Chapter 18
‘Charlie.’ Nicola lowered Charlie’s mobile she was filming him on and looked over at him.
‘Yes?’ Peering down from where he was sitting in the cab of the tractor, Charlie frowned. ‘Should I say it again?’
‘Maybe. But how about trying to smile this time?’ She tried to stop the corners of her lips twitching, which was an almost impossible task. She’d followed Charlie from the front gate to the big barn and now out to the wheat field, and in none of the snippets of video she’d taken had he smiled once.
‘You think I’m being too serious?’ He ran his hand over his face.
‘Umm, I think it looks like you’re trying to sell life insurance rather than show your future children and grandchildren your uncle’s farm.
’ Had that been too harsh? She didn’t want him to give up completely, but on the other hand, she didn’t want them to get to the end of the tour of the farm and him not to be happy with what they’d accomplished.
‘I don’t know if I can.’ He grimaced.
‘Just try to act naturally and lighten up. Maybe pretend you’re in a work meeting.’ She held the phone up again, her finger poised over the record button.
‘I work in finance. It’s not exactly a fun subject matter.’
Hmm, she could imagine how fun those meetings would be. ‘Okay, well, pretend you’re just speaking to a friend. Pretend you’re speaking to me, telling me about the farm.’ She pressed record.
‘So we’re friends then, are we?’ With his hand on the edge of the tractor cab, he jumped down onto the step, pausing there for a moment. His mouth curling at the edges. Was he trying not to laugh at her?
‘Well, I…’ What was he implying? That she was just someone who had begged him to help with the carnival?
Someone who he happened to know from the village who could help him with creating these lasting memories of the farm?
Were they just acquaintances? Is that how he saw them?
She shrugged. ‘Okay, acquaintances, then. Just pretend you’re talking to a total stranger if you like.
It doesn’t matter, just try to seem a bit… happier.’
He ran his free hand across the back of his neck before jumping down from the tractor step. ‘Right, okay. Let’s try again.’
She nodded, forcing a smile. What had she been thinking? Yes, he’d touched her hand and hugged her; yes, he’d fixed her bike; and yes, he’d come to check up on her after the altercation with Nathan. It didn’t mean anything, though.
She focused on the phone screen again, waiting for him to take his position in front of her before restarting the recording. ‘Three, two, one. Take two.’
‘More like Take two hundred and two,’ he muttered before plastering a huge fake smile on his face.
Sniggering, she ended the recording. ‘You can’t do that, mutter things and look super grumpy before pulling a face like that.’
He frowned, the smile disappearing. ‘A face like what?’
‘Your smile! It’s fake – like too fake.’ She grinned.
‘Too fake? So a little fake is okay?’ Charlie came towards her and indicated the phone, waiting until Nicola had played the video back. ‘Ouch. I see what you mean.’
‘Sorry, I don’t want to offend you, but if this is going to be something you show your future kids and grandkids, don’t you want it to look genuine?
I know you hate the farm and can’t wait to get it off your hands but…
’ Her voice faltered as she looked at him intently, trying to figure out if she’d offended him.
‘You’re right.’ He nodded.
‘So, loosen up and we’ll try again, okay?’
‘Yep. Loosen up. How hard can that be?’ Relaxing his shoulders, he began tensing and untensing his fists before wriggling his fingers and waving his arms about.
Throwing her head back, Nicola laughed. When she’d first met him, she’d never have thought he’d be standing in front of her right now, acting all goofy.
‘Is that better?’ Bringing his arms to his sides again, he grinned. A real grin this time, one which lit up his eyes and deepened the faint laughter lines around his eyes. The lines Nicola hadn’t been sure were due to frowning or smiling.
‘Much better.’ Nicola gave him the thumbs up and held the phone up again. She’d lost count of the take number. ‘Three, two, one, go.’
‘Hey, so here we have the wheat field where wheat is grown…’ He floundered for a few moments before smiling again and continuing.
Nicola grinned as she followed him around the field and then again as they returned to the tractor.
He was much more relaxed now. She pushed the thought of him questioning their friendship to the back of her mind.
It didn’t matter how he saw her, she was just doing him a favour, and she was happy to.
She was having fun after all and anything to keep her mind off Nathan and him chancing it to weasel his way back into the cottage only had to be a good thing, didn’t it?
* * *
‘Here you go, my famous hot chocolate.’ Charlie passed Nicola a mug before sitting down next to her on the large log in front of the campfire he’d lit after they’d finally finished shooting the tour of the farm.
‘Thank you.’ Taking the mug, she wrapped her arms around it, suddenly feeling a slight chill in the air despite the heat radiating off the fire. ‘Famous, you say? That’s humble.’
‘Haha, not my words.’ He took a sip, leaving a hot chocolate moustache across the stubble above his lip.
‘You have…’ She pointed to her own lip.
‘Oh, thanks.’ Chuckling, he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.
‘Okay, here goes. You have a lot to live up to a lot with a claim like that.’ She grinned before taking a sip of the drink, the rich, creamy chocolate flavour filling her senses. ‘Oooh, that’s delicious.’
