Coming Home to Heritage Cove

by Helen J Rolfe

  When the catering van pulled up Melissa’s focus altered and she leapt into action. She took them inside where they could get organised and prepare to run the service from there. Harvey knew Melissa’s instructions would ensure the event was seamless.

  Harvey was soon swallowed up by the next crowd to arrive. They’d come by minibus from a town twenty miles away after reading about the ball in the newspaper last year, and after he’d directed a couple of them to the portaloos around the back of the barn, he got talking to a patron of a similar charity to White Clover who wanted to know the intricacies of organising a wedding dress ball. Harvey filled him in the best he could with his limited knowledge and introduced him to Barney. The band had everyone moving already. Harvey swore it was busier than any other year, a sea of white, cream, ivory and pale colours mixed with the darkness of tuxedos and suits filling the barn. Some guests danced, others sat on hay bales, a few huddled at the edges gossiping, some had already snagged places at the chairs and tables. A couple of teenagers were kissing in the corner until their parents pulled them apart and it reminded Harvey of all the times he’d wanted to kiss Melissa and couldn’t.

  He grabbed himself a beer and watched Barney dance with Lois. The odd word passed between them, a tender glance whenever they could, and the special night that had been on Barney’s social calendar for a long time had suddenly found its way onto hers too.

  Ashley came to stand with him as she fanned her face with her hand. ‘It’s hot in here, but what a wonderful turn-out.’

  ‘Indeed it is. Best yet, I suspect.’ He knew she’d caught him looking over at Melissa, who’d finally come inside.

  ‘Go and ask her.’

  ‘Ask her what?’

  ‘To dance, of course.’

  He couldn’t, because if he held her he wasn’t sure he’d ever want to let her go.

  Lois came over next in search of a glass of water and Harvey found a jug and filled one for her, handing it over, welcoming a distraction. And by the time he turned back he saw that Barney hadn’t sat down or come for a refreshment like Lois, instead, he was dancing with Melissa.

  ‘Missed your chance,’ Ashley whispered.

  ‘Yeah, story of my life.’ He hung back to let the women talk, but was soon commandeered by Celeste to join her on the dancefloor.

  ‘If you’re sure you can keep up with me,’ he laughed.

  ‘I’m fuelled by baked goods, course I can keep up.’ And she did, even when the band switched to a faster number. She had hold of the bottom of her dress, she gave it her all and beckoned the youngsters to join her, and as she mingled with them, loving every minute of it, he saw Melissa looking over.

  Barney was back with Lois and suddenly it was as though everyone else had fallen away, leaving just the two of them in the room.

  His mouth dry, he walked over to her. Without a word he held out his hand and when she smiled and took it he pulled her closer. Their bodies almost met. But someone else cut in.

  ‘May I have this dance?’ the voice asked.

  And judging by Melissa’s reaction, Harvey didn’t even have to ask who the mysterious stranger was.

  *

  ‘Not interrupting, am I?’ Jay, standing before her, took her hand once Harvey took a step back. ‘I’ve missed my fiancée, I’m sure he won’t mind letting me cut in,’ Jay told her, a brief glance over at Harvey before he turned his attentions back to her.

  Melissa watched Harvey’s reaction to the instant engagement announcement she hadn’t shared with anyone yet. He looked defeated as he turned to leave and as Jay pulled her closer. She looked past Jay’s shoulder and saw Barney try to stop Harvey walking out, but he just kept going.

  ‘Am I pleased to see you at last,’ Jay breathed into her hair as he had them moving in time with the music.

  She let herself be swept up with the flow, the slow strains of an Elvis Presley tune sounding out as couples came to the dancefloor and the mood mellowed for the song. The smell of food drifted towards them as caterers lined the tables at the side and those who had already worked up an appetite finally stopped paying so much attention to her or the newcomer to the ball.

  Something inside her shifted. She pulled back and took Jay’s hand in hers. ‘Come with me,’ she urged.

