Chapter 10
Once I had got dressed and drank a large cup of coffee, I wandered out to find Willow leaning against the fence in the small field she had put the ponies in.
She wore matching shorts and T-shirt to what she had given me to wear – and I thought that maybe I needed to do something about the fact that I had none of my stuff here now that I was staying for a few days at least. Maple sat beside her still regarding the ponies with a look of deep distrust as they chewed on grass.
‘I had been keeping this space to try growing some new fruit and veg for next year so it was free for the ponies. We’ll need them closer to the pick-your-own area to offer the pony rides, though.
Maybe we can build an enclosure over there?
They seem to be settling in okay,’ she said without preamble.
‘Blake is making sure they have all they need in the barn. Thank God he’s come to stay for a couple of weeks is all I can say.
’ She turned to me. ‘I’m so happy you’re staying for a bit.
Have you turned your phone back on yet?’
I swallowed hard. ‘No, I just need a bit more time before I speak to Henry. Think about what I want to happen next.’ There was so much up in the air between us and I knew I couldn’t avoid dealing with it for much longer but right now, the space felt like it was a good thing.
‘You would have been on your honeymoon anyway, right? It’s not like you’ve left them in the lurch at your work or anything?’
‘We had a two-week break in the Maldives planned,’ I said. ‘I thought I would be back to work after that but they had planned for me to leave. Henry’s mum said they’d already started recruiting for a new PA for his dad. I had no idea.’
‘That’s so shady of them,’ Willow said.
‘Yeah, but now I’ll have lost my job anyway.’
‘You think they would really sack you?’
‘I do. Henry’s dad likes to be in control of everything.
Me leaving the wedding was completely out of his control.
He will be furious.’ I shook my head. ‘I wouldn’t want to go back to working for him now.
I didn’t really enjoy it. And it gave him so much say over my life.
But what I will do instead, I really have no idea. ’
‘There’s no hurry in working that out,’ she said. ‘I really am so grateful you are going to lend a hand with the farm.’
I bit my lip. ‘I have no idea how good I’ll be at all this, though.’
She shrugged. ‘You’re a Connor. You’ve spent a lot of time here. And you have always had a creative eye. Like your mother. You’ll be fine.’
It had been so long since I’d been around anyone who knew my parents, her words sent a jolt through me. Yes, it was sad to remember them but it was nice to hear that she thought I was creative like my mum.
‘You loved arts and crafts and making things pretty; remember that fort set-up we made in the house one Christmas?’
‘That was so cosy,’ I agreed, thinking about the fairy lights, cushions and bean bags we put inside the tent. It had been a long time since I created anything. For Henry’s dad, it was all admin, admin and more admin. I hoped Willow was right and I’d be good at working on the farm.
‘You’re a lifesaver being here,’ she added.
‘I think it’s the other way around,’ I replied. Willow had offered me a life raft. She needed my help, sure, but this was giving me a much-needed moment to breathe.
Willow slung an arm around my shoulder. ‘Well, these ponies are all your fault as you gave me the idea so, it’s really the least you can do to help me look after them,’ she joked as gave me a squeeze.
I chuckled. ‘I think they might possibly be your best idea yet.’
‘Oh, I have plenty more up my sleeve,’ she replied with a twinkle in her eyes.
‘Should I be worried?’
‘Always.’ She winked and we both giggled, reminding me of when we were younger and carefree, not devastated by grief or scared about what life had in store. Maybe for this summer, we could be those girls again.
‘Well, I’m excited to hear them all,’ I declared.
‘And I need more from you too!’
‘I’ll do my best,’ I replied with a smile.
Maple barked then and we turned to see what she was looking at. Dylan and Blake were striding towards the barn together carrying hay bales. Both had shorts and T-shirts on too and I couldn’t help but notice the muscles in Blake’s legs and arms as he lifted the hay.
Willow wolf-whistled, earning herself a wave from Dylan. Blake looked over and I ducked my head, not wanting him to see I’d been looking too.
‘Blake told me he found out his girlfriend was cheating on him,’ I said. ‘It’s so weird we’re both here running from relationships.’
We turned back to the ponies, Maple running off to catch up with the men. Blossom and Jasmine wandered over to us, and we reached over the fence to pat them.
