Page 62 of The Allotment on Willow Tree Lane

Derailed– that perfectly described how he’d been feeling, as though the track that his life had been running on had buckled and snapped. But after last night, Damon hoped he had found another set of rails, ones that would lead him in a new and exciting direction.

‘Have you told Frank?’ Luke asked.

‘No, I wanted to sound you out first. Have you?’

‘Nah,Iwanted to speak toyoufirst. Are we going to finish that album?’

Damon met Sadie’s eyes. ‘I think we should. How do you feel about Sadie playing bass? She’s up for it, if we are.’

‘Stonking idea. And having her name on the album will give her a leg up, if she wants it.’

‘I think she might.’ He smiled at her. ‘It would be criminal to let a voice like hers go to waste.’ Sadie beamed back, the first proper smile he’d seen from her since she lost her brother.

‘What are you going to do with the rest of your life?’ Damon asked Luke. ‘Bum around India?’

‘Oi, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Not just India, the world is a big place. Wanna come with me?’

‘No, but thanks for the offer.’

‘What about you? Don’t tell me you’re going to lounge around in your garden for the rest of your life?’

‘Actually, I’ve written a few songs,’ he confessed.

‘Are they any good?’

‘I think so.’

Sadie gave him a thumbs up, and shouted, ‘They’re bloody brilliant.’

Luke chuckled. ‘Good for you! Music’s in your blood. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, man, and if that means writing songs, you go write them. Do you want me to have a listen?’

‘Thanks, Luke. I’m hoping Frank will continue to be my agent and flog them for me. What do you think? Will he say yes?’

‘He’ll be pissed off about the band, but I expect he’ll come round. Having songs to sell isn’t as good as having records to sell, but it’s better than nothing – and he knows you’re an effing good songwriter.’

Damon ran a hand through his hair. ‘You should reserve judgement until you hear them.’

‘How many have you got?’

‘Five.’

Luke gave a low whistle. ‘Youhavebeen busy. Must be all that Welsh air. Send them over.’

Damon did, and when Luke told him how much he loved them, it was music to Damon’s ears.

Chapter 17

Extricating herself from the tangled sheets, Ceri said, ‘I can’t stay in bed all day, I’m going to make a start on my plot.’

Damon propped himself up on an elbow. ‘You really want to do thatnow?’

‘Uh huh.’ It was Friday and with Sadie having left this morning, Damon had dragged Ceri off to bed as soon as he’d waved her off. Ceri was lucky not to be teaching today as classes had been cancelled due to a library event, so she’d stayed home, ostensibly to work, but in reality she had spent most of it in Damon’s bed.

He said sadly, ‘OK, you win. Your wish is my command.’

‘You don’t have to come with me,’ she said, but hoping he would, nevertheless.

She might want to spend as much time with him as possible (because who knew when he would decide he’d had enough of Foxmore?), but she was also keenly aware that the soil wouldn’t dig itself. And she got restless if she didn’t have her hands in dirt at least once a day. After a day spent mostly indoors, she was eager to go outside. She also wanted to make a start on her plot to set an example, because the opening ceremony was on Sunday.

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