by Hannah Ellis
“How was the wedding?” he asked. Typical of Jack to carry on as though nothing had happened.
“Fine,” she mumbled.
“Sorry I missed it. When will you be home?”
“To collect my stuff?”
He sighed heavily. “Don’t be daft. It was just a stupid argument.”
“A stupid argument that ended with you saying ‘I’m not sure this is working out… maybe we’re not right for each other… It might be best if we just split up’. It seemed like more of a breakup than a stupid argument.”
“I was having a bad day.”
Anger coursed through her. “So you split up with me because you had a bad day?”
“I didn’t split up with you… I was just rambling.”
“Was this all to get out of coming to the wedding?”
“You know I hate weddings. And family events. I panicked, that’s all.”
“You’re pathetic, Jack.”
“Yeah but you love me, right?”
She shook her head and gazed out of the window. If they hadn’t actually broken up then she’d cheated on him by kissing Sam on the beach. Probably best not to mention that.
“I’ll be back tonight to pick up my stuff.”
“Not to pick up your stuff. Don’t be dramatic. I’ll see you later, babe.”
She sighed. “Bye, Jack.”
The conversation basically summed up their relationship. She did love him, even though she wasn’t always sure why. He was infuriating.
Once she’d showered, she pulled on a pair of cropped trousers and a T-shirt. Then, after a quick blast with the hairdryer, she scraped her shoulder-length brown hair into a ponytail. She’d been blessed with flawless olive skin and never bothered with make-up.
Down in the restaurant, the wedding party took over one side of the room, and she scanned the tables before heading for the breakfast buffet. Sam was already there, sitting with Annette and Max and Lizzie. Josie’s appetite disappeared when she saw him. What was wrong with her? It was only a kiss, for goodness’ sake. No need to go all jittery and pathetic. She helped herself to breakfast and was about to sit down with her parents when Annette called out to her.
“Come and sit with us…”
Pasting on a smile, she walked over and sat at the end of the table.
“Max was just telling me you’re unemployed,” Annette said with an inappropriate grin.
“Good morning to you too!”
Josie caught Sam’s eye and gave him a half-smile. He even looked good without a suit. She’d been convinced it was the suit and the champagne and the romantic atmosphere that had made him so attractive, but even in jeans and a T-shirt she couldn’t fault him. He was a good build and had one of those lovely friendly faces. His light brown hair was smooth and soft. She knew because she’d run her hands through it when she’d kissed him. The memory brought heat to her cheeks and she looked away quickly.
“I’ve got a job for you,” Annette said.
Max chuckled. “I don’t think Josie wants to come and live at the farm and be your carer.”
“Oh, be quiet.” She slapped his hand and then turned to Josie. “Ignore him. I need someone to come and manage the dog kennels for me.”
“I thought you’d closed down,” Josie said, remembering a previous conversation with her sister.
Lizzie raised her eyebrows. “She has.”
“Out of necessity,” Annette said. “Not choice. But I want to re-open. It’s too much work on my own, though.”
“I don’t know why you can’t just enjoy retirement,” Max said. “You should be taking it easy, not working yourself to the bone.”
She scowled at him. “Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I should sit around doing nothing and waiting to die.”
There was an uncomfortable silence before Sam spoke. “No one said that. We just worry about you doing too much.”
“What you should worry about is me not doing enough. I hate being idle. I’m going crazy in that house on my own without Wendy and without the kennels. I don’t know what to do with myself.” There was another silence before she continued. “I’ve thought about it – I can employ someone to help me with the kennels. I can’t manage everything on my own, but with some help the kennels could be up and running again in no time.” She looked at Josie.
“I don’t know anything about dogs … or running a kennels.”
“I can teach you,” Annette said. “I know everything. And Lizzie said you’ve had all sorts of different jobs. You must be very adaptable.”
“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it,” Josie said, amused.
“You’d pick it up in no time.”
Josie shook her head. Annette seemed to be serious about the job offer. “It wouldn’t work, though… you live in… wherever it is… the middle of nowhere. And I live in Oxford.” It occurred to her that she wasn’t exactly sure where she lived. With Jack or her parents? She really did have a lot to figure out. She lived in Oxford, though, whether it was with her parents or Jack, and Oxford definitely wasn’t commuting distance to Devon.
“Yes, Averton is a bit of a trek from Oxford. But it won’t matter. You can come and live with me. I’ve got plenty of room. There’ll be lots of perks: free accommodation and food – I’m a great cook – and no travel time to work. I can pay you a decent wage…”
Josie laughed. “It’s a lovely offer, Annette. But I can’t move to the countryside. I have a life. I can’t just up and leave.” Though if pressed, she’d have difficulty explaining what exactly she couldn’t leave. Her non-existent job or her boyfriend who may or may not be her ex? Her life was a bit pathetic. She’d expected Max and Lizzie to jump in and help her out with putting an end to the conversation, but they were staying suspiciously quiet.
“It’s good timing,” Lizzie said, finally voicing her opinion. “And it might be good for you. A fresh start and all that.”
