Second Time Around (28 page)

‘We should go, Shaz. You look done in.’

‘You do, love. Go home,’ Suzie said. ‘And don’t worry, we’ll look after Bobby.’

Sharon sighed as Keith drove her home. Her back was aching and she felt exhausted and sad and relieved.

Keith shot her a worried look. ‘There’s a long road ahead, love. It’s not going to be easy.’

‘I know,’ she assured him. ‘At least we’re not alone. The school and my family are behind us and, yes, I know my mother will still lose her temper and say things she
shouldn’t but, at least when she calms down, she’ll realise what she’s done and maybe give Bobby a cuddle. That’s progress.’

He patted her hand and smiled. ‘Yes, sweetheart. That’s progress.’

‘You won’t believe what just happened,’ Noel said dramatically when Jess walked in. She dropped her backpack. ‘Benedict Cumberbatch dropped
by?’

‘Not that exciting,’ Suzie chuckled. ‘Keith and Sharon were here.’

‘After Keith left you yesterday, he went straight home to talk to Sharon,’ Noel told her. ‘And they met with Bobby’s school this morning.’

Jess sank down into a chair. ‘And what happened?’

‘It seems Sharon had talked to the teacher who agrees with Cal but Shaz couldn’t deal with it and was afraid to tell Keith.’

‘I knew it.’ Jess sighed. ‘It’s no wonder that she fainted. She must have been a nervous wreck, bottling all that up.’

Suzie looked grim as she made the third pot of tea that morning. ‘I hadn’t thought of that. We really are going to have to keep a close eye on her.’

‘She’ll be much better now, Mum,’ Noel said. ‘You could see how relieved she was that it was all out in the open.’

‘So, what now?’ Jess asked.

‘What happens is, we have to be patient with Bobby.’ Suzie set a mug in front of her daughter.

‘Don’t worry, Mum,’ Jess said, looking at her mother’s worried expression. ‘No one expects you to turn into a saint overnight. When he’s here he’ll
still annoy you as much as he did yesterday, so don’t put yourself under too much pressure.’

‘Deep breaths.’ Noel grinned. ‘Isn’t that how your meditation guru says you keep calm?’

Suzie cuffed him across the head but she was smiling. ‘If I managed to keep my cool raising you lot, I can manage little Bobby, smartarse. I’d better get my act together: he’ll
be out in twenty minutes.’

‘I’ll collect him and take him to the playground,’ Noel offered. ‘He can terrorise the other kids and come home exhausted.’

Suzie laughed. ‘I won’t say no. Thanks, love.’

‘I’d better get going too,’ Jess said.

Suzie frowned. ‘But you just got here.’

‘Only to cadge a cuppa. I’ve a meeting in half an hour with Amelia. She wants me to do a piece on Irish female entrepreneurs.’ Jess hugged her. ‘Why don’t you catch
forty winks before Bobby gets here? You’ll be able to control your temper better if you’re rested.’

Suzie nodded and stroked Jess’s hair. ‘Good idea, I’ll do that.’

‘I’ll walk out with you, Jess,’ Noel said. ‘See ya later, Mum.’

‘Is it my imagination or has Mum softened a little?’ Jess murmured once they were outside.

‘I think it’s the shock.’ Noel chuckled. ‘Thanks for talking to Keith, Jess. I knew he’d listen to you.’

‘I didn’t think he would act on what I said, at least not this quickly. He seemed so negative.’

‘Timing,’ Noel told her. ‘The teacher had said something to him when he dropped off Bobby, so he was already reeling before you opened your mouth.’

‘Poor guy.’ Jess sighed. ‘I wonder why Sharon didn’t tell him.’

‘Who knows? But I’m glad you did, sis, good on ya.’

‘It’s Cal we have to thank. He armed me with the information that persuaded Keith to take action.’

Noel grinned, his eyes mischievous. ‘Call and tell him, he’ll be delighted. You know he fancies you.’

‘He does not,’ Jess retorted, but blushed.

‘He does, trust me – although he’s probably not your type. After all, he is single.’

‘You are so funny.’ She glared at him.

‘Call him,’ Noel repeated, backing away, grinning. ‘I bet he asks you out.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Jess slid into the driver’s seat and let her hair fall over her face to hide her grin. This was ridiculous. She was acting like a damn teenager
again.

‘We’ll see,’ her little brother called over his shoulder as he sauntered off with a wave.

