by Heidi Swain
‘Because I’m going back to Spain,’ she said haughtily, ‘and this time I won’t be coming back.’
Mum’s grand exit from the house was somewhat ruined as she collided with the lanky frame of Joe in the hallway. I wasn’t sure who was more startled, but Mum recovered enough to untangle herself and drive off at speed. She hadn’t even mentioned what was going to happen to Ryan. Not that either of us were worried about that.
‘Fancy coming down to the youth centre?’ Joe asked Ryan. ‘They’re supposed to be announcing their summer schedule in a bit.’
Ryan looked at me.
‘You can go if you want to,’ I told him.
‘But haven’t we got stuff to talk about?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ I said, smiling, ‘lots, but it’ll keep.’
I watched the two boys slope off out of the square and then looked across at Jacob’s house. The car that had been on his drive had gone, so I figured it was safe to call round. I was bursting to tell him that Mum was leaving again, and this time hopefully for good.
The front door was slightly ajar so I slipped inside, along the hall and into the kitchen, where I could see him standing at the sink with his back to me. I stepped close behind, reached round and covered his eyes with my hands.
‘Guess who?’ I breathed, leaning into him.
Mum’s departure, coupled with Ryan’s good fortune, had revived my earlier flagging spirits and I was feeling in a playful mood, ready to capitalise on my brother’s absence even though I knew it was taboo.
‘I have absolutely no idea,’ said a voice that sounded something like Jacob’s, but was very definitely not.
‘Shit,’ I said, jumping back as I realised my mistake.
‘Jesus,’ said another voice behind me. This time the one I had been expecting all along. ‘What is it with my women, Dan, you just can’t keep your hands off them, can you?’
I stood, frozen, between the two men, who appeared identical in every possible way.
‘It’s all right.’ Jacob suddenly laughed, leaning forward and pulling me to him. ‘I’m joking.’
I let go of my bottled-up breath and thumped him on the chest. My heart was hammering.
‘You must be Poppy,’ said the man who could only be Dan. ‘I’m Dan.’
‘The one I was telling you about,’ Jacob whispered theatrically.
‘And he’s Jacob,’ said Dan, pointing at his twin, ‘the one with the sick sense of humour.’
It turned out that spending time with Ryan had made Jacob miss his brother more than he thought he would ever be capable of given everything that had happened between them. So when Dan sent him a text to test the water, Jacob responded and the pair had been messaging ever since. Jacob hadn’t been expecting Dan to turn up unannounced, but one twin missing the other clearly worked both ways and Dan knew he was the one with the making up to do.
‘I was going to tell you,’ said Jacob to me, ‘but Ryan disappeared just as I was about to and I didn’t want to give you anything else to think about.’
‘Brothers eh?’ Dan smiled. ‘What are they like?’
‘Quite.’ I smiled too. ‘More trouble than they’re worth half the time.’
It was strange looking at Dan because he looked like Jacob, but at the same time he didn’t. Jacob was rougher round the edges; Dan was smooth and sleek. Just like the car I’d seen earlier.
‘Did you drive here, Dan?’ I asked, wondering how I was going to break the news that his car had disappeared.
‘No,’ he said, ‘I had a taxi from the station. I came on the train. And actually,’ he added, looking at his watch, ‘I better go and see if it’s back. I need to go if I’m going to make it to the station on time.’ This was only a flying visit.
I busied myself with the dishes while the pair said their goodbyes, and when Jacob came back I explained what Mum had turned up to say.
‘It’s been something of a red-letter day all round then, hasn’t it?’ He smiled, pulling me on to his lap.
‘Just a bit,’ I agreed. ‘Do you think everything’s going to be all right now?’ I asked. ‘With you and Dan, I mean. It can’t have been easy for you, letting him back into your life.’
Jacob took a moment before answering.
‘It’s actually been easier than I expected,’ he said seriously. ‘When I moved here last year I was all set to face a future without any of my family in it at all, but seeing you with Ryan, and taking the time to get it all sorted out in my head without the pressure of anyone trying to force me into doing anything, has made all the difference.’
