Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square
Page 32
‘I’m well aware that you know that I’m expecting, thank you, Mark,’ she said, ‘but what you don’t know, and we haven’t told you all before because we’ve been getting used to the idea ourselves, is that we’re expecting twins.’
It took a moment for her words to sink in and then the clapping started again.
‘We have absolutely no idea how we’re going to cope,’ said Glen, shaking his head.
‘Especially now our babysitter across the road is about to embark upon her career as a world-famous novelist.’
‘But I’m sure we’ll get by,’ Glen added nervously.
‘Well, I know I come across as a bit of a pain sometimes,’ said Carole, rushing to set their minds at rest, ‘but I’m only next door and I really would be happy to help when your mum can’t come over.’
Having watched her keep the little ones amused in the garden I reckoned that Carole would have liked to have had children of her own. I’d never felt it was appropriate to ask why she hadn’t, but was pleased to see Heather give her a hug and I smiled as Glen handed Evie over to her for a cuddle.
Rob then shared the news that he and the boys would soon be moving in with his partner Sarah and her son, who had joined us for the first time today (and out of Carole’s match-making clutches, he added later in an aside to me). This announcement was met with astonishment initially and then much laughter as he explained that he had kept her a secret for so long for fear that we would scare her off.
Once the giggling had died down, Neil announced that he was leaving his firm and starting up his own business. Determined not to be outdone, Harold then shocked us all by telling us he had formed a romantic attachment to a woman called Gladys whom he had met at the Day Centre. He caused a further stir by explaining that he would be accompanying her on the Golden Oldies weekend away to Great Yarmouth.
‘You old dog,’ laughed Mark, raising his glass.
Harold winked and took such a big swig of his own fizz that he started to cough in response.
It was wonderful to look at the sea of smiling faces around the table. Aside from my relatives, less than a year ago I hadn’t known a single one of them and now, here I was, an integral part of the group of friends I loved so much they felt more like family.
Along with a lot of things I had learned about myself during the last few months I had discovered that my world wouldn’t fall apart if I didn’t achieve things in the expected order, or even if I didn’t achieve them at all. Life could be a muddle and messy and out of sync with the traditional fairy tale, but that didn’t necessarily mean you weren’t living a version of it.
‘And what about you, Kate?’ Lisa called across the table.
‘And you, Luke?’ joined in Heather, ‘haven’t either of you got any news you’d like to share?’
‘Is there anything we have to say?’ Luke asked me, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Jasmine buried her head in the skirt of my dress and started giggling. She had loved knowing what the others didn’t and felt extra-special as a result. And she certainly deserved to.
‘Oh yes,’ I said. ‘How could we possibly forget?’
Jasmine giggled again.
‘Let’s head over to the green for a minute,’ I suggested.
‘Come on everyone,’ said Luke, scooping Jasmine up in his arms.
We made our way out of the garden and across the road to the little patch of grass. It felt fitting to make our final announcement here, right where my Nightingale Square adventure had started. I looked over at number four and the ‘to let’ board in the front garden.
‘Kate,’ said Poppy, who had joined the party, keen to get in on the home-grown produce for her recipes, ‘if you have a minute later on, could I talk to you about your house?’
‘Yes,’ I told her, ‘of course.’
I hoped she was interested in renting it; she would be a very welcome addition to the Square.
‘So,’ said Lisa impatiently, ‘out with it.’
Luke came to stand by me, with Jasmine still in his arms, and held my hand.
‘Come on, you two,’ encouraged Heather. ‘Tell us! Boy or girl?’
Luke looked at me and nodded and for a second I lost myself in his eyes. I had never felt happier or more complete than I did in that moment. What an exciting future stretched ahead of me and my new family.
‘It’s a girl,’ I announced, my eyes brimming with the happiest of tears, ‘and we’re going to call her Abigail.’
Acknowledgements
It never ceases to amaze me, how quickly the months roll by and I find myself sitting down to say thank you to the wonderful collection of family, colleagues and friends who have helped make birthing another book as pain-free as possible. However, I’m not going to make any secret of the fact that writing this, my sixth, has been in many ways the scariest so far. Allow me to explain why . . .
Practically since the first day The Cherry Tree Café was published, you wonderful readers have been sending messages, tweets and emails telling me just how much you love the little Fenland town of Wynbridge and the fab folk who live there, so deciding to move away has been quite a leap. Fortunately, there were some wonderful neighbours waiting to welcome Kate to Nightingale Square and they have made the transition from country to city really rather fun, so I hope you have enjoyed getting to know them.
