Freddie sounded so earnest that her heart went out to him.
‘Fred, you’ve undergone a lot of changes in the last few years and although Gemma knows that, she didn’t know you back then, so maybe she doesn’t fully understand. You need to explain. Tell her that you’ve taken big steps but now, now you have a job, a girlfriend, your own home, it’s already a lot and you both need to try to enjoy the relationship you’ve got.’
Pippa could see both sides but she desperately wanted to keep them together.
‘You’re right. I was thinking that if I took her away for the weekend, we haven’t taken a break for so long, then I can explain to her how much I love her, love being with her, and ask her to be patient with me. I know she needs reassurance and sometimes I don’t do that enough.’
‘Look at you, Fred, you’re an adult now!’ Pippa hugged her brother.
‘Are you two a couple?’ Chris asked as he approached the bar.
‘No, she’s my sister,’ Freddie replied with a horrified look.
Hector arrived, bounding up to them at the bar.
‘Who are you?’ he asked slightly rudely.
Brooke and Pippa both glanced at Hector in surprise.
‘I’m Chris, although people call me Chris PT.’
‘He’s working with Brooke,’ Pippa explained. ‘He’s a fitness expert and he’s possibly going to be here more often.’ She shot him a warning glare.
‘Yes, we’re discussing the idea of opening a new kind of fitness studio around here,’ Brooke expanded.
‘Now that sounds exciting. Where do you work now?’ Freddie asked.
‘At the Hopperly Spa, do you know it?’ Chris replied. ‘I’m the trainer there, look after the gym.’
‘I know it,’ Pippa replied.
It was quite fancy; she went there for a spa day with the others before Amanda’s wedding. But she’d never seen Chris there. Not that she’d set foot in the gym, of course.
‘They hired me to open the gym, but I’d rather expand my PT business and also run my own studio so I can be more innovative when it comes to fitness. That’s the plan, anyway.’
‘Sounds like you and Brooke are on the same page,’ Freddie pointed out.
‘Yes, well, we are and…’ Brooke started.
They all turned their eyes on her.
‘And we’d love to try to do a health retreat here at some point,’ Chris finished.
‘Here?’ Pippa asked, confused.
‘We were just toying with the idea of maybe trying something here, to try out some of our ideas. When you’re quiet, of course.’
‘If you want to book a week and run a retreat then that would be great, but unfortunately it would be your responsibility to fill it.’ Pippa knew she sounded like Harriet, but she was a hotel manager, not a friend, after all.
‘Great, maybe Brooke and I can work on that. It’s just an idea initially. But we’d eventually like to find the best area for opening a new type of fitness place,’ Chris said. ‘We’re going to look around.’
‘Probably not here. This village is mainly full of old people and fitness isn’t their thing,’ Freddie pointed out.
‘No, we were thinking a more residential, younger place, maybe a small town,’ Brooke said.
‘If you put a business plan together maybe you could talk to Harriet and get some advice,’ Freddie said. ‘More importantly, who wants a drink?’
‘I’d love a vodka soda,’ Brooke said.
‘And I’ll have the same, please,’ Chris said. ‘By the way, Pippa, are you single?’ he asked, raising a hopeful eyebrow.
‘No, she’s not!’ Hector snapped.
Freddie laughed while Brooke tried not to as Hector glared at Chris. Pippa’s lips curled. She was going to answer him, truthfully, but then she looked at Chris and realised that she really didn’t want to encourage him. Not least because his jeans were far too tight.
Chapter Fourteen
Pippa dashed into the office clutching her notebook. She’d been summoned by Harriet but was slightly surprised to find Freddie and Gus already there. Harriet had taken a seat behind the desk – usually Pippa’s desk – and Gus and Freddie were side by side on one of the sofas.
‘What’s going on?’ Pippa narrowed her eyes.
‘An intervention,’ Harriet said.
‘About what?’ Pippa asked.
‘You, apparently,’ Freddie replied. ‘But I wanted it to be noted that I didn’t know it was an intervention until I got here.’
