SUMMER AT RACHEL’S PUDDING PANTRY
Caroline Roberts

Copyright

OneMoreChapter an imprint of

HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by One More Chapter 2020

Copyright © Caroline Roberts 2020

Cover design by Holly MacDonald © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2020

Cover illustrations © Hannah George/Meiklejohn

Caroline Roberts asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

This novel is entirely a work of fiction.

The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008401948

Ebook Edition © July 2020 ISBN: 9780008401955

Version: 2020-06-05

Dedication

For Ken and Pam

Epigraph

‘Marriage is not a destination, but a journey.’

Bernard Dsa

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Two Months Later

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5: Eve

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8: Eve

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18: Eve

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21: Eve

Chapter 22

Chapter 23: Eve

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26: Eve

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31: Eve

Chapter 32

Chapter 33: Eve

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46: Eve

Chapter 47

A Letter from Caroline

Acknowledgements

Keep Reading …

About the Author

Also by Caroline Roberts

About the Publisher

Something Old
Granny Ruth’s Wedding Cake

Ingredients

350g (12oz) plain flour

1 tsp mixed spice

100g (3½oz) ground almonds

4 medium eggs

225g (8oz) unsalted butter

225g (8oz) caster sugar

225g (8oz) currants

225g (8oz) sultanas

225g (8oz) raisins

100g (3½oz) glacé cherries, halved

100g (3½oz) cut mixed peel

A quality brandy and a nip of whisky

A dash of milk

Method

Macerate the currants, sultanas and raisins in brandy overnight.

Preheat an oven to 150°C/Fan 130°C/Gas mark 2. Grease and line a cake tin, using either a 23-cm (9-inch) round or 20.5-cm (8-inch) square tin. Sieve the flour and mixed spice into a bowl and add the almonds.

Beat the eggs together with a little milk. Soften the butter. Cube and cream the butter together with the sugar. Slowly stir in the flour and then the egg mixture. When completely mixed, add the soaked dried fruit, cherries and mixed peel. Stir until evenly distributed. Place the mixture into the prepared tin and protect the top with baking parchment paper.

Bake for about 3¼ to 4 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Turn onto a wire rack. Pour a small amount of brandy and a nip of whisky over the cake whilst warm.

Allow to cool thoroughly. Wrap in greaseproof paper and then tinfoil, store in an airtight container. Store for at least six weeks before use, feeding once a week with a tablespoon of brandy. Decorate as required using an apricot glaze, marzipan and white icing.

For a larger, wedding-style cake, depending on the size of tins, make double or triple the mixture.

1

‘Oh my … that is just beautiful, Rachel.’ A tear crowded Jill’s eye as she watched her daughter step out from the changing room.

A slow smile spread across Rachel’s face. ‘I like it too.’

It did feel strange though, being in a ‘frock’, as Granny Ruth would have called it, and not just any old frock – an off-white, gorgeous, lace-detailed, to-the-floor wedding frock. It had a hint of boho chic about it, just perfect for her countryside summer wedding. Rachel did a small twirl in the middle of the shop, then caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror, and paused. Hah, she hardly looked like herself at all; she was usually dressed in old jeans and wellies and could even sometimes be found out on the farm in a practical green boiler suit, which was highly glamorous. Ooh, it was a lovely feeling to be wearing something so special, but strange too.

‘I think we might’ve found the one, Mum.’ She had a lump in her throat as she spoke.

‘I think so too, love.’ Her mum nodded with a proud and happy look on her face.

Rachel had also found the one in Tom Watson. Just thinking about him and their impending marriage made her heart swell, yet there was still a trace of disbelief that all this had happened to her over the past few months. Tom was her long-time friend and neighbour; their relationship had blossomed into something so much more, taking them both rather by storm, a most beautiful, soul-drenching storm.

‘Gosh, your dad would be so proud if he could see you now, Rachel.’

‘Oh Mum, it’ll be so strange not having him there on my special day, won’t it?’

‘I know, love, but he’d want you to enjoy it … to be happy. And he was always very fond of Tom, even before you and he got together. I’m sure he’d have approved.’

‘Yeah … I think he would have. But he won’t be there to walk me down the aisle, will he …?’ There would be such an empty space beside her on the day, as well as the one that she always carried inside.

‘No, love.’

Rachel sighed, then gazed at herself in the shop’s full-length mirror, her dark wavy hair falling loose down to her shoulders, her green eyes catching the light. There she was, standing in the prettiest of gowns, which hung and clung in just the right places, as if it had been made for her. The only problem was the price tag. Her mum had persuaded her to give it a try when it had caught her eye, even though it was somewhat over budget, along with a few other gowns that she’d discovered on the sale rack. She’d tried the reduced ones on first, being mindful that this was very much a wedding on a budget. They were very nice, but not quite right.

She looked at the price tag once more, with a sigh. How could she be selfish and go ahead and get this one? It would mean a cut in the wedding budget somewhere else. Maisy, her daughter, and Maisy’s best friend Amelia, the cutest of flower girls, deserved lovely dresses, as did Eve (maid of honour) and Charlotte (her bridesmaid). There were flowers to buy, some kind of marquee or tent to organise in case of rain. They could of course do much of the buffet themselves, and they really wanted to be able to invite all their family and friends from the village and local farming community to share this happy occasion. So many people had supported them through such difficult times over the years, it’d be a wonderful way to show their appreciation. Rachel really didn’t want to have to cut the guest list.

The shop assistant stepped forward from her position near the counter. ‘Oh, that looks stunning on you, really.’ She was smiling softly, the hint of a tear in her eye. ‘I see lots of dresses come on and off and sometimes you can just see when it’s the perfect gown for the bride-to-be.’

‘But I can’t …’ Rachel began.

‘Can’t what?’ asked Jill.

‘I can’t get it … I’m sorry, Mum, I shouldn’t have tried it on. We were being silly, thinking we could stretch to this. The others were in the sale, this one isn’t. There’s so much else we need to pay out on.’

‘But I’m sure we could manage, with a bit of careful budgeting … if this is the right dress for you. It is your wedding day, after all. A once-in-a-lifetime occasion.’

‘Yes, but there’s no need for it to make us stony-broke. And I want everyone to enjoy it, not just me.’

‘Oh, I suppose … but what a shame, love.’

‘It’s fine … There’ll be another dress to catch my eye somewhere, I’m sure.’ Rachel rallied, despite the nip of disappointment, as she headed back into the changing room. She took one last longing glance at this gorgeous dress before the assistant stepped in to help undo the rear zip, ready for her to step out of it.

‘I know it’s a long shot … I don’t suppose there’s any chance of a discount on this one?’ Rachel ventured. Well, if you didn’t ask …

‘Oh, I’m sorry, madam, but we can’t reduce this one. It’s the new season’s range, just come in, and we always try to price our dresses competitively as it is. The others you tried were the remaining few from last year’s stock, that’s why we could discount them. I’m sorry.’

Rachel gave the dress one last look, the delicate flowers appliquéd on the draped tulle skirt catching her eye, as the assistant began to place it carefully back on the hanger. Ah well, a chance to dream.

‘Are you sure?’ Jill asked, as she emerged from the changing room.

‘Yes, I’m sure. It’s lovely, but it’s just too expensive. It’s not about the dress at the end of the day, it’s about me and Tom, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, you’re right,’ her mum sighed and nodded. ‘Come on then, I don’t know about you, but all this dress shopping has just about done me in. I spotted a coffee shop over the road. Shall we go and recharge with a cappuccino?’

‘Great idea.’

Settled at a wooden table by the window of the café, Rachel could see the assistant tidying the little wedding shop after their visit. Her dress was placed back on the rail, ready for someone else to try on.

‘We’d manage somehow, you know love …’ Jill’s voice trailed off, as if she was a little disappointed too.

‘No, it wouldn’t feel right – even if it looked right – if I blew the budget already. I’m sure I can find something else that’ll do just fine.’

How Jill wished she had some secret savings stash she could dig into right now – she’d so love to make her daughter’s day. Maybe there was a way she still could?

Whilst Rachel nipped to the bathroom, Jill sketched what she could remember of the dress on a white paper napkin, while it was fresh in her mind: the simple yet flattering bodice with its V front and back, the fine tulle of the skirt with its gorgeous appliqué flower design. She then popped the drawing into her handbag. Well, you never knew …

2
TWO MONTHS LATER

‘Have you remembered to put the hiking boots in, Mum?’

‘Yes, both our pairs are in.’ Jill was trailing a couple of all-weather anoraks to the Land Rover. Well, you had to be prepared for all eventualities in Scotland, rain or shine, even in May and at the supposed start of summer.

‘Prosecco?’

‘Yep, got the essentials packed, of course. The box of six is in the boot.’

‘Perfect … and I’ve got the sticky toffee puddings and the Tupperware box of meringues from Granny Ruth right here.’ Rachel perused the back of the truck. Cases in, yep, the cool bag of provisions, yes … hmm. Rachel had a mental check list but she was sure she was going to forget something. She knew she should have written it all down last night, but she’d been far too busy getting everything ready for Maisy’s next two days at school and for staying over at Amelia’s. She’d also been flat out organising everything on the farm ready to hand over to their farmhand, Simon, and Tom – her lovely, gorgeous Tom – who were taking the reins whilst she was away for her hen do. A hen do, she could barely believe it.

It felt weird packing up the truck, ready to pick up her best friend and maid of honour, Eve. It was going to be a weekend to remember, Eve had boasted, though she still hadn’t spilled on all the details. Rachel was so excited but there were a few nervous butterflies in her stomach too; as a single parent she hadn’t had a night away since Maisy had been born five years ago, and with her father’s tragic death nearly three years past, and the devastation they had endured in the aftermath, the family hadn’t been in the frame of mind to take a holiday.

Dad … memories of packing for holidays in years gone by suddenly flooded over her. Long weekends piled into a static caravan near Scarborough on the Yorkshire Coast, fish and chips sitting on the harbour at Whitby, with donkey rides on the golden sands at Filey Bay. Dad’s strong hand holding her own as they splashed up to their knees in icy-cold waves that took their breath away, laughing even as they shivered. God, she missed him. Her thoughts turned to her own little girl, Maisy, who had given her an extra big hug at the minibus pick-up that morning before school. Rachel had been left with a solid lump in her throat as she watched the bus pull away, with Maisy waving animatedly out of the window. It felt so strange to be leaving her child behind, even though she was looking forward to these few days of fun and freedom. She’d left a check list for Amelia’s dad, Ben, on top of the small overnight case she’d packed with her daughter’s favourite outfits, pyjamas and wash bag, and her comforting soft toy sheep. Maisy would be fine, she told herself.

A couple of friends, Kirsty and Hannah, were going to make their own way to the accommodation in Oban and join them there later today, as they had younger children and were sorting out timings with grandparents and dads who were working. Close friend and bridesmaid, Charlotte, was taking a train up after work tomorrow; the best she could manage was an early finish from her Friday classroom shift at the primary school. Honestly, between her and Eve, it had needed military-style strategies to arrange this getaway.

‘Right then, Moss is in his kennel, isn’t he?’

Moss, their faithful Border collie, herder of sheep and tail-wagger extraordinaire, was going to be looked after by farmhand Simon, and then Granny Ruth when she came over to stay with Maisy for the Saturday night of the weekend shift.

‘Yep, and the Pudding Pantry is in safe hands with Jan and Daniel, so it’s time to go, love,’ rallied Jill.

With that, Dan appeared on the threshold of the Pantry ready to wave them off, calling out, ‘Have a wonderful time, ladies.’

Jill gave a small sigh and waved back, looking slightly emotional herself.

Oh gosh, they really were getting fond of each other, Rachel mused. It was still strange to think her mum had a new man on the scene, even if the romance was in its fledgling stages. It was lovely to see her mum with a spring in her step once again. But Rachel couldn’t deny it was still hard to balance that against her father’s absence. How could anybody possibly step into her father’s shoes? But, she conceded, it was so good of Dan to offer to help out at their beloved Pudding Pantry business, and for the next few days he’d certainly be a godsend. He wasn’t a bad baker himself, either, and was already getting a name for his cheese and chive triangle scones.

