Chapter 28
‘This is nice. However much I enjoy spending time around the campfire at the farm, it’s good to be able to sit beneath a different section of sky.’ Charlie clicked glasses with Nicola before leaning back in his garden chair.
‘Not to mention my house comes with its own free hot water bottle for your lap.’ She pointed her glass of wine towards Trixie, who had been sitting curled up on his lap ever since he’d taken a seat.
‘Haha, yes. I can’t forget Trixie.’ He fussed over her, getting a purr for his efforts.
Nicola smiled. They hadn’t mentioned another word about the farm being up for sale, or what might or might not happen when he eventually moved back to London, and for that she was grateful.
It meant she could push all thoughts of his departure to the back of her mind and just enjoy spending time with him.
‘Did Jill mention anything about the float?’
‘I managed to catch her and explain that Claudette had got into the barn before she saw the damage, so I think she was pleasantly surprised that we’d been able to fix as much of it as we had.’
‘That’s good then. Let’s hope Claudette doesn’t find her way back in and tear something else off it.’
‘Hopefully not. I’ve fixed the lock on the door and have told Jill to keep it locked. At least that way, their float shouldn’t get eaten before the day of the carnival.’ Charlie chuckled. ‘Who’d have thought that one lone sheep could cause as much destruction as she has?’
‘Haha, no.’ She took another sip of her wine before laughing. ‘It’s a good job it was Jill’s barn she broke into and not Miss Cooke’s. Can you imagine?’
‘That’s very true. I suspect Jill is a little more forgiving than Meadowfield’s mayoress.’
‘Absolutely. Especially when it comes to animals or children.’ Nicola smiled as she thought back to when they were younger and Jill had gone through a stage of sneaking the neighbourhood’s lost and damaged animals, pets or wildlife, into her parents’ shed to care for them.
When her dad had finally found Jill’s makeshift animal rescue, she’d had two pigeons who couldn’t fly, a frog with three legs and four beetles she’d rescued from the girls’ toilet block at school.
‘Talking of Miss Cooke, are you coming to the village meeting next week?’
‘The village meeting?’ Charlie raised his eyebrows.
‘Yes, it’s when Miss Cooke usually gets the local police officer to talk about Claudette’s whereabouts, remember I mentioned them?’
‘Oh, I remember. I just rather assumed you were joking. I didn’t realise they were an actual organised event.’ She looked at him as an incredulous expression crossed his face.
‘Hey, it’s not that unheard of. A lot of small towns or villages still hold community meetings. It’s just to address any concerns or tell everyone about upcoming events in Meadowfield.’
He nodded.
Picking up one of Trixie’s catnip mouse toys from the middle of the table, she threw it at him and laughed.
‘Oi! they’re not that bad! I used to really enjoy them when I was growing up here.
Me and Mum would go together and giggle at whatever weird and wonderful ideas the local residents had for fundraising or complaints of so-and-so’s gnome going missing. That sort of thing.’
‘They sound intriguing,’ he teased.
‘Are you going to come, then?’ She smiled. It would be a good way for Charlie to experience proper village life, and besides, it would just be nice to have him there with her.
‘Still no, I’m afraid.’
‘Aw, how come?’ She frowned.
Shrugging, Charlie took another sip of his drink. ‘I don’t know. They’re just not my thing.’
‘How do you know if you’ve never been to one before?’
‘Because they’re old-fashioned and quaint.
And I’m already doing my bit for the village by lending my tractors and trailers for the carnival.
I don’t need to go and sit in a stuffy hall and be strong-armed into donating my right kidney or listen to twenty-five encounters people have had with the stray sheep. ’ He looked back down at Trixie.
‘Oh, okay.’ Rubbing her forehead, Nicola tried not to sound or look disappointed.
But she was. She’d hoped he’d warm to the village before the farm sold.
She shook her head. What was she thinking?
He wasn’t going to just magically wake up one day and decide that he suddenly hated all he loved about London.
He was going back, and that was final. Her mum was right, she’d just have to get used to the idea, make the most of the time they did have left together and then try her best at making a long-distance relationship work.
She needed to change the subject before he realised how upset she was.
‘So, umm, have you checked out how Miss Cooke and the netball team are getting on with their carnival float?’
‘Nope.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t fancy getting caught up in whatever they’re doing. I get the distinct impression that if I ventured down there, Miss Cooke would have me painting, cutting or gluing something or other, and I’ve got enough to do as it is.’
‘You’re probably right. You’re best off staying as far away as possible.’
He chuckled. ‘I will, don’t worry.’
She took a deep breath, her lungs filling with the warm summer evening air and the aroma of lavender and roses.
She loved her garden. When she and Nathan had moved in seven years ago, the flower beds had been taken over by an assortment of weeds and the grass had been at least two feet high, but over their first summer she and her mum had worked tirelessly during every spare moment they had and the small oasis full of blooming summer flowers, various evergreens and herbs had been created.
‘I thought I caught sight of Clau—’ Charlie looked across to the side gate and frowned. ‘Did I hear someone just call your name through the gate?’
‘I hope not. The last time someone shouted at me through that gate it was Miss Cooke and she then bundled me in the minibus to come to the farm so they could take measurements of the trailer.’
Charlie chuckled. ‘Well, it doesn’t sound like a woman’s voice, so I guess that’s a good thing.’
‘Umm.’ Tilting her head, Nicola listened as her name was called again. She knew whose voice that was. She closed her eyes momentarily before opening them and pushing her chair back. It was Nathan and if there was one thing she knew about her ex, it was that he wouldn’t give up.
‘I’m guessing it’s not a good thing, after all?’ Charlie gently coaxed Trixie off his lap before standing up. ‘Shall I get rid of them for you?’
