7
Willow
Breakfast smelled extra lush as Fran whipped up scrambled eggs to go with the tray of grilled bacon she’d placed on the large table in her kitchen.
Willow was the first to tuck in before her dad entered to make a bacon sandwich with the freshly baked farmhouse loaf. Both her uncles, Finn and Tyler, came bustling through the door, laughing about something, and Cody hobbled in at the same time as her mum, Rhett, from opposite directions.
Finn pulled a large glass bowl of chopped fruit from the fridge to add to the table, and Tyler brought over a carafe of orange juice.
Tugging the closest chair from beneath the table, Willow gestured to Cody to sit by her side.
‘And how’s the walking wounded?’ asked Finn, dishing up granola with his fruit selection. ‘We’ve heard all about you already.’
Cody groaned as he struggled with the chair, his walking boot, and the crutches until Willow helped him to sit. His grateful smile told her he had forgiven her for not going straight to the hospital with him last night.
What a pickle that was. Kip kept telling her Cody was fine and had obviously just gone home, but her gut said otherwise, and she’d never felt so stuck between a rock and a hard place before, as it was clear Kip didn’t want her to leave his side.
Fran started fussing Cody, sorting his breakfast whilst Finn rattled on about health and safety at the bowling alley. Willow understood her uncle was a rescue worker, working as a firefighter and volunteering for the RNLI, but his remarks about Cody’s fractured toe wasn’t helping her lingering guilt.
‘Are you really all right, Sully?’ she asked quietly, as her family started a new conversation.
Cody was cutting into his scrambled eggs on toast. ‘I’m fine,’ he replied casually, but for some reason she wasn’t buying it.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t leave the bowling alley with you.’
‘Hey, stop saying sorry. It’s fine. Eat your breakfast.’
Easy for him to say. Willow was riddled with guilt.
I should’ve listened to myself, not Kip. He doesn’t know Sully like I do. Oh, I’m the worst best friend ever .
‘We’ve got the big opening for the new B&B this weekend,’ said Heath, breaking into Willow’s thoughts. ‘Weather is supposed to stay dry, so that’ll be good.’
‘I’ve already ordered all the meat for the barbeque,’ said Fran.
Willow needed to get her head back in the game. Her parents had spent months redesigning her mum’s house so it could play host to visitors in need of a quiet break filled with horse riding and gardening.
She smiled at her mum and dad leaning closer to each other, holding hands, and talking about their new adventure. It wasn’t lost on her how big a deal it was. After all, it had taken her parents years to get back together, finally get married, and both live where they had planned before she was born: her dad’s barn conversion on Silver Wish Farm. And now they had the new shared business, Silver Wish Stables B&B. It was such a joy to see them happy and showing their love for each other, which she always believed they had.
Growing up with parents living so close to each other co-parenting her wasn’t bad. She had the best of both worlds, although most of her time was spent in her gran’s house, as she loved sleeping there. Benton Silver was the best person on the planet, and following in his footsteps was all she ever wanted to do from the first pair of wellies he’d bought her.
Willow missed her grandad so much, as did everyone. And each passing thought of him made her more and more determined to keep the garden centre up to his standards.
Looking around the kitchen, her heart filled with warmth. University and travelling had been a blast, but she was glad to be home and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
‘Willow told me it was your idea to rename the stables, Rhett,’ said Cody, looking across the table.
Rhett swirled her strawberry-blonde ponytail up into a bun as she nodded. Her hazel eyes smiled his way, then at Heath. ‘Seemed more fitting to call the place Silver Wish Stables. Heath added B&B to the sign and website, so people know everything we have to offer over there.’
Cody nodded. ‘I think it’s a great idea. If I was into horse riding, it would definitely be the kind of retreat I’d visit.’
‘Come out riding with me,’ said Rhett. ‘Once your foot is better, that is.’
‘Will do, but I’m hoping to get started on the hut with Heath. Not sure how long that will take.’ Cody glanced at the dark walking boot. ‘And I’m not letting this get in my way.’
Heath chuckled. ‘I’ll see what we can do.’
Willow nudged Cody’s elbow just as he was about to eat. ‘What are you doing with my dad?’
‘You remember the old hut my grandad used as a ticket booth for the boating? Well, we’re fixing it up. Zach’s going to have some other fancy contraption brought on site, but I want to keep the old hut as well, so your dad is going to teach me some carpentry.’
Willow crinkled her nose. ‘Not sure that’s a good idea in your condition.’
Cody grinned, which did make her laugh. ‘Let’s not be dramatic. I’m quite capable.’
‘Tell that to the chair.’
‘My crutches got in the way, that’s all. It’s a little crowded in here.’
Willow smiled as her aunt entered to add to the mix. Vivien wasn’t just Rhett’s little sister, she was also engaged to Finn.
‘I can open,’ announced Vivien, earning herself a lift into the air by Finn as everyone cheered. Finn put her back on her feet and she quickly snaffled a slice of apple from his plate. ‘I just got the go-ahead. The Gatehouse Café is officially back in business.’
‘Brilliant,’ said Heath. ‘Let’s have a huge open day this weekend for the café and the B&B.’
Willow clapped her hands. ‘Ooh, I’m going to spread the word and get the whole island up here.’
Cody glanced at the side door. ‘Let’s hope they all fit.’
‘We’ll use the field that joins my parents’ lands. It comes in handy. People can walk between the stables and café and we can have a few things set up along the way.’
‘Like what?’ asked Rhett.
