Page 37 of The Golden Girls’ Road Trip

‘Don’t give me that look,’ I say, as he grudgingly follows me out of the van. ‘You’re not going to just run off wherever you like.’

I pick up my phone from where Alex has left it on her seat and tap in Simon’s name. I haven’t spoken to him for a couple of days and I ought to check in with him. He picks up after just a couple of rings and I lock Ruby up and walk Bardo into the trees.

‘Hello, Mum, where are you?’ he says, and I smile into the phone.

‘Currently, I’m in a National Trust car park in Rufford.’

‘Still delivering paintings?’

‘Yep, still doing that. We’ve been to York and Preston and after we leave Southport, we’re heading into Wales.’

‘I spoke to Leo again, Mum. Is the wedding off? He said you left your engagement ring with Fiona.’

‘I don’t know, Simon. I only left the ring because it belongs to Fiona’s mother, a fact that I was unaware of until she told me. Leo hasn’t been honest about what he wants and I suggested a few days apart to think things through.’

‘And you jump straight in your van on a disappearing act again.’

‘That’s not quite what happened,’ I say, even though it’s exactly what I did.

‘And who is this friend of yours? I’ve never heard you talk about an artist friend,’ he asks suspiciously.

‘Alex Mackenzie,’ I say. ‘Alexandra Mackenzie,’ I clarify, before he can jump to the wrong conclusion, except that it would be the right conclusion.

‘You need to come back and talk to him, not just bugger off on a holiday.’

‘It’s not a holiday; I’m helping a friend with deliveries. I’ll talk to Leo when I get back.’

‘And when will that be? You’ve been gone five days already.’

I think with the journey ahead, we might be another week at least, and I’ve got to get Alex home and then drive back, but I choose not to say that at the moment.

‘What’s really bothering you, Simon?’

‘I’m worried about Leo. He’s really down about it all.’

‘Leo needs time to decide if he wants a life moving forward or a replacement wife.’ I don’t go further into it as I know how much respect Simon has for Leo and I’m not sure he’d take my side. That thought sits heavy. ‘If you want to help, you can pop round to the flat and water my plants. I’ve got to go, but please give Diana my love and can you tell her I’m crocheting her a baby blanket?’

‘Really? Didn’t know you knew how to crochet.’

‘I’m full of surprises. Goodbye for now, Simon, I’ll phone you when I’m coming home,’ I say and hang up. I don’t think I’ve ever hung up on Simon, but his words stick in my ears. He’s worried about Leo. However I try to justify my actions to myself, I mostly just feel guilty.

Alex arrives back then and I pocket my phone and try to shove my guilt in there with it.

‘Let’s get going,’ she says, climbing back into the passenger seat with a groan she tries hard to suppress. I look back at the rest of the paintings behind me. We’re only two down, there’s still six to go, but this makes me happy. We have slipped into an easiness that I never thought we’d achieve. I think it’s time to throw open some windows and blow the dust from our past. I wind mine back down and start the engine.

‘Can you look up and see if there’s a wool shop in Southport?’ I say.

‘You know you need to actually crochet with it, not just buy it.’

‘I know, I’ll catch up when we stop later.’

‘Head south towards Ormskirk,’ she says after I hand her my phone and there’s a moment of scrolling. ‘Maureen’s Fabrics sells wool.’

‘Another of your friends?’

‘No, I don’t know Maureen. I’m on Google Maps and the shop looks like it will have what we need.’

I feel a little flutter at the sound of we.