Page 43 of Forget me Knot
Emily manages a small smile but doesn’t say anything. Her nerves are practically alive right now and doing a jig in the back seat.
The drive doesn’t take long. Ten minutes later, we’re pulling up to a large, sprawling farmhouse. It’s surrounded by green fields and looks like something out of a postcard.
George is waiting by the gates with a cup of coffee in his hand. He opens up when he sees it’s us and closes them as soon as we are through. The place is more of a compound than a house. It’s enormous.
Emily takes a deep breath beside me, and I give her hand a quick squeeze. “You’ve got this,” I whisper.
She gulps and nods. We all step out of the car, and George approaches with a welcoming smile.
“Glad you made it,” he says, giving Sam a quick pat on the back. His eyes flick to Emily, softening with understanding. “Hey, Emily.”
Emily blushes but manages a small smile. “Thank you for having me.”
George chuckles. “Of course. Mum’s already fussing about what to make for dinner tonight.” He leads us inside, where we’re greeted by the warmth of a well-lived-in home. The smell of baking bread wafts through the air, making my stomach rumble even though we’ve just had breakfast.
“Mum is in the kitchen,” George says, pointing towards an open doorway where we can see a woman bustling about.
Sam leads us into the kitchen and grabs a coffee from the full pot near the door. “Hey, Mum.”
We walk into the kitchen, the bouquet clutched tightly in my hands. Sam’s mum turns around, her face breaking into a wide smile as she wipes her hands on her apron.
“Hello, dears!” she exclaims. “I’m Jane.”
“Hi, Jane,” I murmur. “I’m Lily, and this is Emily.”
Jack gives Jane a big smile and steps forward to give her a quick hug. “Morning, Jane. How are you?”
Jane laughs warmly and pats his back. “Oh, Jack! Always the charmer. I’m doing well, thank you.”
Jane beams at us all, her eyes twinkling with genuine affection. “It’s lovely to meet you all. And Emily, don’t you worry about a thing. You’re family now.”
Emily’s shoulders relax slightly at Jane’s welcoming words, and she manages a more confident smile.
“Oh, and these are for you,” I say, stepping forward to hand Jane the bouquet.
Jane claps her hands together in delight. “Oh, these are just beautiful! Thank you so much, Lily.” She sniffs the flowers. I can see her curious peek at me over the petals before she sets them on the counter.
“Right,” George says. “Why don’t I show Emily to her room?”
Emily nods and turns to me. She gives me a hug. “Thank you, Lily.”
Trying not to let my sudden tears fall, I watch as she follows George out of the kitchen, her backpack bouncing slightly with each step.
Once Emily and George are out of sight, the atmosphere lightens a bit. Jane smiles softly. “You did a good thing, bringing her here.”
“Thank you for taking her in. She needed somewhere safe.”
“And she’ll have it,” Jane assures me.
I don’t doubt her for a second, and knowing Emily will be all right here lifts the weight off my shoulders.
Chapter 20
Max
Feeling like I’ve barely slept, I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring. Groaning, I reach over to silence it and force myself to sit up. The farmhouse is quiet, too quiet. It’s been like this for days now, with Jack and Sam spending more and more time away.
Rubbing my eyes, I head to the bathroom for a quick shower. The hot water does little to wash away the tension that’s been building up. As I dress for work, I catch a whiff of Lily’s scent lingering on the bouquet of flowers that sit on the chest of drawers, looking a little beaten after being thrown in the bin and kicked across my office. I don’t even care who they are from anymore. All I care about is Lily’s faint scent clinging to the petals and stems in a way that makes me think it’s doing it on purpose. Taunting me.
