‘Every day I’ve willed you to come back. I thought about you every single moment and today you’ve made my dreams come true. I can’t believe you are finally here.’
‘I am.’
He held my gaze. ‘Here’s the thing Alice, I’m not getting any younger and it would be great to live forever but …’ he paused, ‘open that drawer for me.’ He nodded towards the bedside cabinet. ‘Go on, open it.’
I stood up and pulled open the top drawer of the cabinet. ‘Do you want the Bible?’ I asked, perplexed.
‘No,’ he smiled, rolling his eyes, ‘I don’t.’
‘There’s nothing else in there except a bunch of keys.’
‘That’s what I’m after,’ he replied, holding out his hand.
Handing the bunch of keys over to him, I sat back down.
‘These keys have been my life,’ he explained, grasping them with such passion. ‘The keys to every possibility. This …’ he said, ‘was bought on a trip to Blackpool with your grandmother.’ I glanced down at the keyring and smiled at the photo of them both sat on a donkey wearing ‘Kiss me quick’ hats.
‘You remind me a lot of her. She was a wonderful woman – kind, loving, lived life to the max, the life and soul of any party,’ he said, teary eyed. ‘And taken much too soon.’
‘I wish I’d known her.’
He acknowledged what I said with a warm smile.
‘These keys could be yours.’ He stared straight at me.
I gave him a quizzical look. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Honeysuckle Farm, the annexe …’
My eyes widened.
‘It could all be yours. I’ve waited all these years to say these words and really I had no idea whether this moment would ever arrive.’ Taking a sip of water, he smoothed down his pyjama top and composed himself, then carried on.
‘Alice, I would dearly love Honeysuckle Farm to become your family home.’ His eyes were bright, and I could hear the excitement in his voice.
I was shocked, lost for words. Not in a million years had I been expecting this. Things like this never happened to me.
‘That place has been in our family for generations and I couldn’t bear it to be sold to just anyone. I want you to have it, but on two conditions …’
‘Which are?’ I asked, knowing that this inheritance should rightly be Mum’s. She was, of course, his next of kin.
‘That I can carry on living there until the day I take a trip through those pearly gates …’
‘Grandie,’ I interrupted, not wanting to even think about him no longer being around.
‘And …’ he held my gaze, ‘that you take this key and re-open the dance school … put some oomph back into this community and get them dancing again. At least think about it.’ He looked at me earnestly.
My brain took a second to register what he was actually saying. What an offer! I didn’t know what to say. ‘Are you serious?’
‘I am.’
Elated, I gasped. Without a doubt, this generous offer would solve all my problems, giving me something to focus on and work towards. My pulse raced and my heart thumped nineteen to the dozen. ‘But I live in New York,’ I blurted out.
‘And you’ve told me how unhappy you are there.’
Immediately, my thoughts were falling over each other to make sense of this proposal. I was fighting a mixture of compelling emotions, each one of them vying for dominance. On the one hand, his offer was like winning the lottery, but with uncertainty rushing to the fore, I thought of Mum. She lived in New York and I couldn’t abandon her there.
‘It could all be yours Alice, all you have to do is say yes.’ There was no denying, by the tone of his voice and the look on his face, that he meant it.
I only managed a nod. Conscious of the lump in my throat, I didn’t dare to speak. Was it practical to even consider coming back to England?
‘I put my heart and soul into that business, and do you know why?’
My eyes darted back towards him.
‘My dad, your great-grandfather.’
I stared at him, listening.
‘Alfie Parker was, in my opinion, one of the greatest theatrical stars to grace the West End. I may be biased,’ he gave a little chuckle, ‘but in his day, people like him were frowned upon,’ he said solemnly.
‘What do you mean … people like him?’ I asked, puzzled.
