Love and Admiration # 4

DO I LOVE YOU?

Do I love you?
How could I not
When I touch you
My heart beats as yours
You are the one
My other self
My virtual twin
When I breathe out
You breathe in
You are the other half of me
That makes me whole
We fit each other
Like machine cut pieces
In a puzzle of love
When I hold you
The edges of our forms blur
And we are one being
We are symbiotic
Hearts beating as one
Thinking each others thoughts
Speaking each others words
Sharing the same shadow
When I hold your hand
Our fingers merge
And become indistinguishable
We are conjoined
Do I love you?
You know I do
I always have
And always will
What else can a soul mate do?

BLUEBELL GIRL

I am transported back
To a distant place and time
When I was only twelve
The world was changing
And I saw it with new eyes
And I recall her sweet face
When I first saw her in the wood
Gathering wild bluebells
Sun shinning on the golden strands
Of her silken hair
As it danced on her shoulders
The beautiful bluebell girl
Moved about the wood
Then she stopped and noticed me
Deep blue eyes smiling at me
In the innocence of childhood
And she captured my heart
Though twenty years have passed
She keeps it still

WHY IS IT THAT LOVES TEMPERATE FLAME

Why is it that
Loves temperate flame
Cools the bearer over time
Why is it so sweet
And yet so fleeting
And why does love
Fill a heart with joy
Yet age the lovers
Like a wilting flower

HAIR OF MAHOGANY

Hair of Mahogany
Tumbles unchecked
Over freckled skin
In perfect complement
Like forest fronds
In a dappled glade

THE NIGHT OF FIRSTS

I dreamt last night
About our night of firsts
And I saw everything with such clarity
Though it was many years ago
All the sights, sounds, tastes, smells,
And of course, touch
It was such a special night
Our night of firsts
Principally it was our first date
And the first time we held hands
It was as I walked you home
Along the orchard lane
And then of course
Beneath the cherry tree
We shared our first kiss
On that late spring evening
When the air was full of perfume
And we heard the birdsong
As we gazed into each other’s eyes
Then our lips touched
And our fate was sealed
For at that moment
On our night of firsts
We fell in love
From that moment on
And all the days of our lives
Our love has lasted
And though I am alone now
And I can only kiss you in my dreams
When my time comes
We will meet again
And we will walk hand in hand
Along the orchard lane
And kiss once more
Beneath the cherry tree

A SEA BREEZE BLEW THROUGH OUR HAIR

A sea breeze blew through our hair
As we walked along the shore line
The waves lapped at the sand
And sunlight glinted on the water
It must have been a beautiful scene
But as we walked hand in hand
I confess I had eyes only for you
As we strolled along the beach
While waves lapped at the sand

Love and Admiration # 3

I WATCHED A SNOW FLAKE MELT

We step through the door
To enjoy the seasonal fare
Chestnuts roasting in the fire
The smell of cinnamon is in the air
I watched a snow flake melt
On her glistening auburn hair
As we held hands in the soft light
Of the Christmas candle glow
Then I gave her a little parcel
Tied up in ribbon with a bow
And I kissed my first love
Beneath a sprig of mistletoe

GOLDEN LOVE

It was fifty years ago when I first saw her
When I fell for her beauty and her charm
And now in the autumn of our years
I’m still proud to have her on my arm

How long ago it was when we were young
When every minute we were parted
Was full of angst, agonies and torment
And time alone left us broken hearted

Now I could compose symphonies
And write lofty ballads to her name
I could write the sweetest love songs
And never express what are love became

I would have crossed the wildest seas
And walked on coals to be at her side
I would have slain the fiercest dragon
And fought duals to win her as my bride

I proclaimed my love to her as everlasting
And told her we would always be together
Through thick and thin, good times and bad
Through the calm and stormy weather

My heart soared as the church bells rang
When at the alter she stood and said I do
Now after fifty summers and winters
The love I proclaimed still holds true

I HAVE HELD MY LOVE IN CHECK

I have held my love in check
While watching and waiting,
Cautious from the very start
Withholding romantic feelings,
And playing it safe, until the day
I find a worthy receptive heart

HAIR OF CHESTNUT

Hair of Chestnut
Tumbles unchecked
Over freckled skin
In perfect complement
Like forest fronds
In a dappled glade

LIFE’S SOJOURN

I held your hand
Though you did not know it
And I remembered
The first time I held it
That august day so long ago
When the magic passed between us
And I knew I had found my mate

It was such an innocuous action,
We were on the train
Two travelling strangers
As it rattled its way through Surrey
You were just getting to your feet
When the train lurched
And you fell back with a bump
I offered you my hand
Which you took and the die was cast
Our journey together began
Now your journey is nearly at its end
And I sit in vigil at your side
Where I will remain
Until life leaves your body
On that quiet final breath
And you make the next journey alone

I said to you when we were young
“I would love you all of your life"
And when you were still you,
Before the morphine took hold of you
You reminded me of it and said to me
“Will you still love me all of my life?”
With a crack in my voice I replied
“No I’ll love you for all of mine”

ABIGAIL’S TALE

In the comfort of the coffee shop
Nestled into an oversized sofa
Sits Abigail, homesick and sad
As she reads a letter from home

She knows the sadness will pass
And sooner this time than the last
It strikes each time she hears from home
With news from those she left behind