Willow shrugged. ‘Erm, pony rides, a couple of stalls showcasing Dad’s work. Tyler can use his discount code to buy some sweets from where he works, and we can have a sweetie stall. I’ll put out some plants. Create a display. We can really show off everything we do here.’
Vivien nodded her agreement as she sat by her sister’s side. Her dark eyes, a lot like Willow’s, beamed with excitement. ‘Silver Wish Farm is back with a bang. Not that we went anywhere, but with the new B&B, and the café back on track, life will be good around here again.’ She hung her head and sighed. ‘I’m sorry about the fire.’
‘Hey,’ said Finn, cuddling her shoulders. ‘Stop saying that. It wasn’t your fault, okay?’
‘He’s right,’ said Fran, sitting down with a cuppa. ‘That ex of yours burned the café down, not you. And we’ll all see him in court soon. So, we’ll have no more of that from you, missy. This farm has new adventures to look forward to now. The past has gone. We’re to focus on the positives only.’
Rhett nudged her sister. ‘Fran’s right, Viv. You’ve got to stop blaming yourself. Nothing else was damaged. It didn’t spread to the other buildings, and we’ve got nothing but happiness ahead.’
Vivien smiled softly as Finn brushed back her long dark hair so he could kiss her cheek.
‘And we’ve got my play to look forward to,’ said Willow, thinking that would make everyone laugh.
‘Ooh, yeah,’ said Vivien, perking up. ‘We’re getting tickets, aren’t we, Finn?’
Finn nodded. ‘My fiancée and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’
Heath huffed out a laugh. ‘If I had a pound for every time he used the word fiancée , I’d be a millionaire by now.’
Vivien giggled as she snuggled further into her partner. ‘Leave him alone. I like it.’
‘I’m going to set up the marquee,’ said Fran, changing the subject. ‘We can use it for the grand opening, then it can stay up ready for us to set up the Frozen Forest. Winter will be upon us in no time.’
‘Yeah, I’ve got some cutting back to do after brekkie,’ said Willow, getting stuck in before her food got cold.
‘I can help,’ said Cody.
All Willow wanted to do was wrap him up in cotton wool and not let him do anything. If she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn Kip was being spiteful when he tossed the bowling ball at Cody. Obviously he wasn’t, but it had niggled at her all night.
‘Maybe you should just rest today, Sully.’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t want to. I’ve got Viv’s accounts to do this morning, then I can help you for an hour or something before I head off to the Boat Hut with Heath.’
‘That’s a bit much for today.’
Cody flashed a cheeky smile. ‘I got a good night’s sleep.’
Willow almost rolled her eyes. ‘Be serious. Have a rest day. And why are you doing Viv’s accounts?’
‘I asked him,’ said Vivien. ‘I don’t like doing it, and Cody has the skills, so why not hire him?’
Rhett raised her fork. ‘Same. I hate bookwork. I’ve got my lovely assistant Florence helping me, but now she’s got herself a job at the local rag, she can’t help as much. Looks like Cody Sullivan is the official financial director for Silver Wish Farm and friends.’
Everyone laughed, and Cody raised his chin. ‘Promoted already. My brother will be pleased.’
Vivien shook her head. ‘I don’t understand how anyone enjoys working with numbers. Bores the heck out of me.’
‘Each to their own, Viv,’ said Fran, smiling at Cody. ‘Cody would probably be bored working in your café.’
Cody’s head tilted to one side. ‘Not sure I could handle the public. I prefer to work alone.’
‘Me too,’ said Heath.
Rhett agreed. ‘I much prefer being around my horses than people. Oh, no offence.’
Heath breathed out a laugh as he pulled her into his solid chest for a hug.
‘I love being around people,’ said Finn, splaying his arms.
The subject made Willow wonder what she preferred, but it didn’t take long for her to realise she liked both her own company and that of others. Hanging out with Cody always sparked joy, and now she had new friends from the theatre group she hadn’t intended to join.
I wonder what Kip’s doing right now. Ooh, I can invite him to our grand opening. My soulmate definitely needs to get a vibe for this place. Something will hit him, I’m sure .
The hustle and bustle of breakfast grew as a couple of Fran’s friends walked in along with Florence, who even when working with the horses looked every bit preened.
Willow had always loved her gran’s open house rule. So many trod the flooring of Fran’s kitchen, helped themselves to breakfast, and settled in for a good natter and a splash of gossip.
It seemed like word of the show coming soon in Hope Park had spread far and wide already, as Fran’s friend Ruby Morland pointed out.
Willow finished up quickly, hoping to get out the kitchen before anyone started talking kissing scenes. The thought of having to kiss Cody on the mouth was all a bit much. She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to navigate the moment, and she was certain Cody wasn’t looking forward to it either. No matter how much she told herself it was just acting, it was still daunting.
‘Wait up, Wills.’ Cody hobbled to her side in the hallway.
‘You off to the office?’
‘In a bit. I just want a quick word first.’
‘Oh?’
‘About last night—’
‘Sully, I’m so sorry, honestly, I—’
‘Willow, stop. This is what I want to talk to you about. I woke up with you in my bed, drooling on my pillow, by the way.’ He grinned as she smiled softly back. ‘You didn’t have to stay with me all night. It’s just a fractured toe, it wasn’t your fault, and I’m fine. Now, can you please shrug it off so we can get back to normal. You know I don’t like lingering tension.’
‘I can’t help feeling bad. You would have never left me.’
Cody chewed on his bottom lip as his head lowered. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
Oh, it did.
Without further thought, Willow stepped forward, cradling him in her arms, whether he needed a hug or not. She sure did, and she smiled to herself as one of his crutches curled around her back with his arm.