Debated Heart

[pembie]

Yep this name thing is slightly confusing but  they are all living inside a topsy turvy upside down world at the moment. Its because of this that this story has a very cool spine tingling haunting feel to it. Everything is there but oddly out of place at the same time.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter Seven

 

“Careful  kid!” Roman called out as he was forced to sidestep a young boy moving excitedly into the diner. Turning, he balanced the weight of the tray again before he collected the last of the glasses from the table in front of him. He stopped suddenly and looked over at the counter where the young boy was ordering from Colleen.   He could have walked past his kids at any time over the past few years and not even known they existed. The thought made him angry. He should have been told, should have had a choice in how his kids were raised.  He’d already been denied one child when Natalie and her family had kept him out of Nicole’s life when she was younger. He wouldn’t go through that again not now he knew what he was missing out on.

Sighing he cleared the rest of the table and wiped it down with a damp cloth before moving over to the next one and repeating the action.  Normally he didn’t mind the repetitive work but recently he was starting to feel more and more uneasy about it like something was missing.

“Hey, Kid.” He called out to the boy who had bumped into him earlier as he moved out of the diner empty-handed.

“Yes, Sir?” Mike asked stilling and looking over at him.

“Sir?” Roman murmured. “I look that old?”

“Oh no er.. sir,” Mike said alternating his weight from one foot to the other as he stood there.

Roman laughed watching him for a moment before he asked, “Didn’t we have anything to tempt you?”

“Well, er, no.” Mike muttered quickly seeming to only just stop himself from adding another ‘Sir’ to it.

“Well,” Roman smiled at hearing that unspoken ‘Sir’ and looked over at him. “Maybe there is something we could do for you?”

Mike shook his head quickly.

“Sure?” Roman asked.

“Sure, sir.” He murmured politely. “My mother sent me to see if you did takeaways.”  He explained slowly.

“Well, not in the general sense.” Roman began to explain.

“Like pizzas,” Mike interjected.

“Well no.” Roman smiled and glanced at his watch.  “What toppings do you want?”

“S..Sir?” Mike stuttered.

“I can knock up a couple of pizzas.” Roman decided.

Mike nodded and looked at his watch.

“Do you have to be somewhere?”

“I should really go back to the van,” Mike told him quickly.

“Are you staying at the caravan park?” Roman asked him as he moved inside and placed the tray on the top before moving around the counter and clearing it.

“I’m going to get off,” Colleen called out coming out of the kitchen and walking past them. She bustled into her jacket and put a multi-coloured scarf around her neck. “you back here, young man, I told you that we don’t do that kind of thing.”

“It’s alright Colleen, I’ve got this,” Roman said quickly.

He watched her disappear before turning and moving over to the door, closing it and putting up the closed sign before looking back at the boy.   “Now then, pizza.” He smiled and walked past him back into the kitchen.  Within five minutes he’d made two pizza bases and looked over at Mike. “Toppings?” he asked slowly.

“Well, my mother and sister share vegetarian toppings. “ Mike began.

“And I bet that leaves the meat for you?”

“Yes, sir.”

Roman grinned at the ‘sir’  again and saw the boy flushing. He didn’t say anything as he sorted out the two different toppings and then slotted them into the oven to cook.

“Do you want drinks?” he asked.

Mike looked at him and nodded going over to the tall fridge and taking out two tall bottles of fizzy soda.  “Do you think we could get a salad too?” he asked slowly.

“How are you paying for this kid?”

Mike slowly coloured as he put his hand in his pocket and took out thirty dollars. “Is this enough, sir?” he asked formally.

“Right let’s see.” Roman began going over to the till. He put in the price of the drinks and the takeaway salad and then worked out a cost for the pizzas before taking the notes from Mike and sorting out the change and handing it over to him.

“Thank you, sir,” Mike said politely glancing at the clock.

“I’ve got to go visit Miles. I can give you a lift if that helps.”

“Er..” Mike hesitated.

Roman turned his attention to the salad. He piled up the takeaway box with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and onion and placed it in a carrier with the soda bottles before taking the pizzas out of the oven and set about wrapping them in foil to keep warm.

“Okay.” He said to him and handed over the pizzas and the carrier bag.

Mike looked at him and then the food as though weighing up how he was going to carry everything.

“If you are sure about the lift, sir, I’d appreciate it.”

