‘What’s his name?’
‘Sam,’ Guy replied, and began to shout the dog’s name and rattle his lead.
Speedily, they carried on walking along the path, ‘So I take it you aren’t from around these parts, then?’
‘With an accent like this?’ he laughed. ‘No, it’s my brother who owns the boatyard here. I’m helping him out for a while.’
‘Ed’s your brother?’ Nell said astounded.
‘He is indeed.’
‘Ahh, you’re helping him out because of his operation?’
‘Yes, he’s laid up for six weeks after a hernia operation, so I offered to come and give him a hand at the boatyard he’s always raving on about.’
Ed had owned the boatyard at the marina for as long as Ollie and Nell had moored the ‘Nollie’ there. He seemed a little older than Guy and, as far as Nell was aware he had no wife or children. He was always a happy-go-lucky fellow, nothing was ever too much trouble. During the past year, Nell had often noticed his light on in the boat shed until the early hours of the morning when she couldn’t sleep. He was always beavering away, restoring and painting boats and was well thought of at the marina.
‘What do you think about the place so far?’ Nell asked, while Guy carried on beckoning for Sam in between chatting to her.
‘I can see the attraction,’ he snagged her eye and she didn’t know why but she felt herself instantly blush. He paused for a second, ‘Ed was always what my mum would call a tinkerer. Always up to his armpits in grease and oil.’
‘Just like my Ollie.’
‘Ollie?’
‘My husband,’ she answered, traipsing alongside Guy. ‘Was my husband,’ she exhaled.
‘Was?’ Guy commented, not making eye contact but looking up ahead for Sam. ‘Divorced?’
‘Widowed. He passed away. In fact it’s his birthday today.’
Immediately Guy stopped in his tracks and swung towards her. ‘I don’t know what to say. Are you okay?’ he asked kindly.
Nell offered him a warm smile, ‘What can you say? Life was difficult for a while but it’s becoming more bearable. I’m getting there, as they say.’
‘What happened? Do you mind me asking?’
Nell shook her head, ‘Ollie was involved in a motorbike accident, and eventually his life-support machine was switched off and you know what?’ she touched his elbow, ‘This is the first time I’ve spoken about it without bursting into tears.’
‘It sounds like it’s been a very difficult time for you.’
They carried on walking in silence before stopping a little further up and leaning against an old rickety fence. The pair of them stared at the stunning scenery. The fields stretched for miles and miles.
In the last twenty minutes or so the temperature had dropped dramatically and Nell shivered.
‘It looks like it’s threatening snow,’ said Nell, ‘Let’s hope we find Sam soon.
Guy nodded, ‘You’re cold,’ he said, ruffling a hand through his hair before slipping off his scarf and handing it to her.
‘Thanks,’ she replied, wrapping it tightly around her neck. ‘It doesn’t look like he’s come this way. Let’s head back towards the marina.’
They both turned around and began to quickly walk back up the path, ‘I can’t help but ask,’ she said, curiosity getting the better of her, ‘about your accent.’
‘Irish.’
She nodded, ‘Ed doesn’t have an Irish accent.’
‘That’s very true. We have different fathers. He’s ten years older than me. My mum and his dad split up years ago and then she met my father, Niall.’
‘Whose name sounds very Irish!’
‘Yep, hence the accent. Ed moved across here some time ago after meeting a girl at work. She was on a short-term contract at a firm he used to be employed at over in Ireland, but she was from around these parts and when her contract was up, she moved back home and he followed her.’
‘I didn’t even know Ed had a girlfriend.’
‘He doesn’t now. They split up a couple of months later, but he liked the place that much he never came home and has been here ever since.’
‘What about you?’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, have you got any family of your own?’
His eyes seemed to harden for a moment, ‘Only my dog, who seems to have done a complete runner on me.’
‘Don’t worry, he can’t have gone far, we’ll find him.’
They hurried back towards the marina and the whole place looked deserted on this cold grey day except for a van parked up at the far end of the towpath. Then, out of the blue, all they could hear was a sudden continuous banging that seemed to echo all around them.
