Controlling Vulnerable

Chapter 20

Lara messaged Joe and did some shopping while the girls finished their session in the discovery centre. She was loaded with bags by the time Joe, Charlotte and Grace met her in the food court, and she jumped up to kiss them before sorting fast food for them to have before they headed home. As the children munched contentedly, Joe leaned over the table and said as lightly as he could, "How was catching up?" Lara smiled, "It was good. Rob's a nice guy. He's really shouted my corner over the last few years and given me a lot of opportunities. It was nice to see him." Joe looked a little crestfallen, and Lara said, "He offered me a job with them, but he said he pretty much knew I'd say no." She laughed, "I think he was more than shocked to see you with me." Joe mirrored her laughter, "Yeah, he looked like he'd seen a ghost."

Joe was quiet all the way home, and Lara was contemplative thinking about what Rob had said, the hug that had lasted a little bit longer than necessary. When the children were in bed, she and Joe were in the reception room watching the glow from the log burner. She turned to him and said, "Joe, you've nothing to worry about with Rob you know." Joe sighed, "He's in love with you Lara." She gave him a wry smile, "I think he probably is a little bit, but I don't feel that way about him." She ran her hand along the nape of his neck gently, "He's never said anything directly, but I suspect Rob's not happily married." Joe nodded soothed by the action of her hand as she continued, "I think what he feels for me is largely a symptom of that situation." Joe turned and kissed her and whispered, "Just the thought that someone else who patently loves you was offering you a job, back here, away from me..." Lara stroked his face as he trailed off, "Joe, you, Callex, it's exactly where I want to be." Joe lifted her so she was lying on the couch and lay on top of her, feeling her breath catch as he kissed her.

The next morning, they drove to the local supermarket to buy food and drink ahead of Lara's family visiting. Charlotte and Grace ran shrieking to the front door when the bell rang. Joe looked in interest at Nigel and James, noting father and son were not alike, since James favoured his mother. Nigel nodded to Joe as Lara introduced them, and James stepped around his shorter, portly father to shake his hand with significantly more warmth and interest than his Dad. He turned his attention to his small nieces, who jumped up and down with excitement and dragged him towards the kitchen. Caroline looked irritated and said, "James, calm it down. You're making them shriek, and it'll end in tears."

Lara made everyone drinks and checked the food in the oven while Caroline and Nigel took seats on the corner couch in the family area, and Joe chatted with James. "Lara says you're off to Ireland tomorrow to see your girlfriend." James nodded, "Yeah, spending New Year with her family. They've been over to London so I've already met them. They're hilarious and no offence, but Lara's brave to subject you to my lot because there's no way I'd put Niamh through that." Joe laughed, "How long have you been seeing her?" James shrugged, "Just over a year." He changed tack, "I can't believe the change in Lara. I haven't seen her since last Christmas. She looks really good. When I was a kid in school, no-one could believe I had such a hot aunty. I mean you've seen my parents. She did wonders for my popularity." Joe burst out laughing as Lara came from delivering the drinks to his parents, and she smiled at her nephew before going to check on the girls in the reception room. James turned from watching Lara and said, "She seems happy, and I can't say I've seen her like that for a very long time." Joe looked at him, nodding. He warmed to the younger man and sensed he was slightly troubled. He said, "James, I'm all in with Lara and the girls. I told your Mom, I'm going to take good care of them." James smiled, "Thanks. You've probably noticed my mum is really hard on her. When Lara moved to the US, it totally threw her. She moaned constantly about having to help with the kids, and suddenly, she couldn't play the martyr anymore. I mean, my Dad's a postman, Mum works for the council, and she has this gorgeous, much younger sister who's outshone her in every way. She deals with that by making out Lara's a flaky mess. Paul was an arsehole, and between the two of them, Lara must have felt like shit." Joe felt his heart twist as Lara came back in with a smile, "What are you two talking about?" James grinned, "You. How you became the object of all my classmates' first sexual fantasies." Lara slapped him with the tea towel and laughed, "Food's nearly ready."