Free Thursday's Child by Clare Revell Page B

walked next to her, his hand just by her elbow in case she fell or slipped on the wet stones. He unlocked the car and held the door for her as she got in.
    “Thanks, Jared.” She set the crutches by her legs and wrestled with the belt as he went around the car and got in the other side.
    He put the key in the ignition and turned it. Nothing happened. He tried again. Same result. “Oh come on,” he muttered. He tried a third time. The engine turned once then stopped. Shaking his head, he popped the bonnet and got out of the car.
    She watched him move around and open the bonnet. She could visualize him bending over the engine looking at it, pulling at the wires. She’d been here before.
    Trying to get the car to move again, she sighed. She really didn’t have time for this today. She was due in court in less than an hour and had a meeting beforehand. The car had stalled on a roundabout half way to work and although the engine restarted, the wretched thing refused to move. And in her ‘delicate condition’ as Jarrie and Liam laughingly called it, pushing a car anywhere was not going to happen.
    Shaking her head, she reached down and pulled her phone from her bag. Maybe Jared could fix the car, or better yet, pick her up and then come back and sort out this mess. Fortunately, he started his four days off today.
    He answered the phone on the third ring. “Hello?”
    “Jarrie, it’s me. The car’s being stupid. It stalled and restarted, but it won’t move. I don’t suppose you could be an angel and come and pick me up could you, please? I’m due in court soon and can’t be late.”
    “Sure, hon. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
    “Thanks, love.” She hung up and then rang the office to warn them she may be in late. She tried to get the car to move again several times but still nothing. Finally, she saw Jared pull up and park behind her. She yanked the keys from the ignition and got out of the car to greet him. “I don’t know what’s wrong with the wretched thing. The engine starts fine, the car just won’t move. But if you could drive me in—”
    “Let me have a look first in case it’s something obvious. Pop the bonnet for me and start her up.”
    She got back in the car doing as he asked.
    Jared checked the engine over, trying different things. “Hmmm.” He moved over to the window. “Show me exactly what you did.”
    Niamh did so then glared up at him as he laughed. “What?”
    “Try putting it in gear, hon.” Jared had a huge grin on his face. “Cars work better in gear than in neutral.”
    Niamh rolled down the window. “Jared?”
    He stuck his head around the bonnet. “Yeah?”
    “Silly question, but you did have the car in gear just now, didn’t you?”
    He looked at her strangely for a moment, and then nodded. “Yeah.” He turned back to the engine and fiddled a bit more. Then he got back into the car and turned it over. The engine clicked once then roared into life. He got out and closed the bonnet. “Just going to go wash my hands. Will you be OK?”
    Niamh nodded as he went back inside, leaving the engine running. He wasn’t gone more than a minute before he was back and they set off. She looked down at her hands. She’d remembered she was pregnant at some point over the past few years, but wasn’t about to tell him. He hadn’t mentioned it at all. Perhaps she’d lost the baby and it was a sore point. Because there was definitely no trace of a child anywhere in the house. But it would explain the voice in her mind calling her Mummy.
     
    ****
     
    Jared glanced at her as they pulled into the road they used to live on. Not even a spark of recognition. On the way here, he’d pointed out the park he’d courted her in, the church, the shopping center. All those she remembered, but not being in any of them with him. He tried hard not to let his frustration show. She was convinced she was twenty-six and single. The whole situation must be just as bad for her. If not more