‘What’s that noise?’ Nell asked, glancing up the wharf.
‘That man over there. He’s hammering a sign on to the front of that building.’
She squinted ahead to see the man throw his tools into the back of the van, start the engine and drive off.
‘What’s that place?’ Guy asked as they carried on walking towards it.
Nell paused outside the building and a small wave of sadness washed over her. She was rooted to the spot and stared up at the sign. ‘For Sale,’ she murmured despondently.
‘It looks like it’s been empty for a while. Shame, it looks like it was a beautiful building.’
Nell had forgotten how much she adored this place. Some of her favourite memories were made right there, inside that building.
‘It was. It’s the Old Picture House.’
‘Picture house?’
She nodded, ‘A cinema with a difference. In it’s heyday, on a Friday night, it used to be packed to the rafters. It really was the place to go. Ollie and me had our very first date there, must be over twelve years ago now, and when I was a kid I’d spend my Sunday mornings here with my dad watching films. This place was the heart of the community for years.’
‘I bet you were a cute kid,’ he smiled at her.
Nell laughed, his words taking her a little by surprise. ‘Adorable my dad said, but he was biased.’
They both stared up at the building. The roof looked worn and the grimy bricks were streaked by the rainwater that had dripped from the broken gutters. Half of the windows had panes of glass missing and the other half were boarded up. Worn heavy velvet curtains still hung in the upstairs windows, but they looked as if they were clinging on for dear life. What was once a magical building was now badly in need of some tender loving care.
Out of every inch of Nell’s body poured the memories of her early dates with Ollie. They were good memories and magical moments she’d never forget. She could still remember the thousands of anxious fireflies dancing around in her stomach on their very first date, the smell of his aftershave and the feeling that surged through her body when he had held her hand for the very first time. That night he’d offered to pick her up from Bluebell Cottage and just before seven o’clock there’d been a rap on the door. Nell had waited a moment at the top of the stairs, not wanting to appear too keen, until her dad shouted ‘I’ll get the door.’
How embarrassing.
She’d sprinted down the stairs quicker than an Olympian and threw open the door to find Ollie standing on the doorstep, timidly smiling back at her. It was early autumn and the sun was still shining in the early evening sky. He’d stood shyly, with his hands in the back pocket of his jeans, and she couldn’t help but notice his tanned muscly arms on show.
‘Hi,’ he’d said, then nervously raked a hand through his unruly hair. They’d walked to the marina, and she could remember looking back over her shoulder as they wandered up the garden path, only to notice her mum and dad peeping from behind the curtain. At that time of year the walk to the marina was a pleasant one, along the towpath. Honeysuckle still festooned the hedgerows and the narrowboats slowly glided past them up the canal. They’d ambled side by side, their elbows banging against each other’s. Her heart was thumping and she forced herself to breathe calml
y. Feeling his presence so close to her had made every ounce of her body tingle. His eyes sparkled and met hers, then, finally, he’d stretched out his hand and their fingers had entwined. They’d strolled hand in hand for the rest of the way.
At the end of the evening he’d walked her home. They’d lingered on the doorstep for what seemed like hours before he’d taken her hands in his. She’d shivered in anticipation as he tilted her chin up and lowered his head towards her and kissed her gently. Her heart had been beating so fast that she honestly thought it was going to explode and that was the moment she knew, she wanted to be Ollie Andrews’ girlfriend.
A sigh escaped her and she met Guy’s eyes.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked.
‘Sometimes I wish I could turn back time and have my life again,’ but Nell knew standing there looking up at the building she couldn’t turn back the clock. She’d lovely memories of the Old Picture House and ones she would cherish forever.
‘What happened to this place? Why did it close down?’
‘I’m assuming financial difficulty. I suppose these days people watch films online and less and less people began to use the place. It never really moved into the digital age, it continued to run exactly how it had done since the day it opened, with its projectors and ice-cream sellers in the foyer.’
