Page 35 of Twilight at Croftwood Library
‘Morning,’ she said, smiling. ‘I hope you don’t mind.’ She pulled at the hem of the sweatshirt. ‘I haven’t unpacked yet and this was on the chair.’
‘It’s fine.’ It had to be fine. People who lived together, that was what happened. He was just a bit rusty. And at least she’d said something. Christ, it was just a sweatshirt. It didn’t matter.
‘I thought you might have bought me a coffee up?’
‘You don’t drink coffee at breakfast. You always have tea.’
She shrugged. ‘I do now.’
‘Sorry…’ he got up, thinking that Patsy was going to be thinking that he was already running around after Amy but feeling that he’d somehow started things off on the wrong foot.
‘It’s okay, you didn’t know. Sit down, I’ll make a cup of tea. Do you want one?’
’Thanks that’d be great.’ She disappeared into the kitchen leaving him sitting on the sofa running his hands through his hair, wondering how he’d got here.
20
Bill was waiting in the Red Lion Inn car park for Steph as she pulled up. She waved and grinned at him, pleased as ever to see one of her regulars.
She opened the door and dropped the steps down.
‘Morning Bill, got time for a cup of tea today?’
‘All the time in the world, Steph. How are you?’ He steadily made his way up the steps, leaning on the handrail.
‘It’s been a busy morning,’ she said as she pulled her tea-making supplies out of the cupboard, laying them out on the table. ‘I’ve been on my normal round and then high-tailed it over to Croftwood to drop some books off to them and have a quick meeting about the new book club.’
‘A book club? That sounds interesting.’ Bill took a biscuit and dunked it into his tea. Steph loved little signs like that which showed how comfortable people were when they visited the van.
‘The idea is that you have a date-with-a-book where you and another person who has read the same book get together to have a chat about it. It’s a bit easier than a whole group discussion and good for us on the mobile library because we can join in more easily.’ Although not at this stop, Steph realised, as Bill was the only regular. Still, as word spread about the book club it might encourage more people to visit the mobile library.
‘I think you’ll have to count me out then, Steph unless you’re reading the same book as me,’ he said.
‘That could be arranged,’ she winked at him. ‘You know, I wonder whether we can get some of my other regulars involved and a group of us could go to the main book club evening in Croftwood? It’s organised by the library but they hold the meeting at a really cool coffee house.’
‘It’s years since I’ve been to Croftwood,’ said Bill. ‘I expect it’s changed a lot since then. I can’t remember there being anywhere cool.’
‘I can tell you now, the library hasn’t changed since at least 1970 although my friend Lois is managing it at the moment and she’s breathing a bit of life into the old place.’
Bill chuckled. ‘If she’s anything like you, Steph, I can quite believe that.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’
‘As it was intended.’ Bill was such a gentleman.
‘So do you think you’d be up for a night out in Croftwood, Bill? I bet Eunice and Dottie from Hawthorn Lane would be up for it too.’
‘Well it’s been a while since I’ve had a night out but it sounds like a wonderful idea. I’m sure I can arrange a taxi if you let me know when it is.’
‘You know what, Bill? I might try and borrow the Dial-A-Ride minibus for the evening. That would save anyone from having to sort out taxis and it’d be more fun to go together.’ It was a great idea. She’d run it past Lois first but she felt sure it would be fine.
‘That would be even better. What a good idea.’ He dunked another biscuit. ‘I hope the refreshments at this ‘cool’ coffee shop are going to match up to yours, Steph,’ he said, completely seriously.
‘I think we’ll be alright but I’ll put a packet of custard creams in my bag just in case.’
On the way to her next stop, Steph thought back to Lois. She’d been shocked to see her in such an emotional state. Even when Alex broke things off out of the blue, she hadn’t been as upset as that and unless she’d missed something, Lois hadn’t even been seeing Oliver. Not properly anyway. That evening at the cinema, Lois had said something about Alex not being The One. Did that mean she’d started to think Oliver was The One? That would explain things.
When she pulled into her next stop, she opened up then took out her phone and rang Lois. It went to her voicemail.
