He was thinking it was a coincidence. Sarah hoped it was too, because Laura hadn’t been to her house. No, you were the one sneaking about in her house, she reminded herself. Remembering Bunny’s ear, she didn’t feel any easier. ‘Great minds then, obviously,’ she said, deciding to leave it there for now. Steve didn’t need any more to contend with.
‘About Ollie’s visits …’ he said, and paused.
She steeled herself, guessing what he might be about to say.
‘After all that happened, I’m thinking you might be reticent about him coming over.’
She hesitated. ‘To be honest, I am a bit. Do you think maybe you could just take him out for the day?’ she suggested. ‘Just until things are a bit more settled.’
Steve took a breath. ‘I suppose that’s probably a good compromise,’ he agreed.
Sarah heard the reluctance in his voice and felt for him. He loved Laura, that was obvious, but he loved Ollie too, fiercely. He would never knowingly do anything to put him in danger. ‘Thanks, Steve,’ she said gratefully. He could have been awkward about it, which would have just exacerbated the problem. ‘We should make sure to keep talking.’
‘We will,’ he promised.
She smiled. This was progress at least. However things had turned out between them, he wasn’t a bad man. She really hoped things worked out for him and Laura. He’d been wrong to talk to Sherry about Laura having therapy, but it was clear that she did need some help. She obviously hadn’t been able to move on at all. Sarah would suggest to him that he approach the subject again, directly with Laura this time, and subtly. ‘I’d better go.’ She glanced towards the nursery. ‘I think the parents are going in. Speak soon.’
Ollie bolted towards her as soon as she walked through the nursery door. ‘We have some pretend grass,’ he announced as Sarah bent to give him a hug.
‘Do you? Well, that’s exciting, isn’t it?’ Easing back, she gave him a bright smile. She presumed he meant AstroTurf. Melanie had mentioned they were getting some fitted in the garden so the children could play safely.
‘Uh-huh,’ Ollie said, grabbing hold of the hand she offered him. ‘They’re making a space so we can ride our bikes. Can I ride my bike, Mummy?’ he asked with a little jig as they walked back to the car. ‘Can I?’
‘We have to get you a bike first, don’t we?’ Sarah laughed. She’d promised him a new one as a belated birthday present. It looked as if he was keen to seal the deal.
Chattering away to himself all the way home about which bike he wanted, he was still trying to decide between the inevitable Spider-Man model and the fire chief one they’d seen online as they walked through the front door.
Her attention on her son, Sarah didn’t realise anything was amiss until they went into the lounge. When she did, her heart turned over. ‘Ollie! Leave it!’ she screamed, the desecration that greeted her scorching itself on her eyes as she dragged him physically away from the carnage and back to the hall.
Forty-One
Joe
Having knocked on Courtney’s door several times, Joe was debating what to do. Her car was in the car park, so she was presumably here. Why the hell wasn’t she answering? Dammit. His gut tightening, he found the key he still had and let himself in. ‘Courtney?’ he called. Getting no answer, he checked the kitchen and lounge area, and then, his heart slowing to a dull thud in his chest, he walked towards the bedroom, queasiness gripping him as he considered the balcony beyond it.
His hand shook visibly as he pressed down the door handle, sweat wetting his forehead as his mind painted a graphic image of what he might find inside. His eyes darting from the bed to the large patio windows, relief crashed through him. Nothing. She wasn’t here. No sign of her on the balcony, though he headed that way anyway to double-check. Wiping a hand over his face, his eyes flicked again to the bed. He couldn’t help thinking of the nights he’d spent in it, the long sleepless nights, wondering whether she’d been with the hotshot the night before, that evening, that day. It served to remind him why he couldn’t allow his undoubted sympathy for her to cloud his judgement. The same went for the lingerie discarded arbitrarily over the bed, placed almost artistically, he couldn’t help noticing. Immediately he reprimanded himself for reading