‘Men that wanted to dance. Those were the times when society dictated that you should be employed in a suitable job. Which meant finding work in the factories, the Royal Mail, or on the railways. But Dad never gave up on his dream. He believed in himself, fought endless stigma, jeers in the pub, and he taught me to dance too. His passion was to convince all walks of life that it was okay to dance. When I met Florrie, she spurred me on to carry on with my dad’s passion and open up the dance school, and so we did it together. That dance school became the hub of this community.’
‘He sounds like a true inspiration.’
‘He was,’ Grandie said proudly. ‘You’d have loved him.’
I was in no doubt.
‘But I’ve no business experience,’ I said, thinking out loud.
‘We can overcome every obstacle, Alice. This could be the making of you, your own dance school. Ballet for the children, foxtrot for the pensioners. It made me a decent living – what do you say? Are you willing to give it a try?’
I didn’t know what to say, I really was stuck for words.
‘You can surround yourself with a good team – I’m sure Connie and Grace would help you. But it will mean telling Grace the truth about New York. Although, I’m sure she’ll understand. And I’m here too.’
This was certainly an opportunity, and I nodded, taking in every word.
‘Dare I ask, what are you thinking?’
I stared up at him in quiet contemplation, blown away by the whole proposal, and I blew out a breath. In my head, I was fighting my own conscience – loyalty to Mum, loyalty to him – I was certainly stuck in the middle. If I accepted his offer, the direction of my life would completely change. Sometime in the future I’d own my own farmhouse, a home of outstanding beauty and my own business. Granted, I would have to build it up again from scratch, but I wasn’t adverse to hard work. I even had visions of the annexe being turned into a holiday cottage in years to come. Excitement was bubbling in the pit of my stomach, a feeling that had been missing for a very long time.
Then the self-doubt began to kick in. I wasn’t able to land a part in a production, so how would I even be good enough to open up a dance school and teach the community? I’d been a failure in New York, why would it be any different here?
And then, of course, there was Mum. I could hazard a guess how she would feel about it all. Could I really be that selfish and put my own career and desperate longing to return to Honeysuckle Farm before her? She was waiting for me back in New York. And if I did take up this incredibly generous offer, Mum would be left all alone, miles away from me.
It was all so complicated.
For a second, I could feel Grandie studying my face before I slid my eyes to his briefly. My thoughts were all over the place, a mix of both fear and delight. Standing up, I stared out of the window, my head full of possibilities, and I could barely breathe. This was an opportunity to make something of myself, something for me … but what if I failed? What if I didn’t do Grandie proud and it was a disaster? Then what? I would have let him down and the whole community, and again, how did Mum fit into all this? Would she ever be willing to come home?
Grandie broke the silence: ‘It’s a good future, Alice. You wouldn’t want for anything.’
I swung my gaze back towards him. ‘But this means staying in England, leaving Mum on her own in New York. I can’t do that.’
At first, he didn’t answer me. ‘That’s something you need to work out for yourself,’ he replied, with just a hint of bitterness.
I was hoping for more, I was hoping the invitation would be extended to her too.
Was it silly to even consider returning to England on a more permanent basis?
‘What do you think, Alice?’
‘I just don’t know.’ My heart was fighting my head. ‘I’m only meant to be gone for a few weeks, not a lifetime.’
‘I understand that.’
But did he really, did he really know what he was asking me to do?
‘Here, take these.’ He placed the keys in my hand and cupped his tightly on top of mine. ‘Go and look for yourself, the dance school is still there. Get a feel for the place,’ he urged. ‘See it in all its glory, and at least tell me you’ll think about it.’
‘Okay …’ I paused, ‘I’ll think about it.’
‘I can see it in your eyes, this place is your home. Take those keys – you belong here, Alice.’
All I could manage was a nod. My head was whirling with exciting possibilities and my heart was thumping fast.
‘Come back Alice, come home.’ His words echoed around the room. Despite my reservations about Mum, the offer was more than tempting. Since leaving England all those years ago I’d felt isolated, like a part of me was missing, then all of a sudden I’d been offered a lifeline. Feeling a spark of excitement and hope ignite inside me, I smiled up at Grandie. I couldn’t deny this was the perfect opportunity to get my life back on track.