Her parents, always loving and kind
Her baby sister, annoyingly lovely
All of her friends of long standing
And of course him, the reason she left

She left her home and those she loved,
The only place she had ever lived
After her marriage dismally failed
So she is building a new life for herself

Away from the people she loves
And the places and all the familiarity
The things that reminded her daily
Of her failure and her inadequacies

So Abigail lives far away in a new town
And she is making new friends
Discovering new places that will be familiar
As she tries to forget past mistakes

She has joined a new church in town
A new congregation, where her angels voice
Can sing loudly in praise to heaven
And she is finding peace within herself

And one day very soon, Abigail will sit
In the comfort of the coffee shop
Nestled into an oversized sofa
And not be desperately homesick and sad

One day very soon Abigail will read
A long rambling letter from home
And smile at it familiar contents
And she will not feel the old pain strike

One day very soon in her new home
Abigail will allow herself be happy
One day very soon in her new home town
Abigail will forgive herself

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 21 – Just What the Doctor Ordered

After closing the front door he suddenly remembered it was Burns Night and more significantly Carole’s blind date with Craig Frost.
The Burns Night Supper is normally held on or near the poet, Robert Burn's, birthday, the 25th January, which that year fell on a Friday.
It was significant in other ways as it was not only Carole’s first blind date ever but it was also her first date of any kind for almost 20 years.
So she was understandably nervous about dating again and unsure she wanted a strange man going to her house so she had taken Jack’s advice and was driving to his house where she would leave her car on his drive and then she could meet Craig and the others in his house for a convivial drink before they set off for the Burns Night Supper at the Worsted Viper Hotel in Purplemere.

So he had a quick tidy round and made himself something to eat then
After dinner Jack decided to open a bottle of wine and put his feet up and watch a DVD while he waited for his guests.
There were only a few DVD’s left in the lounge and the few remaining books he hadn’t packed away that he deemed fit for a Vicars eyes.
He went to the shelf and selected one of his all-time favourites “Where Eagles Dare”.
While he was watching TV and struggling to keep his eyes open he looked at the clock and saw that she would be with him in about ten minutes, and Carole was always punctual, so he thought he ought to be ready.

Right on time Carole arrived and reversed her Cherokee up the drive.
He watched through the window as she came to a stop, switched off the lights and got out.
Jack went to the front door and opened it just at the precise moment she reached it.
Carole was immaculately dressed as usual, but on this time she was in a full length green halter necked designer evening dress and a lavish faux fur shrug.
“Wow” he said, “you look stunning”
“Bless you Jack” she responded “but I’m scared to death”
She handed him the car keys, in case he needed to move it
“You shouldn’t be Carole” he reassured her “Craig will trip over his tongue when he sees you”

“But what if he doesn’t like me?” she asked with panic in her voice
and immediately looked down at the ground, Jack paused and placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head upward until he could look into her eyes.
“He’s going to love you the moment he sees you” he said to her softly
“I hope so” she replied forlornly and flopped down in an arm chair
“I’ll get you a drink” he said and went out to the kitchen where he picked up his phone and selected a number and it was answered in moments.
“Hello” Gemma said cheerfully
“Hi it’s Jack”
“Hello Jack we’ll be over shortly” she said brightly
“Can you come sooner?” he asked
“Why?”
“It’s Carole” he replied and added in a whisper
“Crisis of confidence”
“Oh I see,” she said sagely “I’ll be right over”

Gemma slipped on her shoes and shouted up the stairs to her brother
“I’m going over to Jacks, I’ll see you there in ten minutes”
“Ok” he called back and Gemma crossed the road and walked up the new path and knocked on the door.

“She’s in the lounge” he said “What are you going to do?”
“Massage her ego and ply her with drink until she cheers up”
She assured him and they both laughed and then she went to find her friend
“My God you look gorgeous” Gemma said

After ten minutes of ego massage Carole was in a better frame of mind altogether so when the boys arrived she was feeling very confident but her legs almost buckled when she saw Craig and Gemma gave Jack a smug look.

Well after a drink or two it was time to go and they left the house so Carole took Craig’s arm as they walked down the path to Tony’s car and never looked back.
“Have a great time all of you” he called after them

After closing the door he resumed his seat and refilled his glass and after taking a mouthful of wine he leant back into the cushions and promptly fell asleep.
He woke up just after ten o’clock, and the only reason he woke up then was because he needed a pee.
So he got up and attended to the matter in hand and when he finished attending to his call of nature, he was decidedly peckish so he went to the kitchen and made himself a snack, then he returned to his sofa, restarted the movie he began watching several hours earlier and sat eating cheese and biscuits’ as he watched Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood taking on the Nazis.
But alas before the end of the film he was asleep again, and this time when he woke up it was almost one o’clock and when he opened his eyes he was surprised to find Kayleigh sitting next to him on the Sofa.
“Hello” he said “I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight”
“So I can see” she retorted with a smile and a glance at the empty wine bottles and dirty glasses on the table.

