Never Say Goodbye (2 page)

Actually, Josie had been spending a little more time in Bristol these last few months. After going to see Ryan at the prison she and Lily shopped and chatted, drank wine in harbour-front cafés and took in all the culture Lily could cram in before Josie had to catch a train home. It was just how Josie imagined her life might have been had she been able to go to uni, though back then she’d never even considered it an option. Certainly it wasn’t something her parents had encouraged. Actually, her dad might have if he’d lived long enough to see her scoop up five As and four Bs in her GCSEs, but he’d had a heart attack one Saturday afternoon at the football when she was fourteen, and hadn’t even made it to emergency. By then her parents had been divorced for almost ten years, so her mother, Eileen, hadn’t felt the loss anywhere near as deeply as Josie had. In fact, she’d uttered something horrible like ‘good bloody riddance’ when she’d heard the news, and hadn’t even bothered coming to the funeral. Jeff had been there, of course, and loads of her dad’s mates from around the estate, who’d all expressed how sorry they were that old Bill had gone and popped off at such a young age.

It was quite typical of her mother to make herself scarce at such a harrowing time, since she’d always been more about Eileen than she had about anyone else. Her dad hadn’t been like that. When he wasn’t drunk, which admittedly wasn’t often, he always showed an interest in her education, and every time she earned herself some good grades he’d taken her for a pizza to celebrate.

‘Bet you’ll be a high-powered lawyer, or even Prime Minister, one of these days,’ he used to tease her.

‘Well done, it’s what school’s for, to keep you out of trouble,’ was about the most Eileen could manage as she got ready for a hot night out, or to work a double shift at Tesco.

Since there was often a lot of trouble on the north side of the Temple Fields estate, it was a constant worry for those on the south side that the druggies, thugs and hoodies who kept Kesterly police in business would surge over the border formed by the busy high street on some sort of teenage recruitment drive. It rarely happened that way, mainly because the south-side youths all too often took themselves north in search of adventure.

Josie herself never went much further into the estate than the high street, and if Jeff was ever called to an address in the Zone, as they sometimes called it, he made sure he kept all his doors and windows locked until he was safely out again. In his opinion taxi drivers should be allowed to carry guns into those streets, which Josie calmly agreed with since it could never happen. Her mother was forever telling Jeff he should arm himself with a baseball bat at the very least, since he never knew what sort of lowlife he might be picking up, whether on the estate, or anywhere else come to that.

Eileen for mayor!

Deciding the impromptu visit from Lily and Jasper called for a change out of her cleaning clothes at least, Josie was heading for the stairs when Jeff’s mobile started to ring.

‘If that’s a call-out,’ she said, ‘can you try to be back within the hour? Lily should be here by then.’

Signalling that he’d heard, he clicked on the line and sang out a cheery ‘Hello, Jeff’s Taxis, any time, anywhere.’

Wondering why that still made her smile when she’d heard it a thousand times, Josie continued up to their bedroom, trying not to notice that the stairwell and landing could do with a lick of paint, or that the hem was hanging loose on one of the curtains. She’d been asking Jeff for weeks to get it down so she could sort it, but he still hadn’t got round to it, and even if she were able to brave the ladder, which she wasn’t due to the awkward position of the window, she still wouldn’t be able to reach the rail.

That was Jeff Clark for you, heart of gold, do anything for anyone, any time, anywhere, but he never seemed to get round to things at home. Unless it was for Lily, of course. He’d climb mountains, swim rivers and play the clown for his precious girl – indeed he’d done all three over the years in a bid to help her raise money for various causes, and Josie was sure Lily hadn’t finished with him yet. It could well be the reason she and Jasper were on their way here, to try and talk Jeff into joining a sponsored cycle ride to Land’s End, or cross-dressing for a jog along the Somerset-Devon coast road. There was no end to the schemes Lily and Jasper got involved in, or to the charities they seemed to support, and Josie only wished she and Jeff could afford to back them with a bit more than a fiver or a tenner a time.

‘Pickup from a works Christmas do tomorrow,’ Jeff informed her as he came into their bedroom, the
Kesterly Gazette
in one hand, a pen in the other. Josie knew he was on the lookout for a new car to replace their Opel Estate, which was spending more time in the garage lately than it was on the road. She wouldn’t ask how they were going to afford it, since she knew already it’d have to be on the never-never, and he’d be no happier than she was about getting any further into debt.

