The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

by Alison Sherlock

  But it never came.

  Kate gave a start as her arm was suddenly held by Tom, who had appeared nearby.

  ‘I heard everything,’ he said, his voice for once cold and hard. ‘Including your harassment of these nice ladies. Go back to the office, pack up your things and don’t come back. You’re sacked.’

  Kate snatched her arm away from his hold. ‘I’ve had a job offer anyway,’ she told him. ‘London. Far away from this grotty little village and your miserable little paper.’

  Then she swept out of the door without looking back.

  ‘I didn’t mean to cause any trouble,’ said Brenda, who had remained silent throughout the whole confrontation.

  ‘You didn’t,’ Tom said, anxious to reassure her. ‘I’m sorry if she upset you.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Brenda, turning to giving Amber a watery smile as well. ‘And thanks to you too. There’s so much that I can’t face at the moment.’

  ‘That’s OK,’ said Amber. ‘Please don’t be upset. Enjoy the fair.’

  ‘Thanks. I will.’

  After Brenda had left, Amber was finally able to let her smile slip. She sank shakily down onto the stool behind the counter.

  Well, she had actually done it. She had faced up to Kate at last. She wouldn’t allow herself to be bullied any more. She was a strong, independent woman. Just look at what she and Josh had managed to achieve together. And that was what it was all about, she realised. Being together.

  She suddenly stood up and looked at Tom in shock.

  ‘Go,’ said Tom softly.

  Amber nodded at him and rushed towards the front door, where she nearly ran down Belle who was about to come in.

  ‘I hope you’re still on for that drink tonight,’ said Belle.

  ‘I need you to keep an eye on the shop!’ said Amber, brushing past her.

  ‘Hey! What’s going on?’ asked Belle.

  ‘I need to see a man about a tractor!’ shouted Amber over her shoulder as she hurtled down the steps and out onto the lane.

  45

  Amber’s immediate problem with trying to find Josh was that Riverside Lane was packed with people.

  She looked across the crowd but couldn’t see him at all.

  But she did suddenly see Cathy, looking suntanned and smiling as she walked up to Amber with Grandma Tilly alongside.

  ‘Hello!’ she said, sweeping Amber into one of her bear hugs.

  Amber was momentarily caught off guard as she let herself be enveloped into her godmother’s warm embrace.

  ‘Hello,’ she managed to croak back, suddenly finding the emotion of the past couple of weeks catching up with her.

  Cathy finally stepped back and held her at arm’s-length. ‘Hey! Whatever’s the matter?’

  ‘Nothing,’ said Amber, brushing away a tear as she smiled at her. ‘I’m just pleased to see you.’

  ‘Well, if you’re pleased to see me, then I can’t imagine what your next reaction will be,’ said Cathy, pointing over her shoulder.

  Amber spun around and was amazed to discover her parents standing directly behind her.

  ‘Mum!’ she cried out in shock. ‘Dad! What are you doing here?’

  ‘Darling, we’ve missed you so much,’ said her mum, rushing forward to hug her.

  Amber stood in shock as they both embraced her.

  ‘But I’m flying out to join you tomorrow,’ Amber told them, once she had recovered her voice.

  ‘I know,’ said her dad, looking guilty. ‘I did tell your mother that we ought to have warned you.’

  ‘We just thought it would be a nice surprise,’ said her mum.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ said Amber, feeling very confused. Surprise was an understatement, she thought.

  ‘Our little adventure didn’t quite work out for us,’ said her dad.

  ‘Why am I not surprised?’ murmured Amber.

  Her mum sighed. ‘The truth is, darling, that we missed our home too much. It turns out that whilst New Zealand is a lovely, wonderful country, it’s just not here. Your father missed his garden. I missed my Cathy. Once she arrived to stay with us, we realised all that we’d given up.’

  Amber tried to take it all in. ‘So you’re moving back to England?’

  ‘That’s the surprise,’ Cathy told her. ‘They’re moving to the village to live.’

  ‘Sometimes dreams aren’t quite what you imagine, are they?’ said her dad.