‘There was a little place like that in Ireland. It kept going and going and soon it was all the rage again. The Vintage Cinema, you even had waitress service to your seat.’
‘That sounds just like this place. When you walked inside the foyer it felt like you were a Hollywood film actor. There was a beautiful chandelier and floor-to-ceiling posters of the latest films as well as the old classics. You should have seen it. Then there was … Gladys, I think that was her name. She was the woman who sat behind the wooden box taking your money. Oh and I can’t forget the plush velvet red bucket seats, once you sank into them there was no getting out, well not with much dignity, anyway. It was a very sad day when the doors closed for the final time.’
‘Such a shame the magic can’t live on.’ Guy added, ‘And now it’s up for sale.’
Nell felt saddened by the ‘for sale’ sign, but it was only a matter of time before the property was sold on. ‘I’m surprised it’s not been sold sooner.’
‘It’ll be more than likely snapped up by a builder, then flattened for houses.’
She felt a sudden pang in her heart at the mere mention of Guy’s words.
They stared for a moment longer until they were interrupted by a distant yelp, then a bark.
‘Sam,’ Guy shouted, ‘Sam, where are you, boy?’
They both stood rooted to the spot, waiting for him to bark again.
‘Sam,’ he boomed again.
The next bark came from somewhere behind them. They both spun round. ‘Over there, I think,’ said Nell, hurrying towards the water’s edge.
She strained to look between the moored canal boats. ‘There, over there,’ she pointed.
In the distance, standing to attention on the bow of a boat, was Sam. As soon as he spotted them, his tail swished madly and he began to woof excitedly.
‘How the hell has he managed to get himself all the way out there? I didn’t even know he could swim.’
‘It’s instinct. All dogs can usually swim.’
‘Come on and mind your head,’ Nell said, squeezing between the rails at the end of the jetty, then jumping down on to a small rowing boat that was tied up.
‘Grab an oar.’
Guy dithered, ‘Who does this boat belong to?’
‘Fred Bramley. He’s my neighbour, lived on the marina for years. That’s his boat there. The one next to mine, ‘The Old Geezer.’
‘Will he mind us pinching his boat?’
‘Needs must! We’re only borrowing it. I’m sure it’ll be fine.’
Rubbing her hands vigorously in an attempt to warm them up Nell untied the rope and grabbed an oar.
‘Jump in, what are you waiting for?’
Guy hesitated for a second, ‘I have to admit, I’m not too keen on water.’
She glanced back up in his direction and tried to read his expression. With the anxious look on his face she realised that he wasn’t joking and looked absolutely terrified.
Nell wondered how to put it tactfully. ‘Guy, you need to get in. I can’t rescue your dog by myself, I need help lowering him into the boat.’
‘Is the only way to get there by boat?’
‘There’s the long walk round to the far jetty but it’ll take about ten minutes.’
‘I’m being silly, aren’t I?’ he said, but still didn’t move.
‘See that box on the bow of the ‘Nollie’,’ she nodded towards her narrowboat, ‘There’s a life jacket in there. Go and grab it quickly.’
There was a look of slight relief on Guy’s face as he turned and hurried towards the box. Watching Guy slide the life jacket over his head, her heart hammered against her chest. She felt a little saddened. That was Ollie’s life jacket and she hadn’t set eyes on it for a while, but it was the perfect fit for Guy.
He made his way back to the boat. The colour actually drained from his face as he grabbed the sides of the rickety old thing and began to lower himself in.
‘Whoa,’ he exclaimed as the boat began to rock.
‘Try and steady yourself and sit still, it can be a little daunting when you first climb in.’
Once Guy was safely perched on the edge of the seat she noticed his knuckles turning white as he clung on for dear life.
‘You really don’t like water, do you?’
He shook his head and stared out towards Sam.
Nell immersed the spoon of the blades into the water and began to row gently.
‘No holidaying on a cruise ship for you, then,’ she joked, trying to lighten the mood and put Guy at ease.
He shuddered, ‘I can’t think of anything worse. I think it’s safe to say I’m petrified of water.’
