The Tanglewood Flower Shop

by The Tanglewood Flower Shop (retail) (epub)

  As she got into the car, she finally understood why she was feeling so glum.

  Ever since their very first kiss, she’d planned to ask Rex to accompany her, to be by her side when she celebrated winning, or commiserate with her for being a runner-up.

  The other two finalists were either married or had a partner, and suddenly Leanne felt very much alone.

  She really would have loved to share this moment with Rex, but she’d have to face it without him, just like she’d have to face the rest of her life.

  Chapter 48

  Rex almost fell in through the door, Nell tumbling after him, and he leaned against the counter to catch his breath. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d moved so fast, but it was imperative he told Leanne how he felt about her before she left for London.

  He hadn’t intended to beat the Olympic time for the hundred metres, and neither had he intended to dive into the flower shop, panting and dishevelled, looking as though the hounds of hell were after him. But he was here now, and he was determined to say what he had to say, no matter what.

  There was one slight problem with his plan – Leanne wasn’t behind the counter. Mabel was.

  ‘Is she out the back?’ he asked, peering around the older lady and hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl he loved.

  ‘No, she’s setting off early this week, so she decided not to come in today. Is there anything I can help you with?’

  He looked around helplessly, as if he expected to see her hiding behind a bunch of chrysanthemums, and caught sight of the painting she’d won at the auction, now framed and hanging on the wall. That was the last time he’d set eyes on her. Such a lot had happened since then and he wanted to tell her all about it, to tell her he loved her. If it wasn’t too late.

  Speaking of too late… ‘What time was she planning on leaving, do you know?’ he asked.

  Mabel checked her watch. ‘In a couple of hours, maybe. She didn’t exactly say.’

  ‘I might catch her at home, then?’ he asked, hope flaring.

  He heard Mabel say ‘You might’ as he shot out of the door, an excitable dog hot on his heels.

  Another mad dash, this time to his Land Rover, then a slightly careless drive out to the farm, a little too fast for the narrow lanes. He slewed into the farmyard, scattering gravel and small stones.

  Iris was out of the front door in a trice. ‘What’s wrong?’ Her expression was worried, and Rex hastened to reassure her.

  ‘Nothing, sorry, I shouldn’t have…’ He gestured to the vehicle. ‘I’m in a bit of a hurry, that’s all.’

  ‘So I see,’ came the sardonic response. ‘I thought there’d been an accident.’

  ‘Sorry,’ he said again. ‘Can I speak to Leanne?’

  ‘She’s not here.’

  ‘Oh.’ He paused, letting the information sink in with dismay. ‘She’s left already, then?’

  ‘Yes. You’ve got her phone number, haven’t you? Why don’t you call her?’

  He shook his head. What he had to say would be better said face to face and certainly not while Leanne was driving.

  Then he had an idea. There was nothing stopping him following her. ‘Which hotel is she staying in?’

  Iris gave him a sharp look, but went inside to fetch the details. ‘Here,’ she said when she came back out. ‘I’m not sure I’m entirely pleased about this,’ she continued, handing him a sheet of paper. ‘If you upset her, I’ll never forgive you.’

  Rex grimaced. He couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t do precisely that, and he felt a bit of a heel. But as Betty had so rightly said, if he didn’t try, he’d always be wondering, and he didn’t know if he could live with the ‘what if’.

  ‘I’ll try not to,’ was the best he could manage under the circumstances. ‘Thank you.’

  He’d turned the key in the ignition when he realised Nell was still in the car. He could hardly take her to London, could he?

  He switched the engine off again and climbed out, calling for Nell to follow. The dog jumped down and Rex gestured at her, giving Iris a helpless look.

  She sighed. ‘I’m sure Saul won’t mind looking after her for a couple of days. When will you be back?’

  ‘It depends,’ he said.

  Iris nodded. ‘Good luck. You’re going to need it. I don’t know what’s gone on between the two of you, but she’s not happy. Don’t make me regret giving you the name of the hotel.’