Jack had just finished explaining about the pre Burns Night drinks and Carole’ crisis of confidence to Kayleigh when there was a knock on the front door.
Jack looked at Kayleigh and then checked the clock before he got up and walked out into the hall, then he opened the door and a rather tipsy Carole almost fell through it.
“Hello Jack” she said with a flourish.
“You had a nice time then” he said as he helped her into the house.
“I had a wonderful time” she exclaimed extravagantly.
She tottered a few steps then kicked off her shoes, which made her a little more stable on her feet, and she quickly progressed into the lounge.
All the while talking nine to the dozen about how marvellous the evening was.
So much for the crisis of confidence, little miss insecure was now nowhere to be seen.
“So Craig did like you then” he asked as she plopped down on the sofa.
“He did,” she said smiling
“And you like him?” Kayleigh asked
“Yes” she replied coyly
“Good” they said as they sat down either side of her
“So what are you doing here then?” Kay asked with a furrowed brow
“Well I saw Jacks lights were still on from the taxi so I thought I’d come and tell you all about my evening” she explained.
“Why were you in a taxi?” Jack asked, “Why didn’t you come home with the others?”
“Tony booked a room for him and Gemma at the Hotel as a surprise” Carole said and added wistfully “very romantic”
“You could have got a room with Craig” Kayleigh suggested
“No I couldn’t,” she said indignantly
“What kind of a woman do you think I am? I couldn’t do that on a first date, and I don’t think he could either, I’ll have you know that Craig Frost is a gentleman”
“So why didn’t Craig bring you home then?” Jack asked
“Well he was over the limit so he couldn’t drive and although he offered I thought it might be a bit awkward, to have him ride all the way over in the cab and then go all the way back” she explained at length
“And it would have been cruel to tantalize him with my gorgeousness for the whole journey only to dash his hopes”
This lengthy explanation bought about a burst of laughter and when she eventually composed herself she was almost laying with her head and shoulders on Jacks lap.
“That still doesn’t explain why you came here” Kayleigh pointed out
“Duh” she exclaimed “to pick up my car”
“And you can’t think why that might not be appropriate?” Jack said and Carole adopted a demeanour of intense concentration as she wrestled with the question and then her features relaxed and she said
“I’m pissed”

After a cup of coffee it was decided that for appearances sake Carole would spend the night at Kayleigh’s as it was too far to drive her over to Clarence at that time of night.
But before they departed Carole needed to spend a penny and while she was using the facilities Kayleigh said
“I was hoping for a rather different end to the day”
“I’ll make it up to you” he said and kissed her
“You better had” she retorted as they heard the lock turn and a moment later Carole emerged.

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 20 – Cupid Strikes Again

Early on Tuesday morning Emily Bills phoned Jack to say that she and Davina would start work on the new path on Thursday but that the materials would be delivered sometime Wednesday afternoon and would he be at home to receive them, so Jack confirmed that he would.
In fact he was going to be home all week and planned to catch up with some email traffic.
After lunch however he did have a call from Dr Carole Anderson, asking if he and Kayleigh could meet her at the village hall at 2 o’clock.
As a result they had an early lunch and walked into the village for the appointed time.
When they approached the village hall they saw Dr Anderson and her receptionist Sarah Peters walking through the gate.
Once inside they found the new Vicar, Paul Massey and his girlfriend Martina Wingrove along with several members from the church committee.
Pleasantries were exchanged and Mrs Baxter, one of the older more unyielding members, even smiled at Jack, it was the type of smile that a baby makes, which you think is cute but it turns out to be wind.
When everyone was seated the business of the day could commence and given those assembled the only item on the agenda was Katie Watson.
First of all he informed them that a new front path was being laid that week, it was suggested that it might be widened to accommodate a wheelchair, but he had already thought of that and it was all in hand.
The front door was already wide enough as was the hallway.
The second item discussed were the arrangements for when the medical equipment could be delivered.
Carole and Kayleigh had provisionally agreed the first Monday in February and between them they had already done all the preliminary work and so it was just the final details to be sorted out.
Although he protested, it was decided a couple of volunteers would come and help him clear the lounge in readiness to receive a hospital bed and all its associated paraphernalia.
One area that took up quite some time to sort out was the nursing care.
The dioceses was to provide 24 hour nursing care for the last weeks but not for the whole period required, so a rota of volunteers would be required and someone to co-ordinate it, the obvious choice for this was Dr Anderson but clearly someone had assist who also needed to be medical so Jack suggested Gemma Frost who was matron up at Plaxton Park.
Equally important as Katie was such a popular person was a visitor’s rota and someone quite strict to administer it, this was a no brainer, so Sarah took this on.
The final item on the agenda was a date for when Katie would leave the Vicarage and take up residence in Jacks house, however short that stay might be.
Katie was keen to do it sooner rather than later and get out of Pauls way.
Paul on the other hand was not eager to hurry her out the door any sooner than was necessary, so they could only narrow it down to the second week of February.
Paul and Martina both volunteered to help her pack or redistribute her things as per her wishes.
Jack was keen that she should be able to surround herself with her personal things so he suggested they should make provision for that when preparing the room.
After that they adjourned the meeting and agreed to meet the same time the following week for a progress report.