Roman nodded quickly, “Just give me two minutes,” he said turning and double checking the kitchen was closed down for the night before he began switching off the lights as he moved over to the door.

***

Mike kept glancing at him, knowing that this man was the twins father was weird. He couldn’t help thinking about how much they looked like him. They were going to be so jealous he’d met him. Just as that thought went through his head the tall man offered him a lift to the caravan park and before he knew it he’d accepted.  He couldn’t imagine what his mum was going to say but he thought it would probably involve the swear words that she muttered in another language so they didn’t know what she was saying.  With a groan, he collected the food before walking through the door waiting just outside as Roman locked up the diner after them. Then he was shown over to Roman’s car, indicating that he should put the food in the back before getting into the passenger side.

“Are you here for a holiday?” Roman asked him as he pulled the car out of the parking lot and on to the road.

“Sort of sir.” Mike murmured and felt the heat in his cheeks at the look that Roman gave him at still being addressed as ‘Sir’. He couldn’t help it, he was used to calling his elders sir, and bit his lip as he focused on the view out of the front windscreen trying to will the colour from his face. He thought about his mother and Roman meeting again and paled immediately. Perhaps he could swing it so they didn’t but then she’d want to know how he’d got the food and oh er, crap. Yeah, crap suited this situation and he could get away with using it because after all, it was his first word.

“You okay?” Roman asked, pulling the car into the driveway to the house.

“Just.. er… hungry.” Mike murmured biting his lip as he lied.

“Okay, son,” Roman said slowly.

Mike started at the endearment and felt something shudder through him. He didn’t have a father but the twins did and now everything was going to change. Whilst he was lost in thought Roman had slowed the car and was looking at him.

“What caravan are you in?” Roman asked.

“Four,” Mike answered before he could stop himself. He groaned as Roman steered the car and took them straight to the right caravan and turned off the engine. He’d even unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the door handle before Mike could say anything.  Swiveling in the seat he watched in horror as the door of the caravan opened and he paled even more.

‘Double crap,’ Mike thought, quickly climbing out of the car.

***

Roman climbed out of the car and moved around the back. He was focused on the food until he noticed a pair of jean covered legs coming out of the van. Looking up his eyes travelled over the figure until he saw her face. Now he knew why he’d cooked the pizza and insisted on giving the kid a lift. Something about him reminded him of Ella. Sucking in a sharp breath he stood and faced her. His past. Something cosmic seemed to swirl between them as if time were somehow trying to right itself and he dismissed the thought as soon as he had it despite the prickle of unease that crawled down his spine.

“Ella.” He said slowly, gravely, and closing his eyes for just one second to check he wasn’t imagining her there in front of him.

“I asked for pizza.” She murmured her hands going to her hips. “Not a chef.”

Roman smiled and looked over at Mike who’d jumped out of the car and was standing next to it, transferring his weight from one foot to the other like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. Now he knew why he’d felt something familiar about him.

“We like to give value for money.” He said eventually. “Are they here too?”

Ella nodded and waved to the van behind her before she walked over to where Roman was standing.

“Come in if you like.” She invited reaching out and picking up the bag. She held it out and Mike somewhat hesitantly took it from her and ran inside before she and Roman picked out the pizzas.

“Is this a good idea?” Roman muttered only realising he’d spoken aloud when Ella glared at him before she stalked inside the van.

“Here,” She said handing out the pizza and turned to see Roman standing behind her. He too helped out with the food his mouth hanging open as he looked at his kids.

“So who are you?” he asked Mike.

“I’m Ro… Mike.” Mike murmured. “Michael and Jennie’s son.”

“Ah,” Roman said not noticing the slip even though Gabby and Toby were giggling.

“Sit down, “ Ella said smirking at him as he automatically obeyed her. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her before looking over at the twins.

“Which one is which?” he asked and grinned as they laughed at him.

“I’m Toby,”  Toby muttered glaring as Mike chuckled.

***

Ella watched as her children interacted with Roman wondering why she hadn’t packed emergency vodka for this moment because it certainly qualified. He was speaking to Gabby in a gentle voice and she felt suddenly jealous like she was being pushed out.  Of course, he had to be great with kids, she thought, wasn’t he great with everybody? Why shouldn’t kids fall under his spell too?

