by Rebecca Pugh
‘Harvey called. He wants to take me out,’ Millie confessed, once they’d taken a seat on a nearby bench with an ice cream each.
‘That’s brilliant news. When did this come about? You are going, aren’t you?’ Happy with this news, Maria smiled. It was about time someone came along and treated Millie like the fantastic, hard-working woman that she was.
‘Well, that’s the thing. I’m not sure I can. Mum spends a week in Dorset in the summer with a few friends, meaning she won’t be able to have Susie for the evening. I would take her with me but I’m not sure how that would go down with Harvey. What if he’s hoping for a romantic evening together, just me and him? You know what Susie’s like.’
‘If you need someone to take care of Susie, I can do it,’ Maria offered, biting into the chocolate flake she’d removed from the ice cream. She allowed the chocolate to melt in her mouth for a few moments, relishing the sweetness of it. There really was nothing like an ice cream on a hot summer’s day.
Millie turned on the bench to face her. ‘Seriously? You’d do that for me?’
Maria laughed. ‘Why are you so shocked? I can’t believe you didn’t think to ask me anyway. I’d love to have her. It wouldn’t be a bother at all, and if it allows you to spend some quality time with Mr Handsome, then sure.’
Millie looked like she was going to burst into tears. ‘Oh, Maria. That’s so kind of you, thank you. I mean it. I’m so glad you came here and that I met you.’
‘All right, all right,’ laughed Maria as Millie threw an arm around her shoulders. ‘Don’t start crying on me now. I’m not sure I could take it.’
‘I’m not sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for either. She can be a bit mischievous.’
‘Have I told you about my twin nieces? They’re a force to be reckoned with, let me tell you. It’ll be fine, don’t worry. You just focus on what you’re going to wear to wow your date. I’m actually really excited for you.’
Millie grinned, seeming excited too, as well as nervous. ‘Oh, God. I feel like a teenager again. I’ve got butterflies already just thinking about it!’ She covered her face with her hands and laughed at herself. ‘What will I say to him? What will we talk about?’
‘I suppose you’ll talk about whatever crops up. Just be you and he’ll adore you.’
‘Do you have any more dating advice that will come in handy?’
Maria snorted. ‘You’re joking, aren’t you? I haven’t been on a date since I met Mike back in school. Oh, actually, I take that back. He did take me on a date once. We sat on the school field with a few cans of cider to share. It was very romantic,’ she said sarcastically. ‘That was the first time we snogged. I wasn’t sure what was happening when I felt his tongue sneak into my mouth. I thought it was incredibly disgusting at the time.’ She winked at Millie who giggled as she finished her ice cream. ‘Honestly? Just take the night as it comes, but I’m sure it will be fantastic. He seems like a lovely guy, so don’t let nerves ruin it for you.’
‘Do you miss him?’ Millie glanced across at her.
Maria focused on the lake, glinting beneath the sun. ‘Sometimes, but not as often as I used to. If I don’t think about him, I’m fine. But if I’m going to be honest, it’s probably the memories that I miss more than Mike himself, and I miss the future we’d planned together. The past now feels like it was all a waste of time, and the future? I can’t see anything. But being here as helped me a tremendous amount already, and I have you and Harriet to thank for that. Harriet for letting me work in the café, which has kept my hands busy as well as my mind. And you, for being a good friend and listening to me, and for making me laugh so much too.’ She gave Millie a slight nudge.
Millie smiled warmly. ‘I do feel as if I’ve known you for years.’ She licked a drop of ice cream off her finger and her eyes travelled across the lake for a moment. ‘And for what it’s worth, you were too good for him anyway, and that’s without me having met him. You deserve someone that’s going to treat you like the incredible woman that you are. Just like you say to me, you deserve happiness. I think everybody does.’
‘I think I do,’ Maria nodded slowly in agreement. ‘In fact, being here has given me a lot of that already. I suppose I’m a bit like the cottage really.’
Millie frowned. ‘How, exactly, are you like the cottage?’