‘Told you.’ He sighed. ‘Thank you for this evening and for helping me with the video. I probably never would have actually got around to doing it if you hadn’t helped, not to mention that it would have turned out shockingly awful.’
‘Aw, you’re welcome. It was fun.’ She took another sip of the drink. He was a man of hidden talents. ‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Of course. Ask away.’ After placing his mug on the ground, he picked up a stick from beside him and skewered a huge marshmallow on it before passing it across to her and repeating the process for himself.
‘Thanks.’ Taking the stick, she held the marshmallow over the flames in front of them, listening to it fizzle as it heated.
Did she dare ask him this? Was it too a personal question?
‘When you were talking about the farm for the video, you spoke with passion, as though you loved the place – the farm, I mean.’
‘That’s because I do. It may have been years since I last visited, but the memories I hold of this place and Meadowfield are good ones.
’ He looked around him, taking in the fields surrounding the grassy area they were sitting in behind the farmhouse.
‘Really good ones. Memories I’ll forever hold close. ’
She shifted position, bringing her marshmallow, the fluffy sweet now charred, from the fire towards her and picked a little of the burnt pieces off, rolling it between her finger and thumb. ‘Then why are you selling?’
Charlie sighed, staring at the fire as the flames danced in the dim evening light. ‘Now that’s a tough question.’
She scrunched her nose up. ‘You did say I could ask you anything.’
‘I know.’ Rubbing his hand over his face, his skin coursed against his stubble. ‘It’s not so easy to relocate, just like that, is it?’
‘I can imagine it would be difficult. Not impossible though, if that’s what you wanted to do.’ She spoke quietly. She could see from the glazed expression in his eyes he was still thinking about how to answer her.
‘No, not impossible.’ He took a deep breath in and straightened his back, holding his own marshmallow away from the fire.
‘I have a life back in London. A life I love, the freedom I’ve always wanted.
And a damn good job, too. One I’ve worked hard for and dedicated my entire adult life to. I can’t uproot and move on a whim.’
‘Oh, okay.’ She nodded. That made sense. Of course, he couldn’t just jump ship and move. Not many people would be able to if they were in the same situation.
‘It sounds shallow, doesn’t it?’
‘What? No, of course not. Why would it sound shallow?’ She frowned as she looked across at him. He felt guilty for not taking over the farm. That much was evident.
‘Because I’m choosing my own life over something my uncle, my grandad and his dad and grandad before him built for us. The family farm stops here. With me.’ He closed his eyes momentarily.
‘Hey, it’s not shallow, not at all, and nobody would think any such thing.’ Carefully placing her mug on a nook in the log next to her, she slid across closer to him and laid her hand on his forearm. ‘Look at me.’
Charlie turned, a furrow forming in his brow.
‘Your uncle was a brilliant man. He cared for others so, so much. He gave back to the community by helping to found the carnival, he let local residents into the orchard to help themselves to apples, he didn’t bat an eyelid when me, my friends or the other kids from Meadowfield hung around in the orchard or hay fields.
I’m sure he’s the last person who would have wanted you to give up everything you’ve worked for and be forced to lead a life you didn’t sign up to.
’ She frowned. A few days ago she’d felt so strongly that he shouldn’t sell, but seeing him now, getting emotional over the very thought of selling, she could see it hadn’t been the flippant decision she’d assumed it had been.
‘Then why do I feel so damn guilty about it?’ His eyes were intense, his gaze on her unwavering.
‘Because you’re a good man.’ She shrugged.
‘I am?’
‘Well, yes.’ Taking her hand away, she began picking at the marshmallow again, this time instead of rolling the sticky burnt fluff into a ball, she popped it in her mouth.
She’d forgotten how good these tasted. After swallowing, she continued, grinning.
‘If you forget how grouchy you were to me, Miss Cooke and the poor under fourteens’ netball team. ’
‘Ah, I was, wasn’t I?’ He grimaced.
‘Oh yes, you were. I shouldn’t think poor Carrie or Harper will ever be brave enough to step foot on the farm again, and if they do, they certainly won’t go wandering off.’ She laughed.
‘Ah, I do feel bad about that.’ He chuckled.
‘Nah, I’m only joking. I can tell you’re one of the good ones, because if you weren’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation at all.’ She picked at another piece of marshmallow.
‘About me terrorising unsuspecting villagers?’ He raised his eyebrow.
‘Exactly that.’ Nicola looked back at him; his eyes were still fixed on hers. She watched as he reached out towards her, his fingers gently brushing her lips.
‘You have a little marshmallow…’
‘Oh, do I?’ She rubbed at her lip, her fingers brushing against his. ‘Has it gone now?’
‘No. I can deal with it, if you like?’ He spoke quietly as he leaned in towards her, their lips centimetres apart. ‘May I?’
‘Uh-huh.’ She nodded. She could smell his woody aftershave as he leaned in closer. She closed her eyes as she felt his lips brush against hers. She felt him take the stick from her hand before reaching up and tucking his finger beneath her chin.
‘Is that okay?’ Leaning back, he studied her face.
‘More than okay.’ Placing her hand on the nape of his neck, she pulled him back towards her, their lips touching again. How had they come to this? A few days ago, he infuriated her. Now, though, all she wanted was to stay in this moment forever.