Coming Home to Maple Cottage: The perfect, cosy, feel-good romance

by Holly Martin

  God, the thought of that almost brought her back to tears again. She couldn’t lose him and she had no idea what Karie was going to say about it all this afternoon, although she hadn’t been particularly overjoyed by the news when Isla had phoned her earlier.

  ‘That’s not going to happen, dear,’ Agatha said, all humour vanished now. ‘There’s no judge in the land that would award sole custody to a woman who has been absent from Elliot’s life for four years.’

  Isla liked her optimism but she knew that wasn’t necessarily the case. The reason that the adoption had taken so long to go through was because the powers that be didn’t want to strip the parental responsibility from Sadie. In their eyes, the fact that she was Elliot’s mother superseded everything and everyone else. According to the authorities, taking Sadie’s maternal rights away would be a violation of her human rights, despite the fact that she had abandoned Elliot completely.

  ‘You know Leo has a plan to take you to Canada if Sadie ever returned?’ Jamie said.

  ‘I know, bless him, and I’m very very tempted to say to hell with it, throw our belongings in a suitcase and follow him to the Canadian wilds, but I don’t think running away is the answer.’

  ‘Then hide him away,’ Carolyn said, a note of panic entering her voice. ‘Don’t let her see him.’

  ‘That’s part of the reason we are staying at Leo’s for a few days. But I’m not keeping him locked in the house. If the house business goes to court Sadie could be here for weeks or months, and at some point Karie will need to discuss giving me parental responsibility with her. Now Sadie’s crawled out of her hole, she’s going to have to give consent before the adoption will be allowed to go ahead. Even if she does have no interest in him, I can’t see her handing that over willingly, not without some kind of monetary compensation.’

  ‘God, what a mess,’ Tori said.

  ‘I know.’

  Carolyn took her arm and gave it a squeeze. ‘If there’s anything I can do, you just need to ask.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum.’

  ‘Even if it’s money for tickets to Canada.’

  Isla smiled. ‘I’ll bear that in mind.’

  ‘I can always set Dobby on her,’ Jamie said and Isla smiled at the thought of Jamie’s pet turkey chasing Sadie down the street.

  ‘Very tempting,’ Isla said. ‘Leo is going to talk to a solicitor this morning and I’m talking to Karie, my social worker, this afternoon so we will have a better idea where we stand then. Until then we are acorn hunting.’

  Melody looked like she was going to ask her more questions but Isla stilled her with a hand on her arm. ‘Can we talk about something else? If I think about it too much I will break down again and I really don’t want Elliot to see me cry.’

  Melody squeezed her hand and nodded.

  ‘Tori, I meant to ask, how was your scan?’ Isla said, hoping to change the subject completely.

  Tori’s face filled with happiness. ‘It was amazing, we could see his hands, his head, his heartbeat. I’m pretty much in love with him already.’

  ‘Him?’ Isla asked.

  ‘The nurse wouldn’t tell us but there was a trainee with her and she was asking lots of questions and the trainee mentioned he and him several times while they were looking so we think it might be.’ Tori looked over at Aidan with an expression of complete love on her face. ‘Can you imagine a little boy that looks like him?’

  Isla smiled with happiness for her.

  Elliot came running back to them then with Marigold at his side.

  ‘We found an acorn!’ he said. ‘It’s hanging from the tree over there.’

  ‘Good job. OK, we need to take a photo of it as evidence,’ Isla said.

  ‘Mummy hasn’t got her phone,’ Marigold said.

  ‘Here, we can use mine,’ Jamie said.

  Marigold took his hand and ran over towards the trees.

  ‘So you’re staying at Leo’s for a few days?’ Agatha said to Elliot, openly fishing for gossip again.

  ‘Yes, because we have problems with the house and because Isla is sad. Last night Isla was so sad she had to have a cuddle in bed with Leo,’ Elliot said and Isla couldn’t help but burst out laughing at being dropped in it by her nephew. Nothing stayed private in this village.

  ‘Oh, did she?’ Agatha said, smiling at Isla knowingly. ‘That’s interesting.’

  ‘She was lying on his chest this morning like he was a big squishy pillow,’ Elliot continued, pleased to be the bearer of such exciting news. Isla knew her face was burning bright red but she couldn’t help but smile at Elliot’s excitement.

