day I'd do it myself.”
“I'm the last person he'd want to see, and I'm not that keen on seeing him myself.”
“He's going to be at the wedding so it's probably best to get it over and done with now rather than later, don't you think?”
“What? He's coming to the wedding?” Ashley couldn't believe it.
“Of course he is—our parents and his parents have been friends since forever.”
The last of the patrons left and Bryan switched the door sign to closed.
“Can't you do it tomorrow?” Ashley asked, feeling the anxiety creeping up inside.
Bryan looked at her and she could see from the look in his eyes how much he needed her help.
“Fine! But you owe me. Big time!”
“Thank you. Have told you that you're the best? You're the best!” He quickly ducked into the kitchen, returning with an envelope and a small white paper bag which he handed to Ashley. She looked quizzically at the bag.
“Oh, it's a lemon meringue pie made with organic lemons and free range eggs—he'll love it.” Bryan said.
It took more than twenty minutes to drive to Jays place.
Although it had been years since she'd been there, she knew every turn. The road snaked and swerved, twisting through the woods beside the lake.
He had lived there with his parents, until his mother had been killed in a freak car accident when he was a child.
Her palms were beginning to sweat and on more than one occasion she was tempted to turn the car around and head back to town. Country music played quietly through her mom’s car stereo, but it sounded distant and muffled as different scenarios played through her mind.
Will he be happy to see me?
Maybe he'd come walking out smiling and they'd make friendly conversation. A bit of idle chit-chat. Then she'd leave and she feel silly for getting herself worked up over nothing. The old house came into view as she drove up the rise through the trees. It had a partial view of the lake through the trees.
Considering Jay had a ‘booming business’ as a building contractor, the house looked dark and run-down. Maybe he was too busy making everyone else's homes look beautiful he had neglected his own.
There was no car and she felt a flood of relief at the thought that perhaps she could return the check to Bryan, knowing that she had tried to deliver the payment but he wasn't home.
She parked the car, almost forgetting to pull on the parking brake. She took a deep breath to compose herself and she stepped out of the car, taking the envelope and bag containing the pie with her. It was still light, but visibility was not so good in the thick of the woods, as the trees cast long dark shadows around her.
She slowly climbed the three steps leading up to the porch. The timber porch was old and inundated with cracks, chipped in places. She wondered if it would even hold her weight or if at any second the planks would give way beneath her feet sending her tumbling to the ground beneath.
Holding the bag and envelope in her left hand she took another deep steadying breath and knocked five times.
She waited.
A few birds fluttered somewhere in the distance and the sounds of cicadas filled the air. It was still stifling hot, and she fanned her face with the envelope.
She knocked again. Five times, again.
Still no answer.
How long should she wait?
She looked around, no signs of movement. In fact the house looked like it hadn't been lived in for a while. Cobwebs veiled the window frames. Had Jay moved? She hadn't even bothered to ask Bryan, but surely he would have told her.
Maybe I should leave it on his front door step?
Should she give Bryan a call? As she started for the steps, she heard the sound of a car engine coming towards her direction.
She stopped at the top of the steps, straining to see who it was. A black Ford pickup truck slowly made its way up the driveway, and her heart began to race as she recognised Jay behind the wheel. He pulled up just yards away from her. An old golden retriever-labrador
“I'm the last person he'd want to see, and I'm not that keen on seeing him myself.”
“He's going to be at the wedding so it's probably best to get it over and done with now rather than later, don't you think?”
“What? He's coming to the wedding?” Ashley couldn't believe it.
“Of course he is—our parents and his parents have been friends since forever.”
The last of the patrons left and Bryan switched the door sign to closed.
“Can't you do it tomorrow?” Ashley asked, feeling the anxiety creeping up inside.
Bryan looked at her and she could see from the look in his eyes how much he needed her help.
“Fine! But you owe me. Big time!”
“Thank you. Have told you that you're the best? You're the best!” He quickly ducked into the kitchen, returning with an envelope and a small white paper bag which he handed to Ashley. She looked quizzically at the bag.
“Oh, it's a lemon meringue pie made with organic lemons and free range eggs—he'll love it.” Bryan said.
It took more than twenty minutes to drive to Jays place.
Although it had been years since she'd been there, she knew every turn. The road snaked and swerved, twisting through the woods beside the lake.
He had lived there with his parents, until his mother had been killed in a freak car accident when he was a child.
Her palms were beginning to sweat and on more than one occasion she was tempted to turn the car around and head back to town. Country music played quietly through her mom’s car stereo, but it sounded distant and muffled as different scenarios played through her mind.
Will he be happy to see me?
Maybe he'd come walking out smiling and they'd make friendly conversation. A bit of idle chit-chat. Then she'd leave and she feel silly for getting herself worked up over nothing. The old house came into view as she drove up the rise through the trees. It had a partial view of the lake through the trees.
Considering Jay had a ‘booming business’ as a building contractor, the house looked dark and run-down. Maybe he was too busy making everyone else's homes look beautiful he had neglected his own.
There was no car and she felt a flood of relief at the thought that perhaps she could return the check to Bryan, knowing that she had tried to deliver the payment but he wasn't home.
She parked the car, almost forgetting to pull on the parking brake. She took a deep breath to compose herself and she stepped out of the car, taking the envelope and bag containing the pie with her. It was still light, but visibility was not so good in the thick of the woods, as the trees cast long dark shadows around her.
She slowly climbed the three steps leading up to the porch. The timber porch was old and inundated with cracks, chipped in places. She wondered if it would even hold her weight or if at any second the planks would give way beneath her feet sending her tumbling to the ground beneath.
Holding the bag and envelope in her left hand she took another deep steadying breath and knocked five times.
She waited.
A few birds fluttered somewhere in the distance and the sounds of cicadas filled the air. It was still stifling hot, and she fanned her face with the envelope.
She knocked again. Five times, again.
Still no answer.
How long should she wait?
She looked around, no signs of movement. In fact the house looked like it hadn't been lived in for a while. Cobwebs veiled the window frames. Had Jay moved? She hadn't even bothered to ask Bryan, but surely he would have told her.
Maybe I should leave it on his front door step?
Should she give Bryan a call? As she started for the steps, she heard the sound of a car engine coming towards her direction.
She stopped at the top of the steps, straining to see who it was. A black Ford pickup truck slowly made its way up the driveway, and her heart began to race as she recognised Jay behind the wheel. He pulled up just yards away from her. An old golden retriever-labrador
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