Written in the Scars (The Estate Series Book 4) (12 page)

‘I know what you’re thinking,’ he said. ‘Again.’

Donna raised her eyebrows.

‘Proper kisses – full, passionate, breathless kisses – are saved for first dates.’

‘But we’ve already had a first date, technically speaking.’

Owen smiled. ‘Technically speaking, we’re on our second date right now.’

Donna nodded. As he leaned closer, she parted her lips in eagerness. But he stopped an inch away from her.

‘Hold that thought until next time,’ he teased and planted a kiss on her nose.

As Donna got out of the car, she couldn’t help but smile. She tried not to turn back as she moved away, knowing that Owen would be watching her as she hadn’t heard his car move away.

After a moment, a horn papped and she did turn. Owen waved before driving off.

Donna waved back, staying still until the vehicle was out of sight before racing across the square toward the shop. Wait until she told Sarah!

Wow, what was happening to her? Her heart seemed to be beating out of her chest.

She didn’t know where Owen had been all her life but she was so happy that he was here now.

Chapter Fifteen

Donna rushed back into Shop&Save in the nick of time, grabbing her overall and putting it on quickly.

‘So, how was it?’ Sarah asked. Before Donna could speak, she held up her hand. ‘You don’t need to tell me how much you enjoyed it. It’s written all over your face.’ As there were no customers in the shop, she beckoned her closer. ‘You didn’t have sex in the car, did you?’

‘No, we did not!’’ Donna laughed.

‘Where did he take you?’

‘We had a picnic at Raven’s Mount.’

‘No! I haven’t been there in years. Was it nice?’

‘Yes, it was so romantic.’ Donna’s skin flushed yet again and she held a hand to her chest. ‘Oh, Sarah, he’s even more gorgeous up close and personal. There was definitely some sexual tension rising.’

‘Was that the only thing rising?’ Sarah giggled.

‘I couldn’t see!’

‘What did you talk about?’

‘Oh, you know, this and that.’ Donna pulled on her overall again.

‘This and that?’ Sarah looked disappointed. ‘Please tell me you arranged to see him again?’

‘Well, yes, but it will depend on our Sam and when he is coming out of hospital as—’

‘You’re putting your family first again!’ Sarah shook her head in exasperation.

‘I’m not. He’s picking me up tomorrow night - as long as nothing comes up in the meantime.’

Sarah raised an eyebrow. ‘If nothing comes up? That’s what you’re hoping for, isn’t it?’

Donna slapped her bottom as she moved past her.

Sarah turned back with a look of regret on her face. ‘It’s my day off tomorrow so I won’t get to know any gory details. That was bad planning. I’ll text you.’ She winked. ‘Seriously, I hope you have a lovely time with him. He seems keen.’

‘He does, doesn’t he?’ Donna nodded fervently, pushing any doubts to the back of her mind. ‘Makes a change after being on my own for so long.’

‘You’ve moved on a lot since that idiot you were with last, though. What was his name, again?’

‘Daryl.’ Donna giggled. ‘How the hell I put up with him for three years was beyond me.’

‘You’re too nice, that’s your problem. People walk all over you.’

‘They do not!’

‘I meant it in a nice way. Your heart is in the right place, and he took advantage of your good nature.’

‘I suppose.’ Thinking about her relationship with Daryl, Donna realised now that he’d merely been after a roof over his head and someone to look after him, rather than a partner. The sex had been practically non-existent after the first year, which had surprised her, yet still she stayed with him until he left her.

When she’d been with Joe, their relationship had been friendly too, even if the love had gone. Because of this, she often wondered how he was doing. She hadn’t seen him in years, even though he had been a big part of her life, especially when Keera was younger.

They’d grown apart but maybe they could have stuck together if he hadn’t had an affair. Still, all she wanted to look forward to now was Owen. Having a bit of fun with him was definitely what the doctor ordered.

‘It’s just a date,’ she told Sarah.

‘A date that could lead to lots of things.’

