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‘No, you deserve a treat after this,’ Laura said. ‘You enjoy it.’
‘But I’ll only eat one piece and the rest will be wasted. I’d really like you to take it.’
‘Please, do,’ Colin added. ‘By way of thanks. We’re very grateful for your help. I was scared stiff. I had no idea of what to do other than call for an ambulance.’
‘We’re happy to help. We shouldn’t accept cake.’
* * *
‘Wow – cake! You shouldn’t have!’
Jason, Stick, Cliff and Bruce eyed the offering that Laura carried into the staffroom.
‘Hey – you’ve already eaten some.’
They’d left a segment with Irene by way of a compromise. The rest of the banana cake was clearly going to be appreciated immediately by everyone on Green Watch at Inglewood station. Or it would have been, if not for the arrival of an unexpected visitor.
‘Maxine!’ Jason put down the plate he was holding and stepped out of the cake queue. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Came to see you, of course.’ The willowy redhead sounded less than happy. ‘I want to know why you’re avoiding me, Jason Halliday.’
‘I’m not.’
Jason’s smile was one of his most winning and Laura’s heart fell. He’d smooth over the troubled waters and she could just see herself babysitting Megan while he went out to make things up with Maxine.
‘Here.’ Stick could see the banana cake disappearing with alarming rapidity. ‘You take Peanut.’ He shoved the bundle he held into Jason’s arms. ‘She’s your kid after all.’
Laura could swear that Stick flashed her the ghost of a wink. He must have known what effect his action and words would have. Laura gained a rather savage sense of satisfaction from the expression on Maxine’s face, but Stick didn’t seem to have finished stirring troubled waters. He grinned as Megan produced noisy evidence of the biological functions occurring in her small body.
‘Hey, Jase. She’s inherited your talent for burping and farting at the same time.’
The rest of Green Watch found Stick’s observation hilarious.
‘There goes the court case,’ Bruce commiserated. ‘That’s even more of a genetic link than the colour of her eyes, mate.’
Jason looked as though he was desperately hoping the ground would open beneath his feet. Megan was looking a lot happier than she had a moment ago and was beaming approval at her father.
‘Um… Jason?’
‘Yeah?’ Jason’s smile looked glued on now but he was still bravely standing his ground.
‘Do you want to tell me what’s going on?’
The rest of Green Watch now seemed totally absorbed in their supper. ‘Great cake,’ Bruce announced. ‘Isn’t it, Stick?’
‘The best.’ Stick nodded. He glanced sideways at Jason and then caught Cliff’s eye and winked.
‘Jason?’
Stick wasn’t being quite as successful as the others in hiding his interest in the building confrontation but Laura projected what she hoped was a calm indifference.
‘I think I’ll have some cake, too,’ Laura murmured. ‘It does look nice.’
‘You need it,’ Stick told her a little too loudly. ‘You’re fading away, Laura. Being a mum is taking it out of you.’
‘I wish.’ Laura grinned. She could appreciate the efforts of these guys as they closed a protective rank around her and tried to let her know that they considered her to be just as good as the gorgeous redhead now taking centre stage in the staffroom. But Stick did have a point. Her clothes were definitely feeling a lot looser than they had a week or two ago. Her pleasure in someone else noticing was heightened by the glare she could feel coming from Maxine.
‘So, you’ve been “busy”, have you, Jason?’ Maxine used long, French-manicured nails to make the quotation marks in the air. ‘I’d say you were pretty busy nine months ago or so as well.’ She narrowed her eyes at Laura. ‘With her?’
