Chapter 4
4
‘Auntie Jade, I’m here. I’m here. Where are you?’
Jade heard Ben long before she saw him. She was in the stone-built feed store, partway through the Saturday breakfast routine, topping up a container with chicken feed, when she heard his high distinctive voice out in the yard.
She put down the scoop and went to the door to look out. Sarah was keen. Hadn’t Finn said she was coming at ten? It was barely nine.
Ben was by reception. He’d clearly already been in to see his dad, who was standing just behind him in the doorway. Jade felt gratified that Ben was just as keen to see her as he’d always been. She’d adored the little boy since he’d been born and she’d been ever so slightly worried that once he had both a mum and a dad in his life, not to mention Callum, Sarah’s partner, he might not be so eager to see her. But her fears had been unfounded.
She wasn’t conceited enough to think she was the main attraction. Ben was besotted with animals. He’d live at Duck Pond Rescue if he could.
‘I’m in here, love.’ She stepped out into the sunlight, which was bright after the cool shade of the stone feed store, and shielded her eyes.
‘Auntie Jade.’ Ben flew across the yard to give her a hug and she bent down to lift him, which was a lot harder than it used to be.
Ben tugged away from her. ‘Mr Spock is very naughty.’
‘Is he, love? Why’s that then?’
‘He says bad words.’ Ben widened his grey eyes and tried to look serious but then ruined it by bursting into peals of laughter.
‘That’s very naughty. But he’s a parrot and parrots don’t know any better, whereas little boys do, of course.’
‘I’m not allowed to say words like?—’
Jade put her hand over her mouth and shook her head quickly before he could elaborate further. ‘Do you want to come and feed the hens with me and collect the eggs? Where’s your mum?’
‘She’s talking to Dad.’
‘Come on then. Let’s go and see if we’ve got any hungry hens.’ She handed him the canvas bag with its individual egg pockets which helped to avoid breakages and they set off.
A few minutes later they were in the hen field and Ben was running ahead of her up to the coops. Jade wished she had his energy as he flew across the patchwork grass, heedless of what he might be treading in. Luckily he’d got his scruffy old clothes on. Sarah would have brought a bag with his going-out stuff in. There were already several hens hurtling towards Jade and a few had diverted towards Ben – recognising him as another soft touch.
It usually took Ben about five minutes to get totally filthy when he arrived at Duck Pond Rescue. It was worse in the winter when the place was all mud and manure, but even in the summer there were plenty of ways to get mucky.
By the time Jade reached the coops, Ben had already unlatched the back of the first one and had liberated several eggs, which he put carefully into the bag.
‘They’re not too poopy, Auntie Jade.’
‘That’s good to hear.’
‘This one’s really warm. I think she only just lied it.’
‘Laid it,’ Jade corrected gently. ‘That’s brilliant.’ She filled up the feeders from the container and hooked them back into the coops one by one. She’d always adored Ben but she’d never let herself think about having kids of her own. You needed a relationship for that and until she’d met Finn, a relationship had been the last thing she’d wanted. Sarah had once accused her of hiding from the world in the Wiltshire countryside so she didn’t have to meet anyone.
Jade had vehemently denied this at the time, but deep down she knew her best friend had been right. She had been hiding. But she wasn’t any more and since she’d fallen in love with Finn, Jade had started to feel differently about having children too. She must be feeling broody, she realised with a little start, letting her gaze rest on Ben’s fair head and serious profile as he hunkered down and re-latched the coop where he’d got the eggs.
It was a more sedate walk back to reception with Ben taking the job of carrying the eggs very seriously.
Sarah and Finn were in the yard when they got back. She was congratulating him about his new agent and the prospect of an art exhibition. ‘You’re definitely going to be famous,’ she murmured, and winked at Jade.
Sarah looked tanned. Her honey-blonde hair was swept up in a ponytail and her summer-blue eyes were sparkly and happy.
