Page 51 of Falling in Love at Pennycress Inn

‘I wonder where she is now.’ Nicola followed Charlie outside. Whatever he was going to tell her about the letter would simply have to wait. She’d have to speak to him about it another time, perhaps when or if they could find the stray sheep.

‘Over there. The noise sounds as though it’s coming from that barn.’

‘Oh no, is that where your equipment is stored?’ It definitely wasn’t the hay barn he was pointing to. And it didn’t sound like hay that was being knocked over or thrown about.

‘No, it’s where Jill’s carnival float is.’ He picked up speed as he jogged towards the door to the barn.

‘I thought that was in a field at the back of the farm?’ Picking up her pace, Nicola reached the open doorway just after Charlie.

‘Nope, sadly not. Miss Cooke has her stuff down there.’

Pausing in the doorway, they took in the scene in front of them. The trailer sat in the middle of the large barn, the plywood tree attached to one side hanging in half, wooden and cardboard cut-outs of forest animals either side of it, and in the centre of the float was a line of hay bales, presumably for the children to sit in.

And then Claudette was running full pelt towards them, a trail of bunting cut into the shape of leaves dragging behind her, a plywood fox clattering on the floor behind.

‘Stop!’ Charlie leapt towards her, missing her and landing heavily on the floor, the bunting now wrapped around his ankle and the plyboard fox sitting on his lap.

Nicola slapped her hand over her mouth to try to stifle the laughter erupting from inside her.

Looking up at her, Charlie held his arms out and began to chuckle.

Doubling over, she let the laughter out, wiping the tears which cascaded down her cheeks. She just couldn’t help herself, not when she was looking at him sitting on the floor of the barn strewn with stalks of hay, paintbrushes and pots of paint, whilst cradling a cut-out of a fox, a string of bunting hanging from his head. ‘I’m so sorry. I just…’

Placing the fox on the floor next to him, Charlie tried to stand up, falling back down after realising the bunting was wrapped around his ankles too.

‘Here, let me help.’ Still laughing, she began untangling him. ‘I really wish I’d thought to take a photo before helping you.’

‘Oi!’ Finally released, he leaned forward and pulled her towards him, them both falling against the floor.

She looked across at him as he pulled a strand of hay from her hair and cupped her cheek, their lips touching before he pulled away again.

‘About what I was going to say earlier…’ He sat up and pulled her to sitting next to him.

‘About the farm being up for sale?’ She swallowed. Did she really want to know?

‘Yes, about that.’ He raked his hand through his hair. ‘I’m really enjoying getting to know you…’

‘But you can’t put your life on hold to see where it might go.’ She finished his sentence for him and dusted off the knees of her jeans. ‘It’s fine. I understand.’

‘Well, that’s not quite what I was going to say. What I wanted to say was that I hope we can continue things even when I go back to London?’ He looked across at her and took her hand in his.

‘Oh.’ Although it’s what she’d hoped he’d want, hearing him say it was a whole different thing. Yes, he wasn’t saying he’d stay longer for her, but she couldn’t expect that. He had a job back in the city, a life. ‘That would be nice.’

‘Good.’ Leaning over, he pecked her on the lips before looking across at the float.

‘Wow.’ The damage was worse than she’d first thought. Not only had the fox and bunting been torn off and the large plywood tree been broken in half, but numerous cardboard animals lay strewn across the floor. ‘I guess we should probably try to fix it up before the forest school kids see it?’

27

Nicola knocked at her mum’s door. She had a key, but she never liked to use it when she knew her mum was home, just as her mum did the same for her. She’d pop round and let herself in during the day to check on Trixie, but when she knew Nicola was home, it was always the doorbell she tried first.

The cheerful yellow door opened, and her mum smiled at her. ‘Hello, Nicola! I wasn’t expecting you today.’

‘I’ve brought some of Jackson’s scones.’ She grinned and held up the bag of scones Jackson had given her, along with a bag with a tub of cream and a pot of jam in.

‘In that case, you’d better come in.’ Her mum laughed as she ushered her through to the living room. ‘I’ve only just popped the kettle on this instant. I won’t be a moment.’

Whilst her mum made the tea, Nicola sat down and set the scones, jam and cream out on the coffee table.

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