Chapter 17
We worked from dawn on Friday. Having Dylan around was a big help as Dad focused on our farm chores as much as he was able to, with me pitching in when he struggled, so that the two of us could work on the field and the front of the farm – the areas visitors would see.
The field was now clear and I put up the two polytunnels we had spare.
I needed probably three more to be able to cover the pumpkins and autumn trail and then we set about tidying up the front of the farm, again clearing things that were overgrown or dying, raking fallen leaves and making sure the gravel looked as good as possible.
I also organised the places we would visit over the weekend and Dylan booked us a place to stay despite my protests, saying he could put the cost on the company as he was also going to visit a couple of companies Henderson Homes worked with while we were gone, so I reluctantly let him do that.
Afternoon arrived and it started to absolutely pour with rain.
I looked out of the farmhouse window with a sigh.
Although I was used to working in all weathers on the farm, there really wasn’t much we could do when faced with the thick sheets that were coming down, drowning the ground and making it impossible to see even a couple of feet in front of us.
Thankfully, the two tunnels would cover some of the field but I knew the rest would get really muddy and we didn’t want to tread that all around the areas we had tidied so it felt like it was best to stop work until Monday.
I glanced behind me. Dylan was at the kitchen table, working on his laptop and my dad was chopping vegetables for dinner.
I was fed up with computer work and really didn’t want to do any more.
Maple was sat next to me looking mournfully at the weather. She’d gone out earlier but I knew she was feeling cabin feverish like I was. I decided both of us should get away from the farm for a bit.
‘Sabrina and her husband have asked me to join them at the café in town,’ I said to Dylan. ‘I might take Maple out with me too. There’s not much more we can do here now; we need supplies to do anything more. I don’t suppose you fancy a coffee too?’
Dylan stretched out at the table, rolling his shoulders, flexing his arms. I tried not to watch. ‘You know what? A coffee sounds good. And I liked the one I had in there before I came here.’
‘Hang on, that might be a compliment about Birchbrook,’ I joked.
Dylan shook his head. ‘Well, that day was a disaster thanks to someone giving me the wrong directions so I’ve had to focus on the one good part.’
‘Hey, surely meeting us was the best part of that day,’ I teased him right back.
We were smiling at one another now. Impressive, when I thought back to that day and how badly I wanted to stop him finding our farm.
‘It’s okay if I come along then?’ Dylan asked me.
‘Well, my friends might grill you,’ I warned, knowing that once Sabrina saw him, there was no way he’d be able to leave the café without her talking to him.
Dylan looked at me. ‘I don’t mind, if you don’t?’
I shrugged, and said, ‘Up to you,’ but I was kind of glad meeting my friends hadn’t put him off. I wanted their opinion on him. ‘Come on, Maple, let’s get my coat.’ I walked up to Dad first. ‘You’re okay if we nip out to meet Sabrina and Bradley, right?’
‘I’m fine,’ he said, carrying on chopping. But he had been more subdued than usual since the conversation we’d had about my mother. ‘I’ll put all this in the slow cooker then we can eat together later. I might do a puzzle: a perfect rainy afternoon activity.’
I knew he could do with the rest after all we’d done this week. I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. ‘Yeah, you relax; we won’t be long.’ I looked over my shoulder. ‘Ready when you are, Dylan.’
I tried to ignore the smile on Dad’s face when Dylan jumped up and followed me and Maple out.
I knew that I shouldn’t get used to Dylan being around but it felt more comfortable than it should as we left the farm together.
I insisted on driving, knowing the roads wouldn’t be easy in this weather and my four-by-four was far more capable than his fancy car so the three of us piled in and we headed for Birchbrook.
‘I used to walk down here every day with my mum on the way home from school,’ I said as I drove along the High Street and looked for a parking space as close to the café as I could.
The weather was giving autumn, that was for sure.
The shop lights were all that we could see through the windscreen.
‘The café was my favourite – so many treats that I’d beg her for.
She loved getting a hot drink and a cake in autumn, and we’d collect conkers on the walk too. ’
‘When I lost my mother, I felt like I needed to get away from our family home and the town I grew up in,’ Dylan said. ‘It had changed so much from when I was growing up that it made me miss her more almost, if that makes sense.’
