Epilogue
‘Mind the puddle, Mum.’ Nicola guided her mum around the two large puddles left from that morning’s rain and towards the metal gate leading into the farmyard.
What with the excitement of Charlie staying and with how busy life had been at Pennycress Inn, the rest of the summer had sped by and Nicola could hardly believe it was already autumn.
She looked across at the golden leaves, still glistening with the sheen of the earlier rain, and smiled before turning back to her mum.
‘Can I take this off yet, love?’ Vivienne lifted her hand to her face, ready to pull off the pink spotted blindfold.
‘No! Keep it on, just for a couple more minutes.’ Nicola laughed as she tapped her mum’s hand away. She’d been planning this surprise birthday for her mum for weeks now and she wouldn’t let it be ruined when they were so close.
Her mum paused and sniffed the air. ‘Umm, I think I might just know where we are.’
Nicola raised her eyebrows. ‘Why? Where do you think we are?’
‘At Charlie’s farm? I can smell hay, mud, hens.’
Nicola slumped her shoulders. Trust her mum to guess so easily, but what she couldn’t have guessed was what sight would be waiting for her when she pulled the blindfold off. No, Nicola had sworn the whole village to secrecy. ‘Just a couple more steps.’
Charlie, looking every each the farmer he now officially was in one of his uncle’s faded flannel shirts, stepped forward and quietly opened the gate to the farmyard.
‘Thanks.’ Nicola mouthed as she reached out and squeezed his hand.
Once inside the farmyard, Nicola led her mum behind the big barn so she could see the field beyond. ‘Okay. Here we are.’
‘I can take it off now?’
‘You can take it off, Mum.’ Nicola crossed her fingers behind her back. Please like it.
After peeling the soft material from her eyes, Vivienne gasped as she was met with raucous applause and shouts of ‘Happy birthday!’ from all of her friends and local residents from Meadowfield and beyond.
As the group stepped aside, Vivienne looked out across the field. Turning to Nicola, Vivienne clasped her daughter’s hands in hers. ‘You did this? You organised all this? Just for me?’
‘Happy seventieth birthday, Mum.’ Leaning across to her, she kissed her on the cheek before taking in the scene in front of her.
Children, having been on their best behaviour waiting for the birthday girl, ran off towards a huge bouncy castle to the right, screeching with delight, whilst the adults stepped forward to wish her mum a happy birthday before wandering off towards the makeshift bowling green to the left, or the dance floor, courtesy of Meadowfield’s brass band who were also playing, in the centre.
Stepping away, Nicola let her mum be showered with gifts and flowers. Her job done, delighted her mum would get the birthday she so deserved.
‘You are just the best, do you know that?’ Walking up behind her, Charlie wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.
Laughing, she turned in his arms to face him.
Charlie had been more than supportive of her organising the party for her mum here on the farm, Not only had he let her have the run of Little Mead, but his help had been integral to the preparations too.
And in truth, she’d spent so much time here in the last few months, she’d begun to see Little Mead less as Charlie’s farm and more like a second home.
‘You had as much to do with this as I did.’
‘No, I really didn’t. You organised it all.’ Charlie enveloped her in a hug. ‘Your mum is loving it.’
Nicola glanced towards her mum, who was busy chatting away to her bridge club. ‘She is, isn’t she?’
‘Why don’t you move in?’ Charlie spoke quickly, his eyes fixed on hers. ‘I’ve sold my London apartment. This is home now and I want us to settle down together.’
‘What… what did you say?’ Leaning back in his arms, Nicola searched his face. ‘Did you just say what I think you said? And you’ve sold your apartment?’
‘That depends on what you think I said. And, yes, I have.’ Charlie chuckled nervously.
‘Did you just ask me to move in with you?’ Holding her hands against his checks, she locked eyes with him.
If he’d sold his apartment, then that was it.
He definitely wasn’t going anywhere. Yes, there had been moments when she’d had her doubts and thought he might up and leave the farming life behind, for example when the harvester broke down in the middle of the wheat harvest or when the summer storm ripped the roof of the main barn, but Charlie had just got on with it, sorted the problem practically and moved on. There was nothing to stop them.
‘If I had, what would your answer be?’ He shifted on the spot.
‘Yes, of course!’ She laughed. ‘What else would it be?’
‘In that case, yes, that’s precisely what I asked.’ Leaning forward, he kissed her on the tip of the nose. ‘Nicola Fields, will you move in with me?’