‘I wondered where you two had got to.’ She bent and wiped a smudge of dirt from her son’s face with her fingers. ‘Oh, Ben, you’re filthy already. How do you do it?’ But the warmth in her voice belied her words as Ben shrugged her off.
‘It’s OK, Mum. I’m wearing scruffs.’
‘That’s very true,’ Jade said as Sarah rolled her eyes, and the two women hugged.
‘Finn made a pot of coffee but I think some volunteers just finished it.’
‘I’ll do some more. Let’s sit in reception for a bit. I think Ben and his dad have plans to make. And the eggs need to be cleaned up at the house.’
Finn got the hint. ‘We’ll do that while you ladies catch up,’ he said, and he and Ben disappeared in the direction of the cottage.
‘So…?’ Jade said, ushering Sarah into reception as soon as Finn and Ben were out of earshot. ‘What’s this exciting news?’
‘I don’t remember saying it was exciting.’ Sarah’s freckled face flushed and her eyes brightened even more. ‘It is though. You’re right.’ She held out her hand and the engagement ring she’d taken off last Christmas, when she and Callum had split up temporarily, sparkled as it caught the morning sunlight.
‘The wedding’s back on,’ Jade said, without even a question mark in her voice. ‘Oh, that’s brilliant. Give me a hug.’
She breathed in the wild musk scent Sarah always wore, and as they drew apart she said, ‘I thought you’d decided you didn’t need a bit of paper.’
‘Yes, I know we said that but we’ve changed our minds. We’re totally happy with each other. We want to shout it to the world and I fancy being Mrs Callum Wilson.’
‘Well, congratulations,’ Jade said, instantly regretting it as Mr Spock launched into song, and even the laid-back Mickey, who’d been sitting peacefully in his basket, put his ears back with a look of pained disbelief and wandered off into the yard to escape the noise.
‘That parrot’s unbelievable – where did he come from? He was swearing like a trooper earlier.’
‘I know. Ben told me. I probably shouldn’t keep Mr Spock in reception. It’s not the best impression if I’m trying to have a serious conversation with someone, but I could hardly say no when Phoebe Dashwood asked me. She’s always helped me out. Maybe we should see if we can get Ben to teach him some more appropriate words.’
Sarah laughed out loud. ‘Good luck with that. He loves Mr Spock just as he is. Anyway, I didn’t just want to tell you the wedding’s back on, I want to run something by you.’
‘Go on.’
‘What do you think about us having a double wedding? Me and Callum, and you and Finn.’
Jade was so taken aback she spluttered on her coffee.
‘I didn’t expect it to be that much of a shock. You guys are still getting married, aren’t you?’ She glanced meaningfully at Jade’s ring. ‘It’d be brilliant fun to have a double wedding. Great for Ben too – having his mum and dad being centre stage on such a big day. Not that I wouldn’t have invited you and Finn to our wedding obvs. But this way we’ll all be getting married together.’ She broke off. ‘Tell me you think it’s a good idea.’
‘Um… I don’t know. I mean, yes, it probably is. But when were you thinking? Finn and I haven’t made any plans at all yet. We haven’t even set a date.’
‘Exactly. So you won’t even need to change anything. And we can probably get a super good deal if we have a double wedding. Think about it – only one church booking, only one reception. Only one set of posh gear.’
‘What does Callum think?’
‘He’s more than happy to go along with whatever I want,’ Sarah said with a hint of satisfaction in her voice.
Of course he was. The big flame-haired Scotsman loved the bones of her. Jade was pretty sure that if Sarah had asked him to get married on a moving train or in the depths of the ocean dressed in full scuba gear, Callum would have said yes without hesitation.
Jade’s head was spinning a bit. ‘I’m fine with it in principle. I mean, obviously Finn would have to agree but…’ She broke off as Finn came back in the door.
‘What would I have to agree?’ he said, looking between both of them.
