Page 39 of Welcome to Pennycress Inn

She wasn’t going to ask. She didn’t care what he’d been saying about her or what her parents had told him about what she was up to. He was her past and… hopefully, Jackson might be her future. Although it would be good to know what Harry’s reaction had been. She’d always spoken about opening an inn or a café, her own business, and she’d always got the distinctimpression he hadn’t believed she was capable or that she’d really take such a leap of faith. Not that he’d ever said that, but he’d always suggested it could be something they could look into in the future. Never now and never just her. She picked up her mug again, pointedly taking a slow sip of coffee.

‘Your mother told him about your grand plans for this place.’ Her dad began wiping his glasses again, obviously a stubborn mark giving him some trouble.

Despite all of her best intentions, Laura held her breath, willing him to continue. It wasn’t that Harry’s opinion was important to her, more that she was curious as to what he’d said about her buying Pennycress – something which would have been so out of character had she still been with him.

Her dad replaced his glasses once more and picked up his mug, oblivious to his daughter watching his every move.

Laura squirmed on the bench. Ah, she’d just have to ask him. Clearing her throat, she tried to ask in an off-hand, disinterested manner. ‘So, er, what did he say?’

‘When your mother told him?’

‘Yes.’ She nodded. Was he doing this on purpose?

‘He was very surprised. Shocked, I think, was the word your mother used. Apparently, he stuttered.’

‘You weren’t there? You weren’t part of this conversation?’

‘No, I was in the garage at the time and when I came in for tea, they were chatting about the weather and the price of beetroot.’

‘Beetroot?’

‘Oh yes. It’s all these price wars which are happening between the big supermarkets. One reduces the price of something – beetroot in this instance – and so does the other one and the cycle continues until they’re practically giving it away.’

Laura breathed out slowly through her mouth, telling herself to remain calm. ‘Harry was just shocked then. Mum didn’t tell you what he actually said, just that he hadn’t expected me to buy an inn?’

‘Nope. Nothing else to report, I’m afraid.’

‘Okay.’ Laura turned her mug so the words ‘Good Morning!’ which were emblazoned upon the white ceramic in bright green and yellow writing, were facing her. Trying to get that slither of information from her dad had been hard work. And definitely not worth it either.

‘She gave him one of my garibaldis though.’ Her dad frowned. ‘I wish she wouldn’t do that, give them away to any Tom, Dick or Harry.’

‘Good one, Dad.’ Richie chuckled as he pointed the fork at his dad.

Laura rolled her eyes. Her dad always had been fiercely protective of his favourite biscuits. To the point he’d hide them if he knew Jenny was bringing the twins – or the human dustbins as he’d nicknamed them – round. ‘Well, I wish she wouldn’t invite my ex-husband in for tea in the first place. And I wish Jenny wouldn’t spend an eternity talking to him down the supermarket aisles. It’s weird. We’re divorced. We split up two whole years ago and yet I feel as though he’s still part of this family.’

‘I’m sorry you feel that way, but the fact of the matter is he was in our lives for a long time, all our lives, and it’s not as though you split up because he was an awful person or anything. It’s going to take a while for people to adjust.’

Taking a deep breath, Laura reminded herself it wasn’t her dad’s fault. It wasn’t even him who had chosen to spend time with Harry. All the same, she wished he’d stay in her past. She drained the rest of her coffee and stood up. ‘Anyway, that’senough talk of Harry for the day, thanks. Who wants to come and look around myfuture?’

Laura waved as her dad and Richie drove past, the car headlights illuminating the trees lining the street in the dim evening light, Richie sticking his hand out of the window to wave back at her as the car disappeared around the corner. Closing the gate, she walked back up the garden path and rolled her shoulders back as she breathed out a sigh of relief.

‘That bad, hey?’ Jackson’s voice sounded behind her.

‘Where did you spring from?’ Turning, Laura grinned as she waited for Jackson to click the gate shut.

‘I spotted Phil’s car driving past.’ He wrapped his arms around her waist before bringing her in for a kiss.

Sinking into his bear hug, Laura kissed him back before resting her cheek against his shoulder and simply enjoying the feeling of his arms holding her.

‘What did they think of Pennycress?’

Stepping back, she began walking down the path again. ‘They liked it. Or they said they did. They were even impressed with the appalling plastering I’d done in the hallway.’

‘That’s a good thing, surely?’

Laura looked down as she stepped over a wayward lavender stem. ‘Yes, it is. They surprised me, to be honest, with how positive they were. Especially after Toby’s fall, I’d expected Jenny to go back and tell everyone the inn was a dangerous building site.’

‘I’m sensing a “but” here…’ After following her through the front door, Jackson closed it quietly behind them.

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