Chapter 9
The next morning my eyes gradually focused on my surroundings and a quick peep at the clock told me I’d finally slept a full eight hours without waking up. Feeling rather refreshed and pleased with myself that I’d finally beaten the jetlag, I threw back the duvet and pulled open the curtains. My mood dampened a little when I noticed there wasn’t a chink of sunlight in sight, only dark clouds looming in the sky. All the cows in the far field were lying down under the enormous oak tree, obviously shielding themselves from the rainfall that was about to teem down at any moment.
Slipping my feet into my slippers, I padded downstairs towards the kitchen. This morning I was home alone. Grace had left early for an audition across town and hopefully she’d be back around lunchtime so we could grab some food at the café. Last night, I hadn’t shared Grandie’s amazing offer with either Grace or Connie, I’d wanted to mull it over a little longer by myself before I told them the real truth about my life in New York.
After switching on the kettle, I noticed a note left in the middle of the table:
Sorry, Alice! I’ve used the last of the milk. Take some money out of the pot and grab a couple of pints from the corner shop. Grace x
Grace kept an old coffee canister by the side of the breadbin full to the brim with loose change. The kettle clicked off and I tipped a handful of coins into the palm of my hand before staring out of the window. The shop was only at the bottom of the road, I could be there and back in a few minutes, before the rain started.
Despite my desire to quickly get changed, I slipped my feet into my pumps, grabbed the keys from the kitchen table, then hurried towards the shop.
I’d convinced myself my PJs could actually pass as everyday lounge wear, until I witnessed the odd looks and mutterings from an elderly couple who were standing in the queue behind me in the shop. Swiftly paying for the milk, I stepped outside just as the heavens opened.
Damn.
Admittedly, this was not the best idea I’d ever had.
This wasn’t just rain but huge, fat dollops of water. The sort of rain that drenched your body in seconds. Clutching the milk, I ran as fast as I could, dodging the puddles until the garden gate was in sight. Suddenly, I heard the roar of an exhaust and glanced over my shoulder to see a car within inches of me.
Jumping away from the curb, it was too late. Like a rabbit caught in headlights, I froze then squealed as a tidal wave of cold, muddy water was thrown over my entire body.
‘Idiot!’ I raged, staring in dismay at the car with my arms held open wide as the water dripped from my face. ‘Don’t mind me,’ I shouted after the car, which suddenly pulled in and parked a little further up the road. The engine cut out and the car door swung open.
‘Urghh,’ I grumbled, swiping the water from my bare arms.
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t see the puddle,’ he said, all apologetic.
I was momentarily thrown by the pair of deep-hazel eyes staring back at me. The same pair of eyes that had locked with mine from the computer and the theatre programme, the same pair of eyes that belonged to Sam Reid.
‘You …’ the words died in my throat. ‘Look at the state of me,’ I croaked, shivering in the cold. My hair was completely flattened, the rain dripping off the end of my nose, and I was soaked through to the skin.
He took a cautious step back and his eyes swept over my entire body. I could feel the burn in my cheeks intensify.
‘I’m looking …’ he said, running his hands through his wet, unruly hair. I glared up at him, his shirt now drenched from the rain, clinging to every muscle in his chest. Then I followed his gaze and was mortified to see my sodden, wet top clinging to my breasts.
Oh God.
I quickly folded my arms, trying to draw his gaze away from my chest to my face.
‘Obviously, my clothes are ruined,’ I said with a twinge of irritation.
‘They kind of look like pyjamas to me,’ he grinned, dazzling me with his perfect white smile.
‘I would like to stand here arguing but it’s raining, I’m cold, and I want coffee.’ I was justifiably outraged. ‘I could have drowned.’
I knew as soon as the words left my mouth that they were a little over-dramatic.
