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Once enough lemons had been collected, the twins wanted to feed the chickens then look for eggs.

Lucy unlocked the coop and followed them inside.

They made a great to-do of searching everywhere and finally found two eggs.

Each holding one carefully, the twins came up to the house with Lucy and Allison carrying the basket of lemons between them.

They sat and drank coffee while the twins played on the floor with a basket of toys Lucy kept especially for them. Davie, playing on Lucy’s lap, was now over his cold and back to his usual happy self.

The afternoon was pleasant and Lucy was glad she was able to spend time with her grandchildren.

The fact that she and Allison had repaired their split made her thankful.

She just couldn’t imagine what it would be like not having her beautiful grandchildren in her life. They made everything worthwhile.

Allison and the children left about four-thirty.

Lucy was sorry to see the children go, but told them she would see them on Thursday night as usual.

Over the past few years, it had become a tradition that Thursday evenings were spent having dinner at Allison’s or else the family came to Lucy’s.

Although usually at Lucy’s they had a barbeque with Allison’s husband doing the cooking.

This left the weekends free for the family to enjoy, and Lucy got to spend regular time with her grandchildren.

It was always good fun, and she loved watching the children grow.

Allison’s husband was a police officer, and if he wasn’t rostered on duty on Thursday evenings, he and Lucy often played chess or simply talked.

She really liked Geoff. He was honest, down-to-earth, and a great father to her grandchildren.

Lucy was especially grateful that they both enjoyed one another’s company, so often son-in-laws disliked their in-laws, but he treated her as a friend rather than just an in-law.

Lucy managed to make a reasonable looking omelet for her meal. For once, she hadn’t burnt it and it tasted okay.

After eating, she grabbed her book and curled up on one of the chairs in the library.

It was pleasant in there, but Lucy always looked forward to winter when she could snuggle up and light a fire, making her feel so toasty and relaxed.

Thankfully, she had plenty of wood. Early last year she’d had to cut down a few old trees and there had been a violent storm that had damaged another.

It meant she had enough firewood to see out this season and the next few.

Lucy gave a wry laugh. She was great with a chainsaw but lousy with a saucepan.

That got her thinking about what Sebastian had said—Jack could teach her to cook.

Would he really? She’d asked Allison several times over the years, but her daughter had always said Lucy could easily cook if she just practiced.

Despite her trying not to think about them, the two men hovered in her mind all the time.

She could hardly wait until tomorrow night.

****

L ucy had strange dreams that night when she went to bed. Both men featured, but so did Allison and the grandchildren. Lemons danced across the lawn while a large cage, floating high above the ground, held the children. Allison had a chainsaw in her hands, and she chased Sebastian and Jack.

Lucy woke with it fresh in her mind. Obviously, she’d been thinking about Allison and the two men through the day and it had come to the fore in her sleep. She just hoped that it was merely a dream and not something prophetic.

The final quote came in well within her budget.

In fact, it was almost the same as the others who wanted to replace the whole thing with steel and many thousands cheaper than renewing the whole roof with slate.

Lucy thought hard about it, then decided to make her final decision after sleeping on it, although she thought she’d be rather stupid not to accept it.

Around three-thirty, Geoffrey called in on his way home from work. He had a jar of Allison’s homemade Lemon Curd for her. She talked to him about the roof, and he said he supported whichever decision she made but agreed with her that the final quote seemed the most honest and best.

They both stood alongside his car, staring up at the roof.

“The slate does look good, Lucy.”

“I know, Geoff. Replacing the entire roof in slate was my sticking point, but this latest contractor seems to think most of it is okay. His quote is around the same as having the full steel roof laid, and it will mean it will still be all slate.”

He gave her a hug and told her he was there if she wanted to discuss it or if she wanted him to look through the quote. She thanked him and watched him drive up and out through the double gate at the entrance to her property.

Turning back, she took one more look at the roof then went inside to dress for the evening out, settling on a dark green three-quarter sleeved dress.

It had a boat neckline, and she always felt special in it.

It flared out in the skirt and hugged her in all the right places.

She twisted her hair up into a bun and clipped it tight.

About twenty past six, she heard a car pull up.