Page 126 of My Kind of Happy

Chapter Thirty-five

The next morning, breakfast consisted of coffee and kisses and was completely and utterly delicious.

I drove to Barnaby wreathed in smiles; the weather was lovely, the fields and trees and flowers were lovely, the Monday morning traffic was lovely, even the pigeons who’d woken me up at the crack of dawn were lovely because they’d given me a chance to gaze unashamedly at the beautiful man in my bed.

I’d forgotten how good it was to wake up next to someone who didn’t chase rabbits in his dreams or circle repeatedly on top of the duvet until he found the perfect position to sleep in. Early morning coffee had been for two instead of one and when I’d talked I’d actually got a reply in English and not just in tail-wags and face-licks.

It had been bittersweet to kiss Sam goodbye and watch him roar away on his bike. But it was nothing compared to the shock of his arrival, seeing him in leathers and a bike helmet; I never wanted to get that sort of surprise again. And when he’d finally vanished from view, I realised that my hatred of motorbikes had lessened a little since meeting Yasmin and Inca. With grief came anger, just as Yasmin had experienced, and whereas she had had the cancer which had stolen her partner from her to rail against, I had pinned my anger on Freddie’s bike. I’d never stop missing him, but the moments between the sadness were getting longer and a new life without him in it was beginning to emerge.

My heart skipped a beat as I thought about Sam and the night we’d spent together. We’d sat outside under the stars and talked about our families, our past loves and our hopes and dreams for the future. A future which had flickered that little bit brighter for me when I’d invited him to stay over and he’d said he’d thought I’d never ask.

I checked the time as I pulled up into a parking space outside the florist’s. Sam would be on his way to the airport by now. He’d arranged with Pandora to go and collect the children from their grandparents and prepare them for the fact that Mummy and Daddy definitely wouldn’t be getting back together again. I’d see him again tomorrow or possibly Wednesday and hopefully by then I’d have set a date and venue for Laura and Hamish’s wedding.

Lucas was unlocking the gift shop as I clipped on Scamp’s lead and let him drag me onto the green.

‘Morning, darling!’ he called. ‘What news from New Zealand?’

‘She’s in love!’ I shouted back.

‘No way! The little minx hasn’t been returning my messages! Now I know why.’ Lucas yelped with excitement and scampered over the road onto the grass to grill me for all the details.

‘But not with a man,’ I said, laughing at his shocked expression. ‘With life.’

‘You tease,’ he said, smacking my arm playfully. ‘Although I’m deliriously happy for her.’

‘She’s coming back here for a month and then who knows, the world is her oyster.’

‘Imagine that freedom.’ He sighed dreamily and then clapped his hands. ‘Anyway, now that Nina doesn’t need my dating advice any more, I’m all yours.’

‘I don’t need it either,’ I said blithely.

‘You’re blushing.’ Lucas gasped and touched a finger to my cheek. ‘No you’re not; you’re glowing. I recognise that glow!’

‘All right,’ I said laughing, pushing his hand away. ‘Announce my love life to the world, why don’t you.’

‘Who?’ Lucas scoffed, looking around. ‘I can only see Biddy and I can’t imagine she’s going to be interested in your new sleeping arrangements.’

‘Shush,’ I protested, just as Biddy and Churchill joined us.

Scamp barked happily at the arrival of his friend and the two old boys began to chase each other at a sedate pace through the dew-laden grass.

‘Fearne got lucky last night,’ said Lucas, wickedly.

‘Oh good girl,’ she cried, ruffling my hair as if I was a dog. ‘I think the last time I got lucky, Brexit hadn’t been invented.’

‘Ugh.’ Lucas rolled his eyes. ‘The good old days.’

‘Exactly,’ said Biddy drily. ‘Still, it’s my birthday next week, you never know, perhaps fifty-eight will be my lucky age.’

‘Perhaps it might,’ I said, with a secret smile as a rough plan formed in the depths of my brain.

We rounded up our dogs and opened up our respective shops and an hour later, I dropped Scamp at the pet shop with Biddy so that I could visit The Evergreens alone.

By the time I reached the top of the long drive and parked on the gravel in front of the house, I was already a bit in love with it; the whole place was breathtakingly stunning. The tiny gatekeeper’s lodge at the entrance to the estate looked like Hansel and Gretel’s cottage and the main house was a Victorian confection of mullion-paned windows and higgledy piggledy chimney stacks, its many gables and rooflines edged with frilly white weatherboards. If there was any chance of holding Laura’s wedding here I would leap at it, she and Hamish would both adore it.

Delphine met me at the front door and kissed me on both cheeks. She was flushed with excitement. ‘Sorry for all the subterfuge last week, dear, only this is all very new and I didn’t know if I was allowed to speak about it or not.’

‘Speak about what?’ I said bemused. ‘Can you tell me now?’