Chapter Sixteen - Confrontation

Charity and Deano were just getting started, their arms and legs entwined in a crazy, passionate lip lock, when all of a sudden, Deano leapt up from the settee.

"Hey," gasped Charity, "who set your ass on fire?"

"I heard something," he replied, his head swivelling towards the trailer door.

Charity reached forward to pull him back onto her, but he stepped back. She scowled, angry and frustrated at his sudden diminished ardour.

Just minutes ago, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Things were getting hot and steamy. And now, here he was, looking like a little boy, caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"It's probably the breeze rustling in the trees," she cooed, "come to mama, she'll chase away those scary things for you."

Deano backed away, suddenly mortified by her insensitivity.

"It.... it could be Brooke," he stammered, fighting off her advances.

That was it.



Charity was livid, a scowl twisting her face into an ugly mask.

"So that's how you're going to play it, huh?" Charity was livid. "I'm just a piece of ass to you? Is that it?"

"Heck no!"

"Yeah, well, you can't keep doing this to me. Blowing hot and cold when it suits you. I don't like to be treated like that. And I'm sure that Brooke won't either."

"How do you know Brooke?"

"Heck, she's my friend, we share a lot of stuff together."

Deano was shocked at this revelation. That was all he needed.

"Yep, and it looks as though we're sharing a boyfriend too!"

She chortled at the thought, but it didn't settle too well with Deano at all. This was the last thing on his mind.


"Look!" Deano was now getting defensive and tired of Charity's sudden outburst. "I can't handle this!"

"Well, if that's the case," came the tart reply, "I'm leaving.... I know when I'm not wanted."

She turned to leave and Deano grabbed her arm. She twisted it away.

"Come on Chaz," he pleaded, "I think you're fun to be with.... honestly."

She faked a yawn.



"Oh PLEASE, you're starting to sound like a broken record Deano. I might be fun, but you're not. Not any more."

At that precise moment, the trailer door swung open and Brooke walked in......

Chapter Fifteen - Decisions, decisions

Brooke stood, her hand hovering near the door handle.
It was the hardest decision of her life as she stood there debating whether or not to enter the trailer.


What if those rumours WERE true? What if Deano was fooling around with someone else?
It would be so easy to barge in there and cause a scene.

It would devastate her if she found him in the arms of another woman.

But there again....

She could barge in and discover that she'd been mistaken all along. The thoughts of humiliating herself, made her skin feel clammy and her mouth dry.

She didn't want to lose Deano. He was the best thing in her life.


Admittedly, he was sloppy and disgusting. She cringed at his cleaning habits. But what the heck, he was a guy after all....
...they did all that sort of stuff

But apart from that, he always made her feel special, as if she was the only woman in the world to him. He also made her laugh at his endless assortment of dirty jokes.

He might have had rough, oily hands from working at the garage, but they could make all her stresses and knotted muscles disappear with a wonderful back massage.


.....and the way he kissed her......

... she felt all tingly inside at the very thought of his lips caressing the back of her hand and trailing feather-light all the way up her arm.

He was a master when it came down to flirting, and she fell for it, hook, line and sinker.
The sweet talk, the body language.

She was a career driven woman, but even then, she'd been drawn in to his roguish charms.





Her heart fluttered at the memories.....

The longer she stood there, the harder it made her decision.

Sighing heavily, her hand reached for the door handle.



It was now or never.....

Chapter Fourteen - Two Troubled Souls

Cloverdale, although it consists of a few homes scattered sporadically around the entire valley, isn't impervious to the latest dramas that have suddenly sprung up from it's peaceful surroundings.

As we are just about to find out......

Brooke needed time to think.


Yes, she'd acted impulsively and tore shreds out of Alex, who, like a true gentleman, stood there and took the full force of her anger. But she was getting stressed with everything that was going on. The sudden appearance of her elderly father, with his constant nit-picking of her life.....
.... the suspicion that her boyfriend Deano was 'playing the field'.

The broken shower was just the icing on the cake for her.

And now, she needed to take a long, long walk to clear her thoughts.
Yes, she felt guilty for exploding in front of her boss. She realised it was very unprofessional of her.


But what's done is done. She couldn't turn back the clock.
Dipping her shoulders in defeat, she sighed heavily.

"When is this all going to end?" she thought to herself.

The twittering of birds distracted her momentarily as she stared into space, lost in her own thoughts.

Suddenly, Brooke's feet took her walking.....

.... in the direction of Deano's trailer.

She didn't want to go there, but she needed someone to talk to and Charity, her best friend was never around when she needed her. Her cell phone was proof of that.
Several times Brooke had tried to contact Charity, but failed miserably as the voicemail kicked in.


