Chapter three
An hour later, afterspending some time with her father at the breakfast table catching up and getting the chance to assess his mental capacity herself, Pippa felt a lot more optimistic. Yet she was still slightly conflicted from her father’s earlier comment about her mother being pleased to see her. Was it a slip of the tongue as her aunt had suggested?
Aunt Morgan had been right. There was no denying her father was a lot more forgetful than he’d been last time she’d been here to spend quality time with him, but he was nowhere near as bad as the image she’d conjured up in her mind of him either. Maybe this stay would turn out to be just annual leave length after all.
Aunt Morgan walked into the dining room from the kitchen and placed her teacup down onto its saucer before joining Brett and Pippa at the table. She cleared her throat and looked at Brett. ‘Don’t forget Brett, you have an appointment at the hospital at 1 PM today about your, erm...arthritis. I don’t mind driving you to it. I know your arthritis flare up is giving you a lot of pain at the moment.’
Brett looked at aunt Morgan with a frown. ‘Do I?’ His eyebrows shot up when realisation dawned on him. ‘Oh, I remember now. I should have written it on the calendar. Yes please Morgan, could you drive? My knees ache something rotten when I’ve been driving for more than an hour.’
Aunt Morgan turned to Pippa. ‘You don’t mind opening up today, do you, love? The cleaner has already been in to clean the pub and sort out the vacated hotel rooms, so you don’t need to worry about them. All you need to do is open the pub, answer the phone for hotel bookings and possibly cook the odd lunch meal. Otherwise, just help Oliver behind the bar if it gets too busy. There is rarely anyone in for food at this time of the year, so it’s not as if we’re shoving you in at the deep end... Don’t worry, your food hygiene certificate is still in date, I checked.’
Pippa opened and closed her mouth to reply before thinking better of it and opting for a sweet smile instead. She tilted her head to the side, giving her aunt a secret look oblivious to her father. ‘That’s lucky. Yes, of course I will. I’ve done it a thousand times before, so don’t worry...I got this. I could run this place blindfolded.’
Brett nodded in agreement and turned to look at Morgan. ‘She could you know, Morgan. Both Pippa and Nile ran the pub with ease for a few hours every week without us when they were in their late teens. Marie and I used to snatch an hour or two together on the beach.’ Brett teared up. ‘I do miss her you know, girls.’
Pippa jumped out of her seat and wrapped her arms around her father’s neck, trying her hardest to keep her own tears at bay. ‘I know, dad. We all do.’ She looked across at her aunt, appealing for help with her eyes.
Morgan finished the last of her tea and stood up slowly, using her stick to help her. ‘Right. That’s me done. Are you almost ready, Brett? Once we hit the outskirts of the town and get on the main road, the traffic will be horrendous, so we are better off setting out early.’
Brett rubbed Pippa’s arm lovingly and gave her a wink like he used to do when he playfully wound up her mother about something. Pippa smiled. ‘Yes, Morgan. I’ll just grab my hat and coat.’
Morgan reached for her bag. ‘I’ve got your appointment letter in my handbag, so you don’t need to worry about that. I’ll meet you in the car.’
Pippa straightened and smiled her thanks to her aunt. ‘Righto. I’d better make a start and get prepared for my first day back behind the bar.’
Brett stopped in his tracks and looked back over his shoulder at Pippa. ‘Don’t forget, Oliver will be here as well. It’s Monday, so we’ll probably only get the regulars, the retired folk, and maybe a couple of mothers with pushchairs and young children popping in for a spot of lunch and a catch up.’
Pippa walked over to Brett and squeezed her father’s shoulders reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry. I told you, I got this. Why don’t you and aunt Morgan stay in town and have a drink and a meal there? It will be a nice treat, and it will be a chance to check out what the urban pubs are doing, food wise.’
Her aunt smiled. ‘Good idea Pippa. I’d love that.’ She turned to look at her brother-in-law. ‘Brett, what do you say?’
Brett looked at Morgan and nodded. ‘Yes, I don’t mind checking out a rival’s beer...or two.’
Ginger got up from the plush rug Aunt Morgan had laid down for him and barked. Pippa ruffled his head. ‘What is it, boy? Can you hear the post being delivered?’
‘It’s probably Oliver. I gave him the spare key while he’s helping out,’ said Aunt Morgan. ‘He usually pops over to Katherine’s café and grabs some breakfast before he starts.’
Pippa’s mouth dropped open. ‘Oh, I forgot he was helping out.’
Aunt Morgan smiled. ‘Is there anything we should know about? Any skeletons in the closet between you two?’
Pippa shook her head. ‘Goodness, no. You probably don’t remember, but I was close to him at school for a short period...that’s all.’ Pippa finished her sentence with a shrug. Brett was still facing Morgan, so she walked up to him and placed a hand on her father’s shoulder and squeezed. He reached up and patted it. ‘I’ll see you later, dad. Just relax and have a nice day with Aunt Morgan. The pub will be fine.’ She looked around at Ginger and slapped her thigh before heading to the door leading out to the stairs. ‘Come on, boy.’
***
Oliver was alreadytaking the stools off the tables and placing them on the floor, left there after the cleaner had vacuumed and moped earlier in the morning. Ginger bounded over to him and immediately started sniffing at the ankles of his jeans. Oliver crouched down and ruffled the fur at Ginger’s neck with both of his hands. ‘Hello again. Can you smell my Jess, boy?’
‘Ginger.’
Oliver looked up with a smile and shook his head. ‘No, thank you. I’ve already eaten. Anyway, it’s a bit early for Ginger—bread or biscuits. I prefer a more savoury breakfast myself.’ Pippa chuckled. Oliver drew his eyebrows together, acting dumb. ‘What’s so funny?’
Pippa shook her head. ‘No silly. My dog is named Ginger.’
Oliver winked, before joining in with the laughter. His laughter turned into a smile. ‘Morning Pippa. I knew you were addressing Ginger. I was just fooling with you. Although it’s funny how names can change the trajectory of one’s life, isn’t it?’
Pippa frowned. ‘How do you mean?’
