Trying Not to Love You - Part Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

“I’ll have breakfast please, full and a coffee.”

Mary the woman who worked in the local cafe fluttered her eyes at Sonny, “no problems, take a seat.”

Giving her a wink he sauntered across the cafe and sat at a table topped with a waterproof red gingham cloth. A pile of tabloid papers sat on an adjacent table and he reached out to grab one, breakfast and a glimpse through the rag, whose front cover was emblazoned with a headline about a politician being caught with his pants down, perfect way to start the day.

Sonny smiled as the mug of coffee was placed in front of him, and Mary smiled back, “you’re looking happy today.”

He laughed, “am I always grumpy then?”

The woman shrugged, “moody I’d say, more than anything else.”

Eamonn and Bill were sat across from him and burst into laughter, “she’s got you right,” Eamonn laughed.

Sonny lifted an eyebrow, “you reckon? Makes me sound like a petulant teen.”

                “If the cap fits!” Bill laughed.

A couple of months ago he’d have been sat there eating breakfast alone, scowling at the world in exactly the way that Mary described, instead he was having a joke with some of the patrons, and felt as though he was starting to be a real part of the community. Belonging. He smiled to himself, all his life he’d strived to belong somewhere, anywhere, and now he was starting to, that was due to Martha, no one else, her acceptance of him more than Carl’s had led to this.

At that moment all three looked up as the door was thrown open and the very woman he was thinking about was stood in the doorway, hair wild from the wind, face flushed.

                “There you are! I have been looking ALL over for you Carter.” She smiled when she spotted Eamonn and Bill too, “and you two, excellent. The bed...for Dad...it needs to get into the front room. He’s home in a few hours and I can’t move it. Can you help me?”

Sonny laughed, “of course, but after I’ve had my breakfast.” He looked up to the counter, “Mary, can you get Martha here a white coffee and a full breakfast too.”

Martha made to protest but he held up a hand.

                “My treat. Sit and eat woman before you explode with stress.”

Eamonn chuckled as she hung her head and walked sullenly towards them, “you two are like an old married couple. Hilarious!” That was greeted with a scowl from Martha and all three men burst out laughing.

For Martha knew she had been over stressed. Getting her father home had taken over everything. Her hope was that the sooner he was home, the sooner he’d be back in control and the sooner she could return to Ethan. She’d cried herself to sleep more nights than she cared to think about, and nothing was getting easier.

But thanks to Sonny’s insistence on her eating breakfast and the friendly banter between the three men and Mary she was relaxed and smiling. They were obviously good friends and regulars at the cafe. She’d not been in there since she was a kid, but Shirley at the bookies - the only other place she had an inkling that Sonny might be, had hinted that he’d be here. And after digging into the breakfast, she could see why.

                “This is really good!” She offered when she came up for air.

Sonny smiled, “maybe not as good as yours, but fewer dishes to wash, hey?”

                “That’s a bonus.” She speared another piece of sausage and then commented, “you three come here often?”

Bill laughed, “not sure that I’ll tell my wife you asked me that question!”

The three men burst into hearty laughter at the almost cheesy chat up line, and left Martha shaking her head in wonder.

An hour later, the bed was in the front room, the new black out blinds were in place and finally Martha felt able to go and collect her father.

                “You ok?” It was the fifteenth time she’d asked her father, but she was so nervous.

He reached out and patted her hand, “I’m fine, I admit I’m tired, but that’s all. I wish I wasn’t sleeping in the front room, I mean I’m fine.”

She sighed, “we’ve been through this, in order to come home a downstairs bedroom was part of the bargain. And you ARE home. That’s the main thing.”

He leaned back into his armchair and sighed, “it’s amazing; I can’t believe I’ve been away for so long.” He watched his daughter as she fussed around the room, “how are you coping with splitting yourself in two?”

She looked up and shrugged, “you know it’s hard. But you need me here.”

                “Thanks Martha. I appreciate you keeping things going, more than you realise.”

She sat opposite, “why didn’t you tell me about Scott? I know he was pestering you, he doesn’t do things by half.”

                “I won’t sell him land, that’s what he wants. He’s been around here shouting a bit, but not much more. I can handle him, I promise.”

                “I think he was behind what happened to Portia.”

That shocked Carl, “has he hurt you?”

