Page 11 of Promises & Petals in Nettleford-on-the-Wold (Escape to… Nettleford-on-the-Wold #1)
P ausing, Hannah tapped her thigh and watched as Alfie ambled back down the bridleway towards her before pulling her phone from her pocket and answering it. ‘Hi.’
‘Hi, Hannah, it’s me, Lucy.’ Lucy’s cheerful voice filtered down the phone line.
‘How’s it going? Have you finished work already?’ Hannah began walking again, Alfie at her heel.
‘I have, thankfully. I love my work, but I’m so glad it’s the weekend tomorrow, and I have two whole days to rest and...’ Lucy paused as a muffled nasally voice sounded in the background.
‘Are you on the train?’
‘Yep, my poor little car is in the garage, so it’s the train for me until the part comes in and the poor thing can get fixed. Anyway, I was ringing to remind you about tomorrow.’
‘Tomorrow?’ Hannah frowned. Was she forgetting something?
‘Yes, our Saturdaymorningget-together for brunch at the garden centre. Don’t tell me you’d forgotten?’ Lucy’s tone morphed into mock-shock.
‘Umm... no, of course not.’ Hannah grimaced.
‘You had. You so had.’
‘I justwasn’tsure if you were still doing that, that’s all.
’ Their tradition of a Saturday morning brunch had begun the week after they’dfinishedcollege.
At the time, they’d gone to celebrate the end of their exams and had all felt very grown-up.
The once had morphed into once a month, and it had stuck ever since.
Yes, sometimes one or more people were at uni, on holiday, working orunavailablefor some other reason, but out ofthefour of them, whoever could make it turned up and they enjoyed a nice brunch and the company.
ithadn’tcrossed Hannah’s mind that the tradition was still going.
‘Of course, we do. We’ll still be meeting up at Cotton Mill GardenCentrewhen we’reninety.’
‘I’ll be there.’ Hannah smiled.Shehadn’tseen Lucy or Sophie since the day she’d arrived and then theyhadn’treallyhada chance to catch up, she’d been soshell-shocked atthestate of disrepair in thecottagewhen she’d arrived that shehadn’tbeen in the right mind for a girly catch-up.
‘Great! Usual time okay with you?’
‘Can you remind me what the usual time is, please?’Hannahlaughed as she held her hand above her eyes,shieldingthe afternoon sunlight as she searched for little Alfie.
This was one of herfavouritewalks in Nettleford-on-the-Wold, or more aptlyjustoutside the village.
The bridleway weaved its way through farmers’ fields before entering themeadows behind the woods.
It was so peaceful, and if they ran into anyone else, it would only be another dog walker, and that was rare.
Lucy let out an audible sigh, pretending to be cross with her. ‘Ten o’clock.’
‘I thought so.’ Hannahlaughed. ‘How was your date with Graham the other night?’
‘It was fine. I was supposed to be meeting him this evening too, but he’s bailed on me.Doesn’tfeel well or somenonsense.’ Lucysighed.
‘Fine? Just fine?’
‘Yep. He was nice and all. Ijustgot the impressionIwas somewhat of a distraction. He spent half the date checking his phone for messages and then, when one finally did ping through, he grabbed hismobilefrom the table quicker than I’d run to the door after hearing the ice-cream van.’
‘Ah, sorry to hear that, Lucy. You deserve better than that.’
‘Do I?’
‘Of course you do. Why would you even doubt it?’ Hannah frowned.
Itwasn’tlike Lucy to sound thisdespondentover a date.
During their phone conversations whilst Hannah had been travelling, Lucy hadalwaysspokenas though shethrivedon meetingnew people.
Hannah had always got the impression that dating was almost a hobby to her, something she enjoyed.
She had always been a real people person, always the first to approach new people, and she could chat to anyone.
Lucy’s voice grew muffled. ‘Because how many dates have I been on and I’m still single.’
‘Both me and Gemma are single too, remember.’
‘I know, but Gemma has sworn off dating since she and Reece broke up two years ago, and you, well, you’ve been travelling.
I’ve actually been actively looking for a guy, swiping right and left for hours every day and going on dates in the evenings, and I’ve still not found the right one. What does that say about me?’
‘Aw, Lucy.’ She hadn’t realised her friend was feeling like this. ‘You’ll meet your person.’
‘I don’t know. I’m beginning to think he’s either a hermit or lives on the other side of the world. Perhaps he’s both.’
‘No, you’ll meet him.’
