Clover Cottage: A feel good cosy read perfect for your summer holiday reading (Love Heart Lane Series, Book 3)

by Christie Barlow

  ‘Would it be terrible of me if I said I think it’s amazing, but it makes me feel nervous?’

  ‘Nervous?’

  ‘Twelve months is such a long time, Flick. What if it’s out of sight, out of mind …? Am I sounding needy and insecure?’ Allie looked sullen.

  ‘It will fly by! And he’ll be back before you know it,’ Felicity reassured her.

  ‘Or maybe not … Who knows what all these opportunities will lead to? Look at Zach – he travels all over the world and barely ever goes home. Of course I want Rory to go and fulfil his dreams. I want him to be happy. But where does that leave us? I love this man but—’

  ‘But what?’ interrupted Felicity.

  ‘But it’s making me think about my own self-worth. When was the last time I did something for myself? Put me first? Maybe I’ve be relying on him too much, taking everything for granted.’

  ‘You believe in your relationship, don’t you?’ probed Felicity, climbing the rickety staircase.

  ‘Of course, but sometimes things happen, and you have no control over it. I mean, look at this place.’

  ‘I’m looking.’ Felicity had lost count of the number of cobwebs she’d seen but despite its current state she could definitely see the potential. ‘It is a fabulous little place.’

  ‘So why can’t Rory see that?’ Allie sighed.

  ‘Of course he can see it, he’s not an idiot.’

  ‘So why doesn’t he want to do anything about it? He’s not even shown any enthusiasm; there’s absolutely no commitment from him about our future … zilch.’ Allie could feel the tears filling her eyes. Once more those old feelings of uncertainty swirled in the pit of her stomach, making her feel slightly nauseous. ‘He’s never asked me to move in with him or even hinted about marriage, and yet everyone is always saying how we are destined to be together, even you.’

  ‘And I’m in no doubt that you are destined to be together.’ Felicity opened the bathroom door and stared. ‘But it’s all about timing, Allie. Sometimes people just can’t be rushed, they get there in their own time, and you never know – Rory may be scared to ask anyone again. You never know what anyone is feeling. He was hurt when his last girlfriend left him. Maybe he’s frightened to make that commitment in case it happens again. You just never know. And stop and think about it for a second – what is the rush? This place isn’t going anywhere.’ Felicity wrinkled her nose, peered into the bath then shuddered. ‘I’m not sure I’d climb in there any time soon.’

  Allie peered over her shoulder. ‘All this does need modernising.’

  ‘And think about it rationally, what difference does a year make if Rory gets it out of his system then decides he’s ready to settle down? There’s nothing worse than having regrets.’ Felicity carried on towards the next room and pushed open the door. ‘Excellent nursery,’ she said, staring around the room then through the window at the view.

  Allie’s shoulders slumped. ‘They were my words exactly. You are meant to be cheering me up.’ She lifted her gaze towards Felicity. ‘Why am I feeling like this?’

  ‘Because Rory’s thoughts have totally taken you by surprise. Of course, it’s a shock to think you aren’t going to see him for a year, but we do have those things that fly in the sky, you know. Save up, have a holiday and go and see him. Experience what he’s going to experience for yourself. I’d be planning my trip already.’

  Allie mulled over what Felicity was saying. For the first time she felt an inkling of excitement. She’d never travelled and maybe this was the perfect time for a trip, with Rory waiting at the other end for her.

  ‘Make it about you too. He’s going to see amazing things, meet amazing people, and you think the minute he steps on that plane he’s going to forget all about you.’

  ‘Something like that.’

  ‘So don’t let that happen. You are in charge of your own destiny.’

  ‘That’s exactly what Martha said!’

  ‘Ha! If Martha could predict the future, we would all be betting on that winning lottery ticket.’

  ‘But,’ Allie interrupted, ‘she was spot on.’

