by Sarah Hope
‘Ooh, a nice cuppa would be lovely, please?’
Weaving in and out of the crowds, Molly slipped behind the counter. ‘Susan, Eva, how’s it going? Do you both want another drink?’
‘That would be lovely please, Molly?’ Susan thanked another customer before turning to her. ‘It’s going great! I’ve lost count of the number of customers I’ve served.’
‘There’s certainly been a lot. And loads of them have commented how nice this place is and how refreshing it is to find a craft shop where you can come in to actually craft and chat.’ Eva sat back down on the stool.
‘Yes, we’ve had quite a few people asking if you’re going to do classes.’
‘We’ve had a lot of people asking about quilting classes especially. I think having this display here has really got people interested.’ Eva indicated the display of fabric squares.
‘We’ve been handing out these business cards here and telling them to check your social media page for updates. I hope that was the right thing to do?’ Susan patted the pile of cards next to the till.
‘Yes, that’s great, thank you. I’d forgotten about those.’ That twenty pounds she’d spent when she’d been arranging to buy Bramble Patch had been worth it then.
FILLING THE KETTLE up, Molly looked across at the table. A couple of crayons lay forgotten on the floor, no doubt abandoned when Lucy’s husband had come to pick the twins up a couple of hours ago.
Walking across to the table, Molly knelt down and reached under towards the wall to pick them up. Leaning a bit further under, she curled her fingers around a rather used red crayon.
‘Hey, Molly.’
‘Ouch!’ Jerking her head up, she bashed it on the underside of the table. Rubbing her head, she ducked, backed out and stood up. ‘Richie, hi.’
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you hurt?’
‘It’s okay. I’ll live.’
‘Here, let me take a look.’
‘Honestly, don’t worry. I’m fine.’ Placing the crayons on top of the table, Molly switched the kettle on.
‘Let me take a look, just in case. I am First Aid trained, you know.’ Grinning, Richie stepped towards her.
‘Okay.’ She lowered her head and stood still as he ran his fingers across the top of her head, parting her hair to see if it was bleeding. His fingers were warm and reassuring against her scalp.
‘You’re okay, no blood. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get a bit of a bump come up though.’
‘Thank you.’ Standing this close to him, his face barely an inch away from hers, she could feel his warm breath against her forehead. As she lifted her head back up, she could almost sense the tingle from his lips next to hers.
‘Molly, a lady is asking if you’ve got any green ribbon for sale?’
As Susan pushed the door open, Molly jumped away from Richie and looked away. She could feel the telltale heat of a crimson blush spreading up from her neck. ‘Yes, I think so. There should be some with the other ribbons. If there isn’t the right shade she’s after I can order some in. I’ll come and show her the catalogue.’
‘Great. I’ll go and tell her.’ Pulling the door open, Susan slipped back out onto the shop floor.
Biting her bottom lip, Molly smiled at Richie. ‘Sorry, I’d better get out there.’
Nodding, Richie ran his fingers through his hair.
Stepping out of the kitchen, Molly was met with a hubbub of noise and bustle. Bramble Patch was full of people of all ages. Some had clearly just come in for a nose around and lapped the shop relatively quickly, pausing every so often to touch a super soft ball of wool or to run their fingers through a furry stretch of fabric. Others had clearly come in on a mission and bee-lined straight towards their chosen item, picking it up and walking straight towards the till, ignoring every other craft item on display. A fair number of people weaved in and out of the other customers, meandering through the shop and filling their arms with a mismatch of goodies before waiting patiently in line to be served whilst chatting to the person in front of them.
‘Busy, hey?’ Balancing a box in her arms, Lucy bustled past her. ‘I was just going to fill up the display of those patchwork fabric bundles on the counter. Is that okay? They’re selling like hot cakes!’
Grinning, Molly nodded. ‘Yes, of course. Thank you. I can’t believe how busy it’s got.’
