Copper to Red (The Dillwyns' Stories) (13 page)

“You would
have thought most of them would have gone home by now.”  Will glared at the intruders;
change and unfamiliar faces didn’t sit well with him.  “Have you heard about
that new law the Government is bringing in next year?”  He rapidly changed the
conversation and asked his friends.

“No, what’s that?” Tom was mildly interested, what Harold
Wilson and the Government chose to do, or not, didn’t affect him too much.

“It’s a new drink-drive limit.  The Government said
that there will be a set limit for the amount of blood alcohol you can have in
your system.  It is supposed to deter drinkers from driving when drinking so
the roads are safer.”

“Well that doesn’t affect me as I don’t own a car!”
laughed Dai.

“How are they going to tell? Make you walk down that
pretend line?”  Jack enquired, still standing waiting for the money.

“I always walk a straight line home, even when I’m
seven sheets to the wind!” laughed Will.  “The funny things is, the Government
spokesman said on the news, that they don’t know what the blood alcohol limit
will be
or
how it will be tested!”

A laugh went around the table.  Pints were raised in
mocking salutes.  “Ah well, a couple more before we hit the road then lads!” 
All of them openly mocking the new Government rule.

As they were laughing the door opened and big crowd of
football supporters came in.  The change in the atmosphere was pliable.  The
laughter quietened down and turned slightly tense.

“Right I’m off home before any trouble starts.” 
Michael rose slowly from his stool.  “Are you coming Tom, Dad?” 

Evan got up to leave, “Ay, too old for any trouble.”
He stated with a smile on his face, well aware that he was fitter than most
people. 

Tom sidled a look towards the bar, Willow busy serving
as usual.  If there was any hint of trouble, he wanted to be around.  He wasn’t
a fighter by nature, but he certainly wasn’t going to take any chances with
her.  “Nah, I’ll wait around for a while.” 

Michael followed his brother’s gaze towards Willow,
suddenly understanding why Tom was staying put.  “Do you want us to hang
around?” 

Evan looked between his two boys, a frown marring his
forehead.  There was something more to their conversation than just the football
supporters.  He shrugged, his boys would tell him what is wrong if he needed to
know. 