  ‘That’s very interesting,’ Agatha said.

  Melody giggled.

  ‘What else happened?’ Agatha asked.

  ‘We had pancakes for breakfast.’

  Isla grinned at his priorities.

  ‘What did you have on your pancakes?’ Carolyn asked, clearly trying to help Isla out of this embarrassing hole.

  ‘Bananas and maple syrup,’ Elliot said. ‘We always have maple syrup when we go to Leo’s house because he lives in Maple Cottage.’

  Isla smirked at that logic, although they did drink a lot of hot chocolate at Hot Chocolate Cottage so maybe there was some truth in it, after all.

  ‘Anything else happen between Isla and Leo?’ Agatha fished. It was obvious she was trying to get the subject back on track before they moved on to other pancake toppings.

  Elliot thought about this for a moment. ‘No. He did hug her for a really long time before we came to the acorn hunt and then he kissed her on the cheek and then on the lips and Isla stroked his cheek and said she was really looking forward to tonight.’

  Oh god. He really was going to tell Agatha every single detail.

  Tori and Aidan laughed.

  ‘And what’s happening tonight?’ Agatha asked.

  ‘Isla said that we would decorate my bedroom for Halloween,’ Elliot said.

  ‘That’s right, we are,’ Isla said. ‘Now, shall we have a look at that map and see where the next acorn is supposed to be?’

  She was hoping she could change the subject, but the cat was already out of the bag now.

  ‘Do you think Isla will be having cuddles with Leo in his bed again?’ Agatha said, rubbing her hands together with visible glee.

  Elliot shrugged. ‘Probably. They do like to hug quite a lot. And this morning when they were in bed and I was brushing my teeth I heard them say they would need to practise for when they get married.’

  Oh my god. He had heard that too? She had told Leo off the night before for giving Elliot false promises and then he’d heard her talking about getting married as well.

  ‘Oh honey, we were just joking, just being silly,’ Isla said. Maybe they would need to start communicating in a foreign language while little ears were around. Her French was quite good, she wondered if Leo spoke any French.

  ‘This just keeps getting better and better,’ Agatha said.

  ‘Marigold said you were cuddling in bed because you love each other, is that true?’ Elliot said.

  ‘We both care about each other a great deal,’ Isla said, carefully. She didn’t want to encourage him into thinking this was going to lead to marriage and happy ever afters, and she didn’t want to encourage Agatha either.

  ‘And you love each other like you love chocolate?’

  Isla smiled. ‘Yes, something like that.’

  ‘Marigold says that adults who love each other cuddle in bed a lot. Will you be cuddling Leo in bed again tonight?’

  It seemed the whole group waited with bated breath for her answer.

  Isla cleared her throat. ‘We might be.’

  Carolyn suppressed a laugh. Melody gave a little squeal. Agatha clapped her hands together with joy.

  ‘Or we might not,’ Isla tried. ‘See how we feel.’

  ‘If you feel sad again?’ Elliot said, taking her hand.

  ‘Or happy, sometimes it’s nice to cuddle when we’re happy.’

  �
��Cuddling can make men and women very happy,’ Agatha said, cryptically.

  Jamie came back over, holding hands with Marigold again. ‘Do I want to know what you guys are talking about?’

  Melody shook her head.

  ‘Where’s the next acorn?’ Isla said, deciding this was enough for Elliot to hear for now.

  ‘I don’t know, I’ll look at the map,’ Elliot said.

  ‘Oh, take Agatha with you, she’s desperate to find the acorns too,’ Isla said.

  ‘Oh no…’ Agatha tried but Elliot was already grabbing her hand and tugging her along the beach to join Emily and Marigold.

  ‘Aren’t you worried what Elliot will tell her?’ Tori asked.

  ‘I think he’s already told her all of it,’ Isla said.

  Carolyn linked arms with her. ‘So, is this… is something really happening between you two?’

  Isla sighed. ‘I don’t know what it is. Yesterday I thought there was no hope and then last night he comes round and tells me he has feelings for me too.’

  ‘He said he loved you?’ Tori asked.

  ‘No, he didn’t say that.’

