‘Be subtle.’
‘Goes without saying.’ And with a touch on her shoulder that sent goose pimples shooting all the way down her arm, he left her to it.
*
The next day Harvey went to see Barney and watched him pottering around the kitchen. ‘You’re moving a lot better. It’s good to see you out of that chair.’
‘That chair and I are good friends. I need my rest, remember.’
Harvey wished he hadn’t mentioned it because Barney had already gone back to the chair in question. ‘Remember to look out for Winnie. She has a habit of lying right in your path, I don’t want her tripping you up.’ She was currently settled on the floor between the table and the armchair, out of the way for now and within reach for Barney.’
‘She’s fine, stop fussing. It’s good to have her around, I miss having a dog.’
‘You could get another.’
Barney swooshed a hand through the air to get rid of the suggestion, his other hand still on Winnie’s ear, tickling it the way she liked it. ‘I’m too old. And it would live longer than me, it wouldn’t be fair.’
‘If you keep talking like that you’ll make yourself old, whether you are or not.’ Harvey made them both a cup of tea and delivered Barney’s to the table by the armchair. ‘It’s a pity you’re not up for a walk down to the cove.’
‘I wish I was.’
‘Soon, maybe.’
‘Maybe. I’d love to get some sea air, it’s the way I grew up.’
Harvey leapt in at the chance of delving more. ‘Norfolk, wasn’t it?’
‘That’s right, on the coast. Near the water. But the path down to the cove, wouldn’t be a good idea. I know you’re all for me pushing my recovery but even you must see that would be madness. The ground’s uneven, the rail’s not sturdy enough for me to use. It’ll have to wait.’
‘Fair enough.’ He wasn’t going to argue and he’d rather talk about where Barney grew up than the Cove. ‘Where was it in Norfolk that you grew up, Barney?’
‘I wonder if Melissa has been down to the cove yet.’
Talk about a change of subject. ‘She has. She came with me to walk Winnie, and I saw her there a few days later too.’
‘She used to do all her thinking down there,’ Barney smiled. ‘You both did from what I remember, and your canoodling.’
Their conversation gave way to friendly banter about the days of operating the apple press as kids, the playing in the barn and climbing up to those beams, the crazy summer days when they’d stay out until all hours, the short days in the winter when he’d miss each of them as they packed off to go home earlier and earlier.
‘Growing up in Heritage Cove is what I want one day for my own family,’ said Harvey.
‘Kids? Got to find yourself a woman first.’
‘Yeah, I’m working on it.’ He winked and blew onto his tea.
‘Casey not marriage material?’
‘Never heard you use that phrase before.’
‘Awful phrase, I agree, but can’t think how else to put it. Maybe as well as my hip fracture, my brain is catching up with my age.’
‘Never. And I’ll get you some sudoku puzzles to do instead of all that television you’ve been watching, that’ll keep you sharp for years yet.’
‘So…Casey?’
‘We’re just friends.’
‘And what about Melissa? Are you two friends now she’s back?’
