The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts (The Riverside Lane Series) by Alison Sherlock

Author:Alison Sherlock [Sherlock, Alison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2020-07-08T16:00:00+00:00

22

Josh huddled over his pint of beer, deep in thought.

‘You’re not very chatty tonight,’ said Mike, polishing a glass over and over with a grubby tea towel.

‘It’s been a bit hard to hear myself think let alone speak above that lot,’ said Josh, nodding at the band who had been playing nearby. ‘They don’t seem to have improved over time.’

Thankfully they had just stopped for a cigarette break. Although to Josh’s mind it was only metaphorically playing.

‘I said I’d give them a try for a month,’ said Mike, with a grimace. ‘Thought they’d be better than me having to talk to Angie for any length of time.’

‘At this point, I’ll take the peace and quiet,’ said Josh, taking another sip of beer.

‘No chance of me ever getting that with my wife,’ muttered Mike.

Josh put down the pint glass and looked at his hands, which were still splattered with paint. He probably still had lots in his hair as well, but he was so tired that he was past caring.

In all honesty, Josh wasn’t in the mood to chat anyway. He had received a phone call from his mum sounding somewhat alarmed.

‘Grandma Tilly says the tractor is in the middle of the shop!’ she’d said.

‘It’s a temporary thing,’ Josh had replied. ‘How’s Pete? Are you having a good time?’

But she didn’t accept the change of conversation tack he had tried and he’d spent the next ten minutes trying to placate her.

‘I know I said I’d give you carte blanche,’ his mum had said. ‘But it’s sounding a bit of a mess.’

‘Amber seems to know what she’s doing,’ Josh had offered, pulling out his ace card.

‘Amber’s OK with the tractor?’ his mum had asked, sounding shocked.

‘It was her idea,’ Josh had told her.

It was only then that his mum began to be somewhat reassured.

‘Well, I’m sure she knows what she’s doing,’ Cathy had replied.

Josh sincerely hoped so. He had tried to go along with Amber’s enthusiasm, but privately he was having severe doubts as to the whole refurbishment of the shop.

‘Can’t you pay them to shut up?’ said Dodgy Del, who had just come in and sat next to Josh at the bar. ‘I’ve had a hell of a day and I’m not in the mood for a bad version of Coldplay tonight.’

‘You know what? I’ll tell them to take their money and hop it,’ said Mike, grimacing. ‘I’ve got a splitting headache myself.’

‘I’m not surprised,’ said Josh, turning to look at Del. ‘What’s up?’

‘This weather,’ said Del, gesturing through the murky window to the darkening sky outside. ‘This rain had better ease up soon or else the roads are going to start flooding. I’ve already had my fill of pensioners moaning today about how wet they’ve got going round their gardens and parks. It doesn’t help that the tea rooms were all full up because of the bad weather. Wasn’t my fault.’

‘Glad somebody’s full of customers,’ muttered Josh. ‘Maybe I’ll open up a garden instead.’

There was a small pause whilst the band began to pack up their set in a somewhat noisy fashion.

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