Hopes and Dreams on Foxglove Street (Foxglove Street #8)

Chapter 1

1

Courtney Flynn woke from a dreamless sleep and opened her eyes as a stab of panic speared her heart at the unfamiliar surroundings.

Soft light angled through the half-open gauzy curtains at the window. As her eyes adjusted, she picked out the room’s features—the pretty blue wallpaper, the deep grey carpet, the vintage chest of drawers, the warm white bedspread beneath which she’d just slept.

Panic swiftly gave way to recognition and an amused laugh as she realised that her brain had once more played the same trick on her. Three times now she’d woken in this lovely guest room and three times her brain had failed to realise where she was in those first moments after opening her eyes.

The guest room belonged to Courtney’s cousin, Rosie Austin, a cousin she hadn’t even realised existed until a few weeks ago, a cousin who’d kindly invited her to stay for the weekend after Courtney’s world had turned itself upside down.

Over the last few months, her world had turned itself upside down far too many times to count.

Courtney felt her mind begin to race once more as the enormity of everything that had happened lately threatened to sink its sharp teeth into her already shredded emotions. With a mighty deep breath, she pushed back against the wave of dark thoughts hurtling towards her and focused instead on what was good.

She’d woken in this pretty guest room after a sweet afternoon nap. She was safe and warm and comfortable. Right now, there was nothing to panic about.

Everything is fine.

The soothing voice in her head was not her own. It belonged, instead, to her mother, Sharon. Her late mother. Her mother who’d died so suddenly it had knocked Courtney’s world off its axis and left her tumbling and spinning and…

Everything is fine.

Her mother’s gentle voice inside her head once more stopped the thoughts from racing away towards dark places.

Everything is fine. Everything is fine. Everything is fine.

Say it often enough and you’ll believe it, Courtney thought. Say it often enough and it might even come true.

Everything is fine. You have so much to look forward to.

Courtney’s hand moved to the swell of her stomach where her baby was moving inside her. A smile curved her lips as she thought of the tiny daughter she was carrying and who was now kicking her feet around like a wild foal.

The tiny daughter she’d meet in just six weeks.

Thinking of the imminent arrival of her child filled her with both terror and joy. Courtney couldn’t wait to meet her little baby, even if she was scared out of her wits about how on earth she was supposed to care for the infant once she got here.

Terror and panic about the impending responsibilities of motherhood vied with excitement and happiness about the tiny creature growing inside her. Having experienced this same conflict thousands of times since the moment she discovered she was pregnant—accidentally pregnant, no less—Courtney knew that on some days the terror outstripped the excitement and on other days it was the opposite way around.

Right now, both terror and excitement were eclipsed by the urgent need to pee.

“You’ve completely destroyed my bladder, little one,” Courtney murmured as she threw back the warm bedcovers and swung her legs out of the bed. “See what you’ve done to your poor mother, and you aren’t even here yet?”

The soft kick she got in reply spread a smile across her face from ear to ear. These moments of strange and ethereal communication with her baby, when a few whispered words prompted a soft kick or prod in reply, filled her heart to overflowing.

She was so in love with her child that it chased away every fear threatening to seize her. For that, Courtney was grateful beyond all measure.

Shuffling from the guest room, she crossed the landing towards the bathroom. She freshened up, splashing water on her face and raking her fingers through her long dark hair that tumbled past her shoulders. Despite the welcome rest and relaxation she’d enjoyed here over the last twenty-four hours, courtesy of her generous new cousin, there were still dark shadows beneath her eyes, sharp angles along her cheekbones, and a haunted expression on her face that made her reflection in the mirror momentarily look like it might belong to someone else entirely.

Courtney straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and forced the smile back onto her face. Her spirits lifted instantly. Fake courage saved the day yet again.

Inside her belly, her baby fluttered, as if in approval of her steely resolve and the effort required to summon it. Courtney rubbed her palm over her stomach, feeling the tiny child that moved there, and was grounded and centred by her presence.

She took a deep breath, smiled again at her reflection in the mirror, and got herself moving.

After returning to the guest room to retrieve her phone, Courtney checked the time, and was stunned to discover it was six-thirty in the evening. Her afternoon nap had turned into a marathon snooze-fest. When she’d come upstairs to lie down after lunch, she’d only planned to close her eyes for an hour or so.

The events of the last days and weeks and months had left her more exhausted than she’d realised. It was only now that she was here in this lovely house, feeling safe and warm, that the fatigue was catching up with her.

The same thing had happened yesterday evening, too.

Just a few short hours after meeting her cousin, Rosie, for the first time, and joining her here at her home on Foxglove Street for a surprise birthday party being held for Courtney’s uncle, Colin Austin, Courtney had accepted, under protest, Rosie’s invitation for her to stay for the weekend, and then proceeded to conk out in the guest room for three hours straight.

She’d been mortified when she woke to find it already dark outside, although her cousin had waved off her apologies, assuring her there was nothing to apologise for. She’d obviously needed the rest, Rosie assured her, and making sure she got that rest, considering she was seven-and-a-half months pregnant, was all that mattered.

