Willow looked the car up and down. She wasn’t an expert at all. That was more Jake’s area – but she could tell the car was pretty old and yet barely had a mark on it. There was something quite beautiful about it.
‘I thought we could stop on the way for a bite to eat,’ Jenn continued. ‘I was so excited when you called, Willow. It’s great you’ve come back. I’m almost sad I will be going away myself. I’ll only have this weekend with you.’
‘We need to make the best of it then,’ Willow replied warmly.
‘We have so much to catch up on,’ Jenn agreed, jumping into the car. ‘You need to tell me all about your job and your life these past five years. And Jake, you need to tell me how it’s been going with adorable Jake. I always had such a crush on that guy.’
Willow smiled. ‘Yeah, I remember.’
There was a time, as teenagers in high school, when both girls had liked Jake. Luckily, it had never ruined their friendship and when Willow had finally ended up with him, Jenn had been perfectly fine about it.
‘It’s funny though,’ Jenn said now, watching as Willow clambered in beside her. ‘I never thought Jake would be who you ended up with.’
‘Really? Who did you think I would be with?’
Jenn laughed and started the ignition. ‘Oh, you don’t need to worry about that now. I was a crazy teen. I knew nothing. Come on, we need to make a move.’
And before Willow could say another word, Jenn had hit the gas and was speeding them out of the station.
They drove fast, just about keeping to the speed limit. It was clear that Jenn was a reckless and erratic driver, hitting the gas at every turn, and Willow found herself gripping her seat for the majority of the journey. Despite this, it was still fun. Jenn spent most of the drive filling Willow in on some of the Honey Springs gossip.
‘Do you remember Greg? He now runs the Watering Hole bar. He’s probably the most unsuitable person for the role. He doesn’t even drink! He’s still trying to create his bestselling game, though between you and me I don’t think he’s past the first prototype.’
Willow laughed; she remembered Greg well. He wasLucas’s best friend and one of the most quiet and intelligent people she had ever met. The thought of him serving customers in a bar was certainly surprising. She never imagined him leaving his bedroom, or the gaming room at the bookstore. She was looking forward to checking him out in action and just the thought of a cold beer now was making her mouth water.
‘And you remember those snoops the Parkers?’ Jenn continued. Willow nodded in response. Alice and Ava used to drive her grandma crazy with their antics; they were constantly interfering in other people’s business and felt that they had the right to know everything. For as long as Willow had known, they had run the Honey Pot Inn. ‘Well, they are still going strong,’ Jenn said with a giggle. ‘They’ve started a petition actually, complaining about the bar running too late at night. As you can imagine Greg isn’t impressed.’
‘Sounds like they could have a fight on their hands,’ Willow replied. She hesitated a bit and then asked the question that had been troubling her for a while. ‘Jenn – who’s living in my grandma’s house now?’
Her house was on the edge of the town with commanding views of the mountains. Willow couldn’t imagine anyone else there now; it had been such an important part of her childhood. Most of her life had been spent in that welcoming space, rather than in her mom’s small, claustrophobic cabin, where she had lived until she was seven. She had almost been relieved when her mom had finally moved out and followed her latest ‘love’ to Boston.
Jenn tapped on the steering wheel as she considered this. ‘Oh, that is such a beautiful place, isn’t it? I know it was on sale for a while. Oh yeah, that’s right – a guy called Adam moved in recently. He seems really nice.’
Willow nodded slowly. It seemed so strange to think of someone else living there.
‘And Lucas?’ Willow asked cautiously. ‘You said before that he moved away? Where?’
‘Oh yeah, he took off to New York to be with his sister, Mia. I think he was working in a restaurant for some high-flying chef. I forget the name now. And then—’
Jenn was interrupted by the loud ring of her cell phone. She quickly lifted it from its holder and slung it at Willow. ‘Who is it?’ she demanded.
Willow peered at the screen and was surprised to see the name displayed. ‘Greg. I didn’t know you two were friends?’
Jenn’s jaw seemed to clench. ‘We’re not. Cancel the call, please. Whatever he wants can wait, I’m sure.’
‘OK,’ Willow replied, ending the call. She couldn’t help but notice the change in Jenn though. Her face had paled, and she was gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.
‘Are you alright?’ Willow asked carefully.
Jenn glanced over at her and flashed her a wide grin, but it didn’t quite seem to reach her eyes. ‘Oh, I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Anyway, there’s sure to be loads of people to catch up with,’ Jenn said with a wink. ‘But the most important person to meet is Vera.’
‘Vera?’ Willow looked at her blankly.
Jenn chuckled in return. ‘The van. I had to name her. She is too cute not to have a name and I know you are going to fall in love with her.’
Willow was drifting off to sleep when she felt the car move over coarser ground. She was feeling so tired after their huge lunch and she hadn’t managed to sleep well on the Greyhound bus after the train. She murmured gently toherself, almost forgetting where she was for a moment, until Jenn nudged her hard in the ribs.
‘Look! Look! We’re here!’
