‘For sure, no wonder Barney gets on well with her. And I do understand confidentiality rules so I didn’t press her too much. Come on, let’s get going. I only hope we have more luck in Leafbourne.’
He pulled out of the small car park so they could follow the road that would soon spit them out onto the dual carriageway. As they travelled they talked mostly about the village and the memories Barney had dredged up over the years. They both agreed it was odd that not once, to their recollection, had he ever slipped up and said the name Lois.
Melissa gave directions when necessary and mid-week, away from the busiest times of the day, the estimated one-and-a-half-hour trip went by quickly.
‘Take a left here,’ she instructed as they came to the first roundabout off the dual carriageway. ‘You really need to get a satnav, I’m almost out of charge on my phone from using maps so much.’
‘We’re managing to find our way, aren’t we? And there’s a charger in the flap behind your seat if you need it.’
‘Not the point. If I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t be able to have your nose in your own phone. How would you manage then?’
‘Oh, I don’t know, possibly use a real-life map?’
‘Very funny.’
‘Not everything has to be new and shiny to be right.’
‘Technology was invented to make life easier,’ she threw back.
‘Don’t let Barney hear you talk like that.’
She let out a laugh as the truck slowed on the narrow country road that linked to another roundabout and another after that. ‘Oh, please, he’s the worst for it – have you seen how much he uses his iPad, paying bills or doing those mind games to keep his brain active? At least he did before he started watching so much television.’
They drove on further, roads lined either side with tall trees, countryside spreading out on the left as they drew closer to their destination.
‘This is a real long shot you know,’ said Harvey.
‘I know.’
‘I don’t want you to be disappointed.’ He harrumphed. ‘Hell, I don’t want to be disappointed. Now you’ve got me thinking, I want to know more.’
She watched the scenery rush past the window. Was this totally crazy? At least they were in this together; no matter what happened and what they did or didn’t find out, having Harvey here would stop any disappointment from being so crushing. She was well aware her time in Heritage Cove wouldn’t go on forever and she hated the thought of leaving Barney like he was now, a shadow of the man who’d been so present in her life until she left. He had little moments where she thought she saw a spark of his former self, but it soon faded away as quickly as it came.
The sky grew ominous as the first sign to Leafbourne came into view and as they drove into the village itself Harvey slowed to match the speed limit. He reached out and put his hand on her knee, briefly, with a reassuring squeeze. ‘Stop worrying.’
It was enough to jolt her into feeling guilty at her reaction to a man who wasn’t Jay. Her mouth was dry and a warm feeling spread through her belly. ‘I’m not.’
‘You are, you’re frowning.’
All she could do was make a joke and beam an over-the-top smile back at him that was nothing like a frown.
‘I’m hungry,’ he confessed as both of them spotted the fish and chip shop. ‘What about you?’
‘Hungry enough to stop there,’ she said.
Harvey pulled into the lay-by outside. ‘Do you think this is the very same fish and chip shop Barney used to come to years ago?’
‘Who knows, but as long as they do a decent portion of chips with a pickled onion on the side, I’m happy.’
‘You and your pickled onions,’ he whispered as they went inside, earning himself a good dig in the ribs.
They had a half-an-hour time limit in the lay-by and so took the parcels of chips with the added meat pie for Harvey over to a bench at the side of a green space. ‘Can’t see any marina,’ he concluded, his mouth half open to let the steam billow out.
‘You’ll burn your mouth if you’re not careful.’ She finished the last of the cool pickled onion.
‘Blame my stomach, it couldn’t wait for the food to cool down.’
She’d do her best not to think about his stomach. The day she’d held the ladder for him in the barn she’d caught sight of his toned tummy and the teasing line of hair as he stretched up to the beams above, and when he mentioned it now, that was all she could see. ‘These are good, lashings of vinegar, a sprinkling of salt, can’t go wrong.’ If in doubt, talk about the food or the weather, it usually worked as a distraction.
