Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
J ohan
I head up to the Walker farm a couple of days after the Sunday dinner. Tom wanted to see some information—my driving licence, to see if I can drive the tractors and identification for their insurance. He had already supplied a certificate of sponsorship reference number and my visa had been approved. Things haven’t been made any easier since the UK left the EU. Ben didn’t have this trouble when he wanted to move to England and set up his bakery, but then he is half English and he and Keith were married so that made things easier. I smile to myself as I remember how they met. It hadn’t been easy for them at first but once Keith had sorted himself out he had swept my brother off his feet and they’d been the cosiest couple ever since.
There’s no-one around when I enter the yard but I recognise Tom’s Land Rover amongst the few cars parked up, and I head over to the farm office to see if he’s in. The door is shut but it has a half glazed door. I can see Tom in there with his father and a couple of other gentlemen. Tom must have seen me as he glances up at the door, because he offers a brief smile before gesturing to his watch and holding up his hand, the fingers splayed. I understand his signal for five minutes and wander off to look at the view while I wait. I stand looking out over the downs when I hear a crunch of gravel from tyres behind me.
I turn to see a Range Rover has pulled up and Cole is getting out along with someone else. I head over; it would be rude not to say hello.
“Hi Cole.” I offer an explanation for my presence. “I’m here to see Tom. He and your father are with some people at the moment.”
Cole nods as if he accepts the legitimacy of my explanation and I find it amuses me. His voice is flat as he replies. “Hello Johan.” Then he turns to the back of the vehicle, opening the doors to start unloading a couple of boxes.
“Oh, you’re Johan.” A voice pipes up from the side of me. I turn and see the person who was with Cole.
“I’m Sam, they/them.” Sam thrusts out a hand in greeting and I shake it. They are small, barely a few inches over five feet, and slim. Maybe around twenty to twenty-one if I had to guess. They have short, spiky blond hair, and a huge grin which is looking delighted for some reason.
“Pleased to meet you, Sam.” I smile back as their grin is infectious.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” they laugh. I glance over at Cole who’s still at the back of the car glowering silently. Sam catches my glance and, understanding my meaning, laughs.
“Oh not from Cole.” No I hadn’t really thought that, though I am surprised by my hint of disappointment. “But nearly everyone in the village is telling of a gorgeous Thor look alike amongst us.” I laugh at the comparison, though where I come from my appearance is a lot more common.
“Sam, can you take these and replenish anything we’ve used today, then put them back ready for next time?” Cole comes round from the back of the vehicle, and Sam shoots me another grin. “Later.” Then they pass Cole and give him an even bigger smile. I see his face darken into his customary scowl, which I find so very attractive.
“Sam is my assistant and they can be very…”
“Sam’s fine.” I don’t know what he was going to say, but he stopped anyway, as if searching for an adjective, so I save him the trouble. “Your assistant, you say.”
He nods and I see the very faint lines of a smile. “Sam’s a veterinary nurse, and a very good one.”
I find I am staring intently at his expression. I’m watching the nuances, wondering what it takes to make him properly smile like I had seen him do that day with his horse. I was serious when I’d asked him to teach me, so I decide to broach the subject again.
“If you’re still okay with it, I would very much like you to teach me some of your training methods.”
He hesitates slightly before answering. “Yes, no problem.” And I wonder if he had been hoping I would forget. I’m very keen to see what he does, so press forward to try and arrange a time.
“Well, I have some free time…” His eyes widen and his breath hitches, and I realise he thinks I was going to suggest now. I actually was, but I change tactics, making a mental note that he probably doesn’t cope well with things being sprung on him.
“…on Saturday, if that would be a good time?” I finish.
His face relaxes, and he lets out a breath. As he looks at me there’s a slight smile, probably of relief, but it is there and I try to ignore the effect it has on me.
“Sure, I’m not on duty that day, so I will be around.” It’s quite vague and I’m on the edge of suggesting a time but don’t, wondering if it would give him a chance to be conveniently absent if he changes his mind.
I give him a grin. “Saturday then.”
I hear voices, recognising the sound of Tom talking to his visitors. Their meeting must have finished. I turn round to confirm. Turning back to Cole to say goodbye, I see that he’s already gone and is heading over to the building Sam had taken the boxes to. I shake my head and chuckle to myself, but I think I’m beginning to understand him a little.
I wait until Tom’s visitors are driving off before heading over to him.
“Hi Johan, sorry about that. They were reps as we’re upgrading one of our tractors.”
“No, it’s fine, I hadn’t said what time I was coming over.”
He leads the way to his office, but not before I see him take in the information that I’m standing right next to Cole’s car. I see a quirk of his mouth before he turns away, but he doesn’t say anything.
After signing a couple of forms, Tom scans them as a copy for himself and for me.
I stand up to leave. “Great, I should be able to start on Monday.” I was looking forward to having something productive to do for the next few months.
“Perfect timing.” Tom smiles. “I have something for you.” He hands me a set of keys. “Here you can borrow our old farm pickup whilst you’re with us.”
I look at the keys in his hand. “Are you sure? I couldn’t…”
“If you’re going to refuse out of politeness, don’t bother, I insist. We use it as backup or for jobs around the farm, but you can use it to get to the village and back.”
“Thank you, it would be helpful.” I accept. In truth it would be useful, as I haven’t allowed myself to think too much about how I was going to get up to the farm and this solved the problem nicely. He walks me out to the pickup and makes sure it starts up okay.
“I’ll see you on Monday then,” he says as I climb in.
“Not unless I see you Saturday.”
“Saturday?”
I give him a smile and drive off without answering, knowing full well that he would likely ask his brother about that. Whether or not that’s likely to cause Cole to be absent that day, or if Tom knowing will help him be around, I don’t know. I’ve never been a gambling man, but I am curious to see which way the cards fall.