‘Gus?’ Pippa pleadingly turned to her most compassionate sibling.
‘Sorry, Pippa, but this is for your own good,’ he replied.
‘You see…’ Harriet leant forwards on the desk.
She looked more like her old self. Maybe Toby was sleeping through the night now, because her hair was neat, she had no visible bags under her eyes and she looked immaculate. She was even wearing lipstick.
‘Where’s Toby?’ she asked, instead of asking why they were here.
‘With Gwen. Since I’ve been hanging out with other mums it seems I’m not as bad at this motherhood thing as I thought. Letting Gwen spend time with her grandson is good for all three of us. But, Pippa, this is about you, stop trying to change the subject.’
‘I still don’t understand.’ Pippa sank down onto the empty couch. She felt defeated already but she had no idea why.
‘Pip, we love you. We’ve been so proud of you this past year or so. The job you’ve done with this hotel is spectacular,’ Harriet said.
‘It wasn’t just me,’ Pippa said.
‘No, we were a team all along, but you have no life as a result of this. And before you protest, I know, because I was the same when I worked in New York at first.’
‘That’s ridiculous! I went out with Hector to Glastonbury the other day,’ Pippa protested. She knew she was married to the hotel, and she’d acknowledged that, she’d even nearly Internet dated because of that fact. So what did they want her to do?
‘That’s our point.’
‘Our point?’ Freddie asked.
Harriet glared at him.
‘Yes, our point.’
‘What’s your point?’ Pippa asked haughtily. She didn’t like this, not one bit.
‘Hector,’ Harriet said, folding her arms across her chest.
‘What?’ Now Pippa was even more confused.
‘We’ve been thinking,’ Gus cut in sensibly. ‘You should give Hector a chance.’
‘You want me to give Hector a chance?’ Pippa asked.
‘He adores you! You’ve been knocking him back for ages, almost since you first met him,’ Harriet pointed out. ‘And he’s such a great guy. Well, now he is, anyway. He’s handsome, smart, has a career and no longer does reality TV.’
‘Or has sex on television,’ Freddie added unhelpfully. ‘Although you could have warned me that this was what the meeting was about, Harry.’
‘In fact, he even turned down some shows, to be taken more seriously,’ Gus said, ignoring Freddie. ‘Pip, he and you would be so good together, if only you’d give him a chance.’
‘No,’ Pippa said. What the hell were they on? They all knew that as fond as she was of Hector, he was definitely not her type. They were all happy and just wanted her to be coupled off too, but because they all liked Hector, they’d decided on him. Jointly. Without even consulting her. What were they thinking of? It was ridiculous.
‘What do you mean, no?’ Harriet asked, looking offended.
‘Look, I like Hector, but he’s far too young. He’s younger than me and we’re friends – really good friends but nothing more.’
Pippa tried not to sound angry. She knew they were coming from a good place, even if they were coming from completely the wrong place.
‘What we’re trying to say,’ Harriet softened, ‘is that we worry that since Mark, and then Edward, you’ve been put off men because you can’t trust them and therefore you’re not giving anyone a chance.’
‘I tried I
nternet dating,’ Pippa argued.
‘No, you didn’t. You set up a profile and the Mike thing happened, so you gave that up, too,’ Harriet replied.
‘And the only reason Mike saw your profile was because you go for men who are too old for you,’ Gus pointed out reasonably.
‘OK, you might have a point about the older guys,’ Pippa conceded. She felt the walls of the room closing in. She wasn’t comfortable about the discussion they were having. ‘But you have to let me meet men my own way, figure it out for myself. Just because all of you have found your bloody soulmates doesn’t mean that I’m going to.’
‘Not if you don’t leave the hotel, you won’t,’ Gus said.
‘Really?’ Pippa felt angry. She was a soft person, a kind person, but she didn’t like being confronted and she did know how to stand up for herself. ‘You guys all met your partners at Meadowbrook, so I don’t think that argument holds.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake, Pippa, the perfect man is at Meadowbrook!’ Harriet sounded exasperated.
