Chapter 26
I was up before it was light for the beginning of a new week, and the last full one before the start of October and the deadline I’d set to open up the pumpkin patch.
I had a steamy shower to wake myself up along with a large cup of coffee before I headed out with Maple to give us a both a walk and to get ahead on as many chores as I possibly could.
The sky gradually grew lighter with every passing minute.
Then the farmhouse lights all switched on and the smell of cooking drew my attention as I fed the chickens but I stopped in surprise at the sound of a car driving through the gate.
‘Who’s that at this early time?’ I said to Maple, who gave a curious bark as we watched the car come up the drive, passing the birch trees which stood still and calm this morning, the promise of a crisp, sunny day ahead.
The sky above was turning the same golden colour as their leaves.
Then I recognised the car and lifted my hand in a wave.
‘This is a nice surprise,’ I called out as I walked towards Sabrina, who parked outside the farmhouse.
Sabrina jumped out of her car and smiled. ‘I couldn’t wait; I decided to come on the way to drop Dottie at my mother’s before work,’ she said, holding out her arms.
I stepped into her hug. ‘Is anything wrong?’
‘I have something for you,’ she said, excitedly, letting go of me and heading around her car.
I peeped inside and gave Dottie a wave and was rewarded with a cute smile.
I heard a noise behind me and saw that Maple had rushed off when she spotted Dylan strolling over from his cottage, dressed in warm clothes like me.
‘Hey, girl,’ Dylan greeted Maple with a big smile and pat before his eyes caught mine. ‘Morning, Willow.’
‘Sabrina has something for me,’ I said as he came over, Maple following adoringly by his side. She really had taken to him. We both watched as Sabrina started to lift something large out of her boot.
‘Need a hand?’ Dylan asked quickly, stepping past me to help her get whatever it was out.
‘Oh, thank you, it’s a bit tricky,’ Sabrina said gratefully.
‘I’ve worked on it all weekend; I really hope you like it,’ she said to me as together, they took it out and propped it up on the ground in front of them.
‘I thought it could go next to the sign for the farm so people know the pumpkin patch is here.’
It was a wooden sign with painted lettering and pictures on it. I moved closer and realised what my best friend had done.
‘Sabrina! Oh, wow, it’s amazing,’ I said as I read the words Pumpkin Hollow she had painted in orange on the sign.
There were pumpkins and birch leaves in a border all around the letters as well.
‘You are so talented.’ I remembered how good she’d been at art while we were at school and I knew she still did lots of crafting and painting with the kids she taught, but this was next level.
‘I didn’t want you to have to pay out for a sign to be made when I could do it. If you really like it?’
‘I don’t like it, I love it!’
‘It’s brilliant,’ Dylan agreed, smiling over at me.
‘It’s perfect. I’ll put it up just inside the gate, I think. Wow, Sabrina, I’m so grateful.’
‘I’ve been feeling so bad about how I first reacted to your idea.’ She looked over at the field we were turning into our autumn experience. ‘I am desperate for you guys to stay in Birchbrook; I want to do all I can to help.’ She eyed Dylan next to her. ‘Sorry, Dylan.’
‘Don’t ever apologise for being there for Willow. I’ll put it over here and then we can fix it up later,’ he said, carrying the sign by himself over to prop it up against one of the birch trees, which matched the sign perfectly.
I pulled my friend into another hug. ‘I really am so grateful for this.’
‘How was your weekend away?’ she asked softly as she hugged me back.
‘It was, um, eventful…’
Sabrina leaned back, her eyes searching mine. ‘Willow,’ she scolded.
I pulled away from her. ‘What?’ I asked, trying to look innocent, ducking my head to avoid her suddenly piercing gaze.
‘I’ll get the toolbox then see you inside for breakfast,’ Dylan said, making us both jump as he passed by, heading towards our barn behind the farmhouse. Maple followed him eagerly and I heard him chatting to her as they walked away.
‘Did something happen between you two?’ she hissed as soon as he was safely out of earshot.
‘Aren’t you going to be late for work?’
‘Willow Connor!’
‘Fine,’ I grumbled, knowing I had always been useless at keeping anything from Sabrina – not since we were too young to have any secrets anyway. ‘Something did happen… We kissed and a little bit more…’
‘How much more?’ she demanded.
‘Jeez, Sabrina. Fine, we slept together.’
She gasped then clapped her hands. ‘I knew there was chemistry between you both! The way he was staring at you when he first came into the café and when we all met up before you went away, he hung on your every word.’
‘That’s an exaggeration,’ I said, but inside, I couldn’t help but hope she was right. ‘It has to just be a one-night thing, though. All I care about is saving the farm, and he wants the opposite to happen.’
Sabrina sighed. ‘It is complicated,’ she admitted. ‘But I mean, how did you feel when you were with him?’
‘It was a pretty amazing night,’ I had to say. I looked at Dylan and Maple heading into the barn. ‘I told him though that it can’t happen again. And I was right to say that. I need to focus. There isn’t much time until October.’
‘Follow your heart; you’ve always been good at that,’ Sabrina said as she walked back around her car towards the driver’s seat. ‘I need to go but we will have to talk about this more over a drink soon.’
I smiled. ‘Okay. Thank you again for the sign, I think it’s perfect.’
I stood back as she got into the car and waved as she left the farm. There was no time to think about what she’d said about Dylan. I went inside and after breakfast with Dad and Dylan, we set about our work.
We put Sabrina’s sign up by the gate and then we brought the crates out of the polytunnels and put them in rows on either side of what would be the entrance to the pumpkin patch.
The polytunnels I’d hired arrived so we now had five to cover the autumn and Halloween trail.
