Back to the Farm Ch. 01

"No, it wasn't my idea!" He sounded exasperated. "I begged him to tell you, if you must know. But he wouldn't have it. He made me promise not to tell you. Not to tell anyone."

"Well, that's just great." Melissa slapped her hand on the table. Their glasses bounced and clanged. "You must have felt very virtuous, managing to keep a promise like that, Matthew."

He uttered a low growl. "Lissy, I--"

"My name is Melissa." She pushed back her chair and stood up. "You know Matthew, I really don't think we've got anything more to discuss. I need to go. I'll see you up at the farm on Wednesday."

But as she turned to leave, he caught her hand again, his grip surprisingly firm. "For God's sake, Lissy! Do you really think I wanted to keep it from you? And what's all thisMatthew--Melissa rubbish? What the hell is all that about? What's wrong with me calling you Lissy?"

"It isn't my name. It's just what everyone called me when I was a kid." She glared at him angrily. "But I'm not a kid anymore. I grew up. I had to. Apparently, you never did. Now, would you please let me go?"

To his surprise, Matt experienced a powerful surge of remorse. Lissy had coped with more in her twenty-nine years than most people coped with in a lifetime. And he hadn't been there for her. But then, few people had... "I'm sorry," he murmured at last, squeezing then releasing her fingers. "You've had a rotten bloody time just lately, haven't you?"

"Yes, well." Caught off-guard by his belated sympathy her eyes once again filled with tears and she turned away. "It's amazing what you can cope with if you have to. And I'll cope again this time. I don't need your help. I don't need--"

"I know you don't need my help, Liss--" he groaned and corrected himself "--I mean, Melissa." He sighed heavily. "But to be honest, I might be needing yours. It didn't feel like this when my father died--but then as you know, we weren't exactly close. I hardly knew him. This is different. Losing Charlie--losing Charlie is bloody hard."

Hearing his voice tighten, Melissa looked up in time to see the raw pain in his expression. But before she could think of a response he rose to his feet and laid a hand on her forearm.

"Look. We need to go up to the farm to see what needs doing. Together. And preferably before Wednesday. I've a feeling it might be quite a mess. You know Charlie. He hoarded everything."

"I know he did. I remember." A reluctant smile curved her lips. "If I ever tried to get rid of anything he'd always say 'good God, girl, you can't throw that out. You never know--'"

"'--when you might need one of those'," Matt finished with her in tones that matched Charlie's perfectly. He grinned. "'Waste not, want not'."

His unexpected imitation of Charlie's voice was almost her undoing. Blinking hard, she returned her gaze to the glass on the table. "All right. When do you want to go?"

"I've got a practice meeting on Monday. How about Tuesday?"

"I have to work."

"So do I." Matt sounded amused. "I meant after work. Where do you work? I'll come and pick you up."

She hesitated. Charlie had been hugely proud of Matt's career success. But despite her glowing school reports, her own career had been a non-starter. "It's never too late, you know," Charlie had murmured encouragingly, the day of her mother's funeral. "You've put your life on hold for long enough. You could go back to university now, try again." She'd smiled and nodded, unwilling to explain why she couldn't. That had been two long years ago and she was still working for the housing association.

"No." She shook her head. "Pick me up from my flat. Six o'clock okay?" Reaching into her handbag, she pulled out a pen, hastily scribbled down an address on a beermat and gave it to him.

Matt's eyes widened. "Barrington Heights, eh?" He whistled softly. "Very nice." Smiling, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and retrieved a business card. "All my contact details are on there," he said, pressing it into her hand. "Call me if you need me." Then to her surprise, he leaned forward and lightly kissed her cheek. "I'll see you on Tuesday. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

And without another word, he rose to his feet and walked away.

Thanks for reading. All votes and comments gratefully received.

Lily

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