Cosy Nights & Snowball Fights (Little Duck Pond Cafe #36)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Jackie was standing outside, a little way back from the main café door.

She was half-turned, staring across the green, her arms folded against the freezing temperatures in a red, belted mackintosh. Her face wore an anxious expression. She was probably thinking, quite rightly, that I was likely to send her packing without a hearing.

I paused before opening the door, gritting my teeth and trying to calm down and get my chaotic thoughts in order. That last time I’d told her I never wanted to see her again.

She hadn’t noticed me standing in the shadows and I was suddenly tempted to retreat back to the function room and ask Maddy to tell her she couldn’t find me. But still I stood there, observing the woman – who was supposed to have cared for me – with a curious detachment.

It looked, from her appearance today, as if she was still off the drink and drugs. Jackie had always swung between sloppy track suits and over-the-top glam at the other end of the fashion scale, depending on whether she was in recovery or well and truly out of it. Her shoes today were a case in point. How on earth was she managing to walk in the snow in those ridiculous beige heels? Maybe she was trying to prove to me that she was sober and that she’d changed. But how many times had I heard that? Too many to count.

I was about to step back. After everything that had happened, there was nothing Jackie could say that would change my mind about wanting her out of my life for good. I thought I’d made that perfectly clear that last time. But then she turned and looked straight through the glass in the door and our eyes met. She was looking directly at me. I had to face her...

Taking a deep breath, I swung open the door. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ I demanded incredulously. ‘Who told you where to find me?’

‘It was Viv... your Auntie Viv.’ She took a step forward and slithered a little in the snow. ‘She came to see me the other week and we talked about you as we always do, and she mentioned you were living and working here. In Sunnybrook.’

My face hardened.

‘I don’t think she meant to tell me, though,’ she said swiftly, apologetically, reaching for my arm. ‘It just slipped out in conversation. So please don’t blame Viv. She said it was your decision whether you wanted to see me again and she made me promise I wouldn’t come here.’

I gave a bitter snort. ‘Well, we all know how Jackie’s promises turn out, don’t we? Why am I not in the least surprised that you came here anyway?’ I shook my head. ‘What the hell were you hoping to achieve? Because let me tell you, an emotional mother-daughter reunion is definitely not on the cards, if that’s what you were hoping for. And that means now or ever !’

She shook her head miserably. ‘No, of course not. I’d never expect... I know it’ll take time to convince you that I never meant to –’ She broke off, looking down at her feet in the ridiculous shoes, and I realised she was struggling to hold it together. It wasn’t just the impractical coat that was making her shiver...

‘You never meant to hurt me? Have you actually heard yourself?’ I was getting close to tears myself. Angry tears.

‘I was drunk, Laurel. You know I was. And I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing. ’

‘Yeah, yeah, that’s your excuse for everything, isn’t it? Okay, so you’ve seen me. Now, will you please do me a favour?’

‘Anything. Anything at all, Laurel.’ There were tears trickling down her face now. Pathetic!

‘Right. Just get lost and leave me alone. For good this time!’

And with that, I shut the door firmly in her face.

*****

People had been starting to wander back through to the café and when I turned, shaking and in tears, a few startled and concerned faces were staring at me.

‘Hey, what’s going on?’ asked Ellie, walking quickly over to me. ‘Are you okay? Who was that? Do you want to come into the office?’ She took my arm and started to steer me gently away from the rest of the party.

Suddenly, there was a commotion by the bar and I heard Maddy shriek, ‘Dad? Dad, are you okay?’

‘What’s happened?’ asked Ellie. She looked at me and we both went to see what was wrong.

‘It’s Dad,’ wailed Maddy, looking up at us from where she was kneeling on the floor beside him. He tried to get up on a stool but somehow he fell and cracked his head on the counter.’

Her mum was kneeling on the other side, trying to revive him, but worryingly, it looked as if Maddy’s dad was unconscious.

‘Oh, my God, what do we do? I’ll call for help.’ As Maddy reached for her phone, he stirred and opened his eyes.

‘What . . . where am I?’ he muttered.

‘You fell, Dad, and hit your head. I’m calling an ambulance.’

‘No.’ He was sitting up, rubbing his forehead and finding blood on his fingers. ‘I’m fine. Really. I don’t need an ambulance.’

‘You’re not fine,’ said Maddy’s mum firmly, looking ashen with shock and kneeling beside him on the floor.

‘You at least need to go to A&E and get checked out,’ insisted Maddy, and there were murmurs of agreement from those around us. ‘Oh, hell, I’d drive but I’m over the limit.’

‘So am I,’ her mum wailed.

‘I’m not,’ I said, stepping forward. ‘I don’t drink. I’ll drive you to A&E.’