Chapter 21 – Something New

Joe was hanging about the pub once more with his usual hangdog look. I took deep breath and asked him (I didn't want to, but I did anyway; just to be friendly), "Joe, what's eating you?"

Joe shook his head slowly. "Oh… not that much." Then he sighed, his face screwed up.

I was trying to restock and the afternoon was getting late, but I stopped what I was doing to actually look at him. "I won't repeat it, but level with me."

"You don't want to hear about my troubles."

"Well, we all have 'em sometimes." I rubbed a dull spot on the bar top. "But…"

"Right now I'm thinkin' you're the luckiest man in world, Al Large."

"Hm? Oh, I'm okay."

"No, I mean it. You got a girl and gettin' married soon."

"Two weeks," I winced.

"Gonna have a baby."

"Who told you?"

"Your dad."

"I asked him… to keep it quiet." Thanks dad!

Joe smiled. "Good news though, right?"

"Right." Good news. But what do I know about being a father? There were a million things to be done, and jawing with Joe was not one of them. I checked my watch and saw it was past four. I'd better get moving.

Joe punched me in the arm. "You'll do fine. I never had that chance - fatherhood. Me and Maggs… well, nothin' happened in that department. Babies, I mean. Maggie wanted 'em and me as well." His face drooped. "And with Janice…"

I patted his arm for we all knew what had happened. Poor Joe, and poor Janice as well. "Somebody will come along."

Joe sipped at his glass of water. I'd offered him a pint but he'd refused, saying, 'I'm on duty, Al.' He cleared his throat. "Maybe. But Al, nothing much ever happens down here. It's too quiet. Boring, really. Same old people. Same old... stuff. I wish something new would happen."

Just then I heard a car stop outside, car doors opened and closed, and then hard-soled footsteps came to the door. "Hello?" a bright voice called out. Her accent sounded like Midlands, might be Brummie.

A woman was standing in the pub doorway. Forty-ish, with a bright head of blonde hair. She pushed her hair back, which she wore long. Her jeans fit her well, and her bright yellow blouse set off her blue eyes. A pretty woman, so I had to look. The longer I looked at her, the more I lowered her age. Thirty-five maybe? Thirty-three?

"Sorry to interrupt," the woman said. "I'm traveling with my daughter. May we use the washroom?"

I pointed. "Through that door."

The woman turned her head. "Come inside, Molly."

A little girl stepped inside. She was, oh, I don't know; maybe ten, or eleven. Sort of a smaller version of her mum. She wore jeans and a t-shirt, with a Batman symbol across it. Typical kid.

Joe had turned on his seat. "Hello, ma'am," he said self-importantly.

"Hi," the lady answered. "Come on Molly. Loo."

I watched as Joe tracked the woman and her little girl as they went through the pub and out the door in the back.

"See?" Joe pointed after they'd left the room. "Everybody's got kids; 'cept for me. And my brother. He never even got married." Joe's eyes got a faraway look. "But I was married, once upon a time," he added sadly. He went back to staring into his glass.

Having nothing to add, I got back to work. A few minutes later the lady came out.

She asked. "Excuse me. Can we get a meal here? Anything really. It's been a long day."

"Uhm, the cook's not here but I could rustle up sandwiches. Ham and cheese? Crisps? Fresh fruit we have."

"Oh. That would be good. We got stuck in the most horrible jam up on the motorway. And then near here were sheep all over the road."

That made Joe wake up. "That'll be out by Jimmy Barrow's place, I'm thinkin'," he said.

"I… don't know," she replied.

"Past the quarry?" I asked

"Yes, it was," the woman said.

Joe jumped to his feet. "Gah! I told Jimmy a hundred times to keep 'em penned up." He hitched his equipment belt higher and then brightened. "I'm the local constable. PC Joseph Penhale."

The woman answered, "I'm Clair Davey." She wrapped her arm around the girl. "And this is Molly."

Joe squatted down low and stuck out his hand to Molly. "Call me Joe."

The little girl shook his hand gravely. "You're a police constable."

"Yes. Badge number 3021," Joe said, tapping his chest. "And anything you need, you just call Joe Penhale and I'll be right there," he said to her.

"Just like my Daddy," she said softly. "But he's a fireman."

"Ah," Joe answered, but I could see that he turned his head a fraction to look at Clarisse's ring finger which was bare. "Fireman and policemen are a lot alike." He stood up and addressed the mother. "Maybe."

I swear I saw Joe blush and so did Clair. Clair suddenly seemed not to know what to do with her hands. She almost stuck out her hand to take Joe's outstretched one, but instead folded her arms. I could feel the electricity between them. Nothing and no one new, Joe had said? Hm. Perhaps he was wrong.

"Rescue services, are… kind of… similar," Clair stuttered. "A little maybe."

I rubbed my hands together. "Sandwiches, then?" I said to break the obvious tension.

"Yes, two please. With the fruit," Clair nodded.

Molly tugged on her mum's hand. "Can I have crisps instead? And orange squash?"

Her mother smiled. "Well, okay. Water for me, though."

I smiled. "Give me a couple minutes, and I'll have the sandwiches ready." I went into the kitchen and got busy. When I had the plates ready, I put their food and drink on a tray and took it out.

The Davey's were seated in a booth and Joe was sitting across from them, and making them laugh, telling a story about Jimmy and his sheep. "And then the silly things headed right South on the Coastal Path! Silly buggers musta decided to go on holiday down to Newquay!" he laughed at his own joke.

Clair chuckled. "Country stories. I like them." She sighed. "A big change from Birmingham, right Molly?"

Joe's eyes widened. "Oh, that's a big city."

"Yes. But down here the air is clean. I think we might like living here."

"Oh?" Joe brightened even more. "You… mentioned you were traveling."

"Yes," Clair said. "And I have an interview at your school. Seems your school is looking for a new Head Teacher."

I stood there holding the tray aloft and tried not to drop it. "And here's your lunch," I said into the sudden vacuum.

Joe jumped up, grinning, but he gave me a quick glance that could have meant almost anything. "You enjoy your meal then," he told them. "And I'll be off to have a little chat with Jimmy Barrow about his wayward sheep." He half-saluted and turned on his heel. Joe left the bar, walking in his purposeful way, as the Davey ladies tucked into their food.

Clair said, "Your constable… he… seems nice."

Oh lord, I thought. Was she actually attracted to Joe? "Joe is…"

"Funny," Molly giggled. "He made me laugh."

I gulped. "Yeah. He is that. Funny," I answered and then got back behind the bar.