Clover Cottage: A feel good cosy read perfect for your summer holiday reading (Love Heart Lane Series, Book 3)

by Christie Barlow

  Stuart took a breath to calm himself. Allie noticed that Rory caught his eye, but Stuart looked away. They had a lot of talking to do.

  ‘Love, you gave us the fright of our lives,’ exclaimed Stuart, pressing a kiss on Alana’s hair.

  Alana flapped her hand at him. ‘I don’t want to take those tablets. I don’t need them.’

  Allie observed a look between Stuart and Dr Taylor.

  ‘It’s nothing to worry about, Alana. Let’s get you home and we can talk about it there,’ said Dr Taylor warmly, helping Alana to her feet.

  ‘I’m having a lovely evening,’ she said, smiling towards Wilbur. ‘This kind man shared his whisky.’

  ‘I can’t thank you enough,’ said Stuart, looking grateful.

  ‘It’s not everyone I share my whisky with,’ replied Wilbur, shaking Stuart’s hand. ‘I’m Wilbur.’

  ‘Stuart. Pleased to meet you.’

  ‘I’m ready for my bed. It’s getting a bit chilly out here now.’ Alana turned towards Wilbur, ‘Thank you for your hospitality. This place’ – she gazed towards the boathouse – ‘holds a lot of good memories for me.’

  ‘And why’s that?’ asked Wilbur warmly, standing up and leaning on his cane.

  Alana’s mood seemed to shift instantly as she gazed lovingly towards Stuart. Her face softened and that was the Alana everyone knew. ‘That rock—’

  ‘I remember that day like it was yesterday,’ Stuart interrupted, turning towards Wilbur. ‘Many moons ago we owned our own little boat and in the winter we kept it here. It was nothing flash, but we loved sailing up and down the river in the summer months, on days just like today. A little further down there’s a small bay. We used to enjoy many a picnic … but that rock was where I proposed to my gorgeous lady … for better or worse.’

  ‘He did too, stood on that rock and shouted for the whole world to hear’ – Alana cupped her hands around her mouth – ‘“Alana Reid, will you marry me?”’

  ‘And, of course, the answer was yes!’ replied Stuart.

  Allie could see the love that Stuart and Alana shared. Real love. For better or worse. If the news of Alana’s condition was true, Allie knew life was going to get even more complicated and difficult.

  ‘So what’s the story?’ asked Stuart. ‘Are you the owner of this place? Even as kids we used to dive off that jetty. It’s got some history about it, this place has.’

  ‘My son – he’s a property developer – he’s just bought this place.’

  ‘Is he reopening the boathouse?’ asked Rory, joining in the conversation whilst linking his arm through his mother’s.

  ‘I’m not fully sure what his intention is but I know he’s got a few projects on the go in the area.’

  ‘Property developer … your son wouldn’t be Flynn Carter, would it?’ asked Stuart.

  ‘He would indeed.’

  Stuart stepped forward and shook his hand once more.

  ‘I’m Stuart, Stuart Scott. Flynn’s renting the house from us on Love Heart Lane.’

  ‘What a small world it is.’

  ‘No doubt we will bump into each other again very soon. Thank you for looking after Alana.’

  Wilbur nodded. ‘My pleasure.’

  Rory walked his mum to the car and once the door was safely shut, turned to his dad. ‘Dad, we need to talk.’

  ‘Not now, son. Not now. We need to get your mother home and Dr Taylor needs to make sure she’s okay.’

  ‘Has this happened before?’ pushed Rory.

  ‘I said not now, son. We can talk tomorrow.’

  Rory nodded.

  Unsure what to say, Allie held Rory’s hand tightly as they watched Stuart drive away.

  Chapter 16

  Allie made endless cups of tea whilst she sat by Rory’s side as he spent over three hours researching dementia on the internet. Of course, both of them had heard the term Alzheimer’s, but there were different types of dementia and Rory was struggling to cope, reading all the information that was available. He was aware Alana had never liked change – they’d argued and argued regarding the booking system at the practice – and now he was feeling guilty about it all. Was he so self-absorbed with what was going on in his own life that he hadn’t put two and two together over the last couple of months?