Josie frowned, then noticed Annette looking at her expectantly. She really was serious. “You’ve caught me by surprise. I can’t imagine living in the countryside.”
“You don’t have a job,” Lizzie said. “This is perfect. What else would you do?”
Josie opened her mouth to speak. Because she did have a plan. She was going to take more acting classes and try to find an acting job. She’d worked on a TV show a couple of years before and loved it. She wanted to give her career in acting one last shot.
With everyone looking at her, her dreams of working in television suddenly felt silly. Lizzie had never hidden the fact that she thought it was a pipe dream and nothing would come of it. To be fair, she was probably right.
“I don’t know what I’ll do.” Josie stood and the chair scraped noisily on the wooden floor. “Thanks for the offer, Annette. I’ll have to think about it, obviously. I’m going to get a coffee.”
Picking up her plate, she went and sat with her parents to eat in peace.
“Any luck with the job-hunting?” her dad asked.
“Since the last time you asked? Yesterday? No, nothing yet, Dad.” Unless you counted the job offer she’d just had over breakfast. Which she wasn’t counting, of course, because it was crazy. There was no way she was about to move to the middle of nowhere and work at a dog kennels.
“Have you spoken to Jack yet?” her mum asked. “Do you think you’ll sort things out or should I make up the spare room?”
“Don’t worry about the spare room.” She picked up a piece of cold toast and took a noisy bite. “I’ll figure something out.”
She really couldn’t cope with moving back with her parents.
Chapter 4
“I can’t believe you’re married,” Josie said to Lizzie as they sat on the beach and watched the waves rolling in. After a leisurely breakfast, they’d waved off the majority of the wedding guests and re-convened back at Lizzie and Max’s house, then moseyed down to the beach to enjoy the lovely spring weather.
“Me neither,” she said.
“And to think that not so long ago you were engaged to someone else!”
“I know. It’s crazy how quickly things can change. Speaking of which, you should think about Annette’s offer.”
“You can’t be serious,” Josie said as Max wandered over and draped an arm around Lizzie’s shoulder, kissing the side of her head.
“It’s really not a bad idea,” Max put in. “You need a job and Annette needs some help. And if you move in quick it would be good. Then we won’t have to worry about her while we’re away on honeymoon.”
“Oh, I see.”
“It’d be good for you too,” Max said. “Free rent and food.” He raised his eyebrows. “Sam right next door…”
“There’s a good reason not to move then,” Josie said lightly. “I’m completely embarrassed that you told him to keep an eye on me yesterday. I’m not some charity case.”
“He wasn’t supposed to tell you,” Max said. “And he wasn’t supposed to kiss you either…”
Lizzie’s eyes widened. “You kissed Sam?”
“Shush!” Josie looked round and caught sight of Sam chatting to Max’s nephew further along the beach. She looked back at Max. “I can’t believe he told you that.”
“I don’t think he meant to, he was just excited.”
“Sam’s lovely.” Lizzie cast a glance in his direction. “It’s a bit soon after Jack, though, isn’t it?”
“It was only a kiss,” she said. “These things happen at weddings.”
“Apparently so,” Lizzie said. “Anyway, what about Annette’s offer?”
“I’m not going to move in with Max’s aunt. And I’m surprised you’re okay with the idea. Has no one else noticed that I can’t keep a job for more than five minutes? Why would you recommend me to Annette?”
“Better the devil you know,” Max said deadpan, earning himself a shove from Lizzie. “Well it’s true!” He laughed. “She’s determined to employ someone, and she’s basically a vulnerable little old lady living in an isolated farmhouse. I don’t want someone we don’t know up there. She’d be handing over her life savings before we know it. She’s far too trusting.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Some brother you’re turning out to be.”
“Brother-in-law,” he corrected. “As you keep reminding me.”
“Whatever. First day on the job and you’re being mean to me!”
Putting an arm round her, he squeezed her affectionately. “You’d do a great job with the kennels. And I’m sure you and Annette would get on well. Just think about it.”
She promised she would and went to mingle, chatting to one of Max’s brothers and then an elderly neighbour, Dotty, who she’d met several times before. Eventually, she made her way round to Sam.
“I’m going to make an observation.” His voice was suspiciously quiet. “And you can tell me what you think…”
“Okay.” She tried not to focus on his proximity. “What?”
“Your sister’s not drinking.”
“So?”
“She wasn’t drinking yesterday either.”
“She was. For the toasts she definitely had champagne.”
He shook his head. “She may have held a glass of champagne. She wasn’t drinking it.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Just an observation.”
Josie looked over to Lizzie, sitting in the sand, cuddled up to Max. “You know when you said you live in a village full of gossips? I think it may have rubbed off!”
“I’m not gossiping,” he said. “It’s just an observation.”
“An observation which leads you to believe Lizzie’s pregnant?”
“Yes,” he said firmly.
“No way.”
“Okay.”
“Do you know something I don’t?” Josie asked.
