Helping Sarah

Chapter 29

Sarah

To my relief there was no one waiting for us by the gate when we left the nursery. Facing Cynthia now would inevitably dent my joy at finally having stood up to Miss Haines, though the way I was feeling, I could have taken on Cynthia as well.

The head teacher hadn't even fought back, she hadn't alluded to Andrew or social services or my abilities as a mother. I was all but flying as we walked outside, and there was no way to quash my grin.

I headed for Michael's car, but he tugged me in the other direction towards where I could see trees and grass.

"Come," he said, "let's walk for a bit. You've been cooped up all day and this one," he gestured to Charlie with his head, "could use a run."

I readily changed direction. I was fairly humming with excitement and would only fidget if I had to sit still in a car right now.

Charlie took off across the grass the moment we set foot on the gravel path in the small park.

"Charlie," I called after him, "not too far away, sweetie."

Michael caught my hand as we ambled down the path, and I turned my face to the sun. It was for once out, shining from a clear blue sky, warming me, though the sunshine wasn't the main source for the heat in my veins or the sensations in my midst.

No, the main reason for that was walking beside me.

I could get used to this. To having Michael beside me, on my side, when I faced Miss Haines and Cynthia. To kissing him.

My cheeks heated when I recalled how I'd almost thrown myself at him earlier in his office. But I didn't regret it. I couldn't. I wanted to do it again and take the kisses and the touches further.

"Thank you for your help back there," I said to try to turn my thoughts in a direction that wouldn't manifest in my nipples. And because I owed Michael an explanation. "I know, I shouldn't have asked you to come with me in just so I could look better."

"You should." His hand holding mine tightened. "Having met that trio outside, I understand why you did. And I did offer to pretend to be your boyfriend."

"It's silly, I know, but I just thought that if they could see me with someone normal, they'd think better of me. And of Charlie."

I looked at my son on the grass. He'd found a branch as long as himself and as thick as his arm and was trying to throw it. "Sammy asked his mother a few weeks ago if Charlie could come home with him and play. Cynthia said no on some feeble excuse about being busy though I'd just heard her tell Miss Haines that she and her husband didn't have any plans."

"Why don't you find another nursery where they aren't as judgmental?"

"This one is the best I can afford, and it's the closest to our flat. All the others require a bus ride to get there, and Charlie really likes it here. Not all the teachers are as bad as Miss Haines. And besides, no matter what nursery I choose, everyone will know about Andrew within days. That's how gossip works."

He inclined his head with a grimace, conceding my point, but before he could reply, a pair of short arms encircled his leg and a small face looked up at him with a grin.

"Migal, cash me."

Michael's grimace instantly fell away and he laughed. "All right. Are you ready? Three, two..." He dragged out the word, and Charlie scrambled off across the grass with a laughed shriek. "One. Here I come."

The sight of Michael staying just behind Charlie with his arms stretched out as they ran in a wide circle, the sound of my son's laughter when he was caught and lifted up into the air, was better than a thousand days of sunshine or besting Miss Haines, and my own laughter followed the pair.

Until Charlie ran back towards me and around me, and Michael veered off at the last minute to catch me around the waist.

I yelped in surprise, but it disappeared in the kiss he stole before he raced off after Charlie again, and the sensations took off like fireworks.

My hand flew to my stomach as I watched the pair, and I neither could nor wanted to quash the fireworks. They were so very, very nice.

When Charlie had been caught a few times, Michael halted with his hands on his knees and then let himself fall to the grass, all the way to lying down with his arms and legs spread out and his chest heaving. "I thought I was fit," he panted.

I sat beside him, leaned over him. "You are."

His eyes flew open and met mine. In the sunlight, the green flashed almost luminous and his white shirt was nowhere near opaque.

It was more than just sensations in my midst. The jazz hands were out.

Michael lifted a hand and ran a finger down over my jaw. "Sarah."

"Yes?"

"Come a little closer.

I chewed my lip as I bent over him. "Why?"

His hand cupped my cheek and pulled me all the way down. "Because I want to–"

The whine of bicycle brakes broke through the spell, and if that hadn't jerked my head up, Charlies joyous shriek of "Gramma!" would have done it.

I bit my lip over an expletive and quickly stood, brushing down my jeans. Charlie had already run off towards the woman in the bicycle helmet on the path.

Helen quickly clambered off her bike and pulled it towards us, let it fall on the grass to envelop her grandson in her arms when he reached her.

"Charlie-love," she grinned, but her eyes never left me as I walked over to her with Michael.

I didn't look at him, but tugged my hair behind my ears. "Hi, Helen," I said as I leaned in to touch cheeks with my mother-in-law.

"Gramma, this is Migal," Charlie told his grandmother before she could reply. "He's Duplo and cars and banna and Mummy and me sleep in big bed in his house and he cash me many times."

"Did he now, love?" Helen held out her hand. "Hello. I'm Helen, Charlie's grandmother."

"It's nice to meet you," Michael said, shaking her hand. "I'm Michael. I'm... Er..." He glanced at me, leaving it up to me how to play this.

Telling the other mothers at the nursery that Michael was my boyfriend was one thing, telling the mother of my late husband quite another, and I hadn't considered this scenario. I settled for half the story. "It's Michael we're staying with at the moment."

"Your friend, yes." Helen's sharp eyes usually missed very little and now started dancing. "How very nice to meet you, Michael."

Heat surged into my cheeks. I don't know why. There was no hint of disapproval in her voice. It seemed instead to contain a wealth of meaning.

"We've just come from the nursery," I added quickly, gesturing across the park, "and thought we'd get some air before going home. To Michael's house, I mean."

"Yes, I see." Helen's gaze moved between us and then down to Charlie who had come to stand between us, holding one of our hands each. Her grin grew. "You must come to dinner, Michael. On Friday with Sarah when she comes for Charlie."

He looked at me again, but it was easy for me to nod. I had known Michael for so short a time, had become close to him only in the last few days, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't already hoping that this would continue, that we would become... something.

If we did, I would want Michael to meet Helen and Benji since they were so large a part of my life. I saw no reason for that not to happen now.

Michael smiled at my mother-in-law. "I'd love to. Thank you."