Grabbing a catalogue from underneath the counter, Molly made her way towards a lady with a pushchair standing in front of the ribbon selection. ‘Excuse me, I’m Molly, the owner of Bramble Patch. Susan mentioned you were looking for a ribbon that was a specific shade of green?’
‘Hi, yes. I’ve got this cardigan that my grandmother made for Verity here, only somehow my washing machine has swallowed the ribbon and I’d like to replace it before she visits next weekend.’
‘Ah okay. Can I have a look at the cardigan, please?’ Holding out her hand, Molly took the pale green cardigan. ‘Wow, this is beautiful. Such a detailed pattern. Your grandmother’s very talented.’
‘Thanks. Yes, she is. She’s always loved knitting for as long as I can remember, so since I’ve had Verity, her first great-grandchild, she’s been in her element. She spends so long on them, I really want to fix it before we see her.’
‘I’m sure we can sort something. What shade of green was the ribbon? Was it similar to the wool?’ Molly picked up a pale green ribbon. ‘This one’s very close.’
‘No, it was this green, the one on the buttons.’
‘Let’s have a look.’ Picking through the reels of green, Molly bit down on her bottom lip. She couldn’t remember seeing any that particular colour. ‘No, I don’t think we have a good match in stock, I’m afraid. We can find the right colour in this catalogue though and I can order it in for you, if you’d like?’
‘I’m not going to be able to come back to the village before next Friday, unfortunately. What with work and childcare.’
Molly smiled. ‘I could always post them to you, if that would help?’
‘Really? I didn’t realise you offered that service?’
‘It looks like we do now.’ Molly laughed. It was actually a good idea. If she could advertise it properly, it would be another income stream even if it didn’t earn them much.
‘How much would postage be?’
‘Nothing. In fact, you can have the ribbon on the house, you’ve given me an idea.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely. Now, let’s see if we can find the right colour.’ Flicking through the catalogue, Molly ran her finger down the index page.
SLIPPING THE CATALOGUE back under the counter, Molly straightened her back. The lady had seemed happy enough and had promised to tell her friends about Bramble Patch.
Drat, the drinks. She’d promised the group of knitters their drinks. She checked her watch, they’d been waiting twenty minutes now, and each group was only lasting thirty. Rushing back into the kitchen, Molly refilled the kettle and looked around for the tray. Where had she put it?
She must have left on the shop floor. Slipping back onto the shop floor, Molly made her way towards the knitting group.
‘All right there, love?’ Looking up from a customer’s knitting she was trying to untangle, Gladys smiled.
‘Yes, sorry, I got waylaid helping a customer. I’ll get those drinks now.’ Picking up the tray from the coffee table, Molly turned back towards the kitchen.
‘Hey, Molly, it’s fine. We’ve had our drinks. Richie brought them out.’
‘Did he?’ Turning back around, Molly noticed the empty mugs and glasses sat on the coffee table.
‘Yes.’
‘Oh, right.’ Glancing around the shop, she tried to locate him amongst the crowds of people.
‘He had to get back to work. He said to tell you he’ll catch you later.’ Turning back to the teenager sat next to her, Gladys pulled her reading glasses further down her nose and spoke to the girl, indicating the knitting in her hand.
Molly nodded. ‘How’s everyone getting on? Does anyone need any help?’
‘THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL your help.’ Hugging Susan and Gladys, who had stayed until closing time, she held open the door.
‘Now, are you sure you don’t need a hand tidying up?’ Looking behind her at the shop floor, Susan pulled her handbag further up on her shoulder.
‘No, honestly, you’ve helped me out more than enough today. Thank you, though. To be honest, I’m going to grab something to eat and tackle the mess a bit later.’
‘Okay, if you’re sure, love. We’ll see you at the village hall in a couple of hours then.’ Gladys zipped up her lightweight coat.
‘Village hall?’
‘For the dance, remember?’
‘Oh, that. I’ll probably sit this one out.’ Yawning, Molly shook her head.
