Chapter 34
Looking over, I saw Blake had helped Dylan and Willow to put the harness and lead onto Jasmine. He was now coaxing her away from her strawberry feast. Maple hurried towards me, letting out a frustrated-sounding bark. She hadn’t trusted the ponies from the start and now was being proved right.
‘Now I know why those farmers down the pub sold me these two so cheaply,’ Willow said, coming over to join me and Blossom on the trail.
‘They aren’t just cheeky and mischievous; they are menaces!
’ She threw her arms out. ‘Look at the mess they’ve made.
’ She looked at Dylan. ‘This is the pumpkin-patch disaster all over again!’
‘We were fine then, and we’ll be fine now,’ he assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder for comfort. She gave him a small smile, unspoken words passing between them.
‘Let’s get the ponies into the barn,’ I said. ‘Then we can see what we’re dealing with. Plus, Blake needs to get off, don’t you?’
I saw him hesitate. He turned to Willow and Dylan. ‘I feel so bad about not locking their enclosure properly…’
‘It’s okay, mate,’ Dylan said as Willow tutted. ‘You should head off, it’s fine.’
‘But—’
‘Help Daisy put the ponies into the barn then we’ll sort things out. You get going.’ Willow looked away from him and I could tell she was as disappointed in him as I was.
‘Come on,’ I said to Blossom, clucking, and this time, she followed me willingly like she knew I wasn’t going to take any more bad behaviour from her.
I led her to the barn, Blake following with Jasmine.
We put them inside for the night and I double-checked they were secure.
‘Well, have a safe journey,’ I said as we walked back out.
‘Daisy, I really am sorry about tonight. About everything,’ Blake said urgently, before I could head off.
I looked back at him. His eyes were wide with regret.
‘I’m sorry too. I don’t know what else you want me to say, though.
You’re leaving, Blake. I just hope you do what you really want to do.
’ There didn’t seem any point in talking any more.
I didn’t agree with his decision to go but I knew he felt he had to.
I had left something just two weeks ago and I needed to rebuild my life now.
Blake was returning to what he had left.
I would let him rebuild his life there. ‘Goodbye, Blake.’ I walked off then and didn’t look back.
When I returned to the fields, Uncle Adam had joined Dylan and Willow and Maple as they surveyed the damage the ponies had done.
‘I never want to say, “I told you so” but…’ Adam was saying, looking around with a frown.
‘I thought they would be cute,’ Willow said. ‘This isn’t cute!’
‘How bad is it?’ I asked when I reached them.
‘At least they kept to this area,’ Dylan pointed out. The strawberry plants in the patch we found the ponies in had either all been eaten or trampled on. ‘We can just clear it and maybe we can create something for people to look at or take a photo with so it doesn’t look too bare.’
‘We’ve lost money, though,’ Willow said with a sigh.
She wandered over to the sunflowers, and we followed.
‘This is bad.’ Blossom had trampled a whole row of sunflowers horizontally so it wouldn’t be easy to just clear away the broken flowers.
‘There’s not enough time to plant or grow anything else here.
And the sunflowers are the first thing people see!
It’s not going to be a good start to the trail, is it? ’
‘Maybe we can hide the damage with some sort of prop like the bench with the flower arch,’ I mused aloud.
‘Do we have time to sort all this out before we open, though?’ Willow said anxiously.
‘We need to start by clearing up the mess then see what we can do to hide the bare patches from visitors. And yes, we will have lost some money but if we can make the Strawberry Fields Trail a must-do activity this summer, hopefully, we will recoup as much as possible. I mean, you could always sell the ponies on too?’ Dylan added the last part gently. Willow glared at him.
‘Maybe we should just all go to bed,’ Adam broke in hastily before Willow could respond to Dylan. ‘Things always look brighter in the morning. And we’ve come back from worst disasters, haven’t we? We can all have a think overnight and crack on first thing.’
Dylan and Adam started to walk back to the farmhouse. Willow turned to me. ‘Do you think we should give up on the ponies?’ She looked close to tears and after all she’d done for me, I hated to see it.
‘Maybe we can find someone to help us…’ We trailed after the other two.
I didn’t know who would be able to handle them as well as Blake had, though.
Then I had a brainwave. ‘I have someone I can ask! I need to go to the wholesaler with Mary to look at punnets for people to put the fruit and veg in that they pick. And then after I’ve helped her a bit in the shop, let me go and see if I can get us a hand with the ponies.
If you guys will be okay making a start on the clear-up without me? ’
‘If you can come up with a solution to those ponies, you can take as long as you need!’ Willow cried, shooting me a grateful look. ‘I’ll call the teenagers that are going to help on weekends to see if they can come over and lend a hand.’
Dylan looked back. ‘Don’t worry. Together, we’ll sort it out ready to open up next week, right, guys?’
We all murmured our agreement but I wasn’t sure if our hearts were really in it.
We sloped back to the farmhouse as the sun faded away.
As we passed the cottages, I looked at the one Blake had stayed in, now empty. It would be strange to be on the farm without him after he’d been such a big part of my stay here so far. But I had no choice; I would take the next steps towards my future on my own.
I knew I wasn’t the only one glad to go inside and to bed so I could put this day behind me.
* * *
The next day was my first proper rainy one this summer.
I listened to the soft pitter-patter dancing on the roof above my bed as I lay on my back looking up at the ceiling.