Her eyes flicked to him and she noted all the changes since she’d last seen him.  Laugh lines around the corner of his eyes.  His hair was longer, he’d kept it in a buzz cut in Afghanistan and now she could see the blond in it.  A glance down and she looked at his hands, the same hands that had made this food. Only she’d known that he’d cooked back in the day, often being surprised at what he’d managed to cobble together on her small stove.

Her thoughts drifted suddenly to the things he’d also managed to do on her small bed and she knew that her face was filling with colour.  Dammit, she muttered silently inside her head. This was why you should never travel without emergency vodka.  She tried to cover up by taking another slice of pizza, which was of course, amazing but she wasn’t that hungry and had to force herself to sit there and chew whilst Roman and her kids were bonding, even Mike was looking at the man starry-eyed.

 

 

Link to Chapter Eight over on my blog  -Chapter Eight

Of course, if you want really to read ahead it goes up to Chapter Twenty on my blog...

New Roman and Ella story coming soon...

 

[Inactive User]

Great chapters

Liked the interaction between Roman and Mikey

Update soon please xx

 

[pembie]

Thank goodness they have meet again now all Roman has to do is deal with the probelm called Martha unless he fancies entering into a world with two head strong sexy women that is always a opition I guess and if things get tough well he is a trained soilder

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter Eight

 

Two weeks since the pizza dinner saw the kids sitting around in the caravan whilst Ella was holed up in her assigned bedroom.

“I think we need to get someone.” Toby murmured gesturing to the bedroom where his Mum was sleeping. “She’s been like this all day.”

“Who do you propose we get?” Mike asked looking up from his laptop and over at his brother. “Oh no,” he added seeing his brother’s expression. “After the ear-bashing, I got for bringing him here the first time.”

“Mike.” Gabby’s quiet voice interrupted the beginnings of an argument.  “Mum is sick. Properly sick. You know that otherwise, she wouldn’t have spent all day in bed.”

“Fine.” He muttered.

Looking down at his laptop he closed down the programme he was using and put it to one side before giving them a look.

“I’m going to go to the diner.” He told them.

Toby looked at him about to suggest he went along too before he looked at Gabby and nodded instead.  He watched as Mike swapped his thongs and put on his trainers before grabbing his phone and going out the door.  It clattered shut behind him as he sprinted off, taking the shortcut to the beach first and then jogging along toward the diner.

A sheen of sweat covered his body and he vaguely remembered that he hadn’t put sunscreen on before coming out. He could feel his shoulders burning even as he ran and knew that his Mum would have words with him. Finally, he reached the diner and walked inside panting from his excursion.  He looked around for Roman and sighed when he didn’t see him straight away.  Moving over to the counter he waited patiently before Colleen moved over towards him.

“Can I have a water please?” he asked politely. “And a word with Mr. Harris.”

She gave him a funny look before handing him a bottle of water.

“That will be $2, young man.”  Colleen murmured giving him a look again.

Mike put his hand in his pocket and took out the money handing it over.  He hid his grin when she checked the money before ringing up the purchase in the till.

“And er… Roman?” he asked finding pronouncing the name funny and his thoughts drifted back to the dinner their first night when Toby had kept using it with that funny look on his face waiting for him to answer instead of the other man.

“Who shall I say is asking,” she muttered looking at him suspiciously.

“Tell him it’s Mike.” He told her refusing to add his last name.

Colleen gave him another look before she bustled into the kitchen and he heard muffled talking before Roman appeared at the counter.

“Mike?” he asked quickly.

“Could I have a word please sir?” Mike asked formally.

He glanced around the busy diner seeing customers sitting at most of the tables before looking back at the tall man the other side of the counter. Hopefully, he would get the hint, Mike thought knowing he was frowning.

“Ok,” Roman said and gestured outside before speaking a few words with Colleen.

Mike walked outside just ahead of the other man before turning and standing; he shielded his eyes with his hand and waited.

“What’s the matter?” Roman asked quickly.

“It’s Mum, she’s sick,” Mike answered just as quickly. “Like seriously.”

***

Roman looked at the kid and bit back a sigh. He had been supposedly going over to the farmhouse later to see Lindsay but he suspected that plan was going to pot now.

