Page 27 of A Forever Home at Honey Bee Croft

Mary Dodds sounded lovely over the phone. She had one of those warm voices where you could tell the person was smiling when they spoke. She said she’d leave the porch door unlocked and a key hidden under a plant pot inside, and would stop by tomorrow evening to say hello and see if I needed anything.

When Benji and I went next door, Wilf had the drinks ready and had even made us each a sandwich for lunch which was typically thoughtful of him. He asked me about my business meeting and about Dad’s birthday as we ate but, when we’d finished, I figured it was time to address the elephant in the room.

‘About earlier…’ I began.

‘I hope I didn’t overstep. I heard raised voices and, when I saw who it was?—’

‘Your timing was perfect and I’m glad you stepped in. Damon’s a bit too intense for me and I’m struggling to shake him off.’

‘He’s an ex-boyfriend?’ Wilf was clearly trying to keep a poker face, but he didn’t manage to keep the surprise out of his voice.

‘No, but he does keep asking me out.’

I briefly outlined the moment with Dad last year which had led to me taking Damon out for a thank you coffee, his mistaken belief that it was a date, and his subsequent messages asking me out.

‘The messages stopped over the winter so I thought – hoped – he’d given up, but it’s like the first mow of the year has given him an excuse to kick it all off again. He even turned up at The Larks on Saturday, which wasn’t on.’

‘He followed you?’

‘No, but he knew where I was heading and he was waiting for me outside. He said he was worried about me because I seemed upset when I left the house but whether I was or wasn’t is none of his business. We’re not a couple, we’re not even friends, and it’s not his job to be concerned about me. What you saw earlier was me telling him I didn’t want him mowing the lawn anymore. Troy Taylor’s going to do the whole garden for me.’

‘Do you think Damon’s got the message now?’

‘I think so. But if he does turn up again, I won’t be here. I’m going away for a week. Would you mind putting the bin out and keeping an eye on the post for me? And if Damon does return, feel free to tell him I’ve gone away – just not where.’

I told Wilf where I was going and he assured me Damon wouldn’t find out from him if he did come sniffing around.

I said goodbye to Wilf and Benji shortly after and took my phone out of my pocket to make sure there’d been no calls from The Larks. Damon’s missed calls were up to eleven and there were several more WhatsApp notifications. I glanced down the messages.

From Damon

Can we talk?

From Damon

Please, Poppy. I’ve done nothing wrong!

From Damon

It’s only because I care about you and I know you feel the same way

From Damon

How about dinner tonight? I’ll pick you up at 7

From Damon

Would 6.30 be better?

And so it went on. So much for him getting the message! I needed to get ready for my holiday and the notifications were distracting me, so I blocked Damon’s number. I wasn’t his client anymore and we weren’t friends so there was no reason for him to be in touch.

I packed a case full of casual clothes, choosing my softest jumpers and loungewear for comfort, and placed all the paperwork I’d need in a crate with my laptop and stationery essentials. I’d work during the day but I’d need to ensure I took evenings off if I wanted to return refreshed. Sharon had told me that there were no streaming services on the television, but there was a DVD player. My parents had built up a large DVD collection so I scanned along the shelves and selected a few of my favourite films. As I reached the boxset for the TV seriesDarrington Detects, my breath caught and my chest tightened as a wave of grief crashed over me. Mum had always had a soft spot for Cole Crawford who played the eponymous Reverend Hugh Darrington, detective turned vicar in the 1960s-set Dorset-based series, and had watched everything he’d ever been in. She’d been ill whenDarrington Detectsstarted and only caught the first two seasons before she passed away, but she declared it his finest work to date and I had to agree. He’d played some amazing characters over the years, both heroes and villains, but there was something about this role that spoke to my soul. Each series had got better and better and it killed me that she wasn’t around to watch them with me.

Don’t cry! Think positive!I closed my eyes and focused on happy memories of settling down on the sofa with Mum to watchCole Crawford, a large bowl of popcorn between us, laughing as we dipped our hands in at the same time. I missed that so much. I missed her so much.

Feeling calmer, I plucked the boxset from the shelf. Each episode was like a soothing hug and would be just what I needed while I was away. If I took another of Mum’s favourite throws with me and her perfume, I could make some popcorn, snuggle under the throw, start from season one, and imagine she was right by my side.

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