‘O-kay then.’ Rachel took up the driving seat of their old and slightly battered Land Rover. As she started the engine, she gave a silent prayer that it would make the four-hour journey across the border. She gazed up at the stone farmhouse as she pulled away, feeling a tug in her heartstrings. As they made their way down the farm track, the valley nestled around them, green and lush with fields of sheep happily grazing, she saw little Petie, Maisy’s now extremely big pet lamb, munching away. They passed their herd of cattle, Morag and Iona looking over the hawthorn hedge at the departing vehicle with seemingly sad, deep brown eyes. ‘Won’t be long, ladies,’ Rachel called out.

Three whole days away at a cosy wooden lodge near Oban – with her mum Jill, best friend Eve, and close mates Charlotte, Kirsty and Hannah by her side. The lodge had looked so lovely from the images on the internet, with log fires, old beams, all set in woodland beside a small lake. It even had an outside Jacuzzi with a view across the water: very chic.

Pulling up outside Eve’s cottage five minutes later, and seeing her friend come bounding out of the front door, Rachel found herself feeling an unfamiliar buzz of freedom.

‘Hi, Eve. Are you road-trip ready?’ She stuck her head out of the window and beeped the horn excitedly.

‘Just about, hun. I’ll go fetch my suitcase. Hi, Jill.’ She gave a merry wave.

Out she came a few minutes later with a large case – it was big enough for a fortnight, never mind three nights. Rachel hoisted it into the back of the Land Rover. ‘Blimey, how long do you think you are going for? What on earth have you got in there, the kitchen sink?’ she jested.

‘Hmm … just a few bits.’

‘Hah, are you intending to elope or something?’

A flush of colour blushed across Eve’s cheeks. ‘Don’t be so daft. It’s just a few clothes, and well, it could be all weathers. And … there’s a few extra things to make sure we have a really nice time. It’s your hen do, after all. Ooh, talking of which, there’s more still to bring from the kitchen …’ Off she dashed again, returning a couple of minutes later with yet another box of prosecco. ‘Essential hen-do supplies,’ she beamed. ‘Well, we are in the middle of nowhere. We can’t be running out of the bubbly stuff.’

‘Eve, we’re only staying a few miles from Oban. We’re not exactly going to the Outer Hebrides.’

‘Oh well, better to be prepared,’ Eve grinned.

‘Exactly,’ called Jill from the cab.

‘Oh, and there’s one last thing, there’s a lasagne all made ready on the kitchen side. If you could bring that out for me, Rach …?’

‘Really? Oh, wow, that sounds delicious.’

‘Well, I was making one for Ben and the girls to have, so I thought I’d double up. So, tonight’s supper in our cosy lodge is sorted.’

‘Aw, that’s brilliant.’

With the back of the Land Rover finally loaded, Eve jumped in, ready for the off.

‘Sorted?’ asked Rachel. ‘Sure you’ve got everything?’ she added wryly.

‘Yep, sorted!’

‘Great stuff, this is exciting isn’t it,’ added Jill with a wide grin.

‘Let’s hit the road,’ announced Rachel from the driver’s seat.

Within twenty minutes, they were over the Scottish border and winding their way along country roads, through rolling hills. The Land Rover climbed and the moorland road peaked to give them a view down over the city of Edinburgh and the wide grey Firth of Forth. The traffic began to get busier as they skirted the city on the bypass heading for Glasgow. The Land Rover was rattling on well – so far so good.

An hour later on the motorway near Glasgow, they saw a services sign.

‘Anyone else ready for a wee stop?’ chirped Eve. ‘I’ve been holding on for a while.’

‘Sounds a good idea. And a nice cup of coffee wouldn’t go amiss,’ replied Jill.

‘Oh yes, a latte is calling,’ added Rachel, flicking the indicator on.

The services car park looked busy as they pulled to a stop, with people scurrying in and out of their cars like ants. For a second, Rachel wondered where their varied lives were taking them, what journeys they were making today – the holidays planned, family visits, the trips to work. It was a world away from the peace and quiet of Primrose Farm in the Cheviot Hills.

Jill moved to gather her handbag from the footwell, just as Eve exclaimed, ‘Ooh my, eyes at two o’clock, ladies.’

‘What?’ Rachel looked around frantically. ‘Oh, I see.’ Rachel’s mouth hung open, just as Jill moved quickly to see what the fuss was about, managing to bang her head on the dashboard. The younger girls giggled.

‘Ah …’ Jill had clocked what they were staring at now, taking in the guy in the white van parked opposite them who was removing his T-shirt, oblivious to their ogling. He revealed a rather toned and tanned bare chest.

Jill began rubbing the back of her head. ‘Crikey, I haven’t seen a body like that in a long while.’ She quirked an eyebrow.

‘Mu-um …’

‘What do you mean, Mu-um? You two are thinking the same, I’m sure.’

Actually, Rachel had seen a body like that rather recently, and was very much looking forward to getting married so she could see it every night. Her gorgeous Tom Watson.

The man had now peeled off and discarded one T-shirt to replace it with another.

‘Hmm, well, you don’t get to see that every day,’ added Eve cheekily. ‘It’s a bit like that old Coca-Cola advert, do you remember?’

‘Hah, yes. Probably not PC any more, but guaranteed to put a smile on a girl’s face.’

They grinned, grabbed their bags, and got down out of the Land Rover, at the very same time that Mr T made his exit from his van. He fired them a broad smile across the car park, before strolling towards the services entrance. The girls were happy to follow those long legs and pert buttocks, sneaking a glance at each other and then erupting into a fit of the giggles, suddenly feeling like teenagers again.

‘And so, the hen do begins,’ announced Eve chirpily. ‘Not at all a bad start either, ladies.’

After a quick coffee stop, they climbed back into the truck and tucked into the melt-in-the-mouth caramel brownies that Jill had baked as a surprise.

‘And, that’s not the only secret we have up our sleeves,’ Eve said conspiratorially.

‘Oh, you can’t leave it at that. Come on, spill.’ Rachel hated being left in the dark. Much of the weekend planning had been left to Eve and the other hens. What had they got in mind?

‘Not telling …’ Eve patted the side of her nose. ‘You’ll just have to wait and see.’

It didn’t seem as if Rachel was going to find out just yet, so she turned on the engine, turned up the radio, and concentrated on the road ahead. Rachel and Jill smiled broadly as ‘Islands in the Stream’ came on, one of Dad’s old favourites, and they all sang along at the tops of their voices.

3

‘Are we nearly there yet?’ chimed Jill, just like little Maisy might say.

‘Well, it says there’s only about a mile to go,’ reported Eve, checking the GPS on her phone.

They’d passed the quaint coastal town of Oban and were winding their way through narrow country lanes. The woods became denser around them, a little gloomy in fact. Rachel really hoped they weren’t going to be stuck out in the depths of nowhere like something out of Stephen King’s Misery. Some hen do that’d be!

But, soon enough, the thick pine trees gave way to open countryside again, and the road became dappled with sunlight, the bracken at each side giving the landscape a moorland feel. A red squirrel dashed across the road in front of them before leaping up into an old Scots pine.

‘Ah, look, did you see that? What a cutie,’ Rachel exclaimed. She loved spotting wildlife.

And then, as they rounded a corner, they saw a lake shimmering silver ahead, and a wooden lodge – set back from its shoreline – came into view. Wow, what a stunning setting. Rachel’s fears were swiftly allayed as she pulled up beside the cabin.

‘Oh, what a pretty spot!’ called out Eve. ‘Even if we are miles from humanity.’

The Scottish town of Oban with its small shops, bars and restaurants was actually only five miles away, but out here it felt as if it could be a hundred miles distant. And with all the ups and downs of recent times – losing her precious father, working like a trojan at the family farm, and the pressures of single motherhood – Rachel reflected that this felt like the perfect tonic right now. And with her best friends, gorgeous mum Jill, a heap of brownies, prosecco and a whole load of wedding plans in tow, what could be better?

‘It’s beautiful,’ added Jill with a beaming smile.

‘Come on,’ Rachel leapt out of the truck. ‘Let’s go and explore.’

They climbed the wooden steps up to the balcony. Walking around the lodge, they came to the front deck that overlooked the lake. And yes, there was the fancy hot tub they had seen in the pictures online.

‘Wow, what a place for a prosecco moment!’ Eve pointed at the Jacuzzi with a wide grin. ‘Bubbles in the bubbles.’

‘Oh yes.’

‘Sounds good to me.’

‘A pool with a view.’

And what a view.

It was a warm May day, the sky a deep azure with just the odd puff of cloud. The lake was small yet so pretty, reflecting the blue of the sky. There was a cottage nestled on the far hillside, but no other buildings near to their lodge. Nothing to disturb the view, or the noise of birdsong around them. A grey and white heron stood on one leg, concentrating on the waters beneath him. A pair of mallard ducks paddled happily, whilst a coot busied herself at the reeds on the water’s edge with three little ones swimming beside her. Rachel wondered instinctively about little Maisy and felt a stab of maternal panic. But it would all be fine, she reminded herself. Maisy was settled at school, and she’d enjoy the sleepover at Eve’s house with Amelia tonight, where Ben would be spoiling them with pizza and ice cream. It was time to switch off, Rachel realised.

They wandered back, found the key under the flower pot as instructed, and opened the door on to a gorgeous open-plan living area – all wooden beams, a cosy log fire, a large dining table and chairs, and a characterful kitchen. Perfect. Exploring the cabin with big grins on their faces, they found the four bedrooms: two doubles that overlooked the lake, a twin and a single.

‘You take a double room, Mum. Eve and I will have the other, Kirsty and Hannah can share the twin, and we’ll save the single for Charlotte.’

‘Great. And we get the lake views.’ Jill made a thumbs-up sign.

‘Absolutely.’

‘Me and Rach will be up chatting all night anyhow, knowing us pair,’ said Eve.

‘Right, well let’s go and unload all of Eve’s twenty bags from the boot then, and get our one case each Mum,’ Rachel added wryly.

‘Well, I don’t know about you lot,’ added Jill, ‘but I’m ready for a cuppa. Let’s get unloaded and I’ll get the kettle on.’

‘A cuppa, really? This is a hen do, ladies. Let’s get the prosecco opened!’ Eve grinned.

With a glass of bubbly to hand and swimming costumes on, the girls opened up the French doors and made their way to the inviting hot tub on the deck area. They climbed the three wooden steps, and one by one slipped down into the warm frothing water.

‘Marvellous,’ said Jill, settling back in the bubbles.

‘What a spot,’ added Eve, taking in the view of the lake as a gentle breeze rippled over its waters in tiny silver waves.

‘Ahh, this is what it’s all about,’ Rachel said slumping back, just managing to keep her glass above water level as the bubbles rose over her shoulders. ‘Oops, don’t want to water this stuff down.’

‘Bliss.’ Eve gave a small sigh.

‘Oh, and now we’re finally here with time to think, I’ll need to talk over some of the wedding plans with you lot too,’ said Rachel.

‘Absolutely, that’s what we’re here for, after all.’ Eve smiled warmly.

‘Can you believe it’s only seven weeks to go until the big day?’ Rachel pulled a panicked face. ‘It’s all creeping up so fast. July will be here before we know it.’

‘I know. Time’s flying just now,’ added her mum.

‘And … I’m getting slightly worried that I still haven’t chosen a dress yet,’ confessed Rachel with a sigh. ‘I’ve a feeling I’m going to end up in a white binbag with the arms cut out at this rate.’

Eve and Jill caught each other’s eye.

‘I know it’s not the end of the world,’ Rachel continued, trying to convince herself it didn’t matter that much in the big scheme of things, ‘I’ll find something that’ll do … But that dress I saw back in March has stuck in my mind. Oh well,’ she rallied. ‘I’m glad we’ve spent the money on the tipi that we’ve booked for the wedding day, and we can afford to make a fabulous buffet for everyone to enjoy. Even if the rest of it is on a bit of a shoestring. A dress is just a dress, after all …’ Rachel took a gulp of her rather lovely pear-drops-tasting prosecco. ‘It’ll all work out, I’m sure. And I know I’m really lucky, just getting married to Tom’s going to be pretty damned special, even if I do end up standing at the altar in a bin bag.’

Rachel spotted another look passing between her mum and Eve.

