-kiss-kiss, quite obviously stunned.

Oh, dear God
! Donna’s stomach dropped through the floor. She groped in her pockets for tissue, gave up, wiped her nose on her sleeve, and watched on.

Jody shrugging slim shoulders. Confused, Donna wondered, by Mark’s reaction?

Donna couldn’t see much else of her, her back to them as it was, other than her auburn curls, which were healthy and bouncy — and nothing like Donna’s hair could ever be.

‘I’m sorry,’ Mark said immediately, apparently realising he hadn’t been as ecstatic as he should be. ‘It’s great, Jody. Really great. We’ll manage somehow, don’t worry,’ he assured her, pulling her into his arms — whilst Donna had a mental flash of headlines:
Demented-haired Woman Attacks Policeman in St Peter’s Park Car Park.

Oh, Lord! Agnes?!

Donna gawped as a most definitely demented Agnes broke into her ball-pinching sprint and was up the path in a flash.

‘You’ll have a spot of trouble managing without a certain part of your anatomy, you… sex-fiend!’ she growled, twirling her eco-bag like a pro in the hammer throw and hitting Mark, squarely in the abdomen.

Thank God. Donna closed her eyes, relieved. If the bag had hit home, she’d a sneaking suspicion it would have hurt an awful lot more. As it was, Mark was winded, as white as a sheet, and heading protectively for Jody, to hustle her into the passenger seat of his car.

Well, he would. Quite apart from the fact that Mark seemed to protect people instinctively, the girl was with child.

His child.

Donna’s heart sank without trace.

****

‘Cheers, Roger,’ Mark addressed the manager of The Helliots Nursing Home, on his mobile. ‘About ten minutes ago,’ he confirmed his run in with the bag-wielding old woman. ‘She’ll probably head back through the park, but just in case. Okay. Catch you around.’

‘Are you going to be all right?’ Jody asked.

‘Yeah, eventually.’ Mark smiled, amused, despite bruises to body and pride.

‘Will she, do you think?’

‘Who, Agnes? Yes, fine. She wanders around the park most days. Sometimes wanders a bit too far and we give her lift back. She’s harmless enough, generally. Can’t think why she’d want to attack me.’

‘Probably didn’t recognise you with your
clothes
on.’ Jody smirked.

‘Ho, ho.’ Mark smiled and climbed out of the driver’s side.

‘Such a gent,’ Jody said as he walked around to hold the passenger door for her. ‘You’d never think he was a sex-fiend, would you, Starbuck?’ She turned to give Starbuck a pat, then patted Mark’s cheek as she climbed out.

Mark smiled good-naturedly. ‘Only at weekends, though Jody.’

‘What, every weekend?’ Jody widened her eyes. ‘No wonder you’re exhausted.’

Chance would be a fine thing. Mark sighed, as Jody peered back inside. ‘Bye, Karl. See you tomorrow.’

‘Say goodbye to Jody, Karl,’ Mark prompted him, when Karl didn’t answer.

‘Goodbye to Jody.’ Karl obliged.

Mark and Jody exchanged amused glances as they walked back to the pavement, then amazed glances as Karl said behind them, ‘You’ll have a hard time managing without a certain part of your anatomy.’

Mark squeezed his eyes shut, then prised one open as Jody burst out laughing.

Mark shook his head, then laughed with her. Why the hell not? His pride might be dented, but with the progress Karl had made today, his heart was soaring.

‘Let me know whether you need me to pick him up tomorrow,’ Jody called, as she headed for her house.

‘I will,’ Mark assured her, watching her walk off. She looked good, healthy, happy. Pregnancy obviously suited her, though Mark couldn’t help wishing she wasn’t. He hated the thought of Karl stressed out all over again by the changes in routine a new carer might bring.

That thought in mind, he climbed back in the car, hoping that tomorrow’s change in routine would end as positively as today’s. Karl was used to the respite home, but Starbuck with him at the home was something new.

Mark had a good feeling about it though. It really did seem that Karl might interact more readily with Starbuck leading the way. He already had, to a degree. Only with the dog, but… Bloody hell! Mark tightened his grip on the wheel as something struck him.

Karl had reacted with him.

Okay, they hadn’t had an actual conversation, but Karl had listened to him. Appeared to take in what he’d said.

Hadn’t he?

Mark pointed the car towards his dad’s to check up on him, and test out his theory while he was there. He was sure he was right. And if he was… Mark felt almost euphoric. Life might have been rubbish on the relationship front… his euphoria dwindled a bit… but today had been a good day.

‘We’re off to see Granddad now, Karl.’ Mark made sure to prepare Karl ahead, as always. ‘And then, how about we all have an early night, with Starbuck?’

They might, too, thanks to a certain furry friend.

‘All right, Starbuck?’ Mark winked through the mirror at the dog panting placidly on the back seat.

‘Yes,’ said Karl.

Mark’s mouth curved into a smile. Bloody good.

****

‘Dad?’ Mark called over the booming music, once inside the front door. What the hell was going on? He glanced at Karl behind him, hoping the noise wasn’t going to destabilise him.

‘What do you think, Starbuck? Shall we go through?’ he asked warily.

‘Yes,’ said Karl.

‘Right.’ Mark glanced at Karl again. Was he answering for the dog?
Jesus.
He shook his head, incredulous, then winced as his dad’s affronted tones reached his ears. ‘You’re on my foot, woman!’ Robert bellowed above the din in the lounge. ‘Are you trying to cripple me?!’

What in God’s name? ‘Sit and stay, Starbuck,’ Mark commanded. Then, making sure dog and boy stayed put, he inched the lounge door open, stared in amazement, and closed it again.

Christ
. He was hallucinating. Had to be. Either that, or… Mark opened the door again and coughed loudly, to no avail. His dad, Evelyn and Dot were lined up in front of the TV, oblivious to his presence and apparently practising the foot moves to Dot’s
Strictly Dancing
DVD.

‘It’s supposed to be the quickstep, Robert, not the jive,’ Dot shouted, kicking a legging-clad leg in the air.

‘Nonsense.’ Robert puffed. ‘They didn’t call me Elvis for nothing, you know. Rocked around the clock with the best of them, I did, in my…’ Robert stopped, obviously having missed a step.

‘Pause and rewind,’ he called.

Evelyn and Dot danced on.

‘Hit the pause button, woman!’ Robert bawled. ‘I’m off my stride.’

Evelyn stopped and headed to the sofa, looking slightly more stylish than Dot in trackie bottoms and tee, but eye-boggling nevertheless. ‘I wish we could hit your pause button,’ she muttered, then noticing Mark said moodily, ‘Oh, it’s you.’