looked at Xander, who was looking at Sam, who was putting their luggage into one of the car boots. ‘Are you okay?’ she said lightly, looking at Lucy intently. She smiled faintly, a little movement of the head barely identifiable.
‘We will be.’ Marlene squeezed her shoulder, and the two women looked at each other for a moment, happy to be near each other finally. Sam turned to look at them, a frown across his features, and Marlene noticed.
‘Nice man, isn’t he?’ she said softly.
‘Yes, I dare say he is.’ Lucy noticed that he was putting his own case into the back of the other car. ‘What is he doing?’ Her voice came out shrill, panicked, and Xander looked up at her, picking up on the change instantly. She squeezed his hand to signal that she was okay.
She looked at her aunt just quickly enough to catch a sheepish look passing over her face.
‘Auntie?’ she tried again, but Marlene had already taken Xander’s hand and started off towards the car. To his credit, Xander didn’t make a fuss.
‘I’ll take Xander with me, you get in with Grace. Come on, Xander. Let’s get home, and then we can make some lunch, eh?’ Xander looked back at his mum questioningly, so she just smiled and waved him off.
‘See you there, honey. Make sure you put your seatbelt on.’
The others got into the car, and drove off, leaving Sam standing by Grace’s car. Grace was seemingly busy playing with the radio.
‘I hope you don’t mind – your friends didn’t really give me the option of refusing. I was going to get a taxi, but apparently we’re heading the same way.’
Lucy nodded, pointing to the front seat.
‘I don’t mind at all. Please.’
He shook his head, taking off his coat.
‘I’ll be fine in the back. You go ahead.’
He opened the door, and folded his tall frame into the back seat, his coat on his lap. She walked around to the other side of the car, opening the passenger side door. Grace’s large bag was strapped into the seat.
‘Sorry, love, I like to have my bag close, for my pills.’ She winked at Lucy, and Lucy blushed. Subtle.
‘Okay, no problem.’ She forced her face into a relaxed expression, even though she was utterly embarrassed. The rear door opened, and she saw Sam’s hand pull back onto his lap.
‘Thank you.’ She slipped into the seat next to him, putting her handbag onto her lap.
‘Please, use the middle seat. Don’t sit with your bag on you, all squashed up. There’s plenty of room.’
She eyed him, but saw the same calm expression. He was hard to read. She slid the bag off her lap and put it in the space between them.
‘So, what brings you to Westfield then?’ Grace asked brightly, pulling out of the train station car park at speed, startling a passer-by as she weaved into the busy morning traffic. ‘Meeting your wife?’
Lucy winced, looking out of the window. She saw a pigeon eating some discarded food at the side of the road and suddenly wished she could change places with it. This pretty much felt like being pecked to death anyway.
‘Er, no wife.’ Sam’s deep tones filled the car. ‘I’m here for work.’
‘Ah, I see.’ She turned the wheel abruptly, flicking from lane to lane, heading out of Leeds city centre. Lucy’s bag lurched forward, and she put her hand out to grab it, instead touching Sam’s doing the same. They both yanked their hands back as the touch of each other burned like fire. He pushed her bag back along the seat.
‘I got it,’ he murmured, and she smiled at him gratefully.
‘So, have you got a girlfriend back home? Is she coming to join you? Or a him, maybe?’
‘No, no girlfriend or boyfriend anywhere. It’s just me.’
‘No family?’ Grace pushed.
Sam looked down at his hands, and Lucy cleared her throat.
‘Grace, what were you knitting, back on the platform?’
Grace started babbling away, telling them both about the jumper drive that the village was currently embarking on, preparing for winter for the homeless.
‘We’re going to send them to the foodbanks, the homeless shelters. Amanda and a few of the other women are sewing blankets too, so we should have loads by the time the winter starts to bite.’
She eyed Sam in the rear-view mirror.
‘About a forty chest, aren’t you, Sam?’
Sam looked shocked, but soon recovered.
‘Er yes, good eye. You must know your knitting.’
Grace chuckled, a mucky laugh that belied her years.
‘Aye, I know a good beefcake size when I see one.’
‘Dear Lord, kill me now,’ Lucy muttered to herself.
‘Take me with you if you do,’ Sam muttered back. They shared a look and both stifled a laugh.
He is really cute, she thought to herself. Not my type at all, but I can see the attraction. He had long lashes, which reminded her of her son.
She looked away, out of the window, and didn’t speak again until they reached the village of Westfield.
Sam saw the fire station come into view, and leaned forward.
‘Here’s my stop, Grace, thank you for the lift again.’
‘It’s no bother, are you sure you’re okay here?’
Sam nodded.
‘Yes, I’d like to say hello to the lads before I do anything else. Check everything’s okay.’
Grace smiled approvingly.
‘Well, Mr Draper, we are lucky to have you.’
He looked at her in surprise, and she winked.
‘It’s a small village, duck, nothing much passes us old bats here. Why do you think we took two cars?’
He looked across at Lucy, but she was sound asleep.
‘Say goodbye to them for me?’ he asked, feeling foolish, and a little cheated that he didn’t get to tell her it himself. He wanted to see her again, feel her eyes on him.
‘I will, love. I’m sure you’ll see her soon enough.’
As Sam watched the women drive off, he was pretty sure that Grace meant every word, and seemed to know that what she said would come true. He had a feeling that some of these villagers might be a bit of a handful. Throwing his holdall over his shoulder
