Page 63 of A Forever Home at Honey Bee Croft

‘I’m not going to run, but I’m still nervous.’

‘Me too. But I think that’s a good thing. It shows we both care. See you shortly.’ He held up his crossed fingers and the hopeful smile he gave me melted my heart. Yes, Ididcare and that was surprising after such a short time. Something in my gut was telling me that Joel was going to be a very important person in my life, and I had no idea why. I was the practical accountant – not someone who believed in fate, destiny or gut feelings. But everything about my trip to Yorkshire so far felt very much like destiny at play. I loved it here and felt more like me than I had in a very long time. And the thought of leaving on Monday made me feel a little tearful.

24

JOEL

My heart was pounding as I returned to the snug to order a bottle of wine. Levi spotted me and called me over to join him, Tim and their fiancées.

‘I can’t. I’m meeting someone.’

‘Orange dress?’ Tim asked.

‘Is it that obvious?’

‘Yes!’ they chorused followed by all four of them speaking at once. I didn’t need to ask them to repeat themselves as I’d got the gist –good choice,about time,be yourselfandgood luck.

I needed more than luck, especially as I might have unintentionally friend zoned myself by raising the subject. What was wrong with me? Why had I planted that idea?

The first alcove I found had a couple of solid-looking chairs separated by a table on which there was the most enormous floral arrangement. She wasn’t there but I wouldn’t have chosen those chairs either. A bit further along, there was a squishy sofa and there she was.

‘You stayed.’

‘That thing you said about nerves and caring really resonated.’

I poured two glasses of wine and passed her one before sitting down at the other end of the sofa.

‘Before I forget, Housekeeping are sorting out your clothes,’ she said. ‘They’ll be at reception when you check out tomorrow.’

‘Thanks so much for doing that for me. I really appreciate it.’ After Chez had done nothing but take from me, it was touching to have someone willing to give instead.

‘Have you seen your brother since?’

I told her about the confrontation with Fizz and the subsequent conversation with my parents. Poppy asked whether things had always been difficult between us and I found myself fully opening up about Chester’s depression, his on-off relationship with Lorna, the falling out with Harry and how I’d tried to shield my parents from each of his dark moments.

‘I didn’t want them to worry with being so far away and Chez was adamant he didn’t want me telling tales but I think that, in trying to protect them all, I might have made it worse.’

‘Sounds like you were stuck between a rock and a hard place,’ Poppy said. ‘If you’d told your parents, you’d have broken Chez’s confidence so you tried to support him yourself and ended up getting the brunt of his frustration. In your shoes, I don’t think I’d have done anything different.’

‘Do you have any brothers or sisters?’

‘No. My parents never wanted children, but they took my birth mum in when she was four months pregnant with me and they never got rid of me.’

Poppy said it flippantly but the accompanying smile didn’t reach her eyes. So many questions sprang to mind from that one statement, and I hesitated, wondering if it was too soon and too intrusive to ask them.

‘So, how old is Imogen?’ Poppy asked. ‘She mentioned some other children earlier who I think are maybe siblings but not yours?’

‘She’s eight, she has a stepbrother, half-brother, half-sister and twin half-brothers on the way. And you’ve just changed the subject.’ I couldn’t not acknowledge what she’d said.

Poppy stared into her drink. ‘I don’t normally talk about me.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because I’m not very interesting.’

‘Why would you think that?’

‘Because the last two people I dated told me. I haven’t dared inflict myself on anyone else since then.’

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