‘My God, this place looks amazing.’ Katie stood outside the shop for a moment, taking it in. She peered through the window of the little bookshop. ‘And this is just gorgeous. You’re living the dream, aren’t you?’
Hannah smiled. ‘I am a bit. I honestly didn’t know how much I’d love it here.’
‘There’s a village tree, and they’ve decorated the telephone box library with fairy lights.’
‘And there’s a carol service tomorrow. It’s like living in a Richard Curtis movie.’
‘All you need is a hot footballer to sweep you off your feet.’ Katie followed her into the shop. ‘Oh, wait. You’ve got that, too.’
‘Don’t start. He’s a friend, that’s all.’
‘A friend who happens to turn up and help when the lights go out in the shop?’ Katie’s tone was arch.
‘Like you wouldn’t have done the same thing?’
‘Yeah, right. Okay, you’ve got a point.’
The night before last, just as Jake was dropping Ben off from a midweek training session, the power to the shop had gone with a slightly alarming bang not long after Hannah had strung up a final set of Christmas lights along the top of the bookshelves. Jake had come in, helped work out what the problem was and then stayed for coffee and to talk about the book he’d been reading, which he thought she’d love. The next morning, he’d popped into the shop with a copy for her.
‘Anyway,’ Katie said, collapsing on the sofa, ‘I think it’s nice that you’ve got someone in your life – even if they’re just a friend, before you say anything.’ She gave Hannah a meaningful look. ‘Who is decent and treats you nicely.’
‘He does, you’re right.’
‘And Ben thinks he’s amazing, right?’
‘He really does. He respects him, which is something he’s never done with Phil.’
‘Well that’s not really a massive shock, is it?’
Hannah rolled her eyes. ‘Not exactly, no.’
Hannah left Katie to get her things unpacked and headed for the kitchen to put some plates in the oven to warm. Ben was – as usual – out with his friends, but she’d save him some for later.
‘I’m just going to nip out and get something from the Chinese takeaway. I’ll ring and order and it’ll be ready by the time I get there. Are you hungry?’
‘Starving,’ Katie called from the little spare room. ‘I could eat a horse. Or at least a whole container of beef in black bean sauce and some noodles and maybe a helping of prawn toasts?’
‘Done,’ said Hannah, taking her phone out of her bag. ‘I’ll ring them from the car.’
It was funny how quickly she’d become accustomed to the patterns of village life – if someone had told her a year ago that she’d have to drive a ten-mile round trip to pick up a takeaway meal or visit a supermarket, she’d have laughed at them. Things had changed so much in such a short time. She drove out of the village and past the turning that led down to Greenhowes. Looking over the hedge, she could see the lights of the big house glowing in the trees. Jake was probably down there, pottering about, doing whatever he did on a Saturday night.
It was weird that he’d never talked about the woman who had collected him from Helen’s dinner party. He’d mentioned a PA – maybe that’s who she was? Maybe, though, it was someone who was something more. It didn’t really matter, though, did it? It wasn’t as if he was about to declare his undying love to Hannah. It was nice that they’d become friends, though. She’d never really had any male friends – Phil had always been weirdly possessive, and of course it wasn’t as if she’d had much opportunity to meet new people while she’d been bringing up Ben. Now here she was, living in the tiniest little village, and somehow her social life had expanded in ways she’d never expected.
She parked in the car park by the canal and made her way up the narrow passageway to the Chinese restaurant. One of the streetlights was flickering ominously, and she felt a prickle of apprehension as she walked along the empty lane. Bletchingham was hardly an inner city, though – she shook her head, trying to convince herself not to feel uncomfortable. But when a huge, heavyset man came towards her she twisted the car keys she was holding, turning them so the point of the key was tucked between her fingers, in an almost instinctive motion. The man gave her a sideways look as he passed, then pulled out a mobile phone to make a call.
‘Yeah, just trying to work out where she is. It can’t be that hard.’
Hannah sped up, relieved to step out of the gloomy passage and onto the main street. The food was bagged up and waiting for her and she collected it with a smile of thanks, deciding this time to walk the longer way round to the car park past the old library.
