Chapter 20
The first thing I noticed when I woke the next morning was how light it was thanks to the summerhouse having multiple windows; the second was that I could hear a light patter of rain on the roof and the third was that I had been so caught up talking to Penny and Nick about my plans the evening before, I’d completely forgotten to either look at my phone or go for a walk to call and check in with Josh.
I had made Penny and Nick promise not to tell a soul about my change in fortune as I didn’t want Josh finding out from anyone other than myself. I was still buzzing with excitement about it all and wanted to be the one to tell him, but telling my summer lover was going to have to wait a little while longer yet as I had so much to do.
‘Knock, knock,’ I announced cheerfully at the manor kitchen door.
‘Daisy, Daisy!’ beamed Algy, from where he was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. ‘Come in, come in. Have you had breakfast?’
‘Not yet,’ I said, slipping off my wellies and thinking I could soon get used to my days starting like this. ‘I haven’t had a chance to do a shop yet.’
My bank account was currently rather depleted so I would be living off staples until I was paid by Algy at the end of the month and Penny for my four days in the café. It was the first of August today, so I had a while to wait, but I knew Mum wouldn’t let me go hungry.
‘In that case,’ Algy insisted, ‘come and help yourself to some cereal and toast and when your mum arrives, you can give her a list of what you need to fill the summerhouse kitchen cupboards.’
‘Oh, I can’t do that—’
‘Of course you can,’ Algy interrupted, brooking no refusal. ‘You’ve weeks to wait until pay day, so I insist. My weekly order will go up to the village later today so you’re just in time. And, in the meantime,’ he added, with a nod to the dresser, ‘there’s a little cash in that envelope with your name on, to tide you over. And before you object, I’ll take it out of your first pay cheque.’
‘That’s so kind, Algy,’ I said, feeling choked. ‘And so thoughtful of you, especially given that you’ve already done so much for me.’
‘I’d say it’s a fair exchange.’ He smiled. ‘I’m expecting you to make my dream come true. For a while anyway…’
I wasn’t sure if I’d just heard him right but didn’t have time to ask him to repeat what he’d said as Mum bustled in, clucking like a mother hen and looking damp around the edges.
‘Daisy.’ She smiled, shaking the worst off her umbrella on the doorstep before walking in. ‘How did you sleep?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Algy. ‘How was that mattress? Any good? And was there any sign of the cat?’
‘It was perfect,’ I told him. ‘I had a wonderful night’s sleep. There was no sign of Luna though. I reckon she’s probably spying on me from the undergrowth while she susses me out.’
I had a feeling some of my sweet slumber might have been down to the fact that I was blissfully happy. That said though, given my current level of excitement, it was a miracle that I had calmed down enough to nod off at all.
‘So was your decent sleep down to the new bed or being worn out?’ Mum asked, once Algy had agreed with my thoughts about what the cat was up to. ‘It was late when I heard Penny head for home.’
I knew Penny hadn’t gone home to Wynmouth, so she must have moved her car round to Nick’s cottage after the pair had left the summerhouse. She was thrilled with how the twins were working out in the café and together with her now being coupled up with Nick, her life was suddenly perfect too.
‘Probably a bit of both.’ I nodded and my tummy rumbled.
‘Breakfast,’ Algy commanded. ‘Then groceries and then work.’
‘I’m rather looking forward to work.’ I grinned.
That wasn’t a statement I made every day!
‘So, that’s settled then,’ proclaimed Algy later that morning. ‘We’ll set you up with a desk in here.’ We were in his office, having gone through things like the insurance. ‘And you can use this as your business base when you need to access the internet and check emails and so on.’
‘That will be really handy,’ I told him. ‘I’m going to set up social media accounts for the cutting garden today and I’m planning to officially open to the public from Monday if that suits you, Algy?’
Algy looked pensive.
‘Unless you had a different day in mind?’ I asked.
‘I think it would be more lucrative to tie the opening hours in with the fruit farm,’ he suggested and I felt a bit of an idiot for not thinking of that myself.
‘Of course it would,’ I tutted.
‘How about you open Wednesday through to Sunday from ten until three?’
‘But that’s only, what… twenty-five hours a week, Algy. Are you sure that’s long enough?’
