As we drove, I pulled down the passenger mirror and looked at myself. My long, honey-blonde hair had been cut into a long, layered bob that framed my face and was an easy style that I could just wash and leave. Then the stylist had darkened it to be closer to my natural colour of light brown again. It somehow made me look younger and made my eyes look greener. And thanks to a couple of days spent out in the fresh air, along with some good nights’ sleep, my skin was already looking healthier, plus my eyes looked less dark and tired. I put on the new coral lip gloss I had bought and I smiled. ‘I feel… better,’ I announced.
‘You seem so much brighter,’ Willow agreed. ‘I love the new look and it’s nice to see you smiling again. Put your clip in.’
I chuckled. Willow had found a daisy hair clip that she said I had to have. I slid it into one side of my hair. ‘It is cute,’ I admitted, looking at myself again. It was playful, something I hadn’t been around Henry and his family. They were always kind of serious. Willow was definitely helping to bring back the side of me she had known when I was younger. God, I missed that young, carefree, playful girl. Could I get her back this summer? I knew I’d never be quite the same after losing my parents but Willow was right that they would have hated to see me to be anything other than happy.
Willow turned off the road to drive through the gates to the farm. We were singing along to the radio loudly, giggling at the songs we were playing from our youth, when we both noticed a fancy car in the drive. We stopped singing as Willow drove up to park beside it. It was bright red and polished in a way that no cars in Birchbrook were. A glamorous brunette was climbing out of the driver’s door.
‘Hi there, can I help?’ Willow asked, walking towards the woman. ‘I own the farm.’
I followed behind, taking in the woman as we approached. She was wearing a pencil skirt and blouse, her glossy hair in waves and sunglasses on her face. She had four-inch heels on. Her whole look screamed money. She was pretty and polished in a way I recognised from Henry’s country club. Henry had encouraged me to look just like her. I had no idea what he’d say if he could see me now in my shorts and trainers, and my new hair and minimal make-up.
‘Oh yes, I’m looking for someone,’ she said in a cut-glass tone, smiling at Willow. ‘I’m trying to find Blake Daniels. I’m his girlfriend, Sarah.’
I stared at her, stunned, while Willow’s smile faded.
Before Willow could respond, I heard another car behind us coming up the drive. I spun around, wondering who else had suddenly turned up to the farm.
Then my stomach dropped. Everything seemed to go into slow motion. The farm became smudgy around the edges as I recognised the blue sports car. The roof of the car was down, the man driving it wearing his usual designer shades. He pulled up at a fast pace beside Sarah and parked his car.
‘Who is that now?’ Willow asked, clearly as dumbstruck as me at these two unexpected new arrivals.
My heart started to thump as I watched him start to get out of his car.
I swallowed hard before I could answer Willow.
‘It’s Henry.’
12
‘I’ll find Blake,’ I suddenly said before Henry could get fully out of his car. ‘Back in a min!’ I hurried off before Willow could stop me. I knew it was shitty to leave her to deal with both Sarah and Henry but I needed a minute to get my thoughts together.
Henry was on the farm! He’d tracked me down.
I was annoyed at myself for telling him I was staying with my cousin. I had mentioned the farm a few times while we were together, and he must have remembered that and looked it up. Now he’d driven out here. I had no idea if he was ready to have a go at me or try to talk me into going back with him but either way, I was in no hurry to find out. I wasn’t sure when I’d become such a chicken but after running out of our wedding, I was now doing it again. This time, just across to Willow’s cottages as my pulse raced.
I banged on the door where Blake was staying and called out his name.
The door opened and Blake stood there wearing a surprised frown. ‘What’s up, Daisy?’ he asked, taking in my harassed appearance. ‘You changed your hair.’
‘Oh.’ My turn to be surprised as I touched it. ‘Yeah, I did.’
‘It really suits you.’
That flummoxed me for a moment. ‘Thanks. We have a problem, though… Sarah and Henry have just turned up at the same time on the farm.’
Blake stared at me.
‘Your ex, Sarah, is here! And so is the man I left at the altar!’ I repeated, hoping he’d cotton on fast as they were both waiting for us with poor Willow. ‘What do we do?!’
Blake’s eyes widened. ‘I told her I’d think about meeting her. She’s just turned up?’
‘They both have,’ I repeated.
‘I wished I hadn’t told her where I was now.’ He looked as agitated as I felt.
‘My phone is still off. I told Henry I was here but I didn’t think he’d even remember where it was! I feel bad – I left Willow with them. We can’t hide or run, I guess…’ I trailed off, wondering whether we could actually try to do that.
Blake sighed and came out of the cottage, closing the door behind him. ‘No, I guess we can’t. Shall we face them together?’ he asked, understanding floating between us. We both didn’t want to do this, for different reasons.
