Page 57 of Falling in Love at Pennycress Inn

‘Careful, Willow. Sit back down, sweetie.’ Jill leaned forward and patted Willow’s spot on the hay bale.

Twisting on the spot and giving Nicola an eyeful of fabric spikes as she did so, Willow slumped down on the hay bale as instructed. ‘I want to do that. I want to do what Auntie Nic just did.’

‘No, that was very naughty, Nic.’ Jill used her hand to shield her mouth from her daughter and mouthed, ‘Wow!’

‘Yes, very naughty.’ Charlie winked at Nicola as he joined in.

‘Uh-huh, don’t try that, Willow.’ Scrabbling to her feet, Nicola glanced around the group of animals, all eyes fixed upon her. ‘Very dangerous.’

Charlie turned back to the dismembered tree and began tugging at the branches to lift them from the road, his muscles straining through the fabric of his shirt.

‘Here, my turn to help.’ Crawling across to where he was crouching, Nicola smiled at him before helping him pull up the fallen half of the painted tree.

As the wooden branches scraped across the edge of the trailer and the paper leaves were shaken free, Willow crawled across to them and began picking up the leaves, Jill ushering her back to her seat and taking her daughter’s place.

With the branches and top half of the plywood tree safely on the floor of the trailer, Jill passed them a ball of string and between the three of them, they managed to secure the bottom half off the tree, albeit more than a little lopsided against the side of the trailer.

With a final effort, Nicola and Charlie hoisted the top half of the tree into position and, in a half-crouching, half-sitting position, held the wood in place for all to see whilst Jill gripped the fox.

Shifting against the metal bed of the trailer, Nicola jammed herself against the side of it, her arms still in the air supporting the wooden structure, and nudged Charlie. When she’d got his attention, she whispered, ‘So, this is our punishment for not fixing Claudette’s vandalism to the float properly.’

‘I think so.’ Charlie grimaced.

‘I’m not going to be able to feel my arms by the end of the carnival,’ Nicola hissed.

‘Nor me.’ Chuckling, Charlie scooted over closer to her, so they were both hidden from view of the spectators behind the large wooden tree. ‘It does make me wonder what Claudette will get up to next.’

‘I’m sure she’s planning on her next adventure as we speak.’ She smiled at him. This wasn’t quite how she’d envisaged the day of the carnival to unfold, but it was a memory she knew she wouldn’t forget in a hurry. ‘Still think Meadowfield is quaint?’

Charlie chuckled again, louder this time. ‘Can it get any quainter than having to jump onto a moving carnival float in front of hundreds of spectators to hold a wooden tree painted by a dozen forest school kids because the village runaway sheep tried to eat it?’

She scrunched up her nose. ‘Hmm, when you put it like that…’

Moving a little, he changed his grip on the tree and reached out to place one hand over hers, so they were both holding it in the same place. ‘Quaint isn’t all bad, though. I’m beginning to realise that.’

‘You are?’ She grinned as a dart of hope shot through her heart.

‘Well, yes, I mean I can’t very well walk down Oxford Street and see a procession of tractors and decorated trailers, can I? Much less be in a position where I’m needed to rescue a wooden tree or have the woman I’m seeing risk her life to save a fox, real or not, from certain tyre marks and then into jump into a moving vehicle.’

‘No, I don’t suppose you can.’ Nicola grinned. Charlie was beginning to like quaint. Or to at least see the advantages of small village living. That’s what he was admitting to, wasn’t it?

30

‘Just one quick drink and then I’d better run home and feed Trixie before she begins yelling or ventures down here to find me.’ Nicola spoke to Charlie over her shoulder as she pulled the heavy pub door open. The carnival was over for another year and the task of dismantling the floats left for another day as people congregated in the street, buying food from the various pop-up stalls which lined the market square, while others enjoyed a drink or two at the local.

‘I can imagine she’d be the sort of cat to send out a search party.’

‘You have no idea.’ Nicola smiled as they stepped through the door.

‘Woohoo, and here’s to the two local heroes, Nicola and Charlie!’ Neil Parsons’ voice rose above the general hubbub and chatter of the pub as he walked towards them.

‘Hardly heroes. Anyone would have done the same.’ Charlie shook his hand as Neil pulled him towards him and slapped him on the back.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t have, not with my dodgy knee, at least.’ Neil turned his attention to Nicola. ‘Well done, Nic.’

‘Aw, it was nothing.’ She could feel her cheeks redden as she realised everyone was looking at them.

‘Go and order some drinks. On me.’ Neil nodded towards the bar.

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