‘I think so.’ He nodded. ‘You’re going to have maintenance to do on top of that and all that social media malarkey and I did say you could help your dad out in other areas of the garden if he needed you, if you remember.’
‘Yes, you’re right. I daresay the rest of the time will soon get eaten up, won’t it?’
‘Exactly. Now, as you’re so convinced the venture needs an online presence—’
‘And flyers to hand out around the village,’ I reminded him.
‘And those too,’ he said, with a twinkle in his eyes, ‘I think we need to come up with a name, don’t you?’
By the end of the day, Wynbrook Blooms had been launched online and I arrived in the village, eager to see Josh, and with a pile of flyers clutched in my hand.
‘Daisy!’ he beamed, when he opened the cottage door and found me standing there. ‘I was beginning to think you’d been a figment of my imagination.’
‘It hasn’t been that long,’ I laughed, though in the brief time we’d been apart, a lot had happened and I seemed to have forgotten just how gorgeous he was. ‘But we definitely need to make up for lost time.’
My libido was certainly making its presence felt and I was eager to intimately reacquaint myself with him again as soon as possible.
‘Let’s go to the pub and catch up then,’ he suggested, stepping out of the cottage.
‘Not yet,’ I said, pulling him back inside. ‘I want to talk to you first… amongst other things… and I don’t think a packed pub would be the ideal place for any of it.’
He followed me back inside and I noticed the coffee table was full of books.
‘Is that Wynbrook?’ I frowned, recognising the black and white photograph which featured the back of the manor.
‘I’ve been genning up on the local area,’ Josh said, as he quickly closed the books and piled them together, before scooping them up. ‘I thought it might be nice to get to know something of the history of the place.’
‘Well,’ I said pointedly, as he put the books away, ‘if you do ever take up my offer to visit the estate, you can talk to Algy himself about that, can’t you?’
‘I’m sorry I couldn’t make it last night,’ he apologised, pulling me into his arms. ‘Did I miss anything good?’
‘Just a bit,’ I said, wriggling free and refusing to succumb to his kisses until I’d told him my thrilling news. ‘What do you make of this?’
I handed him a flyer and took a step away to better gauge his reaction.
‘Wynbrook Blooms,’ he read aloud. ‘I love the image.’
I’d set up some jars of various sizes, crammed them full of the most prolific flowers the garden currently had and photographed them in the prettiest corner of the walled garden with bowls of strawberries and raspberries for extra decoration.
The image was cottagecore perfection and beneath it I’d listed prices for the size of each bunch and the garden opening times. I’d also bigged up the setting, the locally grown element and the fact that at Wynbrook, you could now pick up fruit and flowers. It was a dream combo as far as I was concerned and Nick had loved it when I had briefly stopped at the fruit farm and showed him too.
‘All my own work,’ I said to Josh proudly. ‘And talking of work…’
Gratifyingly, Josh hung on my every word as I explained about my new home, the new job and how gardening had long been a passion of mine, but one I’d abandoned as a result of my father’s interference in my future when I was an impressionable teen.
‘Your father sounds about as stubborn as mine,’ Josh pointed out when I’d finished telling him everything, but I couldn’t allow that.
Now Dad and I had cleared the air and I had a better understanding of why he’d blocked my desire to dig for a living all those years ago, I didn’t think badly of him at all.
‘In that case,’ said Josh, taking the flyers I was still holding and putting them on the table as he sat next to me after I’d explained, ‘it sounds to me as if your life is suddenly coming up roses, Daisy.’
‘It certainly is,’ I was more than happy to agree as I laughed at the pun. ‘Dream job, my own space, sexy summer fling…’
‘If I’m the fling you’re referring to,’ he said, seductively caressing my arm, ‘then I hope you’ll still have time for me.’
‘I’m going to do my best to squeeze you in,’ I told him, as my breath hitched while he slowly shifted to caress my neck.
‘I’m delighted to hear that,’ he smiled, looking deep into my eyes, ‘and while I’ve got you here, I’d love to make the most of the moment, if now would be a good time to… squeeze me in.’