‘I’m not going to go out with Hector just because he’s here and available.’ She could hear her anger bouncing off the walls.
‘OK, I surrender, but think about what we’ve said. I don’t want you to wake up one day and wish you’d been more open to finding love.’ Harriet went over and hugged Pippa.
Pippa stiffened then surrendered to her sister’s embrace. For some reason she was beginning to feel emotional.
‘Changing the subject, you know we’ve got the committee meeting for the Easter event coming up, who’s going to go?’ Gus said.
Thankfully, he always knew when to change the subject.
‘We should all go,’ Harriet said. ‘The hotel mechanics can be left with the staff and as the first event of the year, I think we should all be there.’
There were three annual events at Meadowbrook, held to raise money for the animal sanctuary: Easter, the summer fête and the Christmas fair. They’d all expanded year on year but were kept separate from the hotel; although, of course, guests could participate. They used to hold committee meetings – which involved quite a few of the Parker’s Hollow residents – at the house but since they’d made it into a hotel, they’d moved the meetings to a private room at the pub. The residents, including a few members of the gardening club, the vicar and his wife, among others, missed spending time in the house, so they bribed them with an incredible spread of food and as much alcohol as they wanted in the pub to compensate. It had worked well for them. Pippa knew the house was important to the community and vice versa, but it was hard work finding ways to keep everyone happy.
‘Great, well, if that’s everything, I have work to do,’ Pippa said, suddenly feeling the need to get out of the office, or away from her siblings, she wasn’t sure which.
‘Pippa, will you at least think about what we’ve said?’ Gus asked, giving her a hug.
‘Of course,’ she lied.
As far as she was concerned, there was nothing to think about. If she was going to meet a man, a man who suited her, then it would happen, but she wasn’t going to let her siblings’ seeming desperation for her to be coupled off get to her. She was independent, she was happy – or she was happy-ish – and she’d figure the rest out for herself, of course she would.
She still felt slightly annoyed when she bumped into Brooke as she was checking the drawing room.
‘Hi,’ Brooke said, standing in front of her, seeming a bit awkward.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Sure. I mean, I wanted to talk to you. The other day, with Chris?’
‘You mean Chris PT?’ Pippa smiled.
‘Yes, I met him when I realised I needed to get on with trying out business ideas and he’s great. I mean, he’s got similar ideas to me and he’s ambitious. Not only that, but he’s also passionate about fitness. He really wants to open a studio the way I want to, so that’s good, right?’
‘Sounds great. So, what’s the problem?’ Pippa sat on the arm of one of the chairs.
‘I don’t know, maybe cold feet or something.’
Brooke sat down opposite Pippa. She looked vulnerable and Pippa rarely saw this side to her.
‘It’s a lot, I get that, Brooke. You’re in a new country, you’re setting up a new business … believe me, I could never have done that at your age. You’ve got balls, you know.’ She borrowed Hector’s terminology but it fitted.
‘You think so?’
‘God, I know so. You’re incredibly brave and there’s a lot going on. I think from the other day it seemed that Chris and you would be a good match – business-wise, I mean – and we’d love it if you could do a retreat or some kind of trial here to help get you started.’ Pippa still felt protective towards Brooke, she realised – something that took her by surprise. ‘Perhaps if we get any suitable bookings I could suggest that we offer a fitness option, if you want to try it out. I can’t guarantee anything but it won’t hurt to try.’
‘Thanks, Pippa, that would be great.’
‘Hey, anytime. And if you do feel overwhelmed and want to talk, you know where I am.’
Pippa walked away smiling. She felt as if she and Brooke had broken down another barrier and hopefully, she’d be able to help her, something that made Pippa feel good.
Chapter Fifteen
‘Hey, little sis.’ Gus enveloped Pippa in a hug as they met at The Parker’s Arms for the first committee meeting of the year.
