Chapter 42
42
SKYE
As they welcomed Brodie, Lettie and the baby back to Hollyhock Farm the following morning, Skye had to concentrate on staying focused on the present and not walking around the farm with a silly grin on her face. She still couldn’t believe that she had instigated what had happened between her and Joe. All her mind and body wanted to do was go back a few hours to being in bed with Joe. It had been the most amazing night of her life and as awkward as she had initially felt leading him up to the attic, she was relieved she’d had the guts to do so. Joe was too much of a gentleman to take the initiative after what she had said about not seeing a future for them, she now realised.
She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, waiting for Brodie and Lettie to take the baby from the car. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I am now.’ She looked up at him just as he gazed down into her eyes. ‘I wish we had more time alone here though.’
‘So do I.’
Brodie opened the boot of the car. ‘I’d better go and help,’ Joe said.
Skye agreed and let go of his hand, immediately going to see what she could carry for Lettie. ‘We have everything ready for you,’ Skye said, glad to have spent some of the morning with Joe vacuuming and dusting the place in readiness. ‘I wasn’t sure where Isla would sleep, so thought you could let me know if there’s anything you need me to set up for you.’
‘We have her moses basket. Brodie will bring that in. Her bedding too and some of her clothes and all the other paraphernalia babies seem to need. It’s a lot for such a little person.’
Skye laughed. ‘It does seem like quite the rigmarole.’
They walked into the house. ‘Do I sense a change in atmosphere between the pair of you?’ Lettie said, leading the way straight upstairs to her bedroom on the first floor where she, Brodie and the baby would be sleeping for the next couple of weeks.
Skye didn’t know how to answer that comment. She wasn’t ready to be open about her feelings for Joe, not to Lettie when her reason for being on the farm was to work there, not develop feelings for her colleague.
She thought of how baby Isla must have changed Lettie’s life already and wondered if she would ever be in that position. Having babies was something she had never really considered before. She wasn’t sure if it was because she hadn’t ever been settled enough with anyone to plan a future, or if she was simply unused to having siblings and mostly only having just herself and Gran to consider as she grew up. It was an odd realisation. She immediately thought of Joe, then pushed the thought from her mind. All she wanted from Joe right now was to spend as much time with him as she could and enjoy their new relationship while they were in the same place.
‘Sorry,’ Lettie said, placing the baby onto the bed and looking concerned. ‘I hope I didn’t say the wrong thing.’
‘No, why?’
Lettie studied her face, making Skye feel a little vulnerable. ‘You seemed sad there for a moment.’
Skye shook her head and smiled. ‘I’m fine.’
Lettie began changing the baby’s nappy. ‘You don’t want any?’
‘Babies? Maybe.’ Did she? ‘I’m not averse to the idea, just not anywhere near ready to want one yet.’
Lettie cleaned the baby and took a fresh nappy from a bag she had also brought upstairs. ‘And Joe?’
What? ‘What about him?’
Lettie glanced over her shoulder and grinned before turning her focus back to the baby. ‘I meant, how are things between you two? When we pulled into the yard, I noticed you were holding hands. I presume you must have become closer to want to do that?’
Skye didn’t want to appear as if she were avoiding the issue. ‘We have become closer. He’s a really great guy. I’m glad I realised it while we were still here together.’
Lettie finished changing the nappy and buttoned up the baby’s Babygro, then lifted her and gave her a cuddle before turning to face Skye. ‘I’m glad too. I was a little concerned when I first left you here and wouldn’t have been surprised if either one of you had decided not to stay. Then I saw you were both handling running this place well and it was an enormous relief, I can tell you.’ She gave a knowing smile. ‘I’d love for the pair of you to become an item.’
Skye knew Lettie meant well. ‘I wouldn’t be averse to it myself,’ she admitted quietly. ‘However, we both live in different places and as soon as I’ve spent a little time with Gran after I leave here, I’m going to set off on my travels again.’
Lettie’s face fell. ‘That’s a shame.’