‘That’s good,’ I said, planting a kiss on the end of his nose, ‘better than good, because you’ve dealt with it all properly. If only Ryan could find it in his heart to change his mind about us.’
‘If only,’ Jacob agreed, squeezing me tighter.
Chapter 33
Two weekends later we were back in the garden and Luke was once again standing in front of us, with Ryan at his side, along with three of the judges who had scrutinised our efforts.
‘Having had a preliminary look around this garden when we drew up the shortlist,’ said one of the women, ‘we were amazed to see what you had achieved in such a short space of time.’
‘It was obvious to us,’ said another, ‘that the watchword here was community. This garden was lucky enough to have you all on board and as a result you were all benefiting from it in many different ways.’
‘Needless to say,’ carried on the first woman, ‘we were devastated to hear that you had withdrawn from the competition, but having seen the photographs of what had happened we could understand why.’
Those photographs, which, unbeknown to us at the time, Luke had snapped, had recorded the carnage and were still hard to look at even though we had all worked so hard to repair the damage.
‘What we see around us now,’ the judge continued, ‘in terms of the crops and plants at least, is a mere shadow of what was here before, and that’s such a shame.’
We all hung our heads, knowing the competition was lost.
‘However,’ she said, smiling, ‘what we can also see, and it shines through stronger than any row of chard or juicy red tomato, is your community spirit, your resilience in the face of adversity and your determination to keep the Grow-Well alive. This garden, in its current state, isn’t the most polished of the entries we’ve received, but it’s packed full of heart and soul and that’s why we are delighted to award it, and you, first place in the community garden competition!’
As one, we looked back up again and then at each other.
‘Congratulations, Grow-Well team!’ said the other woman, laughing, as the man stepped forward to present Luke with a silver cup and large envelope. ‘You’re this year’s competition winners!’
It was only then that the noise erupted. Cheers, whoops, tears and the odd shocked expletive rang out, along with popping corks and the clicks of cameras from local journalists we hadn’t noticed loitering around the bothy.
‘We did it!’ shouted Ryan. ‘We did it!’
He pulled me in for a hug, jumping up and down and making me jump with him.
‘My God, Poppy,’ he said, laughing, his eyes smiling, ‘can you believe it?’
‘You did it, you mean,’ said Luke, slapping him on the back.
‘Yes, Ryan,’ said Lisa, rushing over and passing round plastic cups filled with fizz, ‘if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have even been in the competition, let alone in with the chance of being awarded first place. You were the one who wouldn’t let us give up.’
Marshalled together by the journalists and the judges, we posed for photographs and were briefly interviewed about our reaction and the roles we played in the garden. We were all in agreement that the prize money would be well spent creating another garden at the youth centre, which had an ample though neglected plot. I didn’t think I’d ever seen so many smiles in one place and as neighbours and friends from further afield began to arrive, I knew the party was going to go
on long into the night.
When no one was watching, Jacob and I slipped behind the bothy, out of sight, to where we stacked the empty pots and trays.
‘I know we can’t be long,’ I said a little breathlessly, ‘but I just wanted to grab a minute with you.’
‘I know.’ Jacob smiled, slipping his arms round my waist as I draped mine round his neck. ‘I’ve been wanting to kiss you all afternoon. The look on your face when we were announced as the winner’ – he sighed – ‘I just wanted to grab you right then.’
He lowered his mouth to mine and as we kissed I imagined there were going to be innumerable snatched moments in the future. I hoped that having to sneak around wasn’t going to impair our relationship. My simple life was complicated enough these days and even though we had agreed to take things slow, I wasn’t sure how we were going to manage the logistics of such a clandestine association—
‘I thought I saw you two sneaking down here.’
‘Ryan!’ yelped Jacob, dropping his hands as if I were a hot potato and taking a step back that almost upset an entire stack of pots. ‘It’s not what it looks like, mate.’