She drove off, her mind on Cal. She knew that, if she made that call, Noel would be proven right, but Jess wasn’t sure she could face him. She couldn’t believe that she had told him
about Louis attacking her. He’d been completely cool and calm – presumably, that was down to his profession. But she had seen the anger in his expression and she knew that if he came
face to face with Louis, there was a good chance he’d punch the man. She smiled at the thought. It was nice to think of a man defending her honour. It was especially nice that it was Cal. But
had he been angry at Louis for hurting his best friend’s sister, or because he cared about her?

Jess liked to think it was the latter, but she was afraid that confiding in him had changed the dynamic of their relationship. Was she now a victim, deserving of his sympathy, someone who had to
unburden, accept and heal? The very idea made Jess shudder. She refused to allow Louis to reduce her to the status of victim but, then, why didn’t she stand up to him? Threaten him with
disclosure to his family and employer or simply give him a knee in the balls, as Katie would undoubtedly do? That wasn’t her way, though. Jess sighed. She just wanted him to leave her
alone.

She glanced at her phone on the passenger seat and frowned as she realised Louis had made no contact since driving off the other night. Was he backing off or simply biding his time? She hoped he
wouldn’t turn up on the doorstep again. Surely he wouldn’t be
that
brazen – although, the way he’d behaved lately, Jess wouldn’t put anything
past him. Maybe she should ask Katie to stay with her tonight. Louis wouldn’t dare to pester her if her friend was present. Maybe he would finally get the message that she wanted nothing to
do with a married man. Any lingering attraction she’d felt to Louis died that awful night in her apartment.

Jess parked her car and, glancing at her watch, saw that she had ten minutes to spare before her meeting. on impulse, she called Cal before she lost her nerve.

‘Hello? Jess?’

‘Hi, Cal.’

‘How are things?’

She heard the concern in his voice and sighed. ‘Fine. More than fine, thanks to you. I talked to Keith and, not only did he listen, he and Sharon went straight down to see Bobby’s
teacher this morning. They’ve requested that he be assessed.’

‘That’s fantastic news, well done.’

‘I just wanted to thank you. It wouldn’t have gone so well if you hadn’t advised me.’

‘You can thank me in person if you like.’

She could hear a smile in his voice and imagined a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling, glad she hadn’t imagined this thing between them. ‘What did
you have in mind?’ she asked casually.

‘A drink tonight, in O’Neill’s?’

Her heart sank. That was where Louis and the gang went after work and the last place that she wanted to go, but she didn’t want to tell Cal that. She was determined not to mention the man
again.

‘Sounds good to me,’ she told Cal.

‘Great. See you there at six?’

‘I’ll be there.’

Jess stepped into the shower feeling pleased with herself. Fired up from her meeting with Amelia, she had set up a few interviews with three prominent businesswomen and then
written the introduction to the piece and now she had an evening with Cal to look forward to. How chuffed her mother would be if she knew that they were going on a date. What should she wear?
Something casual that didn’t look as if she’d made too much of an effort. It was only a drink in a pub and there was always the possibility that this wasn’t a real date. She was
still dithering when the phone rang and Katie’s name flashed up.

‘Hi, Katie. How did it go?’ She knew that her friend had finished her accountancy exams today.

‘Who knows? I’m just glad they’re finished. I think I may have just about scraped through. So, where are you taking me to celebrate?’

Jess felt a pang of guilt. ‘Sorry, I’m busy tonight. My brother’s friend, Cal, asked me out.’

‘That gorgeous hunk with the come-to-bed eyes?’

Jess laughed. ‘That’s the one. Am I forgiven?’

‘Only if we go out tomorrow night instead –
and
you tell me all the gory details.’

‘Deal,’ Jess promised, smiling. ‘Now I have to go. I can’t decide what to wear.’

‘Something totally indecent,’ her friend advised.

‘Goodbye, Katie.’ Jess tossed the phone on the bed and went back to selecting a suitable outfit. She realised she was looking at all of her clothes with a critical eye. Were they
provocative or too sexy? She tended to dress casually, but something about her had attracted Louis’s unsolicited attention. If he saw her with Cal, would he think she was deliberately
taunting him, parading a new boyfriend in front of him? Would he come over later to question her about it? Feeling sick, Jess picked up her phone and sent Cal a text suggesting a different venue.
He replied seconds later.