  ‘Of course he didn’t,’ Aidan said dryly. ‘I apologise for my brother, he has trouble expressing his emotions.’

  ‘I know. And now I have no idea if those feelings are just lust or something more.’ She really needed to talk to him.

  ‘So you spent the night together?’ Melody nudged.

  ‘No, well yes, but not like that. I was so upset after Sadie left and Leo was trying to comfort me and he was holding me and telling me it was going to be OK and then suddenly we’re kissing.’

  Tori gasped and Melody let out a tiny squeal of excitement.

  ‘What was it like?’ Melody asked.

  Isla sighed happily. ‘As magical as the first time, better actually.’

  ‘The first time?!’ Tori said, incredulously. ‘When was there a first time?’

  Oh god. All the secrets were coming out today.

  ‘There was a thing, once, many, many years ago,’ Isla tried to dismiss it but she had everyone’s interest now. ‘It was one night.’

  ‘Why did I not know this?’ Tori asked. She turned to Aidan. ‘Did you know this?’

  He shook his head. ‘No, but…’

  ‘But what?’ Melody said.

  ‘There was a time that Leo stopped dating and seeing random women. I’d be at the pub with him and women would come up to him as normal, but he turned them all down. He wasn’t interested, which was odd for him. When I asked him about it after a few beers, he said he was in love. But he wouldn’t tell me who it was. Though I did suspect it might have been you. This was around the time of Elliot’s christening and on that day, when he was with you, I’ve never seen him so happy. Is that when it happened?’

  Isla felt an ache in her heart as she nodded. ‘The night before the christening.’

  ‘But nothing ever happened between you after?’ Tori asked.

  ‘No, I just figured… I was one of many.’

  ‘It was more than that,’ Aidan said. ‘You were different.’

  ‘Leo said that too,’ Isla said, quietly. Had she really thrown away her chance of being with this wonderful man all those years before? Had he really loved her? Was that love still there now?

  ‘So last night you kissed at your house, went to Leo’s and ended up in his bed?’ Melody said.

  ‘It was a comfort thing, we both knew that. I was a bit of a mess.’

  ‘So nothing happened?’

  ‘We kissed again. That was it. I don’t know where I stand with him. I know he’d quite like to recreate that night four years ago but I don’t know if it’s more than that. I feel like he’s holding back. I need to talk to him, preferably without little flapping ears who will repeat everything. You know what else Leo said to me last night? That he feels guilty for being with me because he feels like he’s benefitting from Matthew’s death. What kind of messed-up logic is that?’

  ‘He blames himself for Matthew’s death,’ Jamie said.

  There was silence for a few moments.

  ‘What?’ Isla said in shock.

  Jamie winced. ‘It’s not my place to tell you that – he should tell you himself why he carries this guilt around with him – but it breaks my heart that he is holding himself back from living his life because of it. He was so messed up over our dad dying when we were kids, taking all that on himself, he went down a bad path for a while. I worried he would start to go the same way after Matthew died. Fortunately, he had you and Elliot to live for. You probably saved him more than you think. But I suggest you talk to him about it. He shouldn’t keep it bottled up inside.’

  ‘I will.’

  She walked along in silence. There were quite a few things she wanted to talk to Leo Jackson about.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The acorn hunt had taken a lot longer than Isla would have liked. Finding some of them around the village was like finding a needle in the haystack. So she arrived back at Leo’s with only fifteen minutes left until Karie Matthews arrived.

  She walked into Leo’s to find him making lunch in the kitchen, singing to himself as he listened to the radio.

  Luke ran past her to greet Elliot outside and she smiled as they romped around the garden together, despite the cold weather.

  She turned back to Leo, who hadn’t even noticed their arrival.

  ‘Leo.’

  He turned with a start and then his face split into a huge smile at seeing her. He moved towards her, cupped her face and kissed her briefly on the lips.

  She frowned. She had no idea where she stood with this man. He smiled at her expression. ‘Too soon?’

  ‘I don’t know. Probably not, seeing as we spent the whole night kissing in bed. I’m just not sure what this is.’

  ‘It’s a welcome home kiss.’

  Home?

  ‘Our relationship feels like it’s suddenly progressed very quickly,’ Isla said.

