Page 25 of A Little Love Song in Seabury
‘I could have sworn we had a whole bunch of stuff in here. Cold meat… cheese… olives?’
‘We did,’ said Ewan, looking surprised. ‘I went shopping yesterday before I made bread. I mean… I know Connie’s eating for two, but…’
‘Well, there’s no sign of any bread other than this,’ said Matt. He’d turned to rummage around in the bread bin and was now waving a solitary, slightly curled crust in the air.
‘Well, I definitely made some,’ said Ewan. ‘Two loaves for us and an extra one for Leah.’
‘Leah?’ said Will, snapping into focus at the mention of her name.
‘Yeah, dozy,’ sighed Ewan. ‘You know, the poor woman you dragged along on your holiday. The one who’s staying in Doris’s tiny flat while you swan around like lord muck in that massive place on the cliff!’
‘She… I… she wanted to stay there!’ said Will defensively.
Or had he just assumed that? Should he have invited her to stay with him at the cliff house instead? Wouldn’t that have been crossing some kind of boundary?
That said, he’d just spent the entire day wishing she was there with him in person, rather than floating in his mind’s eye, wrapped in wreaths of musical notes.
‘If you hadn’t been such an idiot about not staying with us at Seabury House, Leah could have stayed here too,’ said Ewan.
‘Why on earth would she want to do that?’
‘Are you kidding?!’ laughed Matt. ‘I told you this morning that she’s friends with the girls. They talk to each other at least twice a week. They’re practically sisters by this point.’
‘You’re right!’ said Ewan. ‘And I think youmighthave just solved the mystery of the missing food,’ he added, snapping his fingers.
‘Of course!’ said Matt with a little laugh.
‘I’m lost,’ muttered Will.
‘What’s new?’ said Ewan, thrusting an empty dinner plate at him. ‘Just take this and follow me.’
Grabbing their drinks, Matt ushered Will out into the hallway.
‘Recognise this?’ said Ewan, nodding at a charcoal grey, soft leather bag that was sitting on the huge wooden bench near the front door.
Will glanced at it and shook his head. ‘Should I?’
‘You really are a doofus, aren’t you?’ sighed Ewan.
‘Erm… why, exactly?’ said Will, now thoroughly confused.
‘Because that’s Leah’s bag,’ said Ewan, rolling his eyes.
‘How on earth would you know something like that?!’ demanded Will. ‘You’ve not even met her yet!’
‘Because Rosie and Connie sent it to her as a gift for Christmas’
‘And I would know that how, exactly?’ said Will.
‘Oh… you know, maybe because you’re together every single day,’ said Matt. ‘And because she takes it everywhere she goes.’
‘Again, how the eff would you know that?!’ tutted Will.
‘Because she had it with her on the beach this morning,’ said Matt. ‘And I’ve got eyes!’
‘So, what’s it doing here?’ said Will, shaking his head. He felt like he had water in his ears. The music was humming loudly now. All this talk of Leah seemed to be stirring it up.
‘Unbelievable,’ muttered Ewan. ‘Just… follow me, okay? Think you can do that?’