Now, back to the huge and heartfelt thank you list.
The family are of course completely used to having me home full-time now and are still saying all the right things in all the right places (cat included), as I talk myself through and around various plot knots, however I still want to say thanks because I’m sure it can’t be easy putting up with me wittering on day in, day out.
Next up of course, is the utterly wonderful Emma Capron (aka editor extraordinaire) and standing right beside her, Amanda Preston (aka indispensable agent), both of whom make my life so much easier. Thank you for the encouragement, support, nudges and vision to assist me in writing the very best books I possibly can.
Beautiful bloggers are waiting in the wings for hugs and kisses next. You guys never cease to amaze me. Your support, generosity and cheerleading really knows no bounds and I am certain you have all played a part in turning me into a Sunday Times bestselling author. Thank you so, so much for helping make that very special dream come true.
And finally, a massive thank you and an extra bouquet of blooms to you wonderful, wonderful readers who not only take the books to your hearts, you then review them, spread the word, send me wonderful messages and generally make me feel ten feet tall. Which is no easy accomplishment given I’m only five foot nothing! You guys give me the opportunity to get out of bed every single day and do the thing I love most, tell a story. Thank you.
May your bookshelves, be they virtual or real, always be filled with fabulous fiction!
H x
Heidi Swain lives in Norfolk with her husband, two allegedly grown-up children and a mischievous black cat called Storm. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside and collects vintage paraphernalia. Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square is her sixth novel.
You can follow Heidi on twitter @Heidi_Swain or visit her website: heidiswain.co.uk
Also by Heidi Swain
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Lizzie Dixon’s life feels as though it’s fallen apart. Instead of the marriage proposal she was hoping for from her boyfriend, she is unceremoniously dumped, and her job is about to go the same way. So, there’s only one option: to go back home to the village she grew up in and try to start again.
Her best friend Jemma is delighted Lizzie has come back home. She has just bought a little café and needs help in
getting it ready for the grand opening. And Lizzie’s sewing skills are just what she needs.
With a new venture and a new home, things are looking much brighter for Lizzie. But can she get over her broken heart, and will an old flame reignite a love from long ago . . .?
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Fall in love with country living this summer . . .
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Even so, Amber is determined to make the best of it and throws herself into farm life. But can she really fit in here? And can she and Jake stay together when they are so different?
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Christmas has arrived in the town of Wynbridge and it promises mince pies, mistletoe and a whole host of seasonal joy.
Ruby has finished with university and is heading home for the holidays. She takes on a stall at the local market, and sets about making it the best Christmas market stall ever. There’ll be bunting and mistletoe and maybe even a bit of mulled wine.
But with a new retail park just opened, the market is under threat. So together with all the other stallholders, Ruby devises a plan to make sure the market is the first port of call for everyone’s Christmas shopping needs.
The only thing standing in her way is her ex, Steve. It’s pretty hard to concentrate when he works on the stall opposite, especially when she realises that her feelings are still there . . .
This Christmas make time for some winter sparkle – and see who might be under the mistletoe this year . . .
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Curl up with this glorious summer treat of glamping, vintage tearooms and love . . .
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Lottie loves the cottage but Matt, a charming local builder, points out that beneath its charm it is falling apart. Luckily he is always on hand to help with the problems that somehow seem to keep cropping up. But is he just a bit too good to be true? Certainly Will, Lottie’s closest neighbour, seems to think so.
Lottie plans to set up her own business renovating vintage caravans. She hasn’t told anyone about the project she has cooked up with Jemma from The Cherry Tree Café to repurpose Gwen’s old caravan and turn it into a gorgeous tearoom.
But before she can finally enjoy living with her legacy she must uncover who she can trust, and who to avoid. And with two men vying for her attention, will she also find love?
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The Sunday Times Christmas bestseller!
When Anna takes on the role of companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, she has no idea that her life is set to change beyond all recognition.
A confirmed ‘bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona.
Jamie, struggling to come to terms with life back in the Fens, makes a pact with Anna – she has to teach him to fall back in love with Wynthorpe Hall, while he helps her fall back in love with Christmas. But will it all prove too much for Anna, or can the family of Wynthorpe Hall warm her heart once and for all . . . ?
Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair
Available in paperback and eBook
First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2018
A CBS COMPANY
Copyright © Heidi-Jo Swain, 2018
The right of Heidi-Jo Swain to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4711-6487-3
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4711-6488-0
eAudio ISBN: 978-1-4711-7473-5
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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