Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack - Helen J. Rolfe Page 0,83

heard the story from his mum but the way Harvey told it was evocative to the point that he could imagine being a part of it, witnessing their dad hurling insults at their mum, punching Harvey, and Harvey fighting back by pushing him so hard he put him through the glass floor-to-ceiling window in the kitchen.

‘I thought about going to the funeral,’ Daniel admitted. ‘Not for an emotional goodbye but in a way to prove I was still standing, he wasn’t. That I’d gone on to sort myself out and he’d remained a pitiful excuse for a man until the day he died.’ He realised how venomous he sounded but Harvey took it in his stride.

‘He didn’t deserve for any of us to be there.’

‘I sat at Giselle’s place instead,’ said Daniel. ‘She’d made Peter’s favourite spaghetti bolognese topped with lots of grated cheese and when he got it all over his face by slurping it up, I did the same.’

Harvey started to laugh. ‘Dad hated it when we made a mess with food.’

‘Kind of why I did it that day.’ Daniel wondered if the smirk on Harvey’s face meant that he could remember them sitting at dinner when their dad was away and finding it a source of instant amusement whenever anyone had less-than-perfect manners. Their mum had been in on it too, not that she’d encouraged it or said it out loud, but you could just tell by the mischievous look on her face whenever one of them dropped something or accidentally spilt anything on their clothing.

The memories settled around them as they finished their coffees, Daniel venturing to ask, ‘How are things with Melissa these days?’ Conversation with his brother was a newfound territory he didn’t mind exploring for once. ‘I’m glad you’re back with her. She’s good for you.’

‘You mean she doesn’t let me boss her around?’

‘Something like that.’

‘I nearly lost her, though.’

‘She was engaged, is that right?’

He nodded. ‘To Jay, a pilot she once worked with. She always felt terrible about the way things ended but she found out last week that he’s engaged to an old flame of his own.’

‘Melissa was always kind; she wouldn’t have been happy making someone miserable.’

‘Talking of women, when are you going to talk with Lucy?’

‘Well, I kind of thought I was tonight.’

‘I’m sorry I was the one who told her about you getting in trouble with the police. I’d been to the pub, I had it in my head that you were causing trouble in the village again like days of old and I went to see her. I didn’t come out with it, something stopped me, but I was babbling on and she obviously thought I was in no fit state to get home in one piece so she called Melissa. She mentioned to Melissa what I’d said to her and Melissa filled in the missing details she knew.’

‘I get it, I caused a lot of trouble around here and this is your home. You were looking out for Lucy, who has made the village her home too. But I swear to you, I’m not here to make trouble. I’m different now.’

‘I know.’ And something about the way he said it told Daniel he meant it wholeheartedly. ‘Do you know about Lucy’s cousin, Joanna?’

‘Her cousin who died? Yeah, she mentioned her. They were close.’ When Harvey nodded he realised why his brother was bringing this up now. ‘She was killed by a drunk driver,’ he concluded. No need to ask the question, it made sense now. He swore and apologised to Winnie, who jumped for the second time. ‘So now Lucy doesn’t know how she can possibly give me the time of day, let alone anything else, when I did the same thing.’

‘It wasn’t the same thing though, was it?’

‘It was. At the end of the day, I was behind the wheel of a car and even though it was to save a life, it could’ve cost another in the process.’

‘I think it was one of those situations where nobody knows what they’d do until they were faced with the same dilemma,’ said Harvey. ‘And Lucy was here tonight helping Melissa with her plan, that shows she cares.’

‘It could be she cares about you and Mum rather than me.’

‘You really believe that?’

He didn’t know what he believed anymore. All he knew was that the way Lucy had looked at him earlier when he’d come to her supposed rescue, she was interested in him. But would she ever