The Thursday after Brighton, Sheelagh was with Gina on foot patrol and Des was with Gary Best in the area car.
"So, how was your dirty weekend away with the sarge?" Gary asked.
"It wasn't a dirty weekend away Gary, we mostly just talked." Des sighed. 'Who employed this idiot?' he thought to himself.
"I bet it was dirty!" Gary persisted.
"Shut up Gary! It's got nothing to do with you anyway."
On foot patrol Gina was asking.
"What was the weekend like?"
"It was perfect ma'am. You may not believe this but Des was a real gentleman." Gina stared at Sheelagh as she said this.
"Is this the same Des Taviner I know?"
Sheelagh smiled at her superior's disbelief. "Yeah."
At refs Des, Reg, Kerry, Cameron and Andrea were sitting round a table and they were discussing Reg's new girlfriend!
Des laughed. "Why is it always the quiet ones that get all the good women?"
While Des was talking, everyone had gone very quiet and looked at something behind him. After Des had finished, Sheelagh said quietly.
"Reg, your girlfriend is at the front office, she'd like to see you." Sheelagh walked out of the canteen.
Des put his head in his hands and swore under his breath.
"You've blown it now." Andrea decided to put in.
"I know that!" Des shouted, he stormed out of the canteen to look for Sheelagh.
Sheelagh, meanwhile, had run, crying, to Patrick's house. She knocked on the door, then slid down the wall until she was a sobbing heap on the floor. This is how Patrick found her a few seconds later.
"Sheelagh?" Patrick said when he saw her. "Hey. Shhhh. Come on." Patrick put one arm round her waist and one on her arm. He helped her up and into his house. He took her into the kitchen and sat her down at the table. He made her some tea and turned round to find her standing up. "Where are you going?"
"I can't intrude on you, I shouldn't have come."
Patrick made his way to the table, he put the mug down and put his arm round her and guided her back to the table and sat her down. "You're not. I promise." He sat down opposite her and whispered. "Des?" Sheelagh nodded.
"At refs he said to a big group, 'why is it always the quiet ones that get all the good women?'" This brought on a fresh round of sobs.
"Sheelagh…" Patrick went and put his arms round her. Sheelagh leant into him and they stayed like that until Sheelagh had almost stopped crying. Patrick pushed her up and sat on the table in front of her, so his legs were either side of her. He used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks and from round her eyes. Sheelagh stood up and hugged him.
"I'm sorry for crying all over you." She whispered in his ear.
Patrick pulled away and looked at her. "What are ex-husbands for, eh?" Sheelagh laughed. "That's better. I like it when you laugh instead of cry."
Sheelagh was standing in the middle of Patrick's legs. She leant down and kissed him gently on his lips. Sheelagh pulled away slowly. Patrick slipped his arms around her slowly so that one of his hands was in the small of her back and his other hand was resting on her waist. Sheelagh smiled at him and rested her hands on his arms. Patrick stood up and kissed her. Very quickly the kiss got passionate and they made their way to Patrick's bedroom…