‘What?’ There was definitely something going on between the two of them.

‘Don’t be too despondent about the dress, love,’ soothed Jill.

Her mum and friend raised their eyebrows at each other, Jill giving Eve a nod.

‘It’s just … we might have something in the offing,’ added Eve.

‘You do? Well, that’s great … is there a wedding dress shop in Oban then? Have you booked an appointment?’ She bloody well hoped it had a bargain rail.

‘Hmm, there might be,’ answered Jill, with a twinkle in her eye, not yet giving anything away. She looked at Eve conspiratorially; they were both fighting to hide their smiles.

‘Come on. You can’t leave me hanging like this …’

‘You’ll just have to wait and see,’ concluded Jill, and she clinked glasses with Rachel and Eve with a ‘Cheers.’

Rachel hated being kept in the dark. What did this pair have up their sleeves?

Just as the afternoon sun was starting to fade, Kirsty and Hannah phoned to say they were making good time on their journey.

‘I can’t wait to get there. It sounds amazing. And you say you’ve been in the Jacuzzi already, you lucky things. No children, no night feeds, no nappy changes for three whole days. Woo-hoo!’ Kirsty cheered down the phone line.

‘See you soon,’ shouted Hannah excitedly from the passenger seat. ‘Save us some prosecco, guys.’

‘Ah, we’ve got plenty, don’t you worry,’ called Eve.

An hour later, with the lasagne warming in the oven and Jill’s homemade pudding waiting in the fridge, Rachel sat relaxing on the sofa, settling into the rhythm of the weekend. Just as she thought about closing her eyelids, letting the prosecco carry her into a luxurious nap, a pair of hands were suddenly placed firmly over her eyes.

‘What the …!’

‘Please stand and step this way,’ giggled Eve, drawing Rachel to her feet.

‘You two are definitely up to something. Tell …’ Rachel demanded, affronted and excited at the same time.

‘We thought the hen might be a good time to give you a sneak preview …’

‘A sneak preview of what? Would anybody care to enlighten me?’ Rachel raised her eyebrows from underneath Eve’s slightly clammy palms. After taking several steps together, Eve lifted her hands away with an ‘Eek …’ just as Jill called out ‘Ta-dah!’

Rachel found herself in the double bedroom assigned to her mum.

‘Mu-um?’

‘All will be revealed very soon, love. Oh, I do hope you like it …’

There was an air of tension as Eve disappeared from view and there was a rustle from behind the cupboard door.

Eve then appeared with an anxious smile and a heap of ivory-cream material, layered across her arm, that trailed down to the floor. Jill stepped across to help her hold the hanger and then rearrange the material, draping it down to rest on the floor.

It was a dress … a beautiful wedding dress! Just like the one in the shop all those weeks ago. And yet as she looked closer, she recognised it was a slightly simpler design. The material of the bodice looked different but it was just as pretty, and the style of the appliquéd flowers was softer somehow; they appeared to be almost floating on the skirt. But wow. Just wow!

Tears started to fill Rachel’s eyes and she found she couldn’t speak. How had they done this? Was it really for her?

‘Do you like it? Oh gosh, Rach, I really hope you like it. I’m not sure if I got it quite right,’ Eve started gabbling.

Jill stood smiling, holding the dress aloft, taking in her daughter’s reaction.

‘I … I love it. But how? How did you do it?’ Rachel was still incredulous.

‘I made it.’ Eve sounded happy and proud and anxious all at once.

‘Well, love, don’t you think you should try it on?’ prompted Jill.

‘Ah, yes … of course.’

‘I had to guess at the fit,’ added Eve, ‘but we’re pretty similar, and I know your usual dress size. I can always tweak it.’

‘But how did you know the style and everything, when we weren’t allowed to take any photos?’ There had been a big sign in the bridal shop’s changing room about no cameras being allowed.

‘It’s amazing what you can jot down on a napkin,’ explained Jill, with a smile. ‘Followed up with a little research and some pictures off the internet.’

‘Wow,’ Rachel repeated, taking off her jeans and her floral print top.

The dress was now off the hanger and ready for her to step into, with Eve and her mum holding it proudly. Eve’s guesswork was pretty damned good as Rachel slipped it on. The delicate buttons up the back drew to a close just about perfectly.

Rachel looked down at the gorgeous gossamer voile-style skirt that had beautiful handmade flowers appliquéd onto it. There was a shimmer too as little sequins, stitched here and there, caught the light. The bodice was made of what looked to Rachel like an ivory cheesecloth material that fitted in a sleeveless V, revealing just the right amount of cleavage, so very like the design from the shop.

‘You made this?’ It was still hard to believe. ‘It must have taken you ages, Eve. It’s just beautiful.’ Rachel lifted the stunning material of the skirt in awe.

‘It’s just the prototype, by the way. I’ve used a cheaper linen material as the base to get the cut and design right. The tulle top layer, I can re-fix. I wanted to be sure you liked it before I made it up in the satin version.’

‘What do you mean? This isn’t the finished thing? But I love it. I love this material … it looks kind of “boho” and country, and it’s just what I want. Do not change a thing on it, Eve. I forbid you.’

‘You’re sure?’

‘It does look gorgeous on her, I must say, Eve. You’ve made a wonderful job of it,’ said Jill.

‘Well, we can tweak the final fit, but if you’re happy Rach, that’s a whole lot of work you’ve just saved me!’ Eve grinned.

‘Hah, I can put you to work on other things – bunting for the tipis for a start!’

‘Okay, that’s fine by me. I’m just delighted that you like it.’

Rachel took a step forward and took her friend by the hands. ‘It’s perfect, and it means so much more that my very best friend has made it for me. Thank you so much, Eve.’

They fell into a hug, and then Jill joined in, all three of them with happy tears in their eyes.

‘Right, well I do believe that this calls for a fresh bottle of prosecco to be opened. We can toast the wedding dress,’ pronounced Jill.

‘Hear, hear!’ Eve gave a happy and relieved wink.

They wandered through to the living area. Rachel gave a little twirl, and then stood by the hearth in the middle of the lodge, staring down at her dress as if she was in a dream. She didn’t quite want to take it off yet.

Jill popped the cork and Eve was soon passing her a glass of bubbly. ‘Cheers, hun, you look absolutely stunning in it. Tom is going to be one lucky fella … but then, we knew that anyhow, with or without the dress.’

‘Oh, your dad would be so proud if he could see you now, love.’

For a second or two Rachel stalled. ‘Oh Mum … how are we going to get through a whole wedding day without Dad there?’ Rachel bit down on her lip to stop it quivering. ‘And, who on earth is going to walk me down the aisle?’

Jill had to swallow a tight lump in her throat before she could manage to answer. ‘We’ll be there for you, love, and all your friends. There are so many people to support you.’

‘Ah, but it won’t quite be the same though, will it? And, you can’t all walk me down the aisle, can you?’ Rachel tried her best to raise a small smile, picturing all her friends and family crammed in by the pews. Aw, this wedding was lovely to be planning, but boy did it keep throwing up new curveballs. Grief and loss didn’t just disappear at the happier times, you somehow had to find a way for them to be a part of it.

‘We’ll always be there for you, Rach. And, on the day, I’ll be right behind you, literally,’ added Eve, who was so glad to be maid of honour.

‘Okay, okay … now stop it you two, or you’ll have me blubbing, and we don’t want this dress messed up with tears and getting all soggy now.’ She took a slow breath, before adding, ‘Cheers.’ Rachel raised her glass with a gentle smile to toast her fabulous friend and her very special mum. ‘Thank you. Thank you, both.’

‘Here come the gi-irls!’ Hannah burst in through the front doors of the lodge, followed closely by Kirsty, sporting a huge grin and waggling a bottle of champagne at them. ‘Let’s get this party started, ladies.’

The dress was back in its clothes carrier and was now safely stored in Rachel and Eve’s bedroom wardrobe, hidden from sight.

‘Come in, come on in,’ Rachel said, leaping up with a broad smile to greet her friends. ‘Welcome to our humble abode.’

‘And not so bloody humble,’ commented Kirsty, looking around her.

‘Oh my, this place is amazing!’ Hannah took in the cosy yet spacious log-beamed living room. ‘And what is that delicious smell, hey?’

‘Homemade lasagne, care of Eve here,’ answered Jill.

Eve took a little bow. ‘It’s warming in the oven, nearly ready.’

‘Fantastic. Wow, what a gorgeous place … and we get three whole child-free days to enjoy it. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for so long.’

‘Me too,’ added Hannah. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I love our little Rosie to bits, but eighteen months down the line of motherhood, you start forgetting what it’s like to be you.’

‘And then there’s the husband who needs looking after too,’ chipped in Kirsty. ‘“Where’s my work socks/last pair of boxers/my favourite white shirt with the grey stripe?”, that kind of stuff. And … my all-time favourite question: “What’s for tea?” As though it’s my sole domain to be chef as well as housework fairy and baby minder.’

‘Hah, don’t mind Kirsty. She’s just getting it off her chest. I think it was a bit tense on the home front when she was trying to get everything packed and ready to go,’ explained Hannah.

‘Well, he’ll know what it’s like while I’m away …’ Kirsty continued her little rant. ‘Callum’s into everything just now. You never stop.’

‘Well then, absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that,’ added Jill. ‘I’m sure he’ll appreciate you all the more when you get back.’

‘Oops, sorry hun,’ Kirsty suddenly stopped. ‘Shouldn’t be moaning on about the other half when it’s your hen do, chick. You’ll be entering the zone of married bliss very soon, honey. Don’t want to put you off or anything … Ah, don’t worry, I do love him really, but bloody hell he can get on my nerves at times.’

‘Well, in all honesty, I can’t wait to get married,’ Rachel said proudly.

‘No wonder, with your gorgeous Tom all lined up.’ Eve grinned.

‘Hey, a couple of years down the line and he’ll be just like the rest of ’em.’ Kirsty winked and then broke into a smile. ‘Wouldn’t be without ’em, mind.’

They all laughed.

‘Right then, I think it’s time I poured you two out some bubbly. Sounds like you need it!’ Rachel grabbed the open bottle from the side. ‘And no more worrying about what’s going on back home. It’s time to enjoy the here and now.’

‘Exactly.’

‘And … what happens at the lodge, stays at the lodge,’ Eve said with a wink, raising her glass.

A few minutes later, with the room alive with chatter, Rachel’s mobile phone buzzed.

‘Hey, Tom.’ She took a few steps towards the French doors and went out to the deck area.

‘Hi, you got there okay … good journey?’ Her lovely fiancé’s voice was warm.

‘Yeah, great thanks, and we managed to find it all right, despite it being out in the sticks.’

‘That’s good.’

Rachel took in the stunning lake view, with the early evening sun glinting gold on the blue-grey of the water. ‘It’s beautiful here. You’d love it … hey, maybe we can do something like this sometime. Just the two of us.’ How wonderful would that be. Romantic walks by the lake, the pair of them snuggled up back at the lodge, the Jacuzzi to themselves …

‘Count me in, it sounds heaven.’

‘So … how’s the farm faring without me and Mum?’

‘Everything’s fine. I’ve just checked on the sheep and cattle – no issues there, so I thought I’d call to let you know so you can relax.’ Tom knew all about farming life; he had one of his own right next door to Primrose Farm, after all. Rachel had known him pretty much her entire life, looking up to the boy-next-door who was ten years older, whizzing around on his quad bike and building dens out of hay bales. She had probably been a bit of a nuisance, she mused, trailing round after him as a kid. And now look at them – engaged. Somehow, a steady friendship had wonderfully morphed into love over the past year. A beautiful, whirlwind journey. Rachel still had to pinch herself at times.

‘Aw, thank you.’ It was great of him to help out; he had enough to do on his own patch. But it was a big relief to know her farm was in safe hands.

‘Anyhow, it was just a quick check-in to see that you got there fine. Now go and have fun with your girlfriends. Have a brilliant time, all of you.’

‘Thank you, we will. And oh, you won’t believe …’ She had almost spilled the beans about the dress – she was so excited about it and overwhelmed with gratitude that Eve had made it for her – but she stopped herself in time. ‘No, it’s okay,’ she told him instead. ‘Just something special the girls have planned for me, but I’ll keep it as a surprise for our big day.’