  She led him outside and into the courtyard, across to the other side where she knew they wouldn’t be disturbed. She couldn’t see Harvey anywhere.

  Jay bent his head to kiss her. He thought she was bringing him out here to be alone and now she had to break his heart. She touched a hand to his chest to keep him from getting too close.

  ‘It’s all right,’ he smiled, the handsome pilot she’d thought she’d fallen for when all along she’d never really stopped loving Harvey. ‘Nobody will notice we’ve gone.’ He hooked a hand beneath her hair and held the back of her neck, edging her back towards him.

  She pulled back out of his reach.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  Shaking her head, tears in her eyes, she didn’t want to hurt him any more than she was already going to. She hated that it had taken her until now to finally realise what she’d given up all those years ago but had never truly let go of. ‘You didn’t do anything, I promise.’

  ‘It’s not you, it’s me?’ he laughed. But the laughter faded. ‘You’re not messing about.’

  ‘No, Jay. I’m really not.’

  ‘What’s going on? I thought you’d be pleased I turned up as a surprise, you’ve been on about this event for the last couple of weeks.’

  She had, hadn’t she? He’d listened to her talking about the reason she had to stay in the Cove, the event for the village that she couldn’t give up on. Unwittingly, in her ramblings to make conversation and avoid talking about their engagement or anything wedding-related, she’d encouraged him to come here. She looked up at him, no longer worried that her tears might make her mascara run. Because this was over and she should’ve realised a long time ago. They were so busy in their day-to-day lives that she’d been swept up with the excitement of it all, going from dating to almost living together to being engaged. She’d said yes to his proposal but had never dreamed about a wedding, she had her own flat and had resisted moving in with him and now she realised why. He wasn’t the man that she really loved. Over the last couple of days she’d imagined saying goodbye to Harvey, then she’d imagined saying goodbye to Jay, and each time the farewell that upset her the most had been the one to the man who’d held her heart ever since he kissed her on those beams in the barn and then properly in the loft of Tumbleweed House. She hadn’t known it then, but she knew it now. She’d been living in a bubble since she left the Cove five years ago, a bubble where Harvey didn’t exist, where she couldn’t be hurt and think about what she’d lost. Coming home to Heritage Cove had made everything clear for the first time in years.

  ‘Your friend Barney is going to be OK, isn’t he?’ Jay thought this was about Barney, not about him.

  ‘Barney’s going to be fine.’

  ‘I’m glad.’ Grinning, and before she could add anything else, he pulled out a small box from his pocket, and even in the dim light now the sun had started to set, the shine of the diamond was unmissable against black velvet. ‘I want us to set a date, Melissa. The sooner the better.’

  She knew that if she started at the beginning, that if she told him how she’d not only fallen back in love with Heritage Cove but also with the man she’d once promised her heart to right over there in the barn where people were mingling and dancing, then she’d hurt him even more than she had already. And he didn’t deserve that. But he didn’t deserve dishonesty either. She’d got together with him because it was new, it was exciting, there was no pain attached, only adventure. And she’d been swept away, all the while hiding a part of herself she couldn’t face up to, the part that let in the memories and embraced all that she’d lost.

  ‘Jay, I…’

  The ring lay there in the open box, still in his hand, still waiting for her, but then
the fingers of his same hand flipped the lid shut. ‘Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to need this?’

  ‘I’m really sorry.’

  ‘What happened, Melissa? When you came here only weeks ago we were engaged, and what, now you’ve simply changed your mind?’

  All along she’d thought she wasn’t ready to tell anyone because she didn’t have a ring yet. But, deep down, maybe it was because she knew it wasn’t right. ‘It’s complicated.’

  ‘You either love me or you don’t.’ He gave her a chance to speak but what could she possibly say? ‘You never told me much about this village, but I always knew there was someone or something holding you back.’

  ‘I left here and started over and if I hadn’t come back this time, I never would’ve realised that a part of me is still here.’