When she got back to Little Maudley, there was a familiar dark-coloured Range Rover parked outside the shop. She picked up the bag of food and headed inside, frowning in confusion. As soon as she opened the door she heard Katie shrieking with laughter, and a familiar voice talking.
‘Ah,’ Katie said, as she walked in, ‘we’ve got a visitor.’
Jake stood up from the edge of the sofa where he’d been perched, chatting to Katie who was curled up on the armchair, looking quite at home.
‘Hello.’ Hannah put the bag down on the coffee table and looked at Jake.
‘Hi.’ He rubbed his jaw, looking suddenly awkward. ‘Sorry, I should have thought you’d be eating.’
‘It’s fine.’ Hannah looked over his shoulder at Katie, who was mouthing oh my God at her, eyes saucer-wide.
‘Jake just wanted to ask you a favour,’ Katie said, standing up. ‘I tell you what, I’ll go and get the plates and cutlery and he can tell you what’s happening tomorrow.’
‘Not tell,’ Jake began, looking uncomfortable.
‘Tell,’ said Katie, with a note of finality in her voice. ‘I’m not hearing any arguments.’
‘What’s going on?’ Hannah sat down on the coffee table, knees pressed together. Jake hovered for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure whether to stand or sit. Eventually he sat on the sofa, palms pressed down on his long thighs, leaning forward slightly.
‘I’ve got a – thing – tomorrow night. To be honest, I was trying to get out of it, but a friend of mine’s had to pull out, and I’m needed to present an award.’
‘Okay . . .’ Hannah’s stomach churned – she wasn’t sure whether it was with nerves or anticipation. Maybe both. She put a hand to her mouth and looked at him, not speaking.
‘The thing is, I need someone to take.’
‘A date?’ Hannah squeaked the words out, flushing pink as soon as she did so. Oh, God, why couldn’t she just be cool for once? Katie wouldn’t have behaved like a fourteen-year-old in this situation.
‘Um.’ Jake made a face, ‘Well, yeah. Sort of.’
‘Okay.’ Hannah inhaled carefully, trying to appear zen and calm. ‘So who are you thinking of?’
‘You, silly,’ Jake said, and started to laugh. ‘I mean – I’m just – well, I need someone to come along who won’t take it all too seriously, and I just wondered if maybe you’d like a night away from village stuff – but then I discovered you’ve got Katie here, and—’
Katie reappeared with three plates and the food decanted from the bag and set out on a big metal tray. ‘And I said that I would have absolutely no problem in staying here, keeping an eye on Ben, and holding the fort so you could go to London and hang out with the famous people.’
‘Famous people?’ Hannah looked at Jake, questioningly.
‘Well, famous sports people. It’s the Sports Personality of the Year awards.’
‘Oh my God. Ben’s going to die of envy.’
‘He’ll be there himself soon enough, if he carries on playing the way he has been.’
‘You see,’ Katie said, looking pleased with herself.
‘But why do you want me to come?’
Katie shot Hannah a look of utter despair. ‘God, Hannah, what you’re supposed to say is oh wow, thanks very much, Jake, I’d love to come.’
>
‘Oh –’ Hannah pushed a lock of hair back behind her ears. ‘Sorry. Yes, I would love to. But I don’t have anything to wear.’
‘You do,’ said Katie, firmly. ‘And I’ll do your hair and make-up and stuff.’
‘You’d be doing me a massive favour,’ Jake said, pushing up his shirt sleeve and absent-mindedly rubbing his arm. Standing beside him at an awards ceremony, she was going to look like a very drab and unexciting plus-one. Maybe that was the idea. She knew how much Jake loathed press and publicity. If he had someone unremarkable on his arm, the photographers wouldn’t take any notice.
‘I’d love to,’ she said decidedly.
‘Seriously?’ Jake looked relieved and smiled broadly. ‘That’s amazing.’
‘Told you she would,’ Katie said, with all the self-satisfaction of a born matchmaker. ‘Now, I’m bloody starving. Jake, are you staying for some of this food?’
‘I would,’ he said, looking at it longingly, ‘but I think you two probably have loads to catch up on. Hannah, I’ll give you a shout tomorrow and tell you what time I’ll be picking you up?’
