Page 16 of All Wrapped Up

Of course, I was feeling terrified by the prospect of talking to everyone who had turned out for the first meeting at the wrong venue, because the weight of expectation to offer a fabulous festival weighed even heavier now, but I took a leap of faith and said a resounding ‘yes’ to Lizzie’s request. And, having turned once again to Callum’s words of wisdom, it wasn’t the only thing I had decided to welcome in, either.

As soon as I’d got home from town that Monday, I had made myself a pot of tea and sat down in my armchair with the box containing all of Callum’s notes resting on my lap.

I took out and ran my fingers lightly over the words of his last one and acknowledged that the best and loveliest things really were on my horizon now.

I was taking some risks and the rewards were starting to make their presence felt and when I picked out and read another note, I knew that, even with my nerves kicking in, everything was going to work out just fine.

I hadn’t learnt to drive until Callum and I were engaged and the morning of my test, I had been absolutely terrified. However, Callum had sent me off with a few words, which he said I couldn’t read until the time of my test and when I did, I found he’d cleverly turned my fear on its head.

You’re feeling scared because you care, Clemmie. The fact that you’re so nervous is proof of how much you want this and you always achieve everything you set your mind to, don’t you? And that’s because you go after it with the whole of your heart!

Callum was right about that, and this time around, what I wanted, along with making a success of the festival, was to give Pixie a safe and loving forever home.

‘Clemmie.’ Ash smiled, when he opened the barn door early that evening and found me on his doorstep. ‘Hey. This is a surprise.’

‘I asked Lizzie for your address,’ I explained. ‘I hope you don’t mind that she gave it to me.’

He didn’t have the chance to answer because the moment Pixie heard my voice, she’d skirted around his legs and bowled into mine.

‘Hello, you,’ I said, scooping her up. ‘I was hoping to find you at home.’

‘No,’ Ash laughed, opening the door wider. ‘I don’t mind. Come in. I was just about to make a coffee. Would you like one?’

‘Yes, please,’ I said, practically tripping over the threshold because with Pixie wriggling in my arms and shoving her face in mine, it was difficult to see where I was going.

‘Has she been like this all day?’ I asked as she continued to squirm about.

‘This is a vast improvement on her mood from before, isn’t it? ’

‘No, she hasn’t been like this all day,’ Ash continued to laugh. ‘And yes, it is a vast improvement. Her excitement seems to be solely reserved for when she sees you.’

‘That’s probably because we’ve got so much in common,’ I unguardedly said, then felt relieved that Ash hadn’t heard me over the noise of the boiling kettle.

‘What was that?’ he asked, moving closer.

‘I said,’ I amended, ‘I’m honoured.’

‘Good.’

‘And she was pleased to see you the other night, too,’ I pointed out.

‘That’s true,’ he agreed. ‘Now, how do you take your coffee?’

Once he’d made us drinks, Pixie had calmed down and I had admired the beautiful barn conversion Ash currently called home, we sat on the sofa with Pixie between us.

‘So,’ he said, as he passed me my mug. ‘Is this a social call or…’

‘It’s partly a social call,’ I told him. ‘I wanted to see how you were feeling after the weekend.’

He looked touched that I had asked.

‘Far better than I had expected I would be when I first got the call from Mum telling me what had happened,’ he explained.

‘Well, that’s great. How’s your nan doing now?’

‘She’s still in the hospital and will be for a little longer, but my parents are already getting the annexe organised and sorting things at Nan’s house. Ideally, I’d like to be there to help, but obviously I need to be here for work. That said, I’ll go up whenever I can.’

‘You never did say where they lived, but I’m guessing it’s quite a distance away.’

‘Bakewell,’ he said. ‘In the Peak District.’

‘Crikey, that’s even further than I thought.’

‘I can do it in under three hours, if the traffic is kind.’

‘But not so easily with Pixie?’ I surmised.

‘I certainly couldn’t do there and back in a day with her. She doesn’t mind shorter distances, but her owner wasn’t a driver, so Pixie isn’t entirely au fait with the joys of being transported far on four wheels. It’s all quite a challenge.’