I’d always enjoyed summer rain. I jumped up and pulled back the curtains, flinging open a window, breathing in the fresh scent and watching as droplets slid down the window in a lazy pattern.
The rain washed over the farm like it was clearing a new path for us.
I remembered then a framed print my mum had had hanging in the hallway of my childhood home: a vase of flowers in front of a window showing a rainy day outside with the slogan no rain, no flowers at the bottom.
If that wasn’t a slogan for how things were on the farm right now, I didn’t know what would be.
Snapping myself to attention, I left the window to get ready to meet Mary.
It was going to be a long day, which I was ready to embrace; we were going to the wholesaler and then I’d lend her a hand at the flower shop before trying to find us some help with the naughty ponies.
It would be good to be busy so I wouldn’t have to think about saying goodbye to Blake.
I hurried into the bathroom, had a shower and got dressed in record time before I went downstairs to find Willow was also up early.
‘I couldn’t sleep thinking about everything that happened and what we need to do today,’ she explained as I poured myself a mug of coffee. She’d made a large pot and also had a rack of toast out with the butter dish and homemade jam plus a bowl of fruit.
‘I know what you mean; I was pretty restless too. I know I can help with the ponies and I’ll find us some punnets for the pick-your-own. I’ll come back as early as possible to help with the clear-up operation.’
She smiled. ‘I’m so glad you’re here. I had this idea at about 2 a.m. Look…
’ She showed me a picture on her phone of a wooden swing with sunflowers behind it.
‘I saw this on my friend Amy’s Instagram.
She posted about our pumpkin patch last year and that really helped bring us more visitors.
I thought we could put a swing in the area Blossom trampled so people will think there is a deliberate cleared patch in the sunflowers, and it also turns it into a photo opportunity. What do you think?’
I smiled. ‘That will look so cute, and will definitely look like there is meant to be a gap in the sunflowers. I could find some faux ones to drape around it today?’
‘That’s a great idea. That will look perfect.’
‘Um… can you build a swing then?’ I knew my cousin was handy around the farm but I had no idea if she could do something like that.
‘Hopefully, but I’ll go and see Dave in the DIY shop and pick his brains.
I’ll offer him a beer or two if he can lend a hand.
He’ll have the wood and rope we need for it.
Dylan is grabbing the wheelbarrows from the barn for the clear-up.
Sabrina said she’d come over as early as she can to help me and Dylan clear things up too and I’ll call the weekend help in a bit as I don’t want Dad doing too much physical work.
I think me and Taylor did get through to him but he has the Connor stubbornness. ’
‘We all do,’ I replied with a grin. I took a gulp of coffee. ‘How about using the tractor you said is broken in the barn? You could also put it out in the strawberry field in the bare patch. People could use that in photos. It would look like we’d cleared it deliberately then.’
‘Brilliant idea.’ Willow let out a puff of air.
‘We might actually be able to salvage it all ready for opening on Wednesday then. Dylan is going to start taking photos for our social media accounts and publicise the opening in town later so hopefully, if we can make it look as perfect as possible over the weekend, we will be all set. Honestly, there is always a last-minute drama around here!’
‘It will all look great, I’m sure of it. And if I can get us help with the ponies, maybe you’ll forgive them.’ We looked at each other. That was going to be a tall order, that was for sure.
Willow took a bite of a slice of toast. ‘Before you head off, how are you feeling about Blake?’
‘I know that I should be fine. I knew him like two weeks! But we had so much in common and we had this connection; it felt a little bit like fate that we arrived here together – is that crazy?’
‘No. I felt like that with Dylan. That he’d always meant to turn up at Birch Tree Farm.
I mean, I hated him at first! I thought he was going to take the farm away from me, that we’d have to sell to him, but he ended up helping me save it.
I think he knew before me that there was something between us.
Sometimes, people just come into your life and change it for good.
I thought it seemed like that was happening between you two too. I’m sorry he’s gone, Daisy.’
‘Me too.’ I forced a smile. ‘Maybe that was all we were meant to be. He helped me so much. There was a reason we met here, I think. I know what I want now. It’s a shame I didn’t inspire the same change in him.
He’s gone back to his life like we didn’t happen, but I just hope he’ll be happy, you know? ’
‘You’re sweet. I’d be furious with him,’ she said with a grimace.
‘He never promised me anything. I am upset, sure. I let go of Henry and my old life but he didn’t want to do the same.
Or wasn’t ready. Or just didn’t feel the same about me.
’ I shook off the pang in my chest that accompanied that thought.
‘I’m going to be fine. I’m here to change my life and I’m planning on doing just that. ’
‘You’ll do it, I know you will. And I’m right by your side to help in any way I can.’
I smiled at her. ‘I never thought I’d want to work with flowers like my mum did; I thought it would be too hard.
But I know now that I need to do things that bring me joy, even if there are no guarantees they will work out.
That is so much better than doing something I don’t like just because it’s easy. ’
‘Preaching to the choir here,’ Willow said with a grin. ‘You’re so good at it. The arch you’ve made us is so pretty. And I bet you’ll love working with Mary too.’ She pushed the rack of toast towards me. ‘Fuel up; you’re going to need it. We both will.’
‘Yes, boss,’ I replied, butterflies swirling in my stomach at what might be ahead.
It was unknown but exciting too. I glanced out of the window at the birch trees as the gentle rain fell on their branches, their green leaves bouncing back to life as they drank it in, and I realised my summer here was doing the exact same thing to me.