Homeward Bound

Homeward Bound Chapter 41

Six months later

It was a bright morning as I knelt by dad's grave, finishing the planting of snowdrops. They were dad's favourite flower. Mum and I had decided that it would be a better idea for dad to have some bulbs with him than offerings of flowers that would wither and die in a few days. It would have been what he had wanted.

'He's finally at rest,' Gideon muttered, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. I glanced up at him and smiled returning the look of love and adoration he portrayed to me.

'That he is,' I said. I turned to my right to see Mum looking blissfully happy, holding David's hand.

It had been a bit of a shocker to us all that Mum had returned David's feelings so quickly, although, mum kept saying they were good friends. David had sort of snuck up on Mum with his charm and wit. It was probably due to the fact that they spent so much time together talking about everything and nothing every Wednesday afternoon. It had turned out to be their little tradition. There was underlying talk that they would move in together, as it seemed like David spent most of his time at the bungalow with Mum, when he wasn't running the Brown Cow, with mum's improved washing up skills.

I, on the other hand, had moved out and was now living with Gideon up at the farm. I had taken to the farming life like a duck to water, while going into business with Danielle at the haberdashery when her mum announced she wished to retire completely, taking Tibbles with her as mum never seemed to be home to take care of a cat. I was quite tearful when Tibbles left for a better home and better diet too. She's now a very sleek looking cat.

I discovered that I fitted in well with the haberdashery shop and making pre-spoke garments for the town folk. It was what I had always wanted in life, and I had finally found my calling back in my hometown.

Lizzie and Theo had finally had their second child, Lily, who was overdue by a whole fortnight. They had decided that two children where enough, although they didn't have the guts to tell Helen, who was happy to have the newest addition to the O'Malley family. She had been making hints about Gideon and I giving her more grandchildren, but so far was still distracted by Lily and Robin to make a big deal about it.

As for the case that loomed over us all. Matthew and I had both been cleared of all charges that where made by the police, only getting off with cautions. He had grown the bottle and announced to the whole town that he was bisexual. This hadn't gone down that well with Mum, who thought one gay in the town was enough, but she was getting over it. Matthew's announcement was shortly followed with another one that he was seeing William Thomas, our gay vicar. It seemed that change had finally come across this small town in Somerset. Some were concerned about the rainbow bus brigade would take over the town once a year now we had two gay men and two lesbians too. I doubted that somewhat.

Isaac and Rosie's were still going strong or dare I say stronger still. Isaac had joined the police having passed all tests, straight out from the army, and was now our local police officer, who was just as good as Sam had been. Rosie still continuing her matchmaking business, and now turned her attentions on to the non-existent romantic life of Danielle. I felt sorry for her. Isaac and Rosie had both tied the knot up on the farm, where apparently, they had first met. That had been one memorable wedding, for it had been the wedding where Gideon had got down on one knee and asked me to be his lawfully married wife. I had said yes, for I could not see my life without the man who had helped me through thick and thin.

After all the excitement of the farm takedown, Devon had been charged with several crimes including attempted murder, GBH, having a gun without a licence and the use of blackmail. I had been a witness at his trial, as had Matthew. It had been tough, but he was now looking at a long stretch of about twenty-five years, which might be extended as there were a list of other charges like breaking and entry, theft of a motor vehicle, and smuggling stolen goods. He hadn't gone down quietly, for he had spouted obscene language during his trial. That hadn't given him any favours with the court.

Stevie however had known that he was in a sinking ship and decided that there was not much to say. He had gone down with a lighter number of years in prison, as he was only tried with aggravated burglary, fraud and for handling stolen goods and one count of smuggling stolen good.

The goon was also charged with GBH and assessor to a burglary. They couldn't catch him for anything else, although they knew that he had been with Devon and Stevie, as there was no proof. Still he had suffered from his meeting with Meg, and was still having ongoing treatment with a psychologist for his trauma. I just thought that it was a waste of the tax payers money. Let him remember how he was beaten by a dog.

The Brockhurst's had fallen from society once it was made public knowledge that Ethan had his fingers in many pies that all weren't considered legal. He'd been voted off the council at a hastily arranged meeting when it became known he'd been arrested in his butchers shop and taken away for questioning about his part played in locating the red dress, which was found when they did a raid on their big house, upsetting Margo no end, who having learnt the news divorced Ethan as soon as possible. He was last seen eking out a living in Taunton. Reports were that he'd aged overnight, lost about three stone in weight and was selling the Big Issue outside a Pound stretcher.

Margo had finally stopped going into the Brown Cow, her embarrassment to much for her to handle, as most folks speculated about what Ethan had done. This had made David's day once he found out that she would never put a foot over the threshold of his building ever again. He said he would have a party, but none has so far taken place.

She'd also shut up the butchers shop, leaving all their workers with no wage and headed off to the great yonder, although there were whispers she'd moved in with her daughter, sold up the big house for a tidy some and taken a cruise to the med, to having sold up to pay for her divorce and was now having to work in Tesco's in Tiverton.

The butcher shop wasn't closed for that long though, as it was taken over by a man called Luke Travers, a local, who'd been working as a butcher for Sainsburys in Taunton and wanted to run his own business. It seemed that Danielle had caught the eye of Luke, who seemed to have taken up the hobby of knitting, although he kept saying it was for his mum. I yet to tell Rosie this piece of information, as I knew that she would have a field day.

'You know something,' I announced as we walked from dad's grave.

'What?' mum asked.

'I really do wish dad was here,' I confessed.

'You'd not have found me though,' Gideon teased me, which had me rolling my eyes at him.

'I'd have found you sometime,' I assured him, knowing that would have been true, because even if dad hadn't died suddenly, I knew deep in my heart I would have fled back here. I had no where else to go and feared for my life.

'Well, I don't know about you but I'd like to head homeward, mum announced.

'Yeah, homeward bound for good,' Gideon agreed as we all linked up and began the walk there.