Taking Care Of Leah (10 page)

“You should go,” Ty encouraged, getting up and walking to the wardrobe that contained clothes. “I get the feeling you don’t have many friends down this end of the country.”

Another frown. “I do have friends,” she protested, suddenly trying to remember when the last time she’d spoken to Yvonne was.

Ty let out a laugh as he pulled a T-shirt over his head. “Any who live down here? That you could move in with?”

Leah gave him a mock pout, folding her arms across her chest as she sat up again. “Not really,” she admitted. “A friend maybe, but her place is a bit small.”

“Maybe Rainie has a spare room,” he said with a shrug. “Then you get the best of both worlds. You don’t have to live with your sister, and
I
will stop nagging you to consider my place.”

Running her teeth over her bottom lip, Leah considered his words. He had a point. She needed to move out so Maggie and Neil could start converting her room into a nursery. They hadn’t said it out loud, but she knew there was perhaps a week or so before the conversations and gentle nudges began.

She picked up her phone and sent a text telling Rainie that she would meet her for lunch. Her stomach grumbled as if it were in total agreement with the decision.

* * * *

Lorraine Smith sat in the window of the coffee shop where she’d arranged to meet Leah. One of her favorite hobbies was to people-watch. She’d texted Leah on the off chance that she might be able to properly introduce her to Jerry. Or Lance. Either would do, but preferably Jerry. He was hot, and she needed a shag. It had been months since she’d had a good lay.

She was well aware that her appearance didn’t do her any favors. She’d heard the kids at school call her names, and even when she was younger, she’d been referred to as Frumpy-Dumpy. Perhaps Leah would be able to give her a makeover as well. She always dressed well and looked sexy. It could be like in the movies where the ugly duckling evolved into a swan and became the most popular girl.

Of course she wasn’t really a girl anymore. At twenty-nine she was most definitely a woman, but people always assumed she was older. They’d played a guessing game in the staff room at the beginning of the year, and someone had thought they were being kind at thinking she was thirty-five. Rainie inhaled a sharp, nasal breath as she remembered the painful incident.

Her mood brightened when she saw Leah step through the door. She looked stunning, as always. Her long blonde hair hung loose around her bare shoulders, showing a hint of darker roots. Rainie wished that she could get away with wearing a strapless playsuit rouched around her bust and nipped in at her waist with a thin brown belt. She wore a pair of casual sandals with a high heel, lengthening her already amazing legs, and Rainie felt a pang of jealousy, shrugging it away as Leah sat down opposite her.

She seemed oblivious to her beauty, and it was hard to be envious of someone who was so nice with it all. A couple of the teachers had commented about Miss Beauchamp’s dress sense and mentioned that it would be easier to hate her if she was a bitch as well. She was good at her job too. The rumors were that she had given up a lead position in a private school to move to Bristol. She’d been the subject of gossip all year.

Rainie took a sip from her oversize mug, savoring the taste of green tea. She’d read somewhere that green tea was better for you, since it helped with toxins and clearing your skin. She wasn’t sure if it was true, but she was willing to give anything a go.

“Thanks for meeting me.” She smiled warmly, placing the cup back on its saucer. “I wasn’t sure if you’d turn up.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Leah asked, genuine concern flowing through her tone.

“Oh, I dunno…” Rainie gave a shrug. “I’m not exactly flush with friends,” she said, trying to make a joke out of it. Leah gave her a sympathetic smile, which would have normally riled Rainie, but for some reason when Leah did it, it comforted her.

“Neither am I,” she admitted. “But I’d like it if we could be friends.”

“Really? Oh, me too.” Rainie relaxed into her seat. “I…” She tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear. “I have to admit I had an ulterior motive for asking you here, though. I noticed you’re close with Ty Sinclair and…well…I like his friend. Jerry.”

Leah blew out a breath, hands braced against the table as she sank back, and Rainie felt her heart drop.

Leah watched Rainie from across the table. She looked no different from how she did any other time. A hot summer threatened to scorch the southwest, and she still looked like a stuffy librarian, dressed in a long skirt and cardigan buttoned up to her neck. Beads of perspiration dotted her hairline.

