Page 61 of Happier Days

Eliza grinned. ‘I’m so pleased Ava came to visit.’

Jack smiled back. ‘So am I.’

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

On Wednesday morning, Ava and Jack were heading into Somerley. Jack had invited her along to a meeting.

‘Can you remember the town centre?’ he asked while they drove along winding lanes with beautiful scenery.

‘Vaguely,’ Ava told him. ‘I can recall the big oak tree in the middle of the square. Please tell me that’s still there.’

‘Yes, I doubt it will ever go. Anything else?’

‘Shops on the high street. A wonderful chip shop?’ Ava shrugged. ‘There was a park with a huge lake.’

‘Lil’s Pantry?’

‘Was that at the back of the square?’

‘It was. It’s been turned into an amazing coffee shop.’

Ava grinned. ‘So you’re holding your meeting there, obviously.’

‘Obviously.’

‘I can remember bits about Somerley,’ Ava said, excitedly. ‘The sweet stall in the indoor market was a particular favourite. Dad used to take me there when Mum was in the shops.’

‘I hope there are no bad memories it will bring up.’

‘I don’t think so. Holidays were always so chilled, weren’t they?’

‘Speak for yourself! I had to work doing something or other every summer. There was no gallivanting for six weeks for me. If I wasn’t collecting glasses or cleaning pots in the hotel, I’d be labouring on the farms. Never a dull day.’

‘I remember. I often couldn’t wait to see you in the evening. It made for long days for me, too.’

Jack nudged her playfully. ‘I wish you’d told me that before you’d left that last summer.’

‘I wish I’d said and done a lot of things,’ Ava said under her breath.

‘Sorry, didn’t catch that.’

‘You weren’t meant to.’ She laughed, then pointed ahead. ‘I can see the oak tree!’

Jack pulled into the car park just along from the square. He grabbed his laptop case, and they set off. They walked through the square onto the row of shops at the back of it. The oak tree Ava remembered was looking splendid if a little bare, four triangles of grass with flowerbeds at each corner surrounded by a low, wrought-iron decorated fence. There was a wooden bench attached all the way around the trunk of the tree. Ava had a flashback of herself sitting on it. Of course she’d been nosing, not watching what she was doing. The ice cream her mum had passed to her slid off its cone, landing on the ground with a splat.

Ahead was a row of buildings. ‘The Coffee Stop and The Book Stop.’

Jack pressed on the door handle. ‘You’re going to love this place.’

Ava stepped inside, the noise of approximately forty people reaching her ears first. Jack was right, it was delightful. Decorated in differing shades of lilac, with pale wood tables and chairs, two comfy leather settees pushed into a large bay window, it welcomed you inside without even trying. There was a counter on the back wall, mirrors behind making the roomseem double its size. Which was just as well, because every bit of space was taken up by customers.

‘It seems so inviting.’ She beamed.

‘Hi, Jack, how are you?’ A woman in her late thirties with long dark hair smiled at him from behind the counter.

‘I’m good, thanks. Kate, this is Ava. She’s here for the meeting with me.’

‘Pleased to meet you, Ava. I’ve popped you on table nine in the far corner. It has a reserved sign on it. Hannah and Doug are next door. I’ll let them know you’re here and send them through.’

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