Page 14 of Christmas at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

‘Thanks. I think so too.’ She gave a happy sigh. ‘Sorry, but I’d really better go on in now and help Mum.’

‘Yeah, I ought to get away too.’

Rachel hovered – this moment felt too precious to leave. Just one more brief kiss on the lips, a few more seconds together … Rachel moved back towards the scent of his aftershave, feeling the slight scratch of his beard where it was growing in, and meeting the soft fullness of his lips. She lingered there for a few more glorious seconds. Right, she really had better go now, or Maisy and Jill would be at the Pantry door wondering what was holding them up.

‘Bye,’ said Rachel, as she reluctantly pulled away, her voice a little husky.

‘See you soon.’

‘Yeah. See you.’

She stood and waved, watching his pickup drive off down the track. He gave a chirpy toot on the horn. She’d never felt like this before about a man and it was so good – but she couldn’t deny that frightened her too. She knew just how vulnerable life and relationships could be. Yes, she knew that very well.

7

Sunday had been yet another quiet day at the Pantry. Rachel was still at a loss as to how to get more customers over the threshold. Frosty mornings and November chills would soon be on their doorstep, and though December should bring some welcome pre-Christmas trade, it was likely that the next few weeks would remain slow. And, with that, the farm’s bank balance was on a very slippery slope.

The next day at four thirty on the dot, Rachel was standing outside the Kirkton First School gates, her breath misting in the chill air. With a burst of heavy wooden doors, and a blast of chatter, out came the little ones in a rush across the playground, still wearing their gym gear with their coats mostly half-mast over the top.

Suddenly, there was Maisy, with a bounce of blonde curls, dashing forward and waving. ‘Aw, that was so good, Mummy. I love Gym Club. We did tumbles with music today.’

‘It was fun,’ added Amelia, who was close on Maisy’s heels, with a sunny grin. Rachel was collecting the two of them today.

This was their second week attending, and they were so happy with their new after-school club activity. The idea of going to a club seemed different than classroom work somehow. It was sociable, and fun, yet they were still learning.

A club … Something about that was starting to oil the cogs in Rachel’s mind. What was it that was nagging at her?

‘Wowser, I’ve got it!’ she blurted out.

‘What have you got, Mummy?’ Maisy looked at her quizzically.

‘A club. We need a Pudding Club!’ Oh yes, something to draw people out to the Pantry on those dull autumn and winter nights. Cosy puddings, in a cosy barn … They’d just invested the last of the summer earnings on installing that log-burning stove; it would be perfect in there on a chilly winter’s evening.

‘But we don’t make puddings at school, Mummy.’ Maisy had her hands on her hips and was frowning.

‘Not at school, petal. At our farm … in the Pudding Pantry.’

‘Oh, a club for making puddings? But doesn’t Grandma Jill do the making bit?’ Maisy looked nonplussed.

‘Yes, but other people could come along and eat puddings, and maybe learn how to make puddings, have a chat, make new friends, share recipes over a cup of tea.’ The ideas were flowing already.

‘Could they have cupcakes?’ Maisy grinned, catching on to the idea.

‘Yes, sometimes, why not? We could have Cupcake Week, Crumble Week, all sorts.’ Rachel’s mind was firing now.

‘Ooh, that sounds nice,’ said Amelia.

‘Can I come?’ Maisy was starting to warm to the suggestion.

‘Oh, well, I think it’ll most likely be in the evening, petal.’ Rachel imagined an evening might work better as the club would need to be something different from their usual tearoom opening hours. ‘So, it would be past your bedtime. But maybe you could come along to the first one, and then we’ll see.’

‘Okay.’

‘Could my mummy come?’ Amelia asked.

‘Yes, of course, if she wanted to. I’ll need to speak with Grandma Jill and see what she thinks about the club thing first, but yes I’ll let your mummy know all about it if we decide to go ahead.’

They were back at the Land Rover now, the girls clambering in to the passenger side, ready to be belted up. Moss nudged a damp black nose over from the back to welcome them.