“Why?” she asked, exhaling a heavy breath. She tensed her arms before her elbows collapsed, dropping her hands into her lap. “He’s…”

“Hot,” Rainie said with a slight laugh. “Sexy.”

“I was thinking more…creepy.”

“Please, Leah. I need this. You’ve got Ty now, and I’m… Well, look at me.” She gestured up and down her body. “I’m not like you. I don’t attract men easily. But that doesn’t mean I’m not a woman with a woman’s needs. You don’t know what it’s like.”

“Yeah…” Leah said, stretching out the word as she remembered what Ty had told her about the Christmas party. “I’m not sure I quite believe that.” A smile tweaked at the corner of her lips. Her attention was caught by her phone announcing the arrival of a text message. She read it and frowned.

“Everything okay?” Rainie asked, wrinkling her nose and pushing her glasses back into place.

“My sister. She’s pregnant and had a checkup at the hospital today, and they’re keeping her in for tests.”

“I hope she’s all right.”

Leah smiled. “Her husband’s with her, I’m sure she’s fine. She’s nearly full-term anyway. Do you want another coffee?”

Standing at the counter, purse in hand, Leah scoured the extensive menu that spanned the back wall before settling on a basic coffee. But as she placed the mug on the table, the screen of her phone lit up with Neil’s name in the center.

She grabbed the mobile and held it to her ear, but Neil didn’t give her time to answer before falling into a tornado of concern.

“Okay, okay,” Leah interrupted. “I’ll be home in fifteen minutes.” She hit the red icon and dropped her phone into her bag. “I’m really sorry, but it sounds like my brother-in-law is about to have a meltdown. I have to go.”

Rainie pushed herself away from the table, standing and wrapping her arms around Leah, who didn’t quite know how to react to the physical connection. “If you need someone to talk to…” Rainie said, rubbing Leah’s arm.

“Thanks. I’m sure it’s nothing. I’m sure he’s panicking for no reason.” She wasn’t certain who she was trying to reassure.

Chapter Sixteen

The house seemed larger than normal. When Leah had gotten home, Neil had been standing by the stairs with Maggie’s packed hospital bags by his feet.

“What’s happened?” Leah asked, walking through to the kitchen and flicking on the kettle. “Is she okay?”

“She had a bleed,” Neil said, following her and leaning against the doorframe. “They said a lot of words I didn’t understand, but basically they’re keeping her in until the baby is born.” The last word caught as if he wanted to say more. Leah turned to face him, bracing her hands against the kitchen counter and placing her weight into her palms.

“Is she okay?”

He nodded, folding his arms in front of him. “We have to talk.”

Leah turned back to the kettle, opening a cupboard and pulling out two mugs. She busied herself with making tea and coffee, trying not to listen to him as started to place the blame squarely on her shoulders.

“Maggie has been under a lot of pressure. She’s had a lot of stress since—”

“Since I moved in.” The boiling water sloshed into the two mugs, splashing onto the kitchen surface.

“It’s not that, Leah, it’s just…” He blew out a heavy breath. Leah put a mug of tea on the table. Neil rubbed his hands over his face. “You knew this was going to happen. It’s not like we haven’t talked about it before.”

“How long do I have?”

“The baby will sleep in our room for the first few months anyway.”

“How long, Neil?”

“We’d like the house to ourselves once the baby is born.”

“Okay,” she said with a small nod. “I’ll be out by the weekend.”

“Leah, don’t be like that. Please don’t make me feel like I’m evicting you. You know that’s not what’s happening.”

“It’s fine, Neil. Honest. I never intended to stay here longer than a few months anyway, and it has been almost a year.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged. “Yes! Maggie will be wondering where you are. I have some phone calls to make, so I’ll pop by tomorrow when visiting times are open again. Give her my love.”

“Thanks for being so understanding.”

She helped him put the bags into the car then sat on the sofa, staring at the blank TV screen. She’d never seen Neil look frazzled before. He was always so kept together. He was the rock of the family—for her as well as Maggie. He’d been the one to take control of the situation with Kyle, to make sure that she was safe. But the prospect of having a child had caught up with him and started to unravel him.