That was the first time Courtney had woken in this house, disoriented and confused and wondering where she was. The second time was earlier that morning, when she’d slept until eight o’clock, despite going to bed at nine the night before. After napping so long the previous afternoon, she assumed sleep would be hard to come by.

Instead, she’d been swept under almost from the moment her head hit the pillow. She’d woken in the morning once more wondering where she was.

The pretty guest room was so different from the ugly bedsit where she’d been living lately that the dissonance was hard to shake. That it had happened a third time, too, made her wonder if the upset and trauma and upheaval of the last few months had left her brain permanently out of sync with the world.

Embarrassment flooded her cheeks at the thought of how she’d spent the entire afternoon asleep in her cousin’s guest room. What must Rosie think of her? Despite her kind words yesterday, her new cousin must surely have concluded that Courtney was a lazy mare who was taking advantage by idling away the entire weekend while stretched out in her comfortable guest bed.

Courtney hurried downstairs, as much as it was possible to hurry downstairs while so heavily pregnant, to apologise again to Rosie for staying in bed so long. When she arrived in the living room, she found Rosie cross-legged on the floor in front of a vanity mirror that was propped up against the coffee table and styling her hair with curlers. Rosie turned and offered a warm smile as Courtney entered the room.

“Hello, sleepyhead!” Rosie said. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m so sorry I slept all afternoon,” Courtney said. “I had no idea it was so late.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. You obviously need the rest. I already told you that. Sleep as much as you want. That’s why I’m doing my hair down here instead of upstairs, because I didn’t want to wake you while I was clunking my curling tongs and brushes around.” Rosie released the curler from her hair and teased a comb through the style, angling her head this way and that. “What do you think? Too many curls?”

“You look lovely,” Courtney said, and meant it.

Her cousin was beautiful, tall and long-limbed with legs that Courtney would kill for and curves that made her wonder why Rosie wasn’t pursuing a modelling career instead of working in retail. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders, and whatever products she’d used had left it supernaturally shiny. Courtney clocked the make-up Rosie had applied and then noticed the smart dark jeans and silky dove-grey top she was wearing.

“Are you going out somewhere?” Courtney asked.

“I’ve got my date tonight with Adrian, remember?” Rosie grinned. “We’re going for pizza at that Italian restaurant on the high street.”

Courtney remembered the details in a flash, annoyed that her sleep marathon had made her forget in the first place. During yesterday’s surprise birthday party, Courtney had met Adrian only briefly, with time for little more than a friendly hello, and learned he was the son of Rosie’s next-door neighbour. Once the party was over and all the guests had departed, Rosie confessed to the daft crush she’d had on Adrian for months and how she’d hoped to use the cover of the birthday party as an opportunity to get to know him better. When their attempt at having a proper conversation was thwarted time and again thanks to the excitement of the party and the various surprises sprung throughout the afternoon—including the unexpected appearance of Courtney herself—Adrian had asked Rosie out to dinner for another stab at getting to know one another.

It was obvious that Rosie couldn’t wait for the date to begin. Seeing how pretty her lovely cousin looked, all dolled up for her night out and with excitement already sparkling in her eyes, Courtney couldn’t help but smile.

“I hope you have a wonderful time,” Courtney said. “Adrian seems like a really nice guy.”

“I think so, too. Plus, he’s so gorgeous, he makes my brain go mushy.”

Courtney laughed. “If you two come back here later after your date, I’ll be sure to make myself scarce in the guest room.”

“Don’t be daft. You don’t have to hide. I’m sure I can keep myself in check and resist ripping off his clothes. Well, for the first date at least.”

Rosie winked, making Courtney laugh again, and then grabbed up her phone when it pinged with a message.

“Adrian’s on his way here to pick me up,” she said, launching herself to her feet and stuffing all her beauty items back inside the pink fabric organiser laid on the floor. Picking up the cooling curling tongs and the organiser, she turned for the living room door. “I’ll take this lot back upstairs so you aren’t tripping over my mess while I’m gone.”

Rosie darted from the room with her supplies, leaving Courtney shaking her head in amusement. Her cousin was a bundle of non-stop energy, always rushing here and there, but she didn’t have to tidy up for Courtney’s benefit. The house was already spotless and tidy, anyway.

When Rosie reappeared downstairs, Courtney was in the kitchen pouring a glass of water.

“I defrosted some homemade chicken casserole for your dinner,” Rosie said, opening the fridge and pointing to a container on the shelf. “Just zap it in the microwave and it’ll be good to go. There’s rice in the cupboard if you want to boil some up to have with it, or there’s a nice fresh loaf I picked up at the bakery this morning if you’d prefer something simpler to prepare.”

Courtney peered into the fridge at the container filled with casserole, a lump forming in her throat on account of the kind gesture. “You didn’t have to do that for me. I would’ve just made some toast for dinner.”