Mike opened the bottle and looked around for the bin to put the rubbish in. He couldn’t see one nearby so put the wrapper from the bottle into his pocket unaware that Roman grinned at that action. Taking a long swallow of the cool water he sighed before looking up and catching Roman looking at him.

“Here,” Roman murmured holding out his car keys. “Go get into my car, I’ll just let them know that an emergency has come up.”

Mike nodded and reached out taking the keys from him before moving away to the car park. Roman watched him go before moving back inside the diner. He spoke quietly to Colleen and heard her moaning before she nodded and agreed that she could handle things until Leah got there.  Shrugging out of the white chef’s jacket he wore and hanging it up he moved out of the diner and jogged over to his car grinning at Mike sitting in the front seat with his seat belt already done up. He climbed behind the wheel and looked across at the boy.  Michael’s kid. He still couldn’t believe it. He had the look of the other man about him, but also a bit of Ella. He supposed that was due to the way they were so close.

“Ok, so what is wrong with her?” he asked starting the car and pulling out of the parking bay.

“She caught a cold, must have been coming down with it for days and well, she went to bed last night and didn’t get up this morning.” Mike murmured in a rush.

“I take it that she doesn’t know you’ve fetched me?” Roman asked and saw from the colour entering Mike’s face that the answer was yes.

“No, sir.” Mike murmured confirming.

“Soon be there,” Roman said slowly his eyes on the boy next to him. He could tell from the way he was acting that this had never happened before and he found himself frowning.  Surely Ella had had colds or flu occasionally?

“I know,” Mike told him quietly.

“Look, Kid,” Roman began.

“Mike.”

“Mike,” Roman murmured, corrected. “People get sick all the time, sometimes they just need what your Mum has done, a day out.”

Mike turned and pinned Roman with his gaze for a long moment before the older man returned his attention back to the road.

“My mother does not get sick. She does not have timeouts.” He enunciated clearly.

“I’ve obviously touched upon a sore subject,” Roman said softly. “I’m sorry.”

Mike sighed and looked out of the window for the rest of the journey until the car pulled up outside the caravan. He shot out before the engine had even been turned off and moved inside looking at Toby and Gabby.

“Oh Mike, you forgot sunscreen,” Gabby said softly jumping up and going into the bedroom where their mother was. She glanced at the figure underneath all the blankets and sighed before tiptoeing over to the shelf beside the bed and retrieving a bottle of aftersun. This in her hand she retreated to where Mike was sitting and began matter-of-factly administering the cream to his burnt shoulders.

“Hello,” Roman called from the doorway his eyes going around the kids.

“She’s in there.” Mike pointed to the door of the bedroom where his mum was and ignored the curious looks everyone was giving him.

Gabby recapped the bottle and put it in reach of Mike before going over to the little sink and washing her hands. After drying them she led the way to her mother’s bedroom, opening the door for Roman, and then closing it behind him.

“Ell,.” Roman called out approaching the bed.

He saw the figure stir before he called her name again and moved to sit on the bed, his hand going out to peel back the covers.

“s’alright.” She croaked out. “Get up in a min.”

Roman chuckled softly before placing his hand on her forehead. He drew it back when he felt how hot it was.

“Okay, are you dressed under there?”

“What are you planning?” she muttered pushing back the covers. “Because I’m not that sort of girl” she added her voice dropping down to a hoarse whisper.

Roman sighed before he lifted her in his arms and began carrying her out of the bedroom and into the sitting room. He felt her start to tremble with the cold and sighed again before sitting her down in the Caravan’s small sitting room.

“Gabby can you grab a blanket?” he instructed and saw her running to fetch it. He smiled and that before glancing at Mike and Toby. “While your Mum recovers I’m going to take you home with me.”

“What? No?” Mike shot out jumping up to his feet.

“Mike.” Toby murmured standing and placing his hand on Mike’s shoulder. “We should do it. We can’t take care of Mum.”

Mike glared at his brother before nodding slowly as he worked through the logic of the situation.

“Can you pack your things? Enough for a few nights at least?” Roman asked slowly.

Mike gave Toby another look before they moved to organise packing.

“Here.” Gabby told Roman shyly as she handed over the blanket.

“Thank you.” Roman murmured quietly to her. He gave her a smile before wrapping Ella up in the blanket. “Can you pack some things for your Mum as well as you?” he asked her and saw her nod her cheeks flushing.