But as she approached, her nerves got the better of her and she paused, wondering if this was a good idea or not......

In the meantime, Father Thomas was still reeling from the shock of his new assignment.
On the long journey by public service bus, he'd been in deep deep thought.
Wondering how he'd walked into this sudden chain of events.

He'd read all the reports and his heart sank even deeper. It was much worse than he'd imagined. Of all the boarding schools around, statistics proved that this one St Mitchells, had the worst reputation....

.... and the poorest, most uneducated in-house boys around.


All thoughts of a beautiful, sand swept beach and adoring faces, retreated hastily from his memory. His face grew ashen underneath the fading tan and he felt physically sick as the Bishop droned on about all the new changes he expected Father Thomas to undertake.

And the most shocking news of all, was that he was expected to start immediately. There was no respite, no preparation. He'd been thrown into his new task feet first.

And now, after a hasty apology from the bus driver, he was about to be dropped off, right in the middle of nowhere.

"Sorry Father," he'd muttered gruffly, "this is as far as I can go. But it's just a short walk along that road."

He pointed a nicotine stained finger in the direction of a long, narrow road that vanished over a hill.

"You can't miss it."

"Thanks," replied Father Thomas, picking up his small valise.

He shot the driver a nervous grin, before turning and making his way along this road.
Behind him, the doors of the bus clanged shut and the spluttering cough of the diesel engine told him that the bus was already leaving.


This was it......

..... no turning back.

Luckily, he was well prepared for a long walk. He astounded himself at the thoughts of wearing walking shoes.
Only a couple of hours previously, he'd fussed himself into a stupor, wondering if it was a good idea to wear these or his brand new, never been worn, shiny shoes that might pinch and cause blisters.

Thinking back, the very idea of fussing over shoes, was ludicrous compared to what lay ahead for Father Thomas.

Just as he was peaking the ridge, his eyes fell on a small trailer.....
.... and the sight of a lost looking woman, stood outside, her shoulders stooped.


Brooke didn't see Father Thomas approaching. Her mind was elsewhere.

Listening to the sounds of giggling emanating from the trailer.......

Chapter Thirteen - Pistachio's sleep is interrupted

Life was good to Pistachio. Soft, expensive, cashmere sweaters to snuggle into.
Food always delivered on time. And the gentle hands of his mistress Charity, stroking his silky fur.


Oh yes, life WAS good.

She never asked for much, so he never gave it to her. Such was their lives together in this rather spacious apartment block. He was used to her comings and goings, the strange smells that emanated from the legs of many visitors.

Oh yes. What more could he ever ask for?

But that quiet life was just about to come to a jarring end.



It had been one of those lazy summer days. The sun had been streaming through the window, casting a warm beam of light in Pistachio's favourite spot. His mistress's bed. Stretching languidly, his claws snagged on the soft silk covers, pulling them towards him. But he didn't care. He had the whole apartment to himself. His mistress was off somewhere.

Whereabouts, he cared not. As long as his food dish was full and his litter tray cleaned, who cared where his mistress went? She always lavished attention on him, and he loved her for it.



Snoring softly, he was suddenly awakened by a cacophony of noises.
The screech of heavy brakes, clattering and banging, and the shriek of female voices.
His lazy afternoon had just been interrupted. It was going to be ages now, before he'd get back to sleep. Yawning widely, and stretching, arching his sleek back, he hopped lightly from the bed to investigate.



Sliding out of the cat flap, he trotted towards the main entrance, just in time to see two pairs of legs wandering into the lobby. Killer stiletto heels rapped on the wooden floor in a staccato beat, the other pair of shoes shuffled softly, as they made their way towards the elevator.

Pistachio looked up, just in time to make out their faces before the doors swished shut.

The one wearing the killer heels, had a rich mahogany skin, just like his own mistress, but instead of the cascade of curls, her hair was swept neatly at the back, in a snood. Her mouth was turned down at the edges in silent disapproval.


The other pair of shoes belonged to a much sweeter looking person. Her black hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders and she always had a ready smile.



Their eyes met fleetingly through the tiny crack in the elevator doors and she said the one word that Pistachio understood.

"Kitty!"

He tilted his head slightly, listening as the pistons and hydraulics set to work, moving them upwards to the floor above. His head swivelled around and looked up at the staircase.
Perhaps he could climb up those and say hello properly.

But instead, he yawned widely.

It was far too warm to be bothered with any physical exertions. And besides, there was a lovely warm spot with his name on it.

