At last ‘A life’
By Julie D Cole
Chapter 23 Rescue Ranger

I looked past the bright headlights and it was my boss Kate Harper. She quickly beckoned me to get inside the car and then wound her window down to give the guys a piece of her mind as she drove off.

I was so relieved and yet I felt a cold shudder down my spine. ‘Put on your seatbelt. I thought it was you as I pulled out of the railway station’ she said. ‘What happened. Where are the others? What were you doing alone?’

I explained what had happened and why I needed to go home early taking care not to say anything about Jessica. She drove slowly until she knew I was OK and then insisted to drive me home asking me which direction to take. ‘You were lucky that I stayed late talking with Dave Roberts about you and just dropped him off for his train’. He was right that you would have a lot to contend with yet and he is very concerned about you’.

I said that I never expected to come across a group so early in the evening and that I knew one of them from school. She just touched my hand and said we should leave it over until tomorrow morning if I preferred although she was happy to come in to meet mum and have a chat. I thanked her but decided I’d better deal with Sally first and think about me later.

Fifteen minutes later we were home and Kate unlocked the doors and got out of the car to inspect me and ensure that I was straight. ‘She said she’d get the bag repaired and that I looked fine. I took off my shoes because of the broken heel to walk barefeet up the drive. Julies car was there.

Kate hugged me and kissed my cheek and said goodnight and I thanked her. I waved as she turned around and drove back out of the avenue. I was lucky she had been around.

I opened the door and took off my coat and my slippers were waiting by the radiator. Good old mum. Just what I needed to warm my toes. As I entered the lounge Sally came over to greet me but with a kiss on the lips so I blushed. Mum and Julie looked at each other and smiled.

Sally said she was so sorry to call me but that she’d been upset thinking about her situation and panicked. Mum and Julie had welcomed her with tea and a sandwich. One of mums doorstoppers I expect. They had been looking at some photos and I could see the ones of Aunt Judith. Mum just said ‘Sorry dear but we were passing time and I was showing Sally some photos of you and Julie and then of Aunt Judith.’ Sally said ‘It’s amazing absolutely amazing’.

Mum made some fresh tea and we all sat down. I was ready for it after the shock but chose not to say anything except my heel had broken and that Kate had come to my rescue. Julie couldn’t resist to say ‘Your hero rides again. You’d better watch out Sally or she might like the fast car jet setter image’. She laughed of course and apologized for teasing.

Mum had already shown Sally the spare room and found her a pair of hotel slippers she’d brought back from a trip to London. It was nice to be safely home in the warm and Sally seemed to have struck up a friendship already with Julie and mum and had been telling them about her family and where she’d grown up. They would have been able to write a book if I’d left them to it any longer.

I sat on the sofa next to Sally and then mum said she could stay as long as she liked if she was uncomfortable to be in the apartment with Jessica. At least until she found some alternative and more permanent option. Sally was starting to waiver I could tell she was tempted. Then I said we were going to Birmingham on Friday evening anyway so maybe that helped as well. Sally said it would be nice if she could bring a few things around tomorrow afternoon so she could stay over and then consider more over the weekend.

Julie put some music on and we sat back to relax a little bit and mum told us she’d been to see Gran earlier and was relieved that she was a little bit better and now had accepted that mum arrange to take her for a medical check on Friday and to discuss with our family doctor about some health visitor arrangements since Gran was adamant to live alone and keep her house intact.

Mum seemed relieved to talk about it and I guess it made Sally feel more welcome as well. Mum then asked if I’d visit Gran with her after work tomorrow and if Julie might like to make supper and then her boyfriend and Sally could join us and so Sally said she’d like to help Julie if that was OK and make a contribution. Julie laughed and said it was time she considered Gary but reminded us that as yet sh’d not mentioned about Chris-Chrissy and so best to keep this going until she felt the time was right to tell him.

She smiled and said he kept talking about me and asking if I’d got a boyfriend and would I like to go to his birthday celebration. She said he would be happy sitting with mum and ‘3 girls’ so he could show off.

Mum decided she’d go up to bed and then Julie went to call Gary so I it gave Sally and I chance to chat. ‘Just then a song came on ‘Your just too good to be true, I can’t take my eyes off you’ and we laughed. I looked at her and she just said ‘Your just too good to be true’ and we hugged. There is something about a hug and especially when it’s a friend. By now I really felt my breasts were sensitive and as I felt Sallys warm bosom I wished mine was as full and ‘all mine’.

Then I said we should contact James to sort the details out for Birmingham and I called him from my mobile. He was very happy that I’d called and had arranged for us to collect the train tickets at the railway station and that he would e-mail a copy of the credit card booking. He was going to meet us at the station on arrival and they’d fixed up to eat if we could wait that long. We accepted of course since we expected it would be a late evening anyway. But what to do about getting changed? I said ‘Boys never think of these things’.Don’t worry we’ll sort something but we aren’t going to the Ritz you know.’

Then we decided it was bedtime and I showed Sally to the bathroom. Mum was in bed and said goodnight and Julkies door was closed for privacy whilst she chatted to Gary.
Mum had made the spare room comfortable and left some towels and a dressing gown. It was silk and not too warm but appreciated anyway by Sally.

We were soon ready for bed and Sally kissed me goodnight and said she’d read a magazine for a bit. I thought I might put on my TV to watch the late news and climbed into my soft warm bed. I flicked through the channels.

I just got comfortable and fluffed my pillow feeling the benefit of the warm shower I’d had when my phone rang.

Oh I wished I’d switched it off.

The name flased up ‘Jessica’

To be continued ………………