  ‘I hope I won’t,’ he said, clambering back into the driver’s seat.

  He was about to pull away when his phone rang. He thought about ignoring it, but he was supposed to be working today, and he’d had so much time off already, he thought he’d better answer it and at least try to explain. At this rate, he was going to get the sack.

  It wasn’t work, though; it was an automated call from the Mountain Rescue team.

  He listened to the message and his heart sank when he realised he had no choice.

  He’d have to ring back and advise of his availability. His conscience wouldn’t let him do anything else.

  The coordinator picked up on the second ring.

  ‘I’m on my way,’ Rex said.

  ‘I’ll text you the details,’ she told him. ‘And Rex, you need to be aware that the missing person is a child. The police are involved, and a search-and-rescue dog and handler will be there as soon as they can.’

  A child? Dear Lord, no. Despite his intense disappointment at not being able to hightail it to London, he was very glad indeed that he’d decided to answer the call, because they’d need all the help they could get.

  He gave Iris a wave and drove away without telling her of this new development, thinking that once the child was found, he could follow Leanne to London. He had no doubt they would be found safe and well, because to think anything else was simply too awful to contemplate.

  With his focus firmly on the task ahead, he pulled into the second farmyard of the day, this one vastly different to the first. For one, it was smaller, and for another, it was crammed full of vehicles.

  He got out of his car and made for the makeshift command post, which was being conducted out of the back of a Range Rover. He recognised most of the faces as being people he’d trained with previously. Once they were all assembled, they were briefed by the police.

  The child, Billy Morrow, aged eight, had been missing since before breakfast. His mother had gone to wake him, but his bed was empty. The police didn’t suspect foul play at this time, but were assuming Billy had gone for an early walk. His coat and wellies were nowhere to be found, and neither was his drawing pad and pencils, which was why the authorities were treating this as a missing person and not anything more sinister. The little boy had been drawing a great deal recently. Apparently he had developed a keen interest in it ever since he had sold a painting at the auction, and had taken to disappearing into the field at the rear of the farmhouse. Until today, he’d always come back.

  Rex took a deep breath, perched on the open back of the nearest vehicle and dropped his head into his hands.

  This was all his fault. If he hadn’t held that stupid auction, none of this would have happened.

  Chapter 49

  ‘Billy! Billeeeee!’ The shouts echoed around the mountains, bouncing off the hills and filtering into the folds between them where steep-sided valleys hid.

  Four hours later, and the search was widening and growing ever grimmer. Rex couldn’t stop thinking about the boy’s poor parents and what they must be going through, and he kept wondering where the search-and-rescue dog was. It should have been here hours ago with its handler.

  The decision had been made not to wait for the dog, but to begin the search immediately, and Rex was glad they had, because, as was typical in these wild Welsh uplands, the weather was closing in. A mist had settled on the mountaintops and was steadily creeping down the hillsides.

  Rex shivered inside his waterproof jacket. He wasn’t cold or wet, thanks to the thick waxed-cotton fabric, but he would bet e
verything he owned that Billy probably was. The sooner they found the little laddie the better.

  The searchers had started off strung out in a loose line, but the uneven, rugged terrain filled with dips and hollows had soon scuppered that, and now Rex was further away from the guy on his left than he wanted to be. The whole idea was that every square foot was covered, because it was surprising just how small a little boy could be if he was lying down. Even a clump of heather could conceal him.

  ‘Billeeeee…’

  Rex shivered again. The call was drawn out and eerie, the encroaching mist adding to the atmosphere.

  Please let him be safe, please let him be safe, he chanted silently, using a long stick to push aside a low-growing bush and peering hopefully underneath it.

  Nothing.

  He moved on, clambering down one of the steep-sided little valleys that had been carved out of the bulk of the mountain by fast-flowing water. The stream splashed and gurgled noisily; if Billy was calling for help, his voice would be unlikely to be heard above the sound of it.