‘That’s perfect.’ She tried not to think about how petrified with nerves she already was at the prospect.
‘Right, well, I’ll get off.’
‘You sure you don’t want to stay?’ Katie waggled a piece of sesame prawn toast at him.
‘No,’ he laughed. ‘But thanks.’
‘I’ll see you out,’ Hannah said, getting up.
As Hannah turned to close the door behind her, Katie’s eyebrows were raised so far up that they were in danger of disappearing into her hairline. She gave Hannah a huge smile and a thumbs-up sign, then shoved the piece of prawn toast into her mouth.
‘I’ve never been to anything like that before,’ Hannah said, standing by the door of the cottage. Jake paused in the little porch. He was so tall and broad that he took up most of the space.
‘It’ll be nice to do it with someone I actually enjoy spending time with,’ he said, looking at her directly. She felt her stomach flip over with excitement and anticipation.
‘Okay, let me know what time you’re coming in the morning. Do I need to get dressed here, or—’ She didn’t want to presume, but what did people usually do at things like this? Did they stay over, or get a taxi home? Or a chauffeured car? It was way, way out of her comfort zone.
‘I’ll pick you up. I’m not going to drink, so I’ll take the car. You can have all the champagne you want, though.’ He smiled at her and raised an eyebrow. ‘I promise not to take advantage.’
Her heart gave an uneven thump and she felt herself colouring slightly at the flirtatious line. She walked back into the sitting room, closed the door, and collapsed back against it with an enormous sigh.
‘Oh my actual God,’ said Katie, fanning herself. ‘Where do I start?’
‘I have no idea.’ Hannah slid down the door and onto the carpet, sitting there with a slightly dazed expression on her face. ‘When I said I was moving to the countryside for a quiet life, this isn’t quite what I was thinking of.’
Katie got up, walked across the room and held out her hands to pull Hannah upright. When she was standing, Katie wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.
‘I’m so bloody happy for you, Han. All that time I spent telling you you needed to do something in life that was for you. Well, you’re bloody well doing it, aren’t you?’
Hannah sat down on the sofa, ignoring the cooling takeaway food. She wasn’t even remotely hungry any more.
Katie flicked on the television and spooned some noodles and sweet-and-sour chicken onto a plate, passing it to her. ‘You need to eat something, you look like you’re on another planet.’
‘I’m fine.’ Hannah picked at a noodle, half-heartedly.
‘You’re not fine,’ said Katie, looking at her beadily. ‘You’ve got the major hots for him, and don’t try and tell me otherwise.’
Hannah opened her mouth.
‘I said don’t.’ Katie pointed a warning finger. ‘And what’s more –’ she speared a piece of green pepper with a fork and waggled it in the air – ‘he’s got the raging hots for you right back.’
‘Yeah, right.’ Hannah rolled her eyes. ‘Because millionaire England football players always go for frazzled-looking thirty-five-year-old women with teenage sons. He probably just feels sorry for me.’ She thought about the comment he’d made about not taking advantage and felt a tiny, secretive flutter of excitement. Surely he wasn’t actually interested in her?
‘Hannah, you’re gorgeous, you’re a lovely person, you’ve come down here and finally come out of the shadow of effing Phil. You’ve set up a book group and a bookshop, and as far as I can gather, everyone in the village thinks you’re the bee’s knees. I think it’s about bloody time you saw yourself the way other people do.’
‘Well, that’s me told,’ Hannah said, laughing.
‘Yes, it is.’ Katie’s voice was firm. ‘And as soon as I’ve eaten all of this –’ she motioned to the huge tray of food – ‘I’m going to take you through to the bedroom and we’re going to find you something lovely to wear.’
Hannah woke up the next morning feeling slightly sick with anticipation. She checked her phone straight away, just in case he’d messaged – not expecting him to be awake.
Morning – hope you’re still on for tonight?
She tapped a reply straight back.
Of course.
That’s a relief. Okay, I’ll pick you up at three? Traffic might be a nightmare, and that’ll give us a chance to get to the hotel and get organized.
Hotel? Hannah took a sharp intake of breath in surprise.
