He stroked her hair as she let more of the raw emotion spill out onto his denim jacket. He sat there comforting her for what felt like hours, just letting her cry, holding her tightly and fighting back his own tears of grief that had bubbled to the surface.
Finally, she raised her head as her tears subsided. He looked into her red, puffy eyes and saw the raw pain she was feeling.
He reached up and almost touched her face to express his empathy, but he thought better of it and placed his hand on the steering wheel. ‘C’mon, we’d better get ye home. They’ll all be wondering where you’ve got to.’
*
Greg put the vehicle into gear and released the handbrake. It was a gutsy vehicle and she noticed the Land Rover badge on the steering wheel.That figures,she thought. Looking at his left hand, she noticed the indentation where a wedding ring had once been. She wanted to ask him about his family and his wife, but decided to save those questions. She wasn’t sure she could digest any more information at the moment.
They pulled up outside the cottage and the front door opened immediately. Brad, Renee and Josie came running out.
‘Mallory, thank fucking goodness!’ Josie clapped her hands over her mouth when she received a disapproving glance from Renee.
‘Oh thank, God, Mallory!’ Renee exclaimed ‘We’ve been worried sick!’ She pulled her cardigan around her shoulders to guard against the chill wind.
Greg appeared at the passenger side and opened the door. Mallory tried to get out of the vehicle.
‘Whoa there lassie, you’ve nothin’ on your feet.’ He scooped her up with ease and began to walk towards the door. She had never been carried by a man before and on one hand it compounded the feeling of helplessness tightening her insides but on the other she was relieved at not having to walk on her sore, stone scratched feet.
Brad didn’t appear happy about this gallant action and quickly followed him inside. ‘Who are you, pal?’ he asked in a rather threatening manner, his broad Yorkshire accent becoming more evident in anger. ‘Why does she look like she’s been dragged through an ’edge?’ Brad clenched his fists at his sides.
Greg’s jaw ticked at the insinuations as he placed Mallory on the sofa. ‘I found her on the beach sobbing her heart out, if you must know. She’s nothing on her feet and no coat. Have you any idea how cold it gets out there,pal?’ Greg fronted up to Brad.
Mallory panicked at the sudden testosterone-fuelled confrontation. ‘Whoa, hey! Knock it off, please!’ she implored. ‘Brad… Greg came to my rescue when I went a bit crazy tonight, and Greg… Brad wasn’t responsible for my lack of appropriate clothing. I went out like this of my own accord. So, can you please just back up and shake hands?’
It was the most she had spoken in a while and everyone stared at her, open-mouthed, as if a miracle had just occurred.
Greg nodded to the two ladies and held out his hand to Brad. ‘I’ll be going, now that I know she’s okay.’
Brad grasped his hand and shook it. ‘Look mate, why don’t you stay for a coffee or summat? Warm you up a bit? And thanks for helping Mal. She’s like my little sister and I would never forgive myself if she got hurt.’
Greg looked to Mallory for her consent. Mallory shrugged.
Greg sat awkwardly beside her on the sofa as the others busied themselves sorting coffee and Renee went to call Ryan to let him know Mallory had returned.
Greg nudged Mallory’s shoulder with his own. ‘See, youhavepeople who care. Don’t go scaring ’em like that again, okay?’
‘When we were in your car, you said it gets easier… how do you know that? How can anyone say that?’ she pleaded.
He frowned, staring into the flames of the fire. ‘Well, only those who’ve experienced loss and grief and have come out the other side can really know, I suppose.’
‘You’ve been through this?’ she asked gingerly.
He continued staring. ‘Aye.’ His voice was clipped.
‘Your wife?’ she asked, remembering the indentation of the wedding band.
‘Na. My…’ He inhaled deeply. He rubbed his brow as if it hurt to think about it.
She wanted to ask more; to find out whom he had lost. For her own sake admittedly, which was selfish, but she wanted to knowhowhe had got through it, so she could at least start to try. But she didn’t.
He stood. ‘Look, it’s late, I’d better go, I’ve got an early start the morrow. Got to pick Rhiannon up and I can’t be late. Tell your family I’m grateful for the offer of a drink, but I really should be off.’ His voice cracked as he briskly walked to the door, pulled it open with ease, and left.
Mallory stared at the door, a little bemused as to why he had gone in such a hurry. She had no clue who Rhiannon was, but she was clearly very demanding.
Josie and Brad returned to the lounge with a tray and glanced around the room.
Josie tried to lighten the mood. ‘Where’s Cutie McHunky gone?’ Brad elbowed her. ‘Ow!’
‘I think I upset him,’ Mallory admitted. ‘He said he’d been through this situation and so I asked about it.’ Her bottom lip began to quiver. ‘Then he left and I feel so awful. I didn’t mean to pry.’ The tears sprang from her eyes as guilt washed over her.
Josie sat beside her and hugged her close. ‘Hey, hey, it’s okay, don’t worry about him, you don’t even know him from Adam,’ she soothed. ‘It’s you that you need to be concentrating on now.’
Mallory nodded, but deep down she knew there was more to what had just happened. He had been so caring; it was as if things were still raw for him. She regretted questioning him and resolved to apologise.
