Page 24 of My Kind of Happy

‘That’s you sorted then. Do you want another drink?’ Laura pointed at my empty mug.

‘Better not. Scamp will need to go out for a wee soon and I promised him a long walk before I start boxing up more of Freddie’s stuff.’

She got her purse out and tried to give me money for her share of the bill, but I waved her away.

‘My treat. It’s the least I can do after everything.’

She sighed in defeat. ‘Thank you. But no more. You’ve already given me a beautiful bouquet and you’ve apologised a million times anyway,’ said Laura, putting her purse down.

‘Just one more thing,’ I said, smiling. ‘If you and Hamish do ever get married—’

She gave a bark of laughter. ‘You want to be my maid of honour. Yes of course, goes without saying.’

‘Well, thank you. But I was going to say I’d like to do your flowers. As my wedding present to you.’

Her eyes widened. ‘Oh, Fearne. That is the loveliest offer I’ve ever had. I’d love that, thank you.’

‘All you need now is the groom to pop the question.’

She beamed. ‘Of course, and there’s no rush. No rush at all. Although I might have a scroll through Pinterest, just to pick up a few ideas.’

‘You might as well,’ I said with a grin, ‘seeing as you’ve already perfected your signature.’

A few minutes later, we were ready to leave. Laura headed to the loo while I stayed put with Scamp. I turned my attention back to the article on undiscovered villages in the newspaper to see if any of them were close by. There was one that stood out immediately:

The picturesque village of Barnaby nestled in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales will charm the pants off you. With its traditional village green, narrow streets and chocolate-box cottages, it’s so beloved by its tiny population that property rarely comes onto the market. Locals, however, welcome visitors with open arms and the Lemon Tree Café in the centre of the village is dog-friendly and serves delicious Italian delicacies, making it the perfect destination for a weekend hike.

Was visiting two cafés in one day really greedy, I wondered. Because suddenly the thought of being cooped up at home clearing yet more of Freddie’s things held no appeal at all.

Scamp thumped his tail vigorously against the table leg, alerting me to Laura’s imminent return.

‘This one’s actually not far away.’ I tapped the page while she read it over my shoulder.

‘Barnaby? Sounds idyllic,’ she agreed.

I folded the newspaper and stuffed it into my bag. ‘I shall report back and let you know if it makes it onto my happy list.’

She stared at me, amused. ‘Are you really going to go?’

‘Yep. Right now. Next stop the Lemon Tree Café.’