He'll come through
Chapter 16 - It's My Life

Chapter 16

Freddy was winded and over her shoulder falling asleep when Quinn joined her with two mugs of coffee. Lilah sipped at hers watching him, it was all so surreal to be sharing a coffee with him, their child asleep peacefully between them. She’d done so much alone, always alone. Now she had someone to consult with, to share her fears, her concerns, but also the bonuses, smiles, laughs...

“So why are you here Quinn? I mean yesterday you got off my train; so much has happened since that you’ve never really said why here? Why now? And how the hell did you come to be in my parents’ kitchen at nine am on a Saturday morning chatting like an old friend?” She didn’t add the words ‘why are you invading my home, my life’ or even ‘why did it take you a year?’ But the tone of the question left no doubt as to the true intention of her thoughts.

He sighed and leaned back in the chair, “I’ve wanted to come home since you left. If for no other reason than to explain.” When she raised her eyebrows theatrically, he laughed, “Ok, ok, I may have a few ulterior motives!”

She gasped, “a few??”

Laughing he sipped at his coffee then continued, “maybe when you left I was as angry with you for walking out as I was with me for not going after you. I thought you’d come back, or at least be back Amir’s place. When you weren’t...well I won’t tell you what I wanted to do to you, for your stupidity, and to myself for mine. When I found out you’d got to the embassy; well, that was when I relaxed and became angry instead of worried and angry. And I was proud of you for getting there, but my own pride stopped me contacting you! I was annoyed you’d walked off like that, no regard for where you were, what had happened. And no regard for me.”

“Anything was better than you treating me like a leper! The way you looked at me when you could be arsed was unbelievable...” she blinked to clear the memory of him so resentful. “I could put up with most things, hell I HAD put up with most things. But the anger, the annoyance, the resentment....it was all too much for me to take. I could never have stayed.” Looking down at her hands, entwining her fingers, she took a moment to pluck up the courage to meet his eyes, “I thought you’d follow me - if not out of the restaurant, then to the embassy, or even here. For a year I waited for you to appear, and you didn’t.” She tried to smile, “it took until a few weeks ago for me to give up hope of ever seeing you again. SO why here? Why now?”

“What changeda few weeks ago?”

Lilah shrugged, “I don’t know really, maybe because of all the hassle with Maria, it’s put a lot into perspective, and I’ve had to get on with things.”

He nodded, “I’ve been torn for so long; I swear I thought about coming back so many times. Then Gavin died, I didn’t think it was the right time, once I got involved in another big incident. It kept me busy until a few weeks ago. To be honest I didn’t think I’d be welcome here. It was only when Janis...”

“She contacted you?” Suddenly it all made sense, damn Janis and her drive for the perfect book! “So you didn’t even come back to look for me? Great! Thanks Quinn! Came for your commission on the book did you?” She stood to make for the door when he spoke further.

“I asked her if you hated me, if me coming back would be the wrong thing...”

She turned slowly, “if she told you I didn’t, that this was right then she was lying!”

Quinn laughed “it’d be more convincing if you could do angry! I’m here because I want to be, and I’m not trying to take over your World. Look last night after seeing you for the first time, I needed to clear my head, I went to the pub, I started talking to a few locals. As conversations went on, they really are a friendly bunch here,” he digressed. “I realised that Tony was your Dad, when I explained I knew you....he realised who I was. I can’t say that being here this morning wasn’t worth it to see the look on your face though.”

Scowling she ignored that remark, “You were on the same train from London. Are you telling me that was a coincidence?”

He nodded, “I met Janis yesterday, then came straight for the train, I can assure you, if I knew that you were on the train I’d have found you like a shot. You couldn’t have run away and you’d have had to be polite on a busy train. It would’ve been a perfect scenario. Prickly Blondie forced to be polite, would be quite a fun moment!”

“If I didn’t have Freddy in my arms I’d slap you, do you know that?” she snarled.

Still laughing he walked over and smiled, “again, if I thought you meant that I’d run a mile!!” Dropping a hand he stroked Freddy’s face, still unable to quite believe that he had such a gorgeous son, “he’s so beautiful Blondie!”

She nodded, “I know, I shouldn’t say it, but he is, most definitely!” As she lowered him into his pram, Quinn extended a hand, placing it over her forearm.

