The Tanglewood Flower Shop

by The Tanglewood Flower Shop (retail) (epub)

Leanne had to close her mouth, which was hanging open. She’d never in a million years have taken Jarred Townsend for an environmentalist. His next sentence proved her correct.

  ‘It’s the way forward, the future; everyone is trying to show that they’re doing their bit. The florist industry must follow suit, and I intend to be at the head of the game.’

  ‘Oh? Oh.’

  ‘Everyone who’s anyone is trying to reduce, reuse and recycle. Take the big supermarkets, for instance – all of them are rushing to exchange plastics for more environmentally friendly products.’

  ‘But flower arranging is hardly in the same league,’ Leanne protested.

  Jarred gave a little moue. ‘It’s not,’ he agreed, ‘but we have an obligation to make it not such a throwaway industry. Yes, our customers can compost their bouquets, their bunches of carnations and their buttonholes, but I want to take it further, much further, and I believe you’re the woman to help me do exactly that. Your reusable wedding bouquet was genius; so inspired.’

  He didn’t actually look all that pleased about it. In fact, Leanne thought he seemed positively annoyed that he hadn’t come up with the idea himself.

  ‘You don’t need me for this,’ she argued, aware that she might be talking herself out of one of the most exciting jobs she could ever imagine being offered.

  ‘Oh, but I do,’ he replied. ‘You’re already getting a reputation in the field – Pauline and Christel have both remarked upon it. You’ll be the perfect face and brains for the venture. With your ideas and my name and resources, it can’t fail.’

  And if it does, Leanne thought, hearing the words he wasn’t saying as well as the ones coming out of his mouth, he can walk away from it with his reputation intact, and leave me to pick up the pieces.

  Risk aside, though, it was a very exciting prospect indeed.

  ‘Are you on board?’ he asked.

  ‘Can I think about it? I’d like to get the competition out of the way first.’

  ‘Of course. Whether you go out before the final or not, the offer still stands. I think we could do glorious business together.’

  Leanne thought back to some of the winners of shows like Bake Off. One woman had gone on to do great things and was now an established celebrity with a column in a national newspaper, but Leanne was never going to be in the same league as Jarred Townsend.

  ‘What will the winner say? Or the viewers?’ she wanted to know. ‘Especially if I go out in the next couple of weeks.’

  Jarred waved a hand dismissively. ‘Who cares? What I do with my own business is exactly that – my own business. It won’t detract from the winner in any way.’

  Leanne thought it might, but she didn’t say anything. If he’d made the same offer to someone else and Leanne had won, she might feel a bit miffed that she hadn’t been handed such a wonderful opportunity.

  ‘Think about it, take your time,’ he continued. ‘I want you to work for me, and if you do, you’ll have a glittering future ahead of you.’

  Yes, she would, wouldn’t she? She could take him up on his offer right now and her future would be assured. But first there was something she wanted to do.

  She wanted to win!

  Chapter 26

  ‘Where exactly are we going?’ Leanne asked as she followed Rex’s broad back along what was little more than a steep track.

  ‘You’ll see,’ he said.

  Leanne had thought she knew her patch of the Brecon Beacons quite well, but she’d never been along this particular valley before. Mind you, she didn’t normally venture onto Lord Tonbridge’s land that often, either.

  They’d been walking for nearly an hour now, following a stream, and were deep in woodland. Birds sang in the trees, and every so often a clearing would reveal a spread of nodding bluebells, the sunlight dappling through the canopy of leaves like spotlights in one of nature’s finest theatres. Even if they didn’t get to see the elusive beavers, the scenery alone made the whole trip magical.

  Then, without warning, the trees opened up and a still, calm pond appeared.

  ‘Is that what I think it is?’ Leanne whispered, pointing at an untidy pile of branches, rocks and mud at the edge of it.

  ‘A beavers’ dam, yes.’

  ‘Oh wow!’ A trickle of water emanated from the dam’s base, and the gurgle mingled with the birdsong.

  ‘It’s a little late in the day,’ Rex said. ‘William told me that beavers are more active in the early morning, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate hiking through the woods in the dark.’

