Late that afternoon, I sat forward in my chair in the deserted barn, rested my elbows on the treatment table and closed my eyes. I’d assured everyone I was fully recovered from my time in hospital and ready to face a busy weekend but that had been a big fib. I was still exhausted and ideally needed much more recovery time than I’d allowed myself. If I’d admitted to Josh how drained I was, he’d have insisted on delaying the opening and that was the last thing I wanted. The Grimes boys had already destroyed so much and I couldn’t let them destroy our opening plans too. That would be like letting them win.
Although we hadn’t officially opened for business when they torched the barn, we already had five hedgehogs. I saved four of them but the barn roof collapsed on me when I returned for the fifth. Josh pulled me to safety but I spent nine days in a coma and was devastated to come round to the discovery that the barn was gone and so was Quilly.
Three of the hedgehogs I’d saved from the fire had since been released but Mr Snuffles was still a patient. With a broken leg, he needed much longer to heal. Even though I tried not to have favourites, I’d always have a soft spot for him after what we’d been through together and I was already dreading having to one day say goodbye to him.
I reluctantly opened my eyes again and stood up. If I stayed there any longer, I was likely to fall asleep. Josh and I had no plans for tomorrow so I’d have a much-needed chance to relax and recover then.
Outside, I found Hannah pulling a rope across the photo scene while Josh simultaneously gulped down a bottle of water and wiped his brow with the back of his hand, his paws abandoned on the ground beside him.
‘Aw, Josh! I didn’t expect you still to be in costume,’ I croaked, reaching for a towel and gently mopping his sweaty face. ‘You must be melting.’
‘I am! They never stopped coming. I’ve never been so in demand.’
‘I can’t thank you enough. I owe you big time.’
He winked at me. ‘I can think of a few ways you could make it up to me.’
Hannah put her hands over her ears. ‘Argh! Stop it! Not listening!’
Laughing, I prised her hands away. ‘Sorry. It’s gone well, then?’
She nodded. ‘I think we’ve raised quite a lot.’
I flipped open the cashbox lid and whistled at the pile of notes and coins. ‘That’s way more than I expected.’
‘People have been very generous with their donations. It was lovely to see so much kindness.’
‘The locals have been amazing. I’m so lucky.’ While I was incapacitated, the outraged community had pulled together, salvaged the stones and re-built the barn even better and more fit for purpose than it had been before with a proper second floor instead of the mezzanine we’d had installed in the original barn. Today’s Family Fun Day was therefore a celebration of Hedgehog Hollow being open for business but also a massive thank you to everyone who had so generously donated their time, resources or money.
‘And you’ve been amazing too,’ I added, giving my friend a hug. ‘Thank you so much for doing this.’
‘Absolute pleasure.’ Hannah squeezed me tightly. ‘I’m so proud of you and everything you’ve achieved. You’re such an inspiration.’
Tears pricked my eyes. ‘Where’s Toby and Amelia?’ I asked, keen to take the focus away from me. It was a happy day and I didn’t want to spend any of it crying.
‘She needed changing so he’s at the car sorting her out.’
‘You look done in,’ Josh said, pushing back his hedgehog head and rubbing the towel over his hair. ‘And you’re losing your voice.’
I rubbed my hand over my throat. ‘I didn’t think so many people would attend my talks. I’ve done more than double my estimate but it’s nothing some hot blackcurrant won’t sort out. Are you ready to get out of Mickleby?’
‘Never been more ready.’ He picked up the abandoned pair of paws.
‘There were way more visitors than we expected,’ Josh said as we slowly made our way across the farmyard, me carrying the heavy cashbox in both hands and Josh holding a paw in each of his. ‘I’m thinking it’s been pretty successful.’
‘Definitely. I’m full of ideas for next year already.’
‘I knew you would be. And I bet they involve me dressing up as Mickleby again.’
I smiled at the mock-resignation in his voice as I gave him a playful nudge. ‘He’s your alter-ego now. There’s no escaping.’