  ‘No,’ said Amber. ‘They’re really not.’

  ‘Isn’t it marvellous?’ said Cathy. ‘We haven’t told Josh yet. Do you know where he is? I’d love to see him.’

  Amber stared back at Cathy. Perhaps there might just be a different way for her now. As her dad had said, dreams weren’t always the way you imagine.

  ‘Wait right there!’ she told them all, before stepping forward to give both her parents, Grandma Tilly and Cathy a kiss on the cheek. ‘I’ll go and find him!’

  She had faced down her bully. Now she needed to be brave once more.

  She knew what needed to be said. She just hoped Josh wanted to hear it.

  Josh checked his phone again. It was very strange that he had yet to hear from his mum when she had landed a few hours ago. He hoped she hadn’t had an accident on the way home.

  He was just about to dial her number when he saw Amber rushing towards him across the pedestrian bridge. She looked very worried and serious, which made him even more concerned.

  He told Mike that he would be back in a while and left the pub to meet Amber on the bridge.

  She had a strange look on her face as they drew near to each other and he became even more worried.

  ‘Have you heard from Mum?’ he asked.

  Amber nodded. ‘She’s just arrived,’ she told him. ‘She’s fine.’

  Josh relaxed again. ‘Good. I was starting to worry.’

  ‘I need to talk to you,’ said Amber, glancing around them.

  Josh too looked around and found that both sides of the river were absolutely packed with crowds of people.

  ‘Come with me back to the shop,’ said Amber, abruptly turning around.

  But she seemed to slip on the frozen paving stone of the bridge as she spun around. Josh automatically grabbed her arm to steady her, but it was too late.

  As if in slow motion, they both fell into the river – again.

  46

  The shock of falling into the river almost made Amber lose her train of thought as she sat in the freezing cold water.

  ‘That’s so cold!’ she cried out.

  ‘I don’t believe this!’ said Josh, sitting next to her as the water spilled around them. ‘We’re in the river again!’

  Amber began to laugh at the ridiculousness of them ending up in the river once more. And this time they had an audience, as the crowds on both sides of the bridge were now watching them.

  Josh swore and stood up, the water rushing from his clothes and body. He turned and held out a hand to help her up as well. And that was what he did, she realised. He helped her out whenever she needed it. And there was no way she was going to let him go.

  Her heart was thumping. Humiliation was no doubt just round the corner waiting for her if he turned her down, but she didn’t care any more. She loved him too much to worry about pride. Besides, they’d just fallen into the river. What could be more humiliating than that?

  She let him pull her up and then looked at him.

  Josh turned to begin to lead her out of the water, but she stood still.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ he asked, turning back to her when she didn’t move. ‘Are you hurt?’

  She shook her head, staring up into his handsome face. ‘No.’

  She took a deep breath to speak before she looked around. Everyone on the riverbanks was still watching on. So she had to do this with an audience? So be it, she thought.

  So she took a step forward, grabbed him by the collar and leaned in to kiss him. This wasn’t a gentle, brief kiss on the lips. This was pure pas
sion and love, everything she felt for him.

  With a start, he drew his head back from hers.

  ‘What are you doing?’ he whispered, glancing over her shoulder at the crowd behind her on the lane.

  She too looked up and saw that whilst everyone was looking somewhat amazed, a few were also nodding their approval.

  ‘I’m kissing you,’ she told him. ‘Because I wanted to and because I love you.’

  ‘You do?’ Josh looked utterly amazed.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, sounding more confident than she felt.

  She then held her breath, hoping beyond everything that she hadn’t got this completely wrong.

  ‘I, er…’ He blew out a long sigh as he glanced over her shoulder at the waiting crowd. ‘Look, can we talk about this somewhere else?’

  She shook her head. ‘Absolutely not. I want to say this right here, right now. I love you. I love him!’ she added, shouting as loudly as she could.

  There were a few giggles and mutterings from the onlookers at her announcement.

  ‘I said I love him!’ she shouted out again, finding that she was smiling broadly now.