  The sun hadn’t quite risen yet, but it had been light enough when they set out for them to be able to see where they were going without the need for torches. It was still early, and the peacefulness of the little pond and its clearing was definitely worth getting up for.

  Rex led her towards the hide and they slipped inside.

  ‘The beavers probably know we’re here,’ he whispered, ‘but if we’re quiet, hopefully they’ll show themselves.’

  He had packed two pairs of binoculars, and he handed one to Leanne.

  ‘See those stumps over there?’ He pointed to the far side of the pond. ‘Notice how the edges are raw? That’s typical beaver work.’

  ‘They look like badly sharpened pencils,’ Leanne answered softly, and she saw Rex biting back a laugh.

  ‘They gnaw all around the base of the tree, then let gravity do its work. Once the tree is felled, they slice it up into manageable lengths, drag it to the water’s edge, then let the current carry it downstream to the damn. The smaller branches, the ones with loads of leaves on, are used for food.’

  ‘I always wondered what beavers ate,’ she said. ‘For some reason I thought it was fish.’

  ‘You’re thinking of otters. I’ll take you to see some of those next time. There’s a holt further up the River Usk, and I’ve heard they’ve got kits.’

  ‘I’d like that.’ It was amazing – she’d lived in the area all her life and thought she knew most of the wildlife. Clearly she was wrong. She’d never been lucky enough to see an otter, but she had seen plenty of other things, such as foxes, rabbits, herons and kingfishers. Otters, though? And beavers! Wow. Just wow!

  She wished she could capture the magic of the scene in her work, and she suddenly understood where Jarred was coming from. To be able to bring even a tiny piece of this wonderland into people’s homes, offices, churches and function rooms would be special indeed. While Jarred might be looking at the commercial angle – the profit to be made and the bottom line – Leanne would be looking to bring nature inside. Together they could make a formidable team.

  But – and there was a very big but indeed – there was no way she could work out of her little flower shop in Tanglewood. It would mean moving to London.

  Hang on, wasn’t that what she wanted? Why else had she entered Budding Stars in the first place? She recalled her restlessness at the start of the year, the feeling she had of needing something more and the excitement she’d experienced when sending her entry off.

  Wasn’t that what she was working towards – new horizons, new challenges, new experiences? Not to mention a new outlet for her creative talent.

  So why was she suddenly feeling reluctant at the thought of leaving all this behind?

  ‘Look.’ Rex nudged her arm, bringing her out of her thoughts.

  A ripple radiated across the still water. Then another. A brown head broke the surface, a chevron of wavelets following it.

  Leanne held her breath, her eyes wide with wonder, as the beaver trundled onto the bank like a shaggy tank. It was smaller than she’d imagined.

  ‘There’ll be another one nearby,’ Rex said. ‘William told me this is a breeding pair.’

  ‘Which is this, the male or the female?’

  ‘No idea. But I do know that the female rules the roost, so this is probably the male, dispatched to bring his lady some breakfast.’

  ‘Ha, ha!’

  They watched as the beaver rooted around
in the undergrowth before disappearing from view.

  ‘Do they have any natural predators in this country?’ Leanne asked, fearful for the beaver’s safety so far away from the pond.

  ‘The adults don’t, but any beaver kits would be a tasty morsel for a fox. I bet a stoat or a weasel wouldn’t say no, either. Which is why beavers build a dam in the first place. The lodge is in the deep water in the middle. See?’ He pointed to a bunch of branches in the centre of the pond, and Leanne focused her binoculars on what she had originally assumed was a pile of driftwood.

  ‘The only access is underwater, so the kits are really safe in there,’ he explained.

  ‘I wonder if there are any babies in there now?’ she mused.

  ‘William said something about putting cameras inside the lodge next year,’ Rex told her, and when Leanne had the disconcerting realisation that she probably wouldn’t be around to see them, disappointment swept over her once more.

  Don’t be daft, she told herself. It wasn’t as if she was emigrating. She could come home as often as she wished. She was already travelling back and forth to London every week, although the strain was beginning to tell on her.