Instantly she relaxed and reached for a red summer dress that complemented her dark colouring and, for once, left her hair loose around her shoulders. She didn’t bother with jewellery and
wore flat sandals, her only makeup eyeliner and lip gloss.

When Jess walked into the pub, the expression in his eyes told her that she’d got it right. He was looking pretty damn gorgeous himself in black jeans and a short-sleeved, black polo
shirt.

‘Hi, Jess.’ He stood up, smiled and leaned over to touch his cheek to hers. ‘What will you have to drink?’

‘I’m buying the drinks, remember?’

‘Fair enough. A pint of lager, please.’

She went to the bar and ordered the beer and a spritzer for herself. ‘Cheers, and thanks again,’ she said when she returned, raising her glass to him.

‘I think that you’re crediting me with more than I deserve. From listening to you and Noel it sounds like you had reached the same conclusion. Well done, you, for having the guts to
say something. Most people pretend nothing’s happening and hope it will go away.’

Jess nodded as she remembered her brother-in-law’s sad expression. ‘Keith was quite polite and civil but it was obvious that he felt I was interfering, and he didn’t like
it.’

‘When he sees the benefits of acknowledging the problem he’ll be fine. You all will, especially Bobby.’

‘True, although I’m not so sure about Mum. I doubt she’ll ever be the same grandmother to Bobby again.’

‘Hey, don’t write her off just yet,’ cal told her.

‘Let’s change the subject. I am fed up with all things connors.’ Jess didn’t want to bring the mood down by dwelling on her mother. ‘Tell me about you and your
work. Noel says you’re part of a large practice in town.’

‘That’s right, but I’m not planning on staying there. I’m more attracted to the research end of things.’

‘Good.’ Jess flashed him a grin. ‘Now I won’t worry that you’re analysing me all evening.’

‘I hate telling anyone what I do,’ he confided. ‘So many people profess that they would never go into therapy but, after a few jars, they latch onto me and start telling me all
their problems.’

‘You’re quite safe tonight,’ Jess assured him. The very last things she wanted to talk about were her problems. Tonight she wanted him to see that she was fun and carefree.

‘You’re different,’ he told her.

She held his gaze. ‘I am?’

‘Yeah. You’re not people, you’re Jess. A very attractive woman and a talented journalist.’

‘Have you even read any of my articles?’ she teased, used to people praising her without having read her work.

‘I certainly have,’ he assured her. ‘I like your writing style. You don’t force your opinion on the reader but provoke them to think and question.’

‘Thank you,’ she said, truly complimented by his praise. ‘What drew you to psychology?’

‘The mind is the final frontier,’ he said, his face animated. ‘Helping someone work through and conquer their problems is very rewarding, especially if it can be done without
medication. I’m interested in the research because there’s still so much for us to learn.’

‘Sounds more exciting than treating people. It must be depressing, listening to problems.’

‘All medicine involves listening to problems,’ he reasoned. ‘Once you learn to keep a professional distance it’s fine. Those who usually end up sitting in my office
can’t see a way out. My job is to help open their eyes to the fact that, no matter how bad things may seem, there are always options.’

‘Are there?’ Jess said, thinking of the mess she’d got herself into with Louis.

‘Always.’

She looked up and saw the certainty in his eyes and smiled, realising he knew exactly what she was thinking. It was disconcerting and yet comforting. Jess could so easily open up to this man but
she didn’t want him as a therapist: she wanted more. Was she crazy? Her history with men was disastrous. She’d always gone for losers or attracted men who already had at least one woman
on the go and, she knew from Noel, Cal had never been in a long-term relationship either. Perhaps he wasn’t as perfect as he seemed.

‘What’s going on in that head of yours?’ He watched her, eyes twinkling, his head on one side.

‘Why now?’ she blurted out.

He looked confused. ‘Sorry?’

‘You’ve known me for years and never shown any interest in me. So, why now?’

Cal looked completely wrong-footed, embarrassed even.

Jess had no idea why she was being confrontational. The poor guy probably couldn’t wait to escape. But she’d swallowed so many sweet, flattering words from lots of guys that
she’d had enough. All she wanted and needed from Cal was some straight talking. ‘Well?’ she pressed.

‘When we were younger, I didn’t have the guts to ask you out,’ he said, looking almost shy. ‘And, by the time I did work up the courage, you were seeing that guy,
Jamie?’