“ Toast? You’re almost eight months pregnant, Courtney. You need to have more than just toast for dinner.”

“You didn’t have to go to any trouble for me.”

“I didn’t. I literally took a container out of the freezer and let it defrost. If I wasn’t going out on a date tonight, I would’ve stayed here to cook something for you from scratch to make sure you’re getting enough nourishment.”

“I’m fine.”

Rosie arched an eyebrow, the challenge clear. “You will be fine once you’ve eaten a proper hot meal. That container better be empty when I come home later, or there’ll be trouble.”

Courtney hid a grin, and hid the tears, too, that were threatening to fall. After months of feeling so alone, it was incredibly comforting to feel cared for by someone else.

“Thank you, Rosie.”

“You’re welcome.” Rosie gave her a soft smile. “I just want you to be okay.”

Courtney nodded and gulped back on the emotion building in her throat. “You don’t know what this means to me. The fact you’ve let me stay here this weekend, the fact you’re feeding me like this…” She gestured to the container of chicken casserole as her stomach let out a noisy rumble.

“It sounds like you ought to get this dinner started sooner rather than later,” Rosie laughed, carrying the container to the microwave.

The doorbell rang just then.

“That must be Adrian,” Rosie said, starting the microwave and turning towards Courtney. “Can I love you and leave you?”

“You can and you should,” Courtney laughed, waving her cousin towards the door. “Go and eat pizza with your new handsome man, and I’ll see you later.”

Rosie flashed a smile before pulling Courtney into a quick embrace. “You’re sure you’ll be okay on your own?”

“Positive.”

“Just ring my mobile if you need anything.”

“I’ll do no such thing. You’re going on a date! I don’t plan to interrupt it.”

Laughing, Rosie gave her one final squeeze and then rushed through to the living room, where she shoved lipstick into her handbag along with her phone. Courtney walked her to the door and said a shy hello to Adrian before waving them both off. As they walked along Foxglove Street and disappeared from sight, she heard the microwave ping in the kitchen.

The smell that greeted her when she removed the container from the microwave set her stomach rumbling all over again. Pouring the food into a bowl, she cut a thick slice of bread from the white bloomer bagged up on the counter, then set everything on a tray to carry through to the living room.

She sank down into the sofa with a sigh, her mouth already watering as she anticipated the food she was about to devour. After grabbing the remote control from the coffee table, she turned the television on and found a Saturday evening game show to watch while she ate.

Dipping her spoon into the bowl, she brought the aromatic food to her lips and tasted, then closed her eyes in bliss as her mouth exploded with the flavours of tender chicken and sweet vegetables and rich gravy.

Her cousin could cook, and then some. Courtney had to resist the temptation to guzzle the meal down in one go.

She took a breath, tore some bread from the slice she’d cut, and dipped it into the thick gravy, then took her time savouring the rest of the food. Warmth spread through her as the meal settled in her stomach, and she felt comfortable and cosy parked on the sofa and eating dinner while the bright noise and chatter from the television game show hummed from the corner.

It had been months since she’d spent a Saturday evening this way, curled up on the sofa with dinner on her lap while watching something stupid on television. The recent weeks she’d spent living at the awful bedsit since her world had collapsed around her felt like they’d lasted forever, and sometimes it seemed that the life she’d led before was no more than a distant dream.

Her thoughts turned to her mother, to the home they’d shared, the lives they’d built, or tried to build. Feeling emotion catching in her throat, Courtney pushed the memories away and rose from the sofa to wash her dishes in the kitchen.

Pregnancy hormones were already sending her on enough emotional rollercoaster rides without adding to the mix by dwelling on her late mother and the grief into which she’d been plunged by her untimely death. Just as she’d done when she’d woken from her long afternoon nap, she had to remember to focus on what was good, and forget about the chaos for a little while at least.

I’m in a lovely warm house and I’ve just eaten a delicious hot dinner, Courtney told herself as she rinsed her dishes in the sink and switched the kettle on to boil. I’ve found family I never knew I had and they’re all wonderful. I’m about to settle down for a night in front of the television, feeling cosy and safe.

These are all good things and I’m grateful for them.

Inside her belly, the baby kicked. Courtney laid her hand across her stomach and smiled. The baby must like her gratitude exercises. All the more reason to perform them over and over again whenever she felt the weight of the world crashing down on her.

Another kick. Courtney’s heart fluttered as she thought of the baby moving around inside her, spinning and dancing on a cloud of magic fairy dust as she waited to be born.

Comforted by thoughts of her child, Courtney carried a mug of tea into the living room and curled up once more on the sofa. A new quiz show had started on the television and she settled in to attempt to answer the questions.

By the time she’d finished her tea, her eyelids were closing once more.

I won’t let myself fall asleep, not again! Courtney told herself as she blinked and tried to concentrate on the quiz questions. But resistance proved futile.

Moments later, her eyes fluttered closed again as sleep claimed her and pulled her down into the dark.