Page 47 of Daydreams at the Farm on Muddypuddle Lane
‘You needed someone to look at your mother’s car.’
Maisie glanced around the kitchen and realised they were alone. Where was everyone, and who had let him in? If her mother knew he was here, she would run him off the farm with a flea in his ear.
‘The keys are in the ignition,’ she said, her eyes downcast. She didn’t want him to see the pain in them.
‘Can we talk?’
‘What’s the point? It’s not going to change anything.’
‘You’re wrong, it will,’ he insisted. ‘Otto spoke to my parents this morning.’
‘Oh, god. How much apologising did he have to do?’ She lifted her head, appalled to think she had caused Otto such a problem. He should have told her: she would have gone with him.Shewas the one who ought to be apologising, not him.
‘None. He told them a few home truths.’
Maisie groaned. Instead of making things better, Otto had made it worse.
‘Long story short, they are no longer disowning me.’ Adam pulled out a chair and sat down opposite. Prising her hands away from the mug, he grasped her fingers. ‘Whilst they don’t exactly give ustheir blessing, they’re not going to stand in our way. They know I love you.’ He squeezed her hands. ‘Could you ever feel the same way about me?’
‘I can’t do this,’ she said, snatching them back. ‘It’s pointless. I’ve got no job and nowhere to live, so I have to go back with my mum.’
‘No, you don’t. You can move in with me. If you can’t face sharing my bed, or you think it’s too soon, you can have the spare room. Hell, I’ll move out if I have to, so you can live there on your own.’
‘You’d do that for me?’
‘In a heartbeat.’
‘I don’t know what to say.’ Maisie was astounded. Her heart was screaming yes, but her head was telling her to slow downand think about it. ‘I still don’t have a job,’ she said, stalling for time. She needed to think. This would be such a big step. There was no doubt that she loved him, but they’d known each other for such a short amount of time…
‘You do have a job. Otto isn’t going to sack you. He told me so. And you won’t have to pay rent or help with the bills, or...’ Adam trailed off. ‘Please. I can’t bear to lose you. You’ve got to stay.’
‘I’ve already told her that she can stay here,’ Dulcie said, appearing in the doorway. ‘I still need help around the farm. Maisie, nothing needs to change. You don’t have to go home with Mum and neither do you have to move in with Adam if you’re not ready. This can be your home for as long as you want it to be.’
‘But what about you and Otto? You need your alone time.’
Dulcie twinkled at her. ‘Don’t worry about us, we get plenty ofalone time. Anyway, I get the feeling you’ll be spending more time at Adam’s place than you will here. There’s just one thing...’
‘What?’ Maisie knew there would be a catch.
‘You need to put this guy out of his misery and tell him you love him. Youdolove him, don’t you, Maisie?’
‘I do!’ She clapped her hands together, joy surging through her.
‘Then I think you’d better tell him,’ Dulcie advised.
Maisie went one better: she threw herself at him and kissed him so soundly that shehoped he was in no doubt how she felt about him.Thenshe told him.
‘We need more sausages and more bread rolls,’ Maisie announced, dashing into the kitchen. ‘Otto sent me to fetch them.’
Nikki reached into the fridge, which was looking decidedly emptier than it had done this morning when it had been crammed full of sausages, burgers and Otto’s secret hot sauce.
‘Here,’ Nikki said, thrusting several packets of sausages into Maisie’s hands. ‘I’ll bring the rolls.’ They were stacked on the dining room table, and there was now only half the amount that they’d started with.
Maisie hurried out into the yard, where Amos and Otto were manning the barbeque. The farm was thronging with people, mainly families, and Maisie was delighted for Dulcie. The baby animals were the highlights, although the Easter egg hunt had proved popular, and the egg painting was still in full swing. The Shetland ponies were giving rides around the field, led by Petra and October, who worked at the stables, and Walter had been roped into driving the tractor which pulled a trailer for a different kind of ride around the farm.
And then there was Dulcie, who was dressed in a Peter Rabbit costume. She was the biggest hit with the younger children, and as far as Maisie could tell, her sister was having the time of her life. Even Mum seemed to be enjoying herself,chatting with the visitors and directing them to the various activities.
Overall, the Easter Fayre was a roaring success, and Maisie felt proud that she had helped make it happen. But even as she rushed around, helping out here, there and everywhere, part of her was thinking ahead to the next event in the farm’s calendar, which would be the sunflower maze in the summer. The seeds would have to be sown in the next couple of weeks, which meant that the ground would shortly have to be prepared. Not only that, the proposed pumpkin patch also needed to be worked over before sowing those seeds too.
