Page 34 of A Forever Home at Honey Bee Croft

‘It’s a great series,’ she agreed. ‘I’ve got the boxset too and I always watch an episode when I’m at a loose end or need cheering up. Cole’s such a good actor and a lovely man too.’

‘He seems to be.’

Sometimes when I’d spent the day on my own, I got the verbals around the first person I saw and this was one of those occasions. I couldn’t seem to stop talking about how exceptionally talented both Mum and I thought Cole Crawford was, how much we loathed his villains and fell in love with his heroes, what a gift for accents he had, and how well he came across in interviews.

‘I can’t believe I just spilled all that out,’ I said, when I paused for breath and my brain caught up with my mouth. ‘I probably sound like an infatuated teenager or the head of his fan club.’

Mary laughed. ‘It’s fine. He’s a very special man. The first time I met him, I was so starstruck. I’d never met a celebrity before, but he’s so genuinely warm and friendly that you soon forget he’s famous.’

My mouth dropped open. ‘YouknowCole Crawford?’

‘I know the whole family. Cole’s daughter Amber is marrying my grandson Barney on Saturday. It’s going to be a wonderful wedding.’

I listened, enraptured, as Mary explained how Barney and Amber had met and how highly she rated each member of Amber’s family. I was dying to ask her more about the wedding and whether there’d be other celebrities on the guest list, but she glanced at the wall clock and stopped mid-sentence.

‘Goodness me, how have I been here an hour already? I must get back to my dog.’

‘What do you have?’

‘A Border collie called Raven and she’s gorgeous. She’s mum to Barney’s two, Bear and Harley.’

She tapped her phone and showed me a few pictures of Raven who was indeed an extremely attractive dog.

‘Before I go, is everything okay and do you need anything – more towels, directions, advice?’

‘Everything’s great and thanks so much for the food you left. That was very kind of you.’

‘It was nothing. I knew you’d had a long drive and I wanted to make sure you had something to eat if you hadn’t had a chance to stop on the way.’

‘I really appreciated it. And I do have a question. Could I stay one more night and leave on Monday morning? And would it be okay for a friend to stay with me on Sunday night? It’s Phil Maynard – Sharon and Ian’s son.’ There was no need to addmy ex-husband. If she knew the Maynards well, she’d already know that.

‘You can have as many people stay as you have room for, but thank you for asking. I appreciate good manners. Call or text me if you want to extend your stay any further. It’s free until next Friday.’

Mary pushed herself up and I followed her into the hall but asked her to wait a moment while I nipped into the kitchen to retrieve the flowers.

‘What are these for?’ she asked, looking surprised.

‘To say thanks again for letting me stay here. It’s a beautiful house and the timing couldn’t have been more ideal.’

She breathed in the scent and smiled. ‘They’re beautiful. That’s lovely of you.’ Reaching the front door, she paused with her hand on the handle. ‘Do you have any plans for Saturday night?’

‘Same thing I’ll be doing every night this week – watchingDarrington Detects.’

‘Would you like to meet Cole in real life? You could come along to the evening do and I can introduce you.’

I clapped my hands to my cheeks, my heart pounding. I wanted to screamyesbut it seemed a heck of a liberty. It wasn’t like I was a friend of Mary’s – I was merely a tenant at her cottage, and she’d only stopped by to check I’d settled in all right.

‘I’d love to meet him, but I can’t crash a family wedding like that.’

‘You wouldn’t be crashing. You’d be my guest. Bring your mum too, if you like.’

My stomach lurched. When I’d mentioned Mum, I hadn’t used the past tense so Mary couldn’t have known.

‘She’d have loved it, but she passed away.’

‘Oh, Poppy, I’m sorry to hear that. Was this recent?’

‘Five years ago, although it doesn’t feel anywhere near that long.’ Tears pricked my eyes and I heard the catch in my voice. ‘Sometimes I go to tell her something and it hits me like a wave that she’s not there.’

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