Page 31 of Daydreams at the Farm on Muddypuddle Lane
‘What’s wrong?’ Adam asked. He was so attuned to her moods that she found it hard to hide her feelings from him. Although, so far, she had managed to conceal the fact that she was falling for him more each day. It would be one hell of a wrench to leave him, the farm andPicklewick behind. So much so, that she was seriously contemplating staying permanently.
Not on the farm obviously, because as Mum had pointed out, it wasn’t fair on Dulcie and Otto. Otto, bless him, worked so hard that Dulcie hardly ever saw him; but he was hoping that would change when he hired a second chef. So Maisie wanted to get out of their hair when that happened.
Her problem was, where would she live if not at the farm, and how would she support herself? Her shifts at The Wild Side weren’t enough to pay rent on a place of her own.
‘I’m thinking about what happens after the Easter Fayre,’ she said. ‘I expect I’ll have to go back to Birmingham, but I don’t want to.’
‘Why can’t you stay here?’ He took her hands in his as he turned to face her.
‘It was only ever meant to be a temporary visit,’ she explained. ‘I just needed to get away for a while, to clear my head and work out what I want to do with the rest of my life.’
‘And have you?’
‘Unfortunately, yes. I sayunfortunatelybecause I love working on the farm and I don’t think there are many of those kinds of jobs in Birmingham city centre.’
‘True.’
‘Besides, I’m working for bed and board here, and I doubt if I would be able to find the same arrangement anywhere else.’
Adam squeezed her hands. ‘What would you do if you went home?’
‘Be miserable,’ she shot back.
‘Then it’s a no-brainer. You have to stay here. You have to do what makes you happy.’ Adam sounded as though he was speaking from experience. But before she could delve any further, he said, ‘How can we make that happen?’ and her heart melted that he had saidwe,notyou.
‘Find me a job and a place to live that I can afford?’ she joked. ‘Oh, and break the news to my mother for me. She won’t be happy with me staying in Picklewick. In fact, she’ll have a fit.’
‘Why?’
‘She’s been guilting me to go back ever since I got here. She reckons she missesme and she’s lonely, but I don’t believe it for a minute; she hardly ever saw me when Iwasthere. She’s been rattling around that house for years. I don’t know why she doesn’t rent somewhere smaller. When I’m gone for good, it’ll be too big for her to live in on her own.’
Maisie shuddered. The thought of having to go back to the city and not see Adam again made her chest ache. She would talk it over with Dulcie, she decided. If she explained how conflicted she was and how desperately she wanted to stay in Picklewick and on the farm, maybe her sister would take pity on her…
Adam had stopped listening. He was squinting into the distance, the beautiful patchwork of fields and copses of trees in the valley below ignored as he thoughtabout what Maisie had just said. He was finding it harder and harder to imagine his life without her in it. She had crept under his skin and burrowed into his heart; he would do anything not to lose her – shehadto stay.
Slowly an idea began to form. He had a spare room: maybe she could move in with him?
It was a thought... but maybe not a practical or sensible one.
He wasn’t sure how she would feel about the suggestion. Heck, he wasn’t sure how he felt about it himself. Would she move in as his girlfriend, sharing the same room? Or would he suggest she move into the box room? Both scenarios were fraught with pitfalls. The first meant that they would be living together as a couple and considering they’d not known eachother long, moving intogetherseemed rather premature. On the other hand, offering his spare room may suggest a distance he didn’t feel.
Either way, he wouldn’t expect her to pay anything, so it would give her a chance to get on her feet.
His gaze flickered towards her, then darted away again as something else occurred to him. What if they fell out? Split up? Hated the sight of each other after a couple of months?
He decided not to say anything for now. Maybe Maisie would be able to sort something out for herself. There would be time enough to share his idea with her if – when – she told him she had to return to Birmingham.
‘Shall we grab a chippie supper and go to mine?’ he said, to break the silence, and she agreed readily.
She had spent a couple of evenings in Adam’s flat since that first night when they had come close to making love, although she had yet to stay the night, and having her there felt natural. How she felt about being at his place, he had yet to discover. She seemed at ease though, so maybe moving in (however they decided to play it) wouldn’t come as too much of a shock.
It would be strange to have someone else in the flat on a permanent basis, Adam thought, as they drove the short distance to the village to pick up their fish and chips on the way. Although he had lived in shared accommodation when he was inuni, he’d had his little flat all to himself ever since he’d bought the place.
Would he feel awkward having Maisie there? Would it sour their relationship?
Even if it did, he felt compelled to try. If she was in danger of outstaying her welcome at the farm, he would lose her anyway because she would return to Birmingham and that would be the end of it. But if she stayed, their relationship would have a fighting chance.
Out of the blue, another idea occurred to him:hedidn’t have to remain in the flat. He could always move back in with his parents and give Maisie her own space. He would hate living with Mum and Dad, but it would be worth it if it meant that Maisie would stay in Picklewick.
