A Home at Honeysuckle Farm

by Christie Barlow

  He appeared in the doorway, drenched to the skin. ‘It appears to be raining,’ he said, giving me a cock-eyed grin. ‘Look at the state of me, and I’ve only come from the car. It’s torrential out there.’ He raked a hand through his unruly hair.

  Believe me, I was looking. My eyes flitted over his sopping T-shirt that clung to his chest. I was doing my very best not to stare at his toned abs or breathe too deeply. My heart constricting at just how gorgeous he was, I said, ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘Grace said you were here and should be finishing round about now, so I thought I’d pick you up. You’d get soaked walking back in this.’

  I flashed him a grateful smile. ‘My knight in shining armour! Thank you, that’s very kind.’

  ‘But I was also worried about you. How did it go?’ his brow furrowed.

  ‘With Dorothy?’

  He nodded.

  I tried to put on a serious face, but the smile hitched before I could stop it. ‘I think I’ve given her food for thought.’

  ‘You have?’

  I nodded as Sam pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around my waist.

  ‘It comes down to common sense, if you ask me. Whoever your family were, or are now, that’s nothing to do with you … you are your own person. We are a community and you are part of that too.’

  Sam was grinning down at me.

  ‘What?!’

  ‘You … when you’re passionate about something you talk so fast, I can’t keep up!’

  We smiled at each other and his eyes sparkled. I lifted my hand up to Sam’s face and stroked his stubble lightly. My eyes stayed locked on his. He pulled me in, pressed his body closer and lowered his lips to mine.

  ‘Dance with me,’ he murmured.

  ‘Here?’

  ‘Yes, here,’ he said softly, holding my hands in his. The acceleration of my heart rate was instant and I honestly thought I was going to melt or combust. There was something about his gentlemanly confidence that made me go weak at the knees.

  We moved slowly together, our bodies a revolving whirl of precision and grace in perfect sync. Every inch of me tingled with desire for this man as I floated and twisted weightlessly across the room in his arms. The intensity between us was as hot as fire as we lost ourselves in the music. And when eventually the tempo slowed, and the music that filtered from the iPad curled like a thread around us, he brought me closer than I ever imagined possible.

  Closing my eyes and breathless, I rested my head on his chest and could hear the thumping of his heart. I felt a yearning for this man like I’d never felt before and when the music came to an end I had to remind myself to breathe.

  For a moment, we stayed locked in each other’s arms, then gazed at each other in a contemplative silence. Sam leant forward and gently tucked an escaped strand of hair behind my ear. ‘You okay?’ he finally asked, his lips close to mine.

  I nodded, the emotion welling up inside me. ‘That was perfect … just perfect.’

  He lowered his lips to mine, his kisses were long and deep, I savoured every moment, lost in the intoxicating trance of passion.

  I’d never felt desire like it.

  Chapter 29

  As we locked up the dance school and made a hasty dash towards Sam’s car, the rain was still pelting down. Once we were safely inside, he attempted to start the engine, but nothing happened. The car wouldn’t turn over. A flash of frustration fleeted across Sam’s face. One last time he tried again, before turning towards me: ‘This knight in shining armour has failed.’

  ‘It’s not your fault, the thought was very much appreciated.’

  ‘But now, we are going to have to make a run for it … in this.’

  We both took a glance out of the window. The rain seemed to have worsened, drumming against the windscreen and bouncing off the pavements. A couple raced along the street, clutching tightly to an umbrella that was blowing inside out.

  We sat there for a second, hedging our bets, waiting to see if the rain would give up even for a second, but judging by the blackened sky, it wasn’t going to stop any time soon.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Sam asked.

  ‘Ready as I’ll ever be,’ I answered, zipping up my coat and pulling my hood over my head.

  Sam stepped out of the car and opened my door. He extended his arm and draped it around my shoulder.

  ‘Run!’ he ordered.

  ‘Yikes! I’m drenched already,’ I laughed, trying my best to miss the puddles.

  We exchanged mischievous grins as we took off up the street, and my shoes were sodden in seconds.