‘Hmm, sounds intriguing. Can’t wait.’

‘Me neither.’

Their wedding was booked at Kirkton Church for Saturday 4 July, with a big party planned back at the farm afterwards. Less than two months away.

‘Missing you.’ Rachel felt a pang at being away from him.

‘You too. Love you, Rach.’

‘Come on, you two lovebirds, get off the phone,’ interrupted Hannah from the door. ‘Supper’s ready and we’re starving.’

‘Okay, okay,’ Rachel had to smile at her friend’s mock impatience. ‘Gotta go, Tom. Oh, and Tom … I love you too.’

Kirsty gave a wolf-whistle through the open doorway and Eve popped her head out, giving a big thumbs-up. After the tough few years their close friend had gone through, all this hen-do tribe wanted was to see Rachel smiling and happy and looking forward to her big day.

‘Oh my, I can hardly move I’m so full.’ Eve was sitting back in her chair, rubbing her tummy. The group was still gathered around the dinner table.

‘Well, you shouldn’t have had seconds of that tiramisu,’ Rachel grinned.

‘But it was just so delicious. I can’t believe that’s the first time you’ve ever made it, Jill.’

‘Ooh, you must give us the recipe,’ added Hannah. ‘My lot would adore it.’

‘I think we’d better add that one to the Baking Bible, Mum. A new Italian twist to our good old favourites.’ The Baking Bible was the handwritten book of family recipes, started by Grandma Alice, Jill’s own grandmother. It had been gradually added to by friends and family over the generations, with new cakes and puddings still finding their way into that hall of baking fame. It had pride of place on the kitchen shelf at Primrose Farm.

‘Hmm, I think I might just do that when I get back,’ replied Jill with a beam, delighted with its success.

After a quick clear-up of the dishes, Rachel and Eve made a WhatsApp video call to Ben to speak with the girls before their bedtime. Maisy was chattering on, excited to be staying over with Amelia, saying she had loved her cheese and tomato pizza and strawberries with ice cream. They were now watching a movie; Rachel could see them all snuggled together on the sofa.

‘Have a lovely time, Mummy. Miss you.’ Her little girl’s voice and smile were cheerful, reassuring Rachel that all was well.

‘Miss you too, sweetheart, and you have a wonderful time too. And make sure you’re being good for Amelia’s daddy.’

‘Of course, we are …’ She saw Maisy cross her arms and toss her blonde curls indignantly. ‘Right, we need to watch the film now, Mummy.’ Hmm, sometimes that girl was six going on sixteen.

‘Okay … Love you, petal.’

‘Love you, Mummy. Oh, say hello to Grandma too.’

‘Don’t you just love ’em,’ said Eve with a small sigh, adding, ‘Mind you, it is nice to be away from all the demands just for a day or two.’

A very relaxed evening ensued, with the ladies sitting out on the deck, chatting away in the fading evening sunshine. Everyone was enjoying the gorgeous lakeside view, with a glass of Kirsty’s bubbly to hand, cardis and fleeces on to keep the slight Scottish chill at bay.

It had been the perfect start to the hen weekend, Rachel mused, as she tipped herself into the double bed later on, her fabulous friends all there with her, the man of her dreams back home … and the dress of her dreams hanging in the cupboard just metres away. She let out a happy sigh, and whispered a ‘Thanks for everything, Eve’ in the dark, before sleep swiftly caught up with her.

4

‘I thought we were meant to be chilling out with cocktails to hand …’ A slightly frazzled-looking Hannah, hard hat firmly planted on her head, was squeaking down to her fellow hens from the top of the rock face. The climbing harness was wedged up her bum and she was clinging on to the rope for dear life.

‘No worries, there’ll be plenty of time for that later,’ called Eve from below, who’d already managed the descent and was loving the excitement of the adrenalin-buzzing activity.

Jill gave it a go next, pulling a wry smile and a courageous, ‘Here goes’, as she stepped out over the ledge, managing a fifteen-metre drop under the guidance of the abseiling instructor.

Then it was Rachel’s turn. The male instructor rigged her up, with a very snug harness, showed her how to hold the rope and work the belay plate to make her way down safely. Now all she needed to do was to step off what was basically a rocky cliff edge. She took a deep breath. Life had presented her with enough metaphorical cliffhangers lately, without her choosing to tackle a literal one, but hey ho, she couldn’t wriggle out of this challenge … ‘Woo-hoo!’ she called out as she felt herself dangle precariously, whilst she was actually thinking, Shite, oooh, shite. But step-by-wide-angled-step, and inch-by-inch, she made her way down, with a quick, heart-stopping downwards lurch when she let through too much rope, then into a calmer final descent. As Rachel reached the bottom, a big cheer went up from the girls, and with her heart still thumping she realised she had actually enjoyed it.

Once they’d all had a turn, they tried the same descent again. Rachel got the hang of it, one foot at a time, and once she’d mastered controlling the belay and prusik rope, she decided it was brilliant fun, and went back for another challenge on a slightly higher face, along with daredevil Kirsty. The others in the group were happy to watch from solid ground and cheer them on at this point.

All this activity was followed by a much-needed chill-out back at base in the lodge’s Jacuzzi. Limbs were aching and muscles they hadn’t used in years sore, but they all felt proud of themselves for having given it a go and getting themselves down successfully.

‘Was a bit worried I wouldn’t make it down that ravine. I felt my stomach churn as I took my first step over the side, I must say,’ admitted Jill.

‘But you still did it – well done you, Mum.’

‘Face the fear and do it anyway! That’s the way.’ Hannah grinned.

‘Well, I suppose it was better than a bungee jump or something. Thank heavens you hadn’t organised that for us, Eve. Hah, at least this was one foot at a time. At one point I was so worried I’d let too much rope slip through. But once you got the hang of it …’ Rachel was beaming.

‘It wasn’t half as bad as I’d feared,’ added Hannah.

‘It never is …’ smiled Kirsty.

‘Especially when you’ve got a safety harness on and your friends by your side,’ chuckled Eve.

And that’s exactly how it had felt this past couple of years, mused Rachel, looking across at her group of fabulous friends and her brave mum. It had been friends and family providing the safety net just when she needed it. ‘You all did great,’ Eve added, so pleased her idea had gone down well with everyone. She knew that Rachel wouldn’t have wanted to prance about in a bride-to-be sash and sit drinking all weekend. But well, maybe just for a few hours …

‘Well, I bloody loved it,’ enthused Kirsty. ‘I might even look for more classes back home. Can’t wait to tell Josh and little Callum all about what Mummy’s been up to. Beats changing nappies and mashing up baby food, any day.’

It was time to get themselves out of the warm bubbles and put their glad rags on, ready for their evening out in Oban. Well, there needed to be at least part of the hen weekend spent sitting in a lurid pink sash with a drink to hand!

First, they had to head to the train station to collect Charlotte, who was hopping with excitement on the platform, with her overnight bag and a relieved grin. ‘Thank heavens, I’ve made it. I’ve been thinking of you lot all here these past twenty-four hours. And those photos on Facebook of the lodge, a-maz-ing! But, I’m here now and I’m so ready for this.’

Rachel took her friend’s bag from her and pulled her in for a hug. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, and thank you for taking on the train trek today. Now I’ve got all my besties here together, as well as my wonderful mum, of course. I’m so happy.’

There were hugs and hellos all round, and the group started strolling along the platform for the exit.

‘Right then, off to the first pub,’ announced Kirsty. ‘I do believe Charlotte here has a bit of catching up to do.’

‘I spotted one just along the road as we passed that looked all right,’ said Rachel. ‘It’s not far from the harbour. Shall we walk from here and give it a try?’

‘Sounds good to me,’ replied Charlotte, with the others all in agreement.

A round of gin and tonics and a juice for Jill, who’d offered to drive them back, went down rather well in the old-fashioned, black-beamed Scottish pub, accompanied by lots of chatter and laughter. It was soon time to head on to the bistro, which they discovered in a cute spot on the seafront. The owner had reserved them the large front table with a great harbour view.

A supper of local scallops, chilli prawns, steak burgers and freshly made fish and chips followed. The desserts were a triumph – it had to be done, of course – with raspberry cranachan coming out the firm favourite, followed closely by a velvety chocolate mousse made with whisky and orange.

Proseccos were poured, and the chatter continued, as they finished their gorgeous meal. After thanking the staff and owners, and leaving a generous tip, they headed out into the cooling evening air. It had been a real treat, one which admittedly Rachel and Jill couldn’t afford to do often, but this was a special weekend, after all.

‘Okay ladies, one last pub stop, and then we’ll head back to the lodge, yes?’ suggested Kirsty.

‘Are you okay with that, Mum?’ Rachel checked, aware that Jill was driving.

‘Of course, love. It’s great seeing you all enjoying yourselves.’

And so it was that they ended up in The Lobster Pot, further along the seafront. They all crammed around a small table in a corner near the bustling bar, large glasses of wine in hand, and Eve dug something out of her handbag – six sparkly pink sashes that read, ‘Team Bride’, and one that said ‘Bride-to-Be’, along with a twinkly plastic tiara. And, as a grand finale, a pair of silver deely boppers.

Rachel looked aghast. ‘You’re kidding … I said no fuss, and absolutely no deely boppers!’

‘Argh, come on Rach, you only get married once … well, hopefully,’ Kirsty gave a cheeky grin.

‘Let’s do this thing; look, we’re all in it together.’ Eve started passing around the sashes and Jill, who was totally sober, bless her, put hers straight on.

‘It is your hen do, after all,’ Charlotte cajoled.

‘Ah, okay, this pub only, all right. And I’m only doing it to please you lot …’

Of course, nearing the bottom of her glass and realising she needed the bathroom, Rachel had totally forgotten she was wearing her sash, tiara and deely boppers as she tootled off to the toilet. She wondered why she was getting several stares and a wolf-whistle as she passed the blokes at the bar. On the way back, an old guy started singing, ‘I’m getting married in the morning’, at which there was a flash of a camera from Kirsty – oh damn, there’d be photographic evidence – and the hen do party collapsed into fits of giggles.

Rachel blushed pink and began tugging at her tiara, just as a tall, good-looking bloke stepped forward from the bar.

‘Hey, haven’t I seen you somewhere before?’ He gave a cheeky grin and then gestured across to their table.

What a line, Rachel thought, rolling her eyes. ‘I don’t think s—’ She was keen to make her getaway.

‘No, really, I’m not one to forget a pretty face.’ Cheesy or what? ‘You and two of your friends there, you were at the service station near Glasgow.’

Oh blimey … She took in the sandy-blond hair, the broad chest. It was him. Coca-Cola T-shirt Man. He walked across with her back to their table. ‘Good evening, ladies.’

‘Hell-ooo.’ ‘Hi.’ ‘Hi, there’ came a chorus of chirpy responses accompanied by broad smiles.

‘It’s T-shirt Man,’ Rachel mouthed to Eve, over his shoulder.

‘Nice to see you again.’ He smiled directly at Eve.

‘Yeah, apparently this, er, gentleman, remembers us from the service station. What are the chances, hey Eve?’

Eve’s mouth dropped open. ‘Gosh, yes. Hah.’

‘So, you lot know each other?’ quizzed Hannah.

‘I wouldn’t say that. We just happened to be getting out of our cars at the same time at the service station yesterday,’ said Rachel.

‘It’s Ross, by the way.’ He introduced himself to the group.

‘Hi, Ross.’

‘So, you girls were on your way to a hen do then? Your hen do, in fact.’ His hand was now resting on Rachel’s shoulder. It felt like a friendly gesture, nothing more.

‘Yep.’

‘One lucky guy.’

‘He sure is,’ said Eve, proud of her friend.

Soon a few of Ross’s mates had joined the group and there was more chat and laughter. They were keen to know where the girls were from and what they all did. Ross, it turned out, did garden maintenance; mostly bigger jobs like lopping tree branches, cutting back shrubs, mowing large lawns, he explained.

‘Yeah, I’d been to Glasgow that day to pick up a new ride-on.’

Several of the girls raised their eyebrows at that, with a giggle bursting forth from Eve.

‘Lawn mower,’ he added, shaking his head but grinning all the while.