‘Well, it needs to be spruced up, doesn’t it? Taken from what it was, which was a bit faded and dull, to something new and fresh, like me. Well, as close to new and fresh as I can get.’ She laughed lightly. ‘I don’t know, I feel like being here has given me a new outlook on life. I just hope it lasts when I leave. But yes, I’m the human version of the cottage, in need of a bit of tender loving care.’
‘I get you what you mean.’ Millie nodded as it began to make sense to her. ‘Do you think you’ll ever date again then? In the future?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Maybe. Who knows? Like you said before, if someone really special comes along, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. It would be nice to meet someone new and perhaps become close. Mike’s moved on, so why shouldn’t I? It will probably take a long time for me to be able to trust again though. Commitment and loyalty came easy to me before, but now? It’s going to take some work to believe someone is as truthful as they seem.’
‘I reckon Brad has got the hots for you,’ winked Millie. She nudged Maria with her elbow. ‘He never used to visit the café half as much as he does now, and I see him checking you out when he thinks that you’re not looking. If he’s trying to be secretive, he’s doing a rubbish job.’
‘The hots for me?’ Maria laughed loudly. ‘That’s a term I haven’t heard in a while. I don’t think he has though.’ She hadn’t told Millie about the horse ride with him, and wasn’t sure whether she should. From the way Millie was acting right now, she’d no doubt jump all over that with feverish excitement and think it was so much more than what it actually was.
‘I’m being serious,’ she persisted. ‘Perhaps you should go and give him a visit at the farm? Ask him for another tour, but this time the VIP one?’
‘Oh, Millie!’ Maria was roaring now, so much so she felt tears leaking out from the corner of her eyes. ‘You’re terrible. I wonder what a VIP tour would involve…’
‘Oh, me too. Maybe he’ll step out of the stables dressed like a cowboy with the hat included, without a shirt on? Imagine if he lassoed you?’ Their joint laughter at the image filled the summer air around them.
‘You’ve been reading some raunchy fiction lately, haven’t you?’ Despite her amusement, Maria was shocked to find that her imagination picked up the thread of Millie’s hilarious idea and completely ran away with it. She imagined Brad’s torso slick and shiny with sweat, his muscles defined and screaming out to be touched and admired. She imagined those intense eyes of his locked on her own, daring her to look away from beneath the shadow of his cowboy hat. And then, unable to stop herself, Maria imagined Brad lassoing her and, once caught, dragging her towards him, her body finally slamming hard against his chest. It felt so real she could almost feel the impact of that slam.
‘Hello?’ Millie called. She waved a hand in front of Maria’s face a few times. ‘You really did like that cowboy image, didn’t you? You’re miles away.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Maria shook her head quickly and stood from the bench. ‘The thought of any man, Brad or otherwise, dressed as cowboy, does absolutely nothing for me, I’m afraid. Come on, let’s take another stroll around. This place is gorgeous.’ They linked arms and began another circuit of the lake as the sun beat down.
On Friday evening, Maria had managed to add another layer of paint to the kitchen and was now pleased with the finished results. She’d replaced all of the handles on the cupboard doors and drawers, put up new curtains and got rid of the old ones, which were faded and grey. She’d also re-painted and glossed the small windowsills and even added a pretty vase of flowers to the centre of the table. It looked, when she stood back to ad
mire her handiwork, like an entirely different room to the one she’d first stepped into. No longer was it dark, dingy and slightly claustrophobic, but light, airy and seemed so much more spacious. Feeling incredibly proud of herself, she poured a glass of wine and took a seat at the table. She’d done a fantastic job if she did say so herself. Next on her list was the lounge and she couldn’t wait to get stuck into it.
Chapter Eight
On Sunday morning, Maria showered and dressed immediately. She was excited that her family was coming to visit and thankfully, as she’d hoped it would be, the kitchen was finished –just in time. She was so proud of how much she’d managed to achieve so far and hoped that they would love it just as much as she did.
Even though it was quite a drive to Loland Green for them, Robert had insisted that they come and see her and Maria hadn’t argued against it. She missed them all terribly. Plus, she couldn’t wait to show them around the cottage and take a stroll through Loland Green with them by her side. She wondered if it would have the same effect on her family as it had had on her and hoped that it would. She really wanted them to understand how wonderful she was finding it here, and how much of an important role it had played in her life so far.
