Todd would definitely have adored the fact that the tractor was now a much-loved feature of the shop. In fact, as word of the new and improved Cranbridge Stores had gone beyond the village, many new visitors were asking to have their photographs taken next to it. Josh was even talking of incorporating a tractor into a new sign outside the shop.
Amber glanced out of the huge bay window. It was a beautiful frosty morning on Riverside Lane. The snow had melted, but the cold temperatures had remained. The ground outside was glistening white and the blue sky reflected in the steady flow of the river, shallow once more.
More importantly, the lanes and avenues of Cranbridge had begun to come back to life and people were out and about. Everyone was starting to connect once more. They used the benches outside the shop to sit and chat. Neighbours would wave and chat with each other. Mums would come in for a coffee and a gossip. It was becoming a community again.
The Christmas fair had been a huge success and had brought more customers than ever before into the shop. Yes, things were still tight, but they were scraping by. After all, they had a reason to keep fighting to keep it open. Because Cranbridge Stores meant something to the village and to the family as well.
It wasn’t a big glamorous department store in London or New York but in a way, Amber was glad. Cranbridge Stores was so much more special and here she was appreciated and valued.
Of course, her plans for the shop weren’t finished yet. Her trusty drawing pad was always under the counter and full of brand-new designs that she found herself sketching out throughout the day. She was bursting with so many ideas for the coming months and years and couldn’t wait to see them come to fruition.
Josh too had fresh ideas for keeping the business more sustainable. They were trying to avoid all plastic packaging where they could and were pleased that the milk that they were now buying from local farms was being delivered in glass bottles. They still had some way to go but he was very pleased with the feedback they were receiving from all their customers.
Even the Christmas trees that they were selling at the front of the store were potted with roots, ready for replanting. Christmas had almost arrived and Amber couldn’t wait to celebrate it with Josh and their families. Cathy and her parents had rented a house in the village temporarily until they decided on their next big adventure. Josh and Amber had invited Cathy to stay in the flat with them but Cathy was keen to give them both their own space. In addition, Cathy seemed keen to start her next journey in life and Amber’s parents were more than happy to help, having missed their friend so much in recent times. So it seemed to be the perfect solution for them all.
As she straightened up the boxes of shortbread on the windowsill, Amber heard Josh murmur behind her, ‘Finally, we’re alone.’
She felt his lips on her neck and leaned back, thinking of nothing else but the joy of being in his arms.
But almost instantly the shop bell rang as someone came through the front door and they sprang apart.
Amber turned to smile at the woman who had just come in. ‘Good morning,’ she said.
‘Good morning,’ replied the customer, who turned away to browse the shelves.
Amber spun around and found Josh still standing next to her.
‘One of these days, I’m going to take that bell and throw it in the river,’ he told her, under his breath so that only she could hear his words.
‘You wouldn’t dare,’ she whispered, laughing softly.
Then he bent his head quickly once more. A kiss so light and swift brushed her lips before he walked away.
Amber smiled to herself. She was confident in her feelings as well as her own skills these days. And she was happy. Beyond happy. She had a man who she loved and who she looked forward to building a future with in Cranbridge. Storms would always come and go, but together she and Josh could face anything whilst waiting for the sun to come out again. And it always did.
Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to my lovely editor Caroline Ridding for taking me under her wing once more and for being so generous and encouraging. As always, it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you.
Thank you to everyone at Boldwood Books for making me feel so welcome and for all their hard work on this book, especially Jade Craddock for her wonderful work yet again on the copy edits and Nia Beynon for being a marketing superstar.
Thank you to all the readers and bloggers for their enthusiasm and reviews which keep me going on the days when the coffee fails to hit the spot.
Thank you to all my friends, especially to Jo Botelle and the lovely DWLC ladies, Kerry, Claire, Adrienne and Kendra, for their endless support and encouragement.
Huge thanks to my wonderful family for all their continued support, especially Gill, Simon, Louise, Ross, Lee, Cara and Sian.
Finally, thanks once more to my husband Dave for listening and helping with my imaginary world problems. As always, I could never have written this book without your love and support.
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Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream.
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First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Boldwood Books Ltd.
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Copyright © Alison Sherlock , 2020
Cover Design by Alice Moore Design
Cover photography: Shutterstock
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The moral right of Alison Sherlock to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologise for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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Paperback ISBN 978-1-83889-980-6
Large Print ISBN 978-1-83889-976-9
Ebook ISBN 978-1-83889-974-5
Kindle ISBN 978-1-83889-975-2
Audio CD ISBN 978-1-83889-981-3
MP3 CD ISBN 978-1-83889-978-3
Digital audio download ISBN 978-1-83889-973-8
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