‘Birchbrook hasn’t changed much,’ I said as I pulled in behind a car outside of the café, parking up and switching off the engine.
‘That’s why a lot of people I went to school with left in a hurry, desperate for somewhere new – bigger and better things, I guess.
But it brings me comfort. There’s so much change on the farm each season, and I love to see nature doing its thing, but this town has always been there to counteract that.
I have the best of both worlds so never felt the urge to leave.
’ I took off my seat belt. ‘Right then, we’re here. Shall we make a run for it, guys?’
I jumped out of my side and let Maple out of the back of the car, rushing towards the café with Dylan hurrying after us.
The café was the perfect sanctuary. We walked in, closed the door and shut out the rain.
The dark-grey skies felt far away with the bright lights inside.
And the warmth soon dried us off. Coupled with the smell of sweet treats, I quickly felt a whole lot better.
Scanning the room, I found Sabrina with her husband Bradley and their little girl Dottie at a large table by the window.
‘There they are,’ I said, pointing them out to Dylan with a smile.
‘Hi, Willow, who’s this?’ female Pat asked, coming to the other side of the counter to greet us.
She looked Dylan up and down. I wondered if maybe she didn’t recognise him as Mr Suit Man from the other day.
He did look a lot different, I realised.
Not only was his hair messed up from the weather but his new boots had arrived and he was in casual clothes, prepared for the farm work he was now doing.
His Barbour jacket was starting to lose its brand-newness too.
He almost didn’t look out of place here. And clearly, Pat was unsure who he was.
‘This is Dylan Henderson.’
Pat’s eyes widened as she recognised him as the man I had sent in the wrong direction. She glanced at her husband and son, who were now blatantly listening in. ‘You enjoyed Birchbrook so much, you couldn’t leave?’ she asked.
‘Well, I’m helping out on the farm for a bit,’ Dylan said, throwing me a slightly panicked look.
I supposed we hadn’t really discussed how we’d explain him staying with me.
I knew after the pub that the whole town was probably talking about my outlandish, pumpkin-patch idea; I didn’t need everyone knowing about our pact as well.
‘I thought you wanted to buy the farm,’ Paul called out in his usual blunt way.
I fidgeted on the spot, wishing Paul wasn’t working today.
‘I’m still deciding,’ Dylan said with a glance at me. ‘Anyway, Willow, what would you like? My treat.’
I was relieved he’d moved the subject on so we didn’t have to explain any more. ‘A pumpkin spiced latte, please.’
‘I think I’m in a pumpkin mood too,’ Dylan said, making me smile. ‘Two, please, and how about two slices of your pumpkin pie as well? We might as well go all-out pumpkin.’
‘You’ll be sick of pumpkins soon,’ I said as Pat got our order ready.
‘We both might be but this is research, right?’
‘Pat, did Paul happen to mention what I’m working on at the farm?
’ I asked once we were alone with her, Paul disappearing into the kitchen and her husband serving another customer.
I quickly told her about the pumpkin patch although by the lack of surprise on her face, I was right that the news was already all around the town.
‘Things like this would be perfect to offer visitors,’ I said as she passed over a tray with our drinks and pie on.
‘I know you bring out your van for the Halloween parade and Christmas-tree-lighting night,’ I said, remembering their cream and green food van that they sold drinks and cakes out of at town events.
‘It would go down a storm at my pumpkin patch if you wanted to try it out.’
‘Well, we could have a think about that, of course, Willow.’
‘Maybe for this first year, you could pitch up for free,’ I suggested. I saw Dylan frown over at me. ‘Think about it and we’ll talk,’ I said as Dylan paid and picked up the tray.
‘I will, thanks, Willow,’ she replied. ‘And I hope you enjoy your stay in Birchbrook, Dylan,’ she added with a curious look in his direction.
We hurried away. ‘I thought that maybe since people we are close to are confused about why I’m staying, we shouldn’t bother trying to explain it to people we aren’t,’ Dylan said in a low voice.
