Her expression softened. ‘Thanks, I appreciate that. Can I have a think about it?’
Joe nodded. ‘Take all the time you need.’ He laughed. ‘It looks like you’ll be stuck with me for a while here anyway.’
‘Thanks, Joe. I appreciate the offer.’
He looked around them. ‘While you’re thinking, shall we carry on and finish this fun job?’
Skye groaned and picked up her shovel, ready to scoop up another load of animal poo to dump it in the wheelbarrow. ‘When I agreed to come here,’ she said, tipping some onto the pile, ‘I pictured green meadows filled with wildflowers, strolls on the beach, eating comforting farm food.’
‘Isn’t that what you got?’ he asked, happy to hear more cheer in her voice again.
‘True, but it didn’t occur to me that I’d spend so much time clearing up manure.’
‘I imagine Zac forgot to mention that bit when he was trying to sell the idea to you.’
‘It was Melody who persuaded me.’ She grinned, stopping and resting her hands on the wooden handle for a moment. ‘Then again, she seems to remember everything about this place fondly.’
‘Not this, I imagine.’ Joe looked over at her. ‘It’s not that bad though, I hope.’
He waited for her reaction, relieved when Skye immediately shook her head.
‘Don’t be daft. I’ve done far worse jobs than this, including cleaning out dog kennels during some of my school holidays and helping a friend’s mum with her cleaning business for a few months. I wasn’t very good. Anyway, at least the views and accommodation here are amazing.’
‘They are a welcome treat for me too, I have to admit.’ He wondered how his mother and Roger were getting on with the decorating now Faye was suffering from sciatica. Amused, Joe imagined her using the walking stick she had been leaning on when he visited her to point out any bits of painting Roger might have missed. ‘I don’t miss being at my place.’
‘You mean it hasn’t been all that bad staying here with me then?’
‘Mmm, I’m not so sure about that.’ It was an effort to hide his amusement at her expression.
Seeing Skye open her mouth pretending to be shocked, Joe laughed. ‘Well, maybe it’s not all that bad,’ he teased.
‘To be fair, after seeing me here the day after you had tried to get me to evacuate the hotel, especially when you had expected to be at the farm by yourself, I would have probably felt the same way as you.’ She raised her eyebrows and gave him a pointed stare. ‘Actually I did, didn’t I?’
Joe waggled his finger at her. ‘That’s true. I noticed you were none too happy to find me here either.’
‘Really? I thought I’d hidden my reaction well.’
‘Not that well.’
Skye shook her head and pointed to the heaped wheelbarrow. ‘I emptied the last one on the manure pile; it’s your turn to do this one.’
‘Fine.’ He cocked his head to the right. ‘Why don’t you fetch a second wheelbarrow while I sort this one out, then we can get this muck cleared and lay fresh bedding for the animals and get out of here. It’s too pleasant a day to miss too much of it inside.’
As Joe went to find a second wheelbarrow, he couldn’t help thinking how much he was enjoying her company. He was warming to Skye. She was cute and sassy, but still tough, and he loved that combination. He doubted she would put up with any nonsense from a partner, unlike he had done with Aurélie, his previous girlfriend in France. He walked round the corner of the barn to one of the outbuildings, assuming he would find what he needed in there.
As soon as he had emptied the wheelbarrow, he pushed it back to the barn. As he passed the smaller barn, Joe decided how good it felt being single and making a new friend like Skye. Lettie was independent like Skye and had reminded him that most women were fun and kind, unlike Aurélie had turned out to be.
He sighed and pushed away the difficult memories of their break-up when she had mocked him about taking their relationship too seriously. He was still embarrassed about declaring his love for her over a meal at the restaurant in the village and her mocking laugh while other diners, most of whom knew him, tried to pretend he hadn’t just been completely humiliated. He now knew it was her way of breaking up with him because she had met someone else, but Joe wished she’d had the decency to simply tell him while they were alone.
It was the reason he had sworn never to allow himself to fall in love again. It wasn’t worth it especially when you didn’t even understand what love felt like as he clearly didn’t.
‘Here, catch.’ Skye’s voice distracted him. He pushed his wheelbarrow back into the barn and saw Spud pick up a stick and trot back to her, dropping it at her feet for her to throw again.
‘I think I’ve started something here,’ she said, rolling her eyes.
Skye was different to Aurélie, he mused. He didn’t know her well, but she seemed kind and certainly mucked in without any reservation. Maybe working with her would be a bit more fun than he had initially presumed, he thought, feeling better. Two singletons happy with their lot and prepared to work hard on a beautiful farm like this one was probably what they both needed right now.
16