  They smiled at the caterers, who were coming back from the house to the barn with more containers of food. Sensing it wasn’t a moment to interrupt, they didn’t even acknowledge Melissa apart from with quick nods of their heads.

  ‘You’ve got a whole life in Windsor, Melissa.’ He leaned back against the wall, their gazes drifting over to the barn where music played out as though nobody else had a care in the world.

  ‘I know I have. But it seems I still have one here.’

  ‘Does this have anything to do with the guy you were dancing with when I arrived?’ Before she could answer he held up a hand to stop her. ‘You know what, I don’t need to know. And I won’t beg you to reconsider. That would be a waste of time for both of us.’

  She didn’t dare look at him to see whether he meant it kindly or whether he was seething more than his voice let on. ‘I’m really am very sorry, Jay. I didn’t mean to hurt you.’

  And without another word or a backwards glance he put the ring box in his pocket and strode over to where his car was parked at the end of the lane leading into the courtyard. There wasn’t anything she could say to lessen the hurt for him. And if she hadn’t ended it tonight she’d have hurt him even more in the long run, he didn’t deserve that.

  She waited for Jay to leave. She looked over at the barn, people milling around with plates of food. Lois was laughing as she danced with Fred, Barney was having a rest at one of the tables flocked by people wanting to talk to him. But Harvey wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Melissa checked around the back of the barn, she looked down the lane that led the back way to Barney’s, she looked inside the house, but he was gone.

  And there was only one place he could be.

  She ran, from the house, out the front gate, which predictably took an effort to undo, along the pavement and around the bend onto The Street. It was a nightmare doing this in heels and it was more of a trot than a run, so she kicked off her shoes, picked them up in her fingers and instead carried on in bare feet, hoping she wouldn’t stand on anything untoward.

  She reached the end of the lane that would lead down to the cove. In the dark it would be terrifying if the last vestiges of sunlight weren’t still visible over the water ahead and the bushes that concealed the way down. The dirt track became part sand and she kept going until eventually she was at the end. She took the steps down to the beach, her hand finding the barrier every now and then before she remembered how wobbly it was. And when she reached the bottom, her bare feet moulding around the rocky formation before the last jump onto the sands, she saw him. In the fading light she made out the lone figure, his arm hooked in the telltale way that said he was holding a collection of stones, skimming each and every one of them in an effort to get it to skip over the water’s surface better than the last.

  As she walked her feet sank into the damp sand that in a couple of hours’ time would be completely covered by the tide. The foam had already crept up, they wouldn’t have long before they’d have to get back up the steps to avoid the sea. The bodice of her dress restricted the movement of her chest that she needed to recover from the exertion of charging down here but in silence she stood beside Harvey as her breathing returned to normal and he skimmed the last few stones in his palm.

  When he ran out he turned to her, eyes full of sadness. The bow-tie his mum had told Melissa he’d spent forever nervously perfecting had been yanked undone and hung loose around his neck, his dark brown hair was more dishevelled than usual and she could picture him raking a hand through it when he first came down here to think, the spray from the water leaving its salty remnants behind.

  He looked away, out to sea instead. ‘Tide will be in soon, you don’t want to get caught down here.’

  ‘I could say the same to you.’

  ‘Why aren’t you at the ball, dancing?’

  ‘Because I wanted to find you.’

  ‘Relax, I’ll be back by the end of the event, you know I wouldn’t let Barney down.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘So what’s the problem?’

  ‘The problem is, you owe me a dance.’

  He harrumphed. ‘And you think your fiancé would be happy with that?’

  ‘Of course not.’

  ‘Then stop playing games, Melissa.’

  She moved in front of him so he was forced to look at her. Her feet were submerged in the water and it was freezing, but she scared away her chattering teeth the best she could. ‘I’m not playing games.’ She threw her shoes back onto the sand in case she dropped them. ‘Stop being so stubborn and talk to me.’

  ‘Said all there is to say.’