The next hour seemed to fly by as he organised the kids and Ella and taking them back to his place. He had no idea how he was going to explain this to anyone, least of all Martha and knew that she’d use it as an excuse for him to stop seeing Lindsay.  He’d put Ella in his bed sighing as she snuggled down in the bed, for some reason it seemed as though she belonged there, before calling Rachel over.  Then whilst waiting for the other woman he’d sorted out where Toby and Mike were to sleep before showing Gabby Nic’s room. The two of them would have to share and he knew that his elder daughter wouldn’t like that. In fact he could bet on it, even though a part of him wanted some of Gabby’s qualities to rub off on her older sister.

Moving to the door to open it, he greeted Rachel and showed her upstairs to his room where Ella was.  He could feel the other woman giving him an assessing look before she saw the kids. Her expression changed her mouth tightening as she grew angry on Martha’s behalf.  He met her gaze evenly before walking out of the room and leaving her with Ella.

“Have you kids eaten?” he asked for something to say as soon as he was downstairs again and grinned when Mike spoke for them again, telling him no, they hadn’t.  He moved into the kitchen and quickly put together some sandwiches and drinks smiling as they moved to sink and washed their hands before sitting down at the table to eat.

Looking up he spotted Rachel coming down the stairs and he quickly walked over to her.

“She’s got a chest infection. I’ve left a prescription with her.” Rachel told him, her voice clipped.

“Thanks for coming.” He said evenly and could see her gaze going past him to the kids. He opened the door and showed her out before following her.

“Kids? More kids?” Rachel shot out.

“Yeah,” Roman confirmed.

“So how many have you fathered now?”

He shrugged before grinning at Rachel.

“Pretty sure there are no others around,” he told her grinning. “not sure I could afford anymore anyway.”

Rachel continued to glare at him before her lips twitched.

“Plenty of rest and lots of fluids. Make sure she takes the antibiotics.”

Roman chuckled before catching Rachel’s look. “I’m used to dangerous missions I’m sure I can persuade Ella to do as she’s told.”

“Ella?”

Roman nodded. “Yeah.”

“She said her name was Elizabeth.”

He grinned at that, “Her name is Elizabeth Louise Laura Addison.” He murmured thinking back to when he’d first met her. “Her initials were printed on her camera strap when we met. I read them out thinking it was her name and by the time we’d got around to telling each other names it was too late, I knew her as Ella.”

***

Roman looked down at his hands and missed that she was smiling at him because she hadn’t seen that look on his face for a long time, not even in the early days of his marriage to Martha had he looked like he was truly happy.

She suspected that there was a lot more behind that story and she wanted to hear it sometime, making a note to tell Tony and Leah about this. Roman and a mystery woman.   She nodded before walking away and going to her car, one thing was for certain, Martha was not going to be happy about this turn of events.

 

Chapter Nine

PS. The more comments I get the faster I update.  
PPS.  Who wants to read a new Rola story?

[pembie]

I expect some serious catfights between Ella and Martha here I hope there are a couple anyway

[Inactive User]

Great chapter

Looks like there is tension between Ella and Martha

Update soon please xx

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter Nine

It was three days before Ella had the energy to try and walk down the stairs. She could hear music and the chatter of voices and felt like she had to get up and check on the kids. Moving barefoot she padded slowly down the stairs feeling like they went on forever.  Her breath coming out in pants as she struggled with the sudden exercise after four days in bed, at least that was what she told herself ignoring the seriousness of a chest infection.

Pausing at the bottom of the stairs she heard an older girls’ voice murmuring something and realised that this was Nicole, Roman’s elder daughter and cursed the impulse that had led her downstairs because the last thing she wanted was for Nicole to see her like this.  Too late to change her mind she smoothed down her nightdress and tugged on the belt of her silky wrap. Her eyes scanned the layout of the room and she frowned at seeing a scattering of children’s toys in a box in the corner and the bits and bobs on the various shelves around the room. There were obvious gaps in amongst them, as though pictures and ornaments had been hastily removed.  Turning away from that she stepped past the long sofas and into the kitchen.

“Mum!” Gabby cried shooting up from her seat and over to her side.

“Hello babes,” Ella said softly kissing the top of her daughters head as she placed her arms around her.

“Mum, sit down,” Mike also shot up from the table and held out his chair for her.