  Taking care on the slippery grass and rocks, Rex cut across towards the stream itself, aware of the fascination that water could hold for small children. All the time, he was praying he wouldn’t find the boy, because if the lad was down here in this narrow, shadowed crease in the hill, it might not be good news.

  What was that?

  Convinced he’d seen movement out of the corner of his eye, he stepped towards a dark hollow between some rocks, and let out a startled yell when a rook took flight in front of him.

  ‘Bloody bird,’ he muttered under his breath, following its soaring flight as it skimmed the contours of the hill. Rooks ate carrion, so just to be on the safe side, and with his heart in his mouth, he inspected the hollow.

  It was empty, and he sagged in relief, leaning against the side of the outcrop, feeling the cold, hard stone under his hand.

  Another noise made him jump as his two-way radio crackled into life.

  ‘The child has been found safe and well. I repeat, the child has been found. All units return to base. Copy.’

  ‘Copy.’ Rex hardly managed to get the word out, so great was his relief, and he hurried back to the smallholding for a very welcome mug of scalding coffee.

  ‘Where was he?’ he asked as the hot drink was thrust into his hand.

  ‘You know that deserted sheep pen about a mile or so that way?’ The man he was speaking to pointed towards one of the ridges above the house. ‘He was huddled in there. The cloud had come down and caught him unawares, so the sensible lad found some shelter and stayed put. He’s a bit scared and very cold, but he’s OK.’

  ‘Thank God,’ Rex said, finishing his coffee with such haste he burned the roof of his mouth. Now that the boy was home safe, he had somewhere else he desperately needed to be.

  Stripping off his waterproof overtrousers and throwing his jacket in the back of the Land Rover, he dived into the driver’s seat, switched on the engine and headed for London and the woman he loved.

  Chapter 50

  The restaurant was subtle, understated and elegant – everything Leanne had come to associate with Jarred. He liked the finer things in life, and who could blame him? He’d built his business up from scratch, she’d discovered, starting life selling flowers from a makeshift market stall, bunking off school on Thursdays because that was the best day. To think that he now owned a multimillion-pound enterprise was startling and quite admirable.

  Her new boss was a confusing mixture of ruthless, determined businessman with one eye on the bottom line and the other on his profits, and courteous gentleman who opened the door for her and gallantly took her wrap before handing it to a hovering waiter. In a way, these contradictions only served to make her nervous and throw her off-kilter. She almost felt like this was a date, although Jarred had never given her any indication that he was interested in her except for her green fingers.

  She would have preferred to meet in his office rather than being taken out to dinner.

  They talked shop for a while, both of them careful to avoid any mention of the competition tomorrow. He had some fresh ideas, based on the comments she’d made last time, and he was eager to run them past her while they ate their meal.

  When he’d finished, she gave him her honest opinion. ‘That’s more like it! I love the way you want to take this new venture in a totally different direction to the shops you currently have.’ She giggled. ‘Hobbits? It’s perfect!’

  She slid the computer drawings back across the table, and Jarred folded them carefully and put them in his briefcase. The man was a genius – his vision for his new business was now split into two, one branch for the corporate end, the other one aimed more at the man (or woman) in the street. The mock-ups of the shop he had just shown her had reminded her of a hobbit’s house, or rather, what a flower shop might look like in Middle Earth, and she loved everything she’d seen so far.

  ‘I particularly like the cuteness of it, but isn’t it going to cost a fortune?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ve had someone do a quick costing, and it’s coming in at roughly the same financial outlay per opening as the mainstream stores,’ he told her.

  ‘Will it attract the higher-paying customer?’ she wanted to know, eager to learn as much as she could.

  ‘Yes.’ Jarred sounded certain. ‘I will make sure of it.’

  He picked up his glass of mineral water and tilted it towards her. ‘To our new venture.’

  Leanne clinked her glass against his. She was excited about this – she had to be, because there was nothing else in her life to be excited about.

