‘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?’
‘She’s hardly back. She’s here temporarily, for you, and she’ll be going back to her other half soon enough.’
‘Shame. I think she’s seeing what she’s missing in Heritage Cove.’
‘I think she’s got it made doing all the travelling, seeing what’s out there in the world. It’s what she always wanted.’ The tea finished, Harvey took his empty mug and Barney’s, rinsed them beneath the tap and popped them into the dishwasher. ‘Did you travel much when you were younger?’
‘Not really. I got a full-time job and worked hard. Too hard.’
‘That’s life, I guess.’
‘Sometimes you need to look up from the path you’re tramping down to see there’s more to life than work, than money.’
‘That sounds very philosophical.’
‘Just advice, Harvey. Give Melissa a chance.’
‘She had her chance, we both did.’
‘I disagree. I’ve seen the way you two still look at each other. Don’t be so adamant about a situation that you fail to see what’s in front of you. And never give up on someone, even if they caused you pain. Fight for them, don’t give up.’
‘You sound like you’re talking from experience.’
‘I’m rambling, I apologise.’ He pushed himself to standing. ‘And now I need to lie down.’
The way Barney was talking, it seemed Melissa was spot on about something holding him back – he seemed to have regrets he’d never shared and perhaps if they could find out more, they might be able to help.
But Harvey also wondered whether perhaps he and Melissa should be listening to Barney and taking his advice, talking about whatever happened between them so they could finally lay the past to rest and move on with their lives.
Chapter Eleven
Melissa had been sitting on the back doorstep at Tumbleweed House waiting for Harvey for almost an hour. She wanted to see him the moment he got home, find out if he’d wheedled the name of the village out of Barney.
‘I tried,’ he told her as he stepped out of his truck, predicting why she was here and what she was about to ask. ‘He changed the subject and I couldn’t get him back on course.’ He let Winnie out of the house to join them and Melissa didn’t waste a second fussing over the dog.
‘That man is far too stubborn,’ she complained.
‘Don’t I know it.’
Winnie seemed about to settle down in the sunshine when Gracie showed up and instead she trotted over to her trusted walker. ‘Hey you two, hey Winnie.’
Melissa thought that made them sound like a couple and when she surreptitiously looked at Harvey he didn’t appear to mind – but, more worrying, neither did she. She watched Winnie settle down again although close to Gracie this time for maximum fuss.
‘I think maybe you’re too tired for a walk,’ Gracie said to the dog, but as if to prove her wrong, Winnie got up, stretched and shook her body.
‘I’ll grab her lead,’ Harvey chuckled.
‘And some more poo bags,’ Gracie called after him, brown eyes dancing in amusement, and she told Melissa, ‘I got caught out yesterday when I took her for her walk. I had three bags, she did four poos. I had to leave the last one and I felt terrible, then later on I stepped in another batch of dog poo on my way down to the cove. I guess that’s what they call karma.’
Melissa grinned. ‘I suppose it is.’
‘I’ll be making sure I have lots of extras from now on.’
‘Do you have your own dog?’
‘No, I can’t afford the expense right now, but one day for sure. You?’
‘My job takes me away too often so it’s not possible. And I live in a flat, it wouldn’t be fair.’ She stroked Winnie, head to tail. ‘This one loves the outdoors and all this space, the patches of sunshine she can curl up in.’ She caught herself, she was talking with such familiarity, as though Winnie and this place were a part of her own life.
‘You’re a flight attendant, aren’t you? It must be glamorous,’ said Gracie, ruffling her chestnut curls, using both hands to shake them out before unhooking a hair bobble from around her wrist to tie it all back into a low ponytail out of the way.
‘People tend to think so, but the reality is a little different. I do love it though. I’ve been to a lot of places I wouldn’t otherwise have seen.’
‘I’d love to travel one day, but it’s the money for me.’
‘Where would you like to go?’
‘Aspen is top of my list, always wanted to go there, but for now I have to make do with holidays in the UK.’
‘They can be just as special.’
‘Some friends and I rented lodges in Center Parcs last year, that was awesome. This year I’ve booked a cabin with a friend up the coast in a really pretty village called Leafbourne. We’ve got a whole week, a good pub nearby, access to beach walks, a barbecue and a spa. I can’t wait.’
‘I’ll bet,’ Melissa smiled as Harvey returned with Winnie’s lead and handed it to Gracie, who waved them goodbye and set off with an enthusiastic canine.
‘That’s it,’ said Harvey from where he was standing next to Melissa, who still sat on the step of Tumbleweed House.
‘What is?’ She covered her eyes with her hand to avoid the sun and looked up to find him grinning like a loony.
‘Leafbourne. That’s the village where Barney grew up.’
‘No way, too much of a coincidence. And why didn’t we find it on the maps when we looked?’
He took out his phone and began searching for it. ‘Because it’s not actually in North Norfolk, not officially. It’s right on the cusp so it didn’t come up when we looked.’