‘No, it’s okay. Thanks though. It’s my ex, Nathan, and he’ll just carry on until he’s spoken to me.
’ Taking a final sip of her wine, she made her way from the small patio area at the end of the garden towards the side gate and pulled it open, making sure to stand in the between the wall of the cottage and the gate so he couldn’t just barge his way through. ‘Nathan, can I help you?’
‘Evening, Nic. You can indeed.’ Resting his hand on the wall of the cottage, he grinned.
Making sure she refrained from rolling her eyes at his use of her nickname despite her having asked him numerous times not to call her by it, she set her jaw and kept quiet.
Let him do the talking. She wasn’t particularly interested in the reason he was here.
She was more interested in how she could get rid of him as quickly as possible so she could get back to having a nice evening with Charlie.
‘I’ve come for my half of the furniture.’ He stood to the side and waved his arm behind him. ‘I’ve brought the trailer.’
Frowning, she looked past him and, sure enough, his car, with a small trailer attached, was parked on the street out front. ‘What do you mean your half of the furniture?’
‘Just that. I’ve found myself a little one-bed place over in Stratford-upon-Avon and I need my stuff.’
‘You took all your stuff when you left. Bye.’ She began closing the gate.
Sticking his foot out, Nathan pushed against the gate, forcing it open again. ‘No, I’ve got my clothes and my stuff. I need the sofa or at least the armchair, the microwave or cooker, the…’ He continued ticking the items off on his fingers.
‘Er, no. For one thing, the cooker and washing machine are the cottage’s, so you can’t just take them out without the landlady’s permission.
And two, you left, remember? You moved in with Kerry.
It’s not my fault you’ve now broken up – with the person you cheated on me with.
’ She spat those last few words out. This was becoming ridiculous, him just thinking he could turn up time and time again demanding things!
She balled her fists, trying to keep her voice and expression neutral and calm.
The last thing she wanted was for him to realise he was winding her up. He’d love that.
‘That’s all water under the bridge now. Me and Kerry are over and I’ve come to get what is legally mine.’
‘Nothing is yours.’ Water under the bridge? She’d always have to fight off insecurities because of him. It didn’t matter if he and Kerry were over or not, what they’d done had still happened. ‘In fact, you still owe me money for paying off your debt.’
Turning to the side, Nathan rolled his eyes before looking back at her. ‘Not this again.’
‘Not this again?’ Nicola crossed her arms. Was he being serious? ‘Yes, this again. You owe me money and we had a deal; you’d pay me back by paying the finance on my car. And you broke it.’
‘Nothing was legally binding.’
A loud guffaw escaped her lips. ‘In that case, nothing here in the cottage is legally yours. Now please leave me alone.’
‘Oh, come on, that’s different. Just let me in. Just give me half an hour and you’ll never have to see me again.’ He placed the palm of his hand against the gate as she began to close it, pushing it open again.
‘Nathan, stop…’ She pushed back, the gate standing midway between open and closed. She could hear her own voice shaking. She just wanted him to go.
‘You heard her. Leave.’
Charlie’s voice boomed from behind her and she twisted around, watching him as he yelled at her ex. His jaw ticked with anger, and his face was ashen.
‘Hey, mate. No reason to be like that.’ Nathan immediately let go of the gate as Charlie stood next to Nicola, them both squeezing between the wall and the gate, not leaving an inch for Nathan to fight his way through even if he wanted to. ‘I’m only here for my things.’
Crossing his arms, Charlie glared at him.
‘Just go, Nathan. Just leave.’ Knowing Charlie was beside her, the stutter in her voice disappeared.
‘Fine, but I’ll be back.’
‘No, you won’t.’ Charlie kept his eyes on Nathan as he retreated down the path.
‘Whatever. I don’t need that rubbish, anyway.’ Waving his hand in dismissal, Nathan got into his car and drove off.
‘Are you okay?’ Charlie turned to Nicola, his expression instantly relaxing.
‘Yes, I’m fine. You didn’t need to come and be my bodyguard, though. I had it under control.’ She closed the gate firmly behind her ex. Hopefully shutting him out of her life once and for all.
‘Sorry, I…’ Charlie wavered. ‘I thought I was doing the right thing coming to support you. No one should speak to you like that.’
‘Yes, but I’m not always going to have your support, am I?
Not when you move back to London.’ She fiddled with the latch on the gate, making sure to click the paddock down.
Nathan needed to know he couldn’t mess with her, not that he could walk all over her if Charlie wasn’t around, but she could tell from his shocked expression that she shouldn’t have said anything.
‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean it. ’
‘Hey, you know I’ll always support you, right?’ He paused as they walked back to the table, holding her hands in his and looking her in the eye. ‘Wherever either of us might be, we’ll always have each other’s backs.’
She nodded slowly. It wasn’t quite the same though, was it? He might still have her back, but being over a hundred miles away wouldn’t be much good to her when Nathan came sniffing around again. Not that she was about to voice her fears right now. ‘I know.’
‘Okay. I just don’t want you thinking this long-distance thing is going to change how I feel about you.’ Cupping her cheek, Charlie gave her a short smile. ‘I can feel myself falling for you, Nic. Nothing’s going to come between us.’
She swallowed. He was falling for her? ‘I feel the same about you.’
‘Good.’ Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a hug, and kissed the top of her head. ‘I’ve never felt this way before.’
‘Me too.’ She smiled against the soft fabric of his uncle’s well-worn checked shirt, but she couldn’t deny the doubts in her head.
They might be falling for each other, but would that really be enough to overcome the reality of hardly spending any time together?
Of running their own completely separate lives?