“No, it’s fine.  There shouldn’t be any trouble. 
Anyway there are enough locals around if there is.”  Tom replied. 

~~~~

Willow was
exhausted.  The employee, Sandra, she had got in to help her was good at her
job, but all the responsibility still lay on Willow’s shoulders when her parents
were away.   She would be glad when they came home this time.  Usually she
enjoyed running the Red Lion on her own, but after the emotional battering of
the last couple of months she felt emotionally drained.  Her mind reminded her
of the last time they had gone away, she shook her head hoping to shake away
her thoughts.  Would she ever get Tom out of her mind?  She rolled her
shoulders to ease the growing tension and fatigue.  It had been a busy night,
with all the away football supporters in buying drinks.  At some points, she
didn’t think that they would be able to serve them all, the queue looked so
big.  She let out a weary sigh, rubbing the back of her hand over her forehead,
glad she had the foresight to cancel the planned lock in.  There had been the
predicted grumbles, but feeling so dog-tired she really didn’t care too much. 
Only a couple of stragglers from the football were left finishing their pints,
most of the locals had gone home.  Willow knew Tom was still hanging around, as
to why; she was too tired to think about it.

“Sandra? 
You can finish up now if you like.  Don’t worry about the last couple of
glasses, I’ll collect those when I close up.”  Willow spoke to Sandra who was now
mopping behind the bar.  Poor Sandra hadn’t had a minute to herself either, her
face split into a grin, then an unsure expression replaced it. 

“Great, are
you sure?”  When Willow nodded she explained her reason for accepting the offer
of going earlier, even when she knew Willow looked tied also.  “My youngest, James,
came down with a bug today.  My husband is looking after him, but I would still
like to get off slightly earlier, if that is alright with you?  I don’t really
like leaving you in the lurch.”

“Of course. 
You should have said something sooner about James.” 

“I didn’t
want to leave you alone with all those customers!” Sandra gave a tired laugh. 
“Crumbs, there were loads of them!”

“Yes, I
cannot wait to crawl into my bed.”  Just the thought of her soft bed made
Willow want to chuck the remaining drinkers out.  “Drink up please.”  She
ignored the grumbles and objections. 

“See you
tomorrow then?”  Sandra enquired while buttoning up her coat and walking to the
doors.

“Yes,
great.”  Willow replied as she picked up her bucket and cloth ready to wipe
down the tables a final time.  The door closed behind Sandra.  “Time
gentlemen.”

She looked
around and noticed Tom had disappeared.  Her stomach dropped with
disappointment.  He must have slipped out quietly when she was talking to
Sandra.  She walked up to an empty table and picked up an ashtray to clean, her
actions automatic after repeating it so many times, she brushed the ash into
the bucket.  She wasn’t pleased that Tom had gone without saying anything to
her as she was secretly hoping he might stay behind to chat to her.  She would
be silly to say that her hopes weren’t raised and her heart gave a jolt against
her ribs, when she noticed both Tom’s Dad and brother leave and he stayed
sitting at the table.   She leaned over to wipe the table, unaware of nudging
and stares going on behind her.  But what could he say to her?  Would he want
to explain to her what happened?  Would he tell her that he wanted her, not Sarah? 
Willow exhaled in frustration, knowing in her heart, if Sarah hadn’t been the
one to call the wedding off, Tom would be married by now.  Her heart clenched
in anguish.

She moved
onto the next table, now vaguely aware of the raising whispers behind her, she
turned towards the noise and saw some of the football supporters staring at
her.  “Come on, I’ve called time lads.”  Suddenly she felt uneasy, a shiver running
down her spine.  She looked around.  None of the locals were around.  Suddenly,
fear started to grow.  Willow wouldn’t allow it to show, her father had sent
her to enough self-defence lessons to know that ‘the lion always picks off the
weakest’.  “Leave your glasses on the table and move on out please.”  She
pointed towards the door and heaved a sigh of relief when she noticed them
place their glasses on the tables and start towards the door. 

She stayed
upright until the final man left and the door swung behind him, exhaustion and
relief made her body collapse onto one of the wooden benches.  She put her head
into her hands while she gathered her strength and her scattered wits. 
That
was so silly
she gave herself a pep talk.  Her parents would be furious with
her allowing that situation to happen. Acknowledging that if she wasn’t so
drained, it never would have happened, she rubbed her hands over her face and
took out her braid to help elevate some of the tension growing in her skull.  She
slowly rose from the seat, knowing that the doors needed to be locked.

“Well,
well.  Alone at last.”

Willow froze
at the sound of the low male voice behind her.  She could hear the footsteps
coming nearer and she whirled around, glad only to see one male standing in
front of her.

“And look
here, you have let all your lovely blonde, curly hair down ready for me.” 

Willow
watched a sickly smile appearing on his alcohol rosy face, as his hand reaching
up to feel her hair.  She deflected his hand away swiftly with her arm,
