Page 30 of Loving Netta Wilde

‘No. I want you to be there. I’ve been thinking about what you said last night about him having lost any will to live. I think we need to do something before it’s too late.’

We? Was she forgetting how much he and the accountant couldn’t stand each other?

‘I know you don’t like him.’

‘Maybe try something a bit stronger, Net.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘I know you loathe and detest him, but you have to admit, even you’re beginning to feel sorry for him.’

‘I’m not. I am so not. All right, I’ll come. I’ll be back late afternoon.’

Doogie held the door of the car open for Spike. ‘I’m still mad at you, you frisky fucker, so don’t think this is a treat or anything.’

Spike gave him the sad eye and slunk out. There were already two cars on the wide drive. He’d parked behind the smaller one. Doogie rang the bell. He had a key, but he didn’t want to surprise them. They normally had plenty of notice when he visited.

His stepdad, Clive, answered the door. ‘Oh my word! What a lovely surprise. And you’ve brought Spike. Julie, it’s Doogie.’ He threw his arms around Doogie and Doogie relaxed. Clive had that effect on him. Considering his mum and Clive had only got together when Doogie was in his mid-thirties, it was crazy how easily he’d become the dad figure in his life.

Doogie’s mum came into the hall. ‘It is you. I thought I was hearing things. Is Merrie with you?’

He kissed her and gave her a hug. ‘No, Mum. A few days yet.’

She pushed herself away from him. ‘Everything all right with you two?’ She still hadn’t forgiven him for not telling her she was a grandmother until Merrie was sixteen. Merrie was twenty now and Doogie suspected forgiving him was never going to be on his mum’s to do list.

‘Everything’s good.’

‘So you’re staying for a while then?’

‘I’m er, I’m staying with friends.’

Her eyes became two slits. ‘Which friends?’

‘Netta.’

She gave him a look only mothers could get away with. ‘Netta? Again?’

‘It’s not like that.’

‘Isn’t it? Is that why you can’t look me in the eye, Dougal? And what about Grace? Does she know you’re staying with Netta?’

Clive took her arm. ‘Darling, I expect Doogie’s got a lot to tell us. Perhaps we should move into the conservatory.’

His mum glared at him, her eyebrows shifting upwards. Doogie tried to glare back but as usual, it was a lost cause. Even if he’d had no intention of telling them about the whole messed-up situation at Netta’s house, he was going to have to tell them now.

‘It sounds as though this Colin needs a friend,’ said Clive.

‘It sounds as though this Colin’s an arsehole,’ added Doogie’s mum.

‘That’s very true, darling. It certainly does sound like he’s been an arsehole. In the past, at any rate. But I guess that’s all the more reason why he needs a friend.’

‘I suppose so. And if we cut all the arseholes out of our life, where would we be then, eh Dougal?’ She gave him another of those looks. Plus, she was still calling him by his full name. She was probably still annoyed about the Netta thing.

Doogie tutted. ‘Was that a question, or an accusation?’

She was doing the Macrae stare now. Doogie thought of his grandad who could make you crap your pants with that stare. And even though he was way too old to be bothered by it now, he still shrivelled slightly under his mum’s uncompromising attention. He decided to change the subject. ‘Can Spike stay with you for a bit?’

‘Of course,’ said Clive. ‘We’ll take good care of him.’

‘Why can’t he stay at Netta’s?’ said his mum.

---