‘God, of course. I should have thought.’ Laura squeezed her eyes closed. ‘He’s upstairs, guarding Ollie’s toy box. I’ll go and fetch him.’
‘No, don’t worry.’ Sarah stopped her as she headed back to the hall. ‘Ollie’s obviously happy with him being on guard, and he’ll probably feel more secure with him here when he stays over. Could you make sure to let me have him eventually, though? I’d rather he didn’t just end up languishing in the bottom of the toy box.’
‘Absolutely. I understand completely. It would be like giving away his first tooth or a precious lock of his baby hair. I’ll make sure to keep him safe,’ Laura promised.
‘Thanks.’ Noting her earnest expression, her eagerness to please, Sarah smiled, now definitely feeling more at ease.
‘No need to thank me. I would feel exactly the same,’ Laura assured her. ‘Take a seat, and I’ll grab us some wine … assuming it’s not too early for you?’
‘I’d love one.’ Sarah thought she actually would. It might be just what she needed to unwind. ‘It’s been a full-on day. We had three dogs returned before lunchtime,’ she explained. ‘I do wish people would understand that many rescue dogs need a lot of input. We try to educate them, but too many adopters imagine that once the dog has a nice comfy home, it will be so grateful at being rescued that it’ll turn into the perfect pet. Sadly, it often takes more time and a lot more patience than new owners have. Then there was a half-starved puppy-farm dog brought in by the dog warden. It took me ages to settle her down. I think I’ve just about won her confidence, though, poor thing.’
Nodding her towards the small table and chairs, Laura headed for the fridge. ‘I don’t know how you do it. I’d be tempted to bring them all home. I’m not sure I’d do very well working outdoors in all sorts of weather either. At least I get to keep warm and dry, even if my job can sometimes be heartbreaking.’
‘Yes, it must be.’ Sarah looked her over thoughtfully as she turned from the fridge. ‘I honestly don’t think I could do what you do either.’
She’d been horribly wrong about Laura, assuming that because she didn’t have children of her own, she wouldn’t be up to the task of looking after Ollie. She hated to admit it, but there was possibly a part of her that had been hoping her worries might be justified, because she couldn’t bear for Ollie to bond with Laura and end up seeing her as a mother figure. Taking a breath, she steeled herself to do what she’d come for. Laura obviously was a caring person, and clearly Sarah had made her feel uncomfortable, insisting on scrutinising her before allowing her to even meet Ollie.
‘I know you’re wondering why I’m here,’ she started awkwardly. ‘It’s just … Well, I felt I owed you an apology.’
Fetching glasses from one of the cupboards, Laura glanced back at her, surprised. ‘An apology? What on earth for?’ she asked, her expression communicating to Sarah that she hadn’t come home in floods of tears, telling Steve his ex-girlfriend was the biggest bitch she’d ever met.
‘Judging you. Pre-judging you,’ she admitted. ‘I shouldn’t have asked to meet up with you on your own. It was really pointed, and you must have found it stressful.’
Laura nodded. ‘I did a bit,’ she confessed. ‘I thought you’d think I was a complete idiot, stumbling and stuttering over my words – I do that when I get nervous – but I understand why you wanted to get to know me before allowing Ollie to come and stay. It’s only natural. Sensible, too. I was a complete stranger, after all, and as I said before, you never know, do you?’
Sarah felt a huge wave of relief sweep through her. Laura knew why she would be worried. Of course she did. You couldn’t work in a hospice without being sensitive to people’s feelings. It seemed to Sarah that it was Steve who was perhaps being overprotective of her. Being as slim and delicate as she was, Laura might look vulnerable, but she would have to have a certain amount of strength of character to do the job she did. ‘No, you don’t. Thanks for understanding, Laura,’ she said, giving her a warm smile.
Passing her a filled glass, Laura smiled back. ‘Here’s to us being friends, for Jacob’s sake.’
Sarah stopped, the glass halfway to her mouth. ‘Who?’
‘God, sorry.’ Laura winced and pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. ‘Me and my muddled mind. He’s my friend’s little boy. I babysit for her sometimes. To Ollie and his future happiness,’ she said, settling down at the table and raising her glass.
Scanning her face, Sarah hesitated for a second, then pulled herself up. It was a slip of the tongue, that was all. Perfectly understandable. Even she forgot Ollie’s name when he was up to something that made her heart somersault. She’d called him Steve by mistake numerous times. She’d even called him Spot once – the name of one of the rescue dogs she’d been thinking about – when he’d charged from the bathroom behind her, heading for the stairs. She’d been so paralysed with shock she’d been completely unable to spit his actual name from her mouth.
‘To Ollie,’ she said, clinking her glass against Laura’s.
Laura had barely taken a sip when the doorbell rang. Frowning, she glanced towards the hall. ‘It will be a salesperson probably. We get loads at this time in the evening. Even when I tell them I’m renting, they don’t get that I don’t want my garden landscaped, or new windows. Hopefully they’ll go away if I ignore it.’
Renting? Sarah had got the impression she owned the property. Hadn’t Steve said she had her own place? She’d misinterpreted, obviously.
‘Or possibly not.’ Laura sighed, getting to her feet as the doorbell rang for a second time. ‘I’d better go and see who it is. Won’t be a tick.’
‘Actually, do you mind if I use the loo?’ Sarah asked, pushing her chair back.
‘No problem.’ Laura led the way back into the hall. ‘It’s that one.’ She indicated the door under the stairs and Sarah slipped inside.
She couldn’t help overhearing the exchange as Laura answered the front door. ‘You’re still alive then,’ said an unfamiliar voice, sounding peeved. ‘I’m assuming you’ve changed your phone number, since the old one’s suddenly no longer in service?’ The voice was now directly outside the loo door.
‘No,’ Laura answered. ‘I mmmean, yes, ages ago. I … M-M-Mum, where are you going?’
‘To make a cup of tea, darling,’ replied the woman – Laura’s mother. ‘I swear I’ll die of thirst if I don’t have one soon.’
‘But M-M-Mum, I have company,’ Laura protested.
‘And what company would this be that’s more important than the mother you haven’t seen in months?’ The woman now sounded hurt.
‘A friend,’ Laura said, her tone agitated. ‘You can’t just turn up when you feel like it. I—’
‘But I’ve been worried to death about you, Laura. I’ve taken a taxi all the way here from the airport. You might at least look as if you’re pleased to see me.’
Oh dear. It sounded as if the mother/daughter relationship really was strained. Inching the loo door open, Sarah glanced towards the kitchen. The kitchen door had been pushed to, and she hesitated, wondering what she should do. Her gaze flicking to the stairs, she hovered in the hall for a second, and then took a tentative step towards them. She shouldn’t, but … Curiosity got the better of her. No one could blame her for wanting to check where her little boy slept when he was here, could they? She would just poke her head around the bedroom door, that was all. She’d been going to ask Laura to show her anyway, but with her mother arriving unannounced and Laura clearly otherwise engaged, she might as well utilise the time to have a quick peek now. She would be up and down again in a flash.