‘No problem. Give me a shout once you’re in,’ Joe said. ‘I’ll come and help you ease some of that tension.’
Was it so obvious that she was wound up like a watch spring? ‘No, you carry on watching,’ she insisted. ‘I’ll feel bad if I drag you away from it.’
‘We’ll be out of sync then. In any case, I’d rather watch you soaking in the bath.’ His mouth curved into a suggestive smile.
Sarah gave him a mock scowl. ‘You’re insatiable,’ she scolded him. She was glad he was here. She wasn’t sure what she would have done otherwise, rattling around the empty house on her own, and he did her flagging ego the world of good. He’d already hinted she was worrying too much, though, and she didn’t want him thinking she was checking up on Steve, which she supposed she was.
‘Says the woman who practically jumped me while I was distracted making coffee,’ Joe called after her as she reached the hall.
Sarah laughed. ‘I didn’t hear you protesting very loudly,’ she called back.
‘Because my mouth was otherwise engaged,’ Joe replied smartly. ‘Let me know when you want your back scrubbed. I’ll bring your wine up.’
‘That would be lovely. Thanks.’ Sarah headed quickly up the stairs.
Turning on the taps and treating herself to a generous amount of Wild Argan Oil Bubbling Bath, she went back to the bedroom to text Steve. It took her a while to get the wording right; she wasn’t sure what to say that didn’t sound like she was questioning his parenting skills. Did he settle down okay? she finally sent.
He took forever to answer. The bath was almost full when she heard her phone ping a reply: Laura says he’s happily tucked up with Mr Whale.
Mr … who? Sarah squinted at the text, confused. Did he not go to bed with Bunny? she sent back worriedly. Ollie never went to bed without Bunny. If he woke in the night and couldn’t see him, he would fret about him. And they’d just gone and swapped him for some brand-new toy? Or rather, Laura had, it seemed.
She’d barely shot off the first text before she keyed in another. Didn’t you read him his bedtime story?
Growing agitated when Steve took his time replying again, she twirled the taps off before the bath overflowed, then jumped on her phone as it rang.
‘What the hell is this all about, Sarah?’ Steve asked tersely before she had a chance to speak.
‘What?’ Sarah laughed, disbelieving. Was he actually annoyed that she would be concerned about her son? ‘Nothing, I—’
‘It doesn’t sound like nothing.’ He spoke over her, his voice low – from which she gathered he was talking out of earshot of his girlfriend. To spare Laura’s feelings, she also gathered, rather than hers. ‘Are you seriously telling me you’re going to vet who tells him his bedtime story now?’
‘No,’ Sarah denied. ‘I’m concerned, that’s all, for Ollie. I just thought that as he’s in a strange environment, you would want to settle him into bed yourself. It’s not a big deal, Steve.’
‘It sounds like it is to me,’ he growled.
‘Only because you’re making it one,’ she countered. ‘I’m just worried for my son. I think I’ve every right to be, don’t you?’
‘Meaning what, precisely?’ Steve asked, plainly working to restrain his anger.
But why was he angry? ‘I don’t mean anything, Steve.’ Sarah sighed despairingly. Was it really so unreasonable of her to want Ollie not to feel lonely or disorientated by his new surroundings? Surely Steve could see that familiarity was important? That however insignificant Laura thought his comfort toy seemed, it wasn’t. The woman wasn’t a mother. How could she know? Sarah was Ollie’s mother and she knew her child. ‘I just wanted to know he went to bed contentedly. He’s never been away from me before. Don’t you think I’m bound to be worried?’
Steve didn’t reply for an interminably long minute. Then, ‘You’ve really decided not to like her, haven’t you?’ he asked, knocking her sideways.
What utter rubbish. She hadn’t decided anything of the sort. ‘That’s not true, Steve,’ she retorted tearfully. ‘I made a big effort to get on with—’
‘Why? Is it because you’re jealous?’
‘That’s bloody ridiculous,’ she snapped, swallowing back a mixture of anger and humiliation. Where was this coming from? She’d moved on. He’d clearly moved on. The only reason she was contacting him was out of concern for their son.
‘I’m going,’ she said, cutting the call before she was tempted to ask him whether it was his girlfriend and her motives he should be questioning. Fuming at what he’d implied, that she was actually jealous of the woman, she was too busy trying to digest his words as she trailed back to the bedroom to realise that Joe had come in.
‘Problem?’ he asked.
‘No.’ She ran a hand quickly under her nose. Then, ‘Yes,’ she blurted. ‘They’ve taken his bunny off him.’
‘What?’ Joe looked taken aback.
‘His bedtime comfort toy,’ she tried to explain, cursing the tears that plopped from her eyes. Cursing Steve for reducing her to tears. ‘He’s had it since he was six months old. I got it specially personalised for him. It has his name embroidered on its ear. It’s his absolute favourite. He never goes to bed without it.’
‘Ah.’ Now looking concerned, Joe placed the wine he’d brought her on the dresser and walked across to her.
‘Why would they do that?’ she asked him as he wrapped his arms around her, easing her to him. ‘Why would Steve let her do that?’
‘Hey, hey.’ Joe stroked her hair as she cried into his shoulder. ‘Perhaps he’s just outgrown it?’
‘No, he hasn’t. He hadn’t last night,’ Sarah assured him.
‘It might just be that he took a shine to one of the toys Steve said they’d bought him,’ he suggested. ‘No more than that. Did you ask Steve?’
‘I didn’t get a chance. He thought I was making a fuss about nothing.’ Sarah looked up at him. She was probably a complete mess, but she didn’t care. ‘He even accused me of being determined not to like Laura when I asked him why he let her read Ollie his bedtime story.’
Joe looked perplexed at that. ‘Does it matter who reads it? I mean, as long as they haven’t just shoved him to bed with no story at all?’
‘Of course it matters.’ Sarah’s frustration grew as it became apparent that Joe didn’t think it was a big deal either. ‘This is all new to him, leaving me, sleeping in a strange bed in a strange house. He’ll be bewildered. He needs familiar things around him, his comfort toy, his daddy tucking him in, not some strange bloody woman he’s only just met.’
Joe nodded slowly. His eyes were still flecked with concern, but Sarah guessed from his puzzled expression that he didn’t really understand how important this was, that routine was paramount to a child’s development. ‘You’re upset,’ he said. ‘You’re bound to be a bit.’
‘Of course I’m upset.’ She moved away from him. ‘I just … I don’t trust her, Joe.’