by Issy Brooke
Penny replied while Drew studied the menu. “They have come to a temporary arrangement for this half term where she spends mornings at the regular high school, and afternoons at The Acorns. They’ve done it that was round because she finds it easier to cope in the morning. And the afternoon sessions at The Acorns are a mix of pastoral stuff, life skills and counselling. That’s when Drew goes in, and all sorts of other agencies. There’s some scheme where they pair kids up with mentors and that kind of thing.”
“Sounds great. I want to go!” Francine said with a laugh.
“It’s only until Christmas though,” Drew said. He looked up from his menu. “After that, I think she’ll be expected to be back at school full time. But hopefully we can give her some strategies to cope.”
“She doesn’t need strategies,” Penny said. “I think she just needs an aim. She has no motivation.”
“It’s hard to know what to aim for when you don’t know what you can do,” Drew said. “We don’t want her to be stuck in some negative cycle so young.”
Penny pulled her finger down the outside of the glass of white wine, leaving a clear trail in the condensation. She thought about how Ariadne and Charlotte’s self-image from their younger years had blighted their lives. “Yes, you’re right,” she said. “I don’t really know enough about all this.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Drew said. “Neither do I, really. Just be real, and listen to folks.”
“You mean, listen more and talk less,” she said, and they all laughed, breaking the pensive atmosphere that had been threatening to descend on them.
A woman came to take their orders for food. When she’d gone, Drew said, “Anyway, speaking of Christmas – as we were, sort of – I saw Jared today and he said to remind you about the Planning Committee stuff.”
“Ooh,” Francine exclaimed. “What are you up to now?”
“Nothing dodgy,” Penny said. “Well, there are some new things. I mean, I totally messed up with the bonfire night stuff. Don’t forget, I wanted to be taking photographs for the community photo page online.”
“It was partly my fault,” Drew said. He laughed. “I asked you to be my date that night, and you got all confused.”
“I decided I had other priorities. I left my camera at home. But then there was that business with the dogs, and Ariadne, and Charlotte and everything … I still haven’t quite calmed down from it all, yet,” Penny said ruefully. “Anyway, apparently the local paper hadn’t sent anyone to cover it, because they expected that I would be there, like I had said I would. So in a funny way I ended up letting them down. Luckily Jared had taken some nice photos, and there were loads that members of the public took on their smartphones, so the website had enough and the local paper could still print one or two.”
“They should have told you they expected you in the first place,” Drew said. “Assumptions are silly.”
“Yes, they should have. But it’s nice to know that the paper are relying on me. Watch this space – I could end up as a local correspondent yet!”
“They won’t pay you,” Drew said. “And haven’t you got enough to do?”
“Yes, that’s true.” She turned to Francine. “I’m quite excited about being on the Christmas Planning Committee.”
“What do they do?” Francine asked. “Can I help?”
“Quite possibly. I am not sure yet what they want, but I know they organise the Christmas market in town, and the lights and town decorations. There is a meeting next week. You know Ginni, from the flower shop? She’s involved. And Cath is the police-community liaison officer. Do you want to come?”
“Yes please! I’m really settling in here,” Francine said.
“The recent events haven’t put you off?”
“Not at all,” she said. “It just means I’ve been able to see how well people cope with things.”
Then the food arrived at their table, and conversation temporarily died.
* * * *
Francine stayed on soft drinks and she drove home before it got too late. Drew and Penny refused her offer of a lift. They waved her away and then began to walk back along the quiet road to Glenfield.
“Are you warm enough?” Drew asked.
The honest answer was yes, as the alcohol and food was doing its work. “Mm,” she said, vaguely, and she was rewarded with Drew’s arm going around her. He didn’t pull her too tight against him. It was enough to feel his warmth, though. She was grateful.
“Poor Francine,” she said. “I’m sorry that it didn’t work out for her with Bill Travis.”
“She seems to be holding up well.”
“Yeah. She’ll be fine.” She certainly got on well with Kevin, Penny remembered. Maybe it’s my turn to play match-maker.
“She will be fine. And so will Ariadne, and Destiny, and William Goodfellow, and Kevin, and all the other people you are about to worry about.”
“I’m not!” Penny protested.
“You are. And it’s fine. It’s … something that I admire about you.”
“Oh.”
“I mean, other people would call it meddling, but I think it’s simply over-enthusiastic good intentions.”
“I am not sure I like that,” Penny said. “That’s what got Julie Rose killed, remember?”
“Let that be a warning to you to remember your limits, then,” he said.
“That’s a bit sinister!”
“It is the season for dark and mysterious sinister things.”
“No,” she said firmly as they approached the suburbs of Glenfield. They were not far from Drew’s house, now. “It is the season for roaring fires, parties with families and friends, staying safe, mince pies, playing silly games and relaxing.”
“Roaring fires, eh?”
“Yup.”
“I have an open fire,” he said, his tone lowering to something more suggestive.
“Yup.” She was definitely warm enough now.
“Would you like to come and relax in front of it? I can light it pretty quickly.”
“I bet you can,” she said. “Yes, please. I’d love to.”
They turned down the road that led to the row of cottages by the manor, and he kept hold of her, and she was happy to be held.
The end…
…book six coming soon!
Also out: Book One, Small Town Shock (http://amzn.to/1EILMdu)
And Book Two, Small Town Secrets (http://amzn.to/1ys54BJ)
And Book Three, Small Town Suspicions, (http://amzn.to/1FTyfO5)
And Book Four, Small Town Trouble, (http://amzn.to/1NsmP6t)
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Author’s Afterword
This is the bit you don’t need to read, but if you enjoyed the book you might want to find out more.
I’ve got a website at http://www.issybrooke.com where I have more information about the characters, about Lincolnshire, and the fictional town of Glenfield - including a map. It’s a work in progress.
The dog in this story, Kali, is based on our own rescue dog, a Rottie cross called Stella. That’s her on the cover of this book.
There are more books coming in this series - soon.
Oh, I’m on Facebook here – https://www.facebook.com/issy.brooke – and Twitter here – @IssyBrooke.
Thank you for reading.
Issy.
Table of Contents
Author’s Hello
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
&
nbsp; Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Afterword