‘Oh, I’d settle for a good shag, if I’m honest. It’s ages since I’ve had a fella between my legs.’

‘When you’ve finished chatting ladies,’ a voice came from the side of them. For the umpteenth time that day, Donna blushed – until she realised it was Mr Turner, eighty-one years old with a hearing aid that never worked properly.

‘Yes, Sidney, what can I do for you?’

After her shift at Shop&Save finished that afternoon, Donna decided to visit her mum before going to the hospital. Hopefully Sam would be discharged soon, which at least meant she wouldn’t have to trek as far to see him. The flat he was sharing with his friend was only two streets away from Trudy Place, so it would make things a little easier for her.

She’d said she would look after him if he wanted to move back home for a while but he’d flatly refused. Sarah had ticked her off for offering, saying he could cope on his own, but despite his age, Donna needed to know he would be okay. And it wasn’t so much the physical scars she was concerned about, as the mental ones.

As she sat in traffic, she wished that she could tell her mum about the picnic with Owen. It would be lovely to see Mary’s face light up but the mum she used to have was gone. Half the time she didn’t even recognise Donna, let alone was able to understand something like this.

She wished her mum was her old self. If things were different, Donna knew she’d be happy for her, although she wouldn’t have told her Owen’s true age unless things became more serious later.

At Poplar Court, she spotted Mary sitting in the window of her flat and waved but there was no response.

‘Hi, Mum,’ she greeted as she let herself into the small hall. In the living room, she smiled at Mary and perched on the arm of the chair next to her. ‘It’s a lovely day out there.’ She took her hand. ‘It’s still so hot. Would you like to go outside for a while?’

‘Ow! Stop!’ Mary pulled her arm away quickly.

Donna frowned. ‘What’s wrong, Mum?’

Mary rubbed at her arm. She didn’t speak but her head shook from side to side.

‘Let me look.’ Carefully, Donna pulled up the sleeve of Mary’s cardigan. There was a bruise there, the size of a small apple, dark and nasty. Donna sighed.

‘Oh dear, Mum, what have you been up to now?’ Before she could continue, a knock came at the front door. At least now she might be able to shed some light on what had happened. ‘That will be Megan, I expect.’

‘No!’ Mary seemed aghast, her head shaking again. ‘I don’t like her.’

‘Don’t be daft, Mum. Everyone likes Megan.’

‘Hi, Donna,’ Megan smiled as she came in to them. ‘Morning, Mary. How are you today?’

‘Hello, love.’ Mary smiled up at Megan.

Donna sighed. This was the woman Mary had just said that she didn’t want to see!

‘Megan, do you know how Mum got this bruise on her arm?’ she asked.

Megan came over to look. ‘Oh, I hadn’t noticed, to be honest. It looks recent though, sore too.’

‘It’s one hell of a size.’

‘They do bruise easily at that age.’

‘Yes, I know, but–’ 

‘Would you like me to put something on it?’

‘I can do it.’ Donna glared at Megan. ‘I am capable of doing things, you know.’  

‘Oh, of course. I didn’t mean …’ Megan blushed. ‘I’ll keep an eye on it for you, if you like? Though, if it gets too painful, we might have to take her to A&E to have an X-ray.’ She looked up at Donna. ‘I mean, you’d take her.’

‘Yes, I can do that at the same time that I go and visit Sam. Kill two birds with one stone.’ Donna looked away. Christ, why did Megan have to make her feel so guilty?

Megan wasn’t perturbed. ‘Let me keep an eye on her today, and if she gets worse by this evening, I’ll get someone to give you a call.’

‘Thanks,’ Donna replied, hating how inadequate she felt. ‘I’m sorry to snap. It’s nothing personal. I just— I just don’t have time to do everything.’

As Megan went through into the tiny kitchen, Donna sat with Mary for a few minutes before getting up again. ‘I have to go now, Mum.’ She bent down to kiss Mary on her forehead.

Mary grabbed her hand, her grip stronger than she looked capable of. ‘Don’t leave me here,’ she whispered. ‘They’re mean to me. They hit me and make me eat my dinner until I’m sick. They make me lie in the bed so long that I have to wee myself.’

