‘Hey! No tears. You’ve got this, Grace. Let’s say itisthe worst-case scenario and they’ve managed to destroy a once-successful business. That’s not the end. It could turn out to be for the best.’
I gave her a doubtful look but she continued, her eyes shining, her voice full of excitement.
‘You and your mum have so much knowledge and experience between you and you can use that to turn Hazelwick Farm into something way better than the previous owners could ever have dreamed of. You have the assets – the land, the café, the horses and the goats – so it’s not like you’re starting completely from scratch. Take this as a fabulous opportunity to launch a totally new business rather than just picking up and improving on what was there before. I’m thinking new branding, new vision, new visitor experience. You’re already doing that anyway by buying the cuddle cows and we all know they’re going to be a game-changer. I say capitalise on your talents, put your positive head back on and enjoy this incredible adventure.’
Her words were stirring and her belief in me so reassuring that the tears came.
‘No! That was meant to make you feel better, not worse.’
I smiled at her as I wiped my cheeks. ‘It did. Sorry. It’s been an emotional morning but the tears are because I’m touched by what you said. I needed to hear that. Thank you.’
‘I need to finish getting ready for work but don’t worry. It’ll all be good.’
After we disconnected, I stayed where I was and finished off the juice. A few minutes later, a message came through from Jude.
From Jude
Done some digging. Check your emails x
Intrigued, I did as she asked.
To: Grace Coates
From: Jude Barker
Date: 18 June
RE: Farm accounts
I’ve been on the Companies House website and checked the accounts. They don’t show visitor numbers but they do show the business was trading at a loss. I’ve done a screenshot and attached it if you want to look for yourself. The accounts are only up to the end of March last year so they’re a smidge out of date but my guess, from what Willow told you, is that the accounts up to the end of March this year will be a lot worse. Thought it best if you have it in black and white (or red in their case!) so you can draw a line under it and start afresh. If anyone can make this work, it’s you, your mum, Maddie and the cuddle cows. So proud of you for going after your dream and can’t wait to see you going from strength to strength x
I opened the attachment and nearly laughed out loud. The figures bore no resemblance to the work of fiction Anna had given my solicitor. I wondered whether she’d plucked her figures completely out of the air or whether they were reflective of how things had been at the peak.
Strangely, seeing the real figures didn’t make me panic. Instead, they fuelled me with determination to make a roaring success of Hazelwick Farm. Jude believed in us and so did I, especially as we had the cuddle cows – our secret weapon – arriving soon. We could absolutely turn this around. Everything was going to be all right.
15
I was thinking about getting up when Willow appeared with the third barrowful of manure.
‘Didn’t think you’d still be here,’ she said, looking surprised to see me.
‘I got distracted talking to a friend. Thanks again for being honest with me this morning. It was really helpful. Do you have time to take me round the horses and tell me what you know about them all?’
She smiled and her eyes sparkled. ‘I’d love to.’
‘I should probably tell you a bit about me too. I’m an animal-assisted therapist. Do you know what that means?’
‘You give therapy to poorly animals?’ There wasn’t much conviction behind her suggestion and I had a sudden image of sitting beside a horse and asking how its week had been.
‘The therapy’s for people but through them spending time with animals. I’ve worked with various animals but my speciality is horses as they’re so attuned to our emotions and non-verbal signals. I’ve used them for so many situations – clients with addictions, eating disorders, depression, PTSD, ADHD, autism, anxiety. They stroke the horses, groom them, feedthem, walk them, even talk to them – whatever’s needed to help that individual – and I’m there to facilitate what they learn about themselves through their interactions. That’s a brief explanation. Believe me, I could talk for hours about this stuff.’
‘That’s what you’ll be doing here?’
‘Eventually. The priority has to be getting the attraction up and running to maximise on the summer trade, but I hope to start the therapy side before the end of the year.’
Mam and I had agreed not to tell Willow about the cows just yet as we didn’t want to risk the news spreading prematurely and visitors turning up expecting to see cows and being disappointed that they weren’t here or weren’t ready for the public.
‘I’m guessing you like horses, then?’ Willow asked.
