“So can I go and speak to her, Daddy?”
Jonny inhaled deeply and nodded. Sadie adored Rayah. Out of everyone in Severton who helped him with childcare, Rayah was Sadie’s go-to human of choice.
“You looking for me, Poppet?” Her voice was musical and low, containing something that was enough to capture the attention of the children that she taught and most people who met her.
“Rayah!” Sadie somehow ended up in Rayah’s arms, even though it was brief.
For months, Jonny had to coach Sadie to call Rayah ‘Miss Maynard’ when she was her reception class teacher. Pretty much straight after going into the next class with a different teacher, Sadie had been back to being on first name terms with Jonny’s childhood friend.
“You’re still jumping hippopotamus!” Rayah’s focus was solely on the little girl.
Jonny tried not to pay too much attention. It was late September, so the short shorts that summer had coaxed out of Rayah’s closet were no longer there. Instead she was wearing tight jeans and a sweater that did everything to cling to her curves. Not that he noticed. Because she was a childhood friend and his best mates’ sister and cousin. Permanently in the Friend Zone.
“Where’s your jacket?” That was what he chose to focus on.
Rayah put a hand on Sadie’s back as she clung to her legs. “In the car. I was only popping into the clubhouse to pick up Jake’s wallet. Yet again.”
Jonny laughed. Jake was one of his closest friends, always had been, probably always would be. He ran his family’s farm and had recently branched out into keeping alpacas, although no one was quite sure why. “Is that the second time in a week?”
Rayah rolled her eyes. “Third in two weeks. I’m waiting for the day when you have a chip programmed into your hand so Jake no longer needs a wallet. Although he’d probably manage to lose his hand instead.”
Jonny was pretty sure that would happen. Jake Maynard was known everywhere he went, mainly for his personality, which was larger than life and drew people to him. He was also known for leaving belongings everywhere, but because he was Jake, they were always looked after and returned. “Any reason he couldn’t pick up his own wallet?”
Rayah shrugged. “He’s been out in the fields from four in the morning ‘til nine most evenings, so I figured I could help out. It’s a big harvest this year.”
“I think I’ve been commandeered to help out at the weekend.” It was an autumn ritual: all hands on deck for the harvest on the final Saturday, followed by a party in the fields nearest the farmhouse. Ever since he could remember, Jonny had been one of the extra set of hands in the fields. When the boys had been tiny, he and Grace had still been there, helping where they could while the babies were looked after by the older town residents. After Grace had died, he’d still been there every year, because it was normality. Charlie was just about old enough to help out this year, even if it was picking up the apples in the orchard. Harry, Jonny’s middle child,was a year too young, but he would want to be where Charlie was.
“I think everyone is in on it this year. The extra land from Niall James’ farm was a good move, apart from the fact Jake’s more than doubled his land. If he suggests more alpacas, encourage it. At least they farm the fields themselves.”
“I want a pet alpaca. Can I have one, Daddy? It could live in the garden and I promise I’d look after it.” Sadie slipped her hand into his.
Jonny sent a quick prayer up to the stars for help. He was good at saying no, but he hated it. He wanted to give his kids everything they wanted, but that wouldn’t be good for anyone.
“Alpacas need to be in a flock.” Rayah had crouched down in front of Sadie. “But I bet Jake would let you choose one to adopt. You could pick a name for it and visit it.”
Jonny exhaled. That was a solution everyone could manage.
Sadie’s eyes had grown inextricably bigger. “So my alpaca could still have friends and be mine too?”
Jonny wondered if this was the start of a very important life lesson.
“Definitely. Shall we pick an alpaca this weekend when you’re at the farm for Mabon?” Rayah’s shoulders now had Sadie’s probably sticky hands on them. She had also given harvest its pagan name, part of the town traditions.
“Are you going to help make corn dollies like last year?” Sadie’s attention was stolen by something else, but Jonny had no doubt, she’d return to the alpaca request later.
“Yep. Are you going to join in?”
Sadie nodded excitedly and clung onto Rayah a little more. Rayah stood up, lifting his daughter.
His heart twisted. Six years had been enough time to understand that his children had lost their mother. He’d gone through the grief and the guilt in waves since then, and missed Grace, cursed her for not being there, in moments like this.
But it wasn’t his grief any more. Instead it was the pain of his kids that he wanted to heal, even if they didn’t feel that pain themselves.
“Do you need any help with Charlie’s party tomorrow?” Rayah put down the rather too-big-to-hold-for-too-long Sadie.
Jonny watched her fair curls bounce wildly about her shoulders. Rayah hated her hair. He remembered how she’d once ironed it, frustrated with the waves that were unfashionable at the time and not being allowed straighteners for fear she’d set the house on fire.
She’d been metaphorically setting things on fire ever since.
