To let her go if she wasn’t, to fight for his rights if she was. But now it was different.
Maisie would always be his. He’d always look after her, always love her. But if he got a negative result now, even though he knew that she was here to stay with him, would it make a difference? Could he really, honestly, be sure nothing would change once he knew for sure?
What if he wasn’t as strong as he thought he was?
‘Charlie.’ Lucy tapped the back of his hand. ‘You don’t have to open it now. We can put it somewhere safe, give it to Malcolm.’
‘She’s the most important thing in my life.’
‘So it doesn’t make any difference, does it? You don’t need to know. I’ll tear it up for you.’ She reached out.
He sighed, put his own hand over hers. ‘I do. I’m only human.’ And so was Maisie, one day she’d want to know. She deserved to know.
Josie had stuck to her word after their chat on Christmas Day. She’d spent as much time as she could with Maisie over the holiday, reassured her, promised her that she’d be back again soon and in the meantime she should be good for Daddy. Then she’d instructed her solicitor that they would look after Maisie between them, that she wouldn’t take her out of the country without Charlie’s consent, and that when she moved back she’d find somewhere close enough so that Maisie could see both her parents. She’d never broached the possibility that Charlie wasn’t Maisie’s father. She’d never questioned that Lucy was part of their lives.
They’d avoided a messy divorce, they’d decided – like adults – what was best for Maisie.
There was no biological father going to come forward and whisk Maisie away, but one day, if he wasn’t that man himself he wanted to be able to explain – to give his daughter the opportunity to make up her own mind. He owed her the truth. And he wanted the time to prepare himself for that day. ‘This is for her – not me.’
‘She’s not old enough to understand yet though, Charlie.’
‘I know.’ He reached out and laid the envelope flat. Picked up the knife off the table. Very deliberately slid it under the flap. Then with his throat dry, and a well of emotion clogging up his throat, stopping him breathing, he pulled out the contents.
Unfolded the sheets of paper. Prepared to take a step he could never un-take.
He blinked. Crumpled the sheet in his hand, the tears pricking hot in his eyes and Lucy reached out. Wrapped her slim hands round his.
‘Oh, Charlie.’
‘She’s mine.’ The words trickled out as though they didn’t belong. All he could hear was the tick of the clock. For a moment it was as though he was in a vacuum, nothing was real. ‘She’s mine.’ This time he believed what he was saying. This time he couldn’t help the smile, the laugh that broke out of him, the wave of pure elation that seemed to be threading its way through his whole body.
He grasped Lucy’s hands in his own and laughed as he looked at her, and then she was laughing back, leaning across the table to kiss him.
‘She’s mine.’ And this time the words came out in a sane, sensible way. With the conviction they deserved. He stroked the back of his hand down Lucy’s face, cupped her chin and let himself drink in every bit of her face. ‘I feel like I’ve won the lottery, a daughter and you. I must be the luckiest man alive.’
‘You know what? It’s me and Maisie that are the lucky ones.’
Then he took the sheet of paper, held it high in the air and ripped it into tiny pieces that showered down on them like confetti as he pulled Lucy to him, and kissed her.
Acknowledgements
Big thanks as always to the fabulous HarperImpulse team, especially to the lovely Charlotte Ledger and Emily Ruston, you make team HI a very special place to be.
Thanks to my agent, Amanda Preston, for your advice and support, and your enthusiasm for my country vet and the village of Langtry Meadows.
As always I’m extremely grateful to everybody who has helped ensure that I’ve got all my facts straight – your support is invaluable and I really appreciate the time you spend answering my many questions. Special thanks to solicitor Philippa Sanderson for advice on all things legal.
Also, thanks to Carol Siwek who let me steal the wonderful name Piper for my cockapoo puppy, and to cockapoo owners Abigail Wrigley and Kelly Disley for advice and help. (Look out for more puppy adventures in Book 3.) I hold you all partly responsible for the new addition to our household – Harry the cockapoo. He’s currently disrupting my writing schedule and eating my shoes!
I also need to thank the lovely Sian-Elin Flint-Freel for suggesting the perfect pet for Maisie - a guinea pig! And my wonderful friend Sarah Morgan - who is always supportive, and makes the most amazing blackberry crumble.
