Page 4 of Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow
‘I already feel better,’ I said, smiling at what was on offer. It all smelled so delicious, my mouth started watering instantly. ‘Thanks, Sabrina.’ I looked over at the counter and gave female Pat a grateful wave too. She smiled back and then turned to tell Paul off about something.
I took a sip of my latte and let the sweet spiciness warm my body up. ‘It gets better every year.’
‘I look forward to autumn mostly for this,’ Sabrina agreed, cutting the cakes in half and handing me a plate with my share on. ‘And carving a pumpkin. And collecting conkers, and watching the Gilmore Girls and Hocus Pocus. There’s too much to enjoy actually. I love it all.’
‘The best time of year,’ I said, taking a bite of the muffin. ‘Oh wow,’ I cooed. ‘Just so good. I love it all too, although it’s a shame it signals the end of our busy season on the farm.’ Everything washed back over me and I sighed. ‘I hate to think about having to let the farm go. I just don’t know what to do.’
‘Willow, you can’t seriously be considering selling the farm and your home,’ Sabrina said, looking shocked.
‘We’re really struggling. We only bring in money in spring and summer and bills are only going up and up; we can’t rely on the summer season any more to see us through the rest of the year. Dad said if I could come up with an idea to help, he’d reconsider, but I’m worried this offer from Henderson Homes will be too good for us to turn down. I don’t want to lose the farm; it’s my home, you know how much it means to me…’
Sabrina nodded while I took another sip of my drink.
‘But an idea that might turns things around just isn’t coming to me.’
‘We have to come up with something. That Henderson man looked like he’d never set foot on a farm. And he seemed to be turning his nose up at the town too.’
I nodded. ‘He seemed to be exactly what I thought he’d be like. He’ll find the farm at some point today so I probably haven’t achieved anything sending him the wrong way but I couldn’t help myself,’ I admitted. ‘I’m not usually petty but I’m not in my right frame of mind right now.’
‘Of course not, you must be worried sick,’ Sabrina said. ‘I wish you’d told me how bad things had got on the farm, though.’
‘I’m sorry. I suppose I have been doing what Dad has told me off for – sticking my head in the sand a little bit,’ I confessed. ‘I’m just scared. I never thought of doing anything, or living anywhere, else. Birch Tree Farm means so much to me.’
‘I know it does, Willow. We can’t let this happen,’ she said firmly. ‘Do you have any ideas at all?’
‘Well, we do pretty well in the summer, as you know; we just need to think of something that could generate income in the colder months. Like this place.’ I gestured around. ‘They have really tapped into autumn, haven’t they? Decorations, seasonal-themed drinks and food: it means that people come in to see what’s new.’
‘Especially us as we love autumn,’ Sabrina agreed, nodding.
I stared at my best friend, my brain starting to tick over furiously. I looked around the café again, taking in the autumn theme they had going. ‘That’s it,’ I said slowly. My eyes caught on the pumpkins outside the door. ‘We do love autumn,’ I added, moving my gaze back to Sabrina, who was looking at me worriedly.
‘You’ve spaced out again; are you okay?’ she asked.
‘I think I just had an idea!’
5
‘Don’t keep me in suspense!’ Sabrina complained after a couple of seconds’ silence. I had spaced out again, debating internally whether this could actually work.
‘Sorry,’ I said, shaking my head so I could focus on her again. ‘I was just thinking about what you said – we love this season and our town already celebrates it a lot. Look around at the décor and the seasonal treats, and the whole High Street gets into the spirit, doesn’t it? Pumpkins are pretty much everywhere in Birchbrook in October.’
Sabrina smiled. ‘And don’t forget how crazy we go for Halloween with the parade,’ she reminded me.
‘How could I forget?’ Every 31st of October, the town held a Halloween parade where everyone carried LED lanterns along the High Street. Local businesses set up stalls to sell food and drinks and people followed a trail that looped around. Everyone loved it. The reminder of the annual event made me think that my idea could actually work. ‘What if the farm could join in with the autumn spirit? Bring people out to the farm at this time of year, not just in spring and summer?’
‘That would be great. But what would they come for in autumn?’
‘Pumpkins,’ I blurted out.
‘Pumpkins?’ Sabrina repeated, looking a little worried at me again.
‘Pumpkins,’ I said firmly. ‘Everyone needs pumpkins at this time of year. And right now, we all have to go out of town to get them, either from the supermarket or the fruit and veg market, which is only on twice a month.’
‘Plus the ones in the supermarket aren’t great; they can look a bit mouldy and they are expensive,’ Sabrina added. ‘I heard that a lot of the shops this year ordered them from a farm up north and all chipped in for the shipping costs,’ she said, taking a sip of her latte.
My eyes lit up. ‘So, having pumpkins much closer to home would be something everyone would want. Plus not just businesses, everyone I know likes to carve a pumpkin or pop one outside their house with a candle in for Halloween. There is a need for pumpkins in our town.’
‘I guess there is. But how does that fit in with your farm?’
