A Safe Pair of Hands (2 page)

“
Just when do you plan on finishing those documents, Ms
Forester?”

Sadie had been listening sympathetically to Marcy’s latest
love woes, when his snidy voice sounded behind her.

“
I mean I’d hate to distract you from your
obviously important,
chit
chat
, but I did ask for those notes before
the weekend,” he sneered nastily.

“
What? Oh of course, Mr Hargreaves – I’m just typing up the
last of them now,” she stuttered at the unfairness of his attack,
he’d only given her the documents this morning, and there was quite
a heap! Obviously his business meeting, the previous weekend had
not gone as well as he had hoped?

He just scowled impatiently. “Well, as soon as they are done
then, Ms Forester.”

He turned and stalked off and everyone he passed gave him a
wide berth as they looked at him slightly
apprehensively.

“
So what do you think is eating at him?” Marcy asked almost in
wonder.

Sadie shrugged her shoulders impatiently. “What’s always
eating at him?”

*

She switched off her computer and shrugged into her coat at
dead on five o’clock on that Wednesday afternoon.

Macy giggled at her obvious eagerness. “You look like you have
plans?”

Sadie gave her a quick grin. “Oh I most definitely have plans
tonight and I really don’t want to be late for them!” she gave a
wave as she sailed out of the office and out of the building
without a backward glance.

Nick watched as Sadie practically danced out to the car
park.

“
Someone’s got a hot date!” he muttered in
disapproval.

It was only a Wednesday after all, surely she could have
waited until Friday to go and let her hair down!

He scowled irritably – Sadie had been different this week, all
happy and excited – glowing!

In his experience the only reason a woman of her age would be
like that – was if she was in love – or pregnant!

He turned away angrily and sat down to look through the
documents that she had produced for him.

He was looking for errors, caused by her obvious haste; but
was almost sorry to find that her work was – as usual,
faultless.

He would not even admit to himself that her haste had been
caused by his deliberate delay in handing her the notes. He could
have given her to them yesterday lunch time, but had hung on to
them until this morning.

And telling her that he needed them by the end of today has
also been – untrue, tomorrow afternoon would have been plenty soon
enough!

He thought again of how different she had seemed this week,
almost like that first time he’d seen her.

Across a crowded a room, he had seen the love of his life for
the first time…

He snorted angrily at the cliché, as he dismissed her from his
mind – again!

Chapter Two

“
I wan’ Billy!” Pete sobbed tiredly.

“
Where is Billy, sweetheart?” Sadie hugged the little boy to
her as she searched around the little bedroom.

“
E’s at ‘ome on my bed!”

Sadie had spent the past hour – and more, trying to get the
little boy settled, but this was the finally straw.

“
Alright, Peteee!” she sighed in defeat. “Let’s go and get
him.”

She picked up Pete’s blanket and wrapped it around him, as she
grabbed her keys, and bag and left her little house.

It had been an afterthought to grab her own coat to cover her
little nighty, and as she strapped the sleepy little boy into the
car seat, she gave a little grateful shiver, thankful that she
had.

She had put the coat over her shoulders, but before she
climbed behind the steering wheel, she pushed her arms into the
sleeves, and tied the belt with a sharp tug.

It was late by now; she thought to herself silently, so who
was going to see her looking such a fright – with her, ‘seen better
days’ bright pink slippers, and her ‘far too short’, but she’d
always loved it – pale blue baby doll nighty, now all bunched up by
her knee length grey mac, with the buttons undone but the belt tied
tightly.

Her face was bare of makeup and shiny from her moisturising
cream, and her hair was hanging down, tousled and messy.

She did indeed look a complete fright, but she shrugged her
shoulders philosophically and climbed into her car. No one would
see her but little Pete, so what would it matter?

It took just over fifteen minutes to reach her sister’s house,
and as Sadie pulled into the driveway, she was glad that Nancy had
thought to give her the spare key.

“
Just in case you need to pick up anything for Pete...” she had
shrugged.

She collected the dozing little boy from the back of her car,
and scurried over to the front door. She had the key in her hand,
and she knew that once she opened the door she would have just one
minute to get over to the alarm, and deactivate it.

This was no easy thing with her bag, the little boy and
darkness – all to contend with.

As it was, it gave a loud beeping noise just as she opened the
panel, and frantically started thumping in numbers.

The light flashed green, and silence descended and Sadie gave
a little sigh of relief… which turned into a squeal of fright when
someone suddenly thumped loudly on the front door.

Sadie adjusted little Pete and walked over to the door,
switching on the hall light as she went.

“
Yes?” she called out without bothering to open it. “What do
you want?”

“
I’m the neighbour, I know that Rob and Nancy are away, so
you’d better open the door and explain who you are, and what you’re
doing here!” A deep masculine voice stated firmly.

Sadie registered a faint prickling sensation as she slid the
bolt across and pulled the door open.

“
I’m Nancy’s sister…” She began, only to stop dead as she
looked up into the shocked face of Nicholas J Hargreaves MD –
otherwise known as ‘the boss’!

“
You!” he spat out incredulously. “YOU are Nancy’s sister?” He
looked truly confused. “But...it’s ‘aunty sissy’ that young Pete
goes on about... It’s ‘aunty sissy’ who’s so wonderful!”

Pete peered out at him sleepily. “Aunt’y Sissy!” he mumbled
rubbing Sadie’s arm.