‘Don’t be silly, Mum.’  Donna feigned a smile.

Mary began to cry. ‘Please take me with you. I hate it here. I hate it, hate it!’

As she left Poplar Court minutes later after calming Mary down a little, Donna didn’t know what to think. The outburst played on her mind. No one really knew when to believe what a dementia sufferer was saying, whether it was true or not. How would they know? Often Mary would accuse Donna of abandoning her. It wasn’t fair, Donna did her best.

But she would keep an eye on Mary’s bruises for a while, check each time she visited to see if there were any more.

Chapter Sixteen

Lewis was at the Job Centre in Stockleigh. Thursdays were his signing on days. He’d thought that after coming out of the army he’d never have to go on the dole; that he’d be able to get fixed up with a permanent position straight away. Everyone would need a strapping fella like him, his dad had said. Who wouldn’t want to employ someone who was a team player, organised and reliable?

But being ex-army had worked far more against him than to his advantage. At first Lewis had volunteered at the army recruitment centre after coming home but, after a few weeks there, he had felt too claustrophobic to be in an office. He knew he’d never be able to work indoors, in a factory or doing long shifts in a shop.

So far, he’d spent six months on a nightshift doing security at B&Q, until that contract had ended. Just recently he’d been given the boot as a doorman at Sparks nightclub because he’d lashed out at someone having a go at him. As a bouncer, he was supposed to keep his cool, to defuse heated situations, but this one fella had riled him up a little too much. So now he was back on the dole, missing the banter and routine of a full-time job.

Signing on was even more of a degradation. Even though the building itself was a fairly new-build, it still had an oppressive atmosphere.

Once he’d been to the reception, he was shown to the first floor. The room was open plan, with coloured chairs in different areas in the middle and desks around its edge. There were people everywhere, of all ages; some even had children in pushchairs. Looking around, Lewis saw people he knew would never hold down a job, as well as others he thought didn’t want to work.

He sat down on the row of green chairs that he had been directed to, resting a clipboard on his knees as he began to complete another round of paperwork. His head was pounding after drinking too much again the night before. The weather was hot and clammy, making the drink go down easier when it was outside in a beer garden – or what was called a garden at least. Technically it was a just a yard leading on to an alleyway.

He’d called Amy yesterday evening, on his way home from the pub, but she hadn’t wanted to talk to him. He’d asked to speak to Daniel but she said he had gone to bed. He’d tried to keep her on the line but she’d hung up after a few seconds.

He wiped perspiration from his brow, pools already forming on his T-shirt. He wore long shorts with his desert boots, supposing he looked quite trendy, and felt smug knowing they were the real thing, not some knock-off crap from the local market. These boots had seen action – too much, really.

He wondered whether it was worth going to see Amy after he’d signed on. Face to face, she wouldn’t be able to turn him away, unless she slammed the door when she saw who was on the step. He smiled, knowing full well that she wouldn’t do that. He was the angry one, not Amy.

Amy was his saving grace. They’d first met at school. Lewis had been fifteen and Amy fourteen. They’d known each other for years, having attended the same schools, but all at once they noticed each other. It was at an end-of-year disco as they messed around to the sounds of ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ and ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’.

He’d been with a group of his mates, caught Amy’s eye with his stupid dancing and they’d started to laugh. The music slowed down as Lonestar’s ‘Amazed’ was played. They were still dancing around each other and it took a step to pull her into his arms. He could remember their first kiss as if it were yesterday, the taste of strawberry lip-gloss lingering on his lips afterwards.

Theirs was a childhood romance that had blossomed, as things do at that age. They’d lost their virginity to each other on a cold, wet afternoon when his parents had been at work and they should have been at school. Amy knew from the beginning that he wanted to go in the army and would be joining up as soon as he could. He’d been in the local cadets as soon as he’d been old enough to join. Despite knowing he wouldn’t be around all the time, it hadn’t put Amy off.