Page 34 of Falling in Love at Pennycress Inn

Hmm, she could imagine how fun those meetings would be. ‘Okay, well, pretend you’re just speaking to a friend. Pretend you’re speaking to me, telling me about the farm.’ She pressed record.

‘So we’re friends then, are we?’ With his hand on the edge of the tractor cab, he jumped down onto the step, pausing there for a moment. His mouth curling at the edges. Was he trying not to laugh at her?

‘Well, I…’ What was he implying? That she was just someone who had begged him to help with the carnival? Someone who he happened to know from the village who could help him with creating these lasting memories of the farm? Were they just acquaintances? Is that how he saw them? She shrugged. ‘Okay, acquaintances, then. Just pretend you’re talking to a total stranger if you like. It doesn’t matter, just try to seem a bit… happier.’

He ran his free hand across the back of his neck before jumping down from the tractor step. ‘Right, okay. Let’s try again.’

She nodded, forcing a smile. What had she been thinking? Yes, he’d touched her hand and hugged her; yes, he’d fixed her bike; and yes, he’d come to check up on her after the altercation with Nathan. It didn’t mean anything, though.

She focused on the phone screen again, waiting for him to take his position in front of her before restarting the recording. ‘Three, two, one. Take two.’

‘More like Take two hundred and two,’ he muttered before plastering a huge fake smile on his face.

Sniggering, she ended the recording. ‘You can’t do that, mutter things and look super grumpy before pulling a face like that.’

He frowned, the smile disappearing. ‘A face like what?’

‘Your smile! It’s fake – liketoofake.’ She grinned.

‘Too fake? So a little fake is okay?’ Charlie came towards her and indicated the phone, waiting until Nicola had played the video back. ‘Ouch. I see what you mean.’

‘Sorry, I don’t want to offend you, but if this is going to be something you show your future kids and grandkids, don’t you want it to look genuine? I know you hate the farm and can’t wait to get it off your hands but…’ Her voice faltered as she looked at him intently, trying to figure out if she’d offended him.

‘You’re right.’ He nodded.

‘So, loosen up and we’ll try again, okay?’

‘Yep. Loosen up. How hard can that be?’ Relaxing his shoulders, he began tensing and untensing his fists before wriggling his fingers and waving his arms about.

Throwing her head back, Nicola laughed. When she’d first met him, she’d never have thought he’d be standing in front of her right now, acting all goofy.

‘Is that better?’ Bringing his arms to his sides again, he grinned. A real grin this time, one which lit up his eyes and deepened the faint laughter lines around his eyes. The lines Nicola hadn’t been sure were due to frowning or smiling.

‘Much better.’ Nicola gave him the thumbs up and held the phone up again. She’d lost count of the take number. ‘Three, two, one, go.’

‘Hey, so here we have the wheat field where wheat is grown…’ He floundered for a few moments before smiling again and continuing.

Nicola grinned as she followed him around the field and then again as they returned to the tractor. He was much more relaxed now. She pushed the thought of him questioning their friendship to the back of her mind. It didn’t matter how he saw her, she was just doing him a favour, and she was happy to. She was having fun after all and anything to keep her mind off Nathan and him chancing it to weasel his way back into the cottage only had to be a good thing, didn’t it?

* * *

‘Here you go, my famous hot chocolate.’ Charlie passed Nicola a mug before sitting down next to her on the large log in front of the campfire he’d lit after they’d finally finished shooting the tour of the farm.

‘Thank you.’ Taking the mug, she wrapped her arms around it, suddenly feeling a slight chill in the air despite the heat radiating off the fire. ‘Famous, you say? That’s humble.’

‘Haha, not my words.’ He took a sip, leaving a hot chocolate moustache across the stubble above his lip.

‘You have…’ She pointed to her own lip.

‘Oh, thanks.’ Chuckling, he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

‘Okay, here goes. You have a lot to live up to a lot with a claim like that.’ She grinned before taking a sip of the drink, the rich, creamy chocolate flavour filling her senses. ‘Oooh, that’s delicious.’

‘Told you.’ He sighed. ‘Thank you for this evening and for helping me with the video. I probably never would have actually got around to doing it if you hadn’t helped, not to mention that it would have turned out shockingly awful.’

‘Aw, you’re welcome. It was fun.’ She took another sip of the drink. He was a man of hidden talents. ‘Can I ask you something?’

‘Of course. Ask away.’ After placing his mug on the ground, he picked up a stick from beside him and skewered a huge marshmallow on it before passing it across to her and repeating the process for himself.

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