Page 53 of The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge

There was a brief silence at the other end of the phone. Matt waited. He’d known Keith quite well before he and his wife closed their small stock feed business and retired to the coast. He wasn’t a man to be rushed or pressured.

‘What sort of figure were you thinking?’

Matt answered honestly. He wouldn’t cheat his client by setting the figure too low in order to help Bree. But at the same time, he wouldn’t let the price get above what was realistic.

‘That’s not a lot,’ Keith said.

‘True. But I think it’s the best we can hope for. It would cover the rates and so forth. I know this tenant. The place would be looked after. A prosperous place is easier to sell than something that’s been empty for a couple of years. And you never know. The tenant might even think about buying it once they get established. If it works out.’

‘There is that, I guess.’

They talked for a couple more minutes and ended the call with Keith saying he’d discuss it with his wife and call back in the next day or two.

‘There’s no hurry,’ Matt assured him as he hung up.

As he put the phone back on his desk, he wondered if he’d gone a bit too far. Bree hadn’t said she wanted to rent the store to set up a yarn shop. But the building was perfect. There was a big space where the knitting club could meet. It would be easy for out-of-towners to find. It did need some paint and a bit of TLC, but Jake was always available. Or, if Bree didn’t have the money to spend, Matt would help.

He’d wait until he heard back from Keith before he said anything to her.

He glanced at the time. He should shut the office now and collect Vicki, who was at a schoolfriend’s house. Sally was due to FaceTime this evening, and he wanted to make sure Vicki was home for that. He didn’t want to give Kim’s mother any excuse to complain. As he did at the end of every day, he brought Kim’s photo up on his screen.

‘Hopefully there won’t be any problems this time,’ he told Kim’s smiling image. ‘Next weekend is the library fundraiser. I know how much you loved those. Vicki loves them too, now she’s a little older. I’ll be taking her along for a little while. I’m taking Bree as well. You remember me telling you about the alpaca farmer? She’s been so kind to Vicki. Well, Deb nagged us into going to the dance together. You know how hard it can be to say no to Deb. Still, I guess it will stop her feeling out of place and give her a chance to meet some more of the locals. That’s all it is, Kim. I’m just being a friend to her.’

He reached for the mouse to shut the machine down, wondering if, for the first time ever, he had just lied to Kim.

***

Sally’s call came right on schedule. Vicki greeted her with her usual joy and settled down to tell her grandparents about school and the new book she was reading.

‘What about your knitting, sweetheart? Are you still doing that?’ Sally’s question seemed innocuous, but Matt wasn’t sure. In Vicki’s world, the knitting was so linked to Bree, it was possible Sally was trying to pry. The thought was unsettling and he hated himself for thinking it, but it would not go away.

‘I am, Granny, but I can’t tell you anything about it.’

‘And why not?’

‘Just because. Isn’t that right, Daddy?’

‘It is a surprise,’ Matt said carefully. ‘But you’ll like it when you find out, Sally.’

‘Shh.’ Vicki put her hand over his mouth. ‘Don’t tell her.’

Matt’s phone rang. He left his place on the couch next to Vicki to check it. Keith. That was quick. ‘I’ll step outside to take this,’ he told Vicki and Sally. ‘It’s work. I’ll only be gone a couple of minutes.’

It took longer than a couple of minutes, but Matt was satisfied by the time he hung up. Keith had agreed to renting his little shop, with hope of a sale some time in the future. They’d come up with a price which seemed fair to both of them. It was also a price that Matt hoped Bree could afford. The yarn shop wasn’t going to turn the Ridge into an art world hub, but it was another step towards prosperity. Matt was hopeful and optimistic as he put his phone into his pocket and went back inside.

‘How would you like to come and live with your grandpa and me?’

The words were spoken as Matt stepped through the doorway. The tablet was turned towards the sofa and Sally would not have seen that he was back.

‘You mean like a holiday?’ Vicki sounded eager.

‘Yes. A holiday. You know we have a swimming pool for the summer. And there’s a movie theatre. And bookshops and lots of fun things to do. And don’t forget the beach is close. And if you had fun here, you could stay as long as you wanted to. You could even go to school here. It’s a lovely school and you’d make lots of friends.’

Matt crossed the room and took the tablet from his daughter’s hands. ‘Vicki, can you go to your room, please.’

‘Daddy? Did you hear what Granny was saying? I can go have a holiday with them. Can I, Daddy?’

‘Honey, please go to your bedroom. Granny and I have to talk about something.’

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