“
In the flesh!” Sadie sighed dryly. “Now if there’s nothing
else…”

“
Why
are
you here?” he asked again
determinedly.

She juggled her bag and little Pete again
awkwardly.

“
Because…” she ground out tiredly, “he couldn’t settle at my
house, not without Billy.”

“
Billy?”

“
Billy the bear!”

Pete gave a sleepy little sob. “Wan’ Billy!” he
mumbled.

Sadie rubbed his back gently. “I know love; we’ll go and get
him now.”

She looked pointedly at Nicholas who just continued to hover
on the porch.

“
Why don’t you go and settle him, and I’ll wait here,” he
suggested firmly.

“
Why don’t you go home, and then I can lock up?” Sadie
countered defiantly.

He leaned in dangerously. “Because I
need
– demand some
answers.”

Sadie could tell that arguing was a waste, so she bowed her
head in defeat.

“
I won’t be a moment…” she glanced back at him. “Why don’t you
put the kettle on – I’m gasping for a cuppa.”

She heard his little exclamation, but didn’t linger to see how
annoyed he was with her this time. That he was annoyed; was a
given, he was ALWAYS annoyed with her.

Little Pete was absolutely shattered, so by the time she
pulled back his covers, he rolled into his own bed, snuggled up to
‘Billy’ and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

Sadie sat on the edge of his bed, and tenderly stroked back
his hair. “Sleep tight little man – I’ll see you in the morning,”
she whispered huskily.

She sat for another five minutes – just to make sure that he
was indeed out for the night – and absolutely
not
to delay facing, ‘Mr
Angry’.

Sadie glided silently down the stairs, coming to the bottom
step just as HE walked back in through the front door.

He glanced up at her and stopped dead in his
tracks.

Sadie looked down, to find that her coat belt had come undone
at some point, leaving it to hang down and show off her little
nightdress – almost ALL of her curvy breast, and a great deal of
shapely leg, with the definitely seen better days fuzzy pink
slippers, hanging on her little feet.

She blushed furiously as she pulled the coat together and tied
the belt savagely.

“
You had no milk…” he muttered in a gravelly defensive voice
that she’d never heard him use before, “so I nipped back to mine
for some.”

“
Oh.” She took the last step as he stepped forward which
brought them together.

Sadie held out her hand for the milk. “Thank you,” she
whispered nervously.

As soon as he handed it over, Sadie whirled around and almost
ran for the safety of the kitchen.

She didn’t know why, but Nicholas was making her feel
incredibly nervous tonight... maybe it was because she was so
tired?

She switched on the kettle and pulled down a couple of
mugs.

“
So what do you want to know?” she asked in a low voice, not
even bothering to turn and look at the man, who she just knew was
standing there – watching her.

He was silent for so long that Sadie glanced back to check
that he
was
actually there.

He was.

He moved suddenly to sit at the kitchen table but she had seen
the look before he moved, he had been looking at her as though he
was looking at a demon... or a rattle snake... or some other
hideous creature.

Sadie turned back and gave a sad little sigh as she poured the
boiling water into the tea pot.

‘
He hates me,’ she thought to herself. ‘I
don’t know why, but he absolutely
hates
me!' of course that was not
quite true, she had a very good idea of why he hated
her.

She felt her eyes fill with tears, and blinked them back
furiously. What on earth was the matter with her
tonight?

She put the tea pot and the cups on a tray and dumped it down
on the table.

“
Shall I play mother – or will you?” she asked primly as she
sat down across from him.

His lips twitched, and his eyes narrowed, but there was
absolutely no other sign from him that anyone was home.

“
Please... will you do it.” he finally murmured
huskily.

Sadie shrugged her shoulders and picked up the heavy tea pot.
She swirled it gently a couple of times and then filled the two
cups.

“
Milk and sugar’s right there... help yourself.”

Sadie watched him as he added a sprinkle of sugar and stirred
in a small quantity of milk.

As he sat back she reached out to add milk to her own, and a
light sprinkle of sugar to her cup before stirring the brew with
the spoon.

She sipped at her tea, waiting for him to speak... she had
tried once and got nowhere, now it was his turn – if he wanted
answers, then he had better come up with some questions.

The silence stretched out between them, and Sadie cupped her
hands around her mug and waited tiredly for him to find his
voice.

“
What happened... three years ago… what really
happened?”

The question when it came was not the expected one. She
shrugged her shoulders.

“
You were there... you saw well enough.”

“
I thought that I did, that guy seemed genuine... you seemed
cold and unmoved by his pleas. I thought I saw it all.”

“
So there you go then... you have good instincts, you have good
eyes.” Sadie shrugged again and sipped at her tea.

“
He threatened to kill himself... he said that he couldn’t live
without you?” he persisted firmly.

Sadie’s grey eyes met his brown. “And so I should have given
in? I should have stayed with him? Given up my life for
him?”

He didn’t answer her, he looked troubled.

“
WELL?” Sadie demanded in exasperation. “You had enough of an
opinion three years ago to condemn me – so what about now? Was I
wrong?”

“
I don’t know... maybe you should have tried to be more –
understanding?”

Sadie laughed bitterly.

“
What makes you SO sure that I didn’t... that I hadn’t
before?”

Nicolas looked at her sharply.

“
That wasn’t the first time that he’d
threatened...?”