"That's right," I said softly. "Leah Kent. I'm new in town."
"Leah Kent," he echoed.
"She's my friend," Fiona said. "Now, have you eaten? You know what, let me make you something anyway. It doesn't look like anyone's made anything here today." She bustled around, pulling out a microwave meal and putting it in to heat up.
"Can I do anything?" I asked, directing the question to both of them.
"Can you take these?" Fiona dug through the fridge, pulling out items that needed to be tossed away. She handed me half a loaf of bread, a couple of half-rotten apples and a sock. "I don't know either," she said before I could ask. "Its pair might be around somewhere."
"Right." I threw the food away in the trash and the sock in the laundry hamper by the bedroom door. I caught a glimpse of a big four-poster bed that didn't look recently slept in. Unless someone came by during the day to make it for him. Since the hamper was empty, I assumed he or someone else washed his clothes.
The microwave pinged happily. Fiona opened it and eased the meal out. Gingerly, her brow creased in concentration, she pulled back the wrap and let it sit too cool for a couple of minutes.
"How have you been, Gavin?" She leaned against the kitchen counter, her hands to either side of her.
"Same old," he said in a rough, gravelly voice that was strangely soothing. The kind of voice that could put someone into a comfortable, restful sleep.
The tune to an old lullaby came to mind. I couldn't remember the words, only a vague, soothing sound. I must have heard it on some TV show or movie, because I didn't think my mother ever sang me a lullaby. My stepfather definitely didn't. Gavin's voice was the same kind of soothing.
"Louisa came by with pie," he added. "Maybe that was yesterday." His brow creased again.
Fiona glanced at me, then back at him. "It could have been." Clearly she thought it was much longer than that. "Was it good pie?"
"Her pies are always good," he said. "The best. Almost as good as…" He blinked a couple of times, as if trying to remember.
"They are so good," Fiona said quickly. She grabbed a fork and stirred the meal, it looked like spaghetti Bolognese, before carrying it over and handing it to him. "Make sure you eat it all."
"Bossy," he teased. He gave her a sideways look before tucking into the food.
"I'm not bossy, I just care," Fiona said tartly. "We can't have you fading away, can we now?"
He grunted in response, but went on eating as though he hadn't seen food in days. I suspected he hadn't. At least, not today.
When I was engrossed in a piece of art, I sometimes forgot to eat, so I could relate to being that hungry. Losing his daughter must really have shattered him. He seemed totally aware at moments and completely lost in others. Thankfully he had the town looking out for him.
After a couple of minutes, he finished everything and looked mournful.
"Still hungry?" Fiona guessed. "Lucky I brought you a surprise." She took the empty tray and fork, and dug into one of the bags to pull out a plastic container. She peeled off the lid to reveal several cupcakes.
"Your favourite colour." She held the box out to him so he could take one.
"Purple was Coral's favourite colour," he said. He bit into the cupcake, leaving a smear of purple icing on his nose.
He reminded me of Riley with paint from my painting on his face.
"Purple is a great colour," I said. I picked up a cupcake when Fiona offered me the box. She took one herself before tossing the box back into the bag.
"Purple is the best colour," Fiona agreed. "It's like blue and pink had a lovechild."
I laughed before biting into mine. "This is so good," I moaned.
"Of course they are, Carly made them," Fiona said. "Everyone knows she's the best baker in town."
"Carly is the best," Gavin agreed. "I asked her to my prom, but she said no. She wanted to go with Henry Crane." He grunted in the back of his throat, like she should have had better taste.
"Riley's dad?" I asked. Of course, many of the families in town lived here for a couple of generations. It made sense they all grew up together, like my new friends all had.
"Yep," Gavin agreed. "But Henry only had eyes for Briony. He waited years for her to break up with Jacob, then he pounced." He mimed doing that with one hand before wiping the icing off his nose.
