Lost and Found on Foxglove Street (The Foxglove Street #9)

Chapter 19

19

At nine-thirty the next morning, Grace was sitting at her kitchen table with her laptop open and a mug of tea going cold beside her, staring at the computer screen and feeling completely unmotivated.

She’d been sitting there for the past hour, attempting to work her way through a series of hospitality industry business bulletins. Usually, she lapped this sort of stuff up. This morning, though, she had to keep rereading the pages on her laptop screen because none of the information appeared to be penetrating her brain.

Her mind kept wandering to other things. Mostly, it kept wandering to her stalled promotion at work and how the bad news had left her feeling so empty. Reminding herself that she still had a job, and a good job at that, made little impact on that emptiness.

But her mind also kept wandering to Ryan, and each time that happened, her heart did a stupid little backflip inside her chest.

No matter how often she attempted to focus once more on the materials she was trying to read on her laptop, her mind zoomed off again, and when she finally returned to the here and now, she had no clue about any of the content she’d just scanned on the screen.

The past hour spent supposedly studying had been nothing but a huge waste of time.

Grace wondered if Ryan was right when he’d said she ought to take a proper break from work, and a proper break from the studying and researching she’d planned for this extended time off. What was the point of sitting here in front of her laptop if she wasn’t actually doing anything productive?

Perhaps a proper break from everything related to her job was exactly what she needed after all? Grace wondered what she could do with her time instead.

On the back of this thought, another arrived instantly: she could take Ryan up on his offer to join him and his grandmother on their little jaunt out into the countryside.

The idea was ridiculously appealing. She liked Ryan, more than she was willing to admit, and acknowledging this to herself caused a hot blush to warm her cheeks.

What’s more, she certainly liked his grandmother, whose company she enjoyed a great deal. Getting out of the house, and out of her own head for a while, would surely only do her good?

Yet, despite Ryan’s insistence that she was welcome to join them on their little day trip, Grace winced at the idea of imposing on the special time Ryan was spending with his grandmother. Just because she was fed up and feeling sad and, okay, yes, feeling quite lonely too right now, that didn’t give her the right to shove her way into someone else’s precious family time, and…

Grace glanced up at Stanley’s sudden movements across the kitchen. For the past hour, the little dog had been curled up on his bed, which Grace had squeezed in between the fridge and the radiator. Following the nice walk they’d taken together this morning around Hamblehurst, Stanley had seemed happy to doze off, his eyes occasionally blinking open to see what she was up to.

Now, the little dog was speeding out of the kitchen as if on a mission. Grace heard a scrabbling noise in the hallway and was about to get up to see what was going on when Stanley reappeared.

He was carrying his dog lead in his mouth, and he trotted smartly to where Grace sat at the kitchen table and stood before her, wagging his tail. Grace couldn’t help but laugh in astonishment.

“You don’t need another walk already, do you?” she asked, and got up to open the back door. “We only had a walk an hour ago. If you need to go and do your business, then just use the garden.”

Stanley glanced at the open door and then back to Grace, before trotting over to where she stood and planting his bottom on the ground, the dog lead still dangling from his mouth.

“What a funny little mutt you are, Stanley,” Grace said. “And where exactly did you learn this trick with your lead?”

The dog wagged his tail again and chuntered. The creature’s clever gaze made her wonder if Stanley had more going on inside his little canine head than she’d given him credit for.

“So, you don’t want to go out into the garden, is that right?” she said, amusing herself with the idea she might actually be having a conversation with a dog.

Stanley let out a low yip and remained rooted to the spot where he sat.

“Do you want to go out for another walk around Hamblehurst?”

Stanley yipped again and moved his head in a motion that looked an awful lot like a headshake to indicate the answer was no.

A ridiculous idea occurred to Grace. “Shall we go with Ryan and Miriam on a nice trip to the countryside?”

This time, Stanley exploded in a frenzy of barking and began spinning in circles, the dog lead dropping from his mouth and getting tangled up in his little legs as he whirled around. If Grace hadn’t just seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed it.

Had Stanley just said yes to a trip out with Ryan?

Or was she simply using the cute little dog as an excuse to do something she really wanted to do, but for some unfathomable reason couldn’t seem to pluck up the courage for?

“Okay, you win, Stanley,” Grace laughed, and grabbed her phone from the table. “Let’s hope they haven’t already packed up and left for the day.”

Stanley barked again and spun a few more circles on the floor, and then raced to his bowl to lap up some water. Grace typed a message to Ryan and sent it.

I was just wondering if Stanley and I can tag along with you and Miriam on your day out in the countryside, or are we too late?

Less than a minute passed before a reply pinged through from Ryan.