Afterwards when almost everyone had left Jack got a chance to speak with Martina alone for the first time since before Christmas.
“I have a confession to make,” She said sheepishly.
“What’s that?” he asked
“I haven’t finished the installation yet” she said and covered her face with her hands.
“Is that all?” he asked
“What? You’re not cross with me?” she said through her fingers
“Of course not” he replied
“But I have no excuse” she admitted “no convoluted set of circumstances that would constitute a noble reason for not doing what I promised”
“You fell in love,” Jack said simply
“Yes I did” She responded blushing
“Well what better reason is there than that?” he continued
“Not very professional though” Martina said hanging her head
“Sometimes life just has a habit of getting in the way,” he said philosophically
“I’m so sorry” she said
“Don’t be silly, it’s not important,” he said “just finish it when you can”
But she didn’t look convinced
“Look, you’re so lucky, you’ve found love, just be happy”
“I am happy,” she said “and…”
“And what?” he asked
“We’re getting engaged” Martina told him.
“That’s fantastic,” he said genuinely
“We’re not telling anyone yet” she explained, “we don’t want to upset Katie”
“Why would she be upset?” he asked
“Well I feel guilty enough that she has to give up her home” she said “To tell her about getting engaged feels like rubbing salt in the wound”
“Katie knows that life goes on” he explained, “Tell her, she will be so happy”

After a kiss and a hug they said goodbye and he and Kayleigh left the church hall and went and tracked Gemma down and told her what he had volunteered her for.
As he suspected she was only too happy to help and promised to make the meeting the next week.

On Wednesday Jack continued in his fruitful correspondence management with gusto, interrupted only by the occasional pangs of hunger, and the promised delivery of building supplies Emily had forewarned him about being deposited on his drive.

Bright and early Thursday morning Davina knocked on the door.
“Hi Jack” she said brightly “Emily’s on her way”
“Davina!! You’re early” he replied
“Yes I know” she said “is the kettle on?”
“It’s not, but come in anyway” he said

Davina was a skinny waif like creature in her early twenties, with short straw blonde hair, in a kind of pixie cut, although it was probably achieved more by accident than design, and she was wearing a baggy tee shirt, leggings and work boots.
As he showed her into the kitchen he thought how confident she was now, with not a hint remaining of that timid creature he first met barely a year before.
After making a drink they sat at the kitchen table and chatted, mainly about her love life, or lack of it.
The mention of love life made him think immediately of Kayleigh and that made him sad because he was not seeing her for a couple of days plus he had to listen to Davina’s woes.
Ian Carr, her ex-boyfriend, was the main topic of conversation, because he wouldn’t accept it was over and kept pestering her.
“The only way to put him off is to find a replacement” Jack said
“That’s easier said than done” she retorted
She would have continued to bend his ear on the subject had Emily not knocked at the back door.

Emily Bills was a pretty woman with weathered elfin features, and short brunette hair, and a wiry muscular physique, but she managed to look feminine, she was not however a girly girl and had always tended to be a tomboy.
She stood five foot eight inches tall, and was slender and lean and she was a townie girl from Purplemere, and was twenty nine years old.

After Emily consumed her tea the girls set about laying the new front path and Jack went into his study and phoned Jacey and James at the club in order to be brought up to speed.
And his study was where he stayed for the best part of the day, only stopping to feed and water the girls.
The weather couldn’t have been better for the job in hand and by the end of the day Emily and Davina had done really well and had got all the foundation work done.
Because the old stepped path was being replaced by one all on the same level, much of the first day was spent building up the level confined within retaining walls, they worked on until 7.30pm to make sure they completed stage one.
As they had stayed so late Jack ordered an Indian takeaway and they sat in the lounge eating off trays on their laps and Kayleigh arrived just in time to join them.

Friday began dull and overcast but the sun soon burst through and was perfect for Emily and Davina to lay the pavers.
Jack didn’t feel particularly sunny though as Kayleigh was going to be spending the day with Carl as it was his birthday.
She always spent the important dates, Birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, New Year’s Eve, Halloween and Valentines with Carl up at Plaxton Park even if she didn’t know if he knew she was there or not because Carl was involved in a devastating car accident that left him severely, physically and mentally disabled and in need of perpetual care and had not responded to any external stimuli.
So she spent the majority of the day playing him her recordings or reading to him.
While the girls toiled outside Jack pottered about inside the house and made a start packing away a few bits and pieces into boxes and moving a quantity of DVD’s and books into the study so as to be out of sight of more sensitive souls, unfortunately that action reminded him that he needed to tidy in there as he was going to be using it a lot more in the coming weeks.
Apart from providing a regular supply of hot drinks and giving them a hot lunch he worked on tidying the study all day and the girls pressed on outside.
When he stopped what he was doing at four o’clock all the pavers were down and Davina was just hosing off the drive.
So after another successful day all that was needed was for Emily to return on Saturday morning to apply the finishing touches.
When they were getting ready to leave for the day he carried a couple of boxes he had filled out to the garage and then he was just on his way upstairs for a long relaxing bath when there was a knock at the door.
He thought one of the girls must have forgotten something but he opened it to reveal two muscular well tones young men with red hair and heavily freckled faces, the older of the two was in his late twenty and the other one was five years younger.
“Mr. Morehouse?” The older of the two men asked
“Yes” he replied
“We’re the Rooney brothers” the younger one said “I’m James and this is my brother David”
“Oh yes?” he said.
“Yes, we volunteered to help get the house ready for the Vicar” the older brother David said
“Oh ok but I’m not ready just yet” Jack said as he looked beyond them to see that the girls had stopped what they were doing and were giving the boys their undivided attention.
“That’s ok when you’re ready just give either of us a ring” James said and handed him a card
“Ok thanks lads” he said “it will be in the next week or two”
As the boys walked down the new path Emily and Davina watched them all the way and the flicking of hair did not go unnoticed by the Rooney boys.
Jack stood and smiled as the girls and the Rooney’s silently flirted with each other and when the boys finally left, Emily and Davina almost sprinted up to Jack and Emily asked urgently.
“Who were they?”
“Who were who?” he teased
“Don’t mess with me Jack” she said wielding a bass broom
“Oh the Rooney’s you mean” he said
“Tell us more” Davina demanded poking him in the chest
“Ok, ok, they are farmers from Lower Hawthorne” he said
“And…” Emily added
“The older one is David” he replied addressing Emily and then he turned to Davina and added “and the younger one is James”
“And what were they doing here?” she asked
“They are going to be helping to get the house ready for the vicar”
“Really? When?” Emily asked
“That information is on a strict “need to know” basis”
“Don’t make us hurt you” Davina said with a prod
“I’m seeing a different side of you Miss Carley”
“Never mind all that, just spill the beans” she said threateningly
“It’s still to be arranged” Jack said “So you two had better start being nice to me if you want to know when I know”