‘You really have got a lot on your plate now, Ash,’ I said, biting my lip.

I had been going to tell him that the autumn festival was back on, and properly this time but I didn’t want him to feel pressured into helping when he suddenly had trips to the Peak District to factor in to his already limited free time.

‘That’s life, isn’t it?’ He shrugged. ‘There’s always something waiting in the wings.’

‘You’re not wrong,’ I sighed.

I had come to know that better than anyone.

‘So, what else was your visit about?’ he asked.

‘What do you mean?’

‘You said, your visit was partly a social call, so I take it there was something else?’

I thought then that I’d stick to discussing my decision about Pixie, rather than mention the festival, but Ash was one step ahead of me.

‘I popped into The Cherry Tree for a takeaway lunch earlier,’ he grinned, ‘and Lizzie was looking very pleased with life. You wouldn’t happen to know why, would you? She was tutoring a one-to-one crochet lesson so couldn’t chat, but I could see she was bursting to say something.’

I had no choice but to mention the festival then.

‘I daresay she was still buzzing about the festival,’ I ventured.

‘The festival,’ Ash echoed. ‘I did wonder if that might be it. What’s happened now?’

‘Well, for a start, we now know that the lack of attendees at the meeting last week, was down to a… technical hitch, so we’re having another one tomorrow night to get it back on track.’

Saying it aloud made my tummy churn a bit, but in both a nervous and an excited sort of way.

How often those two emotions got tangled up!

Rereading Callum’s note really had offered a timely reminder that my feeling jittery actually meant that I truly cared about whatever had caused the collywobbles (one of Dad’s favourite words) and I clearly cared about the festival a lot.

‘Well, that’s great news!’ Ash declared. ‘And I know I’m going to be slightly more time pressured now than when I originally offered to step up, but I’ll still help out.’

‘You don’t have to—’

‘I know,’ he said, cutting me off. ‘But I promised I would, and I want to.’

‘Well, only if you’re absolutely sure.’

‘I am. And I’ll definitely be at the meeting tomorrow.’

‘As long as your truck doesn’t break down again,’ I nudged.

‘It won’t and I’m not working tomorrow either, so why don’t we go to town together? We could grab a bite to eat ahead of the meeting.’

‘That’s a lovely suggestion,’ I said, puffing out my cheeks, ‘but I’m not sure I’ll be up to eating anything.’

‘Of course you will,’ he nudged back, with a laugh. ‘Now tell me, what was the technical hitch that messed things up last week?’

Ash’s eyes grew wider and wider as I told him about the underhanded tactic Jason had employed in order to undermine the festival and why.

‘What a horrible thing to do,’ he stated, when I’d given him all of the details. ‘And what a ridiculous attitude to have about the town. I had no idea he felt that way.’

‘I agree.’ I nodded. ‘On both counts.’

‘I feel very lucky to live near somewhere as lovely as Wynbridge.’

‘Me too.’

‘There aren’t many places with the same depth of heart and soul that this place has.’

‘That’s pretty much what Lizzie said,’ I happily sighed.

Now that I had spent a year and a half in the Fens, gently processing my grief, while vigorously renovating Rowan Cottage, and was ready to pull myself further out of my shell, I knew I was in the perfect place to nurture my progress and safely spread my wings.

‘We’re both very lucky,’ said Ash.

When I looked up, I found he was looking at me intently and I felt my tummy take another tumble, but it was a rather different feeling to the one I’d experienced when thinking about the festival.

I don’t know what I would have said next, if anything, but Ash’s gaze then moved to take in the view over my shoulder and the moment passed.

I blinked it away, feeling… well, I wasn’t sure how I felt, but my tummy was still a bit all over the place.

‘Clem,’ he then said, in a low voice. ‘Turn around very slowly and look out of the window and whatever you do, don’t disturb Pixie.’

The dog had curled up and fallen asleep while we were chatting and I did as instructed, holding back the gasp that desperately wanted to escape when I saw why Ash had requested I remain calm and quiet.