  ‘For the love of God … She said to everyone that walked into the tent, including me, “You are in charge of your own destiny.” Come on, Allie, you’re the headstrong one out of the three of us so don’t let Martha’s words play on your mind. Just go and talk it over with Rory. He wants a partner who encourages him, supports him to be the best he can – just like you deserve the same from him. It’s his time now, and if that means twelve months away then you have to try and embrace it. Or face the fact that you might push him away.’

  Feeling subdued, Allie replied, ‘I know you’re right.’

  ‘I’m always right. It annoys Fergus terribly,’ she said with a laugh. ‘But if life was all plain sailing it would be a boring existence.’

  ‘It would that,’ said Allie, hitching a slight smile on her face.

  ‘And this TV show is a fantastic opportunity for both of you! Get involved, stand by his side and make sure it’s known he’s already taken. It’s simple. Treat it as a bit of fun. I expect that’s what Rory is thinking.’

  Allie was grateful Felicity’s words were sinking in. Sometimes all that was needed was for someone else to spell it out clearly.

  ‘And about this place. You both need to want the same things at the same time for it to work. If you push him too hard and he doesn’t want to be pushed, you will end up on the losing side.’

  Felicity’s words struck a chord.

  ‘Right, now, after you’ve shown me around those outbuildings and we’ve devoured those delicious pastries I’ve brought, get yourself back over to his and talk it over with him. And I’ll see you in the pub in around an hour.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Allie, giving her friend a quick hug. ‘I will do just that.’

  ***

  Half an hour later Allie left Felicity taking the path towards the pub whilst she sauntered back towards Rory’s house.

  She hoped she hadn’t upset him too much by walking out earlier but it was hard to keep her feelings in check after the possibility of losing him for a year.

  Soon enough his whitewashed terrace house was in view. Just as she was about to knock on the door, she recognised Zach’s voice filtering out through the open window. Taking a peep through the window she saw Rory and Zach staring at the laptop in front of them.

  Zach was pointing to the screen and Rory was smiling.

  ‘It’s all coming together,’ exclaimed Zach.

  ‘It all sounds great,’ came Rory’s reply. They were buzzing, full of energy.

  Allie felt herself being left out once more, and, needing to get her feelings under control, she made tracks back to the pub. There was no point descending on Rory now. They needed to talk but with Zach there it wasn’t the right time. With the pub in sight she didn’t have much choice except to paint a smile on her face, but once her shift was over she would go and put things right with Rory and make up for her earlier crabbiness.

  Chapter 10

  Allie managed to slip through the back door without being noticed. She couldn’t face a barrage of questions from her parents about Clover Cottage. Reaching her bedroom she closed the door quietly and tentatively stared at her face before climbing into the shower. Tilting her head upwards she let the warm water run over her body. Everything was very much playing on her mind.

  Had she relied on Rory too much? Had she fallen into a routine when actually there was more out there in the big wide world for her to discover?

  She thought back to early childhood, a maelstrom of memories flooding her mind. Life had been a struggle for her parents, especially in the early days when they’d barely had the money to muddle through. She couldn’t remember ever going on holiday with them or spending any quality time with them; they always seemed to be working. Her mum took any jobs she could to make ends meet, and she remembered at one point her dad had moved away from them for six months, taking a job at the other end of
the country to earn a higher wage, leaving her and her mum alone in a tiny one-bedroom apartment.

  Even though Allie had great respect for her parents’ work ethic, she knew one thing about her future that would be different: when the time came to have children she didn’t want them to be moved from pillar to post; she wanted a stable home for them right from the start. This is where she’d thought Clover Cottage would be perfect in every sense, but she knew the cost of making it their own could escalate to a huge pot of money and she’d barely saved anything from her wages at the pub. She didn’t want to just rely on Rory to be the provider. She was beginning to realise she too would have to take some responsibility. She couldn’t leave it all to Rory; it was all about being a team, and maybe it was time she thought about searching for a better job, so that she could contribute equally.

  Ten minutes later, wearing a strappy sundress and comfy ballet shoes, Allie put the finishing touches to her make-up and wandered downstairs. Her mind was still very much on Rory.

