Chapter 33
The next couple of days were full-on with preparations for opening day.
On Monday, Mam, Jude and I spent the day in the café.
Mam had already cleared the pantry of out-of-date and previously opened ingredients such as flour, ketchup and mayonnaise.
She’d cleaned it in preparation for a fresh order which arrived on Monday morning and needed unpacking and organising.
The salt and pepper shakers had been emptied, washed and dried ready for refilling and Mam needed to practise making hot drinks.
She’d booked onto a barista course shortly before we moved and we’d chosen a new coffee supplier who joined us on Monday to give Mam a refresher as well as show us how to use and clean the coffee machine.
Tuesday was a non-stop farm-focused day – checking all the signage was in place, filling paper bags with goat pellets to sell to visitors, putting liners in the bins, topping up the liquid soap and hand sanitisers and pulling up any stray weeds.
The toilets off the café needed stocking with liquid soap, hand lotion, loo roll and paper towels and everywhere needed a final clean. After that, it was all hands on deck making the type of traybakes that would stay fresh for the longest including flapjacks and millionaire’s shortbread.
The builders had been amazing. It wouldn’t have been a disaster if they’d still been working when we opened but it was better that they’d finished.
They’d repaired the chimney on The Dovecote and the internal damage so the scaffolding had been removed.
They’d also completed all the work needed on the barns being used for the cow cuddling experiences and the former museum was prepared and ready for furniture.
We had one more task for them at a later date.
At the entrance end of the café, there was a large storeroom which wasn’t being used for anything so we wanted to convert the dead space into a gift shop selling farm animal-inspired merchandise.
We barely saw Maddie either day. Getting up to help with the horses had clearly been a one-off.
We ideally needed her help with the final preparations but, when I’d reminded her of that on Monday morning, she’d countered it by reminding me of the considerable stress she’d been under lately thinking she was pregnant and that the future she’d mapped out wouldn’t unfold as planned.
Surely I didn’t begrudge her a week off to think about her future?
Then she had the audacity to ask if I could transfer some money into her bank account because she was skint.
I was very aware of being manipulated but saw the opportunity to use it to my advantage.
‘I’ll do a transfer and support your week off on one condition. You accept a summer job here and I mean full-time – not just a few hours here and there. If you decline, that’s your choice but you won’t be getting any more handouts from me. You’re old enough to earn your own money now.’
She’d rolled her eyes but had agreed to a full-time job on the farm from next Wednesday when we opened for our second week.
The Garstangs had closed to the public on a Monday but Willow had told me that, even at the height of their success, Tuesdays outside of the school summer holidays had also been quiet so Mam and I had made a decision to close on a Tuesday for now too, giving us two days’ respite – not that it would be proper respite with animals to care for.
Willow had accepted our offer to work some daytime hours and we’d agreed that she’d only attend to the horses on the mornings we were open to the public, giving her a Monday and Tuesday off too starting from this week.
‘It’s been strange not seeing you every day,’ I said to her when she arrived on her bike on the morning of opening day.
‘It’s been strange not being here.’
I introduced her to Jude and said we’d both help her poo-pick this morning, after which we could use her assistance with some other final preparation tasks.
‘Did you enjoy your days off?’ I asked as we wheeled the barrow towards Big Field.
‘I did. My granny and granddad live in Seahouses so I spent Monday with them and my mam took me to the Metrocentre yesterday to get some new summer clothes.’
If Willow had been busy, where had Maddie been? She hadn’t categorically said she’d been with Willow for the past few days but I’d assumed it given she’d spent Saturday afternoon and evening with her.
‘Thanks for spending some time with Maddie,’ I said, curious as to how Willow would respond. ‘It’s been good to see her getting out and about.’
Willow looked at me blankly. ‘You mean going out on Scout on Saturday morning? I haven’t seen her since then.’
I could feel Jude’s eyes on me but I didn’t dare look at her. ‘Yes! That’s exactly what I mean. It’s been a while since she’s ridden so I really appreciated her having the company.’
That was another disappointment for me. Maddie had made no further mention of riding, yet she’d seemed so happy after that first ride on Scout.
‘No problem,’ Willow said. ‘Tell her I’m happy to take her out any time she likes. She seems nice.’
‘Yes, she is,’ I said, hoping I sounded sincere.
I glanced at Jude who was still looking at me and shook my head.
So Maddie hadn’t even had tea with Willow on Saturday.
More lies. If she hadn’t been with Willow, who had she been seeing?
Could it be Hunter? But if it was him, why lie about it?
I liked Hunter. I’d have approved of her spending time with him.
In all honesty, with so much work to do, I didn’t have time to think about it now but I’d be addressing it with Maddie tonight and making it very clear that I would not tolerate lying.