She sighed, “no, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to. I was thinking...especially with me being away a bit, you being a little below par...” When he looked at her, pain at being unable to protect her evident in his eyes, she added, “I think we should ask Sonny to move in, to the house, properly.”

He lifted an eyebrow, “I thought you didn’t like him.”

She shrugged with a nonchalance she didn’t feel, in truth she was petrified of Scott hurting her father, and the animosity she'd felt towards Sonny was definitely past tense, “he’s not as bad as I thought...and he’s the only one around here I trust to look after you.”

Carl looked at her for a moment, “I don’t think it’s the worst idea you’ve ever had. He could have my room until I’m ‘fit’ enough to go back upstairs.”

Martha agreed, “and hopefully by then Scott is no longer a threat...but I need you to ask him, ok? He’d hate it if it was my idea.”

Martha was cooking lunch for them when there was a brief tap at the back door before the door swung open and Sonny peeped around the frame.

                “How is he?”

She smiled, “relieved. He’s in the lounge...don’t tell him how tired he looks, ok?” Sonny grinned crossing the kitchen towards the lounge, and she called out, “want some lunch? Just making some sandwiches and coffee.”

He nodded and gave her a dazzling smile, “thanks, that would be great.”

Half an hour later she carried a tray into the lounge and stopped to smile at the scene. Her father was animated in the chair laughing at Sonny who was trying desperately to work out what was happening with the game of chess in front of them.

Her father looked up and grinned, “finally found something I can beat him at!”

Martha set down the tray and smiled, “never thought I’d see the day!”

Sonny looked between the two of them a bemused expression on his face. Finally his eyes settled on Martha, “your father wants me to move in, until he’s feeling back to himself. Is that ok with you?”

Martha smiled; he’d hate it if he knew it was her idea. “Well that’ll help me relax a bit! I was worried at the thought of leaving Dad at the mercy of Aunt Lucy.”

Her father swatted at her, I can manage your Aunt!”

Martha shook her head, “Not like Carter can.” When her father raised a quizzical eyebrow, she smiled, “just wait and see.”

When she came back from an afternoon and early evening catching up at the restaurant, Sonny had virtually moved in, he didn’t possess a great amount, but he’d settled himself into her father’s room, and the two men were sitting in the kitchen chatting. It pleased her to see her father relaxed, she’d worried how he’d settle in, and the fact that Sonny was there, well it all made things far smoother.

                “Where’s Lucy?” Martha asked as she shook out her rain jacket, “it’s quiet without her.”

Her father laughed, “think she may have spontaneously combusted when Sonny walked in with his belongings!”

Sonny laughed too, “yep, she’s my number one fan.” When Martha smiled gratefully at him, showing him she appreciated his support and help with her father, he returned the gesture, “and to thank you for running around, looking after us, me and your father are grateful aren’t we Carl?” When her father nodded, he added, “dinner’s on us. It’s only Chinese...” he looked at his watch, “be delivered in about ten minutes, and there’s also wine, of course.”

Martha was genuinely touched, “thanks both. I’ve got time for a shower?”

Half an hour later, after a sneaky phone call to Ethan, normally she could pacify him by day, but this evening he was really unsettled, she re-entered the kitchen in her pyjamas, her damp hair pulled up into a pony tail. The two men were sat at the table playing cards for what looked like matchsticks. Both looked up, “food is here,” offered Sonny, “but we wanted to wait for you.”

Between them they organised plates, glasses and the wine, and a sneaky beer for her dad.

What passed was a pleasant evening, Sonny and her father were great company and Martha felt more relaxed than she had in ages. That was a bonus to her when in reality there was so much more to worry about than be grateful for.

Sonny lay in Carl’s room and couldn’t sleep, there’d been such a turnabout in fortunes the last ten days that he honestly wondered what would happen the next day. His major plan had been to seek out Oldbury, when he was alone and exact his own form of revenge for jumping him,  half killing him. But he hated to admit that Martha was right on several levels. He still wasn’t fit, and now that he was living as part of this family, well, he had an obligation to them. And that didn’t involve putting them all on the map, highlighting their vulnerability to that idiot. Nope, all he had as an option was to talk to Marcus back in London, force his hand with regard to Oldbury, at least that way he knew the other man would get hit where it really hurt.