  ‘If you didn’t know all the facts then you can’t be hard on yourself,’ Allie said, trying to reassure him, but it didn’t make him feel any better.

  Finally, Allie ordered him to bed in the early hours of the morning and stayed with him. For a long time, he lay wrapped in Allie’s arms with his eyes shut but not sleeping. He felt helpless and wretched. His thoughts were with his dad and what he must be going through. How was this affecting him? His wife, the woman he’d been married to for a lifetime, was going to deteriorate in front of his eyes. How did anyone cope with that?

  Rory now knew he hadn’t helped, putting pressure on his dad to expand the business, import new technology and put the practice on the map. No wonder his dad didn’t want any more change in his life.

  Thankfully, last night Allie had stopped him from tearing around to see his dad, but he had so many questions to ask and at the moment none of the answers.

  He was grateful for Allie’s cuddling and eventually fell asleep in her arms. He couldn’t thank her enough for being there for him. He knew she hadn’t had the best twenty-four hours herself – she was hurting and upset about his travels to Africa – but yet again she’d put him first.

  Lying in her arms Rory began to reconsider his trip to Africa, wondering whether this would be the right thing to do now, considering everything that had happened. Was it right to put his dreams first or did it make him selfish? Putting things into perspective … family was family. Family was everything. He finally drifted off to sleep but it seemed like just minutes later Allie was waking him with tea and toast in bed before slipping out back to the pub to let the drayman in, with the promise that she’d be back later to help him pack up the rest of the house. As if he didn’t have enough on his mind, Flynn Carter, the property developer, was arriving in the next few days and there was still so much to do. Rory really didn’t know what he’d do without Allie.

  He kissed her and thanked her for dropping everything to be by his side. It didn’t matter that they’d had their own struggles in the last few days: she knew he needed her and she hadn’t let him down.

  ***

  Arriving at the surgery, he took a minute to stare up at his parents’ cottage. The place had been their whole life, packed to the brim with memories. The bedroom curtains were still closed, and Rory wondered what type of night his dad had had. Did he find it difficult going to sleep? Was he apprehensive when waking up, not knowing whether Alana would be her old or new self that day? Rory didn’t fully understand, and he couldn’t imagine. With the animals he treated in his day-to-day job it was usually a physical injury, one you could see and fix, but he knew he couldn’t fix his mum and it broke his heart.

  He pulled out the key to the surgery door and let himself in. Just like every morning he hung up his jacket, sterilised his hands and slipped on his scrubs. The surgery was deadly silent except for the ticking of the clock in the waiting room. Usually he would turn the sign on the surgery door to ‘open’, but not today. This morning the surgery would remain firmly closed until he’d spoken with his dad.

  He made himself a mug of coffee and sat down behind his mum’s desk. Today’s schedule was jam-packed with appointments. It was the usual, a few castrations, lumps and bumps that needed scanning and a dog with an eye infection. Rory sighed and shut the appointment book.

  Hearing the cottage door creak, Rory sat up in the chair. He felt apprehensive. He wasn’t sure how this conversation with his dad was going to pan out. Stuart looked tired as he opened the door clutching his usual mug. His eyes looked bleary and Rory noticed for the very first time that his white coat looked huge on him. He’d lost weight.

  ‘How are you, Dad?’ asked Rory, hesitantly.
r />   ‘I’m okay.’

  ‘And Mum?’ Rory’s voice was low.

  ‘She’s having a bath.’

  Without saying another word Stuart placed his mug down on the desk and grabbed a chair from the corner of the waiting room. He sat opposite Rory and took a sip of his tea. ‘I suppose you have many questions,’ he said, holding Rory’s gaze.

  Rory could see his dad looked beat.

  ‘I’ve been up most of the night researching Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Lewy Bodies …’ Rory began to reel off all the types he’d read about last night.

  ‘Alzheimer’s,’ interrupted Stuart. ‘Regardless of which type of dementia is diagnosed and what part of the brain is affected, each person will experience dementia in their own unique way,’ he said quite matter-of-factly.

