Page 33 of Sunny Sundays at Primrose Hall

It took her a few moments before she realised something wasn’t quite adding up here. He was in a wheelchair, his legs out in front of him, his pyjamas still visible beneath an unfamiliar black hoody, and he’d turned up in an old ambulance. She knew the NHS was underfunded, but this was ridiculous. Surely they weren’t sending home patients in old World War II vehicles now. And why hadn’t Jackson told her he was coming home? She would have made arrangements for him and sorted out the ground-floor guest suite. That had been her intended job for the coming week, but it didn’t matter. She and Ivy could have a quick whizz around the room to make sure he had a clear route to the en suite and put in place everything he would need to make him comfortable.

‘Trust you to make that sort of entrance,’ said Stu, still chuckling. ‘You always did know how to arrive in style. It’sgreat to see you here, Jackson.’ He helped the driver with manoeuvring the wheelchair out of the ambulance.

Pia looked at Stu askance. Did he know something she didn’t? And if not, why didn’t he have a hundred and one questions like her?

‘Don’t I get a hug then?’ Jackson asked her, with that familiar tempting smile on his face.

‘Yes, I suppose. I’m so shocked, that’s all.’ She looked around, hoping someone might fill in the blank spaces for her. She leant down and wrapped her arms around his chest, but she couldn’t enjoy the moment because her head was full of all sorts of unanswered questions. She pulled back, to look into his eyes. ‘Where’s all your medications and your belongings? You must be so uncomfortable in that old chair. Let’s get you indoors, I can make us a pot of tea and you can fill us in on what’s happened.’

‘I’m not staying, Pia,’ Jackson said with a sheepish grin. ‘And I haven’t come for afternoon tea. It’s a flying visit so that I can have a quick whizz around the show and then I’ll need to get back to the ward.’

‘What?’ That’s when the alarm bells began to clang for Pia, and a thud of realisation hit her in the chest, as she looked from Jackson to Stu, and then to Tom, who had just joined them, with Sophie at his side.

‘Please tell me the doctors know you’re here, Jackson. That you actually have permission to leave the hospital?’

She looked at the driver, who had wrapped his arms around his chest and was slowly edging away so that he disappeared out of sight around the other side of the ambulance.

‘Not exactly, but don’t worry, Pia. It’s the weekend and the doctors are never around at this time of day. They won’t even know I’m gone. If anyone asks, they’ll be told that I’ve been taken out into the hospital gardens for some much-needed freshair. They encourage it, Pia. It’s healing to be outside, so I can’t see that I’m doing anything wrong.’

‘What? I can’t believe you would do something like that.’ Pia looked around at the others for some moral support. What was he thinking? ‘This is totally reckless. The whole reason that you’re in that hospital bed is so that you can make a full recovery, that you don’t take unnecessary risks that might impact on the stability of your pelvis. Nothing is worth jeopardising that for. Not even this stupid show.’

‘It might be stupid to you, Pia, but it’s not to me,’ Jackson bit back at her. ‘And if you really feel that way, then are you really the right person to be running the event today?’

‘She didn’t mean it like that, Jackson.’ Tom stepped in and laid a hand on Jackson’s shoulder, a calming presence between the two warring factions. ‘Pia’s worked her backside off to make this day a success. She’s just worried about you. We all are.’

‘Well, there’s no need. I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to get here so let me go and see what I’ve come for.’ This was directed at Stu, but he turned and reached out a hand to Pia. ‘Don’t be like this, Pia. I’m really happy to see you, to be home again. Honestly, there were moments when I was lying in that ditch after the accident where I thought I might not make it. I had to come today. I simply had to. I hope you can understand. Are you coming with me?’

She nodded, hardly trusting herself to say anything. Inside she was still simmering with tension, but she had no choice. She could hardly storm off into the house for a cup of tea as she’d planned, although that was precisely what she wanted to do. What would the hospital say if they found out that one of their patients had done a bunk? She couldn’t believe the arrogance of the man she was planning to marry, who thought that his desires and needs came above everyone else’s and he could do exactly as he pleased like he always did. The hospital would be perfectlywithin their rights to refuse to treat him any more if he was going to so blatantly ignore their advice.

The driver, who she wanted to interrogate for his role in this charade, avoided eye contact with her and instead concentrated on steering the wheelchair over to the main arena. Stu walked alongside and chatted animatedly to Jackson, giving him a rundown of all the different vehicles on display while Pia walked on the other side, still holding Jackson’s hand, still wrestling with so many conflicting thoughts and feelings.

She looked around her at all the smiling faces. Everyone was so pleased to see Jackson, which made her feel even more miserable and truculent when she couldn’t share in their enthusiasm. She hadn’t meant it when she called the show stupid, it had been her frustration getting the better of her. It was obvious to see and hear in Jackson’s voice how buoyed he was by being amongst his pals, but that wasn’t the point. Couldn’t he appreciate that he could be putting back his recovery by coming here? Even the journey from the hospital to the hall in that old jalopy presented a risk, rattling his bones in a way she was sure no doctor would advise. She exhaled a sigh, and Jackson looked up, giving her a subtle and conspiratorial wink, and despite herself she felt her body responding in the way it always did, which annoyed her no end, when her mind was still entertaining the idea that she might actually murder him when she got him away from all these people.