‘You bet I will.’ Drawing him towards her again, she kissed him. They were going to live with each other!
* * *
‘…to you, Happy birthday to you…’
‘Make a wish, Mum!’ Nicola gripped Charlie’s hand as they watched her mum blow the candles out on her beautiful cake set on a table with the rest of the party food in the barn before everyone cheered and clapped around her.
Holding her hand up to silence those standing in front of her, Vivienne raised her voice.
‘Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to spend my special day with me. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends. And I’d like to raise a toast to my wonderful daughter, who, with a little help, I’m sure, has organised such an unforgettable day. Well done, Nicola.’
‘Well done, Nic.’ Vivienne’s toast rang through the barn.
‘Aw, thanks. I couldn’t have done it without Charlie, Laura, and Jackson’s help.
’ Nicola swallowed and held up her glass.
Looking around at all her friends from the village, she blinked back a happy tear.
Charlie had asked her to move in with him!
She’d have to leave the cottage which she’d called home for so many years now but, if she was honest, however much she loved her little cottage, it still held memories of Nathan so a fresh start with Charlie at Little Mead would be the perfect solution.
The two of them could build a proper life together.
Maybe Jill’s prediction had been right after all!
She’d said she could see a future between Nicola and Charlie. She caught Charlie’s eye and grinned.
‘You heard her. To Charlie, Laura and Jackson.’ Vivienne raised her glass again.
Just as the villagers repeated the toast, a loud crash sounded from the field outside and everyone began filing through the doors to see what had caused the commotion.
As Charlie took Nicola’s hand in his, they made their way to the front of the group and watched as Claudette raced around the field, dragging a metal bucket around with her, which must have got stuck in her overgrown woollen coat.
‘The sheep! Get the sheep!’ Neil Parsons shouted as the crowd surged forward towards the unsuspecting and now quite fearful Claudette.
Taking a deep breath in, Charlie stuck his fingers in his mouth and blew, a loud piercing whistle cutting through the shouting and the hubbub.
Standing still, everyone turned their attention to Charlie and, clearing his throat, he shouted his orders, ‘Claudette is welcome here, please don’t frighten her.’
‘You what? You’ve been harbouring the fugitive?’ Neil Parsons turned to him, an incredulous expression on his face.
‘Well, no, she has been visiting the farm over the past months, but I haven’t been harbouring her.’ Charlie chuckled. ‘I take no responsibility for the misdemeanours she has undertaken.’
‘But she’s living here?’ Neil raised his eyebrows so high they almost disappeared under his hairline.
‘Yes, as from today, she is welcome to live here. This will be her new home.’ He held his hand up, signalling people to continue to pay attention to him. ‘But if I could have a small group of volunteers to help me catch her and detangle the bucket from her coat, I’d be very grateful.’
‘Anything, mate. If you’re going to take her off our streets, then I’m more than willing to help.’ Neil nodded.
‘Me too. I’ll be able to go home and plant my begonias this evening, knowing they won’t get eaten.’ Mrs Pierce spoke up.
‘Great, thank you.’ Charlie began walking towards the group of volunteers.
‘Hold on.’ Nicola grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards her.
‘Yes?’ Charlie grinned as she took his hand in hers.
‘So there’ll be three of us living here at the farm then?’
‘Yes, I suppose there will be. Although if you count Mildred, Petunia, Helena, Daisy, Ethel, Storm…’ Charlie ran his fingers through his hair.
‘The hens? Storm?’ She laughed.
‘Got her!’ Neil Parsons’ voice rose above the chatter.
‘Haha, yes, she’s the one who keeps hiding.’ He glanced at Neil and Claudette before taking a step towards her.
‘You’re forgetting someone else.’ Nicola wrapped her arms around him as she tipped her head back and looked into his eyes.
‘Nope, I’m not.’ Charlie gently tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘I’ve already installed a cat flap in the back door of the farmhouse for Trixie and she has a new bed waiting for her too.’
‘You remembered her. Thank you.’ Leaning her forehead against his chest, she closed her eyes. This was it. This was her happy ever after.
Tucking his finger beneath her chin, he tilted her face until she was looking at him again. ‘Of course I did.’
‘I love you, Charlie.’ Nicola grinned. She didn’t think she’d be able to love him anymore than she already did and yet then he did something like this, like naming the hens and giving Claudette and Trixie a forever home, and she could feel her love for him expand again and again.
‘I love you too, Nic.’