‘Sabrina knows, I’m warning you now,’ I hissed back. ‘But yes, no one seems on board with my pumpkin-patch idea so let’s give them the least we can to gossip about,’ I added.
Dylan nodded and we made our way to join Sabrina at her table. ‘Why would you let them sell food and drink for free at the pumpkin patch?’ he asked.
‘The café is super popular; it will be a real draw for people to know they can get food and drink from them as well as pumpkins,’ I explained.
‘And Paul was so dismissive about it, I knew they weren’t going to pay me a fee to be there until they know it’s successful.
This way, they get a free slot and it’s another attraction I can offer visitors, which is especially useful if I charge for entry.
Maybe then after the first year, I can charge them for their pitch.
Plus, if the café could publicise the pumpkin patch, it will be invaluable,’ I said, wondering if they might let me put up a poster or put leaflets on the tables and talk about it with their customers.
The café was a draw for both locals and visitors so I needed them on my side.
This felt like the best way to gain it. If I had any food and drink to rival the café at the patch, I would lose their support for sure.
‘It does look like a popular place,’ Dylan conceded as he weaved around the full tables and we joined Sabrina, Bradley and Dottie. I made the introductions and sat next to Dylan, taking a sip of my latte and a bite of pumpkin pie as Sabrina studied Dylan with interest.
‘How are you finding Birchbrook?’ she asked him.
‘It’s very different to anywhere I’ve lived.’ Dylan gestured around the café. ‘It reminds me of where my grandmother lives, though; there’s a real community feel, which I like. And this place serves good food and drink,’ he said as he sampled what he had bought with an appreciative noise.
‘I hear you’re working on the farm,’ Bradley said. ‘Must be a shock after working in an office; we always say we could never do what Willow does.’ He smiled at his wife. While Sabrina was a teacher, Bradley worked for a communications company.
‘I couldn’t do what you do,’ I returned with a grin.
‘It’s hard work but it’s so rewarding, which I’m not used to unless you count your monthly pay cheque,’ Dylan said. ‘It feels like you’re really building something worthwhile. I like it. And this beats wearing a suit,’ he added, gesturing to his outfit.
‘We’ll make a farmer out of you yet,’ I joked.
‘Let’s not get carried away now,’ Dylan replied with a chuckle.
‘How’s it all going?’ Sabrina asked me, so I updated her on the week’s work.
‘We’ll have to come out and look at this patch taking shape,’ Sabrina said. ‘It sounds like it could really work.’
‘You’re surprised,’ I said, not needing to pose it as a question. She had been sceptical like everyone else about the idea. ‘But it’s okay, I get not everyone can see my vision. I think it could be something really fun, though.’
‘Willow is so passionate about it; her imagination is really impressive,’ Dylan told them.
‘Speaking of my imagination,’ I said, trying not to smile too widely at his praise.
I enjoyed it more than I should have done.
‘I’ve been thinking that I should name the pumpkin patch something so it’s memorable for people.
I wondered about…’ I turned to Sabrina. ‘Pumpkin Hollow. What do you think?’
She grinned. ‘A nod to the Gilmore Girls ? I love it! It feels cosy and autumnal and inviting.’
‘The Gilmore Girls ?’ Dylan asked me, raising an eyebrow.
‘It’s one of my favourite TV shows to watch at this time of year.
It’s so cosy and they have lots of autumn-themed episodes.
And they drink even more coffee than we do,’ I told him with a chuckle.
‘I hope other fans might like I’ve named it that.
Plus, I think I can create cute graphics and leaflets and a sign with it on, right? ’
Sabrina smiled. ‘I think it’s inspired, Willow. What do you have to do next for the patch?’
‘I need to meet with suppliers,’ I said.
‘She is taking me away to find everything the pumpkin patch needs this weekend,’ Dylan added.
‘Oh, yeah?’
‘A couple of days away from the farm as all the suppliers are so far away. That will change soon once I’m selling pumpkins, though.’
Dylan glanced at me and smiled and after I returned it, I glanced across the table to see Sabrina and Bradley staring at us. Then they exchanged a look and I wished I knew what they were thinking.