The short trip across to the cars took an age because everyone wanted to stop and say hello to Jackson and to hear how he was getting on, and all Pia could do was plaster on a smile, and confirm, through gritted teeth, that yes, it really was lovely to have him home again.

‘Are you okay?’ Tom came across and put a reassuring arm around Pia’s shoulder while Stu took Jackson along the rows ofcars and bikes, where they stopped to view each one in turn and chat to the owners.

‘I’m not sure.’ She shook her head and looked into Tom’s kindly expression, grateful to him for being there and for sticking up for her earlier. ‘Jackson never ceases to amaze me, and not always in a good way.’

‘Yep, but you know what he’s like. I guess he’s waited all year for this event and he clearly decided that the accident wasn’t going to stop him from being here. You have to admire his passion and determination.’

‘I suppose,’ said Pia, curling up her lip doubtfully. They were qualities she had admired in Jackson, along with so many others, but sometimes his bloody-mindedness drove her to distraction. Once he’d set his mind to something then there could be no turning him. She only hoped that this particular escapade wouldn’t backfire.

‘There’s never a dull moment living with Jackson, I bet,’ said Sophie with a sympathetic smile.

‘Isn’t that the truth,’ said Pia. She suspected that she would never be able to change him even if she wanted to and would have to accept that their life together would be a series of adventures, and misadventures. That wasn’t to say she would so easily forgive him for today’s antics. His actions were a blatant disregard and disrespect for the medical staff who had gone out of their way to give him the best possible care, and he’d thrown that back in their face. He needed to be made aware that it wasn’t acceptable behaviour, but probably now wasn’t the time to have that conversation. Not when he was being treated like a returning hero by everyone else.

She turned to her friend and slipped an arm through hers, as they watched Jackson, who had gathered a small crowd of well-wishers around him. It was almost as though he was a visiting celebrity. Still, no one could deny that the day had turned outto be the success it deserved to be and the glorious summer sunshine only added to the festival atmosphere.

Now Pia observed Sophie more closely and noticed how happy she seemed. There was a beatific smile on her face, as though she was hugging a big secret to herself. Her freckles across her face and shoulders had been brought out by the sun, along with the natural red highlights in her shoulder-length hair. It occurred to Pia that on the last few occasions she’d seen Sophie, Tom had been with her, and she briefly wondered if there was anything romantic brewing between the pair of them. They would certainly make a lovely couple, but then perhaps Pia’s imagination was running away with her and they were just close friends.

One thing she had noticed was that they were both changed people since she’d first met them last year. Then Tom had been guarded and unsure about coming into the family, not knowing if Jackson would be interested in getting to know him better or would even want him in his life. To be fair, Jackson hadn’t known that at the time either, as he had been ambivalent about the fact that he had a brother out there. It was only because of an expectation from his dad, and some gentle prodding from Ronnie and Pia, that Jackson had been persuaded to at least meet Tom and see where the relationship might take them. It was a relief to everyone, even if it had taken the two brothers a few months to discover how to be with each other, that they had found some kind of connection, which they were still continuing to build on today. Now, looking at Tom, Pia felt a swell of gratitude that he had come into their lives and enhanced it with his presence. Tom was just like his little brother in many respects, but perhaps he was more measured, and less reckless and impulsive than Jackson. Pia certainly couldn’t imagine Tom pulling a stunt like Jackson had done today.

As for Sophie, when Pia had first come across her at the stables she’d seemed scared and emotional, and much smaller than she appeared now, as if she had folded in on herself, swamped as she was in an oversized hoody. Since then, Pia had watched Sophie blossom. It was as though she’d discovered the person she was really meant to be, and that was apparent in every aspect of her personality now. She stood taller, with her shoulders no longer hunched, her hair sometimes worn loose like it was today, a light covering of make-up bringing out her natural features. She laughed all the time now too, which was a lovely sound to hear. Pia didn’t know what was going on with Tom and Sophie and if the changes she’d noticed in them had anything to do with them spending more time with each other, but she had to wonder if the magic of Primrose Hall was casting its spell over them as well. It certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world as far as Pia was concerned.

‘Hey, you see, that wasn’t so bad.’ Stu and Jackson returned to where Pia was standing with Tom and Sophie. ‘I have to say you guys have done a great job. Thanks for bringing all this together, Pia, and sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it.’ He held out his arms for a hug and Pia bent down to embrace him.

‘I’m sorry too,’ she said. How could she stay cross with Jackson for long when her overriding feeling was one of relief that he was still with them? ‘I was wrong to call this a stupid show, it’s a bloody brilliant event.’ She kissed him on the cheek.

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