They stood ready and waiting to be filled.
Then I went into the barn where Dad had put the wood I’d ordered along with whatever we already had spare around the farm to start to build wooden planter tables.
I asked Dylan to contact the farm we’d visited to arrange an order of pumpkins that we’d sell on his behalf then to order the more unusual pumpkins from the large farm I’d gone to by myself.
He was much better at laptop work than me, and even though I had been pissed off at the time, his idea to cut a deal with the pumpkin farm had been a good one.
I asked if we could ensure all the pumpkins arrived before 1 October and Dylan said he would also organise hiring Portaloos for the same time.
Dad got the tractor and the trailer we could attach to it out of our other barn to service and clean them both so we could offer rides around the farm.
The afternoon sped by and it was intensive work but I ploughed on, knowing how good the planters would look when I was finished.
I wanted to build five to place throughout the tunnels.
I needed to saw and nail the wood into tables then sand them down and polish them so it would be a couple of days’ work.
I took off my jumper as I’d got hot and threw it onto my toolbox, carrying on in a strappy vest top.
Maple lay down in the doorway to the barn, enjoying the sunshine on her back.
I played music from my phone, whistling along, and I only noticed Dylan coming in when he finally cleared his throat to get my attention.
‘Oh.’ I straightened up from where I had been crouched down. I pushed back a stray hair that was over my face. ‘Sorry, I was in the zone.’
‘I can see that,’ he replied with a smile. ‘Your dad thought you could do with a drink; he’s made us all a fancy-looking coffee,’ he said, looking down at the mugs curiously. ‘Can you take a quick break?’
‘For that, I can,’ I said, taking one of the mugs he held out eagerly.
I leaned against the doorway to the barn and Dylan did the same.
I looked down at the mug. ‘Whipped cream, he’s gone fancy.
’ I dipped my finger in to taste the cream topped with chocolate sprinkles.
I caught Dylan watching, then he quickly looked away.
I wondered if he was remembering our dessert at the pub on Saturday night.
I hid my smile by taking a sip, tasting the vanilla syrup.
‘Mmm, sweet coffee, just what I needed.’
‘I’ve never had so many fancy coffees as I have had here,’ Dylan said after he also tried it. ‘I’ll be on a sugar and caffeine high,’ he added but he took another sip anyway. ‘How’s it going?’ He nodded towards the pile of wood behind me.
I couldn’t hide my smile then. ‘You’re covered,’ I teased, leaning forward and touching the cream that was at the corner of his mouth.
I felt his whole body tense at my touch.
I wiped the cream away then pulled back, blushing at what I’d done.
It had felt instinctive, though. ‘Sorry,’ I said quickly, trying to avoid his scrutiny.
‘The thoughts you give me about whipped cream…’ Dylan said gruffly.
‘Huh?’ I looked at him and we were quiet, watching each other.
My mind started to race. What was he was thinking about?
I longed to know but I also knew it was a bad idea to ask.
I moved away from him. ‘Yeah, it’s going okay,’ I said, looking at the two tables I had made so far to try to change the subject from the very dangerous and suggestive one we had suddenly got ourselves on.
‘Okay? They look great,’ Dylan said, stepping forward to look. ‘How did you learn to do things like this?’
‘A lot of it was from my dad, watching him, learning from him, working with him… As he struggled more and more with his arthritis, I’ve had to step in around the farm. They certainly aren’t works of art but they are sturdy and will show off the pumpkins well, I think.’
‘Don’t sell yourself short,’ Dylan said, giving me a serious look. ‘They are amazing. I couldn’t make anything like this. Most people couldn’t either. You just set your mind to something then do it, don’t you?’
‘My dad always said I’m a dreamer and I am; I can get lost in my head and not want to deal with bad shit. If I think I can’t fix or solve it, I’d rather run away then but if I know I can do it, then I get stuck in.’
‘You’re not running away right now, though.’
‘It was a wake-up call getting your letter and Dad saying he was actually considering selling. I had been avoiding how tight things had got,’ I admitted.
I finished my coffee, set the mug down then picked up the hammer again, eager to do something with my hands while we talked about serious stuff.
‘I feel bad that I kept hiding from it for as long as I did. I was just scared, though. I really want to be able to stay and make a success of this place. I lost my way for a couple of years and I feel terrible about it but I can’t go back and change it now, can I? I’ll just do my best from here on out.’
‘That’s how I feel,’ Dylan said with a nod. ‘I fucked up and made mistakes and got lost on the way but I want to do better now.’
‘Well, you are. You’re working hard for your brother. And around here, even if I forced you into it.’ I looked up and gave him a quick, teasing smile.
Dylan shook his head. ‘I like helping you guys. This place gets under your skin, doesn’t it?
It’s hard out here but it’s beautiful and the work is rewarding.
I didn’t understand when I walked onto the farm.
I didn’t get how you could be passionate about this place. But I get it now,’ he said quietly.
I looked up in surprise. Our eyes met and understanding floated between us. Suddenly, we didn’t feel quite on such opposite sides any more.
Dylan’s phone rang and we looked way from each other.
‘My brother,’ he said. ‘I better…’ I gave him a nod and watched as he walked out of the barn.
‘Hey, Nate, yes, I saw your email… Give me a chance; you only sent it half an hour ago. I was just having a coffee… I told you, I can keep up with the work…’
His voice faded away but he sounded different when he spoke to his brother to how he was when he was talking to me.
He seemed frustrated but also smaller somehow.
I shook my head and went back to my work.
It was none of my business but I definitely got the feeling his brother and him had issues they still needed to work on.