He laughed. ‘I might regret saying this but it’s been good fun. Hot and sweaty but definitely fun.’
We’d almost reached the farmhouse when a woman’s voice shouted Josh’s name. We both turned to face a very pretty pregnant woman with long, pale blonde hair scraped back into a high ponytail. She looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place her. Then my stomach plummeted. I’d only ever seen her in a photo at Josh’s cottage but it was definitely her. Beth. The woman who’d broken his heart.
I glanced at Josh, cringing for him coming face-to-face with his ex-girlfriend while dressed as a giant hedgehog. How mortifying must that be? What was she doing here anyway? He’d made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her and understandably so after what she’d done.
His eyes were narrowed, his jaw tight. With a low snort, he turned his back on her and shuffled towards the farmhouse as fast as his outsized feet would allow.
I didn’t want to strike up a conversation with her but it felt rude to completely ignore her so I shrugged my shoulders apologetically and muttered ‘sorry’ before turning and following Josh.
‘Please Josh!’ Beth cried.
‘I’ve got nothing to say to you,’ he shouted back to her before disappearing into the house.
‘Josh!’
Sighing, I stopped and took a couple of steps back towards Beth. I was going to have to say something. ‘I’m not sure that turning up here without warning was the best idea.’ I hoped I sounded like I was giving her an explanation rather than a lecture.
She stroked her hands over her baby bump. ‘I know, but he hasn’t left me much choice. He’s blocked my calls and emails. You’re his girlfriend, right? Samantha, is it?’
I nodded, narrowing my eyes warily, unsure as to how she knew my name or where to find Josh. As though sensing my confusion, she added, ‘I’ve got a friend who still works at Josh’s practice. They weren’t gossiping about you. I don’t want to—’
‘It’s okay,’ I reassured her.
‘I’m glad Josh has found someone special,’ she said. ‘He deserves it. He was an amazing boss and a lovely boyf…’ She broke off and shook her head, her pale cheeks colouring. ‘I’m sure you already know that. I really do need to speak to him. Could you have a word with him? Please.’
Her ice-blue eyes fixed on mine pleadingly and I felt a wave of compassion for her. She wasn’t what I’d expected. Josh had never said much about their relationship. All I knew were the basic facts leading to them splitting up about eighteen months ago. They’d been together for two years and he’d been in love with her but she’d been having a secret affair with his dad, Paul, for the whole of that time and five years prior to that. It all came out when she fell pregnant with Paul’s baby – a hell of a shock for Josh and his mum – resulting in Connie filing for divorce and Josh severing all ties with Paul and Beth. I’d therefore built Beth up in my mind to be a horrible person as surely only someone really nasty could deceive him like she had. I’d imagined her to be self-assured and probably a bit arrogant but the woman in front of me looked lost and vulnerable which threw me.
‘I’m sorry but it’s really nothing to do with me. Josh has made it clear that he doesn’t want anything to do with you, his dad or your family, and I have to respect that.’ I kept my voice as gentle as I could.
‘Please,’ she begged again. ‘It’s really important I speak to him.’ Tears glistened in her eyes. ‘I know how stubborn he is and I know how much we hurt him but surely you can…’
Her voice tailed off as I shook my head vigorously. ‘I’m sorry. I
can’t. It’s Josh’s decision and I’m not going to interfere.’ I absolutely didn’t want to get involved. Relationships between families could be complicated – something I knew first-hand – and I didn’t want to say or do anything that might suggest to Josh that I didn’t understand how he felt, because I absolutely did. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the woman stood before me but she’d made her choices and she had to live with them.
She nodded slowly. ‘Okay. Thanks anyway.’
I watched her trudge back across the farmyard, her shoulders slumped and her head low. She opened her car door and my stomach churned as she sat in the driver’s seat with the door wide open. The minutes ticked by and I worried she was psyching herself up to coming back and trying again.
‘Please go,’ I muttered. ‘He doesn’t need this.’ Thankfully she closed the door, reversed out of the space and set off down the track.