‘Yeah, I must admit, it’s a crazy coincidence,’ Willow said.
‘I don’t know what went wrong between them but Blake sounded desperate for somewhere to stay when he phoned Dylan.
Thankfully, we had the cottage free for a couple of weeks.
Who knew the farm would become such a sanctuary for people?
’ Willow smiled and nudged me. ‘I’m glad, though.
It’s so nice having you here. And Blake is already proving to be a great help too.
I know there was a bit of awkwardness at the start but I’m glad that’s gone. ’
‘Yeah, I think seeing me in a wedding dress gave him a bit of a fright,’ I replied with a wry smile although I didn’t want to share his secret that he had wanted to propose to Sarah. ‘I can’t blame him. He must be really crushed by what happened. I can’t believe his girlfriend cheated on him.’
‘God, yeah. If Dylan ever did anything like that…’ She shuddered at the thought.
‘He won’t. You two seem so solid.’
‘We made no sense on paper when he arrived at the farm but somehow, we fit,’ she replied simply.
‘You deserve it.’
‘So do you,’ she replied.
‘I just feel really guilty about leaving the way I did. Even if I do think I was right to leave.’
‘It sounds like Henry didn’t give you many opportunities to tell him how you felt, though.’
‘Yeah,’ I agreed. ‘I bet he’s so pissed off at me, though…’ I bit my lip. ‘I’m nervous to speak to him again.’ I used to feel so anxious back in the city. I was already feeling so much calmer out here. I didn’t want to let the anxiety back in just yet.
Willow looked worriedly at me. ‘You don’t need to yet. At least give yourself the rest of today? I can keep you busy if you want,’ she added with a twinkle in her eyes.
‘Yes, please,’ I said eagerly.
Willow stepped back from the ponies. ‘Shall we brainstorm how we’re going to create this summer trail?’
‘I’m in,’ I said readily.
Before I could follow, Blossom leaned in and nuzzled my chin before chewing on a strand of my hair.
‘That’s not for you,’ I said, yanking it away from her. ‘God, these ponies like to eat whatever they can get their hands on,’ I said, hurrying after Willow with a shake of my head.
I hoped they weren’t going to be too much of a handful for us.
* * *
Willow called Blake and Dylan over to join us at the start of the crop fields behind the farmhouse.
The sun was hidden by fluffy clouds now, casting a hazy brightness over the farm.
Maple ran ahead of us, wagging her tail as we followed.
Willow led us all to the first field that visitors would be able to pick things from: the sunflower field.
They had grown tall already, reaching up to the sky with their smile-like faces almost ready to be taken home and put into vases on windowsills that would bring summer joy.
‘They always look so happy,’ I said, reaching out to touch the petals of one near me.
‘How can a flower look happy?’ Blake asked as Willow nodded in agreement with me.
‘They just look like they are smiling,’ I told him.
‘My mum named me Daisy after her favourite flowers; she said they always looked friendly. And sunflowers have happy faces.’ I always felt a pang when I talked about her but she had loved flowers, and this had always been her favourite part of Birch Tree Farm. That was nice to remember.
‘That’s why I planted them in the first field,’ Willow said. ‘It’s like they’re greeting visitors.’ She walked on with Dylan; Blake and I followed behind them.
‘Where is your mum?’ Blake asked me.
I glanced across at him. ‘She passed away when I was at university. And my dad,’ I said, hating having to tell people this.
‘They died in a car accident. It was raining and late at night, and a lorry swerved into them on a bridge…’ I trailed off, wishing I could forever erase the knock at my door, the police arriving on campus to tell me I was now an orphan.
‘God, Daisy, that’s so awful. I’m really sorry.’ He reached out and gave my arm a gentle, quick touch.
‘Thanks.’
‘I never would have asked if I had known,’ he added, clearly feeling terrible.
‘Don’t worry. I guess it must have seemed strange that my parents weren’t around for my wedding and why I came here.’ I sighed. ‘I am so grateful for Willow. It’s nice to think about how my mum loved the sunflowers here, actually. She was a florist,’ I explained to him.
‘Now calling you Daisy makes perfect sense,’ Blake replied with a smile that showed his dimples and made me feel that weird sense of connection with him again.