Chapter Eight

Emily has to cope with the emotional tide that overwhelmes her after Aunt Jen's diagnosis, with a little help from a special friend

CHAPTER EIGHT

I stared at my phone, unable to comprehend, not wanting to believe that someone so dear to me had been dealt a death sentence. As my gaze wandered around Aunt Jen's sitting room I could not bear to think that she might never return home. Outside a storm had arisen, battering the poor bungalow, trying to beat it into submission. But I was unaware of it. The only sound I heard was the pounding of my heart. I stood frozen in place as if the whole world was timeless, caught between seconds.

The door of the room slowly swung open and I gasped in fright. I could not fight, my legs were shaking too much. There was no chance of flight. A dark figure blocked my path, tall and menacing in full biker gear.

“The front door was wide open! What's wrong? Has something happened to your aunt?”

I had answered my phone as I came through the door. I must have left it open. Still in a daze I moved to close the door, but the intruder beat me to it. I was trapped, there was nowhere to run .

“Emily, tell me what's happened!”

The intruder took off his helmet, dropped it on the hallway floor. It was Daniel Cooper from across the road. He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me firmly to face him.

Relief overwhelmed me and so did my emotions. I managed to get the words out. Ovarian cancer. Saying it made it real and I began to sob uncontrollably. As I sagged against Daniel his arms enfolded me and he held me close while I cried. Outside the storm raged, more persistently now, rain scouring the windows, strong gusts trying to raise the very tiles from the roof. But I felt safe, protected, stronger. In Daniel's embrace I knew I could face anything, cope with anything. 'He's a stranger still' I reminded myself. Yet there was something, a connection, a bond, call it what you will. I drew back, scrubbed at my face with my sleeve. Daniel brushed a strand of hair from the bridge of my nose, smiled down at me with those sexy blue eyes of his.

“I just needed someone to hold me” I explained hastily. “Thank you for being there.”

“When I saw the door open I knew something was wrong. I promised to keep an eye on things, had to check it out.”

We stood in the hallway, an awkward silence between us, the moment gone. Daniel picked up his helmet and moved away from me, towards the door.

“Come over to my place for a cup of tea, then I'll drive you home.” He opened the door and we saw that it was raining harder than ever. “We'll have to make a run for it.”

So we raced across the road and he let me in out of the rain.

“Give me the key. I'll lock up the bungalow” he told me. “Make yourself at home.”

As Daniel dashed back across the road I watched him from the doorway. The house was small, even though there were two floors. A cosy lounge led directly from the porch, and the rest of the house followed on. One room opened into the next, each as small as the last. It was still apart from a faint cry and a frantic scratching coming from somewhere nearby.

I went through the lounge to a study and then a tiny kitchen but oddly, no staircase. I could not tell where the noise was coming from, but it was getting louder. I opened what I thought was the back door, and out sprang a large black cat. Cunningly concealed behind the door was the way upstairs. The cat wandered into the study purring loudly, and jumped up onto the desk, knocking down a post card as he landed. I picked it up. Everyone reads postcards, don't they? It's automatic, turning the card over to read the back. This one said 'See you soon. Robbie.'

“You've met Reggie I see.” Daniel spoke from the doorway. He had removed his jacket which he now hung from a peg on the study door.

“And found the stairs” I added, putting the card back on the desk. “Who's Robbie?”

Daniel went into the kitchen and filled the kettle.

“My twin. Robin is in the army, being deployed to Iraq in a few weeks.”

When the tea was made he carried two steaming mugs into the lounge. He set them down on a coffee table.

“You work at the library don't you?” he asked. “I know I'm nosy. Goes with the job. I'm a journalist.” He grinned. “You already know that.”

“You write as D B Cooper, like the hijacker.”

“Daniel Benedict Cooper”, Daniel filled in the gaps, “but I'm nothing like the legend.”

“He parachuted into a lake.”

“I remember seeing the film once.” He blew on his tea before taking a sip. “I couldn't jump out of a plane, terrified of flying. Be alright in the lake though. I was a championship swimmer at school.”

There was a trophy cabinet in the corner, and I noticed a saxophone propped up next to it.

“Do you play?” I asked.

“One of my passions” Daniel answered, standing and picking up the instrument. “Took it up at uni.” He put it to his lips, played a few bars of 'Ain't Misbehavin'' . “Loved the sax, hated lectures. What about you?”

So I told him all about Mum and Dad, my big sister and Aunt Jen.

“What's the story with you and Damien then?”

“Only his family and Jen call him that. It's been Dolly since he was five, because his last name is Dolland. He's my best friend” I explained. “I can tell him anything. He's always been there for me and Aunt Jen.”

The memory of her diagnosis came flooding back, threatening to crush me anew. Daniel must have seen it in my face. He reached for my hand, gave it a squeeze.

“I should go home” I said. “Got to call my sister and tell her the bad news.”

My phone bugled a message alert. It was Dolly.

“I'll give you a lift.”

Daniel still had hold of my hand, and as he rose he drew me up with him. We stood facing each other, each waiting for the other to move first, while Reggie the cat purred around our legs, sharing the moment.

“Car keys” Daniel muttered, half to himself, retrieving them from a shelf.

The rain had eased as we drove the long way round, up High Street and past St Sophia's church. When Daniel parked the Lotus outside my house there was a light on.

“Someone's home” Daniel remarked.

“Dolly lives upstairs” I told him.

“Look, I'm free most evenings this week, if you'd like a lift to the hospital.”

“It's OK. Dolly's taking me. But thanks for offering and for the shoulder to cry on earlier.”

Daniel lifted my hand, turned it over and brushed his lips over the underside of my wrist. The roller coaster soared straight up.

“Call me sometime, anytime, whenever you need me” he said softly.

I left the car and almost floated up to the door. But once inside I crashed back to earth, dreading how the remainder of my evening would unfold.

__________________

Daniel Cooper sat in his car and watched Emily go inside. His phone rang and he recognised the number.

“Hey lovely girl, how you doing?” He smiled as he listened to the well-loved voice coming over the line. “I can't wait to spend time with you next week. It's been a while.”