Ryan raised his eyebrows.
‘Just wait before you jump to any conclusions,’ I pleaded.
‘No,’ he said. ‘You wait. I’ve known for weeks now that the pair of you weren’t going to be able to keep your hands off one another. Right from when we talked about you not taking your relationship further, Poppy, it was obvious to me that you wouldn’t be able to resist.’
‘Bloody hell, Ryan,’ said Jacob, his hands all but pulling his hair out in tufts.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said, my voice catching with emotion. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘So am I,’ said Ryan, shaking his head. ‘I’m sorry I’ve made you sneak around.’
Jacob and I looked at him, amazed to see a smile lighting up his face, and then at one another.
‘And I’m sorry I ever thought I had any right to dictate to either of you about what your relationship should be.’
‘Really?’ I tentatively asked.
‘Really.’ He beamed. ‘It’s obvious to everyone that you should be a couple and I’ve no right to tell you that you shouldn’t be. All I ask is that you don’t bump uglies when I’m in the house.’
‘Ryan!’ I scolded, heat flooding my face.
‘Deal,’ Jacob said, stepping forward and holding out his hand.
‘Jacob!’
‘What?’ He laughed, gripping my brother’s hand and turning the full strength of his sunny smile on to me.
It warmed me to my very toes.
‘What’s going on here then?’ said Lou, when she came up and spotted us all hugging.
Ryan opened his mouth to answer her but I cut him off, neatly changing the subject before he had a chance to share with everyone at the Grow-Well team the sex veto he had just imposed. No one knew Jacob and I were even a couple yet, so they certainly didn’t need to be better acquainted with the intimate details of our private life.
‘We were just talking about Ryan’s plans,’ I blagged, ‘weren’t we, Ryan?’
Ryan grinned and let me off the hook.
Yes,’ he said, ‘I’ve finally made up my mind what I’m going to do.’
Once the judges and journalists and most of the neighbours who had popped in to offer their congratulations had gone, we all sat together round the table, squeezing close to make room for Harry, Lou, Colin and Blossom.
‘Did I hear you say that you’ve decided what you’re going to do, Ryan?’ asked Graham.
The fact that he had overheard that part of our conversation made me blush all over again and thank my lucky stars that Ryan had allowed me to steer talk away from the ground rules he had been keen to establish when it came to my more private moments with Jacob. Sitting close, Jacob reached for my hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. I giggled in response. Clearly, he was thinking exactly the same thing.
‘Yes,’ said Jacob, to cover my reaction, ‘isn’t it about time you told everyone, Ryan?’
My brother and I had spent long hours since Mum’s visit working out what he was going to do when the summer came to an end.
‘Well,’ he said, smiling at me, ‘I’m definitely staying here with Pops.’
‘You mean, you’re going to be living here permanently?’ gasped Tamsin.
‘Yep,’ he nodded, ‘you’re stuck with me, Tam.’
Tamsin turned even redder than I had been and John rolled his eyes, but a nudge from Lisa stopped his teasing in its tracks.
‘Are you going to look for a job?’ asked Colin, ‘because I could do with an extra pair of hands in the shop from time to time.’
‘And so could I,’ agreed Lou.
I was delighted that both their businesses were thriving.
‘Thanks, guys,’ said Ryan, ‘that would be great, thank you. As long as we can work around my college course, I’ll happily work for both of you.’
‘What are you going to be doing at college?’ asked Heather. ‘You aren’t going to carry on with your A levels, are you?’
‘No fear,’ said Ryan, his body emitting a shudder at the mere mention of them. ‘I’m going to Easton.’
Everyone smiled and nodded at the mention of the local agricultural college. Clearly, they all thought Ryan’s change of academic direction was a good one. As he had to be in education until he was eighteen, he needed to be doing something he enjoyed, and working towards a qualification that would really mean something to him.