  Rory felt like his dad was quoting straight out of a textbook. ‘I just don’t understand. When did all this start?’

  Stuart took a deep breath. ‘I noticed things slightly changing a while back but in the last couple of months things became more apparent. I’d call through with an appointment and your mum had forgotten to log it. Other times she’d be confused and book people in on the wrong days with the wrong animals. On one occasion I was expecting to castrate a dog and in walked Mr Potts with his pet parrot.’ Stuart gave a little chuckle. ‘At first, I just thought it was because the surgery was busy, not enough hours in the day … You know how it is.’ Stuart took a breath. ‘But even on the quiet days your mum found it difficult concentrating. She’d start one thing, then another without finishing the first thing. Then there were the invoices … Your mum could knock up an invoice in her sleep. She knew where people lived, the names of their pets, the prices for absolutely everything. But then she began to find it difficult carrying out familiar daily tasks. When people paid with cash she would get flustered, and confused over the correct change.’ Stuart’s voice faltered. He was emotional, talking about the change in his wife. Rory saw the tears in his eyes, reached across the desk and placed his hand on his dad’s shoulder.

  ‘Why did you not tell me?’ he asked. ‘And how did I not see the signs myself. I’m so sorry, Dad,’ he said, genuinely devastated at not recognising the signs and putting two and two together.

  For a second, Stuart looked down at the table, his hands cupped tightly round his mug then he shrugged. ‘Because we are married, for better or worse. Because we are your parents and I needed to get used to the changes. It was something I had to come to terms with myself first.’

  ‘But Aggie and her friends knew?’ objected Rory softly. He could see his dad was struggling talking about it. He had a downcast expression.

  ‘Aggie and Rona also had their own concerns about your mum. They came to see me. It must have been difficult for them both, but they only confirmed what I’d been thinking myself.’ He paused. ‘As you know they always go to the village hall on a Wednesday to play Bingo. How long has your mum been doing that?’ Stuart held Rory’s gaze.

  ‘As long as I can remember, why?’

  ‘Because your mum became confused about the day, place and time. Then she became anxious and started to argue with them about it. She had mood swings. Now, luckily for your mum and for me, we’ve had friends in this village for years and years and they knew her inside and out. They could see something was wrong. She has good loyal friends … we have good loyal friends. That’s what I love about Heartcross, the community; we look out for each other. I know you think I’m a grumpy silly old fool …’

  ‘That’s not quite the case,’ replied Rory, feeling guilty for all the times he’d been frustrated with his dad over what now seemed like trivial things.

  Stuart continued, ‘And that you think I should have retired years ago, but I needed this job, Rory. It was my own little escape, my own little world that I knew best how to cope in.’ Stuart swallowed, and Rory noticed his hands slightly shaking.

  ‘I know that now, Dad, and I’m so sorry.’ His dad hadn’t needed the extra pressure that he’d been putting him under to expand the surgery and update the technology, and no wonder his mum had been happy with the old-fashioned appointments diary. ‘Has she seen a doctor?’ he asked.

  Stuart nodded. ‘At first I went to see Dr Taylor for some advice.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘He encouraged me to make an appointment for your mum and take her along to see him, which was difficult in itself. I mean, what do you say? “Hey, Alana, you need to come with me to see a doctor because I think you’re not well”? Anyway, cutting a long story short, I finally got her there and she had a physical examination. I was questioned about the changes because sometimes memory loss can be caused by other factors: depression, anxiety, thyroid problems. He took blood tests and carried out memory tests and referred us to the hospital at Glensheil, to a psychiatrist with experience of treating dementia, and a neurologist.’

  ‘Did Mum have a brain scan?’

  Stuart nodded. ‘An MRI scan and a further detailed memory test.’

  ‘And how is Mum about it all?’

  ‘The key is routine, to keep everything the same. Some days are good days and some days can be quite worrying, especially after last night. She’s never wandered off before, even after a disagreement.’