  Sam took my hand and pulled me along and we reached the gate of his cottage in no time at all.

  Falling into the hallway, we were both soaked to the bone.

  ‘Look at the state of us!’ I couldn’t stop laughing.

  ‘Here, let me take this from you,’ he said, peeling the coat from my back and hanging it up on the coat peg in the hallway. He flashed me the most gorgeous smile, which made my heart skip a beat.

  ‘And take this,’ he handed me a grey hoodie, ‘put it on.’

  ‘Thank you,’ I said, slipping it over my head. The words caught in my throat as I snuggled inside his hoodie and breathed in the spicy aroma of his aftershave. It smelt divine and my heart thumped a little faster.

  ‘It suits you,’ his eyes glinted as he gave me the once over. My cheeks stretched into a gigantic smile.

  There was no denying the spark, the chemistry, the raw attraction between us, and this kind of intensity was new to me. Of course, I’d had dates in the past, boyfriends too, but those feelings weren’t anything like what I was experiencing now.

  Not only was the man standing in front of me incredibly gorgeous, but every time I was in his company my insides became a gibbering wreck.

  ‘Go and make yourself comfy, I’ll make us a warm drink.’ He raked his hand through his hair and swept his wet fringe from his eyes before gesturing towards the living room and disappearing down the hallway.

  As soon as he was out of sight I risked a hesitant look in the hallway mirror. My hair was limp and the tip of my nose resembled Rudolf’s. This really wasn’t an attractive look. Rummaging quickly in my bag, I pulled a hairbrush through my hair, touched up my make-up and prayed I looked at least half decent.

  Sam appeared a couple of minutes later and handed me a mug of steaming tea which I immediately clamped my hands around.

  ‘The weather in England, very unpredictable,’ he mused, sitting down next to me.

  ‘It’s not that different to New York. One minute it can be sunny and the next, knee deep in snow,’ I shared, remembering last February when one day I was walking around Central Park in a T-shirt, and the next week I was bundled up inside a parka. We sipped our drinks and finally I felt myself beginning to dry out.

  ‘Any plans for tonight?’ he asked.

  Taking a quick glance towards my watch, I saw it was already fast approaching eight thirty. ‘Bath and bed, I’m exhausted.’

  ‘I’m not surprised. Your trip to England has been full on since you arrived.’

  ‘What are your plans?’

  ‘No plans … no plans whatsoever.’

  ‘Tonight was a good night. I really enjoyed myself, Sam.’

  ‘That’s good to hear.’

  ‘Spending time with the WI and organising their dances and being a part of something made me feel kind of useful again, gave me back some confidence.’

  ‘If you teach as well as you dance, this business will be a success from the off. So, the dance school, is it all systems go?’ he enquired, sipping his drink.

  ‘It is, and I can’t wait to get started once Village Day is over.’

  ‘And there’s the added bonus for me.’

  ‘For you?’

  ‘I quite like the thought of Miss America sticking around,’ he said, placing his mug on the table.

  ‘You do now, do you?’

  Sam reached out and took my hands. His quiet confi
dent declaration was the sign I needed that he felt that spark too, and I shuffled a little closer to him. There was something about Sam Reid that made me want to spend more time with him.

  ‘Honestly, I noticed you that first morning. There was something about that slight American twang, those two cute dimples and the way you were standing there, drenched on the pavement in your PJs. I mean, you have to be mad to wander up to the local shop in your PJs,’ he grinned. ‘In fact, bonkers.’

  ‘Lounge wear, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!’

  ‘PJs,’ he insisted, his tone mischievous.

  But before I could argue he kissed me.

  Beep.

  ‘What’s that?’ he whispered.

  ‘My phone, damn that timing,’ I smiled, slowly sitting up.

  ‘Leave it.’ Sam’s face was flushed, his hair tousled and his eyes wanting more. I kissed him lightly on the lips before reaching inside my bag.

  ‘I can’t, it may be important, especially with my grandfather being in hospital and everything.’

  ‘Sorry, that was selfish of me,’ he said, sitting up slowly.

