Between Three Pines

12. Road trip

"We stood

Steady as the stars in the woods

So happy-hearted

And warmth rang true inside these bones"

Ben Howard - Old Pine

The cold air rushes into the room quickly and Linda shivers. She pulls the window shut then picks up the empty tequila bottle and drops it into the bin. Linda pulls her suitcase onto the bed then slowly unpacks her clothes onto the bed. She pulls the only cupboard open and neatly packs a few outfits into it before deciding on outfits to carry with to the lake house.

She showers quickly and changes into a simple jeans and boots outfit. Linda leaves her suitcase open on the bed then she walks across the hall to Leonard's room. She knocks on the door then opens it. Leonard is sprawled on the bed and is snoring loudly. Linda sits on the bed beside him and rubs his back. Leonard stirs and mutters "Claire?" cracking an eye open.

Linda snatches her hand back and frowns. Leonard sits up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He frowns at Linda then pulls the covers up to his waist. Linda stands up and takes a step backwards and crosses her arms.

"Good, you're awake. We need to get ready so we can meet Matty and Kaye. My suitcase is on my bed. You can pack your stuff in there so we're not carrying too much stuff. I'll wait in the lobby."

Leonard merely groans and flops back onto the bed. Linda walks out his bedroom shutting the door behind her. She walks to her room and pulls on her jacket and handbag. She walks out into the lobby which is empty. The rain has eased up but it's still severely cloudy. Linda pushes the front door open and walks outside.

Leonard pushes himself up and then out of bed. He shivers with the unexpected cold. He pulls a blanket over his body and walks over to his cupboard. He rummages through his clothes then lays a few outfits out on his bed. He takes his time in the shower trying to warm up but the cold seems to be radiating from his bones. After giving up his quest for warmth Leonard shuts the shower off and wraps a towel around his waist. He walks into his room and changes quickly despite being still wet.

He walks across the hall to Linda's room carrying his clothes with him. He drops them on Linda's bed beside her half packed suitcase. He neatly packs his clothes beside hers. Leonard packs with his phone charger and two small umbrellas. He zips the bag closed and pulls it off the bed. He looks around the room wondering if there's anything he's forgotten.

Matthew rolls out of bed and stretches. He yawns and rubs at his eyes. His mind is still buzzing from the questions he was pondering on before his sleep state. Matthew shakes his head as if to silence the thoughts. The tactic doesn't work. Matthew checks his phone and is disappointed to see that Kaye has not messaged him yet. Perhaps she's still asleep, he tells himself.

Matthew has a quick bath and then he packs a bag to carry with to the lake house. Once he is done he checks the time. It's 8:30 am. He paces around the room undecided if he should call Kaye or go to her room. Matthew sits on the edge of the bed with a huff. He taps his foot on the floor then stands up promptly. He decides to make sure the car is available for the weekend and order breakfast for everyone from the kitchen.

Matthew unlocks his bedroom door and walks out into the hallway carrying his bag with him. The hallway is quiet albeit a vacuum cleaner in the distance of the large establishment. Matthew walks to the elevator and presses the down facing arrow. The arrow lightens up and the door opens with a ding. Matthew steps into the elevator and leans against the side of the machine.

The area downstairs is buzzing and surprisingly busy. There are people sitting around the area around the kitchen and bar. Matthew walks into the little area that is well lit on account of the cloudy weather. There are two heaters on both sides of the room. Matthew scans the room for an empty table and a sudden flash of anger runs through him as he spots Kaye at the bar.

Kaye is already dressed for the day. She looks beautiful in a thick woolly winter dress and high heeled boots. Her hair is cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Her weekend bag is sitting neatly beside her. She is holding a cup of coffee and is chatting with the bartender. She laughs at something he says. Matthew frowns. He walks over to the bar.

Kaye glances to the left of her and spots Matthew walking towards her. Kaye smiles brightly at him but Matthew can tell she is tired despite the smile. He settles down beside her and greets the bartender then asks for a cup of coffee. The bartender walks into the kitchen.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Kaye asks with a smile.

Matthew shrugs and responds "did you even sleep?"

Kaye rolls her eyes. "I figured I'd make sure we're all set for our little road trip. The car is still available and I figured we could run by the shop and get some groceries for the weekend."

Matthew nods his head "looks like we had the same idea. Just like high school."

Kaye flushes and the bartender walks back to the bar and places a cup of coffee in front of Matthew. He winks at Kaye and walks to the other side of the bar. He wipes at some glasses and lines them up behind him. Matthew grits his teeth at him then turns back to Kaye.

"So, about Lenny...It's clear there's an underlying issue here, right?"

Kaye nods her head in agreement.

"I'm hoping being out of town will get him to open up. Oh I think we should get a canister of gas for the oven and stove."

Matthew nods slowly "do you know if there will be lights?"

Kaye shakes her head "I haven't been to the lake house in a while. I'm not sure what the state of the place will be like but I guess we'll find out shortly."

Matthew drinks the rest of his coffee and Kaye hops off her bar stool. Matthew lifts Kaye's bag alongside his own then ushers Kaye out the building with his hand secured on her lower back. Kaye doesn't tell him to move it, giving into how good it feels to have him in her space again. They step outside to where the car is parked and Matthew unlocks it. He opens the passenger door for Kaye and she smiles warmly at him.

Matthew closes the door and walks to the driver's side. He pulls on his seat belt then turns the key in the ignition. Kaye reaches forward and turns the radio on. The local station is playing a series of mellow music that accompanies the weather perfectly. Kaye leans against the headrest and shuts her eyes. She dozes off.

Matthew pulls the car into a parking space at the Marigold. He gently rubs Kaye's arm. Kaye slowly opens her eyes and she turns to Matthew with a frown then looks around her. She stretches despite being limited to the inside of the car. She unclips her seat belt.

"How long have I been out? You should have woken me up."

Kaye sounds disappointed but Matthew sets a hand down on her thigh and he responds "you looked too peaceful and I think I managed to get everything we could possibly need."

Kaye nods and then hops out the car. Matthew follows suit and as he does Linda walks into a parking lot from a small gate. She is carrying a few plastic bags. She walks to where Matthew and Kaye are standing. Matthew takes the plastic bags from her.

"Is he awake?" Kaye asks Linda and Linda shrugs.

"I woke him up before I left. I wanted to get some things for the weekend away. I figured there probably isn't food at the lake house. It's been so long since we've all been there."

Matthew puts the plastic bags in the boot beside the shopping he had done. He managed to get two gas canisters and after speaking to the owner of the gas shop deduced that the two should be enough for the weekend. He managed to get some groceries, mostly frozen meals that only needed to be heated in the oven.

He bangs the boot closed and walks to where Linda and Kaye are standing. He turns to the entrance of the Marigold with a big sigh. "Well" he states "let's go find out if he's awake."