Wanting to help if he could, Brodie jumped off his surfboard and picked it up. Then, looking over to her again, he realised it was Lettie. His heart pounded. Brodie ran up the beach with his board, stopping in front of her. As his shadow covered her, she sniffed and looked up at him, wiping her swollen eyes with the backs of her hands.
‘It is you.’ He dropped his board onto the sand and sat next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. ‘What’s happened? Are you all right?’ What a stupid question, he thought. Clearly she was anything but all right.
Lettie sniffed again and, after taking a tissue from her shorts pocket, blew her nose. ‘Dad and Mum are selling Hollyhock Farm.’
He struggled to take in what she was saying. ‘Why?’
He listened as she explained what had been said and pulled her closer to him as she burst into a fresh flood of tears. ‘I’m so sorry, Lettie. I know how much you love that place.’
‘Just when I was thinking there might be some hope for me to stay working there too,’ she sniffed.
He waited for her crying to calm slightly. ‘There must be some other way for them to raise money. I’ve been trying to think of ways you could help increase income at the farm.’
‘Go on,’ she said wiping away tears with the backs of her hands. ‘Do you mean ways to diversify?’
‘Yes.’ He hoped she didn’t think he was involving himself in her business.
‘Well?’
He could see she was getting impatient. ‘I read an article recently on agritourism and wondered if maybe you could do something like that.’
‘I’m willing to try anything if it means we can keep Hollyhock Farm.’ She frowned thoughtfully. ‘Now you mention it, I’ve heard of others doing it. Some local farmers have been doing that sort of thing for a few years. It’s basically finding other ways to make the farm bring in an income, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, the article I read mentioned retreats as one idea. My sister went to an artist’s retreat a few months ago and that was at a farm in Devon.’
Lettie nodded, looking much happier he was relieved to see. ‘There must be a whole range of events we could hold there throughout the year.’ She thought for a moment. ‘I remember going to a place here when I was small that had an animal petting area, not that I think there’s much money in that but at least the animals we do already have at the farm might entice school trips and could be used as part of an educational project.’
Encouraged by her enthusiasm for the idea, Brodie added, ‘You could plant a forest garden. If you have any fruit trees, maybe picking fruit is another thing visitors could come and either help with, or pick their own.’
‘You’re right. Hollyhock Farm has the barns and stunning views so maybe it could be used for wedding venues or other events.’ She pushed a strand of hair from her face. ‘We’re far enough away from our neighbours to hold music festivals. Zac could look after the sound as that’s his area of expertise and I know he’d want to be involved in some way.’
‘I imagine they would bring in some money, too.’
‘Thanks, Brodie. I’ll think all this through and talk to Dad about it.’
Happy to see her looking calmer, he held her again. Feeling a drip of water on his arm, Brodie realised his wet hair was dripping onto her. He moved his arm back away from her and ran his other hand through is hair to try and get the worst of the sea out of it. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to wet you.’
‘It’s fine.’ Her voice was quiet. She sighed deeply. ‘Do you know what, Brodie?’
He wondered what she was about to tell him. ‘No. Go on.’
‘I know my dad well enough. If he’s made up his mind to sell, then that’s what he’ll do.’
It seemed a shame for her to give up so easily, but Brodie knew how determined parents could be once they had decided something. ‘Maybe, but there’s no harm in you making a few suggestions to him don’t you think?’
‘I suppose not.’
‘And even if he doesn’t go for these ideas, you could always offer to keep running the farm for him until he finds a buyer. Who knows, they might want to continue as you have been and need you to hand over to them. Or—’ his mind raced ‘—maybe someone justwanting to invest in a farm on the island could be the potential new owner of Hollyhock Farm. They might want you to stay on and run the place for them?’
She didn’t reply straight away. Lettie shook her head slowly. ‘No. I don’t think that’ll work for me, not if the farm isn’t in my family.’
Brodie held her closer to him, hoping to comfort her. He wished he could think of a way forward for Lettie that would make her happy and hoped her father would surprise her and change his mind after all. He said as much to her.
She brightened slightly and looked up at him. ‘It would be amazing if he did do that.’ She stared out towards the sea. ‘They’re going to tell Zac.’
She needed cheering up. ‘How about coming back to the cottage? I’ll have a quick shower and then maybe we can go out for a bite to eat. Try to give yourself a break and forget about this for a couple of hours.’ He winked at her. ‘Your parents must be tired from travelling and maybe by then your father will have had a rethink.’
She smiled and nodded. ‘Yes. I like that idea.’ It was worth a try.