‘That’s a little unfair,’ he protested, with a look of amusement written all over his face. ‘I didn’t wake up and say to myself, I’m going to drive through a rather large puddle and attempt to drown a beautiful girl in the street.’
‘Oh really, are you sure?’ I huffed, trying not to focus on the word beautiful but feeling my heart start to thump a little faster and my annoyance soften a little.
‘I’m quite sure,’ he grinned, thrusting his hand forward. ‘Can we start again? I’m Sam.’
I hesitated before shaking his hand.
He raised his eyebrows.
‘Alice,’ I finally said.
‘That’s an accent not from around these parts.’
‘America,’ I grumbled.
‘And where are you going this morning, dressed to impress, Alice?’ he grinned, his eyebrows shooting up. ‘Can I give you a lift somewhere? It’s the least I can do.’
‘Actually, I’m already home.’
‘Home?’ he queried, giving Wild Rose Cottage a sideward glance.
‘I live here.’ Which I knew wasn’t strictly true.
‘Call it male intuition, but I kind of think we may be bumping into each other a lot,’ he smiled.
‘Don’t count on it,’ I said, making sure I didn’t show I was suitably flattered by his flirtatious smile. ‘I need to go inside before I die of hypothermia.’
I turned and walked towards the gate and he followed me.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m going home.’ He jangled his keys in the air and I watched in astonishment as he strolled, larger than life, up the path of the cottage next door. It was safe to say my jaw had fallen somewhere near my knees – Sam Reid lived next door?
‘You live there?’
‘I do indeed!’
Oh God.
‘I’m sure I’ll be seeing you very soon, Alice …’
‘Parker,’ I finished off his sentence.
He held my gaze for a second longer than necessary before I turned quickly away, feeling my face heat up a notch. There was something about Sam that had me blushing uncontrollably.
There was no denying I was secretly delighted that Sam lived next door. I knew after only being in his company for five minutes that I wanted to spend more time getting to know him. Fumbling with the keys to Grace’s cottage, I summoned up enough courage to glance back over my shoulder one last time, only to find his
eyes locked with mine, and we grinned foolishly at each other.
I pressed my lips tightly together to hide my smile before squelching into the hallway, relieved to be back in the warmth. When I closed the door, I did everything in my power not to whoop out loud.
Sam Reid lived next door! Even though I was cold and wet, this little bit of information warmed my heart.
‘Urgh, urgh,’ I shivered, peeling the wet shoes from my feet and looking down at my dishevelled, dirty, sodden clothes. After putting the milk in the fridge, I jumped into the shower and let the hot water cascade over my body, relieved to finally feel warm and human again.
About thirty minutes later I finally sat on the sofa, hugging my hot morning cup of coffee. I powered up my laptop while flicking through the programme of Mamma Mia that had been left on the coffee table.
Thoughts flooded my head. All these years it had been my dream to appear on stage and see my face in one of these magazines, but was I really destined for that? It hadn’t worked out so far. My head was still swimming with Grandie’s proposal and I sighed. It was a perfect opportunity, a fresh start, if only I could persuade Mum to come back too.
I turned to the page that featured Sam, and the pair of eyes that belonged to the boy next door once more stared back at me.
Reaching for my phone, I punched a text to Grace.
‘Why the heck didn’t you tell me that SAM REID lives next door? Sorry for the shouty capitals but don’t you think this was important information?’
Almost immediately my phone pinged, ‘I thought you’d find out soon enough!’
I rolled my eyes, ‘You could have told me!’
Grinning at Grace’s message, I logged on to Facebook. I’d had boyfriends over the years, but nothing that had ever set my world alight in quite the same way as Sam Reid looking at me. His air of confidence and that twinkle in his eye ensured that I was instantly attracted to him.
Noticing I had a new notification, I clicked on the icon. ‘Sam Reid has accepted your friend request.’
I swallowed, feeling a little flutter of pleasure knowing I now had full access to his profile.
A Home at Honeysuckle Farm Page 9