  ‘We heard you!’ called out Tom from the riverbank. ‘We’re just waiting for his reply.’

  She turned to look at Josh, smiling at his confusion and, yes, embarrassment. ‘Well?’ she asked softly. ‘Do you have a reply for me?’

  ‘What’s happened to you?’ asked Josh, dragging a hand through his hair. ‘You’re not ever like this. Have you been at Mike’s punch again?’

  She shook her head. ‘Nope. It’s still me. You just helped me change, that’s all. You’ve made me stronger, proud of my work. And I’m able to believe in myself, finally. I’ve made friends, good friends here in this village.’ She reached out to stroke his cheek. ‘But that’s nothing if you’re not here. Because I don’t want to leave Cranbridge.’

  ‘We don’t want you to leave either!’ she heard Molly call out from the bridge behind them.

  Amber turned to give her a knowing wink before she looked back at Josh. ‘So, if you’d like me to stay here and run the shop with you, then that would be great. Better than great. Perfect, in fact.’ She paused. ‘If you love me, that is.’

  She held her breath again.

  People shuffled from foot to foot in the cold as everyone waited for Josh’s reply.

  He looked at everyone staring at them before gazing down at her.

  ‘Of course I love you,’ he murmured.

  ‘Speak up, lad!’ cried out Stanley. ‘Some of us can’t hear so well.’

  ‘I love her, OK?’ shouted Josh, rolling his eyes before he looked at her once more. ‘Despite the fact that you keep trying to drown me in the river. And that you’ve turned my life upside down. And the tractor is now in the shop.’ He took a step forward and brought her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. ‘I love you,’ he told her once more.

  The crowd erupted into loud cheering upon hearing this.

  And then Josh kissed her with so much passion that the final tiny bit of doubt Amber had held on to was gone forever.

  Once they finally drew apart, Amber was aware of the continued whooping and cheering from all around them. Suddenly embarrassed at what she had done, she tried to hide in his coat.

  ‘Oh no!’ he told her, taking her chin out of his chest and holding her at arm’s-length. ‘This is all on you. You can’t hide now.’

  She giggled, blushing furiously. But for once she didn’t mind. After all, she had Josh by her side, the man she loved and who loved her in return. Nothing else mattered.

  Josh held her around the waist and as they waded back across to the riverbank, Amber glanced up to see Cathy, Grandma Tilly and her parents nearby. They were all clapping and nodding their approval.

  ‘Wait a minute!’ said Josh, as he helped her out of the river. ‘Is that your parents next to my mum?’

  ‘Yes,’ Amber told him. ‘That was their big surprise.’

  ‘Life’s full of them at the moment,’ said Josh, taking her hand in his as they walked towards their families.

  Amber’s mum and Cathy were looking a little teary as they stepped forward to embrace them although at arm’s-length in deference to their wet clothes.

  ‘How wonderful,’ said Cathy, reaching out to squeeze Josh’s arm. ‘I knew this would all work out.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ said Josh, leaning down so that Grandma Tilly could kiss him on the cheek.

  ‘Our little plan, of course,’ said Amber’s mum.

  ‘To get you two together,’ added Cathy.

  Amber looked at Josh in amazement before they turned back to their parents. ‘Are you saying this was a set-up?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, we hoped things might work out between the two of you, of course,’ said Cathy, smiling. ‘But this is even better than we had imagined. Do you mind?’

  Amber looked at Josh once more as he burst out laughing.

  ‘Not particularly, Mum,’ he said. Then he reached out to take Amber’s hand in his. ‘But please leave me in control of my love life from now on.’

  ‘So, is anyone going to show me around my shop?’ asked Cathy.

  Josh raised his eyebrows.

  Cathy laughed. ‘OK. Your shop.’

  ‘I’ll let Grandma Tilly do that,’ said Josh, glancing down at his wet clothes. ‘We need to get changed.’

  ‘Isn’t it marvellous what they’ve achieved?’ said Amber’s mum, looking around at the crowds milling around in Riverside Lane.