‘I don’t remember the name,’ she said. ‘I mean, I remember him talking about what was there – a duck pond, a fish and chip shop he went to every Friday, the local school with its huge playing field. I remember him recounting the time he and his best friend had taken a small boat out without permission and the rollicking they got for doing it,’ she laughed. ‘That story always amused me. Check if there’s a marina there.’ Maybe they were onto something after all.
Harvey searched again on his phone. ‘Yes, there’s a marina. It has to be the place.’ He turned the screen so Melissa could see it too.
‘It’s been a long time though, years since he was there.’
‘You never know, a lot of these places are family-owned, there might be someone at the marina who knows of Barney and anything that may ha
ve happened.’
Her hopes faded. ‘I’ll bet there are a few marinas in Norfolk. I promise you, I’m not trying my best to be pessimistic, just realistic.’
‘You wait here, I’m going to Barney’s to find out whether we’re right about this village.’
‘You’re just going to come out with it and ask him?’
‘Trust me, I’ll handle it just fine. Then if it’s the right place, we’ll take it from there.’
‘Good luck!’ she called after him and although neither of them said anything, they both knew she’d be waiting for him right in this very spot, relaxing in the sunshine, until he came back.
*
Melissa climbed into the front of the truck next to Harvey. ‘How did you get Barney to confirm the name of the village without him asking why you wanted to know?’
‘Easy, as soon as I got there I spotted a chew toy Winnie had left behind so I picked it up, pretending I’d come to the house for that. I said Winnie was with Gracie for a few hours because she’d be off on her holidays soon, and when I said she was going to Leafbourne, I saw him flinch. So I added, “Isn’t that where you grew up?”.’
‘And he answered, just like that?’
‘No reason not to, he has no reason to think we might charge up there in search of scraps of information about him. The words “wild goose chase” spring to mind but before I talk myself out of this, put your seat belt on and we’ll get going.’
‘Can we make a stop at White Clover first?’ She clicked her belt into place. ‘I’m wondering whether they might know something. Barney’s donated to them for years, ever since the Wedding Dress Ball began – they must have some answers. I never thought to ask before. It’s worth a try,’ she added when he looked doubtful.
Driven on by the prospect of finding something, they detoured to White Clover before they did anything else. ‘Don’t tell me they’ve no idea either,’ Harvey said when she climbed back into the truck fifteen minutes later. ‘Or are they keeping schtum?’
‘The latter. I got a feeling when I spoke to Ashley that she knows more, she just won’t say. She launched into a whole speech about how they had donors who have been supporting them for decades – once they start they don’t stop – then she was on to telling me they had international donors, so I got out while I could.’
‘She’s a talker,’ Harvey smiled.
‘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.
She blew out to let the steam escape from her own mouth and earned a laugh from Harvey when it seemed she couldn’t wait any longer for the chips to cool down either.
Side by side, they finished their portions. ‘I’m too full now,’ Harvey announced as he balled up the rubbish and took it over to the nearby litter bin.
‘Let’s go and see if we can find this marina.’ Now they were in Leafbourne she wanted to find out what they could and if that was nothing, perhaps she’d have no choice but to come out with it and ask Barney about his past before she headed back to Windsor. She was beginning to get desperate.
Back in the truck they’d only driven around two more bends in the road before they found the marina. Harvey pulled the truck onto the concrete alongside so other cars could pass. They could just about see that the river stretched out from behind the marina and went on to snake through the landscape beyond. A boat sailed out on the river beyond, its cream sail flapping in the wind, a power boat chugged back in the opposite direction.
With nowhere for them to park up, Harvey pulled out and drove further on until the road wound round to a village green, opposite which was a pub with bright bloom-filled hanging baskets, its sign gently swaying in the wind, low-lit windows that even on a summer’s day told of a cosy inside. It was only a couple of hundred metres on and with the rain holding off for now they pulled into the car park and set off on foot back to the marina.
The same boy was still perched on the sign, he must be on a second cigarette, doing what he could to prolong a return to work.
Inside the office at the marina they waited to be noticed.
‘We’d be waiting another hour if you weren’t wearing those shorts,’ Harvey whispered when at last a worker who looked to be in his early twenties spotted them and came over, his gaze firmly fixed on her.
‘Can I help you?’ The lad wiped his hands on an already-greasy rag. ‘Small rowboat hire is around the other side, or there’s one electric day boat left, or canoes if you like,’ he said, not bothering to hide how impressed he was with Melissa’s legs.
Ignoring the admiration, Melissa told him, ‘We’re not here to hire a boat. We’re trying to find out about someone we know used to live here in Leafbourne, someone who spent a lot of time here at the marina.’
‘Right. Well, I’ve been here seven years so I should be able to help you.’
‘The person we’re asking after is kind of a little older,’ she said.
‘How old?’
‘He’s in his seventies now.’
The young lad let out a whistle. ‘Then you’ll need to talk to someone else. Hey, Grandad!’ he called without moving away and Melissa winced at the possibility of a burst eardrum.
Coming Home to Heritage Cove Page 20