By the time we left the cottage again, most of the shops were shut. I was able to leave a bundle of flyers in the village store and made a note that the shop’s owner had asked if Wynbrook Blooms would be able to supply small bunches of flowers for them to sell.
I hadn’t said yes as I didn’t want to deter visitors from visiting the garden, but I knew Nick kept the store in summer fruit, so I promised I would think about it. It might end up being a contract to pursue the following year as for now, I needed to make sure I had enough flowers to satisfy demand this summer. Assuming there was going to be some, of course.
‘If you leave a load of flyers with me,’ Josh kindly offered as we walked back to the pub, ‘I’ll go around and drop them in the shops for you tomorrow, if you like.’
‘You would?’
‘Of course,’ he said. ‘And I’ll take some to the café for Penny too. I want to see this venture succeed every bit as much as you do.’
He turned bright red when he said that.
‘You do?’
‘Of course, I do. I think you need something good to happen in your life, Daisy.’
‘Apart from you, you mean.’
‘Yes,’ he laughed, ‘aside from me, and I think this new job sounds like just the thing.’
‘Well, that’s handy,’ I said, standing on tiptoe to kiss him, ‘because I think it sounds like just the thing too.’
As tempted as I had been to spend the night with Josh, I drove back to Wynbrook after sharing my news in the pub. I was amused to notice that Marguerite still had the locals eating out of her hand and Sam was delighted about that. When the time had come, Josh had been reluctant to let me leave, but as he wasn’t willing to come to Wynbrook, I said a lingering goodbye and headed off.
Walking through the garden to the summerhouse in the late evening light had been bliss, full of fluttering moths and floral fragrances and another sweet sleep followed and after that, a perfect day working in the garden.
‘What do you think to these?’ Dad asked, showing me a seed and bulb catalogue early Saturday evening.
We had spent the entire day together working in various parts of the garden and I had then joined him and Mum for supper and a marathon seed and bulb planning session which involved poring over catalogues, writing lists and filling out order forms online. Bliss!
‘For the cutting garden or the borders?’ I asked. ‘I think they would be too expensive for my project. I’d have to charge a premium for every stem I cut, wouldn’t I?’
‘I was thinking of the herbaceous borders,’ Dad explained as the cottage phone started to ring. ‘In that developing gap at the far end.’
‘In that case,’ I said, as Mum held the phone out to me, ‘I think they’re perfect.’
‘It’s for you,’ Mum said and for one heart-stopping second, I thought it was Laurence, but it wasn’t, it was Nick.
‘Daisy!’ he shouted, sounding flustered. ‘I’ve been ringing your mobile for ages. Where the hell are you?’
‘Oh my god!’ I gasped, jumping up and cursing that I’d earlier put my phone on silent and then forgotten to unmute it. ‘I’m coming! I’m on my way!’
‘They’re about to start,’ he tutted. ‘You’re going to miss them.’
‘No, I’m not,’ I said resolutely. ‘I’ll make it.’
‘How?’
‘You can help,’ I commanded. ‘Do something. Create a diversion.’
I had completely forgotten that Josh and George were taking to the stage that evening and after a mad dash, I raced into the pub still wearing my grubby gardening gear and with my lungs on fire as I’d had to abandon my car in the village because I couldn’t park closer and running had been the only option.
‘There,’ I wheezed, as I bumped into the back of Nick and bent over to nurse the painful stitch in my side, ‘I told you I’d make it.’
‘Oh, Daisy!’ Penny cried, looking unexpectedly thrilled to see me. ‘You’ll never guess!’
‘Tell her later,’ said Nick. ‘They’re about to start.’
Josh’s eyes met mine as he took to the stage and I gave him an encouraging thumbs-up. I was so pleased he’d spotted me. It made the manic drive, pounding heart and out of character sprint to reach him totally worth it.
‘Good evening, Wynmouth,’ he said huskily into the microphone and the room erupted.
I could tell he was playing up his accent, but to wonderful effect.
‘George and I are delighted to be with you this evening.’
George gave the assembled crowd a wave and then the pair started playing. Every person present was enthralled. They started with the Jack Johnson tune they’d played before and then covered a Paper Kites song, some Oh Hellos and finished with ‘Trouble’, by Ray LaMontagne.
