Chapter 8
Eight
The doorbell rings late afternoon when the sun is just descending down out of the chilly autumn sky.
Aradia opens the door and invites Sam in.
He awkwardly agrees and brings in a cooler which I’m guessing has the frozen pheasants in.
He places them on the sideboard and notices me in the kitchen and smiles.
He’s still in his black hoodie and muddy jeans.
However, they now seem to also have motor oil on them.
The scent mixes with his aftershave creating what I can only imagine as the manliest scent on the planet.
My lower stomach flutters as it hits my senses.
My eyes dart to his hands which are also matching his jeans.
Now all I can imagine is what else he can do with those hands.
“Thank you again, Sam, for bringing these to us,” my aunt coos while opening the cooler and pulling out the birds. It brings me out of my ridiculous daydream.
“You’re welcome, Aradia,” he says back.
“Why don’t you stay for some supper?”
“Ah, that’s lovely, but I’ve got to get back and help Nana close down the cafe and I’ve got to get Lola from Lois and Hannah’s.”
“Harri, why don’t you go and help? Maybe Sam can show you around the village a bit more? She doesn’t know anyone here apart from me and Cerci. Might be nice to mix with someone your own age, don’t you think, Harri?” She gives me a lopsided smile. She knows what she’s doing.
I can’t even give Aradia the death stare because Sam is in my eyeline.
“I’m sure Sam has better things to do than show me around, Aradia.”
Emphasis on Aradia there so she knows I’m glaring at her in my mind.
But bless him, Sam thankfully doesn’t pick up on it.
Instead he looks at me with those big green eyes and smiles.
Of course, I’d like to get to know him but maybe not in a desperate “my aunt forced it because I have no friends” kind of way.
“Sure, I’d be happy to show you around. The temperature’s dropped though and it is getting dark so you might wanna wrap up. I drove the van here so are you OK coming back to the shop with me to park it? Then I can give you a quick tour of our extremely exciting village.” He laughs.
By looking at him, he looks like he can fight a bear with his bare hands. His forearms are huge, and his shoulders can probably carry all three of us on them. But all he oozes is sweetness.
“Only if you’re sure. I don’t want to intrude,” I say.
“It’s fine. I’ll get you back once I’ve got Lola and my nana home. If that’s OK with you?”
My granny appears in the kitchen doorway. “Midnight at the latest,” she jokes.
“Thanks, guys,” I say sheepishly, my cheeks burning with embarrassment, and go and find the wellies I’ve now adopted, along with a big duvet coat and the pink scarf I have also added to my adopted clothing items from my gran and aunt.
I step outside with Sam. The sun is just starting to set under the horizon. The sky is turning a beautiful shade of red. We both feel a bit awkward and it’s noticeable.
“You know what they say…” He gestures at the sky.
I’m unsure what they say, so just stand there adding even more awkwardness to the already very awkward date. Not a date. Thing. I’m not even sure what this is. More a pity tour of the village. Let’s go with that.
“Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight…” he continues.
“I’ve not heard that.”
“Oh, do they not have red skies in London?” He looks at me confused.
“They probably do, but I think Londoners are too busy to notice when it does turn red.”
“That’s sad. Maybe you need to visit the country more.”
Is he saying that in general or does he mean he’d like me to visit more? Oh God. I’m spiralling and we’ve only made it two feet from the front door. He’s just taking you on a tour, Harri.
“Are you OK? You know if you don’t fancy coming, I won’t be offended. Just seemed like maybe you could use some time away from your aunt. Not that anything is wrong with her… I mean, but, yeah, I’m waffling, aren’t I?” He awkwardly rubs his neck again.
I laugh. So, he’s spiralling too?
“No, I’m really glad you invited me. I’ve not really seen anyone my age, so it’s good to talk to someone who doesn’t reminisce on the sixties every five minutes.”
He smiles and those dimples appear again. “No sixties speak here! Maybe a bit of nineties and early two-thousands though.”
“Now that I can do!” I laugh.
We walk to his van which is parked on the driveway. He opens the passenger door, and I slide in. It smells like him. He climbs in the other side.
“Nice ride, right? I’m sure you’re more used to Lamborghinis in the city,” he jokes.
“I like it actually. The heat is on, it’s pretty clean and having a van must be handy,” I reassure back.