“No. But I was visiting them a couple of weeks ago and I felt like there was something weird going on. Lizzie gave me a list of reasons why she couldn’t have a drink with us in the pub. If she’d just said she didn’t want a drink I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. That’s why I noticed yesterday. And today.”
“She’s not pregnant,” Josie said. “No. Lizzie likes to plan everything perfectly. She wouldn’t get pregnant before the wedding. It’s not how she does things. She’s very proper.”
Sam’s gaze stayed on an oblivious Lizzie for a moment. “I think she’s pregnant.”
“No. She’s not.”
He stuck his hand out for her to shake. “Fiver?”
She laughed. “I’m not betting on whether … oh go on then, a fiver.” She shook his hand. “But if it turns out to be true and you already had inside information then the bet’s off.”
“I don’t know anything,” he insisted. “I’m just guessing.”
“Hmm. If you say so. I know how you and Max like to tell each other everything.”
He looked puzzled.
“You told him about last night … on the beach!”
“Oh, yeah.” He grimaced. “Sorry. That just slipped out.”
They both turned when Annette called out to Sam. She was standing at the top of the beach, waving to them. “I’ve got to play taxi,” Sam said. “I think she’s had enough. She doesn’t like being away from the farm. I think this is the longest she’s been away in years.”
“I’ll come and say goodbye,” Josie said.
They walked up the beach to Annette. Sam was right; she was keen to get home.
“Why don’t you come with us?” she said to Josie. “You could come and have a look around. See what you think about taking the job.”
“Are you really serious about me working for you?”
Annette looked at her pleadingly. “Very serious. At least come and have a look around and then you can think about it properly.”
“I should be getting home,” she said.
Max appeared behind her. “You pretty much drive past Annette’s place on the way to Oxford.”
“Come on,” Annette said. “Just have a look at the place. No pressure…”
Josie rolled her eyes. “Not much!”
Chapter 5
It took forty minutes to drive from Hope Cove to Averton. The roads were winding, and when they reached the little village of Averton there really wasn’t much to see: a pub and a small shop beside a village green. Houses stood back from the road, and it was all very quaint and peaceful. They drove out the other side of the village until they came to a driveway.
Beside the gate at the road was a large wooden sign engraved with Oakbrook Farm: Boarding Home for Dogs. Rhododendron bushes grew either side of the gate, splashed with gorgeous purple flowers.
The car crawled along the driveway, passing a barn before reaching the old farmhouse in the far corner of the property.
Following Sam’s lead, Josie parked the car beside the house. Then she got out and took it all in. The property was dotted with beautiful big old trees and bordered by a wooden fence. Beyond, hills rolled away in every direction. It was stunning.
“Not a bad view, is it?” Annette said.
“It’s beautiful,” Josie agreed. She always considered herself a city girl at heart but it really was breathtaking.
“I’ve just got to fetch my dogs from the neighbour. Sam can show you around.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to drive round and get the dogs?”
“No.” Annette was already walking away. “I feel like the exercise. Won’t be long.”
They watched her walk away and then Sam turned awkwardly to Josie. “So this is Oakbrook,” he said. “Annette has lived here for nearly sixty years. My place is over that hill.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I can show you the barn. It’s converted into kennels.”
They set off together back down the drive and then ventured across a well-worn path through neatly mown grass. Josie marvelled at the wonderfully green scenery. “How long have you lived here?” she asked.
“Alwa
ys,” he said. “I grew up here. Moved away for a while and then, when my parents decided to move, I bought the house from them and moved back.”
“That’s…” She hesitated, wondering what to say. “Nice.”
He laughed. “It’s a quiet life. But I like it.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I work in construction.”
“Wow,” Josie said, nodding appreciatively. “That’s a great job.”
“Is it?” He gave her an odd look. “Most people aren’t that impressed by it.”
“I was expecting you to have a boring office job. Building work is so interesting. It’s amazing that you can make something from nothing.”
They stopped outside the barn and he looked thoroughly amused. “I think you might be confusing builders with magicians. If I could make something from nothing that would be impressive!”
She laughed and gave him a light shove. “You know what I mean. You actually make stuff. At the end of the day you can say ‘look I just built that house’…”
He smirked. “It generally takes longer than a day.”
“Stop teasing,” she said. “I just think it’s great that you don’t do some boring office job where no one even knows what you do. Like Max – he used to work in an office. What did he even do?”
“He was a lawyer,” Sam said, opening the door to the barn. “He worked for a cosmetics company and he—”
“It was a rhetorical question!” Josie said.
They grinned at each other as the lights flickered on in the barn, and he held the door for her.
“The thing about Max’s boring office job was they paid him loads of money,” Sam said.
Recently, Max had given up his boring office job and now worked as a property manager in Hope Cove and the surrounding area. Josie found it much easier to understand what he did on a day-to-day basis.
“Yeah, but who needs money?” Josie’s words were flippant as she walked slowly through the barn, looking around in awe.
Sam followed after her. “Is that another rhetorical question or am I allowed to answer? Because I have a lot to say about that…”
“Yeah, I know, everyone needs money.” She waved a hand. “But you only need so much.”