‘Well, you certainly look organized,’ I said, with a nod to the table.
‘I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything,’ she said, biting her lip. ‘Did you want to talk about the party?’
‘No,’ I said, ‘the boys.’
‘Oh, right,’ she said, wrinkling her nose because she knew exactly who I meant. ‘I’ll make us some iced tea and we’ll sit outside where no one can hear us.’
Her first words, once we were settled at a table, were proof enough of just how worried she was and I felt more determined than ever to bring the situation to a head.
‘Sam’s been like a bear with a sore head this week,’ she told me.
‘I know,’ I agreed. I had heard for myself just how het up he had been. ‘He practically bit poor George’s head off yesterday when Skipper upset his water bowl.’
‘Someone mentioned that,’ Hope said, biting her lip. ‘This is all Joe’s fault. He should never have come back.’
‘I don’t think that’s very fair, Hope.’ I pointed out as gently as I could. ‘Like I told your mum, his hand has been forced. He’s had no choice but to come back because he’s needed at the farm.’
‘Oh, I know,’ she said, stirring her tea with a paper straw. ‘It’s just all such a mess again and I can’t stand it.’
‘It is,’ I agreed, ‘and that’s why we need to do something about it. Avoiding the situation and avoiding Joe, like you suggested before, just isn’t working is it?’
‘No,’ she admitted.
‘If anything,’ I quickly added, sensing I had got her onside, ‘this week feels even worse than the last.’
‘I can’t deny that,’ she conceded, taking a sip through her straw. ‘So, what do you think we should do?’
I didn’t try and ease into it because there was no point.
‘Get them together.’
Poor Hope spluttered loudly and started to choke.
‘Are you mad?’ she coughed, sounding shocked as well as short of breath.
‘Probably,’ I said, patting her on the back, and giving Sophie, who had rushed to the café door, a thumbs up to indicate the situation was under control, ‘but they can’t carry on just circling around each other like this, can they? I think we need to set a situation up which will give them the opportunity to clear the air once and for all.’
It would be risky, a make-or-break face-to-face meeting, but I couldn’t think of any other way out of the deadlock.
‘And how exactly are we supposed to do that?’ Hope demanded, her tone suggesting that I had completely lost the plot.
‘Board game club,’ I said simply. ‘The next session is tomorrow night.’
‘Board game club,’ she echoed doubtfully.
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I thought the four of us could play Monopoly or something. The boys could talk without having to look at each other, and . . .’
‘You seriously think,’ Hope cut in, sounding incredulous, ‘that pitching the pair against each other in a competitive gaming environment will be the way to resolve a broken friendship which has been torn asunder for the best part of fifteen years?’
‘Did you really just say torn asunder?’
‘Did you really just make such a crazy suggestion?’ she shot back. ‘Do you seriously think this is the solution?’
‘It might be,’ I swallowed.
Now she’d spelt it out, the idea did sound a little off the wall.
‘And it might not,’ she quickly countered.
‘But it can’t make things any worse, can it?’ I insisted, sticking with the plan. ‘And we do have to do something, because I don’t know about you, but I’d quite like to have the Sam who was here when I first arrived back. I miss him.’
Hope looked at me over the rim of her glass and I felt my face colour.
‘All right,’ she relented. ‘We’ll give it a go, but only if you take full responsibility. I’m holding you entirely accountable and when it all descends into chaos, I’ll be pointing the finger firmly at you,’ she warned me.
‘I can live with that,’ I shrugged, but I wasn’t sure I could.
*
Before I left the café, I picked out a bucket and net from the selection Sophie had on display and the next afternoon, when the tide had receded, I headed down to the rockpools. The beach was quiet and it wasn’t long before I was immersed in the mysterious underwater world and feeling about ten years old again.
Thankfully, my fear of finding the pools contaminated was completely unwarranted and they sparkled and shone in the sunshine, just as much as they always had. The only thing missing was Mum in her yellow sundress, occasionally looking up from her book to admire my treasured finds.
I stared in renewed wonder at a brightly coloured exotic-looking beadlet anemone as it gently swayed and then jumped when a long-spined sea scorpion darted out from under the rocks. It was so well camouflaged I hadn’t spotted it before. By contrast, the progress of two starfish was uncommonly slow, but I didn’t mind that. I had been biding my time for the perfect moment to explore and I was happy, having found everything as it should be, to hang around for them. My patience had been rewarded with an exceptionally packed pool and I was pleased that I had waited so long to rediscover it.
Almost too soon, it was time to tear myself away and I released the three little crabs, (two edible and one hermit), that I had carefully scooped up and deposited into the bucket for closer inspection. Checking my watch, I headed back to the cottage, intent on issuing Joe an invitation to the pub, even if it did mean having to fire up my phone to do it.
‘Oh,’ I smiled, as I turned up the lane and discovered I could leave my phone where it was because the man himself was here.
It took me a couple of seconds to realize who he was talking to and even though I tried not to, I couldn’t help but stare. Out of view of the pub, Joe was talking to Hope. Not that it was any of my business, but I wished I was close enough to hear what they were saying. I also wished I could see the expression on Hope’s face, but she turned away when Joe raised his hand to acknowledge me. They swiftly parted and he jogged down the lane to meet me.
‘This is a bit of a coincidence.’ I smiled, deciding not to comment on the exchange I had just seen.
‘What is?’
‘I was just about to message you,’ I said, as I dumped the damp bucket and net on the path and unlocked the door. ‘Come in.’
I filled the kettle while Joe made himself at home.
‘What have you been up to this week?’ I asked, further swallowing down my curiosity about his chat with Hope.
‘Not staying out of your way because I embarrassed myself over a goodnight kiss,’ he said, ‘if that’s what you’re thinking?’
‘Of course not,’ I said, relieved to hear that he was joking. ‘I haven’t given it another thought.’
‘I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse,’ he laughed.
I didn’t dwell on the fact that now he knew how I felt!
‘What I mean,’ I said, ‘is that I’ve been so preoccupied with thoughts of our inimitable, never to be repeated, Elton and Kiki duet, that nothing else has really stood a chance.’