Page 16 of Valentine Nook (The Valentine Nook Chronicles #1)

Lando

“ U ncle Lando . . . Uncle Lando . . .”

I stop my search through the crowds of people and turn to my nephew.

“Yes, Max?”

“Did you see ?”

“Um . . . see what?”

“Uncle Lando . . . did you see Sherbet?”

Max’s little face is so filled with excitement as he stares at me through big blue eyes, I immediately feel guilty for not listening to a word he’s said. In my defense, he does talk a lot , and I have to filter it.

Plus, it would be a full-time job replying to everything, and he already has a dad for that.

It’s his dad I turn to now.

“Want to help me out here? What am I supposed to have seen?”

“Sherbet and Max are twins today. Max is dressed like Spider-Man, and Sherbet’s wraps are red and blue. His mane and tail have been plaited with red and blue ribbons,” Hendricks replies, his tone slow and deliberate like I’m hard of hearing or something.

I’m not hard of hearing. I just have other things on my mind today.

Max is staring at me from his elevated position on Hendricks’s shoulders. This time, I give him a genuine smile and tug on his Spider-Man boots. “Well done, Maxy, I bet he looks splendid.”

“He does. I helped with the ribbons.” He beams with pride.

“And I can’t wait to see. What time’s the competition?”

“Two thirty,” he cries, pointing aggressively at the crowds in front of us.

The pointing quickly turns into wriggling, and before Hendricks manages to stop him or drops him, Max has slid halfway down his father’s body on the way to the ground. “Daddy, Daddy, there’s Granny. Can I take her to see Sherbet?”

Hendricks isn’t given the opportunity to reply.

Max sprints off as fast as his legs can carry him, running straight for our mother who’s walking toward us with James Winters by her side. She barely moves as a miniature action hero crashes into her and grabs her hand.

We watch as she bends down to listen to Max’s pleading, nods, glances up at Hendricks and me, then allows Max to drag her off in the opposite direction.

I make a mental note to buy Max and Sherbet a bumper bag of carrots for saving me from a conversation I’m sure I don’t want to have because I’m equally sure that’s what was about to happen.

“Close call.” I lean into Hendricks as we watch them disappear into the crowds. “And can I ask, wouldn’t it have been better to dress Sherbet as a spider?”

My brother rolls his eyes, though I catch the twitch of a smile. “Have you already buckled under the pressure of the summer fair committee?”

Hmm. That’s debatable .

The Valentine Nook Summer Fair officially opened an hour ago, and the crowds have been steadily building.

However, my day started much earlier than that with a call from Dave, the Burlington yard manager, who’d had a call from Mrs. Williams to say someone had left the gate open between the cow fields and the one we were using for the fair.

The cows had wandered through and were now eating the hay bales that had been left out for sitting on.

While it didn’t take long to get them rounded up and back into the correct field, we then spent the next two hours cleaning up the mess they’d left and bringing down extra “non-edible” seating.

The rest of the morning had been spent calming the committee, reassuring them that everything would be fine, and doing my best to avoid any further issues. While vowing not to run the committee for at least another five years.

I don’t want to speak too soon, but the past hour has been problem-free and appears to be running smoothly.

The band is set up on a stage in the middle of the field, providing a soundtrack of the chosen jazz classics for the day.

Dogs are running around, swiftly followed by children.

The makeshift stables on the far side—where Max has taken our mother—are full of ponies being groomed and readied for the Best Turned Out Pony competition. It’s the most popular event of the fair, so popular that we have to do one for each age group between four and twelve.

We also host show jumping competitions, dog agility, and a best pet category—which was won by a rabbit named Nail Varnish last year.

The hay bales that weren’t used for a midnight snack are scattered around, while more seating is provided through striped deck chairs laid out in rows.

Visitors already occupy half, while more patrons sit on picnic blankets, emptying their baskets and preparing to visit the multitude of stalls offering local produce.

If food’s not what you want, there are tractor rides, a petting zoo, welly-throwing, cornhole, the coconut shy, and everyone’s favorite, “guess the weight of the calf,” where the closest to the number gets to pick the name of our newest herd member.