Still, when needs must, and thank goodness he’d found a way of earning a living after the builders’ merchants where he’d worked for the past fifteen years driving a forklift truck had closed. Jobs were in short supply around these parts, and he’d hated being on the dole – it had really brought him down having to live off the state. He was a man with a lot of pride, and the fact that he’d always paid his taxes and was entitled to some help when times were hard hadn’t made him feel any better. His redundancy would have come in handy, if it hadn’t all gone along with their savings – and their son.

‘Are you going back to Crover-Keene’s later?’ Jeff asked, plonking himself down on the bed and stretching out his legs. Since the room wouldn’t fit a king-size it was only a double, but with neither of them being exactly big they managed just fine. Josie wouldn’t have minded a bit more wardrobe space though, or a second dressing table so Jeff could have one to himself, but there was barely enough room to edge round the bed as it was, so definitely no chance of fitting anything else in.

‘No, I’ve finished for today,’ she replied, kicking off her baggy old trackies and fishing out a pair of George jeans. Eight pounds ninety-nine at Asda, a real bargain and they didn’t make her bum look big. Not that it was, particularly, but she was definitely wider in that department than she’d like, and it seemed no amount of exercise or dieting would shift it.

Liposuction.

Dream on.

‘Does your boss know you’re skimping on your hours?’ Jeff teased, putting his hands behind his head as he watched her change.

‘Actually, he told me to,’ she replied, zipping up the jeans and tugging off the thick woolly jumper she’d had for a birthday, or was it Christmas, about ten years ago. It still did perfectly well for when she was cleaning, or working a shift at the Seafront Caff, especially at this time of year. ‘He’s hosting a drinks party on Saturday night, he said, so he’d rather I went in before to make sure everything’s ready for his guests.
And
,’ she continued meaningfully, ‘he’s asked me to help serve and clean up after, so that should give me an extra couple of hours.’

‘That’s good, and you know where to call if anyone’s looking for a taxi. Except I don’t expect that posh lot would want to get into anything less than a Merc.’

‘Your Opel is a shining example of its breed,’ she assured him. ‘No one could keep it cleaner, or take more pride in its luggage space.’

Jeff’s expression was wry as he said, ‘Or want to kick its ass harder when the bloody thing breaks down. Anyway, what’s all this about with Lily, do you reckon?’

‘She just said they were on their way and they’d tell us everything when they got here.’

He frowned. ‘Everything?’

‘That’s what she said.’

‘I hope they’re not about to announce he’s got her up the duff,’ he commented, as Josie headed off for the bathroom for a quick lick and promise. ‘He’ll have me to answer to if he has.’

‘He’d be so scared if he could hear you,’ she mocked.

‘So he should be, because they’re way too young to be tying themselves down with kids. If you ask me they shouldn’t even be living together, but no one ever bothers asking me.’

Josie laughed. ‘I don’t recall you objecting when we went up there to help them move,’ she reminded him.

‘I’m sure I said something, but as usual no one was listening. They haven’t even graduated yet,’ he rambled on, as she came back into the bedroom, ‘and how are they ever going to get themselves top jobs if they’ve got a baby at home?’

‘If their jobs are that good they could probably afford a nanny,’ Josie pointed out. ‘Anyway, I can’t imagine it’s going to be about that. Lily’s as keen to travel and see the world before settling down as he is, and she’s on the pill.’

He scowled. ‘Do I need to have the reason for that in my head?’ he demanded.

Knowing he was roasting her, she tossed a towel at him and pulled on a pale blue turtleneck that she quickly decided was too tight, and abandoned in favour of a black velveteen tracksuit top. ‘My guess is,’ she said, bundling the laundry into the basket, ‘they’re either wanting to involve us in some new charity stunt, or they’ve come up with some sort of plan for Christmas. Maybe Jasper’s family are going to invite us over there for the day, so we can all be together.’

Jeff’s eyes widened. ‘Do you reckon?’ he responded, sounding dubious and impressed. ‘I’d be up for it if they did, wouldn’t you?’

No, actually, she didn’t think she would, she liked doing Christmas here in their home, but what she said was, ‘Let’s wait to find out before we start getting our hopes up, shall we?’

‘Mum! Dad!’ Lily cried, bounding down the garden path as radiant as a sunbeam in her white fur jacket and red woollen hat. ‘You’re both here, great! Especially you, Dad.’

