Chapter 38
After I got ready for the day, I fed Maple and had a coffee with two slices of toast smothered in peanut butter then I took her out with me for a walk so I could do what was needed on the farm away from the pumpkin patch.
I was relieved to see it looked like it was going to be a dry day.
We’d clearly get more visitors if the weather stayed crisp and sunny, even if most of the patch was protected from the weather.
They would likely spend more time on the farm too.
And, let’s be honest about it, spend more money.
Once my chores were completed, I headed over to where Dad was getting the card machine set up ready to take payments. Dylan was there too, on his laptop sending emails.
‘I just have to do a couple of things for my brother before I can work on generating some more publicity for Pumpkin Hollow,’ Dylan said. ‘The local newspaper will be here in twenty minutes.’
‘My sister just messaged me,’ Steve said, strolling over from the cottages to join us. Like me and Dylan, he wore jeans, a thick jumper and wellies. ‘She’ll be here in an hour with four of her friends. They are really excited.’
‘Great.’ I bit my lip, wondering if their expectations would turn out to be too high or not. ‘I really hope they all like it.’
‘It looks right up their street,’ Steve reassured me.
‘The tractor all ready to go?’ Dad asked him.
‘Yeah, I’ll get it and the trailer from the barn now and set up it over there by the sign Sabrina made. I think if I offer one every two hours, that allows most people to have one if they want to, and I can still help you guys manage everything else.’
‘Okay then,’ I said when Steve had walked off. ‘Now we wait for everyone to get here. Maybe I should check everything again…’ I started to walk off, feeling too restless to stand still. I had nervous energy running through my body.
‘My old friend, Amy, who emailed you about coming to the farm, just messaged me,’ Dylan said, falling into stride with me.
‘She’s on her way. Hopefully, she’ll share on her channels.
She’s pretty big on TikTok and Instagram, it’s her full-time job now, so I think she can get us on the social media radar. ’
‘An old friend?’ I couldn’t stop myself from asking as I looked over to the gate and was relieved to see the Pumpkin Hollow sign was exactly where it should be, and the farm gate was open and ready to welcome people to it.
‘We went to school together,’ Dylan replied. He looked across at me. ‘There was nothing romantic; she dated my brother for a bit when we were younger, but that’s it.’
I shrugged. ‘It’s none of my business,’ I mumbled as relief washed over me. I knew I shouldn’t care, but I did.
‘Of course it is.’ Dylan touched my arm but I shook his hand off. ‘You’ve got to stop this,’ he said then.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I know you’re pushing me away, trying to act like we are nothing to each other, but you know that isn’t the case.’
‘How can you say that after what I overheard you saying to your brother?’ I asked, incredulous that he seemed frustrated with me. I was the one that should have been pissed off, not him!
‘I told you, I didn’t mean what I said. The pressure Nate has me under…’
I shook my head. ‘I can’t talk about this now, Dylan.
It’s opening day. Give me a break.’ I stomped off but even though I heard him call my name, I ignored it.
I couldn’t believe he wanted to talk about that phone call when I was this nervous.
I watched as a car drove through the gate and I took a deep breath.
It was time.
* * *
The morning rushed by. I greeted the local press and Steve’s sister and her friends, and Dylan took his old friend Amy around the pumpkin patch.
The journalist and photographer seemed impressed but it was Steve’s sister and her friends who put a big smile on my face when I heard them squealing with excitement and saw how many videos and photos they were taking with the pumpkins.
After Dylan had shot a video of Amy buying a pumpkin, she came over to me.
‘Thank you for letting me come here. I’ve got some really cute photos and videos.
I think it’s great. I went to a couple of pumpkin patches last autumn and yours is just as good, if not better because of all the areas you have for photos.
And that guy driving the tractor: he can take me on a ride any time. ’ She winked, making me laugh.
Steve offered to take them all out on the tractor then, so she hurried off to join him for that, along with the rest of the press.
‘It feels like it’s going well,’ Dad said as I walked over to where he was having a rest with Maple before we opened to the public.
‘Amy was really impressed,’ Dylan agreed as he closed his laptop. ‘All my work is finished so I can help you guys this afternoon and I’ll keep an eye on everything online through the day too. It’s almost time for the first people to arrive. Are you ready?’
‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’
Dad got up to take Maple inside as we thought maybe she should stay in the farmhouse just for the first afternoon so we could focus on visitors.
When we were alone, Dylan turned to me. ‘I’m sorry about earlier. I know this is your focus right now. As it should be. I didn’t mean to bring up our stuff. I’m just happy to help you today.’