  She did her best to look happy and breathe normally as she walked into the busy dining area of the pub, where there were already lots of familiar faces – that was the way it was in Heartcross. Rona, Bill and Martha were nearby chatting amongst themselves whilst Alfie and Polly were tucking into a hearty roast dinner prepared by her mum.

  Allie walked over towards them and placed her hand on Polly’s back. ‘I believe congratulations are in order. You pair are moving in together, I hear?’

  Alfie’s beam was wide, and he looked like the cat that had got the cream.

  Polly smiled. ‘Yes! Thank you. I only came here on a whim and now look, I’ve met the man of my dreams. It all happens for a reason.’

  ‘And a new job too!’ added Allie.

  ‘Yes, thanks to this one,’ said Polly, grinning across the table at Alfie.

  The pair of them were still in the first throes of their relationship, and you could see how happy they were – the way they still held hands, the way they finished each other’s sentences, and that special glint in their eyes. Anyone could see they were besotted with each other.

  ‘And huge congratulations to Rory,’ trilled Polly. ‘How fantastic! A TV superstar. You must be so proud. Wait until you’re walking down that red carpet on his arm. You must suggest to your mum and dad to put it on the TV in here when it’s aired so we can all watch it together.’

  Allie was taken aback for a second. It seemed Rory’s news was spreading fast around the village. ‘What a marvellous idea,’ she replied, smiling at Polly.

  Returning to the bar she felt a tear crowd her eye and took a deep breath. The shift would soon be over and she could go and sort things out with Rory. Hopefully she would be kept busy so she wouldn’t have time to dwell on things too much. After tying her apron around her waist and scribbling on her notepad to check her pen was working she caught her mum’s eye. Both of her parents were standing in front of her, strangely beaming away.

  ‘What’s the matter? What are you looking at me like that for?’ Allie asked, bewildered.

  Meredith dug Fraser lightly in the ribs. ‘We do have a clever girl on our hands.’

  ‘You are beginning to worry me now,’ said Allie, in a low whisper, still confused and feeling a little uncomfortable. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘We’ve had a phone call … well, you’ve had a phone call.’ The excitement was written all over Meredith’s face.

  Fraser bent down and retrieved a copy of a newspaper from behind the bar. ‘As soon as the call came, your mum was straight over to Hamish’s to buy a copy. Well, more than a copy – we bought the lot!’

  Allie was mystified as she took the newspaper from her dad’s hand. ‘The Scottish Daily Mail – why have you bought so many copies?’ Allie laid the paper down on the bar.

  ‘Turn to page four. Go on,’ her mum urged.

  Allie flicked to page four and her jaw fell somewhere below her knees. ‘That’s – that’s my photograph.’

  Allie stared at the article, which was a write-up about Rory saving Sydney’s life. Next to it was the photograph she’d taken of Rory, Zach and Sydney at the summer fair.

  ‘Photo credit to Allie Macdonald,’ Allie read out loud, excited at seeing her photo in the national press.

  ‘In the national paper! We are so proud of you,’ said Meredith, giving her daughter a suffocating hug.

  ‘What did you say about a call? I’m sure you said something about a call?’

  Meredith nodded. ‘Here, I’ve written it down,’ she said, scrabbling for a piece of paper at the side of the till. ‘You need to call Caitlin Macleod on this number.’

  ‘Who’s Caitlin Macleod?’ asked Allie, taking the slip of paper from her mum’s hand.

  ‘The editor of the newspaper. She was adamant you phone her back.’

  ‘On a Sunday?’

  ‘Yes! On a Sunday,’ said Meredith nodding and grinning broadly. ‘Now go and ring,’ she said, gently pushing her daughter back towards the living quarters of the pub.

  As she clutched the piece of paper, Allie’s emotions were all over the place. Why would Caitlin Macleod from a national paper want to speak with her?

  Allie perched on the bottom stair and stared at the number. With a shaky hand, she dialled, and her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest at any second as soon as the call connected.

