Page 19 of Falling in Love at Pennycress Inn

Keeping her smile fixed, she busied herself behind the desk, picking up a pen and jotting down some ineligible note in the notebook, waiting for him to leave. But he didn’t. He was still there. Sighing, Nicola looked up at him. He obviously wanted her to grovel, to thank him yet again for being human and helping her. Well, if that’s what he wanted… ‘Look, thank you again for taking me home yesterday and for…’ She indicated her leg. ‘Everything.’

‘No problem.’ Turning, he began walking towards the door before retreating back towards the desk. Tapping his fingers on the wood, he briefly met her eyes. ‘Look, I’ll lend you my tractors and trailers. But I won’t be able to spare them for preparations for more than a few days beforehand.’

‘You will?’ With her voice raised, she grinned. He was actually going to help! Yes, he looked as though he was being forced into it, much the same as Trixie looked when she’d had to give her a shower in the sink after she’d rolled in something indescribably foul, but he was doing it.

‘I will.’ He nodded again. ‘But, like I said, I won’t be able to spare them for long, so any preparations, decorating or whatever assembling a carnival float entails will have to be done close to the day and not take long.’

‘Right, yes. That will be fine. Thank you!’ She’d take anything and she was sure Jill would be able to work around his stipulations.

Pausing for a moment, he then turned back to the front door and left.

As soon as the door closed, Laura sidled up to the reception desk, leaning her elbows on the wood and staring at Nicola. ‘So? What happened?’

‘Yes, tell us. Did he have an excuse as to why he drove off with your bike in the back of his truck?’ Jill joined them, walking towards the front door and watching as his truck drove past the end of the garden before walking back to the reception desk.

‘He’s brought my bike back, but better than that, he’s agreed we can borrow his two tractors and trailers for the carnival.’ Nicola grinned as she watched relief flood across Jill’s face.

‘That’s amazing!’ Clapping her hands together, Jill pulled her mobile from her pocket. ‘I’ll have to let Miss Cooke and Rachel know. They’ll be thrilled.’

Holding her hand up, palm forward, Nicola waited until she had Jill’s attention again. ‘Although he was very clear, he can only spare them for a couple of days.’

‘Oh, that’s fine.’ Jill waved her hand dismissively. ‘We can work around that. All the decorations can be made in the village hall or somewhere and then fixed to the trailers in the day or two beforehand.’

‘Okay.’ Nodding, Nicola smiled. The carnival was going to go ahead, all clubs and groups included, as well as honouring Farmer Williams’ memory.

‘I’ll go and ring them now.’ Holding her mobile to her ear, Jill disappeared outside.

‘I think she’s pleased.’ Laura laughed. ‘Well done, Nic. Oh, by the way, are you free to come to the pub for lunch tomorrow? My treat, as a staff meeting sort of thing.’

‘Yes sure. Sounds good.’ Nicola nodded. A staff meeting at the pub? They normally just caught up through a quick chat in the kitchen over a coffee. ‘Is the meeting about anything in particular?’

Laura shifted on her feet as she shook her head. ‘No, not really. You’ll come, won’t you?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Nicola frowned slightly. Why hadn’t Laura answered her properly?

‘Great. Thanks. I’ll ask Jill once she’s finished on the phone.’ Laura pointed towards the kitchen. ‘I left the leaflets on the table, didn’t I?’

‘Yes.’ Nicola watched as Laura disappeared into the kitchen. There was definitely something going on.

10

Wheeling her bike around the back of the cottage, Nicola couldn’t stop smiling. Charlie had straightened the front wheel before dropping it at the inn earlier. And by the way it rode, he’d fixed the brakes and checked everything else too, not to mention given it a good clean. She hadn’t realised a twenty-year-old bike could look so gleaming. Maybe she’d judged him too harshly. He wasn’t all that bad. And he definitely had a kind side beneath that hard exterior of his. The way he’d behaved towards her after her accident, and now this – those two incidents were proof enough. Plus he’d accepted their request to be involved with the carnival, too.

‘Hey, Trixie!’ Leaning down as the little cat began winding herself around the front wheel, Nicola swooshed her away. ‘That’s it. Just let me prop it up and then we’ll go and find some treats, shall we?’

Moving just a centimetre to the side, Trixie stretched, her small mouth opening in a silent yawn.

‘Gee, thanks for your cooperation.’ Laughing, Nicola carefully lifted her bike above Trixie and leaned it against the fence before turning to the door and tapping her hand against her leg. ‘Come on, then, Trix. Let’s find you some treats.’

Hearing a tapping on the side gate, Nicola frowned as it opened. Who would that be?

The catch rattled, the gate opening to reveal Miss Cooke standing there in a green boiler suit and green boots. ‘Oh, good, you’re back. We’ve been waiting for you.’

‘Hello, Miss Cooke,’ Nicola stuttered as she overcame her surprise. ‘You’ve been waiting for me?’

‘Yes, yes. Now come on. I’ve got the Under Fourteens’ netball team with me.’ Stepping aside, Miss Cooke signalled Nicola to go through.

Looking at Trixie, who would now have to wait for her treats, Nicola grimaced and silently mouthed, ‘Sorry,’ before turning back to Miss Cooke. ‘The netball team? I don’t play netball.’

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