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 19 – Playing Cupid

On Monday morning Emily arrived at White Rose Cottage to quote Jack on the new path and step.
After which she said she would phone him with a price but said that she was quite busy and wasn’t sure when she would be able to fit it in but then he explained why he needed it doing sooner and she said not to worry because she would rearrange the diary.

Afterwards he drove into Purplemere to do a bit of shopping which was when he bumped into Gemma Frost coming out of a very expensive lingerie shop.
“Hello Jack” she said and air kissed him and then she spotted him looking at the designer carrier bag she was carrying.
“No you can’t look at them” she replied to what she deduced was an unasked question
“The thought never crossed my mind” he protested
“But if you’re offering to model them for me I wouldn’t say no”
“You’re incorrigible,” she said
“I’m merely trying to be accommodating” he said and she shook her head disappointedly and then asked
“Have you got time for a coffee?”
“I do” he replied and they went into a coffee house, a nice one, not one of the chains and Jack ordered the drinks as Gemma sat in the corner.
When he joined her she said
“Tongues have been wagging about the length of time Kayleigh has been spending at your house this week”
After a brief pause she continued.
“Until it immerged that you had been discussing the Vicars palliative care arrangements”
“People have nasty minds” he responded
“People don’t know the half of it” Gemma corrected him and gave him a knowing look before adding
“Look I understand, she’s a good looking woman, but…”
“But she’s a married woman” he said
“Yes and she’s lonely and vulnerable” Gemma said “And…”
“And I love her” Jack said
“It’s that serious?” she said shocked
“Yes” he replied “Very”
“Just don’t hurt her” Gemma said and drank her coffee before adding
“That’s an amazing thing you’re doing by the way”
“Not really” he replied and quickly changed the subject
“So who is the lingerie for? Who’s the lucky man?”
“It’s a secret” she replied and blushed
“Really? So it’s Tony Vassell then” he said and laughed
“How did you know?” she asked and laughed too
“It’s all round the village” he replied
“So where are you going?”
“The Burns Night Supper at the Worsted Viper Hotel in Purplemere” she replied at the precise moment Doctor Carole Anderson walked into the coffee shop.
He recognized her immediately, even though he had never seen her out of place before, he had only ever seen her in and around the village.
She looked around briefly and then to Jacks surprise she walked towards them, she was a tall slim woman, wearing a trouser suit,
50 years old, and remarkably attractive, with a warm smile and sympathetic hazel eyes, shoulder length brunette hair.
“Hi Gemma do you mind if I join you?”
“Of course” she replied “have you met Jack?”
“Ah the Good Samaritan” she said and shook his hand “yes many times, pleased to see you again”
“Likewise” Jack said “Can I get you a coffee?”
“A large Americano please”

When he returned to the table Gemma and Carole were talking about the Burns Supper.
“Aren’t you going?” Gemma asked
“No” Carole replied
“Why not?” she asked, “That’s your kind of thing isn’t it?”
“It is yes” she replied “but I don’t want to go on my own”
Gemma looked at her with puzzlement and then said
“Why not? You’re not exactly shy”
This made her blush and avert her gaze but after a few moments she looked back at her.
“I know my ex was a useless husband who abandoned me for his cronies the moment we’d get through the door of any social event but at least he was an arm to hold on to when we arrive” she confessed “So no escort, no supper”
“Well I would offer myself, but even as a Good Samaritan, I draw the line at haggis” Jack said “and bagpipes would be too much to endure even for an evening in your delightful company”
They all laughed and then Carole said
“I thought you already had someone to occupy your arm anyway”
“Yes” he agreed proudly and then added
“There is a solution you know”
“What’s that?” she asked vaguely
“Craig”
“Who?” Carole asked
“Gemma’s brother Craig” he said “I’ve met him and he’s very nice”
“Yes” Gemma replied, “You’d like Craig”
“That’s as maybe but...” she left the sentence unfinished
“But what?” Gemma asked
“I’m a bit old for blind dates” she replied “And I haven’t been on a date of any kind for so many years”
“Is that all that’s holding you back?” he asked
“And I’m not sure I want a stranger knowing where I live” she admitted.
“He’s not a stranger” Gemma said
“Well not to you obviously” Carole said and they sat quietly for a few moments drinking their coffee when a thought occurred to him and he said
“Well if you don’t want him to pick you up at your house you could always meet at my house for pre drinks”
Carole didn’t speak but was considering the merits of his suggestion in silence so he pressed on
“Then you can all head off to Purplemere together”
“Do you think I should?” she asked earnestly
“Yes we do” they replied

Finally when they left the coffee house they air kissed and all went their separate ways and Jacks way took him deeper into town to complete his shopping expedition which took him just over an hour and then he returned to the car park with his purchases.