  Thinking about Jarred’s offer led her to thoughts of her flower shop. Would she still keep it on? She had no idea, but it was something else she had to consider.

  They watched for a while longer, but when the beaver didn’t make a second appearance, Rex put down his binoculars and opened his rucksack.

  Croissants and coffee – how marvellous! Leanne was starving, and she ate every morsel before leaning back against the wall of the hide, cradling a plastic mug of coffee in her hands.

  ‘What’s your next task?’ Rex asked.

  She told him about the previous Thursday, and that she was still in the contest (round seven, squee!), but she’d yet to discuss Jarred’s offer with him. Actually, she didn’t know if she was going to mention it at all until she’d made up her mind. She had to get everything straight in her head first.

  When Rex gently removed the mug from her hands and pulled her close, burying his fingers in her hair, kissing her until she was breathless, she was even more determined not to say anything until she had some definite news.

  She was starting to fall heavily for this lovely man and she hoped he felt the same way about her. Until she’d actually decided if she was going to accept the job, there was no point in telling him that the most he could expect was a long-distance relationship.

  She sank into his embrace, and for a while neither the competition nor Jarred’s offer crossed her mind.

  Chapter 27

  Rex squinted at the number on his phone. It was a number he recognised but hadn’t expected to see again.

  ‘Hello?’ His voice was tentative, almost reluctant. Why on earth was Jules calling him? Everything to do with the house had been settled a few weeks ago, and he’d received a bank transfer for his half of the property, but he hadn’t wanted to know if she’d sold it or simply bought him out. He had simply been relieved that the ties between them were finally severed. As far as he knew, she didn’t have any reason to contact him. Unless she’d heard he was going to visit his parents tomorrow and fancied meeting up for old times’ sake.

  He frowned, not fancying the idea.

  ‘Rex? Is that you?’

  ‘Jules. Hi.’ Her voice was so familiar, his heart gave a small lurch. They’d been good together, once.

  ‘I… um… We need to talk,’ she said.

  ‘We do? What about?’

  There was a long pause. ‘I’m pregnant.’

  Oh. He hadn’t been expecting that, and he wondered who the father was and why his ex-girlfriend felt the need to phone to tell him—

  Oh hell.

  ‘Whose is it?’ he asked. His voice was hoarse and he felt as though he’d just been kicked in the stomach. ‘Is it mine?’

  There was a silence on the other end.

  ‘Jules, please, you’ve got to tell me,’ he begged. He staggered to an armchair and slumped into it.

  When she finally answered, her voice was barely above a whisper. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘You must know!’ Rex was stunned. How could she not know? He closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again.

  ‘I’m sorry—’ she began.

  ‘Sorry?’ he yelled, then stopped and took a deep breath. Shouting wouldn’t do any good, no matter how much he felt like it. ‘Tell me,’ he said, in a slightly calmer tone of voice.

  ‘I don’t know where to start…’

  Rex pictured her standing by the living room window in the house they’d once shared, staring out at the street, nibbling her finger. She often used to stand in that very spot when she was on the phone.

  Oh God.

  ‘The beginning?’ he suggested, trying to keep calm.

  ‘When we were still together, I… um… fell for someone else.’

  Rex swallowed. He knew things hadn’t been brilliant between them, but he hadn’t expected this.

  ‘We… I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did. I didn’t want to hurt you, neither of us did.’ She hesitated.

  Rex began to feel sick.

  ‘Me and Dean—’ she said, but Rex didn’t let her get any further.

  ‘You and Dean? My best friend Dean?’ He didn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe it. How could they do that to him?

  ‘I’m sorry.’ She sounded close to tears.

  ‘You were sleeping with both of us at the same time?’ His voice was rising again, but he couldn’t help it.

  ‘Yeah, I’m sorry.’

  ‘So you keep saying.’ He took a ragged breath and cleared his throat. ‘How far along are you?’

  ‘Seven and a half months.’

  He counted back. Damn and blast. ‘Why have you left it this long to tell me?’

