One False Move, page 7
She put Lily down at last. ‘You look like a princess,’ she said, her eyes twinkling.
An urban princess. Lily was decked out in dungarees and tiny sky-blue Doc Martens that Hayley had saved up hard to buy.
‘Hayley,’ Nanna Lisa shouted from where she was dancing with one of the men in the group, ‘come and shake a leg.’
Hayley grinned a cheeky grin. ‘When you put on some decent music.’
Nanna scoffed good-naturedly. ‘You kids don’t know what good music is.’
Her grandmother twisted out of her partner’s arms and walked across to her. ‘How did it go? Did you give them thugs their money?’
Hayley pulled her grandmother to the side so no one else could hear. ‘The cops turned up and raided the place. They must’ve found some drugs because they cuffed the Lewises and took them away.’
Nanna Lisa gasped. ‘They never.’
Hayley studied her grandmother. There was something about her face that wasn’t right. ‘Nan! You never called the police?’
The older woman placed her hand over her heart. ‘Would I ever do anything like that?’ But she winked at Hayley, giving her the real answer.
‘I love you, Nan.’ Hayley gave her a peck on the cheek.
Nanna Lisa waved her playfully away. ‘Stop that. You’re going to smudge my make-up.’ Then she turned sad eyes onto the party-goers. ‘I can’t believe this will be the last time we’ll all be together.’
Suddenly, one of the members, 68-year-old Milly Foster, rushed into the room waving an envelope. ‘Look what I found in the office.’
Everyone gathered around. ‘What is it?’ someone asked.
Milly opened the envelope and pulled out a roll of ten-pound notes. ’It’s a thousand quid.’ A collective gasp went up. ‘Look what it says on the front of the envelope.’
Written in black ink were the words: Well Wisher.
Nanna Lisa piped up, ‘Someone has donated some money. It’s not enough but maybe the council will think again about shutting the group down. I wonder who could have left it?’ She looked across at Hayley, but her granddaughter said nothing, just smiled.
‘We won’t need the council,’ another voice insisted.
The group parted and Nanna Lisa’s friend Rachel Martin made her way to the middle. But she wasn’t alone. She was with … Hayley did a double-take. It was that handsome guy Brian from the bank. He was holding the hand of a little boy, about the same age as Lily.
‘This is my great-nephew Brian,’ Rachel introduced him. ‘Remember I said he was going to sort us out. He works at the bank and they sometimes give money to the community. And my Brian,’ she patted him on the shoulder, beaming, ‘has got the bank to stump up this year’s money and next year’s so the group can carry on.’
A huge cheer went up.
Nanna Lisa yelled at the DJ, ‘Play some of that Destiny’s Child. I’m in the mood to shake my booty.’
Hayley rolled her eyes. Nanna Lisa was plain crazy but she wouldn’t have her any other way. As the pensioners started dancing to ‘Survivor’, Brian walked over to Hayley.
‘How are you doing?’
Hayley’s face heated up as she thought back to how they’d met. She decided to avoid the subject and asked, ‘Is this your son?’
Brian nodded. ‘His name’s Terry. Me and his mum split up and I got custody.’ He looked down at his son. ‘Why don’t you go with Hayley’s daughter …’ He looked up at Hayley to make sure he’d got this right. She nodded. ‘Get drinks for you both, Terry.’
Terry and Lily skipped off, leaving the two adults in an awkward silence.
Brian spoke first. ‘I would’ve given you the loan today if you’d stuck around.’
Hayley’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. ‘Really?’
‘Yes. I was a bit of a tearaway myself in my youth. I got a lucky break when a policeman gave me a chance. I went on a training course and that’s how I ended up at the bank. I worked my way up to assistant manager.’
Hayley could only gawk at him. From bad boy to assistant manager would have taken some real graft and a strong mind.
‘I don’t know if you’d be interested,’ Brian went on, ‘but I may have a job for you. My Great-Aunt Rachel told me all about you.’
‘What kind of job?’
‘Nothing big. We’re looking for a cleaner and someone to help in the canteen. Shall we get a drink and talk about it?’
Hayley nodded and they walked over to the bar. A job in a bank? She couldn’t believe it. One right move – that was all she needed to turn her and Lily’s lives round.
Thanks
I’m forever indebted to Ruth Tross, the editor of the century, Jacqui Lewis for her super editing, my fab agent Amanda Preston and the super team at Quick Reads. I would never have written this if I hadn’t received Cathy Rentzenbrink’s love letter – thanks Cathy! And eternal thanks to my other half, Tony, for helping with ideas and holding my hand.
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Table of Contents
Contents
About the Author
Also by Dreda Say Mitchell
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Thanks
Dreda Say Mitchell, One False Move