‘Not really. I’m looking forward to going away.’ She realised what she had said and hated to think she might have given the wrong impression to her friend. ‘Not that I haven’t loved being here, because it’s been amazing, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.’
‘You would?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘What about Joe? Do you think he might be up for it?’
‘It depends what it is,’ Joe said from the bedroom door, making them jump.
Skye turned to face him, unable to hide how happy she was to see him. He gazed at one then the other of them. ‘We thought we were alone in the house.’
‘Now I’m even more intrigued to know.’ He studied her face, his eyes twinkling in amusement before he looked at Lettie. ‘What are you up to?’
Lettie laughed, her expression one of innocence.
While she waited for Lettie to answer him, Skye wondered whether he would want to repeat the experience looking after the farm and why Joe suspected their friend was up to something. ‘I don’t think Lettie is up to anything at all. Are you?’
Lettie shrugged, grinning at them both. She handed the baby to Joe. ‘Hold her while I sort this lot of nappies out. Skye, would you mind passing me those baby clothes while I put them away in the drawer here?’
‘Of course.’ Skye could tell Lettie was stalling and sensed Joe knew it too.
‘You’re such a little cutie,’ Joe said to baby Isla. ‘She’s seems very good.’
‘She is most of the time, thankfully,’ Lettie said, placing the last of the baby clothes neatly in the drawer and pushing it closed.
‘Right,’ Joe said, arching an eyebrow as he held the baby in his arms. ‘Now your attempt to distract me hasn’t worked, maybe you’d like to share what you were wanting to know about me.’
Lettie shrugged. ‘Fine. I wanted to know whether Skye thought you’d be up for helping to look after this place again. I mean, if my parents were away at the same time Zac was.’
‘What?’
‘Don’t look so startled, I don’t mean now, but at some point in the future. You know, if Brodie, Isla and I want to get away for a few days or a couple of weeks.’
Skye knew Joe’s reaction was excitement rather than being shocked and loved that he was happy at the thought of returning. ‘I’d do it happily.’
‘Thanks, Skye,’ Lettie said, folding her arms and staring at Joe. ‘And how about you?’
Skye felt him look at her and hoped he would agree too. Even if the pair of them were soon to go their separate ways it would make parting from him so much easier if she knew there would at least be a chance to do this all over again at some point in the future.
‘If Skye is happy to do it, then I’ll be willing to do it with her again.’
Skye struggled not to show her delight. She saw the glint in Lettie’s eyes and realised that Joe had just given her the answer she was hoping for.
Joe handed the baby back to Lettie and shook his head, amused. ‘Are you doing your best matchmaker impression?’
Lettie cuddled her little girl. ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ She gave Skye an apologetic smile. ‘I admitted to Skye just before that I saw you both holding hands when Brodie and I arrived.’ She pressed a hand on her chest. ‘You looked so sweet together.’
‘Sweet?’ Joe sounded aghast at the suggestion.
‘Well suited then. It was lovely to see.’
Joe glanced at her then back at Lettie. ‘We have got to know each other quite well while we’ve been here, haven’t we, Skye? It’s been…’ he hesitated ‘…nice.’
Nice? She wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or insulted but reasoned that he was keeping what happened between them private.
‘Nice?’ Lettie snapped, clearly having the same reaction to her, Skye noted, with amusement. ‘I was hoping for more.’
Joe moved closer to Skye and took her hand in his. ‘It’s been amazing.’ He looked Skye in the eyes and she sensed he was about to say something meaningful to her. ‘Special actually.’
Her stomach flipped over and wanting him to know she felt the same way, said, ‘It has been for me, too.’
Joe grinned at her. ‘I’m glad.’
Skye heard a cough. She and Joe turned to Lettie.
‘Sorry,’ Joe said. ‘I forgot you were there for a moment.’
‘I did wonder whether you might have done.’ Lettie motioned for them to leave the room. ‘Off you go then, you two. I need to give this little one a feed and I’d rather do it quietly in here.’
Happy to oblige, Skye led Joe from Lettie’s bedroom. ‘Let us know if you need anything.’