Page 43 of Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow
When I opened my eyes the following morning, I was disorientated. And achy. I stretched out my tightly curled up legs with a groan, looked around and realised I was on the sofa in Dylan’s cottage, still naked but there was a blanket over me. Despite the fact I had fallen asleep in his arms, there was no sign of Dylan. The room was light which indicated that it was later than I would usually wake up despite the fact it was Saturday.
I rolled over a little bit so I could see around the cottage but it seemed empty. Sleeping on the sofa after our vigorous encounter in the kitchen meant my body was stiff but I also felt contented and like I had slept deeply. I struggled to sit up but managed it finally and lifted my arms over my head to stretch them out too. It was then I noticed the howling wind coming down the cottage chimney. It sounded worse than it had last night on the walk over here. With a sigh, I realised I hadn’t checked on the pumpkin patch as I had planned to. After getting carried away with Dylan, I must have fallen asleep and now I was bound to be behind on the day’s work. Speaking of – where was Dylan? Why had I woken up alone?
Climbing off the sofa, I spotted my discarded clothes from last night in the kitchen and walked over to them, hastily pulling them on. I badly needed coffee but I knew I should get out to the farm first and check on everything. I needed to find Dylan, my dad and Maple too. It all seemed far too quiet for my liking right now.
Once dressed, I headed out the front door, which was slightly ajar, but as I reached for the handle, I paused, hearing a sharp voice from just outside it.
‘Nate, I told you not to worry; it’s all going well,’ Dylan said in a low but angry voice.
I knew I shouldn’t listen but I also didn’t want to interrupt their conversation. It sounded tense so I stood there hesitating for a moment, wondering what to do.
‘She’s putty in my hands.’
My blood ran cold as Dylan chuckled down the phone.
‘I’ve practically become part of the family. They definitely are going to sell to us. I just need a couple more weeks to get it all signed, sealed and delivered. Anyway, Nate, she’s inside asleep so I better go… Yeah, I’ll send that over later… I said I would. Okay, bye.’ Dylan must have hung up because he let out a loud sigh.
Anger shot through my veins like I’d had a double espresso. Putty in his hands?! He’d clearly told his brother we’d slept together.
Seething, I yanked open the door and burst outside.
Dylan started as the door crashed into the wall, turning around from where he stood to see me coming out of the door. He had pulled on jeans, trainers and a jumper and was holding his phone and a cup of coffee, his hair tousled from sleeping on the sofa. Behind him, the birch trees swayed merrily in the wind as it whipped around the farm, golden leaves swirling around and falling to the ground.
‘Having a nice little chat with your brother, are you?’ I fired at Dylan, who took a step back, his cheeks flushing. ‘Telling him how you slept with me so I would sign the farm over to you? What the fuck?!’ I cried, my hair flying around my face with this crazy weather.
‘Willow, no… That wasn’t what happened,’ he spluttered, starting to walk towards me.
‘Don’t come any closer,’ I warned, putting my hands up.
He froze instantly.
‘I just heard you, Dylan! Telling Nate how I was now putty in your hands. Why do you need this place so badly? Just to get your big brother to take you seriously for once in your pathetic little life?’ I let out a harsh laugh. ‘He’ll never respect you. And I will never sell the farm to you. Over my dead body. Pack your stuff and get the hell out of here.’
‘You have to listen to me,’ Dylan begged. ‘It wasn’t like how you heard, I promise you. Last night was amazing. Willow, please, I don’t really think that – Nate is just…’
Dad shouted my name desperately then. We both turned in shock. I heard Maple bark too.
‘Willow! The pumpkin patch!’ Dad called, his words drifting over on the wind from where he stood by the field. He was waving his arms and my blood ran cold. I ignored Dylan and tore off towards the field, running until I reached Dad and Maple. My heart sank as I saw what had caused him to shout for me in panic. I screeched to a halt by them, trying to catch my breath as I drank in the sight.
The wind had definitely been even worse during the night. One of the polytunnels, despite how hard I’d fixed it into the ground, had blown half-off and then the rain had clearly got in, soaking the hay and props inside. I could also see the Pumpkin Hollow sign Sabrina made had been blown halfway across the driveway. And the tarpaulin covering one of the pumpkin crates had also been taken away by the wind so the pumpkins looked soaked. I hoped they hadn’t gone rotten.
Then the final blow: a tree behind the patch had fallen down, half of it on top of one of the other tunnels, and I could see it had ripped a hole in it. I’d gone to bed with the patch practically ready for the opening on Monday morning, but now no one in their right mind would pay to come to this.
‘I’m sorry, love,’ Dad said. ‘I checked on the crops and they’re all fine but that side of the farm has always been more sheltered, hasn’t it? You thought it all looked okay last night when you checked?’
‘I didn’t check on the field,’ I admitted.
‘But I thought you were going to?’ Dad asked, surprised, knowing that had been the plan when we parted last night.
‘I… forgot,’ I said dully. I had got swept up in being with Dylan and hadn’t checked on the pumpkin patch like I knew I should have done. He had distracted me when I had been determined not to let him. I felt like an absolute fool after what I’d heard him saying to his brother. I’d ruined the pumpkin patch for a man who had been just using me. I felt numb. I had no idea what to do.
Dad was looking at me but I was at a loss about what to say to him. I didn’t want him to know I’d spent the night with Dylan now everything had gone so wrong.
‘Oh, shit.’ Dylan appeared next to me and looked around, running a hand through his hair. I flinched at his presence. ‘This is a nightmare.’
Everything just felt out of control. I couldn’t cope with it. I snapped. ‘Yeah, a nightmare for us; this is your dream come true!’
‘Willow,’ Dad said, shocked.