It was all harmless fun and added to the jollity of the night. But after one more round of drinks, which the local lads insisted on buying, Rachel spotted Eve sidling up to Ross and batting her eyelashes, getting a little too up close and personal. Now that really wasn’t like Eve at all. What was she up to? She was definitely starting to look a little the worse for wear, wobbling on her high-heeled shoes too.

‘Time to go, Eve,’ Rachel called out, moving in to steer her away from Mr T. The others were already popping on their jackets anyhow, deciding it was time to head back to the lodge.

‘They were a nice bunch of lads, weren’t they?’ said Rachel.

The girls were crammed in the back of the Land Rover, chatting away on the slightly bumpy ride home along the winding lane to the cabin.

‘Yeah, pretty cute too,’ chipped in Kirsty.

‘Hah, well, we’d only be looking. We’re all married – or nearly married – ladies, after all,’ added Charlotte.

‘Hmmm, absolutely,’ Eve said a little drowsily.

‘Well, I only have eyes for Tom. Honestly, I couldn’t even imagine wanting anyone else, ever.’ Just thinking about him made Rachel feel all warm and fuzzy.

‘Well, that’s a good job, seeing as you’re getting married on the fourth of July,’ added Hannah.

Eve was unusually quiet, sitting a little slumped in the seat next to Rachel. ‘You okay, hun?’

‘Yeah,’ Eve’s voice was a whisper. ‘Think I might need a bit of air.’

‘You’re not going to be sick, are you? Shall I shout on Mum to stop?’

‘No, no, I’ll be fine, honest. Just a bit woozy …’

‘Anybody got a carrier bag as insurance?’ added Kirsty wryly.

The hens got sleepier on the last mile back, the winding road and effects of the alcohol lulling them. Eve rested her head on Rachel’s shoulder, and Rachel stroked her friend’s hair gently.

Half an hour later, after a brief nightcap back at the lodge, Hannah and Kirsty had given in and headed to bed, followed soon afterwards by Charlotte and then Eve. Jill, who still remained sober, started clearing the glasses into the sink, and gathered up a handful of confetti from the floor. ‘Oh …’ She suddenly stopped in her tracks.

‘What’s up?

‘Oh nothing … well,’ she burst into a daft grin, ‘I didn’t realise they did willy-shaped confetti, I must say!’

‘Hah, nor did I.’ Rachel scooped some up from the table top, taking a closer look.

‘Bloody hell, it is too. I’d better warn them not to bring that to church, the vicar would have a fit.’

They had a good old chuckle.

‘Don’t worry about the washing up now, Mum. We can do that in the morning.’

‘Well, I am pretty shattered,’ admitted Jill. ‘It was a great night though.’

‘Yeah, it was … and thanks again for driving.’

‘No worries … and at least I won’t have a thick head in the morning.’

‘Night then, Mum.’

‘Night, love.’

Rachel headed over and gave her mum a kiss on the cheek and a warm hug. ‘I’m glad you’re here with us.’

‘Me too. Sleep tight, pet. Hope the bed bugs …’

‘… don’t bite,’ they chanted together, with a shared smile. A saying from Rachel’s childhood.

It was all dark in the room that Rachel and Eve were sharing. Rachel decided not to blast the light on, as Eve should be all tucked up in bed, but strangely things just didn’t feel right as Rachel entered.

‘Eve?’

‘Ah … huh,’ the answer didn’t seem to be coming from the bed.

Rachel moved forward cautiously and fumbled for the bedside lamp. She clicked the switch. ‘Oh, Eve … are you okay?’ Her maid of honour was splayed out, still fully clothed, propped on the floor at the foot of the bed. ‘What are you doing down there, hun?’ Rachel started to sober up amazingly quickly.

‘I … I don’t know …’ Eve looked about her, seemingly as surprised as Rachel was to see herself at floor level.

‘Okay then, hun. Let’s get you up and into bed.’ Rachel helped hoist her friend up onto the mattress and proceeded to help her off with her clothes, leaving her with bra and knickers on, then tucked her in under the duvet. She seemed extremely tipsy, which wasn’t like Eve at all, as she could usually hold her drink better than Rachel.

‘Right, I think I’ll fetch us both a big glass of water. Help clear our heads a bit,’ said Rachel, hoping to stave off the hangover from hell the next morning. ‘Stay there then, hun.’ To be fair, Eve didn’t look as if she was going anywhere.

‘Hmm,’ was all her friend could utter, whilst clinging on to the duvet cover as if it were a life raft.

Rachel hoped Eve wasn’t about to be sick. Thinking quickly, she moved the waste-paper bin across to Eve’s side of the bed – better safe than sorry. She headed for the kitchen and was soon back with two large glasses of water, making her friend take a few big sips before glugging down her own. Soon in her PJs, Rachel slipped into bed, turned off the lamp and then whispered, ‘Night, Eve.’

‘Nigh … Rach …’ There was a pause and then a whisper sounded in the darkness. ‘Rach?’

‘Yes, hun?’

‘I can tell you anything, right? You … you can keep a secret?’

‘Yeah, of course. Eve, I’m your best friend.’ Rachel waited for her friend’s voice again, holding her breath. Silence. Well, except for a little puffing, snoring sound.

Rachel sighed. She was sound asleep, bless her. But what ‘secret’ did Eve want to share? And, Rachel reflected again, she had behaved a little out of character that night. It was also unusual for Eve to have drunk so much. Still, Rachel mused, we could all have our moments and let our hair down just a little too much. Oh yes, Eve had looked after her more than a few times as a teenager, she remembered fondly.

But Rachel felt a bit unsettled. She vowed to keep an ear out through the night, and make sure her friend was all right.

5
EVE

A full-blown marching band was thumping away inside Eve’s head the next morning.

Bloody hell, how had she let herself get so damned tipsy? Oh God, there was a vague memory lurking in her car-crash of a brain … of T-shirt Man. Oh yes … she might just have told him she’d been very impressed by his gorgeous bare chest. She gave a groan from beneath the duvet. She really didn’t want to spoil the last full day of Rachel’s hen do. Nope, she ought to try and get herself up and out of bed right now. But, trying to shift up from the pillow was proving extremely difficult, every movement producing a hammer blow inside her skull.

There was a knock on the door and, peeking through one squint eye, Eve saw Jill appearing with two large mugs of tea. ‘Morning, girls.’

Oh, so Rachel was still there in bed too.

‘Hi, Jill.’ Eve could hardly recognise her own voice, which came out as a rasp, but at least she had managed to speak.

‘Morning, Mum.’ Rachel sounded slightly fresher.

‘No rush, but I thought you might need these … and these …’ She placed down a packet of paracetamol beside the two mugs.

‘Thanks, Mum. How’re you doing there, Eve?’ Rachel asked sympathetically.

‘Not sure yet …’ answered Eve, struggling.

‘You don’t happen to have a full schedule of activities planned for today, do you hun? No bungee jumping or anything lined up?’ Rachel said wryly.

‘No …’ Thank the Lord.

‘That’s good to know.’ Rachel managed a chuckle.

‘Definitely a day for us all to chill out then,’ Jill chipped in.

‘Absolutely.’

‘Hmmm …’ The power of speech was failing Eve.

‘Right, well, you two just take your time.’ Jill’s voice was chirpy, far too chirpy. ‘Me and Hannah are up, but we’re more than happy out on the deck enjoying the sunshine and having a natter over a cuppa. The other two are still in the land of nod.’

Eve heard footsteps retreating, uttered a groan-like ‘thanks’, and then buried herself back under the duvet. She most definitely wasn’t ready to face the day just yet. As she sank back into the pillows, something else was niggling at her too. Something besides her hangover. Her emotions had been pretty wobbly over the past few weeks … a certain worry keeping her awake at night. Normally, she’d share her concerns with her best friend, but it was a bit trickier than that. She went through a mental check list of all the reasons to keep schtum:

a) She really didn’t want to air her silly worries now, and spoil what should be a fab hen party for them all.

b) She could hardly make any sense of it herself just yet.

c) Telling someone might make it all the more real. At the moment, she could just leave well alone, pretend nothing at all had happened, and just carry on with life as normal. Right?

The only trouble was that it wasn’t leaving her alone, and it was starting to do her head in, as well as leaving her heart wallowing in a weird, splodgy puddle.

Eve let out a long, slow sigh. Just thinking about her dilemma made her head pound even more. She fumbled on the bedside table for the paracetamol packet, managed to push two of the pills out and glugged them down with a slurp of tea. Urgh, they tasted foul as they lodged in her throat.

Why did life have to be so bloody complicated?

A long, leisurely soak in the Jacuzzi soothed them all that afternoon – warm and bubbly, with good company and relaxed chatter. Bliss. It was certainly just what Eve needed.

When early evening swung around, Rachel and Hannah nipped out to the town to buy some treats for an easy supper. As soon as they left, Eve ran into the middle of the living room and called the fellow hens over.

‘Right, ladies, it’s go time! Let’s get transforming!’ she shouted, rallying the troops as they started to turn the lodge into a DIY SOS-style hen-do decoration zone. Pearlised pink and silver balloons were blown up and hung from the ceiling, streamers were draped artistically, along with bunting that Eve had made especially for the wedding and brought with her from home. The ‘Team Bride’ sashes were back out, and the girls even set up a cardboard ‘photo booth’ picture frame you could stand behind with lots of fun props – spectacles, hats, feather boas, and more.

When Rachel and Hannah arrived back thirty minutes later, they were surprised by a blast of party poppers and hooters, their friends leaping out at them as they came through the cabin door.

‘Well you lot have certainly perked up!’ Rachel grinned, looking around her at the transformation. ‘Aw, this is amazing, you guys.’

‘Well, we couldn’t let the last night pass without a bit of a bang,’ exclaimed Charlotte.

Jill approached from the kitchen with a tray of freshly frosted, salted caramel cupcakes. ‘I think it’s time we popped open the prosecco again then, girls.’

Eve’s tummy gave a gurgle of protest at the mere thought of alcohol. ‘I’ll pass on the prosecco just now, Jill,’ she gulped. ‘But I might well have to try one of those.’

They ate the cupcakes as dessert first, followed by a platter of local breads, cheeses, and pâtés. They sipped their prosecco, bar Eve who opted for fizzy water, and then settled down for a night of hen-do fun. A proper Girls’ Night In.

The photo booth proved a great hit, and lots of silly, smiley photos were taken. Games were played, including an ‘interesting’ hen-do version of what might be known as ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’, which produced much hilarity, especially when a blindfolded and blushing Jill managed to place the ‘tail’ appendage slap-bang in the middle of the cartoon man’s face.

It was getting late when Kirsty suggested a quick-fire game of ‘Truth or Dare’, along with an Irish cream nightcap. Kirsty nominated herself as question master – a sneaky move, the others agreed, giggling. They’d have to think of a humdinger of a group question for her as a grand finale.

It came to Jill’s turn.

‘Truth or Dare?’

‘Truth. Go on, I’ve nothing to hide.’

‘Be careful of the question here, Kirst,’ Rachel piped up. ‘Remember it’s my mother you’re asking. There are certain things I really don’t want to hear.’

‘Okay, okay. So, Jill, how many different people have you kissed – romantically, that is?’

‘Ooh, now then …’ Jill held out her hand as she was thinking, counting off digits. ‘Blimey, some of them will be way back. School stuff and first boyfriends.’

‘Better be before Dad …’

Robert was counted in as number four – Eve spotted Rachel sighing slightly, bless her, as Jill mouthed her dad’s name. And then Jill paused before counting out one more … oh, Dan? She must have kissed Dan. Eve didn’t know too much about Jill’s new romance, but she knew it had been a bit tough for Rachel to come to terms with.

‘Five. Yes, five.’

Five in all her fifty-two years. She’d married young, Eve supposed. Times were different then.

‘Thank you, Jill!’

‘Next, Rachel. Bride-to-be. We need to know your first kiss – when, where and who with.’

‘Really? Okay, so it was at school, in the summer, school field, I was fifteen …’ She pinked up, remembering. ‘It was pretty awful, a clash of teeth and metal braces, in fact.’ Rachel had wondered what the fuss was all about. ‘Hah, yes, his lips were a bit like a washing machine on full spin.’

The group were in fits of giggles now.

‘And … it was with Matty Douglas,’ came Rachel’s confession.

