Page 50 of The Wedding Cake Wish
I turn, puzzled as to why he’s not walking with a sense ofurgency. ‘Come on, then.’
‘I think we should wait. Just think about it, Rubes. If Rorydoeshave a sinister plan in mind to sabotage Stephanie’s event, theonly people who can stop him is...us.’
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
We leave by the side gate and set off walking backalong the grass verge.
There’s not much traffic on the road, but as we’reapproaching the car, a tractor trundles up behind us with a string of carsstuck behind it. We both glance over. The vehicle at the head of the queue toovertake is a small red van, and at the wheel is none other than Stephanie’shandyman, Rory.
‘Where’s he going do you think?’ I ask Hudson as we diveinto the car.
‘I don’t know. But let’s follow him and see.’
By the time we move into the line of traffic, Rory is way upahead, but luck is on our side with the vibrant colour of his van. The redvehicle is easy to spot and we keep him in our sights all the way back to thevillage high street.
‘He must be staying at a B & B around here,’ I murmur.‘Oh, he’s turning into the Duck Pond Café car park. But they’re closed for theday.’
Hudson indicates and swings the car over to the oppositeside of the road, parking right outside the café. Then we get out and walkround the side of the building, where we find the red van in a small car park,along with four other vehicles.
Rory is nowhere in sight.
‘I’m sure the café’s closed,’ I murmur. ‘Where’s he gone?’
We wander around the front to check, and sure enough there’sa closed sign on the door. But just as we’re turning away, I spot a sign in thewindow that I didn’t notice before, next to one advertising for a new waitressat the café.
Glamping at the Duck Pond Café.
‘Look!’ I point at the notice. ‘Maybe that’s where Rory’sstaying.’
There’s a photograph of a spacious field with four stylish,buff-coloured tents that make me think of the Arabian Nights.
‘Hi, there,’ says a voice behind us, and we spin round.
‘Oh, hi.’ It’s the young woman who waved at me earlier whenshe was mopping the floor in the café. She’s laden with carrier bags and looksas if she’s been hurrying.
She blows at her blonde fringe and smiles cheerfully. ‘Ican’t believe how warm it is for this time of day.’
‘It’s lovely,’ I agree.
‘I’m Sara, by the way. I saw you earlier, looking in. Areyou wanting somewhere to stay tonight?’
‘Erm, well...’ I glance at Hudson. Wehaven’t discussed whether to stay overnight or head back and return tomorrow.‘What do you think? Should we just head back?’
Sara sets down her bags. ‘The only reason I’m asking isbecause my husband and I run a glamping site at the back there and we’ve justhad a cancellation for tonight.’
‘Oh. Right.’ I glance at Hudson. The thought of staying inone of those tents tonight with Hudson is making every nerve-ending in my bodytingle. But it’s up to him, too, and at the moment he seems to be miles away,studying his shoe intently.
‘Hudson? What do you want to do?’
He looks at Sara, not at me when he replies. ‘I...well,I think we should probably stay.’
‘Great!’ My heart does a little happy dance. Then it occursto me that Hudson seems a bit awkward about it. ‘I mean, that’s probably theprudent thing to do,’ I add, tempering my excitement accordingly. ‘So that wedon’t have to drive all the way back here tomorrow.’
Maybe he’s worried about the sleeping arrangements. Do thesetents have more than one bedroom?
Luckily, Sara takes over at that point, chatting about thefacilities and how we can have a breakfast of pastries and fresh coffeedelivered to our tent in the morning if we’d like it.
If we’d like it? Yes, please!
