‘Remember one year we climbed up to those beams and shuffled along until we broke a part of the wood?’ There was that smile of hers again.
‘We didn’t break it, it was rotten.’
‘It might have been rotten, but we were the reason it fell down.’
‘You know, I think it’s the first time I’d really seen Barney angry. I ran off and hid.’
‘And it took him two hours to find you,’ she reminded him. ‘He was frantic.’
‘My dad used to get angry like that, no way was I hanging around for Barney to do the same.’
‘He talked to me about it, you know.’
‘About my dad?’
‘About the night you ran away from him. He was in pieces thinking you were worried he might hit you.’
‘I don’t think I ever really believed it, I just freaked out I suppose.’
She gave Winnie one last fuss before she stood up. ‘I’d better get back to the inn. I just wanted to talk to you and let you know about the letter.’
‘Were you waiting for me for long?’
‘No, not at all, and it was probably more torturous for Winnie than me, I could hear her on the other side of the door, desperate to find out who was here.’
‘Sounds about right.’ He stood up too. ‘Let me walk you back.’
‘Harvey, it’s not far, and this is the Cove, I’m safe.’
‘No arguments.’ He grabbed Winnie’s lead and the dog was well up for an unexpected late-night walk as he locked up and they set off down the lane.
He put out his hand and pulled Melissa to a stop outside. ‘Do you hear that?’
Her eyes sparkled beneath the moonlight. ‘Crickets,’ she beamed. ‘I love that sound. It makes me feel as though I’m on holiday.’
Her comment sent a weird feeling cascading through his body. She was technically on holiday, but would she ever see that Heritage Cove was still the same place she’d once loved? Talk returned to the Wedding Dress Ball and the organisation they’d done so far.
‘It’s all coming together,’ he said. ‘We’ve had a fair few extra ticket sales from the flyers I had made up.’
She crossed her fingers on both hands. ‘Almost there. It sounds as though everyone is getting really excited – Tracy and Sandy don’t stop talking about it, Jade too whenever I see her. Celeste can’t wait to dance. Mum always said it was the only place she got to dance after she was married, I used to love watching them get ready, her and dad setting off together as though they were newlyweds and not a couple who’d been together for years.’ She looked across at him. ‘You and I always reminded ourselves when we were younger that one day we would go, we’d drink champagne from those tall skinny glasses that wouldn’t let your nose in the top and we’d be the last ones dancing at the end of an evening.’
Heritage Cove was quiet at this time of night and Winnie’s paws gently tapped their way along in a constant rhythm as they walked down The Street talking about the dances they remembered, people in the village who’d loved an occasion to dress up, until they rounded the corner and came to the inn.
Melissa bent down to give Winnie one last bit of her love and attention. Lucky dog. ‘Do you know what I think we should do?’
‘Something tells me you have a plan,’ he smiled.
‘I don’t think we should wait until the date of the ball to show Barney what it’s all about. We need to get him in the mood, remind him, get him excited for the evening before it’s upon him. It might just make him want to get up out of that chair and move.’
‘What do you have in mind?’
‘Pick me up from the inn when you finish work tomorrow and you’ll find out
It almost sounded like they were arranging a date. And whatever might happen between him and Melissa from now on, the one thing he knew for sure was that her being back in the Cove couldn’t have come at a better time for Barney. If anyone could work their magic on him, it would be her.
Chapter Nine
Two days later, after a ridiculously early start to pull off this surprise, Melissa had expected Barney to be sitting in his chair by the time she knocked on the back door. Thank goodness for the set of keys he’d passed her the other day or she’d have been running to Harvey to grab his set when she’d got no answer.