Rolling over he punched his pillow and pretended that he couldn’t hear Martha moving around in the next door room. Earlier he’d bumped into her coming out of the bathroom; she was wearing short pyjamas that would be vivid in his mind for a long time. Tomorrow he needed to buy himself some, he normally slept naked, but knew that trips to the bathroom in his boxers might cause some distress to the women of the house. Tossing onto his other side, he rued his overactive mind, there was too much to think about, and he needed sleep.

Now that her father was home, any thoughts that life would get easier for Martha were proved to be pie in the sky. Now she had the added guilt of leaving him at home alone when she went to the restaurant, it wasn’t so bad when she was embroiled in the farm life as she was close, but the restaurant was a twenty minute walk away. Then there was Ethan. She was still racked with guilt over that.

Making it all the more awkward was that she knew her father was both aware of how torn she was, and that only compounded everything.

But after weeks of floundering she finally had the restaurant under control, they had a lot of bookings coming in, and after discussing things with the staff, they’d started to book parties, James had offered his annoyance that they were usurping his trade, but it was dog-eat-dog in the world of business as she had great pleasure in telling him, and even more pleasure in retelling her father that night.

Sonny living in the house was strange, she had to get used to finding him in the kitchen before her some mornings, or in the shower without locking the door. Then there was pacifying Aunt Lucy, that was a full time job in itself.

Thursday was her first opportunity to get home to see Ethan. The restaurant wasn’t busy, the accounts were up to date, and no deliveries were due, her father was more settled, there was food ready in the fridge for the family, and Eamonn had already agreed to take her father to his physio appointment that afternoon. She hadn’t seen Ethan for almost a week and she was beside herself with anxiety over that.

She got up early showered, and was drying her hair in the utility room when she heard a noise in the kitchen. Peeping around she smiled at Sonny, he was wearing his joggers and a t-shirt.   “Off for a run?”

He nodded, “Thought I'd test the ribs for the first time.  Is it okay if I wash some things, clothes later?”

She smiled, “I’m off out for the day, but leave them in here, there’s a basket on top of the washer, I’ll sort it tonight, I’ve got Lucy’s and my Dad’s stuff to do anyway.”

Sonny lowered himself into a chair and pulled his cigarettes from his pocket, lighting up as she disappeared back into the utility room.

                “Is that the best preparation for a run?” She asked when she came back into the room and poured a coffee from the machine.

He shrugged, “they make me cough, then I can breathe better. That’s a good thing right?”

Shaking her head she slid two pieces of bread into the toaster and was making for the fridge when she answered, “hmm, it’s a filthy habit all around really.”

He sighed, “but some nights it is my only friend.”

                “I thought that was vodka?”

Sonny laughed, “ooh, you are harsh!”

                “I’m off to London, I’ll be back tonight, you still ok to hold the fort with Dad?”

Nodding he grabbed a drink of juice before making for the door, “I’ll be back in fifty minutes.”

                “I’ll be gone by then, but call me if there’s any problem, yes?”

It was a sunny day; Stephanie was glad of the respite and was meeting up with her friends for lunch, so that left Martha with a relaxing day with her son. Stephanie hadn’t worked in as long as Martha had been aware of her, her father had invented a diode that was essential to remote control anything. When he passed away years earlier, she had received the patent and with it unlimited royalties. She was ten years younger than Carl, but Martha’s mother had been a lot younger than him too. The two women had met as girls growing up in North London. Stephanie still lived in the City; a town house on the outskirts of Chelsea gave Martha an address she’d never afford in a million years. And it was a beautiful house, the ground floor converted into a two bed flat that she lived in rent free with Ethan.

How would she ever thank Stephanie for that?

There was a park not far from the house, alongside the river, and it was Ethan’s favourite place.

                “Will you take me to school next week?”

Martha sighed, as much as she would love to, that wasn’t happening, in fact the beauty of the day was that Ethan had a week off school so she could spend more than just ninety minutes with him before bedtime.

                “I’m looking after granddad darling, I told you that. When he’s well I’ll be back and we can do all the things we normally do. I’ve got internet at granddad’s house now, so I can speak to you by Skype. You like that don’t you?”

He nodded, “but I don’t want you to go...” His bottom lip quivered and her heart bled. When she was here she questioned everything that she was doing, but he was safe, he was looked after and he was loved. He had more than her father did; she had to keep reminding herself of that.