Of course you can both come along! We’re planning on leaving just after ten if that works for you and the scruffy mutt. We’ll swing by your house and pick you up.

Grace beamed as she replied that they’d be ready. When she looked up from her phone and saw Stanley already waiting by the front door with his lead once more dangling from his mouth, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Mad little dog,” she muttered as she rushed upstairs to drag a brush through her hair, swipe on some lipstick, and get ready for her impromptu day out.

Ryan pulled up outside her house a little after ten o’clock, as promised. His car was a sleek SUV, which he explained he’d chosen because it was perfect for transporting musical instruments or equipment around when he was required to do so, and the sizeable boot space meant there was plenty of room in the rear for Stanley to sit comfortably. The little dog hopped into the boot and made himself at home.

“I’m glad you changed your mind about coming along with us today,” Ryan said as he opened the rear passenger door for Grace.

Touched by this courteous gesture, Grace smiled in thanks. “I’m glad, too.”

They exchanged another smile as Ryan closed the car door. Grace caught the spicy scent of his aftershave and liked it. Ryan looked casually smart in dark chinos, a soft plaid shirt, and walking shoes, and Grace was glad she’d changed into blue cargo trousers and a cream-coloured sweater that gave her an outdoorsy vibe.

“I’m so glad you could join us,” Miriam said from the front seat as Ryan got back in behind the wheel.

“Thanks for letting me gatecrash your day out,” Grace replied.

“Oh nonsense, you’re doing no such thing. The more the merrier. We’ll have a wonderful time, and I think Stanley will enjoy the walk I’ve chosen for us to tackle. It’s not too onerous, and we avoid any nasty hills, but there will still be plenty of lovely scenery to enjoy.”

They set off, the conversation back-and-forth as they motored through the countryside. By the time they arrived in a small village near East Meon twenty minutes later, the bank of grey clouds overhead had cleared to reveal blue skies and fluffy wisps of summery cumulus. The temperatures were perfect, the air warm but still fresh thanks to the breeze. Once Ryan parked the car, Miriam showed Grace the route map she’d saved on her phone.

“This walk will only take us forty minutes or so,” Miriam said. “And if I’m feeling lively enough after lunch, there’s another walk we can choose to do, which winds around in the opposite direction.”

“Lead the way,” Grace said with a smile.

The car park was beside the village main street, which boasted a number of cafes and pubs, and an assortment of independent shops. Miriam pointed in the direction of the various businesses.

“Before we start our walk, I think a cup of tea is in order, don’t you?” Miriam said.

“Grandma cannot function without mainlining tea on an hourly basis throughout the day,” Ryan quipped, throwing Grace a wry smile.

Miriam chuckled and led them towards the nearest of the little cafes that dotted the small main street. A sign on the door said well-behaved dogs were welcome, and Miriam nodded in approval before going inside. Once seated at a table beside the window, they ordered hot drinks from the waitress while Stanley burrowed beneath Grace’s chair and curled up at her feet.

By the time their drinks arrived, they were making easy conversation about the pleasant countryside walk that Miriam had plotted out on her phone, and which appeared to follow a well-trodden trail that took in the highlights of the surrounding area, including an old church, ancient woodland, and some quintessential South Downs chalk grasslands.

Grace relaxed with her cappuccino and realised how much she was already enjoying her impromptu day out. Perhaps this was exactly what she’d needed, after all.

“My Earl Grey tea is just the ticket,” Miriam said, taking a sip she’d poured from the teapot as she peered out of the café window. A curious frown creased her forehead. “Hmm, look at that little gift shop across the road. I must say, I have a feeling an old friend of mine owns a gift shop somewhere around here. I wonder…”

Miriam tapped on her phone and a moment later had pulled up some contact details. She tapped the screen to dial a number and brought the phone to her ear as Ryan exchanged an amused look with Grace.

“My grandmother has more friends and acquaintances than I’ve had hot dinners,” he commented, making Grace laugh.

Miriam shushed him with a flick of her hand, indicating her call had been answered.

“Hello, Jill, is that you? This is Miriam Lewis here. How are you dear? … Oh, that’s good. I’m so pleased to hear it … Oh yes, I’m fine, thoroughly on the mend now, and it’s very nice of you to ask after me. Listen, I just happen to be in your neck of the woods today and I’m sitting in a lovely little café and looking out at a gorgeous shop called Meon Valley Emporium Of Gifts, and I’m wondering if that is your little gift shop, Jill? … Oh, it is? Well, how about that! What are the chances?”

While this phone conversation continued, Grace’s gaze moved from Miriam’s animated expression to her grandson’s, which appeared to be one of increasingly suspicious bemusement as he listened to his grandmother talking.