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 18 – An Angelic Solution

So on Saturday morning it was with a feeling of relief and not trepidation that Jack took a phone call from his Solicitor Christine Prunot from Curtis, Mitchel and Lovegood.
After the usual seasonal preamble regarding who did what over Christmas and New Year she proceeded to say that she had received a firm offer for one of his property’s.
His Uncle Daniel had invested heavily in bricks and mortar and he had an extensive portfolio, but when Jack had inherited his estate and found out exactly how large it was he resolved to redistribute a large chunk of his wealth to worthy causes, however a lot of that wealth was tied up in property so he instructed Christine to begin realizing some of his real estate assets and Barraclough Ventures were interested in a large plot of old industrial units in Northchapel.
Under normal circumstances he would have jumped at the chance but after Kayleigh’s revelation and her clingy character in the aftermath of it he didn’t feel able to disappear for a couple of days so he was hesitant to agree to go and meet with the potential buyers.
“I’ll give it some thought and call you back later” he said
“Who was that?” Kayleigh asked
“Christine Prunot” he replied “She wants me to go to Northchapel for a business meeting”
“You’re not going are you?” she asked with alarm
“Well it is important” he said “But…”
“But…?”
“I just had a an idea” he said “we could both go”
“Oh yes” she agreed with relief

Barraclough Ventures head offices were in Abbottsford but they had satellite offices all over the county and beyond, so they were meeting Samantha Barraclough and Isabelle Decoene in the Northchapel office.

They decided to stay overnight in a very luxurious Hotel, called the Doll’s House and agreeing to go proved to be the right decision for them, firstly the meeting with Barraclough Ventures, who were planning the regeneration of the former Industrial Power House of Downshire, went exceedingly well and the property sale was settled and secondly on a personal level it was a perfect getaway.

When they got back to the village Kayleigh was much more relaxed and they quickly settled down to the pre New Year routine of splitting her time between Jack and her disabled husband Carl while Jack divided his time between her and the Club.
That was until one afternoon when he was making his way down the stairs and the doorbell rang.
“Ok I’m coming” he called and got to the front door as quickly as possible and on opening it he discovered Kayleigh standing on the other side in tears.
“What’s happened?” he asked as he pulled her into the house and quickly closed the door and she threw herself into his arms.
It was some minutes before she had composed herself sufficiently to be able to speak.
“I’ve just come from the Vicarage,” she sobbed
It was apparently now widely known that Katie was stepping down as Vicar of St Lucy’s and that Paul Massey would be taking over from her but it wasn’t as yet generally known that she was dying.
But this would all too soon become apparent as her condition had begun to deteriorate in the two weeks since he had last seen her.
Katie was determined to vacate the Vicarage and make room for Paul who was trying to establish himself in the village.
He was at that time lodging at the Hen and Chickens, which was not the most suitable accommodation for a man of the cloth or for a layman, not that he would have minded staying there if it meant not putting Katie out of her home.
But Katie was of a mind to go, but she didn’t want to end her days in a hospice, although she had been offered a place at Plaxton Park, she’d spent too many hours at the hospice bedside of sick parishioners ministering to them as they slipped into the next world to want to breathe her last in one herself, and Kayleigh new that feeling herself as she had done it for half a lifetime with Carl.
Paul would willingly let her slip her mortal bonds in her own home but Katie was a practical woman though, and she knew the vicarage was too small to accommodate a hospital bed and all the other paraphernalia required for a terminally ill patient.
So it looked like she would face the end in the one place she most dreaded which is what brought Kayleigh to Jacks door in tears.
And they began to flow once more at the retelling of it.
They sat on the sofa and he consoled her as best he could and then it occurred to him, a light bulb moment, the perfect solution had presented itself.
“What about here?” he suggested,
“It’s a big house and there’s only me”
Kayleigh stopped crying and was staring intently at him
“We could easily get a bed in here with enough chairs for the visitors and the downstairs bathroom is across the hall”
Kayleigh looked around the room and then in the direction of the bathroom when he mentioned it and then back at him
“You would do that?” she asked
“Yes” he replied “of course”
“There will have to be twenty four hour care before the end,” she said
“There is a spare room” he replied
“Katie won’t agree,” Kayleigh, stated, “she won’t want to be a burden”
“What is it about sick people not wishing to be a burden?” he said crossly
“When my time comes I plan on being a burden to all and sundry”
“She’s not you” Kayleigh rebutted
“That’s true enough, I’ll go and talk to her,” he suggested
“We’ll go together,” Kayleigh said
“Ok” he agreed
“She’s resting now but we can go later” Kayleigh said with a nod and there were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence before he put his arms around her and said
“We will convince her because it’s the right thing to do and she is so deserving”

After spending a cold winter afternoon on the sofa with Kayleigh, regrettably they couldn’t dwell there too long as they had a difficult yet pressing task to undertake.
So they left the house and walked the short distance to the vicarage as the snow lightly fell again.
Once inside they had a long, emotional and at times tearful visit with Katie but by the end of it they had managed to persuade her to accept his offer and move into White Rose Cottage as soon as all the arrangements could be made.
After which they left the vicarage emotionally drained and physically exhausted but nonetheless elated at having achieved their objective.

