Page 56 of Falling in Love at Pennycress Inn

‘Nope, sadly not.’ Charlie chuckled. ‘I had you going for a moment though, didn’t I?’

‘Haha, you sure did.’ Turning back, she felt Charlie’s chin dip to her shoulder as he spoke into her ear. ‘Jill’s float is coming up next. Let’s hope Claudette isn’t playing stowaway.’

‘Umm, I don’t think that would be such a smart idea if she was. Can you imagine the welcome she’d get from the residents she’s been terrorising over the last few months?’

‘True. Let’s hope she’s had the good sense to stay away then.’

Nicola laughed. ‘She’s turning you into a softie.’

Straightening his back, Charlie ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Ah, she’s not so bad. Besides, where has it got me, chasing after her? A ripped shirt and her tying me up in bunting.’

‘I don’t think she intentionally tied you up.’ A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth.

‘Don’t underestimate her.’ Charlie wrapped his arms around Nicola again, pulling her back against him. ‘Sheep can be dangerous creatures.’

‘Uh-huh. Very dangerous. They might even eat your roses if you have any.’

‘Are you mocking me?’ Charlie chuckled.

‘Absolutely.’ She grinned and settled back against him, turning her attention back to the forest school float. Jill had worked her creative magic as always and every inch of the edge of the trailer had been covered with plywood trees, grass and cardboard animals, each lovingly painted by the children waving from their positions sitting on hay bales, huge grins on their faces, proud of their accomplishment. ‘Aw, that looks amazing.’

‘I know why she and at least some of her kids have been at the farm all the spare hours now.’ Charlie began clapping.

‘I can imagine. Every day this last week or so, she’s been telling me she’s going straight over there after finishing work.’ Nicola whooped in delight as Jill spotted them. ‘Love it!’

As the trailer dipped over the cobbles, one of the children, dressed as a bunny, jumped up and began hopping around the trailer. Jill tugged on their outfit and pointed to the hay bale. Reluctantly, the child sat back down and instead held their hands above their head in bunny ear style.

Nicola laughed.

‘So adorable,’ Charlie whispered in her ear. ‘I can’t wait to start a family.’

Looking over her shoulder at him, she searched his face. Was he implying what she thought he was? Was he suggesting that he could see a proper future with her? With kids involved too?

A loud clatter sounded, pulling her attention away from him and towards the forest school float instead. The plywood fox, the one they had reattached after Claudette’s vandalism attempt, had fallen into the large painted tree they’d fixed, which in turn had cracked in half again, leaving the top half of the tree hanging precariously over the edge of the trailer. Some of the wooden branches were now dragging along the cobbles beneath, leaving a trail of paper leaves in the float tracks.

‘Mr Fox!’ The bunny screamed as the fox fell from the side of the trailer and lay stranded in the middle of the road before the wheel of the float bumped over it.

‘I think that’s my fault. I obviously didn’t secure it again well enough.’ Charlie ducked beneath the ribbon keeping the spectators on the path and hurried towards the trailer.

Joining him, Nicola rushed towards the fox and picked it up. By the time she’d run ahead to where the float now was, Charlie had hopped over the side of the trailer.

‘Here, take my hand.’ Holding his hand out towards her, Charlie nodded towards the trailer.

Was he mad? He wanted her to jump onto the float, movie-star style? Yes, in the movies they liked to run and jump onto moving trains or lorries which were speeding away at a million miles per hour and this was a carnival float barely hitting five miles per hour, but still?

‘Come on, I’ve got you.’ He ushered her forward, his hand still ready to help her.

She frowned. Was she actually going to do this? What if she ended up face down on the road in a heap in front of all her friends and neighbours? She glanced behind her as the spectators began clapping.

‘Go on, Nic!’ She heard Laura’s voice call out from somewhere in the crowds.

‘Okay, please don’t let me fall,’ Nicola muttered before taking Charlie’s hand. Feeling his grip tighten around her wrist, she matched the speed of the trailer, the plywood fox still beneath her arm. Willow, dressed as a hedgehog, soft spikes and all, leaned over and took the fox from her, freeing her other hand, which Charlie grabbed too.

With cheers from the crowd behind her, Nicola took a leap of faith and, thanks to Charlie lifting her over the edge of the trailer, landed in a heap against the hay bales. Covering her hands with her face, she laughed. She’d actually done it. She’d jumped into a moving vehicle. The float may have been crawling along at a snail’s pace, but she’d still done it.

Lowering her hands, she pulled herself into a sitting position as raucous applause erupted around her.

‘Go, Auntie Nic!’ Willow jumped up and down, clapping her hands together.

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