It was allowing her the time and space that she felt she needed in order to figure out her future and who she was now. Being away from it all had been hugely beneficial so far. Sure, Mike still flittered in and out of her mind, he hadn’t been banished completely. After all, she’d spent such a massive part of her life with him, he’d always be in her mind somewhere. She had accepted that now. But what she was also learning to accept was that he was a part of her past and, feeling stronger and more capable of controlling her own life, she knew that was where he would be left from now on. She couldn’t deny that at the beginning of it all, she’d spent nights lying in bed, wide awake, hoping that it had all been a big mistake and that they’d be able to get past it all and move on. Now, she knew that even if Mike had offered her that chance, she wouldn’t have taken it. He’d hurt her in a way that she had never been hurt before. The pain had been unbearable at times, and the second-guessing and worrying had got her nowhere. Being in Loland Green had given her a number of things to focus on, and in doing so, Mike had begun to fade further away. Was this, perhaps, what moving on felt like? She hoped so.
The family arrived just before eleven. Maria had been in the kitchen making sure everything was spick and span one last time before they saw it for themselves. Ellen, Robert, Rosanna and the girls stood on the doorstep and grinned when she opened the door.
‘Hello!’ Maria greeted them all, and noticed how odd it felt to see her family here in Daffodil Lane. Two worlds colliding, her old life and her new. Happiness bloomed at having them there and she felt close to tears as she looked at the girls beside Rosanna. Oh, how she’d missed them! Back home, she’d spent so much time with them that she wondered if they’d missed her too.
The girls rushed forward and wrapped themselves around each of Maria’s legs. ‘Aunty Maria!’ they chorused in their sweet, angelic voices. No matter how sweet they sounded though, Maria knew they could be tearaways. Still, to have them there to hold was one of the best feelings in the world. She held them both tightly, as if trying to make up for the time that they’d spend apart since she’d left to come here.
‘Hello you two. I’ve missed you both so much.’ She heard her own voice cracking with emotion and quickly cleared her throat. She couldn’t start crying. Holding herself together, she stroked their beautiful hair and smiled at Ellen, Rob and Rosanna watching the interaction on the doorstep. They all knew how much her nieces meant to her. Rosanna smiled gently.
‘We missed you too,’ they sang. Maria sighed with relief at hearing those words.
‘Come on, come inside. Let’s get you all off the doorstep.’
‘Well,’ admired Ellen as she stepped into the hall. ‘Isn’t this just the most charming place? I love this cottage. I’d quite like a home like this for myself. You lucky thing, Maria. The pictures Geraldine showed me really don’t do it justice. It’s so much prettier in real life, isn’t it?’
‘I’m glad you like it,’ Maria said, kissing Ellen’s powdered cheek. The familiar smell of her perfume surrounded Maria. ‘Go into the kitchen and I’ll get us all a drink. How are you, Rosanna?’
Ellen wandered through, and Rosanna stood before Maria, looking a bit tearful. ‘God, it feels like ages since I last saw you. Come here.’ They embraced and Maria took comfort from Rosanna’s warm hug. They’d always been close.
‘It has been a while hasn’t it?’ Maria stepped back, feeling tearful once again. God, what was wrong with her emotions? ‘It’s really good to see you,’ she enthused with feeling. ‘Thanks so much for coming up here. It’s nice to have my family round me.’
‘Don’t thank us,’ Rosanna said, waving away the gratitude. ‘We’ve all been dying to see where you’ve been hiding away. It’s a gorgeous place.’ Rosanna headed into the kitchen to join Ellen, which left only Rob and the girls. Maria could hear them oohing and aahing in the kitchen as they took in her handiwork. It gave her a little boost as she listened to them.
‘I have to say, Maria, you look fantastic. Much better than the last time I saw you.’ Rob patted her on the back before following the others into the kitchen.
‘Charming, as always, Rob.’ Maria rolled her eyes at Kelly and Kayleigh, who giggled. ‘Right then, you two. What would you like to drink? I’ve got apple juice, orange juice, and I think I might have blackcurrant too. Come on, let’s have a look.’