I released a deep breath then headed into the farmhouse, shaking my head. Just when things were going really well…
2
Josh
I slammed the farmhouse door behind me and, with an angry cry, tossed the stupid damn hedgehog paws down the hallway. What the bloody hell was she doing here? And how did she even know where to find me? I stomped into the lounge. This was typical Beth. She always had to have things her own way and, every time she was told no, she simply pushed and pushed until she finally got what she wanted, whatever the cost to others. Not that I’d realised that at the time. She’d had me completely under her spell.
I paced up and down in front of the fireplace, clenching and unclenching my fists. What would it be this time? Still trying to persuade me to let them move into Alder Lea – the house at the practice? My house. The one they’d driven me from after I discovered they’d been using it for their sordid little affair.
Or would it be yet another request to forgive my father? Yeah, right! Never going to happen.
Or perhaps it was the other classic of trying to convince me to meet their baby. ‘But he’s your half-brother,’ she’d whined last time I accepted her call in a lapse of concentration. Half-brother? Biologically, perhaps, but not emotionally. How could they even think I’d be interested in playing happy families after what her pregnancy cost me and, more importantly, what it did to Mum? I’d blocked Beth’s calls after that. Not interested. Ever.
And now they had another kid on the way. I’d known she was expecting again – she’d thrown in that little gem during our last conversation – but it was still a shock to actually see her standing there with an obvious baby bump. I shuddered thinking about it. The pair of them could spawn an army for all I cared and there was still no way I was going to step into the role of big brother.
I shuffled towards the sofa and tried to sit but the stupid bulky costume made it impossible. Grimacing as sweat trickled down my back, I attempted to haul the hedgehog over my head but managed to get it halfway up my body before trapping my arms inside the fabric. I couldn’t see a thing and cursed loudly as my shins collided with the coffee table. I tried to shift the hedgehog again but I was stuck fast and getting hotter by the second. Where was Sam? Beth had better not be spinning her a one-sided, lie-ridden sob story.
The sound of the farmhouse door closing and Sam calling my name filled me with relief.
‘Help!’ I called.
Moments later, Sam’s lilting laughter filled the lounge. ‘Oh my gosh! What happened?’
‘I got stuck.’
‘I can see that. Can you kneel down?’
I fell forward onto my knees, wincing as they hit the solid wood floor. Sam was still laughing as she gathered the bottom of the costume and yanked it up over my arms then pulled it from the top, finally freeing me.
I gulped in several deep lungfuls of air. ‘That was scary. I could hardly breathe in there.’
‘You’re safe now. I’ve rescued you.’ Her eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘Bad Mickleby outfit.’ Then she started laughing again.
Her mirth was infectious and I couldn’t help smiling as I backed up against the sofa, wiping the sweat trickling down my face. ‘I’m shattered.’
‘I’m not surprised. It’s heavier than I realised. Why don’t you get showered and changed while I go back out and help finish things off?’ Her voice was hoarse and kept cracking as she spoke.
‘I thought you wanted some hot blackcurrant. You sound like you need it.’
‘I do but if I sit down in a comfy seat with a drink there’s no way I’ll manage to get up again. It’s not fair of me to leave all the packing away to everyone else. I’ll make do with some water for now.’
‘Do you need another pair of hands?’
Sam smiled. ‘You’ve done more than your fair share today. There’s loads of helpers. We’ll be tripping over each other as it is.’
I nodded, relieved that I could be spared.
Much as I didn’t want to get into a conversation about Beth right now, I had to ask. ‘Has she gone?’
‘Yes.’
‘You were quite a while outside. I hope she wasn’t feeding you a sob story.’ I tried hard to keep my tone light and not sound like I was accusing her of doing anything wrong but I knew what Beth was like. She was likely to take advantage of Sam’s kind nature like she’d taken advantage of mine. Now that I knew what she was really like, I had no qualms about turning my back on her and walking away but Sam didn’t know her. She also had a hell of a lot more patience with people than I had. Give me animals instead any day of the week.
