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‘Oh, god. I have.’
‘You have,what?’Joss asked as he walked through the open doorway from the kitchen with a rucksack over his shoulder and overheard the tail-end of the conversation.
‘It’s all right,’ said Ray, taking off his apron. ‘I got the dinner on early. It won’t be ready for another hour. Please, take a seat.’ He gestured at the sofa.
‘Well, if you’re sure you’ve got the time. I can come back.’
‘Not at all.’
Joss looked from Ray to Abigail. ‘Well, I’d better get going.’ He swung his rucksack over his shoulder, his eyes lingering on Abigail.
Ray came up and put a hand on his shoulder. ‘You don’t have to go, you know.’
Joss glanced at the pots and pans simmering with food on the stove. He smiled at Ray. ‘Yeah, I do.’
Ray took his hand and shook it. ‘I hope your uncle feels better soon.’
‘I doubt it.’
Abigail sat on the sofa, her back to them, but couldn’t help listening in.
‘He’s got a way to go, to get over …’
She turned in her seat when Joss trailed off.
Ray said, ‘I understand.’
Joss breathed a sigh. ‘Well, I’m off then.’ He turned around.
Abigail’s face coloured when he caught her staring at him. ‘I’ll see you at work then. Lunch as usual?’
It had become a thing. Lili seemed to time her breaks so that she wasn’t around when Abigail and Joss were on their lunchbreaks. Despite her interfering friend, Abigail enjoyed meeting him for lunch, taking a stroll in the grounds, and talking about everything and nothing. Small talk – everything from the weather tothis and that; it made a change from talking to her friends and relatives, conversations heavy with the knowledge that she was a grieving widow, the feeling that Toby wasn’t far from their thoughts, words chosen carefully, subjects avoided. Meeting people who had not known her in the past made for a refreshing change. Sometimes, just sometimes, during those conversations with Joss – and Carys and Oliver – her loss was not at the forefront of her mind.
She nodded and smiled at him, wondering what the exchange between Ray and Joss over his uncle had been about.
Joss stepped out of the patio doors and waved before stepping off the boat.
Ray closed the patio doors and turned around. ‘Would you like a cup of tea or coffee, Abigail?’
Abigail fancied a cup of tea.
‘Coming right up.’
She watched him for a moment as he got a couple of mugs out of the kitchen cupboard before turning in her seat once more. Her eyes roved to the view through the patio doors, out over the river to The Anchor Inn. The evening was drawing in and it was starting to get dark. She imagined the boats moored along the river looked quite magical all lit up at night. Perhaps that was why he’d placed a small wicker table and two padded chairs outside on the deck. She noticed two place-settings and a large candle, ready to be lit, in the centre of the table.How romantic,thought Abigail, catching herself smiling before Toby clouded her thoughts.
She shifted her gaze to the bookshelves, where she noticed quite a few art books, before glancing at the massive wide-screen television. This was what, she had always imagined, a bachelor pad would look like. There was an old DVD player on the TV stand with an entire shelf stacked with DVDs – most of them old war movies, and some westerns. Abigail smiled to herself. He was a man after her stepdad’s heart. They were just the sort of thing he liked to watch on a Friday night, much to her mum’s annoyance; she loved just the opposite – a gentle feel-good romcom or a period drama. On the television stand was a single framed photograph of a young man with dark hair and dark eyes, a young boy who looked just like him, and an older lady, around Ray’s age, who had their eyes. She guessed that was a photo of Ray’s ex with their son Nate, Lili’s partner, and his little boy – Ray and Sarah’s grandson.
Ray brought the drinks round and placed the two white mugs on the glass coffee table. He took one mug and sank into the squishy sofa seat to the left of her. ‘So, Lili tells me you want some help.’
Abigail picked up her mug and thought,where to start?‘Look, I don’t really know how you can help. Lili kind of twisted my arm to see you, if I’m honest.’
Ray smiled, his expression telling her he wasn’t surprised. ‘Sounds like Lili. I think after what I discovered about her background--’
‘And The Summerhouse.’
‘Yes, and The Summerhouse, she kind of thinks I can work miracles.’
Abigail sighed. ‘Yes – I got that impression too.’