He looked so worried, I smiled. ‘It’s fine. Let’s just get through the day, okay?’
‘I’ll be by your side,’ he promised me. And although I looked away from him, my heart melted at those words despite all my good intentions.
Once the local press, Steve’s sister and her friends, and Amy had all left, the first paying customers started to arrive.
We had organised the tickets in one-hour slots to allow everyone plenty of time and space in the pumpkin patch.
It was lovely to see families turning up and the excitement on the kids’ faces when they saw what was in the field.
Sabrina and her family arrived after school with the largest number of people we had booked for the first day.
I left Dad manning the ticket and pumpkin sales table to walk through the trail and check on how it was looking, and if people seemed to be enjoying it all.
‘Look at this.’ Sabrina showed me a picture they had taken in the autumn section and it did look like a great shot. ‘I’ve shared it on all my social media and tagged the farm like Dylan told me to. Where is he anyway?’
‘He went to buy us coffees from Paul,’ I said.
The van was going down a storm with visitors, and the smell of coffee and cinnamon was strong enough on the breeze to reach the pumpkin patch, adding to the cosy, autumnal vibe.
I watched two kids carrying a huge pumpkin over to their parents, and a group of teenagers cheering each other on as they bobbed for apples.
It seemed to be going well. We just needed everyone here to spread the word.
‘I can see a family I know from school,’ Sabrina said. ‘I’ll go and say hello.’
I waved her away and walked through to the Halloween section where I reminded a family taking photos of the dinner table to share them online and tag us – then I’d repost them on the Pumpkin Hollow accounts.
Dylan came to find me as I restacked a pile of pumpkins that had gone a bit lopsided, probably from someone knocking against them accidentally.
I decided it would be good to walk through every couple of hours to adjust anything that needed it and also spot if any pumpkins needed replenishing from the barn.
‘Paul said we had to try these. I asked for pumpkin spiced lattes but he refused,’ Dylan explained as he handed me a takeaway Birchbrook Café cup and looked down at the one he still held. ‘He kind of scares me,’ he admitted with a grimace.
I giggled. ‘He is a character, for sure. I’m happy to taste test café treats, though.
Let’s head outside and check if Dad needs a break,’ I suggested.
We walked out of the tunnel and I took a sip of the drink Paul had forced upon Dylan.
‘Oh, shit, he was right to make you order this,’ I said, letting out a moan at the taste. ‘Apple and cinnamon latte?’
Dylan nodded. ‘Yep.’ He took a sip. ‘Oh, man, why have I suddenly developed a taste for sweet coffee?’
‘Autumn just makes you crave sweet treats,’ I replied with a smile.
He caught my eye and grinned back. I instantly thought about him making me that hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, and I could tell his thoughts had strayed there as well.
We walked out onto the field then, passing families snapping photos by the Pumpkin Hollow sign, and wandered over to the table where Dad was currently selling a big pile of pumpkins to a woman who I recognised worked in our nearest supermarket.
‘I’m glad we’re selling some pumpkins,’ I said quietly to Dylan, trying to move my thoughts away from our hot night together.
I couldn’t let myself wish for any more of that.
‘We’re being tagged in a few photos on social media already and ticket sales are steady through the website, plus we had two families show up and pay for entry today.
I think it’s good to allow that while we’re still new.
Hopefully, the social media influencers will post their content soon and the local press should have their article up online in the next couple of days and in the newspaper by the end of the week, which will all help to spread the word, right?
’ Dylan raised an eyebrow at the look I gave him.
‘What? Do I have coffee on my face or something?’
I shook my head. ‘No. It’s just the way you were talking – you keep using the word “we”,’ I said. ‘Why do you keep saying “we”?’
We kept looking at one another and I didn’t think that I was imagining the way his eyes softened when he met my gaze and then his eyes flicked from my eyes to my lips.
My breath hitched. Was he thinking about kissing me again?
‘Why, Dylan? Why do you keep saying “we”?’ I repeated my question, desperate to know why he was so invested in the pumpkin patch when he should have been making sure it didn’t work.
‘That’s a very good question.’
We both started at the sudden, deep voice behind us, breaking our eye contact.
I turned around to see a tall, dark man who looked a little bit familiar.
He wore a tailored, dark suit that looked completely out of place at a pumpkin patch.
I saw Dylan stiffen beside me and I glanced at his face.
He was shocked and a little bit annoyed.
But his face was nothing compared to the expression on the man behind us.
He glared at Dylan with open hospitality.
‘So, little brother, why don’t you tell me what the hell is going on?’