Saved By The Firefighter
Chapter 79

Davey's Point of View.

I look at the clock on the wall, today is going to be interesting. As much as I am looking forward to heading off to The Ramside Hall hotel with Kathline, I am dreading Andy's s***m doner arriving to pick up the little man. It is the weirdest of feelings, as much as I want Andy to have a great time with his father, I have this other feeling nibbling at the edges of my mind, one that if I tell anyone will sound so pathetic, so wrong, and so stupid. I am scared half out of my wits that the little man will prefer his less-than part-time dad to me.

Yeah, see, pa-f*****g-thetic. Of course, he will prefer his father, and that is as it should be! Still, it causes my stomach to twist in knots. Is it because the s***m doner never bothers with the little man? Partially, but mainly, it is because I have grown to view Andy as my own son, and I know I would move heaven and earth for him. I also know, that piece of s**t dad couldn't care a less about Andy, and here he is making a big deal about having him for two nights, because he is oh so worried about his son.

Yeah right, he wasn't worried enough to visit him in the hospital, nor was he worried enough to make more than the obligatory single phone call, to try and blame Kathline stating she isn't looking after him correctly, then demanding he have two nights with him, but not one call to see how he is since ... yeah, he cares that much! Bollocks.

I take a breath, as I gather Andy into my arms, pulling him on my knee.

"Now, if at any time you want to come home, or call, you can ring mammy and we will come get you," I tell him, as Kathline smiles over to me.

"That's right, but most of all we want you to have a fantastic time with your daddy and his girlfriend," Kathline adds.

She is putting a brave face on all of this, but last night she told me how she secretly fears Andy liking the new woman, who is about to bulldoze herself into his life, more than her. I told her that would never happen, that Andy loves her with every last beat of his little heart, but like me, she said she is being stupid, and knows that, but for some reason cannot help it.

"You can Facetime your mam anytime you like." I smile at him, feeling like my heart is about to break, this is all very weird, why am I being a possessive arsehole about a young boy who isn't mine to be possessive about. But in my heart, he is exactly that, mine, just as his mother is.

The sound of the doorbell rings, and I take a deep breath, I have to play nice, shake the fucker's hand and all that s**t. Kathline goes to open the door. I hear her inviting daddy-dearest in, the strain in her voice lets me know instantly that she is not happy. She walks into the living room, smiling at Andy, then locking eyes with me, her brow's going up to the sky momentarily, letting me know she is already pissed off.

The father walks in, wearing a full f*****g Armani suit, slick back brown hair, the smell of expensive aftershave fills the room, he is followed by a tall skinny woman, long black hair, dressed in a pure white dress and jacket. The fuckers look like they are going to a formal f*****g meeting, rather than picking up a 6-year-old little man who will have crap all over that white dress in the matter of seconds, especially after he has held onto his chocolate coins so much, they melt all over his hands. "Andrew, come meet Zoe," Richard, or d**k as I like to call him, shouts over at him.

Andy looks at me, as I help him off my knee, and he hobbles over to his father.

Straight away I notice he is not throwing himself at the man, standing back, which is not at all like him.

"Say hello Andrew, remember manners make the Man," he commands his son, his tone not what I want to hear, and I resist the urge to tell him to f**k right off and cancel our hotel reservation.

"Hi," Andy says his voice low, another thing that never happens, he normally has two volumes, loud and screeching ... like any kid of his age.

"Hello Andrew, I am Zoe, your father's future wife." She smiles.

Now I am pleased, or at least I think I am pleased, she looks genuinely happy to meet him.

"Yes, I heard you are Dad's girlfriend. Mammy has a boyfriend, Davey, he is great, I hope you are as good as he is," Andy states, looking over to me and smiling.

I cannot deny my chest puffs at that little statement, and I stand up, from my spot on the sofa and ruffle his hair.

"Not as great as you buddy." I grin down at him.

"Davey makes me Mickey Mouse waffles; can you do that?" he questions the woman.

"Oh, we have our own housekeeper who will make you anything you want." Zoe smiles down at him.

f*****g housekeeper! I hope Andy doesn't spend his time with the housekeeper and not his father and this woman.

Kathline looks like she is about to blow as gasket, and I am not sure why, sure we don't want Andy to like them more than us, but the woman hasn't done anything wrong, other than tell Andy she has a housekeeper.

"Okay Andrew, say goodbye to your mother, and sorry, I don't know your name," Richard states looking me up and down as if I am something he has just trodden in.

Wanker!

"Davey, I just told you Dad, his name is Davey. He is a firefighter, like Fireman Sam, and he rescued me out of the fire at school," Andy introduces me with pride in his voice.

"Yes, erm, thank you for that," Richard states, clearing his throat.

"It is what I get paid to do." I shrug, not wanting to engage with the man, or thank him for his thanks.

"Okay Andy, grab your bag, it is time to go," D**k-face, states.

