‘How much do I owe you?’ the farmer asked.
Adam gave him a figure, then as the man went to fetch the money, he began stowing his tools in the van.
‘Here you go.’ The farmer pressed the money into his hand and Adam wrote out a receipt.
‘You’ve got my number if she gives you any more trouble,’ he said, jerking his head at the old tractor. It had seen better days, but with a little TLC and some careful handling, it would last a few more years.
Adam was thankful that this was his last job of the day. He needed a shower, somefood, and maybe a pint or two if he could summon the energy to pop along to The Black Horse.
Or he could slump on the sofa with a cup of tea and do his monthly trawl of the internet for properties for sale.
There was nothing wrong with where he currently lived, but he was fast outgrowing the workshop beneath the flat. It was bursting at the seams, and even if it hadn’t been, he was ready for a change. He was looking for a place to take his business to the next level. And by buying a more substantial property, he was hoping to make his parents realise that he was serious about it.
His parents didn’t like what he did for a living, but that was fine: they didn’t need to. What theydidneed to do, was to stop giving him grief about it.
As soon as he arrived home, Adam stripped off and hopped in the shower. Turning the dial up so the water was as hot as he could stand it, he freed his hair from the topknot he wore when he was working, and dug his fingers into his scalp. He had a tendency to wear it too tight and the relief when he took it out was blissful.
A good soaping later and with the water in the bottom of the tray finally running clear, Adam stepped out and towelled himself down before taking a clean pair of joggers out of the drawer, along with a fresh tee shirt.
As well as disapproving of what he did for a living, his parents weren’t keen on his flat, either. Or the way he looked. When he had started to wear his hair longer at uni, they had put it down toteenage rebellion. The tattoos (of which he had several) and the eyebrow piercing, they had put down to him wanting to fit in and the influence of the other students. But after he’d finished his course and had continued to refuse to cut his shoulder-length hair or take the silver ring out of his eyebrow, they had come to the conclusion that he was simply being bloody-minded. And the pointed scowls when his tattoos were on display, seriously tried his patience.
It didn’t stop him loving his mum and dad though, even if they did exasperate the hell out of him.
As he fried his steak and chopped some salad, he realised it had been a couple of weeks since he’d last seen them, and he vowed to call in soon, before his mum phoned and demanded his presence.Maybe he would drop in tomorrow. Which reminded him, he had promised to pop up to the farm on Muddypuddle Lane in the morning to give the owner, Dulcie Fairfax, a quote for installing a pasteurisation unit.
It wasn’t something he had done before, but he was confident that he would be able to work it out. For some inexplicable reason he had an affinity with anything mechanical: god knows where he got it from, but it certainly wasn’t from his dad.
Deciding he was too tired to go to the pub, after he had eaten Adam settled down on the sofa with his laptop on his knees and a cup of tea on the table next to him. Perhaps he would go to the pub tomorrow evening, instead…
Maisie couldn’t sleep. It was too quiet. She was used to the noise of the city, even if she did live in the suburbs. The silence here was unnerving, and she had forgotten that it had taken her a few nights to get used to it when she and Mum had visited the farm the previous Christmas.
Maisie wished the inside of her head was as quiet as the outside. Her thoughts were whirling, the events of the past few days praying on her mind. She had been determined not to lose her latest job, but who in their right mind would put up with that kind of behaviour from the punters? She could have had the bloke done for assault, but she hadn’t wanted the hassle. It had been easier to take matters into her own hands. The downside was that she had thought it best to resign before she was sacked.
In a moment of indecision, she wondered what she hoped to achieve by coming to the farm. It was safe to say that her job prospects would be seriously curtailed in a small village like Picklewick. She would have been better off staying in Birmingham. But she’d had to get away, unable to face her mother’s continued dismay.
Despite Mum fighting Maisie’s corner if anyone criticised her, Maisie could tell that she was a disappointment, and she knew Mum must be comparing her to Maisie’s siblings. Dulcie had the farm (the lucky cow), Nikki was a teacher, and Jay used to travel all over the world with his job until he’d settled in New Zealand. Also, all three were in steady relationships.
Maisie’s defence was that she was still young. At twenty-five, she had plenty of time to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up. And so what if she played the field? Better that, than get hitched to the wrong guy. The problem was, she was beginning to think there weren’t anyrightguys out there.
The quiet of the night was broken by the sound of a vehicle coming up the lane and she heard the engine noise change as it putted into the farmyard. Guessing Otto was home and that Dulcie had waited up for him, Maisie thought she’d give her sister a few minutes to tell him they had a houseguest, before going to say hello. She would have a glass of milk while she was at it, and maybe Otto had brought some goodies back with him from the restaurant. She could do with a snack.
After watching a couple of YouTube videos on her phone, she decided enough time had elapsed, so she stuffed her feet into fluffy slippers, wrapped herself up in her dressing gown and padded across the landing. Treading carefully down the steep narrow staircase, Maisie had just reached the bottom step when she heard voices coming from the kitchen.
Hearing her name mentioned, she paused.
Dulcie was saying, ‘I don’t think Maisie will ever grow up. She drifts through life without a care in the world, taking no responsibility for her actions. I was never like that when I was her age.’
Otto chuckled. ‘You’re not that much older than her. There are only three years between you.’
‘Exactly! That’s what I’m saying! Look, you don’t have to give her any shifts in the restaurant; I shouldn’t have asked. She’s likely to do something silly, or decide it’s too much like hard work, or whatever reason she gives for packing a job in. And even if she doesn’t walk out, employers soon let her go. She’s had more jobs than I’ve had hot dinners. I think she’s waiting for the perfect job to land in her lap, but that’s not likely to happen. Nikki calls her Maisie Daydream.’
Maisie bit her lip and her eyes filled with tears. That was so unfair. She wasn’twaitingfor the perfect job – she wastrying to find it. There was a difference.
Otto said, ‘I don’t mind giving her a chance, if you don’t. She can have a couple of shifts and we’ll see how she goes.’
‘If she tips coffee in any of your customer’s laps, she’ll have me to answer to,’ Dulcie growled.
Otto’s laugh sounded too close for comfort and Maisie had the awful suspicion he was immediately on the other side of the door. It was confirmed when he said, ‘I’ll just get changed, then we’ll have a cup of tea before bed, eh? Maybe, with Maisie here, she could see to the animals in the mornings, so you don’t have to get up early. We could have a lie-in, for a change.’
