Goody Two Shoes (Invertary 2)

“Didn’t you see her at church this morning?” Dougal placed a tall glass of ice-cold Coke in front of him.

“I don’t go to church.”

Dougal nodded as though that made perfect sense. “Of course, you’re a heathen.”

Josh spluttered out a mouth full of Coke. “I’m not a heathen, I was brought up Catholic. I just don’t do church.”

Dougal leaned across the bar. “So you’re one of those agnostic people, then?” He scratched his beard. “I’m not sure we have any of those in town. You might be the first.”

Josh resisted the urge to thump his forehead on the bar. Apart from the fact he would have to look up the word agnostic when he got home, he really didn’t want to talk about church. “Have you seen Caroline or not?”

Dougal looked around to make sure no one was listening. The action made the hairs on Josh’s arms stand to attention. Dougal leaned towards him and lowered his voice. “You’ve only just missed her. She came in not ten minutes ago to pick up her order. If you hurry you can catch her at Patrick’s house.”

Josh stilled. Order? Patrick? “Caroline is with a guy?”

Dougal nodded. “Every Sunday afternoon, regular as clockwork. But keep it to yourself; she doesn’t want anyone to know.”

Josh felt the muscle at the corner of his jaw tick. She accepted his proposal when she had a standing date with some other guy? He couldn’t keep the growl out of his voice. “How do I find this Patrick?”

Dougal considered him for a moment before nodding to himself. With a twinkle in his eye, the bar owner gave the directions he needed, and Josh shot out of the pub. Forgetting all about paying the man or eating the food he’d ordered.

Ten minutes later, Josh was confused. Dougal’s directions had led straight to Shady Pines nursing home. Someone with a sense of humour had named the place, because it was nowhere near shade or pines. The building looked a lot like the community centre, the same utilitarian cube structure from the seventies. The same grey walls. And the same complete lack of character.

The woman at the front desk seemed to be expecting him. “Dougal called. She’s in room five.” She pointed down a puke-green corridor.

Josh followed her direction, passing several open doors along the way. Families were visiting the people in hospital beds. There was laughter and light. But it didn’t make up for the stink of hospital disinfectant and the underlying aroma of urine. The door to room five was open too, and Josh heard Caroline before he saw her. She sounded indignant.

“You did this on purpose, Patrick Harris.”

There was a croaky chuckle. “That book came highly recommended, Caroline. They even made it into a TV show. Not that I can watch it, mind you.”

Josh peeked in the door. He found Caroline standing with her back to him, hands on hips. She was giving hell to a tiny, wrinkled blind man who was lying in bed—with a huge grin on his face.

Caroline picked up a copy of Game of Thrones, which was on the bed in front of her. “This book is full of violence and sex. You chose it just so you could make me read those scenes.”

She turned slightly, and Josh saw she was smiling.

The man in the bed held up a hand. “Come on, Caroline, you come here to read to people. This is what I want to hear.”

“I bet you do, you dirty old man. Well, next time I’m bringing some Jane Austen with me. Let’s see how funny you find that when I read it to you.”

His face fell. “You’re not serious, are you? That’s a women’s book. Come on. I’ll be good. I won’t laugh when you stutter through the sex scenes or sound disgusted in the fight scenes.” He put a palm over his heart. “Promise.”

Caroline struggled to hide her laughter. “We’ll see. I’ll think about it. Right now I have to go see if Elsie needs any more wool. You behave yourself until I see you next week.”

The man’s whole face lit up. “Now why would I want to do that?”

With a shake of her head, Caroline turned to leave the room. She didn’t see Josh until she had stepped into the corridor, and the smile dropped from her face.

“What are you doing here?” She folded her arms over the pretty pink shift dress she was wearing.

“Looking for you. You’ve been avoiding me.”

She rolled her eyes. “No. I haven’t. I’ve been busy.”

She strode past him and down the corridor. Josh jogged to catch up. “Every time I call I’m told you’re in a meeting, or have gone off to sit on some committee somewhere.”

She stopped short, making him trip over her. “That’s because I am doing those things. Just because you waltzed into my life and disrupted everything, doesn’t mean I don’t still have responsibilities.”