“It is! Although technically it’s Chris’s, not mine, but he drives a BMW, so lets me have this. I’m just rolling in riches with my pity van.”
OK, he’s attractive, sweet and he genuinely makes me laugh. I need to not get ahead of myself. I’m here for a break from men. Not to jump into bed with another one.
“So is Chris your boss?” I ask.
“Yeah, he owns the butcher’s. He’s more of a mate/honorary dad though. Sorted me out with a job when I left school.”
“That’s sweet.” I’m guessing that means his dad isn’t in the picture.
“Sweet? Am I that lame?” His cheeks flush.
I laugh again and shake my head. “No! Sweet isn’t lame.”
“It is.” He chuckles, brushing his hand through his thick dark hair.
“So, do you live with your nana? And Lola?” I ask, trying to gauge if he lives with a girlfriend or wife.
“Yeah, I’ve lived with my nana all my life here.
Lola has also lived with us since she was born.
My mum lives sort of all over. She isn’t doing too good.
She’s not able to care for us like she wants.
My mum… she has addiction issues. She always has.
She can’t give up the wrong crowd and it’s just sucked her in and spat out the bones of her.
She had me at fourteen then Lola fourteen years after that. So, a bit of an age difference.”
My heart aches a little for them. That must be so hard. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s fine. Nana Thorne is the best.” He’s still beaming like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
I smile, happy that he’s happy. “She seems lovely.”
We get to the butcher’s and park the van round the back. Sam gets out and jogs round to greet me at the side of my door.
He opens the door and bows, gesturing to the shop in front of us. “So, Harri from the city, this is Brindlewood’s finest butcher’s which is ran by yours truly.” He gestures to himself.
“I thought Chris ran it?” I tease.
“Chris sits on a chair and reads adverts for old beat-up cars he can do up while I do all the actual work.” He laughs. “He’s old, so I let him off.”
“Well, it looks like a very nice butcher’s.” I smile.
Sam gives me that dimpled smile back.
“Then over there you have Angela’s house.
” He points to a whitewashed stone cottage up the lane, covered in pink roses and ivy with a little stone wall round it.
“She’s lived here since, well, forever. Widowed three times, a hundred percent some kickass husband assassin.
Or just has really bad luck. Friends with my nana, so kind of explains the kickass vibes.
” He raises his eyebrow at me as if to impress me.
I play into him. “I’ll remember to not cross her bad side then!”
“I’m only joking. She’s an angel! Then up that road is Pete’s farm. He supplies us with most of our stock. Quiet but nice fellow all the same.”
“Definitely has a crush on Aradia,” I say under my breath.
“Huh?” He hasn’t heard me.
“Nothing, seems nice. I saw him in the cafe the other day.”
“Yeah, he’s a good guy. You’ve also got Phil and Neil who deal in antiques, so they travel a lot all over the world trying to find the next major find.
Then that way you have the Joneses which are just a nice family that have also moved from the city with their two kids.
Victoria looks after the kids and her husband commutes daily back to the city.
Mental, right? But I think he has some hot shot job there.
You’ve got Reggie and Emmie living next to them.
Emmie is probably the best cook in the village.
Her curries are all you need if you’ve got a cold, sore head or my least favourite, a killer hangover. ”
“Now, a curry does sound good in this weather.” My mouth waters at the thought.
I’ve gone from eating barely anything all day, drinking martinis in the nighttime to eating anything and everything.
I’m not talking just stuffing my face but big nutritious homemade meals and lots of Aradia’s homemade red wine.
Food that warms your bones. My once slim frame has never looked so curvaceous.
But I feel so much better in the skin I’m in now than before.
“Definitely!” He bows into his hands agreeing on the temperature drop.
“Then the other side you have Kieran who has the village library which is just a box outside his house where you can swap and borrow books. Next to him is Holly who makes county-winning plum jam and her son Riley. He is obsessed with counting and AC/DC, so he comes to the shop once a week to help with counting stock and plays me AC/DC records. He’s great.
Amie and her sister Faye own the post office and live above it.
With, I believe, six… no, seven cats all named after British literature characters.
Dodger is my favourite and often visits the back door of the butcher’s for scraps. ”
So, he’s a family man, a community man, works hard, helps those around him and an animal lover? I’m waiting for the red flag. He carries on, still with such passion about his tiny home village.