On the other side of the field is the cricket pitch, where the annual Valentine Nook cricket match between The One True Love and The Cupid’s Arrow will begin shortly. The hardest part of today will be to show I’m not still smarting over not getting to play this year.

I shake my head. “As long as nothing else escapes, I don’t have to discuss the bunting at any point during the day, and someone brings me a cider, then I shall be happy. Which reminds me, where’s Churchill?”

Trust that bloody goat to get loose and terrorize everyone’s picnics.

“Locked in the stable with a bucket of water and half a dozen apples.”

“Excellent work. Thank you.”

My eyes sweep over the crowds again. I make a convincing argument that I’m searching for Miles and Alex, who should have been here twenty minutes ago.

But I’m also wondering where Clementine has gotten to because I overheard her talking on the phone to someone she was agreeing to meet before the fair began.

And not that I know all of my sister’s friends. I’ve only recently become aware of one.

But whatever. If she’s here, she’s here. If she’s not, then who cares?

Not me. It’s not like I’ve been thinking about her since she bought me a coffee. Or shared her celebration donut with Thunder. Or that a celebration donut was even a thing .

I didn’t think it was cute or anything.

“Where are the others?”

Hendricks flips his wrist over, checking his watch. “They’ll be here soon.”

As his sentence ends, Miles and Alex appear through a gap in the hedgerow and make their way over.

“Fine turnout today, Lan. Very impressive.” Alex slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Love the bunting.”

I roll my eyes. Bloody bunting. “Sure you don’t want to trade places with me? I’ll give you ten grand.”

“Sorry. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, Clive would put a bounty out on me if I missed this match,” Alex replies.

Clive, The Cupid’s Arrow landlord, is even more competitive than Eddie, if that was believable.

Alex is easily their best player, easily the best player on both teams having played England under 21s, and Eddie’s still rues the day Alex went to work for Clive instead of him during one Christmas holiday.

“Anyone seen Clementine?” I ask, totally casual. Nonchalant, even.

“She went to collect her friend . . .” Miles’s eyes widen, and his head tilts at me. “Oh . . . why are you asking, Lando?”

“She’s helping out with the stalls, and I haven’t seen her yet.”

A perfectly reasonable and truthful response, which Miles sees right through.

“Clementine or her friend?”

“Is this Holiday Simpson?” Alex asks. “Did you see her last film? I watched it on the flight back. It was very good. You’d like it.”

“Is this the one she got an Oscar for?” Hendricks asks.

“Yeah, Scorsese directed it. The second part is out at the end of the year.” Alex turns to me. “What’s she like?”

It’s Hendricks who responds, his chin jerking at something behind me. “See for yourself.”

The three of us turn to where Hendricks is staring and find Clementine and Holiday walking toward us, though I barely notice my sister.

Holiday’s pale blond hair is tied neatly back into a ponytail, dropping just below her shoulders.

Big sunglasses take up most of her face and draw attention to her lips.

Plump lips that form perfectly into the shape of a heart.

She’s wearing a white dress, one of those billowing ones that are soft and delicate, unlike the wellies she also has on.

I have to bend my head, so no one catches me smiling.

She looks like summer.

I’m immediately aware of myself. How I’m standing, how I’m looking at her, what I do with my hands . . . and in the end, I shove them deep in my pockets.

It’s a level of self-consciousness I’ve never experienced.

But I’m not about to be overly friendly in front of my siblings. They’re sharks circling for the tiniest drop of blood before going in for the kill. I’d never hear the end of it.

Ever.

“Hey, guys, meet my friend Holiday. She’s renting Bluebell Cottage.”

“My new neighbor.” Miles throws her a wink that immediately has me scowling. “You’ll have to come over for a cup of tea. Better yet, after-party at mine tonight.”

It would probably be inappropriate to punch him. Right?

“Shut up, Milo.” Clementine rolls her eyes at him. “Holiday, these are my brothers Hendricks, Miles, and Alex. And you remember Lando?”

