Page 48 of You Had Me At Pumpkin Patch
When they were far enough away, she allowed herself to burst into laughter at the thought of the denim-waistcoated feline seeing off Small, Medium and Large, like a much better version of Scrappy-Doo than she had managed. Though she knew her laughter was covering a whole lot of nerves. Everything they’d been trying to throw together heredidpale into insignificance against the might and money of a company that could afford land and factories and all manner of tech.
‘You need to get out of this rain and get warm,’ said Zain.
It wasn’t like her to forget his presence, or not to notice the rain that was now pelting down around them, soaking Zain too. Perhaps she needed it to wash her thoughts clear. They looked back towards his hut and then hers. There was smoke coming out of her chimney. Rosie sensed a battle going on behind his eyes, like he wanted something, but needed to resist.
‘You have your fire on. You should go.’ He pulled off his jumper and wrapped it around her towelled shoulders, then turned her in the direction of her hut. ‘And don’t worry about The Three Tuxedos. We’ll think of something.’
She laughed again, probably in mild hysteria. ‘I think they were wearing normal suits, although I’m pretty sure the small one had a cummerbund to hold his belly in. Though the name fits them. And will we? Think of something, I mean. Are you really going to embrace things again?’
‘After that?’ He took a deep breath. ‘Yes. I’m not letting them come in here and try to trample over everything you’ve worked so hard for.’
Wow. Was he putting her higher up his list than fighting for his pumpkins?
He began rubbing her shoulders again, tentatively at first. Even if someone had put a typewriter in front of her, she couldn’t describe how much she wanted him to come back to her hut. To hold her again, to undress her by the fire, to make her feel warm and whole, like the night she’d slept next to him, drinking in his testosterone and heat.
She didn’t need anyone to fight her corner anymore – but it was bloody nice to have someone, and to make a stand for them too. To havehim, even if she sensed it might only be as workmates from now on.
And if he really was in, they had a bigger mission now.
After seeingThe Three Tuxedosand hearing their threats to make Agnes a more enticing offer, Rosie had the strong feeling they had to up their game with retreat plans. They needed to make a bigger stand.
She wriggled away and turned back to face him. ‘It’s time to take off the tow float.’ Her hands found the tie around her waist and loosened it. She let the loop drop to the floor and stepped out, feeling like a learner driver taking off her ‘L’ plates.
Though as much as she was ready to throw caution to the wind with retreat strategies, she’d have to rein in her emotions for Zain. Maybe he was right. If they were going to bring in enough money to save the house and land, they’d need all their energy and focus. Trying to juggle their confusing feelings – not to mention her unfortunate fibs – would throw them off track, as they’d recently proved on their retreat trial weekend.
‘Nothing dampens your determination, does it?’ He laughed, a little sadly.
‘Well, thank you for backing me up. You always know the right thing to say these days.’
He winced and took a step back and scratched the back of his neck. ‘No. That’s just it. I really don’t. I...’ He seemed to search the horizon for something, before looking back at her. ‘I’m just a stupid-arsed gourd farmer, OK? Sometimes I mess things up. And I’mreallysorry for running out on you the morning after we...’ His look was intense. His hand reached out as though he was about to have anotherleaf in your hairmoment. But he quickly snatched it away. ‘Please know it’s nothing to do with you. The way I feel about you... oh God. There’s a lot you don’t know.’
‘So tell me.’
Maybe if he had something hidden to share, she could offload some awkward mistruths too.
He shook his head. ‘Look, you’re shivering. You should go. I’ll do what I can to help with things. I owe you that much. As a colleague. And... friend. But right now, that needs to be all – because I can’t be the person you think I am.’ He gave her upper arms an amicable squeeze and turned her gently towards her hut, which was almost harder than him sayingbugger off.
And what did his cryptic words mean?
She began her wet walk back to her cabin for one, willing her head not to look back. She knew he’d be standing there in the rain, watching her, instead of stomping back to his hut to get dry. She also knew he wouldn’t follow. But that would have to be OK too. There was work to do, wasn’t there?
32
It was surprising how quickly the thunderstorm cleared after The Three Tuxedos had fled, using their briefcases as umbrellas. It had been a ridiculous sight, although Rosie wasn’t naive enough to think that would be the last of them.
‘We need something more,’ she said to Steve, who’d been the first to escape the rain to come and curl up on the rug in front of her fire. It seemed cats were more sensible than humans. ‘The retreats will be great.’ She walked to her window and looked out at the parting clouds, remembering the clap of thunder. ‘But if they don’t go off with a fundraising bang, those guys will buy out Autumn Meadows and the farmhouse too, filling everything with factory fumes. Then we’ll have cyber catsandchatbots taking over the world.’
It sounded dramatic, but the threat of losing everything they’d worked for was real.
She looked back at her cat friend, like he might have groundbreaking answers. He simply lifted his head, treated her to a silent meow, then resettled himself.
‘Well, I see you’re not feeling talkative.’
Rosie’s eyes moved to the drawer where she kept her mobile phone buried, because she had a strong feeling she needed to talk. To thrash around ideas and get sense from someone other than a denim-clad feline. And it wasn’t just her fears about the farm that were playing on her mind.
‘Time to call Vix.’
Rosie would brave any risk of rain – and she would walk.