I thought you said we were driving back?
Of course They give me a room as a matter of course – just somewhere to get dressed and sorted before it all kicks off. I’m going to be ready to go, but you can bring your stuff and get dressed there if you like? It’s a suite, so I won’t get under your feet.
She had to admit that the prospect of getting ready in a fancy hotel suite had a certain appeal. If only she could bring Katie along to help out.
That sounds perfect. Can I bring anything?
As soon as she’d typed it, she realized how utterly naive it sounded. It was a massive sporting award ceremony, not the sixth form disco where they’d be sneaking in a bottle of cheap vodka and necking it when the teachers weren’t watching.
Just yourself. x
Hannah looked at the kiss for a long moment before she replied.
Katie, meanwhile, was having the time of her life playing shops. Fortunately one of the village volunteers was on hand for the whole day and was in charge of cashing up and all the technical stuff, but she was determined to get her hands dirty. She’d already donned one of the ‘The Old Post Office’ aprons, tied her hair back in a jaunty ponytail, and was dusting the bookshelves with a feather duster and humming to herself.
‘You having fun there?’
‘Bloody loving it,’ Katie beamed. ‘I might give up work and come and do this full time.’
‘I can’t see that happening. The money’s not good enough, for one thing.’
‘Yeah, but my success rate at bagging a glamorous night out with a gorgeous footballer has been zero per cent so far, and you seem to be doing okay in that department.’
‘Oh, shut up,’ Hannah giggled.
‘Right, let’s have a look at your outfit for tonight, then.’ She looked across at the counter. ‘Just popping upstairs to sort Hannah out,’ she explained to the woman who was serving, who looked slightly nonplussed. Hannah shook her head in mock despair as she followed Katie back into the cottage.
‘I tell you what,’ Katie said, holding up a long black dress scattered with sequins and scrunching up her face in thought. ‘There’s one thing we have to be grateful to Phil for. All those incredibly dull work nights out mean you’ve at least got some nice dresses in the wardrobe for a thing like this.’
‘I still think it’s a bit
plain, though, don’t you?’
‘Classy, not plain. Classy with sparkles. That’s a good look, I think.’
‘I feel really bad that you’ve come down here to see me and now I’m swanning off to London.’
Katie made a snorting sound and shook her head. ‘I’m bloody not. You deserve this, every bit of it.’
‘You don’t have to do anything in the shop, you know. Grace will be fine running it herself.’
‘I know.’ Katie rubbed her hands together. ‘But I’m secretly quite excited about playing shops and soaking up some of this village atmosphere.’
‘You sound like Beth. Mind you, it wasn’t atmosphere she liked, it was gossip.’
‘Yeah, I’m up for that, too. If anything exciting happens, I’ll let you know.’
Chapter Twenty-eight
Over in Greenhowes, Jake was hoovering the car seats. Despite having been valeted in the week they were somehow still covered in dog hairs, thanks to Meg and Mabel and their habit of leaping into any car door that happened to be open on the off chance they might be taken on an adventure. Pippa had taken the dogs off to hers for the weekend, so he didn’t have to worry about what time he got back. He was buzzing with excitement – not at the thought of the awards, which he’d duck out of given half a chance, but at the prospect of a whole afternoon and evening spent with Hannah. As long as he didn’t run out of things to talk about – except that didn’t ever seem to be a problem for them. Whenever he went to the shop, they’d stand chatting for ages. And after football, Ben and the boys were happy to carry on kicking a ball about while they stood drinking coffee and talking. She was the easiest person to talk to he’d ever met – and it didn’t harm things that she was incredibly pretty. He couldn’t wait to see her all dressed up for the awards this evening.
He’d just locked up and was throwing a suit carrier onto the back seat when he heard the sound of a car coming down the drive. He waited a moment, wondering what it could be – he hadn’t ordered anything online, and the post had already been delivered. As it drew closer, he realized it was a taxi. It pulled to a halt and after a moment Sarah climbed out, hefting her bags onto her shoulder.
The Village Green Bookshop: A Feel-Good Escape for All Book Lovers from the Bestselling Author of The Telephone Box Library Page 20