silently praising her father for those childhood lessons.   She ignored the
look of irritation that swept across his clammy face.

“Now that
wasn’t very nice of you, was
it
?” He stressed his words through gritted
teeth.  “Perhaps a little kiss would help me know you are sorry?”  He raised an
eyebrow, sweat gathering in beads on his forehead. 

Willow’s
blood and adrenaline was pumping through her body, but she was icy cold.  “We
don’t want any trouble, you should just leave
now.
”

She watched
as his eyes quickly scanned the room, “We?  We?”  He licked his lips.  “The
only
we
love, is you and me.  There were enough moans from your locals
about the cancelled lock in for me to know your parents are away.  And it was
just my luck that you sent your ‘help’ home early.  Fate… that is what I call
it.” He sniggered, the smell of his cigarette breath hitting her.

Willow’s
stomach lurched as she swallowed a gulp of air.  Her mind was on overdrive, but
her body moved slowly, trying to move away without him being aware.  While
retreating, her leg knocked over a stool, which crashed to the floor with a
loud clatter.  Her head turned towards the noise as the man lunged, knocking
her to the floor.  Her breath knocked out of her lungs with his weight as pain
vibrated through her skull as it hit the hard flooring.  Her eyesight became
blurry with the pain reverberating through her whole body.  She tried to
remember her self-defence lessons through the haze.  Nose, his nose, his
weakest point. 

His hands
grabbed the hair each side of her face to hold her still for a kiss, pulling
painfully.  Willow summoned all her strength, ignoring the pain ripping at her
hair roots.  She wedged her arms between their chests to get some space.  Forcing
her hips up quickly to push him forward, she opened her hand, her arm shooting
up, smashing the underside of his nose with the heel of her palm.  She saw the
look of surprise and pain register across his face, before his weight rolled
off her as he held his nose.  She welcomed the darkness which beckoned her. 

Tom put his
hands into his pockets.  Was he doing the right thing going back to the pub?  He
stopped, ready to turn back around to go home.  He shook his head, he was just
fooling himself.  He didn’t have a choice, he wanted the opportunity to be
alone with Willow, needed to be alone with her.  A chance to explain what had
happened and how he felt, might start making him feel human once again.  He
realised that his desire and need for her never went away, he had just squashed
it. 

He had a lot
of time to think things over the last couple of weeks.  If it was a straight
choice between a future with Willow or Sarah, he knew Willow would have won it
hands down.  But there had been a baby in the midst of it all.  He knew that
there had been plenty of rumours about him over the years.  People would, and
could, call him anything they wanted, but he knew one thing he wasn’t and that
was irresponsible.  Now the baby wasn’t an issue to him, he intended on winning
Willow back.  And worried about her reaction or not, he meant to start
tonight. 

He originally
planned on staying in the pub until kicking out time, then asking her if she
wanted help to close up, after she sent Sandra home.  An excuse he knew that
she would see through, but at least he might get some indication to how she
felt about him.  He knew he wanted her in his life and this time, they would
not let anything or anyone get in their way. 

He kicked a
stone as he passed it, unfortunately things hadn’t gone to plan. As events
turned out, Tom had helped take old ‘Hugh the milk’ home.  Hugh certainly
hadn’t been drinking the milk he usually sold, he couldn’t stand up!  Tom
laughed, he dreaded the orders on the milk round tomorrow morning! 

When he
pushed the door to enter the Red Lion, his smile faded fast.  “Willow!”  He
watched, although it felt like slow motion, her hand shoot up and smash the
man, who was straddling her, in the face.  Tom rushed over. 

Grabbing the
man, who was clutching his bloody nose, Tom briefly looked towards Willow. 
Relief flooded through him when he noticed her moving.  He looked at the man
again, rage snaked through him and he decided to finish Willow’s job off, flesh
meeting flesh.

Willow
opened her eyes, pain shooting through her head.  Tom was crouched next to her,
his thighs under her head. 

“Don’t move
- the ambulance is on its way.”  He carefully used his finger to push away a
strand of hair from her forehead, treating her like fragile glass, scared to
touch her.  He smiled when he noticed a little colour appearing in her cheeks,
relief flooding through him.  He saw her trying to speak and gently placed a
finger over her lips, shaking his head.  “Ssshh, don’t speak, everything is
going to be okay.”

~~~~

Three
months later…

“I didn’t do
anything Willow!” exclaimed Tom.

She whipped
back around to look at him, her temper bursting like a dam.  “That is
not
what I heard those girls talking about in the snug.”  Willow was almost crying
with frustration.

Tom tried to
stifle his smile, trying not to infuriate her any more than she already was. 
He felt confident that he hadn’t done any of the things that were flying around
in Willow’s mind, he just had to convince her.  He ducked just in time as he
saw her open palm swing towards his face.  He easily gripped her wrist,
Willow’s angry struggling only bringing her nearer to his solid chest.  He
watched her as she tossed her head back, blonde hair flying, her hazel eyes
glaring at him coldly.