Page 91 of Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

Two days later, Rachel was heading into Kirkton when she saw Tom’s jeep coming down the lane in the opposite direction. Her heart went into freefall. Ah no, he was slowing down … this was going to be so awkward.

‘Hey.’ He wound down his window and gave a cautious smile. ‘Are you okay?’

Oh, bloody hell.She stopped too, they were still neighbours after all. But she really didn’t know how to act, what to say, and she was still so bloody angry with him.

‘I’m sorry, Rachel. If I could change anything, go back, have said something more … You know I’d do it in a heartbeat.’ His eyes were searching hers.

‘Yeah, well … you can’t turn back time, Tom.’ She sounded cool, detached.

‘I can understand how upset you feel, and I’m so sorry if I’ve hurt you. But the other night … well, I’d thought we had something special going on. Really special …’

She stayed silent. The lane was empty, there was no need to drive away, but she desperately wanted to. She couldn’t cope with this right now.

‘Tom, it hurts too much. I can’t unknow what I now know. I don’t think there’s anything else to say or do now. Let’s just go back to how things were. Just as neighbours.’ She didn’t even say friends. ‘Look, I just don’t think it can work out in the long run,’ she blabbed.

‘Oh.’ His face said it all. He looked so goddamned disappointed.

If she followed this through, she might never be able to touch him again, be near him again. She held her breath. ‘Sorry, Tom. I think it’s better this way.’

‘Okay.’ He didn’t look like it was okay at all, he looked totally gutted. ‘Well, I guess I’ll see you around, then.’

He drove off, leaving Rachel feeling sick.

‘Good God, Rachel, you’ve been like a bear with a sore head this past week,’ Jill said, openly exasperated with her daughter. ‘Look, it’s quiet in here now, I can manage the Pantry fine, so why don’t you head back over to the farmhouse with Maisy?’

Rachel just gave her mum a look.

‘Honestly, you’ll be frightening away the customers at this rate,’ Jill continued.

Rachel knew she had been slamming down the crockery a bit on the drainer as she was washing up, but hadn’t realised quite how noisy or annoying that might be. She just felt so leaden, like a big dark cloud was crowding her mind.

She was trying so hard to put Tom out of her mind, but after that night with him, there were so many memories and moments that kept prodding at her, flashing up in her thoughts. Damn it, she missed him. But how could she even be thinking about him … when he’d let her dad down in the worst possible way?

It would get easier, she told herself that. But, Mum was right, she couldn’t be taking it out on everyone else.

‘Sorry, Mum,’ she said. ‘There’s just quite a lot on my mind at the moment.’

Jill just nodded, as she made up a pot of tea for the next order.

‘And, it is quieter in here than I’d have hoped at this stage,’ admitted Rachel. ‘I think we need to think of more ways to try and raise awareness of the Pudding Pantry too. People in Kirkton seem to know of us now, but do you think we’re a little too off the beaten track for others to find us? We definitely need to consider more publicity and marketing – getting ourselves out there somehow.’

‘Yes, I agree we could do with some more advertising, but that can be quite costly. What about contacting the local tourist information centres again? Maybe leave some flyers with them, and look at getting a mention on their website or something?’

Rachel had already set up their own webpage for the Pantry, but maybe they could link in with the tourist board and other local attractions. It was definitely an avenue worth pursuing.

‘Yeah, I’ll look into it further, great idea Mum. Autumn’s approaching fast, and we need to keep the momentum up. I’ll get my thinking cap on. And, in the meanwhile, yes, I’ll take Maisy back over to the house, she’ll be getting bored spending her summer holidays sat in here so much. Just ring me if you need a hand though. You know, if a coach load of fifty turn up or something,’ she jested. ‘In our dreams.’

‘I will. Go on, get yourselves away.’

‘Come on petal, let’s go then,’ Rachel said to Maisy, who’d been sitting at one of the tables with her fairy glen book and some crayons and a pad. ‘What do you want to do at home? We could maybe get the craft stuff out and make something?’ Maisy loved drawing, painting, and creating things.

‘Ooh, yes, please. Can I get my bead set out and make some bracelets?’

‘Of course. That sounds a good plan.’

‘Here,’ said Jill. ‘There’s a couple of cupcakes to take back over with you, as a treat.’ She passed them a plate of scrummy-looking red velvet cakes.

‘Thanks, Mum.’