There were many ways they raised funds for the animal sanctuary, but the three annual events were not only important to the sanctuary, but also to the local community. The summer fête was the biggest, but the Easter event had grown since they started and it became harder to decide on a theme, especially as everyone had an opinion. With March beginning and Easter creeping towards them, they needed to get going with their plans.
Their committee was nothing if not colourful. John, the vicar, was the unofficial head, his wife, Hilary, was always at his side and members of the gardening club also came, as well as some of the older members of Parker’s Hollow.
‘Penny for them?’ Gus asked as they put glasses, paper and pens around the table that had been set up for them.
‘I was thinking of Samuel.’
Pippa bit back tears. Samuel was the oldest member of the committee and a big part of Meadowbrook, and had been for as long as they could remember. However, a stroke last year had meant he’d to go into a home.
‘I know, I miss him, too,’ Gus said and planted a kiss on top of his sister’s head.
The room in The Parker’s Arms was perfect for the committee meeting. An array of tables had been put together and it was great for the pub, because they made a decent amount of money from the meetings.
Harriet arrived pushing a sleeping Toby in his pram and Gemma was by her side. She was shortly followed by Freddie, who arrived with Gwen and Gerry. The committee members bustled in, full of excitement, and as usual it took ages to seat everyone and take drinks orders before finally, after about twenty minutes, they were ready to start the meeting.
‘We need a theme, but I can’t help but think we’ve already covered all the obvious ones,’ Harriet started as she called the meeting to ‘order’ once everyone had tucked into the food and, more importantly, drinks. A few of the ladies had requested sherry and there were a couple of bottles of wine on the table.
‘Can I pick up Toby?’ Edie asked.
Active on the committee, as well as gardening club member, she often ran the bric-a-brac stall with Margaret. Because of their persuasive ways, it always made far more money than it ever should.
‘He’s sleeping.’ Harriet rolled her eyes at Pippa.
They always brought an agenda to the meeting, but this was usually bypassed, meaning it generally took a further couple of meetings to get anything decided. Pippa knew it was because most committee members liked coming to meetings. It gave them somewhere to go and also a purpose, as most of them were retired. That was Meadowbrook and she was aw
are that deep down, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
‘It’s fine, I’m his godmother almost.’
Before anyone could do anything, she lifted Toby out of the pram, which woke him up and provided him with an opportunity to show off how well his lungs worked.
‘My goodness! Even deaf Samuel would have been able to hear that cry!’ Rose, another gardening club and committee member, said.
‘Do all babies sound like that?’ Pete asked.
‘Here, I’ve got a bottle for him.’
Harriet, trying not to sound angry, handed it to Edie and when she stuck it in Toby’s mouth, he stopped crying immediately.
‘Man after my own heart, likes his food,’ Gerry announced proudly.
‘Right, back to the Easter event,’ Pippa said. ‘We still need a theme.’
‘I’d like to propose bringing back the real meaning of Easter,’ John, the vicar, suggested.
‘I second that,’ his wife loyally piped up. ‘Jesus and the Crucifixion.’
Pippa rolled her eyes and looked at Fred, who was trying not to laugh. Thank goodness Gus jumped in, because no one else seemed to know what to say.
‘We’ve always said in the past – and I mean this with all due respect to both Easter and Jesus – that we can’t have a half-naked man nailed to a cross, it wouldn’t be suitable for children, and we do need to raise money, you know,’ he pointed out gently.
‘Fine,’ John said, sounding disappointed, although why, as he’d tried to get this passed every year and was always vetoed, Pippa had no idea.
‘But we’d love for your morris dance troop to be heavily involved, of course,’ Harriet added as a means to pacify him.
‘You know, you still haven’t officially set the date for the christening,’ Hilary pointed out, going off at a tangent.
‘I know, I’m so sorry.’ Harriet’s face began to redden. ‘We’ve been meaning to but we’ve just been so busy.’
‘Next month’s good for me. Pin Connor down. Where is he, by the way?’ John asked.
The Ticket to Happiness Page 13