“Sure, go ahead.” Gloria waves at him to go.
Sam turns around and notices us in the corner.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there, Aradia.” His voice is deep and silky.
“Hi, Sam.” She smiles and looks in my direction. “Sam, this is Harri, my niece visiting from London.”
A flutter fills the pit of my stomach as his green eyes turn to mine. Even with my jumper off and just my long-sleeved bodysuit on, the heat feels like it just went ten notches up. I feel the crimson blood under my cheeks start to turn my flesh pinker.
“Nice to meet you, Harri.” He sticks out his large hand and I shake it. His rough fingers overpower mine. The strength in his hand makes mine feel like a mouse’s. “I’m Sam, Sam Thorne.” He pauses for a moment. “I don’t know why you needed my last name.” He blushes slightly.
“Nice to meet you, Sam, Sam Thorne.” I smile awkwardly before realising I still have some cream cheese on my chin and embarrassingly rub it off.
He chuckles under his breath. “I, er, gotta get back to the shop.” He gestures with his thumb to the door. I nod and sip my latte not able to break eye contact.
Aradia interrupts to break the tension. “Oh, can you ask Chris to set me aside a pheasant? I’ll come and grab it this afternoonafter I’ve taught yoga.”
“Sure.” He nods and still his eyes never leave mine the whole time he speaks to my aunt.
“Nice to meet you, Harri, again.” He takes a moment longer then leaves out through the door.
I look at Aradia who is smugly drinking the last bit of her latte.
“He likes you.” She giggles.
Seven
For the last week I’ve spent most of my time curled up in front of my granny’s fire with a book and endless cups of tea. Aradia dragged me out to one of her yoga classes which was fun but the women in the class put my younger body to shame! However, doing nothing but rest is just blissful. I help Aradia in the garden with the vegetables, and she’s actually taught me quite a bit on how to grow from seed successfully. Putting it into practice is another thing though. My granny tries to teach me to bake, but both times my cakes don’t rise and look more charred than baked. But it’s been nice to try new things, right?
I haven’t bumped into Sam since our meeting at the cafe. But he has been appearing a lot in my dreams. I wake up in a hot sweat thinking about his hands over my skin, my fingertips messing up his already messy dark hair, our breathing in tandem. It’s different to my usual dark dreams which is a nice break.
I wake again after dreaming about him, my pulse racing and my body aching for his touch. Maybe it’s the big hands that are doing it for me. Or the fact my fiancé cheated on me and it’s been a while since… well, you know. I’m only human.
I sit up to see Nettle curled up at the end of the bed. I give hima stroke, and he begins to purr. Nettle is a scraggy old thing but he’s very loving. He’s been a good little foot warmer while I’ve been staying here.
The familiar sound of Granny making breakfast brings me to my feet and down the stairs. Granny is placing some toast at the table and Aradia is sat at her laptop.
A pan on the Aga filled with porridge is being stirred by a wooden spoon on its own. I stare at it for a moment absolutely mesmerised that this is happening in front of me. In the last week Granny has given up trying to hide her powers from me. Lights are turned on by clicks of fingers and I’ve seen the floor cleaned by a broom by itself. It still amazes me, but I’m not as freaked out anymore. It’s become sort of normal.
“Harri.” Aradia brings me out of the trance as I join them at the table. She lifts her head from the laptop. “Remember it’s the harvest market this morning. I could use your help to pick as much as we can to sell. We get people from all the other villages come to visit.”
“Yeah, of course. It’ll be nice to come out and see people. I’ve become a bit too comfortable with my own company and not leaving your gorgeous cottage.” It really is gorgeous. It’s a home. Something that you read about in fairytales.
“And remember you can stay as long as you like, sweetheart.” Granny strokes my hair as she pours juice into my glass. Granny babies me for sure, and I kind of love it.
“Sam will be there.” Aradia smirks.
My face feels warm at the mention of his name. “Oh, that’s nice,” I say emotionless, not letting her get the best of me.
Aradia raises her eyebrow, not happy with my downplayed reaction. But she knows. She smiles to herself as if she knows the mention of his name has got to me. She grabs a slice of toast and returns to looking at her laptop.
After breakfast I help Aradia and Granny pick vegetables tosell at the market. They tell me how this has been a tradition for years in Brindlewood where everyone brings things they have grown, made, hunted or baked to sell at the harvest market ready for winter. We pack crates with an array of vegetables until the garden starts to look bare. We pack them into Aradia’s banged-up Beetle and make our way to the village green.
Tables are set out around the green with bunting decorating them and the sign in the middle. Gloria is setting up her table outside of The Wandering Wisp with plenty of cakes, pies and pasties to fill hungry tummies. Other stalls are being filled with all different wares. A lady selling handmade cushions and blankets is busy laying them out ready for customers to look through. An older gentleman is putting out second-hand books in genre order. I make a mental note to definitely go back and see what he has later.
Aradia and I find our assigned table and begin setting up. Along with the vegetables we have jars and jars of homemade teas my granny makes, each labelled with their intended purpose. Relax, invigorate, sleep and romance.
I pick up the romance one and try to make out what herbs and spices are used. I can pick out rose petals and cloves but the rest I’m not entirely certain.