‘Hah, yes.’ Eve smiled, having been privy to this ‘major’ news at the time.

‘Ooh, really?’ Hannah raised her eyebrows.

‘Yes, of course,’ Charlotte chipped in. Matty was still about in the village. He was a nice lad, had improved since the braces had come off. He now had a car-valeting business and was married with a kid.

‘Eve’s turn,’ the girls called out, grinning. They were nearly all done now, bar Kirsty.

Eve felt a flash of concern. She hated this kind of game at the best of times, and now it made her feel a bit queasy … especially with everything that was going on in her life right now. ‘Okay, okay.’

‘So, Eve, last kiss, when, where and with whom?’

‘You didn’t give me the chance to say Truth or Dare,’ Eve blurted out.

‘Hmm … Eve Jones, you are reluctant to tell the truth … interesting …’ Kirsty put on an interrogative tone, then took a big sip of her Irish cream.

‘Okay, yes, it was Amelia when we said goodbye on Thursday morning.’

‘Romantic kisses, we’re talking,’ added Kirsty.

Eve felt herself flush before quickly saying, ‘Ben, of course.’

‘Right then, we need a question for Kirsty now,’ Rachel said, swiftly rolling the game on. Eve saw her friend glance across at her, seeming to sense her unease. ‘Come on, ladies, group confab. It needs it be a good one,’ Rachel continued.

The group whispered between themselves, until Charlotte came up with a great question. ‘Have you ever had a crush on a teacher at high school? If so, which one and why?’

Between them, they pretty much knew all the high-school teachers, having been to the same school (except for Hannah, who’d moved to the village once she’d married), and it opened up a fun conversation with a few cringeworthy teachers’ names thrown in the mix. Kirsty bypassed the obvious choice of Mr Adams the PE teacher, and plumped for Mr Stephens who’d taught Geography. ‘Tall, not bad looking, and he made Geography seem pretty cool.’

‘Fair enough,’ commented Rachel. ‘I can see how he might have some appeal.’

‘Hah, you were too busy looking at Jake to be eyeing up the teachers,’ said Charlotte.

‘Yeah well, look where that led me …’ Eve knew that Rachel didn’t regret having her beautiful daughter for a minute, but her relationship with Maisy’s dad, Jake, had been a bit of a disaster. ‘Maybe I should have been harbouring secret crushes on the teachers at that point.’

With the game over, they relaxed back into the sofas. With Hannah putting some music to play on her iPhone, they chilled out and enjoyed the rest of their last night away. It was just before midnight when Eve found herself yawning. She felt shattered. It was time to crash out. ‘Sorry to wimp out, but I’m going to have to get to my bed, folks …’

‘Yeah, me too.’ Kirsty caught the yawning bug.

‘Sounds a good idea. We’ll be driving back tomorrow and need clear heads,’ added Jill sensibly.

‘Back to reality,’ said Hannah.

Indeed, back to reality, thought Eve with a heavy heart.

6

Before they all headed off to their beds, Rachel felt she wanted to say a few words. It had been such a wonderful few days with her besties beside her. ‘Thanks so much, everyone, for making this long weekend so special. It’s been a ball. I’ve loved it … and I’ve loved being with you lot.’ She found herself feeling a bit emotional.

‘Aww.’

‘It’s been fab. I haven’t laughed so much in ages. I actually have sore ribs,’ said Hannah.

‘And hey, we’ve still got loads of fun to come, remember,’ added Charlotte with a wide smile. ‘There’s a bloody beauty of a wedding day to celebrate in July.’

‘Hah – yes!’

Thinking of Tom, and of her beautiful surprise wedding dress that was hidden in the wardrobe, of welcoming yet more friends to the celebrations, and having the rest of her family around her – including little Maisy, bless her, who was going to be a flower girl along with Amelia, and Granny Ruth, who wasn’t quite up to a hen do (though Rachel would have bet she’d have given the abseiling a go!) – all filled her with joy. Not to mention the amazing food they were planning for the reception, and the celebratory bubbly.

Yes, the best was yet to come, of course it was.

A little while later, with everyone settling for bed, Eve wandered back into their bedroom from the bathroom, uttering a subdued, ‘Night, Rach.’

Her friend didn’t seem right at all. She’d been way too quiet today. Yes, she was nursing a hangover, but Rachel had seen that before. This was different; it was as though she was keeping something in. And … what was that with the Truth or Dare game? The others hadn’t seemed to pick up on it, but that question about the kiss, she’d gone all weird and cagey. She and Eve were so close, Rachel had a feeling there was something deeper going on.

‘Hey, you okay, Eve?’ Rachel ventured, as she scrubbed her face with a cleansing wipe. ‘It’s just … you seemed a bit … off … today.’

‘Yeah, no worries. I’m fine, Rach.’

But the tone of Eve’s voice and the look on her face told Rachel that her friend wasn’t fine at all.

‘Eve, come on … it’s me … tell me.’

‘Everything’s all right, Rach. I’m just being silly. It’s your hen do, this is a celebration, you don’t need to listen to me harping on.’

‘Well, whatever it is, I can see it’s troubling you. So, hun, I’d rather you harp on, than sit stewing on it. Is it to do with Amelia, Ben? Something with me?’

Eve let out a long slow sigh. ‘Oh, Rach … I don’t even know how to say it.’

‘Well try, just blurt it out. It can’t be that bad … and if it is, I’m here for you, whatever it is.’ Rachel sat down on the bed beside Eve, the two of them slumped together against the headboard, taking them back to being teenagers.

‘Umm …’ Eve let out another sigh. ‘It’s just … there might be someone else.’

Rachel couldn’t hide her shock. What on earth was her friend talking about? Someone else for Tom? What did she mean? There was a lump in her throat like a stone, and Rachel’s heart felt as if it had fallen down a mine shaft.

Eve must have seen her face drop. ‘No, it’s not anything to do with you or Tom,’ she blurted out to clarify. ‘Me … it’s me.’

‘What do mean, Eve. Another man?’

Eve nodded sheepishly. ‘Don’t worry. I haven’t done anything stupid; well not quite, not yet. There’s been a near-kiss moment, that’s all.’

Rachel was still trying to take this all in. Eve and Ben were such a lovely couple. So solid. And there was little Amelia. Rachel would never have imagined that anything like this might happen.

‘What about Ben? Your family, Eve? What’s happened?’ Rachel was still pretty incredulous. Eve just wasn’t the gallivanting sort.

‘I can’t get him out of my head,’ Eve stated, looking sad and torn. ‘And I don’t know if that means I don’t love Ben any more … I don’t know what to think.’

‘Oh, Eve. Who is this guy … how?’

‘He’s someone I met through the craft events. He’s an artist, really talented. He does the most amazing seascapes in oils.’ There was a note of adoration in Eve’s tone.

‘Oh, Eve. Be careful, hun. Surely you can’t know this guy very well. It’ll just be some crush. And, what about Ben and Amelia and everything you have together? You’re a family. A lovely family.’ Rachel couldn’t bear to think of the implications for their fabulous little unit. She loved them all dearly.

‘I know, I know. I’m married to Ben … and we used to be so close. And it scares me too, and I don’t know how I’ve got to feeling this way …’ Her voice had dropped to a whisper as a big fat tear plopped down on her lap. ‘But I do.’

Rachel held her friend’s hand, concerned for her and her family. ‘Maybe you and Ben have just got a bit stuck in a rut,’ she said gently, but with a note of warning too. ‘Maybe you need some time as a couple. I’ll look after Amelia, if you want a night away or something …’

‘Yeah, well, maybe we do take each other a bit for granted. We have had a bit of a wobble lately. But, this guy – Aiden – it’s like we’ve got so much in common. He’s creative, and he’s enthusiastic about my crafts. For Ben, my business is all just a big mess taking up space in the dining room, and my time.’

Oh dear, Eve seemed to have it bad. ‘Eve, it’s got to be different living with someone day to day, I’m sure. Life’s not always glamorous and romantic, is it?’ In fact, Rachel had it all to find out. She hadn’t even had a chance to move in with Tom yet, wanting to keep things simple for Maisy up until now. But she was realistic and knew it couldn’t always be plain sailing. ‘Don’t do anything stupid, hun. Promise me.’

‘I won’t … I won’t.’ It was as though Eve was trying to convince herself. She went quiet for a few seconds. ‘Rachel, you can’t tell anyone. Not even Tom.’

‘Of course, I won’t.’

‘It’s just … if Ben found out, even this much, that might be it. I don’t think it would ever be the same again between us.’ She sounded so afraid.

‘I promise. It’s our secret. And you keep talking to me … and keep thinking of your family, Eve. Don’t let yourself get swept up in something you might live to regret.’

‘Ah-huh.’ Eve’s fingers were shaking inside Rachel’s palm.

Rachel gave her friend a warm hug. ‘Hey, petal, let’s get to bed and get some sleep, hey. Things’ll work out somehow.’

‘Yeah …’

They both slid down under the covers.

‘Night, Eve.’

‘Night, Rach.’

Rachel held Eve’s hand gently beneath the duvet as she waited for her to drift off to sleep. Two friends lying side by side, one about to embark on her marriage journey, the other several years in and finding herself drifting on a turbulent tide.

Something New
Jill’s Hen-Do Tiramisu
A lovely and easy new recipe for you to try!

Ingredients

2 eggs, separated (please be aware this recipe does contain raw egg)

4 tablespoons golden caster sugar

250g (9oz) mascarpone cheese

125ml (4½fl. oz) fresh strong coffee

4 tablespoons Marsala

125g (4½oz) sponge fingers/boudoir biscuits

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Method

Top tip – make in advance and leave the flavours to develop.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until light and frothy. Fold in the mascarpone.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into the cream-cheese mixture.

In another bowl, mix the coffee and Marsala together. Dip half the sponge fingers in this and lay them over the base of a large dish. Spoon over half the cream-cheese mixture, and dust with cocoa powder. Repeat this stage to make another layer. Smooth the surface gently and dust with more cocoa powder.

Chill for at least two hours before serving and preferably overnight.

Seriously scrumptious!

7

A warm welcome awaited Rachel and Jill at Primrose Farm. It lifted Rachel’s soul as they came back into the gentle folds of the lush green valley; though she’d had a great time away with her friends, and had loved the rugged Scottish countryside and her lake view, here was where her heart lay.

They dropped Eve off first, Rachel getting out and helping her with her things, including the precious wedding dress that her friend was going to keep safe for her. Rachel gave her an extra big hug as she waved her into her cottage, and back into the arms of her husband and daughter. She still felt pretty stunned by last night’s revelation, and wished them all a silent good luck.

Soon they were turning onto their farm track, and as they pulled up by the farmhouse, Rachel spotted a big homemade banner over the front door that read: ‘Welcome home, Mummy and Grandma!’ with bold sunny flowers in pink and yellow painted each side of the writing. A ‘Maisy creation’ for sure, with a bit of help from Granny Ruth. Though hopefully someone other than Granny had hoisted it into place, Rachel thought, not wanting to imagine Granny teetering up stepladders or suchlike at her grand age.

‘Oh, look, how lovely.’ Jill was grinning from the passenger seat.

Within seconds the front door opened and out bowled Maisy. No sooner was Rachel out of the truck than she was in her arms. ‘I missed you sooo much, Mummy!’

‘Missed you too, petal.’ It was gorgeous to feel her daughter’s solid weight in her arms, smell the shampoo-fresh blonde curls.

‘So, have you been a good girl for everyone?’

‘Yep …’

‘Been good as gold,’ confirmed Ruth, who had trundled out and was there beside them now too.

‘I love the special banner,’ said Grandma Jill, who was next in line to receive a huge Maisy hug.

‘And we’ve made coming-home cupcakes,’ beamed Maisy from Jill’s arms. ‘Chocolate ones.’

‘Wow, you have been busy.’

‘I’ll head in and pop the kettle on then, my lovelies,’ said Ruth, ‘and we can hear all about your trip away.’

Daniel popped out of the Pudding Pantry – the wonderful tearoom venture that they had set up last summer in the converted barn – where he had been helping to serve with Jan today, the pair of them holding the fort whilst Jill and Rachel were away. Jill went across for a few words, and Rachel spied her mum giving him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. It still felt strange to watch, and her heart dipped slightly as she inevitably thought about her dad; yet she was starting to understand and accept her mum’s new relationship.

