Page 65 of Loving Netta Wilde

‘I love you too, you first-class twat.’ She felt a weight lifting ever so slightly, one that she hadn’t realised was there until now. There was a long way to go yet but with Frank at her side, there was every chance she could ride through the chaos that inevitably came with Colin and get back to something approaching normality. With Doogie on the other side too, she supposed. But Doogie was never a hundred percent with anyone and anyway, he had his own agenda going on. She hadn’t worked out what it was yet, but she was about to get some help in that regard. Before then though, there was something she needed to clear up with Frank. ‘Do you think I’m weak?’

‘Not at all. Where did that come from?’

‘Something you said on Sunday. You and Doogie both said pretty much the same thing about me not doing enough to stand up to Colin.’

‘That wasn’t what I meant. Jesus Christ, Net, is that what you think I think of you? I would never think that. And for the record, I don’t believe Doogie does either.’

‘How do you know, have you asked him?’

‘No, but we’ve had a little talk.’

‘Oh, a little talk. About me?’

He took a sip on his pint. ‘Get over yourself, Wilde, you’re not the only thing we have in common.’

Netta’s face broke into a grin. ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I just heard you say that. Come on then, what else do you have in common?’

‘Running. We both run.’ He frowned. ‘Scotland. We both love the place. And we both want to get Colin back in his house.’

So now she’d got to the nub of it. Frank and Doogie had joined forces out of necessity, and the primary reason was to get rid of Colin. She’d hoped for a more noble purpose, but she’d take this one. It wasn’t ideal but it could be the start of something good. As long as they didn’t hang Colin out to dry. In spite of their past, Netta couldn’t do that to him. Because it was clear Colin was a man who needed friends and in the absence of any other volunteers in that capacity, she’d stepped forward.

37

A COMPLETE LACK OF REDEMPTION

Frank had walked to the pub, so Netta gave him a lift home. ‘Are you coming over for dinner or are you having another quiet night in with Colin?’ she said.

‘I’m coming over. Colin hasn’t been the best of company lately. In fact he hasn’t been there at all.’

‘So I hear. Has he said where’s he’s been?’

‘No. He seems to be all in one piece though, so it doesn’t look like he’s been starting any fights.’

Colin starting a fight? Never in a million years. ‘Fighting isn’t really his style. His retaliation is a bit more underhand. I suppose I’d better go and look in on him. Dad said he left the allotment rather abruptly this morning.’

‘Yeah, I heard. You go in. I’ll see if he’s back yet. He wasn’t when I left earlier.’

She was surprised to find dinner preparation underway. She was even more surprised when she saw that the preparation was a family effort. Liza, Will and Belle were all in the kitchen doing bits of this and that. Doogie was there too, doing something with rice. He winked at her. ‘All right?’

‘Yeah. All good. Something smells tasty. Will there be enough for Frank?’

‘Plenty.’

She caught his eye. It was obvious he knew where she’d been. Frank must have told him when they had their talk.

Will waved her over. ‘Mum, you have to see this. It makes the best fried chicken. We’ve been testing it out.’

‘Testing what out? Oh.’ A beast of a machine was throbbing away on the worktop. ‘What is it?’

‘An air fryer.’ She hadn’t seen him this excited since the pups were born.

‘Where did you get it? It looks expensive.’

‘I bought it. It’s a present,’ said Doogie.

A present. Surely a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers would have sufficed? Not so it seemed. Apparently a massive, fuck off nonsense gadget was exactly what she needed. He’d bought her a dress once, during their affair. How times and people change.

‘We chose it though,’ said Will.

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