“Well I need to go and see Carl” Kayleigh said when they reached her house
“I’ll leave you here then” he said “I need some essentials from Stephenson’s”
“Ok” she replied “Will I see you later?”
“Of course hon” he almost responded but substituted “Kay” in place of “hon” just in time, Kayleigh blushed because she knew what he was going to say and got in the car, then she said
“I’ll call you”
Jack then walked across to Stephenson’s, he didn’t need much just bread and milk mainly but by the time he had wandered around the shop he had a basket full.

As he was approaching his house a car pulled up outside Gemma’s house and a distinguished looking gentleman got out of the driver’s side and hurried round to open the passenger door.
He then proffered his hand to the passenger who took it without a second thought and he helped the lady out of the car.
The lady in question turned out to Gemma herself who gave him a wave and a smile.
“Hi Gemma” he called
“Jack how are you?” she asked amiably
“I’m fine thanks” he answered and glanced in the direction of her escort
“Oh how rude” she said “Jack this is Craig”
“Craig this is my friend and neighbour Jack Morehouse”
“Nice to meet you Craig” he said and shook his hand
“You too Jack, I’ve heard a lot about you”
“Oh dear” he exclaimed, “Have you known Gemma long?”
“Yes quite a while” Craig said as she opened the front door and stepped in, “She’s my baby sister”
“Really?” Jack said “Well she is much loved in the village because she’s one of the angels”
“Yes she’s always been like that” he said proudly
“Are you visiting for long?” Jack asked
“Just for a few days”
“Well it was nice meeting you,” Jack said
“Likewise” he concurred and they shook hands again

When he got to his front door he noticed the damage on his front step, it had needed attention when he first moved in and he had been meaning to get it sorted but there had been no urgency so he let it slip.
But the frost and ice of winter had made its presence felt and there was a corner broken off one slab and another one was badly cracked, so he would have to get someone to replace them.
It had to be up to snuff with all the comings and goings of the next few months with Katie taking up residence.

When he got inside he phoned a local girl, Emily Bills, who lived on the outskirts of Purplemere and kept his garden in order and she also did hard landscaping.
But he only got her voice mail so he left her a message asking her to come and quote for some hard landscaping work.

Jack replaced the phone on the cradle and went to the kitchen and started preparing dinner so that when Kayleigh returned from seeing Carl he would make them both a delicious Spanish omelette.

On Saturday Kayleigh spent the day with Katie and Jack had such a lazy day that he didn’t even bother to get dressed and the most strenuous thing he did was put a frozen dinner in the microwave.
He did however take a phone call or two, one of which was from Emily Bills in response to the voice mail he left her the day before.
“Hi Emily” he said, “thanks for ringing back”
“Hello Jack” she responded, “I got your message, I trust “Hard Landscaping” isn’t a euphemism for one of your perversions”
“No its not” Jack said laughing “I need you to give me a quote for a new front path and doorstep”
“I can come on Monday morning” she said
“Why do you want a new path anyway?”
Jack explained that the path was in need of repair and that future events required that it be in optimum condition but he was evasive as to the nature of the afore mentioned events.

The other phone call was from Kayleigh, which was much longer in duration than the previous one due to the subject matter, namely the arrangements for Katie Watson’s palliative care.
They had had a prolonged conversation with Katie’s primary physician Carole Anderson who was very receptive and thought it was an excellent solution although she didn’t know Jack as well as Katie and Kayleigh but she had heard good things about him.
Part of the discussion was making the arrangements for when the medical equipment could be delivered and they provisionally settled on the first Monday in February, Dr Anderson would take care of all the details and all Jack had to do was ensure the lounge was sufficiently de-cluttered to receive a hospital bed and all its associated paraphernalia.

He awoke on Sunday morning to find the thaw had set in and the snow was beginning to clear away and as it was Sunday it was time to reacquaint himself with the lord, unfortunately Kayleigh wasn’t going to be with him as she was with Katie.
So he left home early on a bright winter morning and walked alone to the Church, it was a milder morning than it hand been of late but the atmosphere was rather frosty, there were lots of hushed whispers and sideways looks, people talking behind their hands and the like, so by the time he was seated in the church he was not feeling the love after the very unchristian behaviour of the other congregants.
It was apparent that he and Kayleigh were the talk of the village as they had been observed embracing when she arrived at his house in tears, which was ironic really as they were normally very discreet, and on that occasion he did nothing other than comfort her.
It was only when Gemma and Elise arrived that someone actually spoke to him.
“Morning Jack” they chorused
“Hi girls” he said “so you’re talking to me then?”
“Oh don’t mind the small minded” Gemma said giving the Rubber Necker’s one of her looks.

After the service Reverend Paul Massey approached Jack and spoke to him at the back of the church, and they were quickly joined by his girlfriend Martina Wingrove, it was the first time Jack had seen her for a few weeks and she looked wonderful and it really warmed his heart to see the two of them together.
As the minutes passed by more and more of the congregation came and shook his hand or gave him a smile because it was now common knowledge that he had extended his hospitality to the Vicar, so by the end there was just the hard core of village witches who stood their ground and looked daggers at him.