‘Well, we’ll be there if you change your mind.’ Patting Molly on the arm, Gladys stepped outside. ‘Come on, Susan, time to get our glad rags on!’
Shutting the door behind them, Molly pulled the blind down before turning around and leaning her back against the door. Ribbons had been pulled out and lay strewn across the shelves (she really must get proper storage for them), rolls of fabric had been stretched and left hanging near the shelves and that was just the start of the mess.
Bending down to pick up a button which had somehow found its way to the doormat, Molly grimaced, she’d have to get the hoover out once she’d tidied. The amount of mud, crumbs, and general dirt on the floor was disgusting. Straightening her back, she shrugged. A bit of tidying and cleaning was a small price to pay for the amount of money they had taken today, not to mention all the new customers who had promised to revisit. It had definitely been a success and a great way to get the word out about Bramble Patch. Hopefully, she could really make a go of it and put some roots down for her and the kids.
SLUMPING ONTO THE STOOL behind the counter, Molly circled her shoulders before wrapping her hands around the steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of her. Although most of the tidying and clearing away had been done, the floor was still filthy and after a day on her feet, she really couldn’t face dragging the vacuum cleaner out. It would have to wait until tomorrow.
Molly nodded, it wouldn’t hurt to leave the dirt until the morning. It wasn’t as though anyone was going to be walking across it anyway, so at least it shouldn’t get engrained.
Pulling her notebook towards her, she ran her forefinger over the scribbled total Bramble Patch had brought in today, picked up the pen and drew big fat circles around it. Finishing off with some fireworks shooting out of the circle, she lowered the pen and grinned. Not in a million years had she ever thought the shop would earn that much in a week, let alone a day.
Stretching her arms to the ceiling, she yawned. If half of the people who had promised to use Bramble Patch as their go-to craft shop did, she’d be able to afford to decorate Lauren and Ellis’ bedrooms soon. She knew Lauren hated the floral purple and white wallpaper she currently had in her bedroom, and although Ellis’ room was decorated in the standard magnolia, it would be nice to let him choose how he wanted it.
Folding her arms on the counter in front of her, Molly lowered her head, She would just have a couple of minutes' rest before she jumped in the shower. As the heaviness of sleep made her eyes droop closed, she smiled. She had this. She could do this. She really could make a life here for her little family.
Chapter Thirteen
Jerking her head up, Molly blinked. There it was again. What had begun as a gentle tapping grew increasingly louder. Straightening her back, she blinked into the dim light. She must have fallen asleep. The evening had crept in, and with the lights off, Bramble Patch had fallen into the gloominess of dusk.
There it was again, still louder this time. Slipping off the stool, Molly made her way to the door and pulled it open. Pausing, she let her eyes adjust. It was Richie.
‘Hi, Molly.’
‘Hi, is everything okay?’
‘Yes, great thanks. Can I come in?’
‘Yes, of course, sorry.’ Stepping back, she opened the door fully and fumbled to find the light switch. Blinking as the shop floor descended into light, she looked across at Richie as he closed the door behind him. Dressed in dark blue jeans and a checked red and cream shirt, he held two tickets in his hand.
‘I just happened to have these two tickets for the dance and wondered if I could change your mind about coming?’ A slow grin spread across his face and he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Molly’s ear.
Bringing her hand to her head, her fingers swept past his as she smoothed down her hair. She must look a right state. Yawning, she rolled her neck from side to side. ‘Sorry, I fell asleep at the counter. What time is it?’
‘Umm, let’s see.’ Pulling back his sleeve to check his watch, he looked back up at her. ‘Seven thirty-five to be exact.’
‘Oh, okay.’
‘So?’
‘So?’
‘So, can I entice you to accompany me to the village hall for the Spring Dance?’