‘I don’t believe it,’ I whispered as I watched a huge hare, which was sitting on the path right outside the bifold windows, washing its face and ears. ‘Look at that.’

‘I am.’

‘It’s huge .’ The hare didn’t seem at all fazed by the fact that two sets of human eyes were tracking its progress as it set off along the path, but then perhaps it didn’t know they were.

‘Or at least, I think it’s huge. Are they all that big?

I’ve only ever seen them running across the fields and boxing at a distance so have nothing to compare this close up view to. ’

‘That’s about average.’ Ash nodded. ‘They are pretty big.’

It was a magnificent creature, long eared and long limbed, designed for listening out and loping off at extreme speed. And its amber eyes were beautiful, too.

‘And how are their numbers?’ I asked. ‘I know coursing in the Fens is an issue.’

‘They’re just about holding their own,’ Ash sighed. ‘And the farmers and local police are vigilant, which makes a big difference.’

Something else in the garden, which featured some beds of really wonderful looking roses, made the hare look up and, in a flash, it had gone.

‘I was hoping I might strike lucky,’ I said, in more than a whisper, now the beguiling creature had disappeared, ‘and I did.’

‘Indeed, you did.’ Ash laughed and I realised then how close we had inched towards each other. He realised it too and quickly sat back. ‘I haven’t seen her since I got back from Bakewell. You’re my lucky charm, Clemmie.’

I didn’t immediately know what to say to that.

‘How can you tell,’ I started to ask, then had to stop and start again because my voice was a bit squeaky. ‘How do you know that one’s a doe? Or is it a jill? You said her.’

‘Either works,’ he shrugged. ‘And I don’t for certain. It’s just a hunch.’

I shifted position and Pixie opened her eyes. I wasn’t sure if she had been asleep after all or shamming.

‘Would you like another coffee?’ Ash offered.

It had been delicious, but strong and I didn’t think I should have more.

‘As lovely as this one was,’ I therefore said, as I handed him back the empty mug, ‘I’m going to say no, otherwise I’ll never sleep tonight.’

‘You’re right,’ Ash agreed, having looked at the clock on the wall. ‘It is rather late to be having another. Can I get you something else?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘I really should get back soon, but before I do, there is something else I’d like to discuss.’

I looked down at Pixie who had somehow stealthily moved to snuggle so close to my side that she was practically melded to me. Ash followed my line of sight.

‘I’m about to lose my little companion, aren’t I?’ he asked, sounding endearingly emotional.

‘If that’s all right,’ I said softly.

‘It’s more than all right,’ he smiled. ‘It’s perfect in fact, because I’d already made up my mind, and so had Pixie, that she was going to go to no one else but you.’

‘Really?’

‘Really. Her heart is yours, Clemmie.’

‘Oh, Ash.’ I swallowed, feeling equally as emotional.

‘You’re going to be very happy together.’

‘Do you really think so?’ I whispered.

‘Given that you said earlier that you’ve got so much in common,’ he said, making my eyes snap up to meet his, ‘I think your happiness is guaranteed.’

He didn’t ask me to explain anything and I was very grateful for that. We agreed that he would drop Pixie off at mine the following morning because it was late in the day for me to take her and settle her in then.

Given that I was going to be in need of a distraction ahead of the festival meeting, I thought the timing was perfect.

A day settling Pixie into her new home would stop me fretting and faffing and hopefully she’d be okay to be left home alone when Ash and I headed into town to meet my fate.

Or fete… depending on your point of view.

I had been worried when I first started to seriously consider taking her on, that settling her in and running the festival would be too much, but knowing that she’d previously been a town regular and could sometimes join me, had helped me decide that I could cope and that she wouldn’t find the busyness too stressful as she adapted to her new life.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ I happily sighed as I got ready to leave.

‘We’ll see you bright and early,’ Ash said, sounding equally as happy, even though I knew he was going to miss having Pixie around.

‘Bright and early it is, then,’ I said, dropping a kiss on Pixie’s head. ‘And thank you, Ash.’

‘No,’ he said, ‘thank you.’