  ‘Not to worry, it’s only Grace.’ I swiped the screen, ‘She probably wonders where I’ve disappeared to again.’

  My eyes widened as I read the text.

  ‘What is it? Is it Ted?’ asked Sam with concern, noticing my sudden change in mood.

  ‘No, it’s my mum. Apparently, she’s been in touch with Connie to tell her she’s arriving from New York at the end of the week.’ I stared at Sam.

  Suddenly I was feeling very nervous, and apprehension ran through my entire body. This was really happening. On Friday, my mum would arrive from New York and in the not-so-distant future she would come face to face with her father once more, and the pair of them would discover I’d lied to entice her here. I knew this was what I wanted but now that it was really happening, I had no idea how to handle it.

  I gulped.

  ‘Surely that’s a good thing?’ asked Sam with curiosity.

  ‘It is, and it isn’t. I’ve kind of been a little deceitful in getting her here,’ I admitted, biting down on my lip.

  Sam raised his eyebrows.

  ‘But one thing I’m absolutely sure of, time is going to tell very, very soon.’

  Even though I knew my lie gave Mum the excuse she needed to travel over 3,000 miles, I was a strong believer in fate. All this – the first message from Grace, the trip to England, the dance school … Sam – it had all happened for a reason and I was determined to do my damn hardest to uncover what the hell had happened thirteen years ago.

  Chapter 30

  The next morning, Grace was standing in the kitchen flipping pancakes while whistling along to a tune on the radio.

  ‘Good morning,’ she chirped the second she noticed me. ‘Sleep well?’

  I’d barely slept a wink and couldn’t even blame it on the rain hammering against the window all night. It was more down to my own conscience stopping me from sleeping, and the words of Mum’s text, ‘That’s all I needed to hear,’ had been playing on my mind.

  ‘You seem a little quiet, subdued,’ noticed Grace, before I had a chance to answer. She slid a plate overloaded with pancakes into the middle of the table, ‘Help yourself.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I said, blowing out a breath and pulling out a chair.

  ‘At least it’s brightening up now,’ she observed, taking a fleeting glance out of the kitchen window before sitting down opposite me. ‘Come on then, what’s eating you? Everything okay with Sam?’

  Everything was more than okay between me and Sam, but I was beginning to wonder if that might change on Mum’s arrival when she discovered who Sam was and that we were getting close. Would she hold a grudge, like others did in the village?

  ‘Yes, all’s good with Sam. It’s just the arrival of Mum on my mind,’ I sighed, taking a pancake from the top of the pile. ‘I’m just feeling a little unsure about how it’s all going to pan out.’

  ‘Well, we’ll know soon enough,’ said Grace, drizzling lemon juice over her pancakes before shaking a teaspoon of sugar over the top.

  ‘As much as I’m looking forward to seeing her, I’m not actually looking forward to seeing her, if that makes any sense.’

  ‘I can imagine.’ She leant forward and touched my hand.

  ‘What did your mum say about my mum getting in touch again?’

  ‘She was surprised, but she’s kindly offered to pick her up from the airport and said she can stay in the annexe with her. But she did question whether your grandfather knew anything about it.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘And I told her you hadn’t had time to tell him yet … but you will.’

  I didn’t say a word.

  ‘Alice, you’re going to have to tell him. It will be a huge shock for him to see Rose after all this time with no prior warning, he’s not a well man.’

  ‘I know, I will,’ I said, knowing that I wasn’t at all looking forward to that moment. ‘I don’t think he’ll be out of hospital before she arrives, which gives us all a little time to see how the land lies, what Mum’s mood is like and how I’m going to handle it all.’

  ‘Nervous?’ asked Grace.

  ‘Beyond belief. Did you let on to Connie how I got Mum here?’

  ‘No, you’ll need to tell her that too.’

  ‘Maybe it won’t come up in conversation?’ I replied, suddenly feeling very guilty.

  I saw Grace raise her eyebrows at me, knowing the tangled web I was weaving.

  ‘Picture this … Ted and Rose come face to face for the first time in how many years?’