The way Clementine makes the introduction has me wondering if Holiday mentioned to my sister that we’d actually seen each other since the day at the pool or that we walked down Valentine High Street and drank coffees together. And if she hasn’t, why hasn’t she?

But typically, I’m jolted from my thoughts by my youngest brother .

“From what I gather, she’ll definitely remember Lando.” Miles laughs.

“What does that mean?” Clementine asks.

Miles is too far away from me to punch him, and I can’t do anything other than glare when he turns to me. I’ve learned the deeper Miles’s dimples become, the bigger the shit he’s about to stir.

I totally forgot I told them about the waterfall incident. My gut suddenly feels very heavy.

“Our new American friend spotted Lando in his birthday suit, having a merry old time in the waterfall.”

Alex stares at me, as confused as Clementine, who’s turned to Holiday, no doubt extremely grateful for her giant sunglasses. I can’t see her eyes, but I’m certain they’re shooting daggers at me.

It’s so silent I can almost hear the whirring of my sister’s brain, and Holiday counting down until the penny drops.

Clementine’s brows shoot up. “ You’re the gross, hairy naked guy?”

“I never said gross,” Holiday protests loudly, but no one hears her.

Miles is laughing so hard, I only need to bump him, and he’d fall over. So I do just that. Hendricks also has his head back snorting with laughter, just like Alex, although his amusement is coupled with confusion because he was in Hong Kong and has no idea what’s happening.

I try to catch Holiday’s eye to apologize, but she’s not looking at me.

I wait for the explosion, the mood, the black cloud that will follow me for the rest of the day for embarrassing her. For telling my brothers, for Miles’s joking around.

Based on experience, that’s what usually happens.

Instead, she’s shaking her head, wearing a wry smile while she watches Miles pick himself up off the ground .

“Oh, Lan . Gross and hairy. What a perfect description.” He giggles.

“Lando, why were you naked?”

“I didn’t think anyone was going to walk through the bushes, did I? It’s private land,” I grumble, which only sets Miles off again. “Milo, shut the fuck up, will you?” My eyes fall on Holiday. “I apologize about my idiot brother, and you know . . . the waterfall.”

I should probably add another apology for everything else that’s happened up to this point, but Holiday brushes it all off with a laugh and a flick of her hand.

“Don’t worry. I have brothers. I know how it is.”

That’s it. That’s her entire reaction. Laughing it off. I don’t know what’s more overwhelming, my relief or my surprise.

Over the tannoy an announcement is made for all members of the cricket teams to make their way to the pavilion for the coin toss and the start of the match. It’s not a moment too soon.

“Right, boys, once more unto the breech . . . Loser buys the drinks later, right, Al?” Hendricks slings his arm over Alex’s shoulder.

It’s enough to start an argument about which team will win today, with Miles and Hendricks teasing Alex for being a sore loser. It’s also enough to provide a distraction that I can step closer to Holiday.

“Hollywood—” I begin quietly.

One of her brows raises above the rim of her sunglasses, and I earn myself a smile. “Gracie.”

Just like the first time I heard it, the nickname has me biting down on a grin because hell, if I don’t find the lack of deference amusing. Kiss-arses surround me daily, and meeting someone who couldn’t give a shit about me, my title, or my money isn’t just novel, it’s energizing.

Clementine swings an arm around Holiday’s shoulders. “I need to go too. I’m helping Eddie behind the bar. You’re welcome to come and help, but if you want to stay and look around, Lando will show you. Won’t you, Lanny?”

With that, my sister becomes my favorite sibling, and it takes all my effort not to break out into an enormous smile.

“I’d be happy to.”

“Great, see you in a couple of hours.”

“Keep your clothes on this time.” Miles snorts. He leans in closer and nudges his elbow into my ribs. “Still want to offer me ten thousand to switch places?”

“Fuck off ,” I hiss after him as he sprints off with the others, leaving Holiday and me alone, though my tone is only filled with amusement.

It’s hard to be annoyed when your heart is beating so hard it might burst.