‘She wanted me to talk you round but I said no so she left. The only reason I was outside for so long was to make sure she actually drove off.’
My tense shoulders relaxed as I scrambled to my feet. ‘Hopefully she’s got the message but, if she comes back, don’t listen to her. She’s a liar and she manipulates people. I don’t know what she thinks she’s playing at, turning up here like that.’ I winced at the bitterness in my voice.
Sam gave my arm a gentle squeeze. ‘You get that shower and I’ll see you later.’ She kissed my damp cheek then headed into the kitchen to get a drink.
The powerful jets of water in the shower a few minutes later did nothing to relax me. All I could hear was Beth’s voice. All I could picture was her pleading expression. And that baby bump. Why couldn’t she leave me alone? I’d blocked her calls and emails but that clearly wasn’t a strong enough message. She’d had to take it a step further and seek me out. She’d infiltrated Sam’s special day and, even though Sam didn’t seem fazed by it, I was fuming with Beth for doing that. What would it take to get her to back off and accept that I didn’t want anything to do with any of them? Ever.
3
Samantha
I closed the farmhouse door behind me, shaking my head. Thank goodness I hadn’t agreed to help Beth. From Josh’s reaction, pushing him to speak to her definitely wouldn’t have gone down well, not that I was surprised by that. I didn’t think she’d have dared humiliate Josh or herself by turning up at the veterinary practice after he’d dismissed her from her role as receptionist there but I hoped this wouldn’t signal the start of regular visits to the farm now that she knew where to find him.
In the farmyard, Hannah walked towards me holding Amelia. ‘Toby’s packed everything up and put it in the barn.’
I gave her a grateful smile. ‘What a star. Thank you both so much for today. I really appreciate it.’
‘It’s been great fun. You’ll have to let us know how much we’ve raised later. Oh, moments after you left, a pregnant woman appeared asking after Josh. Did she catch up with you?’
I rolled my eyes ruefully. ‘Yes, she found us.’
‘You don’t look too pleased about that.’
‘It was Beth. Josh’s ex.’
‘That was her?’ Hannah grimaced. ‘What did she want?’
‘I’m not sure. She said she needs to speak to him urgently but Josh wasn’t interested. She wanted me to try to talk him round but whether or not Josh re-connects with his dad ha
s got to be his decision when and if he’s ready to make it.’
She looked surprised. ‘I’m impressed. I thought you’d have done whatever you could to fix things.’
I sighed. ‘Once upon a time, I would have, but not everything can be fixed. Look at Mum and me.’
Toby appeared and I thanked him for his help while Hannah strapped Amelia into her car seat, then I waved them goodbye.
There weren’t many people left now. Most of the cars in the farmyard belonged to friends and family. Ambling into the pasture, I spotted Dad and Uncle Simon who told me I could find Auntie Louise and Chloe in the barn.
I’d been surprised when Chloe volunteered to help today because she wasn’t one for helping anyone unless there was something in it for her. I wasn’t sure whether Auntie Louise had coaxed her into it or whether Chloe had made the decision herself as another step in trying to repair our damaged relationship. Either way, I was grateful for the assistance.
Things were still tense between Chloe and me but it was unrealistic to expect our friendship to return to normal after everything she’d done. I wasn’t going to hold a grudge – that wasn’t who I was – but I couldn’t simply brush it aside either. She’d hurt me badly and it would take some time and effort for us to re-build our relationship. I still loved my cousin and wanted her in my life, but I couldn’t help being cautious.
‘Have you had fun?’ I asked them both as I stepped into the barn, very conscious that I’d been so busy doing talks that I’d barely had a chance to speak to them all day.
Chloe smiled. ‘You know me. Anything crafty and I’m in heaven.’
For someone who was always immaculately dressed – usually in dresses and heels – and never left the house without full make-up and her hair perfectly styled, Chloe’s love for glitter, glue and paint flummoxed me. Whenever I saw her dressed for her job as a pre-school assistant in jeans, polo shirt, tabard and trainers, it threw me as it was so un-Chloe.
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