  ‘I wasn’t going to tell you at all,’ she said, and Rex heard the tears in her voice. ‘But in all conscience, I can’t keep it from you – you’ve got a right to know if the baby’s yours.’

  He rubbed his free hand over his face, a terrible sinking feeling in his stomach. He’d worked so hard at getting his life back together, and now it was falling apart around him. What the hell was he going to do? He buried his face in his hand and said through his fingers, his voice muffled, ‘Can’t they do a DNA test or something?’

  ‘Not until the baby’s born,’ she said, sniffling. ‘Both you and Dean will have to be tested.’

  Nearly two whole months to wait for the verdict. He didn’t know how he’d get through them, or how he’d get through the weeks and months after that if he turned out to be the baby’s father.

  How was he going to cope? Where would he live? He couldn’t stay in Tanglewood, that was for sure, not if he was to have any part in the child’s life.

  He sat up and squared his shoulders. He knew what he had to do, what the decent, moral thing was, and he was determined to do it. If the baby was his and fatherhood was going to be thrust upon him, then he’d do his best for the little mite.

  He’d be a proper father to him or her, move back to Glenshona and support the baby in any way he could.

  He didn’t see that he had any other choice.

  Chapter 28

  The drive to Glenshona and his parents’ house was a long one, giving Rex plenty of time to think and brood. Too much time.

  ‘Balls,’ he muttered, and Nell let out a whine from the back seat.

  ‘It OK, girl,’ he said, not meaning a word of it. He had an awful feeling that things wouldn’t be OK again for a very long time indeed.

  He knew he was all bitter and twisted, but damn it, he felt entitled to be. It was one thing him and Jules growing apart; it was another thing entirely being cheated on – and with his best friend, as well. She had even fed him the old chestnut of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ and he’d swallowed it whole, like the gullible prat he was. No wonder Dean had been cagey and distant on the few occasions they’d exchanged texts since he’d moved to Tangle
wood, and never answered his phone when Rex called. Rex hadn’t thought anything of it; neither he nor his friend had been great communicators, preferring to do their talking over a pint in the pub.

  To think that Rex had even blamed himself for him and Jules splitting up: the fact that he worked odd hours sometimes, often at weekends; that he hadn’t been paying Jules enough attention; that he was preoccupied with Star’s illness… The list went on.

  But he hadn’t been to blame after all.

  Not this, please not this, he kept pleading silently. Not when he’d moved on with his life. His sense of betrayal and disbelief was vast. He thought he’d known Jules inside and out – he’d championed her, supported her, loved her, once. But now it seemed like he’d not known her at all. How could she do this to him? And what about the poor little bairn she was carrying?

  He wasn’t looking forward to telling his parents, but they had a right to know. He didn’t want to leave it until the baby was born and the paternity test had been done. If it was positive, the shock might be too much.

  Breaking it to them gently and in person was the kindest thing to do. Then he’d go to see Jules.

  He wasn’t looking forward to that, either.

  Glenshona was just the same as when he’d left. This was swiftly followed by the thought that everything looked different. Or maybe it was Rex himself who was different. He’d grown up in this village, had been born here, and at one point he’d thought he’d never leave it.

  But a desire to escape his failed relationship, plus needing to find another job, had driven him to apply for the ranger’s job in Wales – as if by leaving Scotland he could leave his past behind.

  Unfortunately, his past had tracked him down, and dragged him kicking and screaming back to his former home. He wondered how many other people in the village knew about the situation. Like Tanglewood, in Glenshona everyone knew everyone else’s business. He just hoped that his parents hadn’t already found out.

  He planned on taking a more circuitous route through the village, not wanting to pass the house he and Jules had once shared, but when he arrived at the outskirts, he almost took the wrong road and had to give himself a mental shake. His mum and dad had moved to a little bungalow on the edge of Glenshona a couple of months before his life had fallen apart. It wasn’t just because they were getting on a bit, they’d been quick to reassure him when they’d told him; they’d felt it was the right time to downsize. He could tell they’d been thinking ahead to their retirement and the years to come. His dad would have far less DIY to do in a single-storey place, and the garden, although considerably smaller, was still large enough to allow his mother to potter.