  Chapter 51

  Finally, he’d arrived! Many hours later than he’d intended, but at least he was here. Negotiating the crammed streets, Rex remembered why he hated the city. There were too many cars, people, roads, buildings, traffic lights. It was too noisy, too frantic, too… everything.

  What he needed was space, and growing things, and a chance to see the sky clearly and not with a foreground of roofs and concrete. When he pulled into the underground car park of the hotel Leanne was booked into, it was with a sigh of relief. Until he saw how much the parking charges were. And he was expected to pay using his mobile phone. When did that become a thing?

  ‘Have you a booking, sir?’

  ‘Not as such, no.’ He didn’t even have a toothbrush.

  The girl behind the reception desk checked a screen, frowning. ‘We’ve got a premier suite available. Is that all right for you?’

  Rex had no idea whether it was or wasn’t, but he nodded anyway. Then he paled and felt faint when she told him the price. He wanted a bed for the night, not to buy the whole darned place. He presented her with his credit card anyway, and winced as he keyed in his PIN.

  After she’d run through her spiel of how to use the key card, the checkout time, payments for any extras (like breathing!) and when breakfast was served, she pointed him in the direction of the lifts.

  ‘Can you tell me which room Leanne Green is in, please?’ he asked when he could get a word in edgeways. Just saying her name made his heart miss a beat. Involuntarily, he glanced at the ceiling; she was here somewhere above his head, and he felt a bit sick as he thought about what he was going to say to her. His mouth was dry and he swallowed nervously.

  ‘Sorry, I can’t disclose any information about our guests,’ the receptionist said.

  ‘But I’m a guest too,’ he replied.

  She shook her head. ‘Sorry, sir, data protection. I’m not allowed.’

  Rex grunted. ‘Can you call her, then? Are you allowed to do that?’

  ‘Yes, sir, I can do that for you.’

  She played with her screen again, then picked up a phone. To his annoyance, it was angled so he couldn’t see the number she dialled. He wasn’t going to find out that way.

  The receptionist gave him a professional smile as they waited, and Rex tried not to tap his fingers on the desk in impatience.

  ‘Pick up,’ he mut
tered under his breath.

  A few seconds later, the girl put the phone down. ‘Sorry, sir, there’s no answer. If you ring down to reception later, we can try again. Just dial zero from your room.’

  Rex thought about trying Leanne’s mobile, but he was scared she mightn’t take his call. He’d also been scared that she might have refused to speak to him once the receptionist had told her who it was, so in one way he was almost relieved she hadn’t answered.

  He decided to pop to his room, freshen up a bit, then check out the restaurant. He knew from what Leanne had told him about some of the other evenings before the filming days that all the contestants and some of the TV company staff ate together. It was nearly seven thirty, so if she wasn’t already at dinner, she probably would be soon.

  After a quick shower – luckily the hotel provided the basics: a cheap toothbrush, toothpaste and shower gel, as well as a shower cap, which he wondered if anyone actually ever used – he pulled on the clothes he had been wearing since he’d got dressed that morning and made his way to the dining room, wishing he’d taken the time to pack a clean shirt. He was aware he must look a right sight in his hiking boots, walking trousers and T-shirt. He’d left his fleece in his room. It smelled faintly of dog.

  Standing in the doorway, he scanned the room.

  ‘Table for one, sir?’

  ‘Er…’ He craned his neck. There was a group of diners over on the far side of the restaurant who he guessed might well be who he was looking for. ‘Is that the Budding Stars lot?’ he asked, pointing.

  ‘Yes, sir, are you wanting to join them?’

  ‘No, but can I have a table nearby but out of the way a bit?’

  The maître d’ gave him a wary look and raised an eyebrow artfully.

  ‘My girlfriend is one of the contestants,’ Rex lied. ‘She’s not expecting me. I want to surprise her.’ He gave the other man a wink and a smile.

  The expression on the face of the maître d’ didn’t alter. ‘Certainly, sir.’ He clicked his fingers and a waiter came over with a menu and a price list, and Rex was led to a table close to the Budding Stars group.