Chapter Twelve - A Fresh Start

The taxi pulled up and they all tumbled out. It was shame they couldn't use dad's personal helicopter, but he told them that it was only used for private and diplomatic functions. Besides, it wouldn't look good if his family was utilising government property, whilst the poor and needy still remain 'poor and needy'. He had to show a good example to all his constituents.

Being the Mayor of Simsville wasn't an easy ride for Raven Valdin. All the pressures of dinner venues, charity events, civil ceremonies. His role of Mayor meant that he was constantly in the public eye. People scrutinized his every move, and that of his family.

Maybe a change of pace was what he was after. He could pull a few strings, get himself a big house on a hill..
Heck, he had plenty of money, he could afford it all.

And that's exactly what Raven did. He went on a countrywide search for another property, and found a prime plot of land, here in sunny and serene Cloverdale. It was quiet enough to relax in, and took him well away from the rat race.

However, this move didn't quite suit everyone. Kenya, his wife for example, wasn't happy about it at all. It meant leaving behind Hunter, her lover (and brother in law).

Skye, their daughter, had 1 day to go before she transitioned into a teenager. Though she was a shy little kid, she had hoped to have a small, informal party to celebrate her 'coming of age', but that was ruined. Moving on the day before her birthday, wasn't exactly what she'd had planned.

All through the journey, she sat quietly, watching the changing scenery scooting by in a blur. Oh how she missed her grandpa. He and grandma were fast reaching their winter days and couldn't travel very well. Besides, Tanis was speedily losing his marbles and was often found wandering around the house in his pyjamas.

Kyle was still too young to understand what was going on and simply sat on Kenya's knee, babbling away to himself and pulling their dog, Maxx's ears.

The taxi was packed to the hilt with the final bits and pieces they needed to complete their final journey.


The house itself looked pretty impressive, considering the small plot of land that Raven had acquired. In Kenya's eyes, he could have done much better for himself. Getting the biggest plot of land and really letting fly with his hard earned money. But once again, he reminded her that it was his 'duty' to set a good example to his constituents. And a modest home would be just perfect for that.

It lacked a garage, and needed some landscaping, but at least it could be called 'home'.

Poor Skye though. She'd barely spoken a few words when her father glowered at her with his arms folded.


"Now then, young lady," he said, his thin lips made even thinner with a scowl, "we've moved quite a long way away. And I've seen the faces you've been pulling all through the journey."

"But dad," she protested, her inky black eyes boring piteously up at her towering father.

"Never mind the 'but dad', routine Skye," he interrupted, "this is our home now, and I expect you to be happy here."

Skye hated this kind of pep talk. She always felt as though she was always in trouble for something. It was there and then that she decided she was going to hate this house....

.... no matter what.


Kenya tried to intervene, but Kyle started whimpering, and complaining that his bottom was wet, so she swiftly picked him up and took him indoors. After a quick change of his nappy, she tried to settle him down for a nap, but he was wide awake.


So she recited a few nursery rhymes instead, much to his delight. Kyle squealed and clapped his hands at the funniest rhymes and grimaced at the bad ones.

Skye, in the meantime, wasn't happy at all. Tiger had used the kitchen as a public toilet and that just wouldn't do at all for her. That was the final straw.


She'd had enough of being lectured by her father, it was time to issue some punishment of her own. Glaring down at poor Tiger, she wagged her finger at him.


His bright curly tail soon stopped wagging and drooped sadly as he took his lecture quite seriously. Yes, he'd been a bad doggie and used the kitchen floor. But he was only marking his territory after all.

Satisfied, Skye wandered over to the activities table, where drawing and scribbling always seemed to calm her down.


A distinct humming sound could be heard outside, as Raven's personal helicopter appeared from nowhere, making a dreadful racket.

Raven looked towards his wife.


"I'm sorry," he muttered, straightening his tie and adjusting his ribbon, "got to go to work, duty calls. I'm going to be out all day. Grand opening of a shopping centre."

Actually, he didn't need to tell his wife of his duties, nor fill her in on his extremely full diary, but, out of habit, he felt it necessary to let her know what he was up to.

Sighing heavily, he clambered into the waiting chopper, groaning at the very thought of opening yet another shopping precinct. To him, the sparkle was fast dying out in his role as Mayor. But could he be that brave to quit and find another job in another field?


The rhythmic sounds of the rotor blades faded into the distance, leaving Kenya to unpack, settle in the kids and walk the dogs.

Luckily for her, they had two well behaved children. And as she cleaned up and tidied around, she smiled warmly to herself as she watched Kyle join in with his sister at the crafts table.


Having another child was way back in her list of priorities. But apparently, that was the thoughts in Raven's mind, as he was making his way out of the door.