Andy grabs his crutches, as Kathline hands his bag to his father, and we walk to the front door. Instinctively I go to help the little man down the step, as Richard and Zoe walk off towards their car, not even looking to see if Andy is managing. I help him over the step, then shout out my tone laced with sarcasm, "Richard, you need to help your son on the steps." s**t, yeah, that was not good, but I am who I am, and that d**k is doing my head in already.

Richard turns on his heel, and glares at me, then hands the bag to Zoe, coming over and making a big thing about helping Andy, when we all know he hadn't given it a second thought before I shouted.

Kathline gives Andy a big hug, as she smiles down at him. "I love you, have fun, but remember you can call or Facetime whenever you wish." She smiles, kissing him on the cheek, and Andy instantly wiping it off, making me laugh.

"See you soon buddy." I smile and wave as Richard bundles him into the car. We stand at the end of the drive, waving Andy off, before heading back into the house.

"You looked like you wanted to kill the fiancée," I say to Kathline.

"Because I f*****g did." She sighs.

"Come on, lets get to the hotel," Kathline states, and I simply nod, whatever is bothering her about the woman she will tell me in her own time.

I gather our luggage, putting it in the boot of Kathline's car, then take her into my arms giving her a small kiss on her lips. "I Wish we could travel together." I smile at her.

"Yeah, but honestly, it is probably best I drive on my own anyway, because I am fuming." Kathline sighs.

"I can see, want to share?" I softly ask.

"Not yet, tell you at the hotel." She sighs again.

I watch as she reverses off the drive onto the busy main road, then run round the corner to where my car is parked, and spin it round, following her as we make our way to the hotel.

The gravel of the hotel carpark crunches under the wheels of my car as I pull in the parking spot beside Kathline. Getting out, I see that she looks a little less murderous than when she got in the car, which is good. "Check-in isn't till three, and our first pamper session is in an hour, with lunch to follow would you like to go for a coffee first?" I ask her.

"Yes, we should leave our baggage at reception, I have my stuff for the spa in this bag." She hands me a backpack with hello f*****g kitty on it! Not what I would expect from my solicitor girlfriend, but it makes me smile. After dropping the bags off, we head to the back of reception, taking a seat, as the waiter approaches and we order a coffee each.

"So, feel like you can talk about it now?" I ask, wanting her to get whatever is bothering her off her chest, and because, I am a nosy sod.

"I know Zoe. I never put two-and-two together, but she is the daughter of one of the managing partners at Richard's law firm. I met her a couple of times at the law society ball." I nod my head as she speaks, wondering what the problem is.

"She is a spoilt utter b***h. Never worked a day in her life, lives off daddy's money. A couple of years ago I saw her at the ball, Mel had Andy for me, so I could go that year with my boss. I was talking to one of the partners of my old firm, and she walked over, deliberately spilt her drink all down me, saying she tripped... she didn't... she is as nasty as they come but smiles so sweetly that unless you are her intended target, you would never know. I really do not want Andy anywhere near that woman." She sighs. "What would her reason be for spilling a drink on you?" I ask, unsure why someone would do that.

"I had snagged one of her father's top clients when I worked in Newcastle, back when I was pregnant with Andy, he chose our firm and for me to work on his case, because he liked my approach. She had said, along with her father, that the only reason they had lost the client was because he felt sorry for me being a single pregnant woman whose boyfriend had ran away from me as soon as he could." Kathline grimaced as she remembered.

"It was like kicking me when I was down. The real reason I got that client is because he said I was concerned for his business and was sick of her father dismissing his requests. I mean, I left shortly after he came on board with my old firm, then became a conveyancing solicitor in Sunderland, so she had no reason to still hold the grudge. I mean, she doesn't even work, but she is that much of a bitch." Kathline sighed.

"Richard hated her, or so he said when we were together... Daddy's little princess who thought she could order all the lawyers around in the office when she visited. But now he has ambitions of his own, he is marrying her. No doubt they will wheel Andy out for group family photos, put on his bio that he is a loving father, and all that PR s**t, it just boils my piss," Kathline continued.

I offer her a soft smile and finish off the dregs of my coffee.

"Hey, they will live unhappily ever after, and Andy doesn't have to go see them, if he doesn't want to. Now, let's get you relaxed, because you are a fantastic mother, brilliant solicitor, the nicest person I have ever met, and you have this hot stud as your boyfriend." I chuckle at the end.

Kathline laughs at me, the tension leaving her shoulders, and nods her head. "Yes, let's not think of the s***m doner and his rich b***h anymore. Sorry." Kathline smiles. "No need to apologise. You did well not to throw them out of your home. Hell, I nearly threw him out, and it is not my home to do that." I grin at her.

Kathline giggles at me.

"Come on, lets make the most of this, I cannot wait for a dip in that hot tub." She grins, and I smile, because I cannot wait to see her in her swimming costume in the hot tub.