Ella met his gaze and gave him a smile.

“I’m fine son, lots better,” she said her voice urging him to believe her. She knew that he had issues with her being ill and she wanted to reassure him.  Giving him a smile she moved over to the table and sat in the chair like he wanted, Gabby still next to her.  “Hello, you must be Nicole,” she said giving the other girl a look for the first time.

She was struck by the very blue eyes and the blonde hair, both of which were inherited from Roman. Similar traits were present in Toby and Gabby and she smiled at seeing them.  Her smile was returned with a frosty look and she almost flinched at the hostility in the other girls’ gaze.

“Yes, and you are Ella.”

There seemed to be an entire unspoken sentence within those few words and Ella felt a need to defend herself, forcing herself to remain quiet.  Turning her head to look at Toby she gave her suddenly silent son a smile before asking, “So what have you all been up to?”

“Dad took us to the beach, we tried out body boards,” Toby murmured excitedly unaware that her mother flinched when he’d called Roman ‘Dad’ so easily.

“Yeah, even me,” Gabby said softly with a shrug, “Mike….” She trailed off looking at her brother before sighing.

“What is it, babes?” Ella asked reaching up to stroke Gabby’s hair back from her face unaware that Nicole was watching her carefully.

“I was about to say that Mike should get you a drink,” Gabby said quietly her face suffused with colour as she flashed a look at Nicole.

Ella picked up on the look. Something had obviously been said by Nicole that Gabby had overheard. Her daughter was a precious soul, and despite the fact that she could deal with two brothers, on occasion she was brittle when it came to dealing with others and what they said.

“Sure Mike, get your Mother a drink,” Nicole spoke.

Mike nodded ignoring the note in Nicole’s voice as he moved to the fridge and took out the bottle of orange juice. He moved confidently around the small space of the kitchen as he retrieved a glass and poured out the liquid before placing it in front of her.

“Do you want some toast or something?” Toby asked his eyes shooting to look at Nicole.

Ella caught the sudden undercurrent of tension between them and pinned a smile on her face.

“No, this is great,” she said indicating the glass of juice. “Nicole, why don’t you tell me something about yourself?” she suggested to the other girl smiling innocently when Nicole glared at her.

“Nothing much to tell,” Nic said folding her arms across herself.

Ella wondered if the girl knew that was what Roman did when he felt uncomfortable about something and hid her smile at the telling gesture on the other girl. Her eyes strayed to her sons and then to Gabby and she did smile then, having missed them the past few days. Having missed their chatter and energy.

“She’s a police officer,” Gabby supplied before gasping as Nic shot her a hostile look.

“Is she?” Ella asked and leaned over to kiss her daughter, “Why don’t you let her tell me babes?” she whispered to her before tugging Gabby down to sit on her knee.

“Yes I am,” Nicole confirmed.

“How did you get into that?” Ella asked and then cursed the unoriginal question not to mention the slightly insulting slant to it but seriously, Nicole had up-to-the-minute styled hair and a full French Manicure.

“I just liked the uniform,” Nic said without even glancing at the other woman.

Ella took the unspoken rebuke in the words. From the clothes the other girl was wearing, her top was a designer label; there was no way that she was satisfied by wearing the utilitarian cops’ uniform.  She met Nicole’s gaze evenly as she sipped juice from the glass, the cool liquid easing her throat and refreshing her.

“Ok, so what else have you been doing?” Ella asked eventually sensing a return of the uncomfortable atmosphere. She’d be having words with Roman for taking them to the beach and letting them use Body boards without checking with her first.

“Dad, I mean Roman,” Gabby stopped and flushed as Nicole shot her a look. She remained silent her head down.

“Yeah, babes?” Ella prompted softly.

“He, well,” Gabby shifted uncomfortably.

“He gave us a cooking lesson,” Mike finished for his sister before shooting Nicole a look.

“Really?” Ella smiled at them before meeting Gabby’s shy gaze. “Did he happen to teach you to make pizza?”

Her daughter looked at her for a moment with her mouth open before giggling

“Oh, mother…” Mike rolled his eyes before he too giggled along with Toby.

“So cooking and surfing, anything else I should know about?”

Gabby shook her head quickly, too quickly earning a look from everyone. She tried to smile but her face fell and she looked miserable.

