Spencer felt inordinately proud as he helped pack away the stalls and rugs after the inaugural, highly successful pick-your-own sunflower afternoon.
In a few short weeks, the paddock would be harvested. A portion of the seeds would be saved for next year’s crop and the remainder would be sold.
They hadn’t decided whether the funds would go towards new props, set pieces and costumes, or upgrading the hall’s sound and lighting, but either way, the fundraiser would be a great boost to the community group’s coffers.
He was still smiling when he was unloading his trolley in the supermarket car park that evening, filling his car with all the fixings for an easy dinner at Clem’s farmhouse.
Agatha Angelino fell into step beside him as he headed back to his car after returning his trolley. ‘Spencer, love, I hardly chatted to you at the sunflower picnic. I was so sorry to see things didn’t work out for you and Emily, though I wasn’tsurprised to hear you’d found someone closer to home. Clem’s lovely. And what a go-getter, with her cafe. Now, have you started jotting down ideas for next year’s play yet, Mr Director?’
Spencer shook his head with a chuckle. ‘I’m not sure I’ll take it on. Co-writing a play’s one thing, I don’t think I can manage to write a whole script myselfanddirect it.’
Agatha clapped him on the shoulder. ‘You can do anything you put your mind to, I have absolutely no doubt. Especially with a good team behind you.’
Spencer’s next stop was the park, where he was greeted by the sight of Clem and Hazel in the playground, their heads tipped back in laughter as they pushed their young daughters on the spider swing. Harriet waved from the sandpit, where she was building a tunnel while baby Cormac watched on in his pram. It was a sight he looked forward to seeing, again and again and again.
‘Higher, higher,’ Indi cried, calling him over the moment she spotted him. ‘Spencer, can you push us?’
‘Sure, just a minute,’ he said, closing the gap between him and Clem and pulling her into his arms. Her sunflower-print dress fluttered around his bare legs, tickling his knees.
‘Hey handsome,’ Clem said, pressing a kiss onto his lips. ‘You wouldn’t believe the chat I just had by the slippery dip. The mayor’s daughter and her family are in town for the weekend. They loved the picnic yesterday and she said I’d be crazy not to nominate it for the council’s annual community awards.’
‘You know what, my Sunflower Queen? I think she’s dead right. With a few tweaks, I’d bet my new beehives we can build up the sunflower paddock and bolster the picnic to become the most successful community fundraiser in the region.’
‘Get a room, you two,’ Hazel grimaced. ‘Just because you got the okay from the TV network to go public doesn’t meanyou have to inflict public displays of affection, or your own personal version of business-related sexy talk, on everyone.’
‘At least there’s no one splicing our dialogue to produce malicious soundbites. What you see is what you get,’ Spencer said, landing one last kiss on the top of Clem’s rosemary-scented hair before moving to the swing, where the giggling girls were holding on tightly, their eyes wide with anticipation.
‘And yet you’re about to fly to Sydney and put your faith in those very same producers and editors,’ Hazel said, shaking her head. ‘I still don’t know why you agreed to be involved in this follow-up reunion episode, Clemmy.’
‘You’re just jealous I didn’t take you up on the offer to carry my bags so Spencer could introduce you to the heartbroken contestant from Rockhampton.’ Clem laughed.
‘You’ve got me there,’ Hazel said sheepishly. ‘He looked alright.’
‘Spencer and I are the only good news story to come from this season. We’re like the Steven Bradbury ofLove on the Land, getting gold because everyone else fell over. Besides, it’s worth it. As well as giving Sunny Cross Farm Gate Cafe a good plug, the producers have promised to make a generous donation to the Penwarra Hall.’
‘Absolutely nothing to do with getting a weekend away in Sydney or seeing the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House for the first time, right?’ Spencer grinned, sending Alma and Indi soaring above their heads, squealing with glee.
‘Definitely not,’ Clem said, struggling to keep a straight face.
Clem hadn’t quite got used to the sight of Spencer’s ute in her driveway, nor his razor in the shower or his beekeeping suit hanging on the coat rack in the laundry, but as she watched him carry a sleeping Indi across the driveway, her little hands stillclasping the Vegemite scroll she’d chosen for dinner, she knew his role in her life—in their lives—was good for all of them.
After the day harvesting the final sunflowers, soaking up the last of the sunshine forecast for summer, Indi was clearly tuckered out.
She’ll be a terror to get to bed tonight,Clem thought, opening the bedroom door and pulling back the sheets. Spencer gently laid Indi down as if he’d been seamlessly transferring sleepy children from cars to beds for years.
Her heart squeezed as she watched him ease the food from her daughter’s hands, replace it with a stuffed yellow rabbit and tiptoe back to the door. ‘Sleeps like her mum,’ he whispered with a grin. ‘A mariachi band could perform in the hallway and she’d snooze right through it.’
She swatted his arm as he squeezed past her into the hallway. It was still early days in their relationship, and he spent half the week at his new cottage, but unlike when Adam had temporarily moved into the farmhouse, Spencer kept his belongings neat and tidy and Clem didn’t feel like she was going to find more work every time she opened a door.
‘I’m heading outside to practise my school captain speech. Want to listen, Spencer?’
‘Sure thing, short stuff. I’ll grab the snacks.’
Clem turned away, a smile twitching at her lips as she went along with the ruse. All week, the two of them had been searching for Orange Peel, the guinea pig, setting and resetting a wire cage with diced fruit and veggies.
As much as she didn’t want them catching the squirming creature, it was nice to see them working together.
Clem poured herself a glass of soda water, tossed in some ice cubes, added a splash of lime cordial and leaned against the bench, studying the calendar. Covered in photos from the past year, the calendar had been a Christmas present fromIndi and Harriet, with a generous amount of help from Jack’s girlfriend, Lauren.
