Page 21 of Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow
The café was the perfect sanctuary. We walked in, closed the door and shut out the rain. The dark-grey skies felt far away with the bright lights inside. And the warmth soon dried us off. Coupled with the smell of sweet treats, I quickly felt a whole lot better. Scanning the room, I found Sabrina with her husband Bradley and their little girl Dottie at a large table by the window. ‘There they are,’ I said, pointing them out to Dylan with a smile.
‘Hi, Willow, who’s this?’ female Pat asked, coming to the other side of the counter to greet us. She looked Dylan up and down. I wondered if maybe she didn’t recognise him as Mr Suit Man from the other day. He did look a lot different, I realised. Not only was his hair messed up from the weather but his new boots had arrived and he was in casual clothes, prepared for the farm work he was now doing. His Barbour jacket was starting to lose its brand-newness too. He almost didn’t look out of place here. And clearly, Pat was unsure who he was.
‘This is Dylan Henderson.’
Pat’s eyes widened as she recognised him as the man I had sent in the wrong direction. She glanced at her husband and son, who were now blatantly listening in. ‘You enjoyed Birchbrook so much, you couldn’t leave?’ she asked.
‘Well, I’m helping out on the farm for a bit,’ Dylan said, throwing me a slightly panicked look. I supposed we hadn’t really discussed how we’d explain him staying with me. I knew after the pub that the whole town was probably talking about my outlandish, pumpkin-patch idea; I didn’t need everyone knowing about our pact as well.
‘I thought you wanted to buy the farm,’ Paul called out in his usual blunt way.
I fidgeted on the spot, wishing Paul wasn’t working today.
‘I’m still deciding,’ Dylan said with a glance at me. ‘Anyway, Willow, what would you like? My treat.’
I was relieved he’d moved the subject on so we didn’t have to explain any more. ‘A pumpkin spiced latte, please.’
‘I think I’m in a pumpkin mood too,’ Dylan said, making me smile. ‘Two, please, and how about two slices of your pumpkin pie as well? We might as well go all-out pumpkin.’
‘You’ll be sick of pumpkins soon,’ I said as Pat got our order ready.
‘We both might be but this is research, right?’
‘Pat, did Paul happen to mention what I’m working on at the farm?’ I asked once we were alone with her, Paul disappearing into the kitchen and her husband serving another customer. I quickly told her about the pumpkin patch although by the lack of surprise on her face, I was right that the news was already all around the town. ‘Things like this would be perfect to offer visitors,’ I said as she passed over a tray with our drinks and pie on. ‘I know you bring out your van for the Halloween parade and Christmas-tree-lighting night,’ I said, remembering their cream and green food van that they sold drinks and cakes out of at town events. ‘It would go down a storm at my pumpkin patch if you wanted to try it out.’
‘Well, we could have a think about that, of course, Willow.’
‘Maybe for this first year, you could pitch up for free,’ I suggested. I saw Dylan frown over at me. ‘Think about it and we’ll talk,’ I said as Dylan paid and picked up the tray.
‘I will, thanks, Willow,’ she replied. ‘And I hope you enjoy your stay in Birchbrook, Dylan,’ she added with a curious look in his direction.
We hurried away. ‘I thought that maybe since people we are close to are confused about why I’m staying, we shouldn’t bother trying to explain it to people we aren’t,’ Dylan said in a low voice.
‘Sabrina knows, I’m warning you now,’ I hissed back. ‘But yes, no one seems on board with my pumpkin-patch idea so let’s give them the least we can to gossip about,’ I added.
Dylan nodded and we made our way to join Sabrina at her table. ‘Why would you let them sell food and drink for free at the pumpkin patch?’ he asked.
‘The café is super popular; it will be a real draw for people to know they can get food and drink from them as well as pumpkins,’ I explained. ‘And Paul was so dismissive about it, I knew they weren’t going to pay me a fee to be there until they know it’s successful. This way, they get a free slot and it’s another attraction I can offer visitors, which is especially useful if I charge for entry. Maybe then after the first year, I can charge them for their pitch. Plus, if the café could publicise the pumpkin patch, it will be invaluable,’ I said, wondering if they might let me put up a poster or put leaflets on the tables and talk about it with their customers. The café was a draw for both locals and visitors so I needed them on my side. This felt like the best way to gain it. If I had any food and drink to rival the café at the patch, I would lose their support for sure.
‘It does look like a popular place,’ Dylan conceded as he weaved around the full tables and we joined Sabrina, Bradley and Dottie. I made the introductions and sat next to Dylan, taking a sip of my latte and a bite of pumpkin pie as Sabrina studied Dylan with interest.
‘How are you finding Birchbrook?’ she asked him.
‘It’s very different to anywhere I’ve lived.’ Dylan gestured around the café. ‘It reminds me of where my grandmother lives, though; there’s a real community feel, which I like. And this place serves good food and drink,’ he said as he sampled what he had bought with an appreciative noise.
‘I hear you’re working on the farm,’ Bradley said. ‘Must be a shock after working in an office; we always say we could never do what Willow does.’ He smiled at his wife. While Sabrina was a teacher, Bradley worked for a communications company.
‘I couldn’t do what you do,’ I returned with a grin.
‘It’s hard work but it’s so rewarding, which I’m not used to unless you count your monthly pay cheque,’ Dylan said. ‘It feels like you’re really building something worthwhile. I like it. And this beats wearing a suit,’ he added, gesturing to his outfit.
‘We’ll make a farmer out of you yet,’ I joked.
‘Let’s not get carried away now,’ Dylan replied with a chuckle.
‘How’s it all going?’ Sabrina asked me, so I updated her on the week’s work.
‘We’ll have to come out and look at this patch taking shape,’ Sabrina said. ‘It sounds like it could really work.’