  ‘Well I haven’t.’ The noise of the crashing waves behind her made it impossible to talk quietly. ‘I’m sorry for running away from you five years ago, I’m sorry I never got in touch until now. But I don’t regret going. I needed to see who I was without my parents, without this village, without you.’ She saw his jaw twitch in frustration.

  ‘Good for you, glad your head’s all sorted.’

  ‘It is, at last. And it’s over with Jay.’

  He stared at her as the skies darkened and the only light now came from the moon casting its silvery glow across the water.

  ‘Aren’t you going to say anything?’ She almost lost her footing when a gentle wave lapped behind her.

  ‘What could I possibly have to say?’

  ‘Well, you could say sorry too, I wasn’t the only one in the wrong. You could’ve told me why you didn’t leave with me.’

  ‘I had my reasons.’

  ‘And so did I.’ She watched his jaw twitch again. It happened whenever he knew she had a point.

  ‘I still love you, Harvey.’ Her feet were almost ice cubes in the temperature of the water than even for the bravest of souls would be a challenge. ‘You could tell me that you still love me too.’ Another wave crept up from behind. It wasn’t big but it unsteadied her and she was falling, about to get very wet, until suddenly she was up in the air.

  He’d scooped her up in his arms, his stare fixed on her. ‘Now why on earth would I do that?’

  And with a smile his lips found hers, her world went dizzy, and the salty tang of his kiss told her all she needed to know. Being with Harvey was like coming home as much as it had been to set foot in Heritage Cove all over again.

  He pulled back, his gaze moving from her eyes to her lips and back again. ‘I love you, Melissa.’

  She smiled at him, in his arms, safe, exactly where she wanted to be.

  He kissed her once more. ‘You do know that even though I love you, I’m not carrying you all the way back to the barn.’

  She gasped. ‘The speech!’ Barney gave one every year at the end of the Wedding Dress Ball.

  He set her down and they ran across the sand, as fast as they could up the slope and the uneven steps, down the track that was now only lit by the moonlight, just enough for them to find their way.

  Laughing as they reached The Street, Harvey told her to jump on his back. ‘I’ll piggyback you there, you’re too slow,’ he insisted.

  She didn’t hesitate and with his strength he took her all the way there. When they finally reached the courtyard at Barney’s, she pu
t on her heels, they both took a deep breath and went inside where the crowds were gathered and ready as Barney took to the stage.

  Barney’s speech was a mixture of funny and serious. He spoke about his fall, the way he’d thought he was going downhill fast – his precise words – but that he knew everyone here was a friend, that he had so many in Heritage Cove, that he hoped he’d be able to live out his days in this very house. He paid homage to Harvey and Melissa for looking after him despite his attitude and then the game he had played, he asked Lois up to the stage and told everyone there that they’d been man and wife once upon a time. He shared their sadness, their pain, in a way that spoke of love and hope and had more than one member of the audience dabbing away the tears. He talked about White Clover and all the good work they continued to do for people like them, families hurting in the worst way possible.

  A photographer had been snapping away throughout the event and with the help of a band member steadying a ladder, he climbed up to capture a final shot of all the guests as they crowded into a big group, everyone huddled up close – the village residents, visitors, friends and couples, the young and the old – representing this year’s Wedding Dress Ball, the event that brought people together and raised money for a charity that meant so much. Melissa got her dance with Barney, who muttered more than one I-told-you-so when it came to Harvey, and she left that night exhausted from the emotions of it all, hand in hand with the man she’d never really stopped loving. It had just taken her a while to realise.

  *

  The photograph of the crowd who went to the Wedding Dress Ball that night was developed and came through the door at Tumbleweed House courtesy of Barney a few days later. He hadn’t knocked, he hadn’t wanted to disturb the happy couple who hadn’t left the confines of Tumbleweed House much since the ball, except to pick up food or walk Winnie down at the cove.

  Harvey climbed back into bed and pulled Melissa against him. Her head on his chest, he adjusted the sheet so her naked body didn’t get cold. He held the photograph he’d pulled from the envelope that had landed on the mat moments earlier.