Page 14 of Chasing Dreams in Eversley Village

Julie and Anne were sisters in their late forties and had worked at the nursery since they were teenagers. Both had been on the staff, on and off, for nearly thirty years.

Joe patted Holly on the back. ‘You know, there’s no rush to decide what to do. We’ll support you and understand if this is the end of the road for you here.’

Val wagged her finger at him. ‘Oh, Joe, don’t you be talking like that. With all that defeatism.’

Joe repositioned his nursery-issue cap. ‘Well, our Holly might want a new start. Get back to London. Don’t forget, she’s an artist.’

‘True and a good one at that but ...’ Val’s eyes streamed with tears.

Holly stepped back, her hair blowing in her face. She swept it behind her ears. ‘I must confess – last night I offered the land to Mitch Booth.’

Val took a sharp intake of breath and put her hand to her mouth.

Holly pulled Val’s hand down and smiled at her. ‘But this morning ...’ She turned towards the ruins. ‘I realised I can’t leave it like this. I’d always feel a failure. I’m going to rebuild it.’

‘Have you told Tom?’ Joe furrowed his forehead.

‘No, but he must have heard as I’ve had fifteen missed calls from him. But I can’t face him today. He wants a divorce.’

Val shook her head. ‘The wrong’un. You know we’re all here for you.’

‘Yes, anything you need.’ Joe coughed and lowered his eyes.

It seemed to Holly, as if everyone knew about Tom’s indiscretion. Village news travels fast,she thought.

‘I know you’ve lost your parents and all, but us, we’re your family.’ Val wiped her eyes with her hanky.

Holly rubbed Val’s arm.

They turned at the sound of a dog barking. Striding into the carpark was Mitch, with Trixy tugging on a short lead. Holly felt a burning sensation in her stomach and blushed.

Val raised her eyebrows and put a hand to her chest. ‘Oh, the young Booth. So much like Sidney when he was young.’

Mitch waved as he approached. ‘I checked in on you but you’d gone.’

Holly walked towards him.

He rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I shouldn’t have left you without supervision. After all, I was in charge of your care. I should have asked Sid’s carer, Magda, to sit with you. Sorry. You’re probably distraught.’

Trixy jumped up at Holly but Mitch was able to restrain her with the leather lead before her paws came into contact.

Val and Joe kept their distance and Holly could hear their hushed voices behind her.

‘No, I should apologise for leaving without a word. I saw the staff here and rushed up. Thanks for letting me stay the night.’ Holly glanced down at her feet. ‘And for the clothes and trainers.’

‘Thanks for the painting, it’s great work – and of the farm too.’

‘It’s the view from my favourite bench.’ Holly pointed to the bench, perched on the edge of the hill before the land gradually fell away under a green blanket of grass. ‘I love watching the sunset from there.’

Mitch smiled and nodded. ‘I can’t accept it, though. Not since you told me it’s your last remaining piece of work.’

‘No honestly, it’s not my usual style. I don’t paint landscapes. It was for a specific competition.’

‘Really?’

Holly paused. It seemed surreal to be discussing a painting when behind her, her life was in shreds but something about talking to Mitch, made the world seem a little normal. As he smiled at her she felt transported back to her childhood, filling her with a comforting warm glow. She blinked, then carried on. ‘The competition was for the Wells Arts Festival. The theme being,TheBeauty of Somerset. The deadline was yesterday. I missed it.’

‘Oh?’

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