‘I might just give up on the dating apps. For a while at least. I feel like I’ve swiped right or left to everyone on there, and now I’m just being shown the same men again and again.’
Putting her hand in her pocket, Hannah twisted an empty poop bag around her fingers. ‘That might be an idea. Give yourself a bit of time to do the stuff you want to do. Maybe take up another hobby or something.’
‘Huh, so I can meet someone in the real world, you mean?’
‘Uh, no.’ Hannah could almost visualise Lucy eyeballing in response.
But she hadn’t meant that. Before she’d gone travelling, she’d had all the advice from people about how to meet her Mr Right - join a club, a class, anything to get out of the house and she’d meet someone.
Or a favourite of hers was the idea that she’d meet the man of her dreams in the supermarket, that perhaps they’d both be reaching for the drain cleaner, their hands would touch and.
.. Hannah shook her head. She’d had enough reassurances that she’d meet her perfect partner by circumstance not to pass the ‘wisdom’ onto Lucy.
Of course, people did meet their future spouses down the frozen aisle - possibly - but the odds definitely weren’t in her favour, that was for sure.
‘I didn’t mean it like that. I remember getting annoyed myself at people who would suggest things like that.
All I meant was that it might be nice for you to find a hobby for yourself.
Something for you. You work long hours and then go to help out at Girl Guides. How about doing something for you?’
‘Maybe. I enjoy guiding, though, but I guess you’re right. If I am going to come off the dating apps for a while, I’ll need something to fill my time.’
‘Exactly. This will be your chance to learn something new, or to follow an interest you’ve always had but never had the time for.’ Hannah breathed a sigh of relief, glad she hadn’t offended her friend.
‘Anyway, how about you? How’s it going with the gorgeous Josh round yours so much?’
Hannah frowned. She’d much rather have carried on talking about Lucy’s dating life than for this topic to have been brought up.
‘It’s fine. Josh and his workmate are spending the whole day round here to make a start on the repairs today, then they’ll just be working at the cottage in the evenings or when they have a spare hour or so. ’
‘And? You’ve not answered my question. How’s it going? What’s it like to be spending the whole day with the man of your dreams?’
‘He’s not...’ Now it was Hannah’s turn to roll her eyes. There wasn’t much point denying it, Lucy wouldn’t believe her. And she didn’t think she’d believe herself either. Ever since Josh and made her omelette for dinner last night, he hadn’t been very far from her thoughts.
‘You’re not going to tell me, are you? In that case, tell me about his workmate? What’s he like? Is he good-looking? Our age?’
Tilting her head, Hannah watched as Alfie darted out of the long grasses and wildflowers, before disappearing again. ‘Yes, he’s about our age, I’d say. Perhaps a little younger, but I’m rubbish with ages so... I don’t know.’
‘Ooh, so I’m guessing you’re not eyeballing him then? Being younger, I mean? You’ve always gone for the more mature man, haven’t you?’
‘I wouldn’t say that...’
‘I would. How much older than us is Josh, two, three years?’
‘Three.’
Laughter erupted down the phone line.
Blowing a strand of hair from her nose, Hannah joined in.
‘You’re terrible, you know that? I’m not even thinking about Josh Morgan.
I stopped fancying him years ago, and after that cringeworthy conversation I had with him whilst drunk before I left, I’d have been more than happy never clapping eyes upon him again. You know that?’
‘I kind of feel you protest a tad too much, Hannah.’ Lucy managed between bouts of laughter.
‘I might just put the phone down on you now, you know.’ Halting in her tracks, Hannah spun slowly on the spot, checking the horizon as though she were worried Josh might suddenly appear and tell her he’d heard the whole conversation.
‘Haha, you might as well, I’m coming into the station now, anyway.’ Lucy paused before adding, ‘You know I’m only teasing you, don’t you?’
‘I know. See you tomorrow.’ Ending the call, Hannah slipped her mobile into her pocket.
Talking of Josh Morgan, she probably should head back and offer him and Freddie a coffee.
She’d tried to keep out of way as much as physically possible, after all they had a job to do and wouldn’t want her getting in the way, but she was worried her lack of presence and coffee making would soon look as though she was being rude.
She’d head back, offer coffee and then force herself to walk into the village centre and make a trip to the grocery shop.
She knew she couldn’t put off risking running into the locals for much longer, and answering a billion and one questions about why she’d upped and left for so long would be quite the relief compared with getting into a conversation with Josh.