“What, in case he takes his fine self back there?” Mae’s joke earned a stern glare.
“He’s been your flatmate for how long now?” Pippa asked.
“Seven weeks,” Frankie answered, suddenly very focused on wringing out his dishcloth.
“And you’ve fancied him for how long?” Mae went on, with a cheeky glint in her eye.
Frankie opened his mouth to protest but then stopped, rolled his eyes. “Six weeks and six days.” He stopped cleaning and reached for his wine. “I bumped into him coming out of the shower the day after he moved in. He had just a towel around his waist, and I fell for him so hard I think I gave myself a hernia.”
“Oh my God, that’s so cheesy,” Pippa laughed despite herself. “Has Theo been taking tips fromEasy Pick-ups Out of Lazy Romcoms?”
Frankie gaped with faux outrage. “Give over, it wasn’t intentional. He was just getting out of the shower!”
“If you say so,” Pippa sniggered into her wine. “Can’t believe you fell for that one.”
“What a shame that he’s from Kent,” Mae added. “Because now, we’re all in agreement that Kent is the seventh circle of hell. Unfortunately Frankie, thanks to Alex, you can’t date anyone from that county without us questioning your morals.”
Frankie sighed. “With abs like his, my morals and standards are up for debate.”
“Kent’s lovely, no question,” Pippa interjected. “But I don’t want to live there. What do I do?” Frankie and Mae studiously avoided making eye contact with her. “What?”
“Mm-mmn.” Mae shook her head. “I’m not going to say it.” Pippa stared at her in confusion.
Frankie pouted. “Oh, what? Come on, don’t make me say it.”
“Nope.” Mae topped up her wine. “This is a cousin thing.”
Pippa fought to keep her cool. “For Christ’s sake, you two! I have a boyfriend playing mind games with me, I don’t need any more!”
Frankie sighed. “Okay fine, it’s just …”
“We think this might be a good thing!” Mae blurted.
“Alex breaking my heart?” Pippa said. “The possible end of my relationship? You think it might be good?”
“We don’t mean it like that,” Frankie soothed. “But maybe having some space would be beneficial. Work out who you are without Alex.”
Bewilderment carved a hollow in Pippa’s gut. “You think I don’t know who I am?”
“Alex takes all your focus!” Mae cried. “You’ve practically blended into one person. You run the farm, care for Ted, manage all the staff... It’s like you’re Alex’s lackey, not his life partner! No wonder this has blindsided you.”
“I’m not hislackey.” Pippa’s heart churned with a mix of self-pity and shock. Mae couldn’t be right. Could she? “That’s an awful thing to say.”
“What Mae means”—Frankie shot Mae a baleful glance—“is that maybe you’ve been so focussed on the plan you and Alex came up with, you’ve forgotten to focus on, well, on you and Alex.”
“So now it’s my fault?” Pippa said. “I’ve been a shit, work-obsessed girlfriend, is that it?”
“No, no, no,” Frankie assured her. “You’ve been amazing to Alex. Problem is, you’ve been so consumed with the farm, I worry you don’t take time for yourself. Like, for example, when was your last holiday? When did you last leave the country?”
Pippa gaped. “Okay, so now I’m a workaholicxenophobe?”
“You know that’s not what we’re saying,” Frankie told her. Pippa did know that, deep down. She knew that they spoke out of love, but every word lanced like a dagger and it was hard to cope with that in her vulnerable state.
“We hardly see you,” Mae said. “Weeks go by and it’s all hurried texts, ten-minute calls… You do realise this is the first time you and I have hung out in two months even though we live three miles apart?”
“Farms are demanding,” Pippa defended herself.
“You know we understand that,” Mae said. “We grew up in Hurst Bridge too, we know all about farm life. But you have staff now. You could take a break now and then. Enjoy life.”
