Page 65 of Summer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

They began tucking into the tasty food.

‘Suppose I’d better give young Mark a shout.’ He took his mobile out of his pocket.

‘Hah, yeah, before it all goes.’

Tom looked as if he hadn’t eaten in a week, the way it was being piled in … hmm, maybe he hadn’t had much of a square meal lately. He did look a bit thinner than normal. Perhaps it was all the recent stress. Oh well, she’d soon be there, living at the house with him; she could keep a better eye and look after him.

Though it would still be strange to be moving out of Primrose Farm, which would always have the most special place in her heart, it was beginning to feel as if things would work out. Maisy had even started to come around to the idea of the move over the past couple of days. She had chosen a new unicorn bed-linen set for her brand-new bedroom at Tom’s. He’d also promised that she could choose whatever shade of paint she wanted for her bedroom walls. Rachel had raised her eyebrows at that – knowing Maisy, it might well end up all the colours of the rainbow.

They were sitting on an uncut section of grass verge, close by the hedgerow, where bees buzzed in and out of the ox-eye daisies and buttercups swayed gently in the breeze. A butterfly fluttered past and then settled on a wild-flower head, a delicate blue cornflower. Rachel felt its significance, being her choice for her bouquet and bridal head garland. A smile spread over her lips. Summer, hazy sunshine, the glow of heat on your skin – being outside on the farm with nature doing its thing all around them was so calming.

‘Mark’s on his way,’ Tom started, as they heard the tractor in the other field pull to a stop. ‘But … just before he gets here, there’s one thing I really need to do.’

Tom pulled Rachel towards him, tenderly pressing his lips against hers. Making every little nerve in her body flicker to life. How did his kiss manage to do that to her every time? It was like lighting the touch paper of her senses. She responded warmly, passionately.

Evidently, they’d been kissing longer than anticipated, as they heard Mark’s gruff shout from the gateway. ‘Enough, you two – get a room, will you! I know you’re getting married soon, but really,’ he jested.

‘Sorry.’ Rachel couldn’t help but grin.

‘Well then, where’s the bait? That’s all I’m here for.’ He strolled towards them, swigging from a can of fizzy drink.

As Rachel handed him a selection of the food, his eyes lit up. ‘Great stuff. Cheers, Rach. I’ll take it back to the cab. Don’t want to get in the way of you two lovebirds here. No point being a spare wheel.’ His eyes smiled as he spoke, shaking his head at them as he left.

‘Hah, I’ll not be long, Mark. Back to it in five, yeah,’ Tom called after him. They needed to crack on while the weather stayed fine.

‘Yeah, no worries, mate.’

‘I’d better get back to help Mum in the Pantry, too. If there’ve been any new customers in, she’ll be run off her feet. Maybe catch you later?’

‘That would be great, but I’ve got a meeting with my accountant late afternoon, and then I’ll probably need to go over details of the paperwork a bit more, get it in my head.’

Perhaps he was organising his finances before this court case. It was there looming over them, even in the sunshine-filled meadow. ‘No worries, you do what you need to. I’ll catch you soon. Better love you and leave you, then.’

They managed another brief, but still all-over tingly kiss.

As Rachel mounted the quad, and despite the imminent court case, she felt happier than she had in a while. It felt as if they were a team again. She gave Tom a wave and was warmed through by his smile back. Their future was bright. They’d get through this legal battle, whatever the result, and then … well, they would have the party of their lives with their friends and families, celebrating their wedding and their love, in a gorgeously decorated tipi on a beautiful grassy hill at Primrose Farm. This hill. Yes, life felt good.

Back at the Pantry, she and Jill put in a manic hour, serving a table of eight hikers who had arrived for a late lunch, and there were orders for afternoon teas, pudding platters and more coming in. Rachel never minded a busy spell, though her feet might say otherwise: it was a sure sign that their business was growing well. Whilst there had been a dip after the initial spate of bad reviews, the response from her Pudding Clubbers and support from the local community had helped to rally things, and the negative comments hadn’t seemed to have put too many people off, thank god.

After three p.m., it began to calm a little, and the conversation behind the counter turned to the last-minute wedding details. Jill was chattering away: Had Rachel remembered to order the ‘thank you’ gifts for the bridesmaids? And, what about the table plan? Did they have final guest numbers yet?

So many people had said ‘yes’, it seemed as if the whole village – as well as a host of distant relatives – were coming. There were going to be well over a hundred and fifty people attending the reception. Gulp. Whilst they were trying to do this on a budget, it was hard in such a small community to miss out friends and long-held acquaintances, and this celebration was also a way of thanking them all for their help and support in the three years since the death of Rachel’s father. She really hoped Tom didn’t get hit by a huge pay-out to Caitlin. They’d have kept their wedding plans much smaller if they’d known all of that was going to crop up.

‘Oh,’ Jill was on a roll now. ‘And have you re-contacted the cake lady, to confirm the order and delivery?’

‘No, not yet. One for my to-do list.’

Despite their love of baking, they had decided to splash out and buy the wedding cake. With having so much to do themselves towards the buffet and the now-named ‘Towers of Treats’, as well as all the other tasks on the day itself, they had decided not to take on creating the wedding cake. So, Rachel and Jill had chosen a beautiful, three-tiered ‘naked’-style sponge cake with a delicate scraping of ivory buttercream around the sides. There were oh-so-pretty floral garnishes on all three layers to complement the wedding flowers. In the photos they’d seen, it looked stunningly simple. They’d had a tasting session several weeks back when they’d first visited the cake designer, and the vanilla sponge was delicious too. Rachel and Tom’s cake was to be baked and delivered to them the day before the wedding, so it would be super fresh.

‘Oh, and I’m going to call and see Granny this afternoon, too. Once we’ve closed up here.’ Rachel still had something most important to ask her.

‘Oh, can you take her some more eggs then, love? She phoned this morning – she’s been baking again and run out. Wasn’t feeling quite well enough to make the walk into town. I was going to pop in myself, but if you’re going, I might use the time to pop and get a birthday card I need to post, and pick up a few bits and bobs in the Co-op.’

‘Of course.’

Maisy was going for tea at Eve’s tonight to have a play date with Amelia after school, so that would all work out. Rachel suddenly remembered her latest conversation with Eve; when Rachel had asked how the exhibition night had gone, Eve had been quite cagey in answering. They’d texted in between times, in their own coded-style messages, Rachel wanting her buddy to know she was there for her if needed, but Eve was keeping something close to her chest. Hmm, when they were next on their own, she’d prise some more details from her friend.

‘Cooee, Jill,’ Brenda popped her head out from the door of the deli. ‘I’m glad I’ve spotted you.’