Moss, their Border collie, gave a welcome bark from his kennel in the yard. Rachel quickly went around to greet him with Maisy at her heels.

‘Hey, boy.’ She opened the catch and he bounded out, skirting her legs as she leaned over to pat the soft fur on his black-and-white head. Moss’s tail never stopped wagging as he happily herded them all back inside the farmhouse kitchen. Home.

There was someone else who Rachel couldn’t wait to see too.

Fifteen minutes later, the sound of his truck pulling up in the yard made her heart sing even more. She dropped her mug of tea down on the kitchen table and dashed out to meet him.

‘Tom!’ She couldn’t hide her excitement.

‘Good time …?’ Before he could get to the door, she was in his arms and smacking a big kiss on his grinning lips.

‘I guess you missed me then, hey?’ He pulled away, laughing.

It was only a few days, and she’d had a great time with her friends, but she had missed him. His broad smile, the feeling of his strong arms around her, the woody smell of his aftershave, the promise of slow nights making love … if she could get away this evening, that was.

As she finally touched her feet back on the ground, she took Tom by the hand and led him inside towards the family gathering.

‘Hello, Tom.’

‘Hi, all.’

‘Hey Mummy, Tom helped me with my jigsaw yesterday, and he took me out to see Petie in his truck.’

‘Thought I’d give Ruth a bit of a breather,’ he smiled.

‘Aw, thanks, that’s so thoughtful of you.’

‘And I went and helped Dan in the Pantry. We made cheese scones together … but they were triangle ones and not circles. He’s not as good as you, Grandma …’

‘Well, you have been busy,’ replied Grandma Jill with a grin.

‘Cupcake, Tom?’ Ruth passed the plate across. ‘Double chocolate sprinkles, courtesy of Maisy.’ She gave a wry smile.

‘Don’t mind if I do.’ He took one, and gave a thumbs-up to Maisy, who beamed with pride.

‘So, everything’s been fine with the farm?’ Rachel asked, turning to Tom.

‘Yeah, just one of your ewes got a bit tangled in a fence. I got her out okay, but she’s got a deep nick on her foreleg. Treated it with the purple spray; looks like it’ll heal okay.’

‘Ah, there’s always some trouble, hey?’

The usual farmyard niggles.

‘You’ll find her in the Top Field, still limping a bit this morning.’

‘Well, thank you. It was great knowing Primrose Farm was in good hands.’

‘You’re welcome. And Maisy filled me in on lots of things while we were out and about. I’ve learnt all kinds of things while you were away.’ His eyes were twinkling mischievously.

‘Hah, I bet she did, little chatterbox.’ Rachel squeezed her daughter’s cheek affectionately.

Back in the fold of Primrose Farm: Moss stretched out by the Aga, his tail rhythmically giving a happy thump on the tiles, the Baking Bible set there high on the shelf above the well-used food mixer, and the glorious view of the valley beyond the square-paned window, green and lush. Sitting in the hub of the kitchen with her fiancé and her family, Rachel felt such warmth. There was a glow of happy love around that table. It felt good, and Rachel was so thankful. Her mind drifted to her best friend Eve, and the recent revelation that had rocked her. She sent a silent prayer that Eve was feeling that same warmth on her arrival home.

8
EVE

Eve walked up the path to her cottage with her suitcase and the precious dress carrier in tow, and saw Ben and Amelia waiting on the doorstep. Her daughter dashed out to greet her in a rush of miss-you hugs and chatter, telling her all about her weekend.

‘Maisy was here and we had pizza and ice creams … and Haribo … and we stayed up till eleven o’clock!’ her cute six-year-old voice raced on.

Argh, so that’s what happened when she wasn’t around. Eve raised an eyebrow sharply at Ben, just as Ben gave Amelia a cheeky shush, that’s enough, kind of look. She couldn’t really be cross, though – a late night once in a blue moon probably wasn’t going to hurt. It was good to think that they’d been having fun together. She knew that Ben was a lovely dad to Amelia, it was nice for them to have some father–daughter bonding time. And, she had been away herself, having a brilliant time with the girls.

‘Hey …’ Ben was there at the doorway, helping to take her case before brushing her cheek with a kiss. ‘Had a good time then?’

‘Yeah, it was great.’

The three of them bundled in over the threshold, Eve finding a safe place to hang the dress, using the top ledge of the open lounge door. ‘And Rachel so loved the dress, phew.’

‘Well, that’s good,’ Ben replied, a little distractedly.

The number of hours Eve had spent on the dress had already caused some tension between her and Ben, that and trying to keep up with all her Etsy orders online. Her craft business was doing well, and she made soft toys, knits and home decorations to sell at the Pudding Pantry and at local craft fairs, but all this took time and sometimes stole into their evenings. The dress was yet more work, but she really wanted to make her best friend’s wedding extra special. After hearing from Jill about the frock that Rachel had left behind, she couldn’t get her friend’s disappointment out of her mind, and she had been determined to play Fairy Godmother. Ben had huffed and puffed his way through many an evening of late as she sat stitching chiffon flowers onto the skirt, saying he couldn’t see why Rachel couldn’t just go and buy a wedding dress like most other people did.

‘You load so much pressure on yourself already,’ he’d commented. ‘You don’t have to take even more on.’

But Eve wanted Rachel’s big day to be perfect for her bestie, and was almost as excited about Tom and Rachel’s wedding as the happy couple were.

Ben was looking at her. ‘So, what did you get up to? What was it like there? It sounded a great place.’

‘Oh, yeah, we had a fab time,’ Eve answered quickly, realising her husband was waiting for a response. ‘Yep, the lodge was amazing, a proper log cabin, set right by a lake.’

‘Oooh, it sounds pretty there, Mummy.’ Amelia was standing beside them in the hallway.

‘Yes, it was, really pretty. With woods to walk in and a lovely seaside town nearby.’ Eve felt a little nostalgic about it already.

‘That’s good. Glad it all worked out for you all. And … you deserved a bit of a break.’

‘We missed you, Mummy.’

‘Yeah, we did,’ Ben agreed, raising a warm smile, with a reassuring glimmer of his old self back. They’d seemed sadly distant of late. ‘Right, great. So, what’s for tea?’

Ah, back to normal then, thought Eve.

Echoes of Kirsty’s domestic complaints rattled through Eve’s mind, mocking her.

‘Oh …’ she hadn’t even thought. Mealtimes and cooking were usually her domain, but after her long journey and busy weekend, she had kind of hoped that Ben might have come up with something for her arrival supper himself.

‘Well, I have been cooking all weekend,’ he began.

That wasn’t strictly true, as she knew they’d been over to his parents for dinner last night, and she’d left that lasagne in the fridge. Warming up a frozen pizza and serving ice cream for the girls didn’t exactly take all evening or make him MasterChef material. But she bit her tongue; she’d had her wonderful, if slightly emotional, weekend away after all.

‘Right, well, I’ll have a look in the freezer, there’s bound to be something there,’ Eve mumbled, wracking her brain. There might be some breaded fish, oven chips, peas? So, there she was, straight back to it. Reality hitting home already.

And there they were, slipping back into tired roles, family life. Everything back to normal … or so it seemed. Tea time. Popping Amelia in the bath for some splash-filled fun and more chatter. Bedtime routine: a book and a hug, and a tender kiss on her strawberry-soap-smelling cheek. An evening for two in front of the television. Comfortable, uninspiring. Time to turn in themselves.

Once they were in bed, Eve turned to her husband to snuggle up. She knew she needed to make more of an effort herself. Things weren’t so bad at home; she just needed to try a bit harder, that was all. For all their sakes. They were a family.

She’d made her own wedding vows six years ago, till death do us part, and she had meant every word as she’d spoken them in the church that day. She and Ben could get back to how they used to be, surely. But as she leaned against him, brushing a hand over his chest, with fingertips that used to make his skin quiver under her touch, she realised his breathing had slowed. A snort of a snore emitted from his mouth.

She rolled away to the coolness of the other side of the bed, feeling the moisture of a tear brush her lashes, wondering how life – how they – had changed so much.

9

A shaft of warm sunlight fell on Rachel’s face. She got up to open the curtains on a glorious gold-flecked morning. The sky an azure blue with mere puffs of candyfloss cloud. Summer was here at last.

After a breakfast of toast spread thickly with Ruth’s bramble jelly, and having seen Maisy off on the school bus, Rachel headed across the sun-dappled farmyard to the Pudding Pantry, where she and Jill were back on duty. The May sunshine warmed the honeyed-stone walls, and danced off the white wooden tables where little posies of pink roses, plucked from their garden and mixed with sprigs of delicate white gypsophila, sat in mini milk bottles.

The coffee machine was gurgling. Elderly yet spritely Frank, one of their regulars, was seated at his favourite window table, overlooking the valley, with his newspaper propped up before him. ‘Nice to see you back, ladies.’ He gave them a smile.

‘Nice to be back, Frank,’ replied Rachel warmly, ‘though we did have a lovely time, I must say.’ Rachel was standing in the little kitchen area behind the counter, spooning creamy cheesecake mix on top of buttery biscuit crumbs for a summery lemon dessert. The zingy citrus smell was delightful.

‘Fabulous, it was, Frank. We had our own wooden lodge right by a lake,’ added Jill, as she lifted a batch of freshly baked scones out of the oven, ready to put out for cream teas – it most definitely was that time of the year. She’d already baked two halves of a Victoria sponge in the farmhouse Aga earlier this morning, ready to sandwich together with whipped cream and strawberries.

‘Sounds delightful. Oh, and has Tom had his stag do yet, then?’ enquired Frank. ‘You young ones seem to do all sorts of exciting things these days. Mine was a few drinks down at The Black Bull with my pals. In fact,’ he gave a chuckle, ‘I remember ending up a little worse for wear, and my mother being extremely cross with me when I finally staggered home. I do believe I might have been a tad poorly in one of the front garden flower beds.’

‘Hah, those were the days, Frank, hey,’ chipped in Jill.

‘Tom’s had his stag already,’ Rachel replied. ‘He and his friends went down to Newcastle for a night out. They’re big rugby fans so they tied it in with watching a match there at the Newcastle Falcons.’

‘Ah, right. I bet they had a good time.’

‘No doubt – though I didn’t ask for too many details,’ she laughed. ‘So, do you think we should freshen up the menus, Mum?’ added Rachel, changing tack. ‘Make sure we add some new summery puds?’

‘Oh yes, good idea, love. We’ll need something for the gluten-free range too. Oh, and let’s make a new selection for our mini pudding platters. What about a small rhubarb and vanilla pudding, with a slice of your lemon cheesecake and a bite-size strawberry meringue, and then something chocolatey, perhaps?’

‘A mini brownie, maybe?’

Frank, who’d been listening in, called out, ‘Yes, please. I’ll be your taste-tester if you like.’

‘Of course, you can be the first to try it out, Frank,’ replied Jill with a grin.

A couple arrived, whose rugged footwear and practical clothing suggested they’d been out hiking. They asked for two coffees whilst browsing the glass counter with wide eyes as they discovered the delicious selection.

‘How to choose?’ The man raised his eyebrows.

‘I know,’ agreed the woman. ‘Everything looks so delicious.’

‘Well, you can always have a couple of things and share,’ suggested Rachel.

‘Or, they do a fabulous pudding platter,’ chipped in Frank with a wink. ‘Why just have one or two things when you can taste three or four,’ he added naughtily. ‘The new summer selection sounds divine.’

‘Well, we’d better have one of those then,’ the gentleman said in a lilting Yorkshire accent. ‘Just the thing after a bracing walk in the hills.’

‘Oh, it’ll have been lovely up there this morning,’ commented Rachel.

‘It was indeed; the views were stunning,’ his partner added, as they settled down at a nearby table.

As Jill went to serve the pudding platter a few minutes later, Rachel stopped her in her tracks. ‘Wait, that looks amazing, Mum. Let me take a quick pic, and I’ll pop it straight on to our Instagram and Facebook pages. The puddings look sooo pretty.’

‘And delicious too,’ Frank chipped in.