‘I know I’m pretty handy with a paintbrush and I might think about following in my dad’s footsteps one day, but for now my heart is set on looking after birds and animals,’ he said, lifting Gus up on to his lap. ‘I’m enrolling on an animal care course and I can’t wait to get started.’
‘That’ll be perfect for you, lad,’ said Graham fondly, ‘you’ve certainly got a way with them. I think you’ll do very well there.’
Everyone agreed and raised their drinks to toast my brother, who had changed almost beyond all recognition since his arrival in the square – and he wasn’t the only one. The man sitting next to me, caressing my fingers under the table, was pretty altered too.
‘And what about our recipe book, Poppy?’ said Mark once everyone had finished quizzing Ryan about his course, turning the attention to me. ‘Have you got any further with that?’
‘I have, actually,’ I admitted. ‘In fact, I had a folder all ready to show you with some ideas in, but I’ve left it at home.’
‘Go and get it then,’ Mark urged, ‘chop, chop!’
‘I’ll give you a hand,’ said Jacob, pushing back his chair and following me across the garden.
‘Don’t be long, guys,’ my cheeky brother called after me, ‘and remember, I could come back at any moment!’
A loud cheer went up behind us and I guessed that my secret association with Jacob wasn’t quite as clandestine as I’d thought. Jacob slipped his hand into mine.
‘No point keeping us quiet from now on, by the sounds of it,’ he laughed, kissing the back of my hand.
‘No.’ I smiled. ‘I guess not. Do you mind?’
‘God, no,’ he sighed. ‘I’ve had more than enough secrets to last me a lifetime. I’m proud of our relationship, Poppy, and I don’t care who knows about it.’
I mulled his words over as we crossed the road to the square.
‘That’s all right,’ he asked, when I didn’t say anything, ‘isn’t it? You’re happy for everyone to know, aren’t you?’
‘I’m more than happy for everyone to know,’ I said, stopping to face him as we reached the green. ‘In fact I’ve never been happier.’
‘Really?’
‘Really.’
‘Me too.’ He laughed, sweeping me into his arms. ‘When I first moved here I thought I was destined to be a miserable bugger for the rest of my life, but you’ve woken me back up, Poppy. I thought my life was over but you, and the garden, you’ve revived me, you’ve bought me back fr
om the brink.’
I knew what he meant. When I had moved into Nightingale Square I had thought that my life was complete, but adding my brother and Jacob to the mix, two additions I hadn’t been at all sure about in the beginning, had ended up enriching it beyond all belief.
‘It’s all part of my recipe for a happy life,’ I told him, planting a kiss firmly on his lips.
Acknowledgements
It’s incredible to think that it has been less than a year since I took you all along with me for that first walk around Nightingale Square and into the garden at Prosperous Place. Another festive trip to Wynthorpe Hall has happened in the interim but I knew the Square had another tale to tell and I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to share Poppy’s story with you all.
As always, writing a book is a collaborative effort and the list of those involved from conception to completion is steadily growing!
Huge and heartfelt thanks go out to my fabulous agent, Amanda Preston (she’s Agent of the Year don’t you know), who always has exactly the right words for every occasion. The incredible Books and the City Team – there really are too many of you to mention and I’m always worried about missing one of you out so here’s a massive collective hug and a kiss for you all.
That said, my wonderful editor, Emma Capron, who will find her name at the front of this book gets a special mention. In the immortal words of Fatboy Slim, we really have ‘come a long, long way together’, Emma, and I am incredibly grateful to have had you by my side for this exciting part of my writing journey.
The more books I write, the more blurred the lines between best friends, supportive bloggers and loyal readers become so I’m saying thank you for your continued support en masse on this occasion. It’s wonderful to know that if I don’t pop up on social media for a day or so then you’re all messaging to find out where I am. I feel very blessed.
Special thanks to Laura (@GrumpyGirlie) for keeping the baking tin stocked with delicious home-baked fare and for the festive bunting. And thanks also to Mr Dingle for supplying one of the funniest school anecdotes I’ve ever heard. Oh, how I wish I could have been there!