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 17 – Sad Birdsong

Jack travelled to Sharping-St-Mary by car and misjudged the travel time and reached the Hotel more than an hour early so he parked the car and went for a walk around the Village to kill some time finally arriving at the Coachman’s Arms just before 3.00pm.
He bought a drink and sat down at a table with a view of the door and looked around the bar at the other customers.
Jack looked away when he heard someone enter from reception but it wasn’t Kayleigh so he resumed his perusal of the other guests.
When he first arrived he wasn’t sure if he should go to the bar and order himself a drink or report to reception, he decided on the former but having sat in the bar nursing a drink for 20 minutes he guessed he had made the wrong choice.
So he finished his drink and was on his way to reception when he met Kayleigh coming the other way.
“Oh hello” She said avoiding eye contact
“Hi” he said, “are you ok?”
“Yes” she replied blandly as she looked randomly around anywhere than at him.
“Let’s go upstairs”
Kayleigh turned around and Jack followed her but was beginning to wish he’d stayed at home, she didn’t speak a word for the whole way and they reached the door to the room and still not a word and she opened the door and they entered, still in silence, and Jack closed the door and dropped his bag on the floor.
“What the hell is going on Kayleigh?” he snapped and she turned around and looked him in the eye for the first time and tears started to well up in her eyes and then ran down her cheeks as she sobbed before throwing herself into his arms.
“I’m sorry” she said and buried her tearstained face in his neck and he made encouraging noises and stroked her back but being a shoulder to cry on was the full extent of his expertise and they held that position for some time until Kayleigh’s sobs began to get shallower and shallower and eventually abated altogether, but still she held on to him.

The room was cool as they sat on the sofa and sat there in each other’s arms and he asked
“So what’s going on Kayleigh?”
She didn’t reply she just sat with her face turned away from him.
“Why have you been avoiding me? Why have you been ignoring my phone calls and texts?” he asked
“I’m sorry Jack” she replied
“Earlier you couldn’t even look at me” he said, “What have I done?”
She quickly turned to look at him
“You haven’t done anything” she said and kissed his cheek
“So why did you make me promise not to be angry?” he asked her
“Because I have to tell you something” Kayleigh replied
“That you probably won’t want to hear”
“I don’t understand,” he said
“What won’t I want to hear?” he asked
“It’s about Katie” she said
“The Vicar? What about her?”
“She’s dying” Kayleigh said flatly
“What?” he said
“She’s dying,” she repeated
Jack was stunned into silence and he suddenly felt rather small.
“How?” he asked though it didn’t really matter, he didn’t know what else to say.
“Cancer” Kayleigh said “very aggressive”
“Where?” He asked again for want of something worthwhile.
“Her brain” she replied “to begin with, but its metastasized”
“What’s the prognosis?” he asked hopefully
Kayleigh shook her head in response.
“Is there no treatment?” Jack asked
“Yes but it will only delay its progress and she doesn’t want to prolong it any longer than necessary”
“Doesn’t she want to fight it?” he said angrily
“She has no fear of death” Kayleigh replied, “She knows where she is bound”
There was a prolonged silence as he took in the news and tried to process it and after about 10 minutes he said
“How long have you known?”
“About the cancer, since November, and about her dying she told me when I spent the day with her before New Year’s Eve” she replied
“Who else knows?” he asked
“Just Doctor Anderson, me and the Bishop” she answered and sobbed.
“It must have been hell” Jack said and kissed her forehead and as tears ran down her cheeks and he began to cry.
Obviously Jack had lost people dear to him during his life and had had to cope with the resulting grief, but this was something else, something for which he had no frame of reference.
She was a dear friend and a minister of God, a good and Godly person, an ally against the dark, one of the angels and a force for good.
There was no point asking why the God she loved so much was taking her, and she didn’t question it; she was prepared for it and content with it.
All they could do was be there for her and support her and it would have been the only thing that she wished for, and she could have demanded any number of things and they would have been forth coming because she was so beloved.
But their love and friendship was the only thing she craved, she was content to go then.
All they had to do was agree and they did unreservedly, how could they refuse the dying wish from the most unselfish person either of them had ever met.
Once Kayleigh and Jack had composed themselves it was well into the evening and they were very hungry so they freshened up and went in search of food.

When they had returned to the hotel they were ready for bed and when he had finished in the bathroom Kayleigh was in bed lying on her side and he slipped under the duvet and snuggled up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m sorry” Kayleigh said “For avoiding you”
“There’s nothing to apologize for” he responded and they lay quietly under the covers until he asked
“Why did you want to tell me here and not in the Village?”
“Because I knew I would breakdown and I would need you to hold me in your loving arms and then I would reveal to the whole village that I love you” she said “and that would be a terrible betrayal of Carl”
“I understand” he replied and for the first time ever they went to sleep without making love.

When morning came they awoke to find they were still in each other’s arms in much the same position as they were when they went to sleep.
It was a unique experience for them to occupy the same bed and not to have made love but it happened nonetheless and furthermore they didn’t make love that Sunday morning either, but only because it was late and he and Kayleigh wanted to get back to the village for the morning service as they were in desperate need of spiritual refreshment.

In the week that followed Kayleigh clung to him like a limpet and only left his side to go and visit Carl and even then they were short visits.
He was grateful for her company however because when he was left alone with his own thoughts he found them uncomfortable companions.