‘Why’s there two houses?’ Maddie asked. ‘They live together.’
I’d asked Hope to pick up a pair of new guinea pigs for Maddie as a housewarming present and I could see them in the run adjoining the furthest house. I just hoped I’d done the right thing as it could easily backfire on me.You can’t buy my approval with guinea pigs.I braced myself for a negative reaction but Maddie released an excited squeal instead.
‘You got me more?’ she asked, looking at Mam, a smile on her face for the first time in ages.
‘Auntie Hope got them but it was at your mam’s request.’
‘They’re boys too,’ I said, ‘but you’ll need to keep them separate at first to?—’
‘I do know how to look after guinea pigs,’ Maddie snapped before heading over to them.
Mam’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something – probably commenting on Maddie’s rudeness – but I shook my head at her. We’d had a long journey and she was bound to be feeling tired and irritable. I’d already pulled her upon her attitude when we drove past Rowanbridge so I’d let this one go.
‘You’d better not have named them,’ Maddie said, turning and glaring at me. Something snapped inside me at the lack of gratitude and, despite my resolve to remain calm, I wasn’t going to be able to let it go after all.
‘No, I haven’t named them, Maddie,’ I said, my tone brittle. ‘I bought them for you so you have naming rights. It’d be nice to be involved but that’s your call. What would be even nicer is if you said thank you.’
I held her gaze, hoping she’d take the opportunity but she just stared at me defiantly. I could feel a scream welling up inside me and I had to get out of there before I unleased it all on Maddie because that wouldn’t be fair. This wasn’t just about her and her appalling attitude. This was about Laurie breaking our wedding vows, breaking up our family, breaking my heart.
‘I’m taking Nova and Skye for a walk round the farm,’ I said, turning away so Mam and Maddie couldn’t see the tears brimming in my eyes. ‘Nova! Skye! Walkies!’
‘Take your time,’ Mam called. ‘I’ll see to Clemmie.’
I raised my hand in thanks, so grateful to her for understanding. I knew it was unfair to leave Mam to deal with Maddie but I had to get away from her. Nine hours on the road together had been more than enough and I needed some space on my own – space being something our new home thankfully had in abundance.
10
I paused at the crossroads on the main farm track looking around me while Nova and Skye chased each other. There were several farm buildings behind me but, in every other direction, there was rolling countryside.
I closed my eyes and took several deep, slow lungfuls of fresh air. Much as Maddie had scoffed at my choice of word, this was an adventure for us all and I was determined to enjoy it. I wished the events that had led to us moving here had never happened but they had and I couldn’t change them.
Nova barking interrupted my thoughts and I opened my eyes to see a dog racing towards me.
‘Scampi!’ a man shouted. ‘Stop!’
But it was too late. Scampi had already jumped up at me, his front paws on my jeans, his tail wagging frantically as he tried to lick me.
‘Hello, Scampi,’ I said as he placed his paws back on the ground.
Nova and Skye were circling round, sniffing at him curiously.
‘It’s okay,’ I told them. ‘Scampi’s a friend.’
I offered Scampi my hand to sniff before scratching behind his ears.
‘We’ve met before, haven’t we, Scampi?’
Even if I hadn’t recognised him, I’d have remembered the distinctive name. Who names a dog after something that lives in the sea? And what was he doing here? Why wasn’t he in Spain with Anna and Doug Garstang?
‘This is private land.’
I straightened up and took in the man standing in front of me who was presumably my tenant – make that my rather good-looking tenant. I was tall at five foot ten but he was a fair bit taller – maybe six foot four. His tousled dark hair flopped into his eyes and he sported a closely trimmed beard. Broad-chested with impressive tanned biceps, he was, at a guess, in his mid-thirties so a decade younger than me.
‘I know. I own it. I’m Grace Coates. I’ve just arrived with my daughter, Maddie.’
‘I saw two other women. I thought they must be the new owners.’
‘That’ll have been my mam, Frances, and my sister, Hope. Mam and I bought the farm together and my sister was helping Mam move in. You must be the farrier. I’m so sorry but I’ve blanked on your name.’
