A Child In Need

Good grief! But there was no alternative. Clutching his balance and pride together, Nick managed a sickly shrug. He pushed.

And he listened.

‘Shanni, let’s go,’ John was saying urgently. ‘If you come with me now we still have enough time to choose tiles.’

‘That’s crazy,’ Shanni said, exasperated. ‘We don’t even have the house plan.’ She took a deep breath. ‘In fact, we haven’t even decided to get married.’

That floored John. ‘Of course we’re getting married.’

‘You haven’t actually asked me.’

‘We talked about it the other day. And we always knew…’

‘John, we need to talk about this by ourselves,’ she said urgently, casting a sideways glance at Nick-who just as carefully looked away. ‘Maybe we could meet tonight.’

But John had no intention of being placated. ‘This is ridiculous. I came into town to choose tiles.’

‘I’m with Harry. And Nick.’

‘Leave the kid with the lawyer.’

‘Hey…’ Nick’s protest was involuntary-but unnecessary. He could safely leave this to Shanni. She was angry enough for both of them.

‘The kid’s name is Harry,’ she said bluntly. ‘Not “the kid”. And Harry is my friend. I invited him and Nick-who’s a magistrate, not just a lawyer-out to lunch and for a play in the playground. When we’re finished-and not before-I’ll take Harry back to Wendy.’

‘Wendy…’ John’s voice rose in incredulity. ‘You mean this is a kid from the orphanage?’

‘Yes,’ she said, and there was ice dripping from the word. Back off, Nick was thinking urgently, but there was no way he could get that message across. John had no intention of backing off. This was a man used to getting his own way, and he wasn’t tuned in to ice.

‘Shanni, this is ridiculous,’ John said through gritted teeth. ‘The whole town saw you walking down the street with this guy, and with the kid between you. Malcolm Taylor rang to tell me…’

‘So this is the real reason you’re here?’ Shanni’s anger was building by the minute. ‘Because Malcolm saw me with another man and decided to report me?’

‘The town will think you’re two-timing me!’

‘By sitting on the beach eating fish and chips with the local magistrate? In broad daylight and with a child between us?’ Nick and Harry were forgotten now. If he were John he’d disappear for a while, Nick thought. He could feel the anger radiating from Shanni, and it was almost tangible.

‘It’s not his place to take you to lunch.’

‘He didn’t take me to lunch. I took him for lunch.’

‘It’s true,’ Nick said mildly. ‘I had no choice at all. Ask Harry. I don’t have a choice in anything. This lady has the force of two bulldozers.’

He was ignored.

‘Look, come and choose tiles and we’ll forget all about this,’ John said urgently. ‘I mean…the town will forget…’

‘That I’m a two-timing hussy?’

‘I never said…’

‘You didn’t need to.’ She was fairly spitting. ‘John, I like you very much, and you’ve been a real friend-but I will not be owned.’

‘You mean you don’t want to marry me?’

She paused. There was a long, long silence. Unnoticed, the roundabout slowed to a halt. Both Nick and Harry were watching, entranced. Pirates and stomachs forgotten.

‘I guess…’ She closed her eyes and when she opened them the determination that Nick was starting to know was back in force. ‘I guess that’s what I do mean, John. Thank you for asking, but no.’

‘You’re kidding!’

‘No. I’m sorry.’

‘I see.’ Once again, there was a long, long silence-and then John turned to Nick, and the look he cast him was pure malevolence. ‘I just hope to hell he’s worth it,’ he spat. ‘To throw me over for a bloody lawyer with designer suits…’

And he turned and stalked off over the sand-hills.

‘Push,’ said Harry.

That at least was something he could do. Nick pushed while Shanni gazed at the retreating back of her lover and he could see indecision written all over her.

‘Go after him,’ he said gently. ‘I can take care of Harry.’ What was he saying?

‘Thank you.’ She turned to face them, an overbright smile pinned to her face. The decision had been made and there wasn’t regret there as far as Nick could see. There was just pure anger. ‘But I don’t need any more males telling me what to do.’

‘Especially not a designer-suited lawyer?’

It broke the ice. She stared at him for a long minute and then, slowly, the anger faded. ‘Oh, heck…’ She broke into a weak chuckle. ‘Oh, help. I’m sorry. No. Wasn’t he awful?’

‘But…if people are getting that impression…’ Another thought was hitting Nick with force now, and he didn’t like it. If the town thought Shanni was throwing her John over for him… ‘Maybe we should cool it.’

She stared. And then her jaw dropped in a sardonic look of incredulity. ‘Cool it? Cool what?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe John has a point.’

Anger was flooding right back. ‘So people all over town think I’m falling for you because I asked you to lunch. And you’re worried about it? You jerk! You’re as conceited and pompous as John.’

‘Push,’ said Harry firmly-he was tired of this adult conversation and was back to basics-and they both pushed while undercurrents zoomed around and between them as if the playground was wired for electricity. And some of it had got loose.

‘I’m sorry,’ Nick said after a bit. Maybe he had overreacted. It was just this small-town thing. He did not want to get involved. He glanced at his watch and saw with relief there was just fifteen minutes left before three. ‘I need to get back.’

‘Of course you do,’ she said cordially. ‘Don’t let me keep you.’

‘You’re not coming?’

‘Harry and I are playing on the roundabout,’ she snapped. ‘You do what you like.’

‘Right. Right, then.’

He took a deep breath, looked at her for a long minute and nodded.

‘See you later, Harry,’ he said.

‘When?’ Harry demanded, startled. His voice was urgent. ‘When will you see me?’

‘I’m not sure.’

‘Mr Daniels is a very busy man,’ Shanni said icily. ‘He’s probably got tiles to buy.’

‘I do have a court case or two to judge.’

‘Then don’t let us keep you,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘Harry and I can manage very well without you. We can manage without men in general and without two males in particular. And one of them’s you.’

‘What’s been happening?’

‘I was expecting you to come back with a black eye at least.’

Nick was no sooner in the courthouse than he was pounced on. Mary was at her desk, agog, and Rob was standing beside her, immaculate in his police uniform. The physical likeness to Shanni was unmistakable-as was their ability to ignore his personal boundaries.

He stared at both of them with dislike. There was sand in his shoes. He needed time to empty it before he was due in court in four minutes. His stomach was still churning from the roundabout and he felt ill. He didn’t need an inquisition.