Page 31 of Sunny Sundays at Primrose Hall

‘A beer would go down a treat,’ said Stu, who walked with her in the direction of the hall. Not that their progress was straightforward. They had to keep stopping to talk to people, which was no hardship whatsoever, but it did mean it was another twenty minutes before they reached the hall. They were just about to walk through the side door into the kitchen when something caught Pia’s eye.

‘What’s that?’ she asked, Stu’s gaze following hers as it drifted down the driveway, where an old lorry had turned into the hall grounds and was making a slow approach towards the hall. ‘It looks like we have a late arrival.’

‘I’ll tell you exactly what that is. It’s a Dodge WC-54 ambulance from World War II, although I know we didn’t have anything like that on our entry list. Not that it matters, all vehicles are welcome. I’ve just got to think where I’m going to put them. There’s no space in the main display area so I might have to send them across to the car park.’ Stu was thinking out loud. ‘Let me go and have a chat with the driver and I’ll get something sorted. Then I’ll be back for that cold beer. Hang on a minute.’ Stu placed his hands on his hips. Instead of following the marked signs for exhibitors, the old ambulance had turned off the driveway and was making its approach up to the hall, close to where Stu and Pia were standing.

‘What’s the silly sod doing?’ Stu muttered. ‘Can’t he read?’

The driver brought the ambulance to a halt just in front of them, turned off the ignition and climbed out of the cab.

‘Sorry, you can’t park up here, you’re going to have to take it around to the car park at the other end of the driveway. I’m afraid we don’t have any space left in the arena, but you’re welcome to leave it over there.’ Stu pointed in the right direction, but the driver just grinned at him.

‘I’ve got a special delivery for you,’ he explained, walking round to the back of the ambulance, and Stu and Pia followed him round, looking at each other curiously. Looking inordinately pleased with himself, the driver opened up the doors with a flourish.

‘Ta da!’

‘What on earth… No, I don’t believe it,’ said Stu, breaking into laughter.

‘Oh, my God,’ said Pia, not believing her eyes. ‘Jackson! What on earth are you doing here?’

21

‘It’s so beautiful out there now,’ said Katy, who came in through the doors of the stables, her cheeks glowing a healthy pink, after spending some time outside with her family. ‘Thanks for minding my stall,’ she said to Sophie. ‘Did we have a rush on in my absence?’ she joked.

‘Well, I did sell some of your birthday card packs. I’ve written it down in your notebook and put the money through.’

‘Brilliant, I shall have to go out more often, in that case.’

‘Is it busy out there?’ Sophie asked.

‘Really busy, but it’s such a lovely atmosphere, and all the cars look amazing. Rosie is having the best time, and she’s dragging her dad in every direction, she’s determined to see everything. We went over to see Little Star and Twinkle in the paddock. She just loves them. Every time we come to the hall, she has to go and say hello to “her” animals.’

‘That’s adorable,’ said Sophie, who had met Katy’s children on a couple of occasions now and thought how cute they were.

‘Rosie was disappointed not to see Jackson, but she understands that he’s in hospital. She made a special card for him. Anyway, Brad’s taken her to have her face painted nowso she’s very excited about that. Apparently, she wants to be a Dalmatian puppy, just like Bertie.’

‘Oh, I can just imagine how she’ll look.’

They were still laughing when Tom wandered in. For the briefest moment, Sophie’s mind played tricks on her, seeing the tall and handsome guy through the glazed door of the stables, and thinking it was Jackson, but when he came onto the threshold, his gaze searching out hers, their eyes meeting, she realised instantly her mistake. Tom was dressed in navy chinos and a pale pink polo shirt and looked very handsome in a way that spoke directly to the base of her stomach.

She’d not had a chance to talk to him yet today. She’d given him a wave first thing this morning when he’d popped into the stables, but then he’d dashed off again to see to his duties outside.

‘Have you had a look round the show yet?’ he asked, when he came across to her.

‘Not yet,’ she said, noticing the butterflies in her stomach, which were making a habit of appearing every time Tom was on the scene.

‘Do you fancy coming for a wander now then?’ he offered.

‘You were just saying you wanted to go and have a look, weren’t you?’ Katy butted in. ‘You get off and I’ll look after your stall. Take your time, there’s no hurry.’

Sophie was grateful to Katy, although she wondered if she was perhaps overdoing it in her rallying for her to go off with Tom. She got the message loud and clear. Hopefully Tom wouldn’t have noticed Katy’s comical insistent nodding and wide-eyed encouragement, she thought with a smile.

Although Tom had been busy ever since he’d arrived at the hall this morning, he hadn’t been that preoccupied that thoughts of Sophie didn’t keep sliding into his mind. He spotted her first thing over at the stables as she was setting up her stall, the morning sun catching the red lights in her glossy brown hair, and he’d so wanted to go across and say hello, to give her a hug, to feel the sensations he’d experienced when he’d last held her in his arms, but he was conscious that he needed to hold back on his emotions. Sophie had recently come out of a long-term relationship which he knew had been toxic and had left her emotionally vulnerable, and she’d admitted to him that she was relishing her newfound freedom and single status. Tom thought he might have said something similar himself. They’d established the rules, they were friends, at similar stages in their lives and they were there to support each other as they both navigated their way through the process of picking up the pieces and starting all over again. What would Sophie think if she knew that Tom’s feelings had shifted to something deeper?

The other night at her cottage, after the dinner they’d shared together, there was a moment where he’d become overwhelmed with a desire to kiss her and he’d realised then he had to get out of there quick, or else he might have ended up doing something he would come to regret. It was clear that Sophie enjoyed his company as a friend, but he didn’t want to jeopardise their new friendship by making an impulsive and spontaneous move that might not be reciprocated by her.

‘It’s lovely to get out,’ Sophie said now, when they stepped outside into the afternoon sun. She lifted her face to the sky and held her arms out in front of her, soaking up the warmthof the day. When she turned to him with those sparkling hazel eyes, any lingering doubt he might have had that the feelings he’d struggled with the other night were down to the food and wine, and the cosy atmosphere, were quashed in that moment. The feelings he felt for her were very real and seemed to grow in intensity with every moment he spent with her.

‘How have you been? I’m guessing very busy?’ she asked.

---