‘I hadn’t noticed,’ she said, cocking an eyebrow and offering him a warm smile.
‘I know it’s pathetic, a man of my age …’
‘About thirty?’
‘Twenty-nine actually.’
‘Good guess.’
‘But …’
He squeezed his eyes shut as they glided smoothly towards the barge.
‘But?’
‘It happened a long time ago, I was only seven years old.’
‘A very long time ago then,’ she said, playfully.
He peered through one eye, ‘Cheeky. Near to where I live in Ireland there was a lake. Every school holiday, I used to hang out there with my mate Dan and build dens in the forest near by, but this one day we came across a small rowing boat that had been abandoned near the water’s edge. It was Dan’s idea to see if we could row it to the other side of the lake. Unfortunately, halfway across, the boat began to leak and it capsized and I couldn’t swim. In no time at all we were both clinging to a sinking boat and the water was getting higher and higher around us. I clamped my mouth shut while Dan screamed for dear life. Dan could swim but didn’t want to leave me. Luckily for us, a dog-walker heard him, jumped into the water and rescued us both. That was the last time I ever went near open water, until now.’
‘Sounds very traumatic,’ exclaimed Nell.
‘If I close my eyes I can still remember the stench of the water,’ Guy shuddered.
She manoeuvred the rowing boat as calmly as possible through the icy cold water. As they approached Sam, he rocked excitedly from one paw to another. His tail was wagging and he began to woof.
‘Look at him, he’s soaking wet,’ Guy exclaimed. ‘Without a doubt he’s been in the water.’
‘Okay, here’s what I’m going to do. I need to steer closer to the boat and tie it onto that wrought-iron ring over there. I need to make sure you don’t float away when I climb out.’
Guy looked awful, his face was ghastly white, he clenched his cheeks and the fear in his eyes said it all
.
‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to let anything happen to you.’
He nodded, soothed by Nell’s words, then looked wistfully towards Sam and gave an exasperated sigh.
‘Don’t move!’ Nell joked, smiling.
‘I’ve no intention of going anywhere,’ Guy said, folding his arms.
Nell took the oars out of the rowlocks, dug the blades in the water and stopped the boat. She reached and grabbed the rope then slowly tilted herself towards the wrought-iron ring and tied the little rowing boat securely to the side of the canal boat.
‘It doesn’t look like anyone’s home,’ she murmured, hurling herself on to the deck.
‘Who owns this boat?’ Guy questioned.
‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ she read the bright lettering on the side of the boat, ‘I’ve no idea. It’s only been moored here a couple of days, it’s probably someone just passing through.’
As soon as Nell was standing on the boat, Sam sprang at her, leaving her covered in wet, stinky paw prints. She grabbed his collar and patted the top of his head. ‘Good boy.’
‘He’s definitely been in the water,’ she claimed, wrinkling her nose at the stench. ‘Throw me his lead.’
Guy reached inside his coat pocket then gently threw the lead towards Nell, who caught it and clipped it on to Sam’s collar. Nell peered through the glass window, ‘No sign of anyone,’ she said, carefully lowering herself back into the boat, then encouraging Sam to jump, however he was sitting firmly on the deck of the canal boat and refusing to move. Nell glanced earnestly at Guy.
‘Any ideas how I can get him to move?’
Once more Guy rummaged inside his pocket and produced a treat and passed it to Nell. ‘Try this.’
She swallowed hard then exhaled, ‘Okay boy, come on, let’s get you on board so we can all get home.’ She held the treat towards Sam, who immediately leapt into action and propelled himself on to the boat, Nell’s smile drooped slightly as the boat began to rock.
Guy squirmed, closed his eyes and clasped tightly onto the wooden slacks he was sitting on.
Nell coaxed Sam to lie between her legs and patted Guy’s knee, ‘Here take this.’ He opened his eyes and she passed him the lead. ‘Keep him still. We will be back on dry land in no time at all.’
The Cosy Canal Boat Dream: A funny, feel-good romantic comedy you won’t be able to put down! Page 3