Smiling wryly as Lily embraced her father so hard it might have been a year rather than a week since they’d last clapped eyes on each other, Josie turned to Jasper and pulled him into a hug. ‘How are you?’ she asked warmly. She had no problem understanding what Lily saw in this lad, since he was, as Carly next door would put it, the complete package. Tall, dark, with the looks of a rock star, and from a dead posh family, he had the kind of drive and personality Josie could only dream of for Ryan.

‘Come in, come in,’ Jeff was insisting. ‘We don’t want to be letting the heat out. What’s all this?’ he asked, as Lily thrust a Sainsbury’s bag into his hand.

‘You’ll find out,’ she informed him, going to hug her mother. ‘Are you OK?’ she asked, frowning. ‘You look a bit tired.’

‘I knew I should have put some make-up on,’ Josie sighed. ‘Go on through. Fire’s on, make yourselves cosy. Can I take your coat, Jasper?’

Shrugging off his Barbour, he handed it to her and went to stand over the three brightly burning gas bars, rubbing his hands to warm them. ‘You know, I so love this room,’ he announced, as though he didn’t say it every time he came. ‘It feels just like home.’

Considering how different it must be to his parents’ place, Josie was, as ever, touched by the compliment. ‘Well, you’re always very welcome,’ she assured him.

‘As long as you’re treating my girl right,’ Jeff added as a warning.

Rolling her eyes as Lily poked her father, Josie took the coats back into the hall and hung them over hers and Jeff’s. No overnight bags had come in, so they presumably weren’t staying, unless they hadn’t completely unloaded Jasper’s Audi Roadster yet. Not the kind of car that found its way into this little cul-de-sac very often, and Josie knew that part of Jeff was proud as Punch for it to be outside their garden gate. The other part never stopped worrying that the wheels might be missing by the time Jasper went out again.

‘Shall I make some tea?’ she offered, going back into the room to find Jeff in his usual chair and Lily perched on the arm.

‘I’ll help,’ Lily cried, springing up. ‘You stay here, Jaz, and have a nice little chat with Dad.’

‘Bossy or what?’ Jeff commented as Lily hooked her mother’s arm and walked her into the kitchen.

Eyeing her daughter as she closed the door and put an ear against it, Josie said, ‘What are you up to?’

‘Ssh,’ Lily responded softly, putting a finger to her lips. ‘I want to hear this.’

‘Hear what?’

Beckoning her over, Lily cracked the door an inch and made room for her mother to join in the eavesdrop.

‘What are they saying?’ Josie asked, moving Lily’s strawberry-blonde curls out of her face.

‘Nothing yet,’ Lily whispered. She turned to her mother, eyes so bright she might just burst into some sort of rapture. ‘He’s about to ask Dad . . .’

‘What the bloody hell?’ Jeff suddenly blurted.

Alarmed, Lily spun back to the door and peeked through. ‘Blimey,’ she muttered, and sailing back into the room, she exclaimed, ‘You’re not supposed to go down on one knee to
him
, Jasper!’

Jasper’s cheeks were crimson. His eyes went to Josie who was trying not to laugh, then back to Jeff who was having a job containing himself too. With a sheepish grin, he said, ‘Seems I’ve screwed it, and now I feel a total prat.’

Trying to be helpful, Josie suggested, ‘Shall we go out and come in again?’

Clambering to his feet, Jasper glanced at Lily as he replied, ‘I know you were listening anyway, so you might as well stay.’

Clearly thrilled, Lily went to perch on the chair opposite her father’s and reached for Jasper’s hand as he came to stand next to her. At six foot one he was the tallest person they’d had in the room for a while, and hoping he wasn’t able to see over the back of the sofa to the bare patch, Josie positioned herself strategically, watching as he fixed solemn dark eyes on Jeff.

‘Mr Clark,’ he began earnestly, ‘I’m sure you’ve guessed what this is about already, but just so’s we’re clear, I’ve come here today to ask your permission for Lily’s hand in marriage.’

Though it had been obvious where this was going, Josie couldn’t stop a gasp of elation, and as Jeff cleared his throat, attempting to sound grave, she could tell he was brimming with pride.

‘Well, first of all I thought we’d done away with the Mr and Mrs business back in the summer. We’re Josie and Jeff to you, son . . .’