These acknowledgments wouldn’t be complete without a mention of all my wonderful writing buddies (you know who you are), and the fabulous bloggers and reviewers. Special mention and hugs to fabulous authors Cressida McLaughlin, Mandy Baggot, Jane Linfoot and Christie Barlow for all your support and positive words and thoughts – they make a huge difference!
Massive thanks to Joanne Robertson (My Chestnut Reading Tree), Kaisha Holloway (The Writing Garnet), Alison Drew (Ali the Dragon Slayer), Shona Lawrence (Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom), Lucie Poole (Not Left on the Shelf), Laura Bambrey, Kelly (Love Books Group), Agi (On my Bookshelf) and Rachel Gilbey (Rachel’s Random Reads) who helped me introduce Langtry Meadows to the world, and are always incredibly supportive. Please do check out their blogs, these ladies are amazing!
I also want to thank Tracy Fenton, Helen Boyce and everybody else at TBC for all your incredible support. You’re fantastic!
And lastly, a big thank you to you, the reader – this story would be just words on a page if you weren’t there to enjoy it and bring the characters and places to life in a head other than my own!
A Note from the Author
Dear reader,
Thank you so much for picking up this copy of ‘Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage’, if you’ve already read ‘Summer with The Country Village Vet’ then I’m sure you’ll love this second book in the series. If you’re new to Langtry Meadows I hope you enjoy your visit to the village!
As I write this, the school year is coming to an end and there are lots of excited children looking forward to a long hot summer of fun, so it’s perfect timing. In Langtry Meadows the summer is nearly over, a new school year will soon begin and with it comes a new start for Lucy, and more than one of the other villagers.
New starts can be scary, but they can also be invigorating and bring a sense of freedom – as you let go of the past and make a new future. All that hope, and as yet unfulfilled promise of a new place, new year, new job or new life!
I do hope you enjoy the story – if you do, please leave a review on Amazon. Finding out, as I drink my morning coffee, that somebody loved one of my books really does make my day! And if you click on the ‘follow’ button on my author page you’ll be the first to hear about new releases.
I love to chat, so please do search me out on twitter (@ZaraStoneley), join me on my Facebook page (ZaraStoneley) or drop me an email ([email protected])! It’s also easy to sign up for my newsletter so you can be sure to hear my latest news – just visit my website www.ZaraStoneley.com.
Happy reading!
Zara x
Also by Zara Stoneley
Summer with the Country Village Vet
The Holiday Swap
A Very Country Christmas (Tippermere Free Short Story)
Country Rivals (Tippermere Book Three)
Country Affairs (Tippermere Book Two)
Stable Mates (Tippermere Book One)
About the Author
Zara Stoneley was born in a small village in Staffordshire and wanted to be James Herriot when she grew up. After completing an IT degree, working as a consultant, running a dog grooming business, teaching, and working at a veterinary practice she decided she had more than enough material to write several books
even if she would never qualify as a vet!
She now splits her time between a cosy country cottage in Cheshire and an apartment in Barcelona, and writes fun, romantic stories set in the British countryside that she loves so much.
Zara Stoneley is the author of the Tippermere series (Stable Mates, Country Affairs and Country Rivals) published by HarperCollins, as well as several standalone novels. Summer with the Country Village Vet is the first book in her new, cosy romance series. Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage is the second.
@ZaraStoneley
http://www.facebook.com/ZaraStoneley
www.zarastoneley.com
About HarperImpulse
HarperImpulse is an innovative, award-winning digital imprint. In the four years since launch, we have continually hit digital bestseller lists, hosted the UK’s first online romance festival, published into over ten countries and grown an exciting stable of commercial women’s fiction authors.
Readers, come and say hi to the team and your next read…
www.facebook.com/HarperImpulse
@HarperImpulse
www.instagram.com/harperimpulse
www.harperimpulseromance.com
Writers, our vision is to publish the very best in digital-first commercial women’s fiction and we are simply looking for good stories! So, what are you waiting for? To submit, e-mail us at [email protected].
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
http://www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London, SE1 9GF
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
http://www.harpercollins.com
Coming Home to Jasmine Cottage Page 27