Maria popped the television on for the girls to watch in the lounge and grabbed them both a cup of juice. Then she returned to the kitchen and took the last chair at the table after serving everyone a coffee. It felt good to sit down with them. It had been too long since she’d last done so.
Compliments were thrown in her direction in regards to the kitchen, and Maria told them all about what she’d done so far. Ellen was thrilled and couldn’t wait to tell Geraldine about it. Rosanna couldn’t stop admiring the colour on the walls, wondering what it would be like in her own kitchen.
‘So, what’s the plan for today?’ asked Rob, once the chatter about the kitchen’s new look had simmered down. He looked relieved to finally be able to talk about something else, although he shared in the others’ enthusiasm about how great it looked.
‘I was thinking that we could take a stroll around the area, maybe a walk by the lake, and then have lunch in the pub if you all fancied it?’
‘Sounds perfect,’ said Rosanna. ‘How’s the waitressing in the café going?’
‘Wonderfully actually. I’m really enjoying myself. I’ve even made a few new friends while I’ve been here. Definitely feeling much happier. It’s working its magic already.’ Maria remembered with a smile how thrilled Ellen had been when Maria had called and told her about the job.
‘That’s fabulous news,’ smiled Ellen. ‘Geraldine has been asking after you, how you’re doing et cetera. I’ll be glad to give her the good news.’
‘And what are the people like, now that you’ve got to know them a bit better?’ Rob asked, looking at her with interest. ‘Are they nice? Not too snobby?’
‘Not snobby at all,’ laughed Maria. ‘In fact, they’re some of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. They’ve made me feel really welcome and like I belong here. Harriet reminds me of you,’ she said to Ellen. ‘And Millie, a bit like you,’ she smiled at Rosanna. ‘It’s weird actually, like you’re both here with me, but you’re not. I’m not going to want to go home when summer ends. I can already tell. It’s beginning to feel a bit like home to me now. When I come in after my shift at the café, a sense of belonging overcomes me. It’s like I’ve lived here forever.’
Ellen laughed. ‘I can’t blame you, darling. Geraldine’s going to make a killing when they start renting it out next year. And after you’ve finished with the painting, it’s going to look even better.’
Maria couldn’
t decide why Ellen’s comment made her feel so sad. She’d always known that the cottage, once she left at the end of summer, would be rented out. That had always been Geraldine’s plan. But as she sat there imagining strangers admiring the cottage and growing to love it in the same way that she did, she felt the sadness become almost overwhelming. She was protective over it, territorial even, and it wasn’t even hers.
Once they’d finished their drinks, they left the cottage and took a stroll through town. Maria took them all into the café to introduce them to Harriet who, to Maria’s delight, Ellen got along with famously. They each chose a slice of cake to take with them to the lake, where Kelly and Kayleigh ran across the grass laughing in the sunshine, while the others sat on the bench and watched them with silly smiles on their faces. They spent a good hour or so lazing about in the sunshine, gradually moving from off the bench to sit on the green grass beneath the shade of a tall tree.
‘Right. Pub lunch?’ Maria asked, getting up once she felt the stirrings of hunger beginning in her stomach.
‘Definitely. I’m starving,’ agreed Rob.
Maria led the way and once they were all seated at a table inside The Rose and Horn, Rob got the drinks in and Maria passed round the menus for everyone to have a good look at. Once everyone had decided on what they wanted to eat, Rob went back to the bar to order, ever the gentleman, leaving the ladies to chat.
‘So, Maria. I’m dying to know. Have any gorgeous men caught your eye while you’ve been here?’ Rosanna asked.
‘As if!’ laughed Maria, although she was surprised to find that Brad fluttered into her mind. She forced the image away. ‘There aren’t any, and even if there were, I’m not interested. You know that.’
‘Oh, come on. That’s not the way to go about it. You should get yourself back out there. Nothing serious, just have a bit of fun. There’s nothing wrong with that.’
‘I don’t have the time,’ replied Maria. ‘There’s the café and the cottage to think of. I’m not here for flirting, Rosanna. Besides, I’m having far too much fun on my own with my new friends, which is just what I’d hoped for. ‘