Trying Not To Love You

Part Nine

Chapter Nine

Martha was shattered; this living a double life was both physically and mentally exhausting. Her old friends remained supportive, wanting to help her out, and despite long days dealing with suppliers, rotas and a hormonally challenged chef, and though the constant pressure from random people wanting to buy and develop parts of the farm were more than annoying, she was actually enjoying large parts of her life back in this town, she'd even got used to the horses. But there was still her other home, and she missed that life, and certain people, more than anything. She'd lost her job, that was inevitable, she'd been back on the farm for six weeks, and that was far longer than she ever anticipated.

Her father was improving, and there was rumour of him coming home in the next few weeks. He'd moved to a rehabilitation unit nearer to home, so that made things a little easier. But the thought of him coming home was great, but also a huge challenge, he wasn't as mobile as he was, he needed a bedroom downstairs. He still wouldn't be able to work. She knew that, this gesture of hers was starting to become ridiculous. She'd abandoned everything that she knew to help her Dad, a man she in turn had abandoned years earlier. Her guilt at that was battling her new guilt and she felt as though she was in a whirlpool fighting to keep her head afloat.

"Come to the pub, it's Mandy's birthday," Was all Martha heard down the phone, no hello, no introduction. Smiling she sat down and listened to Helen. "She doesn't want a big fuss, but she needs a few drinks to gee her up." Helen was sympathetic to her sister Mandy who'd been quiet since her husband had left for a Tour in Afghanistan two months earlier.

"Ok," Martha was glad of the chance to get out; she was starting to go stir crazy with the lack of time to herself. She'd not ventured to the pub since the almost confrontation with Scott's cronies more than a month earlier. But he knew where she lived. Avoiding the place wouldn't deter him if he wanted to see her.

Back at the farm she spotted a couple of the tenants visiting the field they rented. As there had been more damage, this time to a gate, she had to speak to them. Cutting across the yard she strode towards them, a woman on a time mission. It wasn't until she heard a noise to the right that she spotted Sonny, bare-chested, and as much as he tried his best to piss her off most of the time, she could acknowledge that it was one hell of a chest, battering ten shades of anger out of the huge punch bag that he brought out on such occasions.,

He paused when he saw her, and she gave him her best irritating grin, "Carter." They'd not spoken much since she'd given him the alibi. He'd told her not to in no uncertain terms, but she hadn't listened. She couldn't believe he was still smarting over it; the man really did need to get over himself. A smug grin was all he deserved, and she could see the anger at that take over him. It was so easy to wind him up; as she carried on walking she had an extra bounce in her stride. Leaving him with his head dropped, fists flaying, she finished her task with the Willoughby's, then made for the shower.

Smarty Party.

That was what the text message said as she got out of the shower. What did that even mean? Helen informed her that Mandy had "suddenly bought into the birthday thing, and it's going to be party central."

But she was also reassured that they wouldn't be going uptown or on to anywhere else, they were just planning to paint the Royal Oak red, and she was glad of that as she was shattered, a late, late night would be a killer.

After a search of the wardrobes in her room, she realised that she didn't have much "party" wear with her. A ransack of the bag she brought with her revealed a long slinky black top that could double as a very short dress, she didn't mind her legs, they were her best asset, so she found some very thick dark tights, and added the heels that she never envisaged wearing on the farm.