“Mike?” Ella questioned turning attention away from her daughter, knowing that she would have a quiet word with her later out of earshot of the others, and especially Nicole.  Not that she expected that Nicole had done anything deliberately, unaware perhaps of Gabby’s gentleness.

“I don’t think there was anything else,” Mike shrugged before his face changed. “Oh, we did some of those workbooks you got us.”

“Oh that is good, maybe you should go and fetch them so I can have a look,” Ella murmured softly.  She grinned as her kids shot up and out of the room leaving her alone with Nicole.  She waited a moment before standing up and looking at the other woman.

“I’m sure you have a lot to say to me but I’d like to be clear upfront, Gabby is not me, you want to say something and get stuff off your chest you come and see me. You hurt my daughter again and you will see my bad side.”

Nicole looked affronted for a second, her mouth opening and closing before she glared at her.

“You know, there are a lot of women in my father’s life, you weren’t the first and you certainly won’t be the last!”

Ella grinned.

“Is that the best you can do, Princess? Did you give Martha that nice little speech?  I’m not in a relationship with your father and I have no intention of resuming one.  What I do have are three kids who are innocent of whatever crimes you seem to want to accuse them of, and you know, two of them are related to you by blood, seems to be a waste of your emotion hating them when you could actually have a relationship with them.  I’ll leave you to think about it.”

Ella shot a last look at the other woman before she walked carefully into the lounge and sat on one of the sofas and waited for her kids to come back.

 

As always, the next chapter can be found on my blog here: Chapter Ten 

 

[pollymoon]

loving this story - hate that Roman is married to Martha but if you will get him and Ella together I will cope with it, more soon please xxxxx

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter Ten

 

 

Roman eased his car into the driveway. He glanced around as he turned the engine off and climbed out, stretching his aching body. He’d been for a run with Toby and Mike that morning and followed it up with a half-hour gym session before coming home.  He tried not to be happy at how natural it felt that he was coming home to Ella and the kids but he couldn’t help it, even if Ella was asleep most of the time and barely spoke to him.

Heading through the door he smiled at seeing Ella downstairs and sitting with the kids.

“Hey,” he called, “nice to see you up and around!”

“Hello,” Ella replied stiltedly and he knew from her tone of voice that he was in her bad books.

“Roman!” Mike greeted him happily.

“What have you been up to today?” Roman asked like normal as he walked through into the kitchen. He spotted Nicole sitting on a seat on the patio, a lit cigarette in her hand and he smiled before putting the kettle on.

“Playing on the laptop,” Mike said flushing as Ella looked at him.

“I watched some TV,” Gabby offered shyly.

“Toby?” Roman prompted.

“Oh, nothing, TV and er.. “

Roman poked his head through the doorway from the kitchen and looked over at Toby. “Did you finish that book?”

Toby nodded even as he flushed red from the attention given to him.

“Cool,” Roman grinned and slipped into the kitchen again. He popped his head out of the back door and smiled over at his daughter, Nic, “Hey,” he began and whatever he was going to say next left him as he saw tears slipping down his daughter’s face.

“Oh, er,” Nic gasped and hastily wiped at her tears trying to remove all trace of them.

“What’s up, Nic?” He asked her quickly and moved over to sit next to her.

“Nothing,” she stood and paced a little way away.

“I know I’m pretty clueless but well, please tell me… maybe I can actually help,” he murmured.

“You can’t,” she gasped out.

“Nic.”

He frowned as his daughter walked away from him without saying anything leaving him floundering. He’d asked himself what he was missing a thousand times and still, nothing came to him. He hadn’t even figured out why she’d ditched her fashion course and decided to become a police officer.  Turning he moved back into the kitchen and finished making the drinks, taking a cup of coffee through to Ella. He hadn’t even asked if she wanted one or how she liked it.

“Did I ask what you wanted for food?”

“No,” Gabby said shyly.

“So…” he drawled out the word grinning as she blushed. He loved how much she reminded him of Ella, from her smile to the way she was so shy, not to mention her hair.  He’d had to suck in a sharp breath the first time he took them to the beach and her hair had gotten wet. It had curled up around her face just like Ella’s did reminding him of long ago days back when they had first been together. In fact all the way back to when he'd first gone swimming with her in a swimming pool in Cyprus. Seeing her climb out of the pool wearing a ridiculously small red bikini and looking like a supermodel, with her hair spiralling into waves and curls as the sun dried it.