“I should ring Mum and Dad,” she said to the empty room, but it was Ty’s number that she dialed.

Relief swept over her as Ty assured her that he would be over in a matter of minutes. She went upstairs and pulled out a suitcase, put it on the bed and flung it open. She dumped her clothes in it, adding makeup and shoes as she went. The fuller the suitcase got, the more tears began to stream down her face.

The knock on the door made her jump. She’d almost forgotten that Ty was coming over. As she opened the door to him, she pulled him into an embrace, letting him hold her as tight as he could.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get a few of your things together. You’re staying at mine tonight.”

“It’s not that.” She sniffed, stepping back and wiping her fingers under her eyes. “What if she loses the baby? They’ve been trying for so long, and if anything happens…” Great sobs finished the sentence for her.

“She’s in the best place. Neil is with her. Everything will be fine,” he soothed, guiding her upstairs.

“I’m sorry for dumping my problems on you.” She showed him into the bedroom. It was a good size, but nowhere near as large as his. There certainly wasn’t enough room for two wardrobes containing very different items. Ty stood by the bed, surveying the scene. She knew that it looked as if a clothes tornado had swirled through, leaving a path of destruction, jeans and flimsy tops.

“You’re not. I’ve asked you several times to move into my place, I’m taking this as a sign that I’m right.” He kissed the end of her nose. “And you’re wrong.” Ty smiled. “It might be the only time that happens in this relationship.”

Leah blinked. “Relationship?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “Is that what this is?”

Ty exhaled a heavy breath through his nose. “I want it to be more,” he admitted, picking up a handful of clothes and putting them in the suitcase.

“How much more could it be?” She reached and ran a hand down his back to his bum. The feel of his muscles beneath her palm was enough to send shock waves into her core. Her heart thumped loudly when he turned and she caught her palm resting against his crotch.

“How much more do you want it to be?”

“That,” she said firmly, stepping away from him, “sounds like a loaded question.” She let out a short burst of laughter, melting the tension in the air. “Thanks for coming over.”

“It’s not a problem.” Ty zipped the suitcase shut, picked it up and dropped it with a thud onto the carpet. “Grab what you need and I’ll get some boxes for the rest of your things another day.”

“Will it be okay if I stay at the flat?” she asked as they loaded the car up.

Ty slammed the boot shut and slid behind the steering wheel. “The agent emailed earlier to say prospective tenants wanted to have a look at the place, but I don’t see why not. I can cancel them.”

“Oh,” she said, unable to hide her disappointment. She shook away the feeling of being let down and forced a semi-smile. “No. Don’t do that. They can pay you. I can’t. You don’t mind if I stay at yours for a few days, do you?”

He reached across and let his hand slip between her thighs. “I want you to stay for more than a few days.” He put his hand back to the steering wheel and turned the car into the road.

The radio sang out at them, a song of love and betrayal, but it didn’t keep her attention. She thought about Maggie and Neil and the baby. She wasn’t a religious person, but it was at times like this when she had a sudden and devout belief in the power of prayer.

“She will be okay,” he said.

“I know,” Leah said, hoping that he was right. “I’ve said I’ll go and visit her tomorrow afternoon.”

“I’ll drive you. You can pick your car up on the way back and we’ll get some more of your things.”

Leah twisted in her seat so that she could see him. “You’re talking as if I’m moving in with you permanently,” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“Would that be such a bad thing? Isn’t it the next step?”

She let out a loud burst of laughter. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.” Turning back to face the road, she let the seat caress her spine. “But I’m not moving in with you. That would be ridiculous. I’ll stay with you until I find my own place.” She closed her eyes and listened to the music and the sound of the road as it rumbled beneath the tires, reminding herself that being homeless was still preferable to being with Kyle.

Chapter Seventeen

“We should throw a party!” Jerry grinned, his mouth stretching across his face like a giant gash. Leah felt her skin crawl and struggled to see what it was that Rainie found so irresistible.

“I’m not moving in,” Leah protested, dropping the suitcase by the staircase. “I’m staying until I can find my own place.”

“Now’s not the right time to be celebrating.” Ty’s voice was low and threatening.

“Evicted by your own sister…” Jerry blew out a long whistle.