“Just like his mother.”

Looking up at his face she realised that he was trying to make this an intimate moment, make this about her and him, not about Freddy. “No Quinn, don’t do this!”

Smiling he massaged his fingers into her burning flesh of her arm, “do what Blondie?”

She snatched her arm away and growled at him, “No matter what you try I’m wise to you. You’re here because of Freddy, that’s as far as it goes.”

He leaned back against the work surface and grinned that same lazy, suggestive smile that he’d had since the previous evening, “relax Blondie, I know how things stand, and I’m hardly likely to try and drag you into bed!”

“Good!” she started to pull the pram backwards to the door, planning on heading up to the village when he added.

“No, I guarantee, that when I next strip you naked and make love to you, it’ll be after you beg me...” as she blushed and floundered for an answer, he reached for an apple from the fruit bowl and added, “and it will be soon Blondie, we both know that!” Smiling he bit into the fruit with the loudest ‘crunch’, then grinned as he chewed it thoughtfully.

Holding the half eaten apple in one hand, Quinn took over the task of getting the pram outside, and left Lilah a gibbering wreck, torn between panting with desire and lashing out in anger. By the time she’d pulled herself together, he was half way up the lane connecting the house to the village, Freddy gurgling in his pram in front of him. She was tempted to run after him, shout adnm scream, but that was what he wanted, what he expected. So she just held back walking behind him, taking time to gather her thoughts.

Lilah knew she loved Quinn, she’d worked that out whilst she was sat in the embassy crying alone a year earlier. She’d hoped that being away from him that that love would wane, but it seemed that Freddy being a constant reminder of him kept that alive. As she studied him, striding ahead of her she sighed, everything about him was perfect, even the way he’d accepted Freddy, taken on his role as father without even questioning her, but she’d been burnt before, and she knew her emotional fragility couldn’t take it. He was still in love with the past, and she knew that was why he spent his life running away from reality. When he left here, when he deemed he’d done enough for them, he’d be back to his unstable and frankly dangerous lifestyle, she had no idea what would happen. She might never see him again, but she did know she had to protect her and Freddy from being hurt, all they could rely on was each other, Quinn was a luxury and they both had to anticipate him leaving.

Quinn hit the village green before her, and stopped in his tracks. She knew he’d be stunned at the hustle and bustle of village life at its best. As she drew level with him, she smiled; they had not let her down!

The green that had previously decked with several marquees, was now skirted by miles of bunting draped between the buildings and the various gazebos and tents, and it created almost a tunnel of colour. The stumps for the later cricket match were already in pride of place, and guarded by orange and white security ribbon, tied around a variety of chairs, protecting the beloved wicket from the villagers and children milling around.

She spotted her mother at the cake stall, the pile of cakes she’d lovingly provided, already dented significantly as most people wandered around with some form of treat in their hand. Mrs Munroe, the headmistress from the local primary school was wandering around with a large clipboard looking very officious, as she did every year. Her much beleaguered husband Jonah manned the large chalkboard that listed the day’s events, and the times.

Quinn was reading the list in amazement.

“Tug of war? Cake competition? Iron man? Best picture....” He turned to her his mouth open in surprise, “is there anything that this village doesn’t do?”

Lilah laughed and shook her head, “it’s traditional, all manner of visitors – balloon makers, face painters, stilt walkers, and lots of competitions all day, it ends with the cricket match. When that finishes there a hog roast, dancing on the green, and of course fancy dress competition...fancy dress is compulsory by the way.” The words were thrown over her shoulder as she marched past him into the commotion.

When Quinn finally caught up with her she was sat near her mother drinking coffee – more coffee he thought, boy did she have a problem? Negotiating the throng of people with a pram was bad enough, but it seemed that every resident wanted to stop and coo at Freddy, it seemed that his son was both famous and adored in these parts, and by the way that he was examined by the same residents who worshipped his son, he knew that he was a long way from being accepted here!

Lilah glanced up as he approached and smiled, he looked more than a little fraught. Good he deserved it!

“Quinn!” Her mother exclaimed, “and my darling Freddy!” She clucked over the two males, fixing Quinn a coffee he didn’t really want and cuddling her grandson briefly before returning to the busy cake stall. Quinn pushed Freddy up to Lilah, ensuring he was in the shade, then dropped onto the floor in front of the bench where she sat.

