Page 20 of The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge

‘Val’s all right. She has a kind heart and she means well,’ Kelly said quietly. ‘But I can see how she’d be a bit much when you’re new to town. Now, tell me about the coffee you want.’

It didn’t take long, and a few minutes later, Bree’s basket of goods was paid for and ready to be carried to the car.

‘Thanks for shopping here and ordering the coffee when you could have done it in Scone or online,’ Kelly said. ‘I appreciate it. Without support from locals, shops like mine would soon vanish, and the town probably wouldn’t survive much longer.’

‘I understand.’ Bree hesitated. She was a long way from ready to talk about the business she was trying to establish. And Val’s outpourings didn’t encourage her to say anything. Except, if she was going to be part of this community, support them and expect them to support her, she should start now.

‘I’m hoping the alpacas might bring in some visitors. Around Sydney, days out walking the alpacas are popular. If I can combine that with a yarn shop and maybe even a knitting club …’ Her voice trailed off. Now she had said it out loud, it seemed ridiculous. A pipe dream that would never turn into a real business.

‘That sounds great,’ Kelly said, and grinned. ‘I used to knit, years ago. A knitting club could be fun. I’d be up for that. You could put a notice up here in the shop, if you like.’ She waved in the direction of a noticeboard near the front door.

‘And you could do the same on the official town noticeboard outside the post office.’ Val had obviously been hovering nearby. ‘I can spread the word for you.’

Bree didn’t care that Val had been listening to her conversation with Kelly. She was beginning to suspect that there would be no-one better than Val to spread the word—any word. The enthusiasm of both women was catching. ‘Thank you. That’s very kind, both of you.’

‘When are you thinking of starting the knitting club?’ Kelly asked.

‘To be honest, I have no idea. I need a room I can hire. And a big table or two.’

‘The hall might work to begin with,’ Val suggested. ‘Deb at the pub is chair of the hall committee. You should talk to her.’

‘Thanks. I will.’ Bree stopped. It felt like she’d suddenly broken into a sprint and she needed to catch her breath. ‘Thank you again. I’ll put you on my list as the first two members of the Wagtail Ridge Knitting Club.’

The women beamed.

Later that night, when she recounted the day’s events to Rose over the phone, Bree found herself smiling still.

‘You know, I’ve been dreaming about this and planning for such a long time,’ she said. ‘But today I really started to believe it was going to happen.’

‘I never doubted it for a second.’

‘Thanks, Nan. It’s still a little way off. I need some work done here before the alpacas can join me. And I’ve got a lot of yarn and stuff in storage in Sydney to be shipped up. And I can’t get the online sales and website going until the internet is working here. That should happen tomorrow. On Friday, Jake is starting work on the yards. I’ll use the spare bedroom as the yarn store as well as office for now. It’s not really big enough, but it’s a start.’

‘Have you seen Matt again?’

The question came from nowhere, causing Bree to frown. ‘Not since he came to help with the power. Why?’

‘Just wondering. He seemed so nice.’

‘Nan!’ Bree shook her head. ‘You, of all people?’

She heard Rose’s chuckle down the phone.

‘Just asking,’ was her grandmother’s innocent reply.

CHAPTER

9

The blue circle on Bree’s computer went around and around and after what seemed like an eternity, the website loaded.

The Gums—Alpaca Stud and Visitor Centre.

Walk with our alpacas through the glorious hills of the Upper Hunter Valley.

Pure alpaca fleece and yarn for sale.

Huacaya and Suri stock for sale for breeding or show.

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