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“No.”
“Then I am the Queen of Sheba!” Dex roars which sets Meryl off giggling.
I steer the conversation onto other things, such as the soon-to-be-born baby; plans for home improvements; trips to visit friends and family; and developments to the fire service and the training program I’m soon to implement. But then Meryl, half joking, interrupts and says this isn’t a work meeting. Dex kisses her and says that she’s right, as always.
We finish eating and clear the plates. There are loads of leftovers, but it’s a plan.
“I’m stocking up the freezer with ready meals,” Meryl says. “Because when this baby comes, I’m predicting there’ll be no time for cooking.”
“Well then,” I say, pushing my chair back and straightening my legs under the table. “You’ll come over to my place and I’ll feed you.”
“I know what we’ll get,” says Dex. “Pizza and takeaways.”
“Harsh.” I feign hurt. “I can cook. When the occasion demands.”
There’s a pause in our banter before Meryl asks, “When are you going to have a housewarming?” I look at her quizzically. “You know… A social get-together to meet your new neighbors.”
“Ummm. I’m not sure about that.”
“Great idea, hun! Come on, Cam. I’ll bring the barbecue over.”
“It’s not barbecue season, bud,” I say, feeling like I’m being railroaded. “Isn’t it a bit cold for outdoor cooking?”
“No, not at all. It’ll be fun. We’ll have some beers. A few laughs. We can get the basketball hoop set up. You can invite everyone on your street. What? How many? There are only six houses, including yours, eh? We’ll get the guys from the station over, plus volunteers and partners. We’ll make it an afternoon thing. Won’t that be nice?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Meryl beams at me, wide-eyed, as if a light bulb has just pinged on in her head. “That would be the perfect opportunity for you to hang out with Molly in a casual, social setting to see if, you know, there’s anything potentially happening there in the romance department.”
“Meryl.” I lean forward, my elbows on the table. “Even if there was something potentially romantic with Miss Ryan, I am not going to act on it because of this plain and simple reason: I am not sticking around.”
My hosts don’t seem to be listening to me and carry on discussing my housewarming event as if I’m not in the room. Something tells me I no longer have a say in this plan, so I nod and agree to everything. I know when I’m outnumbered. I shake my head and smile. Still smiling, I get up to leave.
“You people are crazy, but I love you. And thanks for a delicious dinner and a wonderful evening.”
Dex stands and helps Meryl up.
“Anytime, Cam Wickham,” Dex says, slapping my shoulder as we stand in the hallway.
“You’re family, don’t forget,” says Meryl as she hugs me goodbye. “You’re welcome anytime.”
Chapter 5
Molly
Holy Moly. I have a new neighbor. There was a car parked on the driveway of number four when I arrived home from work: a blue Jeep something something. I wonder who it could be. I’m hoping it’s the handsome firefighter, but that’s not really a possibility. He didn’t seem that keen and said he had other properties to look at. I hope whoever it is, is nice and neighborly.
I miss the couple who lived there before. I still see them occasionally, but life moves on. They live on the other side of town and now they have a baby, they’re all caught up in being parents, which is great. But I miss them, it’s true.
I sit on my couch and tweak the curtain to get a better view of the car out front of number four. Perhaps I’ll go over and introduce myself. Say, “Hi, I’m your neighbor next door. Let’s hang out.” Something like that. I should take them a welcome gift. I’ll bake some cookies or something. I wonder if they like reading and what kind of books they like. Perhaps I’ll leave a note in the mailbox: a Welcome to the Neighborhood greetings card. Or would that be weird? That might be considered too eager. Signal a red flag. They might think I’m a crazy lady and do their level best to avoid me. Maybe I’ll leave it a couple of days to be more casual. I stop looking out of the window, get up, and go to the kitchen to check for cookie ingredients. When I come back to the lounge again, I peek behind the curtain, but the car isn’t there anymore.
The following day I’m at the library early to continue arranging the Valentine’s Day display and to begin to organize the next display which will be a collaboration with the school. I have researched a selection of Valentine’s Day-related reading matter and pulled them from the shelves: classic love stories, such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, aimed at younger readers; the work of Barbara Cartland and the Mills & Boon phenomena; as well as some non-fiction, ancient myths, and social history, open at pages where Valentine’s Day is mentioned; and how, thanks to the retail trade, the fourteenth day of February is now a landmark in our yearly calendar. Kevin, my part-time assistant, and volunteers have done a wonderful job with the banner; hearts and flowers decorations; labels and information cards with Valentine-related book reviews. I stand back to admire the overall effect in its rosy, glittering entirety.
When I turn around again, I almost bump into Mrs Radley who has just walked in.
“Ah Molly, my dear. You’ve done it again. Your displays are a credit to Oak River, they really are.”
“Good morning Mrs Radley and thank you,” I reply in hushed tones hoping she will take the hint to lower her naturally resonant voice. “Yes. But this isn’t down to me. I have a brilliant team.” I wave at Kevin at the counter who is too far away to hear our conversation but nods and smiles back.
“Right. So, the reason I’ve popped in...” Mrs Radley steers me to the doorway so she can speak at her normal volume. “... is to remind you of the first Annual Spring Fair committee meeting which is scheduled for next Wednesday evening at the community hall. I sent the email blast out, but I’m just doing the rounds of our newbies, just in case.”