“This is quite the event isn’t it?” He lounged back on his elbows and closed his eyes, it was still quite early and the sun was warm to the skin. He really was a vision, with his tanned skin, dark hair that was longer than she remembered, fitted t-shirt and combat shorts that seemed to hug his thighs and bum without being ridiculous. Even his legs had a certain intrigue about them, crossed at the ankle in an elegant way. She knew he was the topic of lots of attention and gossip, after all he’d just waltzed through the village pushing their son.

“It’s the envy of the other local villages; it’s become a real competition. If you look around, those scrutinising are generally the non villagers, looking for a flaw. But the woman with the clipboard,” she gestured towards Mrs Munroe, “she’s my old headmistress, and she misses nothing. This is a well oiled ship and will not be beaten! That’s not a boast; it's a fact of life!”

He studied the older woman for a few moments, “she looks like a battle axe!”

Lilah nodded, “she has her nice side...so I’m told, though I’m not sure any of us have ever seen it!”

Quinn closed his eyes, dropping back flat on to the grass, “everyone’s got a good side.”

“You make even that sound a challenge!” She shook her head as he shrugged, there was no end to his ability to wind her up! As she finished her coffee, she noticed her mother starting to panic.

“What’s up?” she asked walking over to her. Before answering her own question, her mother’s prize winning coffee and walnut sponge was looking a little bedraggled, and there was less than an hour until the judges came around. “Go home, sort it out. I’ll hold the fort here.”

“You sure?”

She nodded then smiled as her mother dashed off to the house to redecorate the competition entry. Freddy was fast asleep in his pram, so she pulled him into the shade of the gazebo, then started to serve the cakes and hot drinks. This was always a busy stall and time flew by. She wasn’t sure how long had passed but when she looked up there was no sign of Quinn. Saying that there were enough stalls for him to amuse himself, and she was anything but concerned about him.

Her mother appeared eventually with a smile on her face, disaster averted. “Thanks so much Dee-lilah! You’ve once again saved the day!”

At that very moment Mrs Monroe’s nasal voice echoed over the PA system, “all entries for the cake competition to the judging marquee, judging will commence in fifteen minutes with our guest judge.”

“Wish me luck!” her mother rushed off to the marquee. Within a few minutes Dora, another village stalwart had come to relieve Lilah, so she took Freddy and made her way to the judging arena. It wasn’t unusual for there to be several hundred at this fete, and for a moment it seemed they were all gathered in the marquee to see the results of the cake, jam and chutney competitions.

“We’ve had a record number of entries this year,” Mrs Munroe started the blurb as she did every year. “And Mr Donald the postman was looking forward to judging all the competitions as usual. Unfortunately, he’s been taken into hospital, and whilst he may have to have surgery for gallstones, he is well and sends his regrets. So I’m extremely grateful that we’ve had an emergency fill in, someone who’s very infamous if not famous around these parts, Mr Southland, our own Delilah Dawson’s hero and rescuer has stepped in. Round of applause please!”

As everyone clapped and whooped, straining to see the actual legend in the flesh, Lilah groaned. Even the ice woman Mrs Munroe had fallen for his charm, hook line and sinker. Waving a good luck to her mother, she left the canopied area, pushing Freddy back out into the sun. Checking her watch she was relieved to see it was gone eleven, what the hell she thought, cutting across the grass with Freddy still in front of her, she made for the pub, Alfie the land lord smiled at her via the hatch that served the beer garden.

“Bottle of beer please Alf!” she called as she manoeuvred the pram between the seats.

“Coming up Lilah!” cracking open the bottle he handed it to her and took the note she offered. “Early start?” When she nodded, he added, “nice bloke your man Quinn. Did he really rescue you? He was in here last night, top man....and he looks so....normal!”

She laughed because she knew that was the appropriate response, “looks can be deceiving, hey?”

He nodded before craning to smile at the sleeping Freddy, waving to him, she turned to head for somewhere quiet. The old crossroads sign was mounted on top of a rocky island in the centre of the road that was closed for today, so she perched on the short wall and watched the World go by.

The beer was divine and there was something a little illicit about drinking so early in the day, especially when it felt essential to survive the day!