Page 18 of Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow
I watched Dylan get down to work then I continued following Maple across the crop fields. ‘I know, I almost called the whole thing off but he got under my skin, Sabrina. Everyone seems to think I can’t do this but I know I can, and I have to prove it. In six weeks’ time, I will watch Dylan leave the farm with his tail between his legs.’
‘I want you to succeed, I really do, Willow. I don’t want you and your dad to have to leave the farm and Birchbrook. But I think you need to be careful. This man isn’t like us, is he? A city boy who wears suits and drives a fancy car, who looks down on people like us and probably has a glamorous girlfriend waiting for him back home.’
That jolted me. I hadn’t thought about Dylan having someone waiting for him back home. Surely, he wouldn’t be away from her for six weeks? Why was I even thinking about that?
‘You and him are different people,’ Sabrina concluded.
I looked back at Dylan finishing off mowing our grass. His sleeves were rolled up again and he was working hard. He glanced over then and lifted his hand to wave to me. I couldn’t see if he was smiling but I found myself smiling anyway. I waved back and turned to head in that direction, whistling to Maple to come with me.
‘Don’t worry,’ I assured Sabrina. ‘I know how different we are. You know I’d never want a man like he was when we met him in Birchbrook Café,’ I said, although I had already seen a different side to him. I wanted to keep that to myself for some reason. Maybe because Sabrina might not believe it. ‘This is just about making sure he doesn’t convince my dad to sell behind my back. Keep your enemies close and all that.’
‘Has he made you guys a good offer?’ she asked gently as if worried that question would anger me.
I thought back to last night in the cottage. Dylan had shown me the Henderson Homes offer formally in writing, which he’d sent to my dad. It stated the money they were giving us plus the plans for their development and a written agreement that our birch trees wouldn’t be cut down. He was working on a virtual mock-up of what the development would look like and a pitch for planning permission. It would be Henderson Homes’ biggest ever project, and the one they could make the most money on. I knew that it would be Dylan’s biggest acquisition for his brother and he was hungry for it. But not as hungry as I was to stay.
‘Yes,’ I admitted to Sabrina. ‘It’s more than enough for both me and my dad to move away, clear our debts then buy a property, or even a small one each.’
‘God, the thought of you not living here…’ She trailed off with a sigh.
‘It won’t come to that,’ I promised boldly although I bit my lip, hoping I wasn’t lying to us both. I thought for a moment about walking away from this place and starting over somewhere new. I just couldn’t picture it. I knew people who had fled Birchbrook as soon as they’d turned eighteen, desperate for a faster-paced life, to see the world, or just try something different, but I had never felt that itch.
I had reached the field. ‘I better go; there is so much to do if I’m going to get this up and running for the start of next month.’
‘If I can help at all, you know I’m here, right? I know I haven’t got your imagination but I am behind you, Willow. If this helps you stay here, I am all for it.’
It was more supportive than she had been back in the café and I appreciated it. Not everyone understood my dreams, I knew that, and maybe they dismissed me as being unable to live up to them but I wanted, this time, to make sure I did. ‘Thanks, Sabrina. I’ll keep you posted and we’ll catch up soon.’
‘Definitely. I want to meet this Dylan Henderson.’
He looked up then although he couldn’t have heard her and our eyes caught.
‘I’m sure you will soon,’ I said then we hung up.
‘I slept through my alarm,’ Dylan said with a sheepish look. ‘I was up too late working on something my brother needed for today. I’m getting stuck in now, though.’
‘Don’t worry, I had to get my usual chores done,’ I said as Maple ran past me to greet him, her tail wagging as he reached down with a smile to pat her. I tried but failed not to find the way they were excited to see each other endearing. ‘You’re making great progress.’
Dylan’s phone beeped and he glanced down and looked at it, reading a message. He sighed and shoved it back into his pocket.
‘Everything okay?’ I asked, curious, suddenly wondering if Sabrina had been right about him having a girlfriend back in the city asking what he was doing out here with me. Well, not with me but…
‘My brother just being curt as usual, I don’t think he’s heard of the words “thank you”. I was up to all hours but apparently, I still missed a document he needed,’ Dylan replied with a sigh.
I wondered about their relationship. I had always thought having a sibling would have been a massive help out here on the farm but maybe I was better off on my own. ‘Do you need to go back to the cottage?’
‘No. We said we’d finish clearing today,’ he replied, getting back on with mowing.
‘I’ll get on with the bush. I sent a few emails when I got up this morning to suppliers so we can check on that at lunch,’ I said, walking past him to start work.
The word ‘we’ didn’t sound as odd as it should have done.
16
‘I’ve had some interesting responses,’ I said to Dylan across the kitchen table as I scrolled on my phone to look at some of the emails I’d had from suppliers. I had emailed telling them my plans and asking what they could offer, potential costs and basically seeing if there was any way we could make my idea work without them charging me a small fortune. I’d been thinking about everything I wanted to offer in the way of autumnal activities and pumpkins and made a list of places I could get them from. ‘There are a couple of farms that are close to each other; I wonder if I should go and check them out at the weekend.’
‘That seems like it wouldn’t be a great use of time; can’t you just do online research into it all?’ Dylan asked as he sipped his cup of tea. ‘That’s what I do with our properties.’
None of the suppliers were close by, unfortunately, but I was definitely more of a visual person. Long emails bored me. I would rather talk to the owners and hash out a deal that way.
