“And that’s all we ask,” Frankie said, a tremble betraying the lightness of his tone.
Pippa looped arms with her cousin and he squeezed her gently. She knew he loved the town as much as she did. Pippa couldn’t imagine leaving it forever. Travels and holidays were all well and good, but this washome.
“Don’t get me wrong, Hurst Bridge is great.” Mae’s voice deepened with sincerity. “But I’ve got adventures to have before I work out what I do with the rest of my life. Come on Pip, don’t be so serious.” Mae grabbed her hands. “Run away with me.”
Pippa squeezed her best friend’s hands. “I said I’d join you in Goa for a bit,” she said.
“For, like, a week!” Mae pouted. “I’m telling you, Rajasthan will be amazing. And then Nepal … come on, you must want to see Nepal?”
“Of course I do,” Pippa said. “Problem is, I can only afford a week away. I flipped a coin and Goa it is.”
“Get a job out there if you need more money, I’m going to!” Mae said. “Waitressing, cleaning … whatever. The way I see it, we won’t be this young and free for the rest of our lives, so let’s have an adventure.”
“Pip, you must have monster savings,” Frankie chimed in. “You’ve worked your arse off this past year.”
Pippa shrugged modestly as she thought of her healthy savings account. She’d worked at the local coffee shop every moment she’d got this past year, as well as providing maths tutoring to some of the local primary school children. Although she was portioning a little of the money to meet Mae in Goa, she had plans for the rest of it. They might not be as exotic as Mae’s, but to Pippa, they were an adventure of a different kind. “Alex and I are going halves on a new car, remember? So what I don’t spend on travelling with Mae goes into that.”
Mae folded her arms. “Oh, right. You’re still doing that then.”
Pippa bit her lip. Alex and Mae had never really gelled, although they just about tolerated each other. It bothered her that two of her favourite people didn’t get along, but as far as Pippa was concerned, they’d better start learning how to, fast. Pippa had known Alex Goodman was The One from their first kiss at the tender age of sixteen.
“Yes,” she said, unable to hide the annoyance from her voice. “Cars are expensive, we both drive … so it makes sense to go halves on a new car together.” Alex’s father, Ted, owned one of the largest farms in the region and was ready to step down from the running of it as soon as his son felt able to take over. “We’ll need one for what we have planned. Alex’s banger is, like, a death trap.”
Mae’s eyes widened. “I get it. You’ll need a car that’s road-safe if you’re both to become titans of the agricultural world. But halves? Isn’t it more like 80/20, with you putting up the 80?”
Pippa ignored her. The details didn’t matter, did they? They might be young, but Pippa and Alex were in agreement; they were in this together. Pippa had one more school year left, after which she was set to take an accountancy course in order to learn all she could about the financial side of running a business. Alex, being older than Pippa, had already completed his first year at agricultural college in Bradford. Once they had both graduated, the pair of them would train alongside Ted with the aim of taking over Goodman’s Farm and develop the business to new levels. It did mean they would have to take care of Ted in his old age, but Pippa didn’t mind. The Goodmans were part of her family now, and with her parents already murmuring about retiring abroad one day, it made sense. She just wished Mae and Frankie could see it the way she did. “There’s so much potential in Goodman’s Farm. Alex thinks he can expand it to be way more successful than it is now.”
“Which is great.” Frankie leaned forward. His dark curls obscured his glasses and he pushed them out of the way with long, elegant fingers. “Forhim.”
“And me.” Pippa felt her face grow hot.
“I know that you love Hurst Bridge and want to stay here for the rest of your life. But like Mae says, you’ve got time to figure that out,” Frankie said. “I mean, running a farm? Really?”
“Yes!” Pippa tutted. Goodman’s was a huge farm, with over two hundred acres of land, some of which was dedicated to cattle, but several acres had become unused due to Ted’s declining health. The farm needed a lot of work to make it more profitable and Pippa had a whole heap of ideas but knew that without the right education to hone her business skills she would be no use. “It may seem lame to you, but I can’t wait to get started.” Why couldn’t Mae and Frankie believe that? Everything about what she had with Alex felt natural, felt right. They’d get married at some point, of that Pippa had no doubt, but there was no rush. First, they had to ensure the success of the farm and make it an empire. The most successful farm in Yorkshire, if not England. Together. They were a team. For life. “And you know, once we’ve established a business, we’ll be able to see the world as a family. That’s what I want.”
“I guess that’s why you’ve been spending all your time with the Goodmans,” Mae muttered.
Frankie suddenly started inspecting his nails closely, but Pippa didn’t miss the quick glance he and Mae shared.
“Notallmy time,” Pippa grumbled.
“If Alex is the future King of Hurst Bridge, then where is he?” Mae asked. “Shouldn’t he have been in the races? Lording it up with the Squires family? He should at least have been watching.”
“He was going to be here,” Pippa said, although now she thought about it, maybe she wasn’t remembering things correctly. He’d said something about needing to get his car fixed yet again and that he’d try to stop by afterwards. But then his last text had said something about him going to grab a burger at a new place in Sheffield with a couple of friends from college before coming back to Hurst Bridge. “He must have been waylaid, is all.”
“Shame.” Mae yawned and stretched her lanky frame. A DIY tattoo of a star constellation peeked out under the hem of her T-shirt.
“He’s busy, all right?” Pippa was getting seriously fed up with having to defend her relationship. “Not everyone can swan off abroad, Mae. He has responsibilities to his dad, and I want to be part of that.”
Mae sighed. “I’m only thinking of you.”
“Yeah well, maybe concentrate on your own life for a change,” Pippa snapped. Mae’s eyes narrowed mutinously.
Frankie leapt into action. “Okay, okay.” He raised his hands. “Let’s not fight. We’re happy for you, Pip. Aren’t we? Mae?” Mae elicited a savage grunt and Frankie tutted. “Come on you two, let’s get back in there.” He stuck his thumb at the grand old house behind him. “Vincent Squires throws the most epic post-fair parties and we’re out here missing everything.”
Pippa had to admit defeat. Alex would get here when he got here. No sense in missing out on all the fun in the meantime. Frankie was right; Vincent Squires knew how to throw a party. He may have been over eighty, but he ran his estate with the vigour of a man half his age, largely thanks to his trusted estate manager, Grantham. His only son Carmichael was proving to be less useful at estate management and more proficient at driving very expensive cars. Nonetheless, it had been a tradition for decades that the Squires family would host the post-fair celebrations and Wheelbarrow Race prize-giving for the people of Hurst Bridge every year.
Pippa had always loved the events at the stunning old house; and what’s more, she envied the eighteen-year-old Squires twins for having been able to spend their childhoods here. Behind tall, intricate gates was a long, cypress-lined driveway that ended in a neat, rose-bordered circle, offset by a low, bricked building that housed the family cars. The house itself was at least three hundred years old, made of weathered Yorkshire brick and draped with wisteria, set amidst rolling acres of immaculate lawns and, thrillingly, a maze, albeit a small one. It was the beating heart of the little town. Despite all Pippa’s years of attending the races, she had never lost the feeling of adoration that washed over her whenever she looked upon the old house. What must it be like to call a place like that home?