‘Yes,’ Rachel continued, ‘seeing a picture of that summer selection might well help entice a few more customers in.’

Rachel liked to keep their social media pages updated, and with images like that going online, their followers’ mouths would soon be watering.

A bustling half-hour followed, with several more customers turning up. Then they had space for a quick breather and a cup of tea for themselves.

‘We need to have a proper think about the food for the wedding, Mum. It’s less than seven weeks away now. We did say we’d make all the puddings ourselves … and we need to create some kind of savoury buffet for the afternoon reception, as well as the hog roast that Tom has got organised for the evening.’

Costs for the wedding had already been mounting. If they made the buffet themselves it would certainly save them some much-needed funds, but they were well aware it would be a lot of extra work. ‘We’ll need to decide exactly what we’ll be baking,’ Rachel continued, starting to spiral a little, ‘or it’ll creep up on us all too fast. And … there’s so much else to think of too.’ Rachel had to admit it was beginning to feel a bit overwhelming. They were still to finalise the flowers, table decorations, favours, some thank you gifts … the list went on. Thank goodness the dress at least was sorted. ‘So, we’ll need to be organised as far ahead as we can.’

‘Puddings for a wedding … Hmm, I’ll get my Queen of the Pudding Pantry thinking cap on.’ With a broad smile, Jill raised the bespoke mug that Rachel had bought her last Christmas. ‘Don’t you worry, Rachel. It’ll all work out wonderfully, I’m sure.’

Rachel hoped they’d manage to pull it all together in the end. But organising a wedding, her own wedding, on top of the farming chores and looking after Maisy seemed a big ask right now. She hated being the centre of attention at the best of times, and she now wondered if inviting what felt like the whole of the small town of Kirkton had been wise.

After a further busy spell over the lunch time, Tom appeared in his farming gear. ‘Afternoon, ladies.’

‘We missed you this morning,’ said Jill. You could set your watch by Tom’s bacon sandwich at elevenses.

Rachel had missed him last night too. Having been away all weekend, she’d stayed home with Maisy for the early evening, and then – just as she’d hoped to call round to Tom’s after putting her little girl to bed – he’d ended up having to dash out to help a farming friend bring a cow and her calf down into their shed; the cow having got herself caught up in some broken wire and in a bit of a state. So, they hadn’t had the evening together they’d hoped for.

‘Ah, I know, I was kept away earlier with a delivery. But, I’ve managed to wangle a couple of free hours this afternoon. So, I was wondering if …’ He raised his eyebrows enquiringly at Rachel. She shrugged her shoulders as she busied herself with the coffee machine. Much as she’d love to escape with Tom, she should really be helping her mum here at the Pantry.

‘Jill, can I possibly steal your daughter for a few hours, do you think? We have important wedding plans to make.’ He gave his warmest smile, the one that always made Rachel melt.

Jill wiped her hands on her apron. ‘Oh, well, I don’t see why not … it’s bound to quieten off a bit now that lunch time’s over. And it’s after-school club for Maisy tonight, isn’t it, Rachel? So, I’m sure I can manage here.’

‘Are you sure, Mum?’

Jill nodded.

‘Well, we could pick Maisy up on the way back, I suppose. That would work, wouldn’t it, Tom?’ Rachel was still feeling a little guilty at leaving her mum in the lurch.

‘Of course. No problem.’

‘Go on then, get yourself away, lass. Before I get a chance to change my mind.’

‘Thank you, Mum.’ Rachel whipped off her apron and leapt around the other side of the counter.

‘Cheers, Jill, we owe you one,’ Tom beamed.

Forty minutes later, strolling the golden sands of Low Newton Bay, with the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle creating a dramatic backdrop on the far cliffs, and Tom holding her hand, Rachel felt a sense of happy calm. The smell of salt and sea filled the air. The sun glinted in silver bursts off the waves that rolled gently into the shore. They’d made their escape to the coast, and they finally had a little time to themselves.

‘It’s gorgeous here, isn’t it?’ Rachel took in the panoramic seascape.

‘Yeah, don’t know why we don’t try and get down here more often.’

‘Oh, I don’t know. Work … the farms … Pudding Pantry to run.’ She pulled at his arm playfully.

‘Well yes, there is all that.’

‘But yes, it’s lovely just to take a bit of time out. I’m getting spoilt, what with a weekend away and now this … Heaven forbid I’ll get used to it. Anyway, what are these wedding plans you needed to discuss so urgently?’ Tom had been happy to let her, Jill, and maid of honour Eve, get on with most of the organising up until now. He’d been firmly in agreement that they should have a big celebration back at Primrose Farm after the church wedding in Kirkton but, as for the finer details, he was grateful for them to take the lead.

‘Ah, well,’ he looked a little sheepish, ‘I have to confess it was just a ploy to get you away early.’

‘Hah, so I’ve been brought here under false pretences,’ she pulled a pretend-grumpy face. ‘Sneaky.’

‘Guilty as charged.’ He grinned.

‘But we probably do have loads of things to catch up on wedding-wise, you know. Like, did you finally sort your suit out and those you need to hire for the best man and ushers?’

‘Of course. All done. I have found the perfect attire for us all, and we’ll look very smart indeed.’ He gave a wink.

‘Those grey suits I pointed out online?’

He pursed his lips and gave a slow nod, looking a little sheepish.

She wasn’t buying it, Tom definitely had something up his sleeve, but she couldn’t work out what.

‘Yeah, so no need to fret, I’ve got everything sorted for us men. We’ll look great, don’t you worry.’

They walked hand in hand, Rachel’s fingers slotted through Tom’s, as if it was where they belonged. Strolling further along the bay, away from the dog walkers, the picnickers and the children building sandcastles, they discovered a sand-filled dip in the dunes, hidden from view of the beach, where they decided to sit for a while and make the most of the sunny afternoon.

‘Ah, bliss.’ Rachel stretched out, the sand warm beneath her, feeling the tingle of the sun on her face.

They were soon lying side by side, holding hands, looking up at the fluffy white clouds slowly scudding across the sky. It was nice just to stop and be still, to take a moment out of their hectic lives. And, it was so very nice to be lying here next to Tom.

‘So, what do you see up there?’ Tom asked, gazing up at the sky.

‘Some clouds and blue sky.’

‘Hah, practical as always. Look again, do you see that boat moving out of the cloud mass over there, and oh, the face of a wolf in that one? Two pointy ears and a sharp nose.’

‘Yeah, I can just about make that out.’

He should have been playing this game with Maisy, Rachel mused. She had the imagination; she’d have spotted a full zoo and more by now. Rachel was just happy seeing a lovely blue sky, and having this gorgeous man by her side. She gave a contented sigh. Tom had slotted into her and Maisy’s lives so well. She’d been anxious at first about bringing a new father figure into her daughter’s life, but he had moved slowly and thoughtfully into that role. Tom didn’t have any children from his previous marriage – his relationship with the infamous Caitlin had ended in a rather bitter divorce five years ago – but, despite never having had a child of his own, he seemed a natural.

She rolled towards him, quickly checking that there didn’t seem to be anyone around in this part of the dunes. ‘I do think I might just have to block your view, however.’ She grinned cheekily as she climbed on board, until she was flat out over him, legs to legs, chest to chest, face to face. She smiled foxily as she dipped her chin, edging her mouth towards his, their lips meeting in a gorgeously sexy kiss. Her body tingling from top to toe, feeling so alive. Tom’s arms tightened around her back, holding her closer still.

‘Shame there are people about, just down there …’ sighed Tom, as he drew away to take a breath.

‘Hmm, but I’m sure they haven’t banned kissing in public quite yet, and we are fully clothed.’

‘I know. But … it’s killing me. It’s like revving up the engine and not being able to go anywhere.’ He gave a frustrated grin.

Rachel laughed, then moved in for kiss number two – such glorious and heart-warming seconds, enjoying the feeling of his cheeky erection beneath her.

‘Well, you’ll just have to wait, Mr Watson.’ She smiled, then nibbled his ear lobe ever so gently.

‘Nope, no, no. That’ll send me over the edge, you minx.’

Rachel leapt up from him, laughing, ‘Okay then, last one down to the sea’s a ninny.’

Tom scrambled after her.

She could feel the thud of his feet in the sand just behind her as she ran full pelt down the dune bank and away to the shore, pulling off her trainers in the final few metres before dashing right up to her knees in the chilly water.

Tom swept her up in his arms, about to dunk her into the waves.

‘So, I’m a ninny, am I?’

‘Yes!’

With one swift movement, he dipped her body until her head touched the cold sea froth.

‘No, no, no!’

They were both laughing. He dipped her once more, enough to dampen her hair.

‘No, stop, I’ll end up all curls,’ she giggled.

‘I love your curls.’ He dipped her again.

‘Ooo-kay, no more. I surrender, I’ll get brain freeze!’

The legs of Tom’s jeans were soaked through; as he deposited Rachel back on the sands, they both looked down at his sodden legs, grinning.

‘Do you think they’ll still let us in the pub? I fancy a quick pint,’ said Tom.

‘Yeah, course. It is the beach, after all. We might manage to bag a seat outside anyhow.’

‘Have you eaten?’

‘Nah, I was too busy serving at lunch time,’ answered Rachel. ‘I’d forgotten. Hmm, I am feeling a bit peckish …’

‘Right then, to the pub it is.’

They were soon perched on a wooden bench outside the Ship Inn, tucking in to fresh crab sandwiches and a bowl of homemade chips, all salt and vinegary – delicious. They chatted as they ate, Rachel sipping a glass of chilled white wine while Tom enjoyed a half-pint of the local ale, soaking up the atmosphere of a sunny afternoon by the sea.

All too soon, it was time to head back. Maisy’s after-school gym club would be finishing in half an hour, and they’d have to be there in time to collect her. Back to mum mode, back to reality.

‘Time to go …’ Rachel admitted reluctantly.

‘Yep, it is indeed. I’ve got a few things to finish up on the farm too.’

‘It’s been lovely, Tom. Thank you for whisking me away.’

‘The pleasure’s all mine,’ answered Tom.

He gathered their glasses and took them back inside to the bar, whilst Rachel took a last look at the rippling blue of the sea. It had been a gorgeous afternoon.

Hmm, maybe she could call and see Tom later this evening, and pick up where they’d left off in the dunes …

Heading back inland in Tom’s truck, Rachel gazed across at her fiancé. ‘Won’t it be great when we don’t have to keep saying goodbye, when we can go home together, just be together …’

With their wedding in less than two months’ time, it would be a wonderful reality. Going home with Tom and Maisy, back to Primrose Farm.

‘Yeah,’ his smile was warm, genuine, ‘knowing that when I get back from a day out in the fields, or on the tractor, that you’ll be there, you and Maisy, back at my farmhouse.’

At my farmhouse.

Oh … did he imagine she and Maisy would be moving in there with him?

Rachel had assumed he’d move in with them, there at Primrose Farm, and maybe put his farmhouse up for rent or something. Primrose was Maisy’s home; it was all her little girl had ever known. Dammit, it was all Rachel had ever known. It was where she’d grown up with Dad, Mum. It was home. She felt a wrench in her heart just thinking about leaving.

‘Ah … did you mean … you want us to move in with you?’ She tried to keep the tremble from her voice, reasoning with herself that it was only a mile down the road.

‘Well, yeah. I just thought … with your mum still living at the farm, you’d want to come over to mine, have some privacy. Our own space. Me, you and Maisy. I can do up the spare room for her, let her choose the colours and all that.’

Rachel was still trying to process this. Her mouth an ‘o’ of surprise. Why the hell hadn’t they had this conversation before? She’d just assumed, very naively as it turned out, that they’d be staying put … but then apparently, so had he …

‘Well, you can still carry on looking after Primrose easily from there, and the Pantry and everything’s close by.’

‘Oh, but it’d mean moving Maisy … it might be unsettling for her.’

‘I’m sure she’d be fine, Rach, kids adapt. We needn’t all be crammed under one roof, and it makes sense for Jill to stay put; it’s her home and where she does the baking for the Pantry, after all.’

Rachel opened her mouth to speak but found herself tongue-tied. For Tom it was obviously a done deal. Straightforward, in fact. But, as Rachel looked out of the truck window at the country lanes whizzing by, she was reeling.

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