The Lover's Children novel Chapter 37

MICHAEL

Two hours later, all the walls are up, roughly bolted together, the roof is in place and I’m busy with my drill and screwdriver. “Thanks. It would have taken me all day by myself.”

“My pleasure.” Klempner gestures toward where the door stands hinged but unattached. “Want me to get that fixed into place?”

My reply is cut short by the arrival of Mitch, Vicky bundled in her arms. “Ah, there you are.” She smiles brightly at Klempner, and I almost see the light switch on in the man. “Am I interrupting? Larry, I’ve made lunch...”

“Lunch?” Klempner glazes over. “I don’t think…”

Mitch shivers then, pulling the wrap tighter around Vicky, tosses her head at the lowering clouds. “I thought something solid inside would be a good idea. You’d be welcome to join us, Michael if you’d like to. I’ve made plenty. Chicken casserole. Dumplings too.”

“Dumplings?” Something like despair flits across Klempner’s features, but he injects a ghost of enthusiasm into his tone. “Sounds good.”

My excuses are easier. “Thanks, Mitch, but no. Charlotte’s expecting me. And we’d not have gotten much more done today. We’ve had the best of the morning. The weather’s on the turn again.” The clouds pile up, threatening to swallow the sunshine.

“Come inside, Larry. You don’t want it to get cold.”

I wave them off. “Enjoy your meal.”

*****

Klempner leaves with Mitch.

The overhead sunshine is brilliant, but from the horizon, dark clouds are racing in, heavy with rain and threatening a soaking if I don’t get under cover fast. Even from here, the blur of falling rain is visible, moving my way. In under a minute, the heat of the sun cuts off and the breeze, previously fresh on my face, bites in.

March is living up to its In Like A Lion reputation.

What’s the rest of it?

Oh, yes…

In like a lion…

… Out like a lamb...

Maybe it will pass…

From the doorway of the chicken-shed-to-be, nursing the back end of Sally’s soup, I watch rain that falls like liquid diamonds. Still recovering from the elephantine lunch, it’s only the heat I want, and I taste sparingly.

Briefly, the clouds clear from around the sun, the sky turns a brilliant blue, and sunlight slants down in that breath-taking effect photographers call ‘The Fingers of God’. The light sparkles through individual raindrops, giving everything the kind of intense, saturated colour you only get with sunshine and rain together. Or maybe sometimes when the morning is clear and dewy.

The clouds return. The day darkens and the landscape greys out. From under my makeshift cover, I watch the falling rain.

And as happens when a man is doing nothing particular, my mind drifts to other things…

Well… Sex…

Not that I’m uninterested to begin with, but knowing that Charlotte wants another baby, by me, has set my libido raging.

Wonder what she’s doing?

The rain falls harder, splashing onto the ground, bouncing back.

It’s not as though I can work in this…

The clouds pile up, growing darker all the time. Scruffy whines. “Want to make a dash for it?”

His stumpy tail wags. I knock back the last of my soup, then tugging my jacket over my head, sprint to the house.

I make it to the door dripping. I might as well not have bothered with the jacket. Apparently, the local rain can fall upwards. But a wave of heat floods out, the scent of coffee flooding with it. Following my nose, I find the source in the kitchen, Charlotte lifting the pot from the hob.

Coming up from behind, I slide a hand around her waist, rest the other just under a breast. “Smells good.” I nuzzle into her neck. “You doing anything important?”

My delectable wife Mmmms. “I was just bringing this out to you.” She turns into my embrace, then pulls back, patting at my clothes, “Michael, you’re soaked. For God’s sake, get those clothes off before you go down with something.”

“Get my clothes off and go down? Pretty much what I had in mind.”

She chuckles. “Fine, but first…”

“Ah, my apologies. Didn’t mean to interrupt…”

*****

JAMES

I’d not meant to walk in on them. Working, I was ready for a break and simply followed the smell of coffee.

But as I enter the kitchen, it’s plain that Michael is cornering Charlotte…

Again…