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needing
everything, I had visited almost every shop in town. Loading the car with my purchases
I ran through my mental check list for tonight’s dinner. Steak, baby new
potatoes, carrots and asparagus, known for its aphrodisiac qualities I laughed
to myself, wondering if he’d realise.
      I had also bought actual potatoes in case he’d
rather have chips and salad in case he would rather have salad. Perhaps I had
gone a little over the top! I tucked the three bottles of wine in a space under
the seat and dashed across to the bakery to pick up something wonderful for
dessert. I was looking forward to tonight a little too much I thought, mentally
scalding myself.
    I set off to the farm, hoping
that Joy would be at home. If she’d met someone last night the girl could be
anywhere. She might even be working. I could never keep up with her days off,
they changed every week. I always caught up with her when I visited Alice and
felt guilty for leaving straight after the funeral without saying goodbye. It
had been too hard a day and I just couldn’t face seeing anyone.
    I had cried my way into the
beautiful ancient church on the hill and cried my way out, straight into the
car and back to London. I was too overcome, too grief stricken to speak to
anyone. I worried at the time they might think me rude, but the whole situation
had been utterly overwhelming. I’d realised for the first time that I was
completely alone in the world and I couldn’t face the town, her friends, the
beach house or anything that reminded me of exactly what I’d lost. I wondered
if Sam had been there. If he had I certainly hadn’t noticed him, but I hadn’t
noticed anyone that day.
    I hadn’t seen Joy since and was
sure she would understand. I also thought she might be able to fill me in about
Sam. There was bound to be local gossip about the gorgeous out-of-towner and if
anyone knew what it was, it would be Joy.
    The farm was set back from the
road, about two miles from Alice’s, surrounded by fields, beautiful and
isolated. She had moved back there with her parents after splitting up with
Jon. No one had seen that coming, least of all me. They had been together as
long as any of us could remember, inseparable from the first time they held
hands at primary school. Joy had told me it was a mutual decision and they
remained friends but had simply grown apart. Her love life had been fairly
colourful since, and I was looking forward to her filling me in on the latest
developments.
    As I made my way down the dirt
and gravel track, I could see her outside with her back to me, loading wood
into nylon orange bags and she stumbled back startled when I blared my horn. I couldn’t stop laughing as she picked herself up off the gravel and
ran over to the car.
    “You daft cow!” she scalded,
slapping my shoulder before pulling me into a hug. “When did you get back?” she
asked, still mildly annoyed.
    “Yesterday,” I replied, laughing
and standing back to look at her. “I thought I’d better stock up on some wood
and give my old friend a visit,” I smiled.
    “Take these and less of the old, ” Joy said, opening the car door and
lifting an orange bag onto the back seat, still trying to get her startled
breathing under control as I helped her with four more bags.
      “Let’s have a brew and a proper catch up,” she
smiled as I followed her into the farmhouse kitchen. “Sit. I want to know
everything before you bugger off back to London and I don’t see you for another
six months,” she said, slapping my arm playfully.
    “I’m not going back,” I smiled,
knowing this would be welcome news, and as she poured the tea I filled her in
on every detail that had led to my decision. It was getting easier to talk
about all that had happened and that was definitely a good sign.
    “I wish I’d have known, but I’m
so glad you’re back. We are going to have some fun, Rose” she laughed gently.
    “So how are things with you then,
Joy, any