  ‘It feels like a village again,’ said Grandma Tilly.

  As Josh led Amber away, he told her, ‘They’re right. It feels like home again. And it’s all down to you.’

  She squeezed his hand as they walked up the steps and into the shop. ‘I seem to remember that you were right beside me the whole time, so you can take some of the blame as well.’

  He stopped to draw her into his arms. ‘Mostly I was unpacking boxes,’ he said, smiling down at her.

  ‘Or sitting in the middle of the river,’ she said as his head dropped down to hers.

  ‘That too,’ he murmured, as their lips met.

  And as they kissed once more, outside on Riverside Lane, the snow finally began to fall.

  47

  It was the last weekend before Christmas and the shop was all ready for the last-minute rush.

  ‘It looks great,’ Josh told Amber as he looked around.

  She followed his gaze and had to agree with him. All the shelves were packed with daily necessities, as well as a wide range of home-made goods ready for the festive celebrations. Boxes of chocolates and Christmas cakes jostled for space alongside wrapping paper and Christmas cards. A row of ruby red poinsettias were lined up on the bonnet of the tractor. Below, in the various crates, potatoes, Brussel sprouts, carrots and parsnips were piled high waiting to be peeled for Christmas dinner.

  The Christmas music played on the radio and the fairy lights twinkled on the oak beams that crossed the ceiling.

  ‘Do you think we’ve forgotten anything?’ she asked.

  Josh shook his head. ‘You’re joking,’ he told her. ‘There’s no room for anything else in here.’

  Thankfully the shop was no longer the chaotic mess it had been when she had first arrived. Everything was organised and in place despite the shelves bursting with goods.

  ‘Yep. I think we’ve covered every shopping requirement,’ she said, smiling.

  ‘Absolutely,’ he said, laughing. ‘Cranbridge Stores. Everything you never knew that you needed!’

  ‘Oh! I like that!’ she told him, her eyes gleaming. ‘We should put that on a sign outside!’

  ‘I was joking,’ he said, stepping forward to draw her into his arms.

  ‘I’m not,’ she said, looking up at him. For a second, she couldn’t breathe, such was the love she felt for him. He continued to have that effect on her, each and every day.

  A smile played on his lips as he leaned forward, a gleam in his eyes
that was full of intention.

  The bell rang out over the front door and he reluctantly let go of her. Josh rolled his eyes before walking away.

  ‘Good morning,’ said Tom, heading through the shop.

  ‘Good morning,’ said Amber, smiling. ‘Coffee?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ he told her, reaching out to a nearby basket full of decorated cookies. ‘I am also going to buy this snowman biscuit, but on the absolute assurance of secrecy. Otherwise it’ll ruin my reputation as a hard businessman.’

  ‘Of course,’ Amber told him, handing over his full flask of coffee.

  ‘I’ll have that robin cookie as well,’ he told her, slipping both into his pocket. ‘For Molly, that is.’

  ‘I understand,’ said Amber, grinning.

  ‘Shut up,’ muttered Tom. ‘I don’t know why I ever liked you.’

  He gave her a wink as he paid for his purchases before heading out of the shop.

  Amber enjoyed the banter and conversation that she had with the customers. Working in the shop had given her a sense of belonging she hadn’t had before. Now that she had a daily connection with other people, she never felt lonely any more.

  It was incredible how the small daily interactions made all the difference to her self-confidence as well. Small acts of kindness went a long way too. She felt happier, more connected and ultimately healthier for it too.

  Of course, the love of a good man helped as well. Josh told her how much he loved her each and every day. The thought of spending the rest of her life with him brought her a sense of peace and happiness she never knew possible. She couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but Cranbridge.

  As she headed over to the window, she glanced at the fireplace, where, with one last design flourish, she had placed a couple of framed photographs. There was one of the shop as it had looked in the 1900s, as well as Todd next to the tractor and playing his guitar on the veranda. She felt sure that Josh’s dad would have approved of the changes that they had made to the shop. Certainly, Grandma Tilly and Cathy had voiced their admiration for all that they had achieved.