  ‘Can I speak with Caitlin Macleod, please?’ she asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

  ‘Who’s calling, please?’

  ‘It’s Allie Macdonald. I’m returning your call.’

  ‘Allie! I’m so glad you got back to me. Can I just say what a fantastic photo of Zach Hudson and Rory Scott you took! The second we uploaded the photograph alongside the article the views online were off the scale. It’s the most viewed photograph so far this year, which I know may be down to Zach’s following, but you’ve caught the moment perfectly; you have a talent.’ Caitlin was friendly and put Allie at ease immediately.

  Allie was dumbfounded, the words ‘the most viewed photograph online’ whizzing around her head.

  ‘I don’t know what to say.’ Allie still couldn’t take it in.

  ‘We see that you are working freelance for your local paper and I hope you don’t mind but we gave them a ring. Their praise for you is utterly outstanding and we’ve been viewing your work all morning.’

  Allie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. They had been viewing her work all morning … on a Sunday?

  ‘Anyway, you’re probably wondering why the call at the weekend, so I’ll cut to the chase. We would like to offer you an interview.’

  ‘An interview?’

  ‘Yes! We have a six-month vacancy for a photographer, to cover maternity leave.’

  Allie couldn’t believe her ears. This was extraordinary. It was turning into a day of extreme highs and lows. It was exhilarating, a chance for her to become a photographer working on a national paper. What an opportunity!

  Her thoughts tumbled quickly over each other. It was a chance of a lifetime, but what about her parents? They needed her to help out in the pub, and she couldn’t let them down.

  More often than not Allie took over the early morning starts so her parents could rest after the continuous late nights, and they weren’t getting any younger. She didn’t want to see them struggling … and then there was Rory too. But this wasn’t just any old newspaper, this was a national newspaper, the Scottish Daily Mail offering her an interview. Wow! Thousands of copies were in circulation every day.

  ‘Caitlin, I don’t know what to say! Can I just ask, out of curiosity, where did you get my photo from?’ asked Allie, intrigued how they’d stumbled across it in the first place.

  ‘Rory Scott emailed it to us alongside the article about Zach Hudson from your local newspaper,’ Caitlin confirmed.

  After bringing the conversation to a close, Allie still couldn’t get her head around Caitlin’s offer. The job was full-time for six months, working alongside a particular journalist t
hat Caitlin spoke very highly of. They would be a team, covering all the national headlines. As Allie stood up, she bit down on her smile. Could she actually do this? She wanted to scream from the rooftops that a national paper wanted her photographs. The adrenalin was pumping inside her and she knew her mum and dad would be eagerly waiting on the other side of the door to find out what the call was all about.

  Allie had mixed emotions. Obviously an interview didn’t guarantee her the position, but Caitlin had spoken very highly of her work. But she still felt a sense of duty towards her parents. She knew how hard both of them worked and how would they feel if she left them in lurch.

  ‘Stop over-thinking it, you haven’t even got the job yet. It’s only an interview,’ she muttered to herself, but she knew this was a fantastic opportunity. She had always had a passion for photography, but for that passion to actually become her job? But that wasn’t all: the headquarters of the newspaper were in Glasgow, and taking the job would mean moving, as she couldn’t commute the three-hour journey every day; she’d have to relocate for six months. Moving away from Heartcross, if only for a short time, made her feel anxious. She thought back to the moving around she’d done as a child: how it had affected her self-esteem and confidence and how she couldn’t imagine not seeing her friends and family on a daily basis.

  Allie felt excited, terrified and simply confused.

  Only a few hours earlier she’d been convinced her destiny was to build her forever home with Rory at Clover Cottage – until he’d shared his dreams of Africa with her. And now, suddenly, she wasn’t so sure. If he was travelling halfway across the world for over twelve months, could she actually take the job – if she was successful at the interview – and follow her own new path? Not only would she gain valuable experience, but the extra money would come in very handy too.