‘You’ll have plenty of time with her when we get there.’ Claire took her hand.
When they got into the car, Kaleb and Jacob immediately started fussing over Skye, and Clara clipped her into the backseat. Skye’s tail was working overtime.
‘Seat belts, boys.’ Sam adjusted his rear-view mirror.
‘Yes, Dad, we know.’
Claire followed in her car as Sam drove off. His strong hands gripped the steering wheel, and Clara admired the flexing muscles in his forearms.
As they drove down the winding country road, the first few houses in Glenbriar came into view next to the edge of the Briar Woods. Sam headed into the town and turned back towards theloch where Clara had just come from, but he turned down the road that led to Heather Glen Campsite and the south side of the loch. They passed the Loch View Hotel, and Kaleb and Jacob giggled at it.
‘Why is it pink?’ Jacob asked.
‘I’m not actually sure,’ Sam said. ‘Do you know?’ he asked Clara.
‘No, I don’t.’
Some miles down, they turned into a car park at the side of the road bearing a sign for the Falls of Briar. Everyone piled out of the cars, stretching and chattering.
Clara lifted Skye out, and the kids fussed about her some more.
‘This is beautiful.’ Moira looked around at the surrounding forest. ‘Such gorgeous trees and look at the lichen on them. It’s incredible.’ She smiled at Clara. ‘It means the air up here is very clean.’
‘Does it?’
‘Yes, oh, just look at how much of it there is.’
‘I can’t say I’ve ever noticed it before. It’s just something that’s always there.’
‘Mum loves her lichen.’ Sam patted her shoulder, smiling at her. ‘That’s why we lichen thee to a summer’s day.’
Clara half closed her eyes and groaned.
‘Oh dear.’ Moira chuckled. ‘Your jokes don’t get any better, do they?’
‘What? You didn’t lichen it?’
Clara looked at Moira, and they both shook their heads.
Laughing to himself, Sam closed the car doors, and they all set off down a well-kept path, flanked by trees on either side, Skye trotting ahead, her nose to the ground, sniffing everything. Kaleb, Jacob, Alisha, and Mina ran with her, racing each other in short bursts.
Clara fell into step beside Moira, while Sam was a little ahead with Claire.
‘It’s so lovely to have you with us, Clara.’ Moira gave her a pat on the arm.
Clara smiled back at her. ‘You’re a lovely family to be with.’
‘Bless you for saying so.’
A thunderous rushing increased as they made their way down.
‘What about your family?’ Moira asked. ‘Do your parents live nearby?’
‘Not too far away,’ Clara answered. ‘Just south of Perth, and my sister lives close by as well, with her husband and their daughter.’
‘Oh, how wonderful,’ Moira said. ‘It must be nice to have family so close. That’s what my lovely Sam misses. I know he’d be happier if we all lived closer. Still, it’s good that he has a lovely friend like you. You know, it would be lovely to meet your family one day.’
Clara swallowed. ‘Yeah, I’d like that… though I’m not sure when, especially if Sam is moving—’