  ‘Thirteen.’

  ‘What’s the first thing they are going to say to each other?’ asked Grace, scrutinising me closely.

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and shrugged.

  ‘Ted will say, “What are you doing here?” And Rose will answer, “You asked to see me.”’

  Grace was right. I looked up alarmed, placing my head in my hands, knowing I hadn’t thought it through. ‘I know I’m being dishonest but I’m hoping, praying in fact, that the second they set on eyes on each other it will all be forgotten.’

  ‘A rift that has festered for thirteen years isn’t going to be forgotten, but we can hope,’ said Grace, sounding unconvinced.

  We polished off the rest of the pancakes and I switched the kettle on before helping Grace to wash up the dishes.

  ‘How did the rehearsals go last night?’ she asked, hanging the wet tea-towel over the oven door.

  ‘Yes, good! Everyone was enthusiastic,’ I answered, thankful for the change of subject.

  ‘And how did Dorothy take Sam being on board?’

  ‘Surprisingly well,’ I said, ‘after I explained that Village Day was for the whole community, which Sam is also a part of.’

  ‘It probably just needed saying out loud, but good for you! It must have been nerve-wracking for you. So, what are the plans for today?’

  I slid a detailed schedule over the table towards her. ‘You are taking it seriously!’ exclaimed Grace, casting her eyes over the timetable and following me into the living room.

  Slouching on the settee, I tucked my feet underneath me. ‘To be honest, I’m thankful for the distraction. If I was sitting here with nothing to do, I’d just drive myself crazy over Mum’s arrival.’

  ‘And my mum said something about her being in charge of the costume department?’

  ‘Yes,’ I answered, sifting through a pile of papers I’d left on the coffee table. ‘Here it is, everyone’s measurements and colours. I’ll nip it over to her later.’

  ‘Mum did mention something else and I’ve been meaning to ask you, but … I wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea bringing it up, with everything else you’ve got going on.’ Grace eyed me carefully.

  ‘Go on …’ my voice lifted.

  ‘Mum said you were asking about your father.’

  I nodded. ‘I was wondering whether he had anything to do with
the fall-out.’

  Grace sat upright on the settee.

  ‘Have you ever asked your mum about him?’

  I shook my head, ‘No, never.’

  I’d reached the age of twenty-three and had never given it a huge deal of thought. It wasn’t something that had ever kept me awake at night, there was never a massive void in my life. My mum had been great and I’d never needed any more.

  ‘And in all these years your mum has never mentioned it?’

  I shook my head. ‘I was taken a little by surprise when Grandie told me about him. I don’t know what I was expecting – maybe a one-night stand or a low-life, which doesn’t make it sound like I think very highly of Mum … but there wasn’t a huge mystery, just a set of unfortunate circumstances. She’d met a guy, a decent lad, Grandie said. They’d had a couple of dates, but he emigrated to Australia with his parents and she only discovered she was pregnant after he’d left. Unfortunate timing.’

  ‘So, he never knew?’

  ‘It appears that way.’

  ‘How are you feeling about it all?’

  ‘In a way, kind of relieved he’s just a normal guy.’

  ‘Did your grandfather tell you his name?’

  ‘William Hall,’ the name left my lips.

  The name turned over in my mind, William Hall.

  ‘The question is then, I suppose, are you going to do anything about it?’ probed Grace.

  This was the very question that had been on my mind since Grace had brought up the subject. What could I actually do about it? Australia was a huge place and there must be hundreds of William Halls in the world, and who knows, he might not even be in Australia any more.

  ‘Not sure what I can do, even though I’m kind of curious what he looks like. Do I even look like him?’

  ‘Talk to your mum, surely it can’t hurt? Maybe she would have an old photograph of him?’

  ‘You never know. It’s worth an ask.’ I nodded, ‘And I’m definitely now intrigued to discover more about him – what’s his background, what does he do for a living? And not forgetting the possibility that he has his own family, which is more than likely.’

  ‘You could have brothers and sisters,’ Grace’s eyes widened.