Across the road, a woman appeared in the window of the gift shop and waved, her smile enormous. Miriam let out a peal of laughter and hopped up from her chair, moving closer to the café window to respond with a wave of her own.

“There you are Jill! Hello! You look simply fantastic … Well, actually I came here to have a nice walk with my grandson and his young lady friend,” Miriam said into the phone, her eyes flicking between the two of them. “But I’m sure they wouldn’t mind going for a walk without me while you and I have a nice catch up.”

Ryan’s eyes widened at this suggestion, but before he could say anything, his grandmother kept talking.

“Yes, Jill, you’re quite right. It is an enormous stroke of luck that you have your assistant working with you at the shop this morning and therefore have some free time to squeeze in a visit from an old friend. I can’t wait to see you. I’ll just finish this cup of tea here in the café and then I’ll pop over for a visit … Yes, I’m excited to see you too! Cheerio for now!”

Miriam hung up, looking pleased with herself as she turned her gaze to Ryan.

“Er, what was that all about?” Ryan asked, his frown deepening.

“Well, you’re a smart young man with a good pair of ears on the side of your head, and I’m sure you caught the gist of it,” Miriam said. “That shop over there does belong to my old friend Jill, and, as it happens, her shop assistant is on shift this morning, which means she can take some time away from the counter for a nice chat. It will be wonderful to see her after so long.”

“What about the walk you wanted to have in the countryside?” Ryan asked.

Miriam gave a dismissive wave. “I’ll have a walk with you both in the afternoon instead. I’m sure you don’t mind me sneaking off to say hello to my old friend, Ryan. After all, you have Grace here to keep you company.”

Grace couldn’t miss the twinkle in Miriam’s eyes as she said this, nor could she escape the distinct impression that there was something else going on here that she didn’t quite understand. Judging by the suspicious look Ryan was giving his grandmother, his thoughts were running along the same tracks as hers.

“We’ll meet up here again before lunch and by then I will have caught up with all my friend’s news,” Miriam said. “At which point, we’ll decide which of these lovely pubs we’d like to have lunch in. How does that sound?”

Ryan held his grandmother’s gaze for a long beat before he answered. “That sounds fine, Grandma. You’ll text me if you have any problems?”

“Of course. I don’t anticipate any trouble, though. Well, having said that, judging from what I can see already in my friend’s shop window, I may end up making rather too many purchases from her lovely selection of gifts, but that hardly constitutes trouble, does it?”

Miriam chuckled and drained the last of her tea before rising from her seat.

“Grace, you don’t mind me scooting off to see my friend, do you?”

“Not at all. I hope you enjoy catching up.”

“Thank you, dear. Right, I’ll see you both later. Send me a text message when you’ve finished your walk and we’ll all meet up and take things from there. Bye!”

Miriam opened her purse and laid a note on the table to cover their drinks and then left the café, throwing a wave in their direction as she exited. Grace watched the woman march briskly across the road to where her friend, Jill, was already opening the shop door and welcoming her inside with a warm embrace.

When Grace looked back at Ryan, she saw his narrowed gaze still tracking his grandmother as she disappeared inside the shop across the road.

“Sorry about that,” Ryan said at length and turned to Grace. “I thought Grandma was really keen on going for this walk. I had no idea she was about to dash off and leave us to our own devices. Although…”

When he trailed off, Grace prompted him to continue. “Although…?”

Ryan’s gaze narrowed again to where his grandmother had vanished into the gift shop, before he shook his head and gave Grace an amused smile. “Nothing. Listen, now that my grandmother has abandoned us, if you’d rather not bother going for a walk, I understand.”

“I’m looking forward to it, and so is Stanley,” she said, finishing her coffee. At the mention of his name, Stanley got to his feet and stretched.

“I’ve got the walking route here on my phone,” Ryan said, glancing at the screen. “I downloaded a map, so I’d have it to hand offline in case there were any mobile black spots. I didn’t want us to end up wandering off the trail and getting lost.”

“Good thinking. I’m ready if you are.”

They rose from the table and followed Stanley, who was already making his way to the door. Grace thought about how Miriam had suddenly dashed off and left Ryan alone with her, and how that meant they’d be taking this countryside walk together alone, too.

The idea of walking alone in the wilds with Ryan made Grace’s skin tingle with excited anticipation. But if the troubled look on Ryan’s face was anything to go by, he might not feel the same way.

Grace considered his clouded expression, and was relieved to see it vanish as he opened the café door for her and gave her a smile. Stepping outside, Grace just hoped that this walk they were about to embark on wouldn’t turn into an awkward disaster.