Wuthering Dormice (aka Bike) Part 784 by Angharad

Despite his strange ideas on religion, I thought Tom Cruise was physically rather dishy, and he’s probably taller than my five foot seven, not that I’m ever likely to meet him anyway.

“I’ve asked Tom to collect the girls which he’s happy to do.“

“How much did you tell him?“

“Only that you had a near accident and were a bit shaken up by it.“

“If they’re after me, couldn’t they also go after Tom?“

“We can’t all be followed, and he’s going from the university to the school, so they won’t know him.“

“If they were watching the school, he could be in danger.“

“They’d have to be very single minded for that.“

“Not really, if they know what time it finishes, they’d only have to wait and watch. If they know our kids, they could follow Tom quite easily.“

“If they were after our kids, why did they ambush you when you were on your own?“

“Because they didn’t know where I lived or because they were watching from the school.“

“Perhaps it’s just a bit of bad driving?“ Simon suggested without conviction.

“It could be “ agreed Stella, “just some boy-racer, or other.“

“Alright, I hear you, maybe I’m just paranoid, we’ll see. I could always go to the school as well and see what happens.“

“What’s the point of me asking Tom?“ Simon was getting cross.

“If it’s me they’re after, it would mean the girls would be safe “

“Would they? What if they witnessed you having an accident, how do you think they’d feel then?“ Simon’s attack hit home and I felt awful.

“What am I supposed to do, sit around and wait?“

“Yes “ Simon and Stella both said in unison.

“That isn’t my style – you know that?“

“Babes, in this case I think you need to sit it out. Let’s take a scenario –suppose the driver was Brown-Cow in her Range Rover, she might have become as frightened of the near miss as you were – so another attempt may never be made. If she simply wanted to upset you, she succeeded–so she might have achieved what she wanted, anyway.“

“Simon, you can speculate all you want, I’m going to make some dinner.”

“We haven’t had lunch yet, have we – my stomach seems to think my throat’s been cut “

“I could oblige,“ said Stella.

“Shove off, you psycho.“ I heard him reply.

Using some stale bread and grated cheese I did us cheese on toast for lunch. I wasn’t really hungry, or I thought I wasn’t until I started eating, then it went down very well. Simon wolfed his down – were he one of my kids, I’d have corrected his table manners. However, it wouldn’t be very nice to do it to an adult. He might also have been as hungry as he said.

For dinner, I made us a cottage pie using minced pork – maybe I should rename it sty-pie? Yeah, market it as Cathy’s Sty Pie, made with real piggy-wiggy. I wonder if dormouse pie would sell just as well? Not made with real dormice, like some crisps that were sold earlier this year, which claimed to be hedgehog flavoured, but it was just a joke.

Simon went back to his computer, Stella her baby and Meems and I went back to our cottage. She helped me peel the spuds, which I boiled then mashed and creamed; in between which I also cooked the pork with chopped onions, carrots and garlic. I drained off some of the liquor from the meat – partly fat – and after tipping it into a large ovenproof bowl, topped it with the potato and smeared it with some butter before popping in a fairly hot oven.

All I needed now was for it to brown and then add diners. We’d eat it with mixed vegetables, which I started preparing from scratch. It kept me busy, and Meems helped me – so it kept both of us busy and I didn’t have time to muse on my incident.

Mima helped me lay the table which we’d just finished doing when Tom drove up with the girls. I hugged them and felt relief that nothing untoward had happened on their journey.

Simon told Tom what had happened while I gave the girls a drink of squash and a biscuit. I know, it could spoil their appetite – except I know these two – they’re like giant piranhas.

Dinner went down quite well, with fruit and ice cream for dessert. Puddin’ was cooing as she ate her ice cream, she’d had some of my cottage pie as well, and I think she was growing a little from eating ordinary food rather than commercial baby muck Stella used to buy. Now it just requires the hand blender thingy and in two ticks you have baby nosh for the eating of.

Simon did the storytelling and Tom helped me clear up, but only so he could quiz me about the near miss this morning. Like everyone else, he had no clear opinion about it – it could have been anything – however, he insisted that he take the girls to school tomorrow and collect them.

“And just what am I supposed to do?“ I pouted at him.

“Wait here a tick,“ he said, disappeared out the front door and came back with a data box, “Ye can sort through this lot.“ He dumped the box on the kitchen table. I opened the lid and saw it was full of records of mammal sightings.

“What are these?“ I asked.

“Records of yer blasted vermin,“ he smiled and went off to his study for his nip of single malt.

I lifted off a couple from the top, they were dormouse sightings with photos, drawings, maps and grid references. The odd one had a chewed acorn or hazel nut attached which confirmed that some at least had an idea for what they were searching.

Before long, I was seated at the table sorting through the records and categorising them as possibles or not. At nearly midnight, Simon appeared and asked if I was going to do this all night. I had become completely distracted by my work – and I felt quite good about it.

“Forecast is quite good tomorrow, so why don’t you get a quick ride in while I watch Meems, then you can play with her a bit and get on with your records.“

“Hmm, that sounds like a great idea, Si.“ I stood up and kissed him, he pulled me to him and kissed me back.

“Let’s go to bed, Babes.“

I hope this doesn’t make me sore for tomorrow, went through my little mind, but seeing as I’d neglected him all evening, my guilt allowed him to convince me to take the risk. Trust me to be faced with such dilemmas. In the end it wasn’t a problem – he got himself so excited that he managed to spill his load before he actually got inside me. Okay so I had to clean up the bed, but I was safe for the morning and I only needed a pee before sleeping rather than a sloosh down below.

The next day I awoke feeling as invigorated as if I’d had a holiday and it was with a spring in my step that I got the girls up and made their packed lunches. I hugged them before they went off to school and Simon appeared just in time to kiss them goodbye before they went.

I was about to go upstairs and change into some old cycling togs when he produced a package from the study. He handed it towards me. “What’s this?“ I asked him.

“Open it and see.“

It felt soft, like clothing, I felt excited – I love clothes, in case you hadn’t noticed. I tore open the package and pulled out a yellow jersey and shorts. For a moment I thought it was Saunier Duvall, but it wasn’t it was Columbia Highroad, as worn by Mark Cavendish and Edvald Boasson Hagen.

“I couldn’t get the same as the old one, and this is the only really yellow one. I hope it’s alright. “

I blinked away the disappointment I’d initially felt. “Simon, it’s absolutely wonderful.“ I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him, “Thank you so much.“

“Go and change and have your ride – but be careful.“

“I will,“ I said kissing him again.

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