  Rory tried to give his dad a comforting smile but inside he was crushed. Everyone’s life had become way more complicated and he hadn’t even realised. He’d been wrapped up in his own little bubble and never even considered what was going on in anyone else’s life. He felt disappointed in himself over that.

  ‘Your mum is on medication which helps to slow it down … She’s very proud of you, you know,’ said Stuart, standing up. ‘And I know when I do finally hang up my coat this place will be in safe hands. Clover Cottage wasn’t meant to cause you and Allie problems, you know. That place has a lot of potential. Make it your own. This place’ – Stuart looked round as he placed the chair back in the waiting room – ‘this place has served me well. I had to convince your mum to convert this part of the cottage into a surgery. She’d argued this was the best room, and should only be allowed to be used at Christmas.’ Stuart rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. ‘She had her own funny ways back then, but that’s what I love about her. She wore the trousers without a doubt, but I couldn’t have done all this without Drew’s father: he loaned me the money to convert the rooms and buy the equipment and become my own boss. And that’s what I mean about good friends – Heartcross community, we look out for each other, and I know I’m not on my own now with your mum. Our friends will help us through this.’

  Rory was listening and taking in everything his dad was saying. It was only now the penny had dropped that he realised exactly how Allie saw things. To her, Heartcross was her security, where she felt safe surrounded by the people she knew and could rely on – exactly like his father. Rory exhaled. Thinking about Allie he felt guilty. All he’d focused on had been what he’d wanted to do: take a year out to go travelling. And there was Allie still by his side, cuddling him all night even after he must have made her feel like she didn’t know whether she was coming or going. He was sorry for that and knew he needed to put it right. It took a special kind of person to put someone else first, especially after the way he’d dropped Africa on her out of the blue. He only wished it hadn’t taken his mother’s illness to make him realise this.

  ‘What can I do to help?’ asked Rory, hearing the rattle of the surgery door and glancing up at the clock. It was time to open.

  ‘Just be normal, keep everything normal,’ said Stuart, placing his hand on his son’s shoulder.

  ‘I am really sorry, Dad.’

  ‘Don’t keep apologising. Sometimes you don’t know what is going on in people’s lives. Next week is your mum’s birthday. Why don’t we make it a birthday to remember? Now it’s time for work.’ Stuart nodded towards the diary on the desk. ‘And can you book the client in? Your mum won’t be in until late morning.’

  Rory nodded and welcomed Mrs Stevens, who lived o
ver the other side of the bridge, and was carrying her cat in a basket. As soon as Rory had checked her in and shown her through to his dad’s surgery he glanced at his phone, which had just beeped. It was a text message from Zach. Swiping the screen, he read the text and felt deflated.

  My flights are booked! You need to send your passport details ASAP so we can go on the same flight.

  Rory stared at the text and swallowed. He had no clue how he felt – punctured, disappointed – but there were far more important things to be worrying about now. He couldn’t just up and leave for twelve months, leaving his dad to hold the fort. The timing for Africa was now far from perfect; it just wasn’t his time. Feeling the pressure, he typed out a text to Zach, apologising that due to personal circumstances he’d have to cancel the trip. He knew Zach had put his neck on the line to get him on board and he felt dreadful letting him down at the last minute, but he had no choice. He deleted the text and typed out another, but he just couldn’t find the right words. It would be best to explain to him face to face.

  Just as Rory was about to slide his phone into the desk drawer it pinged again.

  How is everything this morning? I’ve the night off. I’ll see you at yours around 6pm. Love A x

  Perfect, see you at 6pm

  replied Rory, thinking there was too much to go over in a text message; he’d catch up with Allie later and talk to her about what on earth he was going to do next.

  Chapter 17

  With a smile on her face Allie swung open the front door. ‘Ta-dah!’ she said, holding up a white carrier bag.

  ‘Now that is a very welcome smell,’ said Rory, appearing in the doorway of the living room.

  ‘Me or the fish and chips?’ teased Allie.

  ‘Both,’ said Rory walking towards her and placing a kiss on her lips. ‘Got to love the fish and chip van. I’ll get the plates,’ he said, taking the bag from her and manoeuvring his way across the room.