  ‘Depends on your perspective. We’ve known each other for about five or six years.’

  She smiled. He did have a point.

  She glanced over at Elliot. Now was not the time to talk, especially as Karie would be here soon.

  ‘You seem happy,’ she said.

  ‘I spent the night kissing the most incredible woman in my bed, that’s a lot to be happy about. But actually I feel a bit more positive about the whole Sadie debacle.’

  ‘I’m glad you do, I feel sick worrying about what Karie is going to say this afternoon. What’s put you in such a good mood?’

  ‘Well, I spoke to my solicitor, Kim, and not only is she really confident that Sadie wouldn’t get half the value of the house should it go to court, but she also said she’s happy to represent us against Sadie over custody of Elliot too. She doesn’t think the judge could possibly award custody to a woman who abandoned her son. We had a long chat about it and she was really positive. Kim’s a great solicitor, she’s one of those “grab them by the balls” types. Also… batting for Sadie is my godfather Thomas.’

  ‘What? Why?’ Isla couldn’t believe that. She’d met him several times and he always seemed nice, in a grandfatherly way. Surely, he didn’t need the money so badly that he’d take any case?

  ‘OK, you can’t tell anyone this, but he’s fighting for us and feels he can do it better from her side of the fence.’

  She was stunned by that; it was such a risk for him. ‘Wow. That’s a big thing from him, he’s been a solicitor for years, hasn’t he?’

  ‘Pretty much his entire adult life. He’s retiring. I think he considers this his swan song.’

  Isla smiled. This news did make her feel mildly better. Although her nerves came flooding back as she saw Karie coming up the drive.

  Leo squeezed her shoulders. ‘It’s going to be OK.’

  Isla nodded and then went to open the door. Karie greeted her with a small smile and a hug.

  ‘It’s OK, don’t worry,’ Karie said and Isla couldn’t
help the tears that formed in her eyes at her words. Karie knew how much Elliot meant to her. She also had the power to take Elliot from her so the fact that she was fighting on their side made her feel a little bit better.

  ‘Can I get you a tea, Karie?’ Leo said and Isla was relieved to see that some of his nerves had returned too. It wasn’t just her being overdramatic.

  ‘Yes please.’

  Leo set about putting the kettle on and Karie gestured for Isla to sit down at the dining table.

  Isla looked out the window at Elliot but he was too busy playing with Luke.

  ‘So tell me what she said last night,’ Karie said. ‘Did she mention Elliot at all?’

  Isla shook her head. ‘As far as I can tell she was only interested in the house. You’d think, after four years of not seeing him, that she would at least ask after him, even if she has no interest in raising him. Even to be polite.’

  Leo snorted, probably at the thought of Sadie being polite.

  ‘OK, well this could be a lot more straightforward than we thought. She might be more than willing to sign over parental responsibility, especially if I mention that if she doesn’t she would be liable for child maintenance costs. If she gives her consent, then the adoption can go through as planned.’

  Isla liked that Karie thought it would all be that simple. Although, in her heart, she knew that it wouldn’t.

  Leo brought the teas over and then sat down at the table with them. ‘What if she refuses? Her solicitor, I mean my solicitor…’ he quickly amended, ‘thought that she would go after monetary compensation to sign him over.’

  Karie sniffed her disapproval. ‘The sale of children is against the law and she should not receive any money in return for his adoption. That being said, I can see how she could easily and legally incorporate that fee into the money she wants for the house.’

  ‘What if she wants custody?’ Isla said, hating the wobble in her voice. Leo put his arm around her and kissed her head.

  Karie didn’t bat an eye at this sign of affection.

  ‘Then we have a problem. But it’s a bump in the road, that’s all. I’m Elliot’s social worker and my opinion would far outweigh anything she has to say. The judge will decide what is best for the child and being settled, happy, loved and well taken care of, as he is now, is going to be a priority for Elliot. It would be too disruptive for him to live with her when he has already lost his dad and has no memory of who she is. I would push for him staying with you and the judge will listen to that. It would stop the adoption going ahead and at worst I think he would award her regular visiting rights. Supervised visits at first but if she proves to be responsible then the supervision will stop, unless you can prove that she is abusive or alcohol or drugs are involved.’