Shaking himself back to the present he murmured, “Burgers?”

“I so don’t think so,” Ella murmured quickly.

Roman flinched at Ella’s comment, immediately feeling guilty because he had been feeding the kids whatever they asked for and well, it had been a lot of junk food. Now he realised, of course, that they’d conned him.

“But Mother…” Mike began.

“But ‘Mother’ nothing, young man,“ Ella eased up from the sofa and moved into the kitchen. She gave Roman a smile before speaking, “They will have a nice salad and jacket potatoes. Maybe with cheese….”

“Oh, Ma…” Mike groaned out sharing a look with the twins.

Gabby walked over to her mother’s side and tugged on her bathrobe indicating she wanted to say something privately to her.  Ella leaned down and listened to her daughter’s words before chuckling. The rusty sounding laugh ending with a coughing fit reminding them all of the fact that she was still ill. Roman immediately grabbed a bottle of water and guided her into a chair at the kitchen table. He watched her carefully as she took a drink.

“Ok,” she murmured slowly her voice no more than a whisper.

“Burgers please,” Gabby told her father.

“Sure?” Roman murmured his question for Ella and he felt a flutter of something inside him at the way it felt so natural that she was there. That they were a family.

“Please,” Toby added moving to stand near his sister.

“Why don’t you go watch some tv?” Ella told them after a minute. She grinned as they ran into the other room and the tv blared into life. A flurry of channel changes before they settled on something to watch.

“We need to talk,” he told Ella quietly.

“I know when they go to bed.”

He shot her a look and grinned.

“I’ll be awake,” she defended before he even said anything.

Again he felt a flutter of something inside him, like something was coming alive that had been long dead and he tried to clamp down on it.

“So what do you want to eat?” he asked instead of something else.

“Some soup if you have it.”

He nodded and began moving about the kitchen preparing the food. He combined ingredients in a large bowl making veggie burgers not noticing Ella smiling at him.

“er…” Nic murmured peering in through the back.

Ella stood slowly.

“I’ll just go check on the kids,” she announced moving out of the room.

“Hey Nic,” Roman called quietly, “I’m cooking burgers for those lot, what do you want to eat?”

Nic sniffed and looked at him a sad expression on her face. “Er, burgers are fine with me,” she said softly.

“Okay,” he moved back to the cooker and began frying the burgers in one of his large pans. “Want to sort out the bread buns for me?”

Nic gave him a reluctant smile and moved over to the sink giving her hands a wash before drying them and beginning the task he’d assigned her.  They worked together in silence for a while before Roman spoke.

“If you need someone to talk to…”

“I’m fine,” Nic answered in her usual stroppy tone.

“Do you want me to pretend to believe that?” He asked her watching as she nodded.

“Yes please,” she whispered.

He turned then and looked at her, seeing her long blonde hair scrapped back and her clothes wrinkled, This was not his impeccable daughter that he was so used to and he was worried about her.  Looking at her he wanted to take her into his arms and hold her. Protect her.

“I’ve done those,” she stated and moved out of the kitchen before he could even think the words he needed to say to her.  He frowned again and looked over at her retreating form before focusing on the food once more.   Within minutes he had it set out on the table and chuckled when he heard a procession head up the stairs and into the bathroom.  Looking up he saw Ella standing in the doorway and he smiled at her.

“Onion soup,” he commented.

“Lovely,” she said softly, “Now that I’m up and around we should get back to the caravan and let you and Nic have your house back.”

“Whatever is going on with Nicole is not because of you.”

“That isn’t the issue, but well,” Ella shrugged and he noted just how delicate her movements were.

“El,” he murmured a pleading note entering his voice.

“Thank you for what you’ve done.”

He frowned wanting to say more but the children were down from upstairs and the moment passed.

“Hands washed?” Ella asked them grinning as they all held out their hands for inspection before shuffling around the table and sitting down.

“Get eating,” Roman told them sorting out a plate of food and setting it to one side with a cover over it.  His eyes went to Ella again as she moved to sit at the table next to Gabby and he placed the bowl of soup in front of her.  He was rewarded with one of her smiles and found himself grinning like an idiot back at her.  He missed the look that the kids passed between them.

 

Link to the next chapter on my blog here: Chapter Eleven