Lucas has brought some blankets from the caravan and I wrap myself up against the cold. I’m pleased to see that Penny and Jess have stayed behind and that Lucas is being very solicitous towards them. They both have a chair and blankets and he’s getting them a drink. He might have his moments but, on the whole, he’s a good lad. Despite the fact that Aurora isn’t here, he looks very chipper. Penny is bathing in his attention.
‘Well done, Molly.’ Bev sits beside me and pats my knee in a motherly way. ‘You survived.’
‘Next time you have the bright idea of throwing our doors open, remind me to emigrate.’
She laughs. ‘It was brilliant and you know it.’
‘Apart from the alpacas shagging.’
‘That only served to enhance the atmosphere.’
That makes me laugh too. ‘We might make the front page of the local paper. What with that and your impromptu proposal.’
‘I’ve been so worried about Alan,’ she confides. ‘If anything happens like that again, I want to make sure that I’m his next of kin. Plus I fancy the pants off him. Thought I’d better grab him while he’s still available.’
‘Well done,’ I say. ‘I’m so pleased for you.’
She raises an eyebrow. ‘You next?’
‘My loved one isn’t even here.’
Bev frowns. ‘Shame he missed it. He’d better have a bloody good excuse.’
Then Matt appears and says, ‘Is this a private party or can anyone crash it?’
‘You are more than welcome.’ I stand to get him a beer and I’m too aware that our fingers touch when I hand it over. ‘I thought you’d gone without saying goodbye.’
‘I just escorted Victoria back to her car. She couldn’t stay. Prior commitment.’
‘Ah. She seems very nice.’
Again, an expression I can’t read. ‘Yes,’ he says. ‘She is.’
But, if I’m honest with you, he doesn’t really sound as if he thinks so.
‘You’ll see her again?’
He sighs. ‘Molly, I have to tell you something . . .’
Then there’s a horn tooting from our gate and Bev shouts. ‘Shelby!’
‘At last!’ I left out a relieved breath. He might have missed all the festivities, but at least he’s safe and sound. I turn back to Matt. ‘What was it you wanted to say?’
He shakes his head. ‘It doesn’t matter.’ He clinks his beer against my juice. ‘Well done. I hope it’s raised lots of money.’
‘Thanks. I think it has. I’m so glad you were here. No one could have done a better job of turning on the lights. Anyone would think you were a pro.’
‘I’m not as experienced as some,’ he says as he looks over at Shelby striding across the yard.
‘Sorry, sorry!’ Shelby calls in a voice that would reach the back of the stalls. ‘Traffic was hell!’
All day? I think. Matt and I exchange a glance. Seems as if he thinks the same.
Shelby comes over and seems a little put out that we’re having a celebration without him. ‘A party?’ he says. ‘I thought I’d missed it all.’
For the first time, I wonder if it was deliberate he’s turned up so late. Did he not want to be involved in our open day?
‘It went brilliantly,’ I say and my voice sounds slightly brittle. ‘Matt did a sterling job of switching on the Christmas tree lights.’
‘Oh,’ he says and Shelby’s eyes appraise Matt.
‘A handy reserve,’ Matt says, mildly.
‘You missed the poems that Lucas wrote for us too. They were very good.’
‘Afternoon, Father,’ Lucas says. ‘You’ve managed to tear yourself away from Pantoland to come and bestow your Christmas wishes on us?’
‘If you mean I’ve been sitting in gridlocked traffic for the last few hours to get here, then yes.’
‘It went very well, thanks for asking, and we coped perfectly well without you,’ Lucas snipes. I signal to him with my eyes that it’s enough and, for once, he falls silent. I know how disappointed he is that his dad has, again, let him down.
‘I’m sorry,’ Shelby says and, this time, he does sound conciliatory. ‘I really had intended to be here.’
‘No matter,’ I say, too brightly. ‘It’s all done and dusted now. No point worrying.’ This from the Queen of Worrying. ‘Come and join us. Have a beer, have a cake.’
The tension goes out of the atmosphere and Matt throws a tin of beer to Shelby who nods, gratefully.
‘A toast!’ Bev raises her glass of wine. ‘To us for being flipping brilliant!’
‘To us,’ we echo.
‘And to the newly engaged couple,’ I propose.
Shelby looks at me blankly.
‘Something else you missed. Bev asked Alan to marry her. Thankfully, he said yes.’
They both look bashful.
‘Congratulations,’ Shelby says and there are hugs all round. ‘This is definitely a cause for a celebration.’
‘Looks like we have a wedding to organise,’ I add.
‘It will be small,’ Bev promises. ‘A few friends and family only.’
‘And definitely no alpacas,’ I warn her.
‘Strictly humans only,’ she assures me. ‘Could you cope with being a bridesmaid?’
‘For you, anything.’
‘I’ll hold you to that,’ Bev laughs. ‘I have witnesses.’
So we relax and we laugh. Lucas keeps his distance from Shelby, but he does seem to be having fun with Penny and her mum. Matt chats mainly to Bev and Alan, but whenever I happen to look over at him, he’s looking right back at me.
‘You seem to have got on very well without me,’ Shelby says and pulls my attention back to him.
We did. What can I say? At times we were so busy that I completely forgot about him.
‘You’re here now.’ I smile up at him. He looks tired and I think this panto run is taking more out of him than he’ll admit to. Thank goodness, it’s nearly Christmas and it will soon be over. He’ll be home with us permanently and we can get back onto a more secure footing. ‘It’s good to have you back.’
Even if it is only for a short while.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
When we’ve had a few drinks and are all feeling chilled, we tidy up and the yard looks more like a farm again. I let the dogs out of the caravan and they go into a frenzy of delight. They’re long overdue a walk and I’ll have to take them across the fields as soon as possible to run off their pent-up energy.
Matt comes across to me and takes my hands in his. There’s a shock of electricity that we both ignore. ‘Thanks for having me,’ he says. ‘That was a great day.’
‘Again, thanks for your help.’ I can’t remember how many times I’ve had cause to thank this man over the last few weeks. ‘Couldn’t have done it without you.’
‘I’ll call you in a few days. To check on the total.’
‘Don’t be a stranger,’ I tell him. ‘You’re welcome any time. You know that.’