‘Where’s Ben?’ Sarah checked over his shoulder. ‘I haven’t mentioned it to Ben yet,’ she said in a quick aside to Jade. ‘I know he’s going to love the idea but I wanted to check it out with you two first.’
‘He’s just gone off with Dawn to the kennels,’ Finn reassured them, coming fully into the room. ‘So come on. Out with it. What are you two plotting?’
To Jade’s surprise, Finn, who’d always been quite private and not a big socialite, wasn’t entirely against the idea.
‘I can see where you’re coming from as regards Ben,’ he told Sarah. ‘Although I think we’d need to have a really good chat about it all. Make sure we’re all on the same page as far as the type of day we want goes. Won’t you and Callum want something closer to his family? Kilts and Scottish castles and the like?’
‘We definitely don’t want Scottish castles. Although I’m not averse to men in kilts. Callum looks good in a kilt.’
Finn put up his hands. ‘No way.’
Sarah laughed out loud. ‘I’m joking. My God, your face. Don’t worry. No kilts. Callum’s parents are surprisingly lowkey. We were never looking for a massive do when we planned it before, if you remember. We were going to get married locally and go to the Red Lion for pie and chips.’
‘That’s true,’ Jade said as the landline leapt into action.
She spoke to a woman wanting to check their opening hours, but she’d barely disconnected when Sarah gave an ear-splitting scream.
‘What on earth…?’ Jade stared at her in alarm.
Sarah was pointing with a shaking finger at the door. ‘Diesel’s got something in his mouth. I think it’s a mouse.’
She leapt up onto her chair as the big black cat nonchalantly dropped a wriggling mouse on the floor, which then scurried towards Sarah’s chair.
‘Catch it,’ Sarah yelled at Finn. ‘For God’s sake. I’m terrified of them.’
‘No shit, Sherlock!’ Finn leapt into action and caught the mouse. ‘What shall I do with it?’
‘I don’t care, just get rid.’
A few minutes later when the mouse had been unceremoniously dumped over at the duck pond, and Diesel had been shut in the feed room so he couldn’t recatch it, Jade glanced at Sarah.
‘Why don’t we all get together for a drink soon? We can talk it all through and decide. Finn and I need to have a good chat about it too.’ She stole him a glance. He might just be going along with the idea because he thought she wanted to do it. Neither of them was in a rush to walk up the aisle.
‘Are you free Friday after next?’ Sarah asked, nervously checking the floor, presumably in case the mouse had been stupid enough to run straight back in again. ‘Come round for supper. Ben’s got a stopover with his mate Darren so that would be a good time. I don’t want to get his hopes up if it’s not going to happen.’
They agreed supper would be a good start, and when Sarah had finally left, Finn and Jade exchanged glances.
‘Do you really not mind, Finn? Sarah did rather spring that on us.’
‘I wouldn’t mind getting married in a shed as long as I was marrying you.’
‘I think that’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.’
‘I try.’ He flashed her a wry smile. ‘Talking it through with them doesn’t commit us to anything. And as we’re not even doing that for a fortnight, there’s plenty of time for us to talk through the pros and cons first. But right now, I’m going to track down my son and see if he’s still up for Stonehenge and a picnic.’
Finn breathed a sigh of relief as he walked up the yard. The truth was the wedding talk was a welcome distraction. He hadn’t slept well and he knew it was because he felt guilty. Last night he’d had a conversation with his father that had led to him doing something he knew he might live to regret. He’d set the ball rolling in the search for his mother.
He’d acted on impulse and he hadn’t told Jade because so far every time he’d tried, fate had intervened. Maybe nothing would come of the Facebook message he’d sent. Maybe it was best to put it right out of his mind. He still wasn’t sure. But hopefully he’d be able to clear his head and get some perspective if he was away from the sanctuary for the day.
Being with Ben at Stonehenge, the beautiful and ancient world-famous heritage site, which was a mere fifteen-minute drive from Duck Pond Rescue, was the perfect place to get some perspective.