‘Right. Sorry, I think I’m still half asleep.’ Rubbing the back of her neck, she looked at him. He’d been on duty all day so he must be as shattered as she was, and yet he’d gone to the effort of not only dressing up to go to the dance but also to call around and try to get her to go. Although her sofa was calling her, she knew the dance would be a good chance to meet some new people. She nodded. She’d wanted to become part of the village, to feel at home and the Spring Dance was perfect timing. She’d go. Plus, Gladys and Susan were definitely going to be there and the others from Knit and Natter no doubt would be too. If they could put a whole day’s work in and still have the energy to spend the evening socialising and dancing, then she should be able to.
‘Is that a ‘yes’?’
Taking a deep breath, Molly nodded again. ‘Yes, it is. I’ll come.’
‘Great!’
Looking down at her t-shirt, she tried to wipe off a droplet of hot chocolate only to smudge it into the pale fabric and grinned. ‘I think I might have to get changed though. I’m happy meeting you there if you want to get there for when it starts.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m happy to wait.’
‘Okay, thanks. I won’t be long.’ Turning on her heels, Molly ran up the stairs.
PULLING HER BLACK ANKLE boots on, Molly stood up from the bottom step and pulled her dress down towards her knees. Frowning, she wished she’d unpacked her one pair of strappy heels, but she didn’t have the time to go rummaging around in boxes now, so the boots would have to do. Glancing in the full-length mirror Lauren had insisted she had put up on the wall opposite the stairs, she smiled. It didn’t look too bad. Yes, the boots were a little clumpy but being as the dress she was wearing was dark in colour and not particularly dressy, she’d probably get away with it.
Pulling the dark floral fabric of her dress down again, she pushed open the door and walked onto the shop floor.
‘You look lovely.’ Bringing his hands down from where he had been leaning on them behind his head, Richie jumped up from one of the comfy chairs.
‘Thanks. You look nice too. Sorry, I should have said that earlier. I thought it, but my head was just muzzy from sleep.’ Shaking her head, she bit down on her bottom lip and willed the heat travelling up her neck to subside. Why had she said that?
‘Why, thank you. Are you ready?’ Holding out his arm, he grinned.
‘Yes, let’s go and have some fun.’ Striding towards him, Molly linked her arm through his and let him lead her out of Bramble Patch. ‘By the way, thank you for making the drinks earlier when I got called away.’
‘You’re very welcome. It was really busy when I popped in, was it like that all day?’
‘Yes. I don’t know what I’d have done if it hadn’t been for my Knit and Natterers coming to help. Great for business, though! And no end of people said they’d be back.’
‘That’s great. Hopefully, you’ll stick around for a whi
le then.’ Glancing across at Molly, Richie grinned.
‘Hopefully.’ Smiling, Molly looked down at her boots.
AS THEY HEADED TOWARD the centre of the village, music with a country twist floated out from the hall up ahead. People had set up plastic garden tables and chairs in the car park and on the green in front of the hall and clustered around them talking and drinking. A few teenagers sat drinking fizzy drinks out of cans on the low wall surrounding the car park and a handful of parents walked little ones up and down in buggies trying to get them to sleep so they could return to the celebrations.
‘It looks busy.’
‘It normally is. The whole village normally comes and quite a few people from the surrounding villages too.’ Unlinking her arm, Richie pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped back, letting Molly go through first.
Pausing just inside, Molly glanced around. Tables and chairs lined the walls and music blared out from large speakers on the stage at the far end. The rest of the hall was full of people dancing in unison up and down the wooden floor.
‘Shall we dance or would you like a drink first?’
‘Umm, a drink, please? I don’t know the moves to this song.’ Clasping her hands in front of her, she watched as the couples on the dancefloor spread out, twirled and then found a new partner. She hadn’t realised it was going to be organised dancing, or whatever it was called, she’d just assumed if people did dance they’d break out into the usual drink induced moves that were popular in pubs across the country.
‘Don’t worry. I don’t know half of them either, and the ones I do know I’ve just picked up from coming here each year. But, look, do you see Kevin and Deb at the front?’
Standing on her tiptoes, Molly peered above the crowds of dancers. ‘On the stage?’