Josh didn’t take his eyes off me throughout the entire song and it wasn’t until the last chord had been played that I noticed Nick and Penny were dancing in the middle of the crowd and everyone was applauding them as well as the marvellous musicians.
‘What’s going on?’ I shouted towards the dancing duo.
‘We’re engaged!’ Penny called back ecstatically and the roof was raised again. ‘Nick has asked me to marry him!’
‘So,’ I said, when I finally had a moment to talk to Nick on his own, ‘you created a diversion then.’
‘Sure did.’ He grinned. ‘I had the entire evening planned out. We were going to listen to the music here and then I was going to walk Penny down to the beach, our path lit by the moonlight and then propose with the waves gently lapping the shore.’
‘That sounds very romantic,’ I said, biting my lip.
‘Oh, it would have been,’ he nodded, ‘but our best friend needed help getting out of a scrape and as I had the ring in my pocket and really didn’t think I could manage to wait a second longer anyway, I thought, why not?’
‘You’re mad,’ I said, throwing my arms around him. ‘God, I’m so happy for you!’
I wished I’d been there when he went down on one knee, but appreciated the extra minutes his timing had afforded me.
‘Me too,’ he sniffed; his eyes full of happy tears. ‘And proposing in the pub got us a free toast and meant I didn’t succumb to throwing up because I was really starting to get pent up about asking her.’
‘Hey,’ Penny, who was very tipsy by now, said to me as she wobbled over. ‘Unhand my fiancé.’
I let him go and squeezed her instead.
‘You guys,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘You’re engaged!’
‘We know!’ they shouted together and then everyone around us cheered again.
Much later, Josh and I took the walk along the beach that Nick had planned for him and Penny. I hadn’t been drinking because I was going to drive back to Wynbrook, but the emotions Josh’s soulful playing had evoked, coupled with my friends’ exciting announcement and my sudden change in fortune, made me feel as though I’d had at least three strong cocktails.
‘So,’ said Josh, as we strolled along the shore, just out of reach of the lapping sea, ‘did you forget that George and I were going to be playing tonight?’
‘No,’ I said, perhaps a little too loudly. ‘It didn’t completely slip my mind. I just forgot for a little while because I was distracted.’
‘By what?’
‘Seed and bulb catalogues,’ I confessed happily.
‘Seed and bulb catalogues!’ Josh said disbelievingly as he picked me up and spun me around.
I shrieked in protest as he made out he was going to drop me in the sea.
‘They’re my guilty pleasure,’ I laughed, throwing my head back and taking in the constellations, when he stepped back from the tide.
Josh kissed my neck then put me down.
‘You don’t sound guilty though,’ he pouted.
‘I know.’ I shrugged. ‘I’m not really. Sitting and looking through them with Dad was surreal but wonderful.’
‘I’m so pleased the pair of you are finally on friendlier terms after everything.’
‘Me too,’ I sighed and because I wanted everyone to feel as content as I did, added, ‘Is there any hope for you and your dad, do you think?’
‘Absolutely none.’
There was nothing I could say to that and we carried on walking. After a few steps had passed, I asked, ‘Would you have been upset if I had forgotten about tonight and hadn’t shown up?’
Josh stopped and I turned to face him.
‘Given that we’re supposed to be casual,’ he said, ‘just a fun summer fling, I shouldn’t have been particularly upset if you didn’t make it, but…’
‘But?’
‘But if you hadn’t come, I would have been devastated.’
‘You would?’ I swallowed.
That was a pretty intense feeling for a relationship that wasn’t supposed to be heading anywhere other than towards its end, as the summer petered out over the next few weeks.
‘I would,’ he confirmed. ‘And I can’t help wondering what that suggests about how I feel about you, Daisy.’
Given that my heart had leapt at the thought of him being so upset about my potential no show, I was starting to wonder what that said about my feelings for him too.
‘Hey!’ I heard someone shout and laugh, and I knew there was going to be no time to explore those feelings that evening. ‘What are you two doing down here?’ It was Nick and Penny. ‘This was supposed to be our romantic spot, remember?’
‘It’s a big enough beach,’ said Penny, who sounded blissfully happy as she hiccupped. ‘We can share!’