Shattered Hearts

Chapter 20

John was sat at Judy's wedding reception looking after his child and Charlotte's whilst they were supposedly performing bridesmaids' duties. He'd mock protested to Darlene that it wasn't fair that he'd spend the day surrounded by kids but in truth, he preferred it that way. No way would he have wanted to be sat anywhere near the top table making formal small talk. The only downside was he had to endure the company of his sister in law Doris. Darlene, thinking she was doing him a favour, had intervened with Judy to make sure he had some help with the kids. I must remember to thank her later for her thoughtfulness! Fortunately, enough was going on around them to dilute Doris's presence and she was having to raise her voice to be heard.

"Are you trying to prove to Darlene you're an all-around family guy?" she almost yelled at him.

He smiled tightly. "No, I'm looking after my child and I'm doing a friend a favour."

"Yeah, we all know about the kind of favours you do for your friends." She laughed loudly drawing the attention from other tables.

"Can you knock it off already," he said trying to keep his temper. "At least for today."

Doris pulled a face before slowly nodding her head. "Okay, I guess this isn't the time or place anyway."

"No it's not," he said grateful for the temporary truce. "We're meant to be celebrating. I can't help thinking about Brad though."

Doris looked briefly taken aback. "Yeah, it is kinda weird. Brad's funeral and then Judy's wedding. There was a time when we'd have thought they'd have been the ones to get married."

"Things don't always work out how we'd planned." He looked across the room at Louis dancing with Charlotte and couldn't help grimacing. He knew exactly what Louis was thinking, what he was playing at, and it wasn't going to work. There was no going back.

"Don't tell me you and Charlotte," Doris said giving him a stern look as she followed his gaze.

John gaped at her but was saved from answering as Darlene finally joined them. "Hey, honey," he said giving her a welcome smile.

"Hiya," she said sitting down and rubbing her stomach. "God I feel like such a blimp. I can barely move in this dress. I swear I've sprouted since the last fitting."

John laughed. "Isn't that to be expected?"

"I guess but Judy's acting like I've done it to spite her."

"Right," he said holding his tongue, he'd never understood the things girls seemed to get worked up over.

"But are you enjoying yourself?" Darlene asked. "I feel like you've been abandoned with all the kids."

"That's okay, I've had Doris to keep me company, and Louis was hanging out with us until he caught up with Charlotte." 

Darlene followed his eye line and smiled indulgently. "Don't be so judgemental. They like each other, it's no big deal."

"Except it is," he said lowering his voice. "After what she's been through, is she gonna treat it like a no strings attached fling?" In his experience few women did. "And as for Louis, do you think he's the kind of man she needs?"

Darlene shook her head. "I honestly don't know. I mean Lottie isn't a no strings attached kinda girl, she's quite the opposite, and I have no idea what Lou wants from her."

He looked over at Louis, his arms wrapped around Charlotte despite the uptempo tune. "I think he wants to pick up where they left off but he's rather conveniently forgetting that things have moved on."

Darlene's mouth formed into a hard line. "It's a shame you didn't think about that when you were carrying on with Rosalind?"

His heart sank but he only had himself to blame. "For what it's worth, I was probably interested in the old Ros, not the stuck up lawyer's wife. I was going back in time and that's what I think Louis is doing now."