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‘That soon?’ Maddy sounded shocked. Ellie knew how she felt.
Why hadn’t she given this any thought? She was an event planner for goodness’ sake. Planning for the future was her forte. She needed to stop avoiding thinking about what would happen once their summer was over.
‘I’m afraid so. I need to get Josh settled in a new school.’ In truth, she should go back now to get everything done she needed to get done. But no way was she abandoning the project when they would need her the most.
‘I thought he was going to school with Toto in Gratesbury?’
‘That was only supposed to be a temporary arrangement for the last few weeks of the summer term.’
The children had broken up two weeks ago, and had been disappearing each day on different adventures in the woods, or hanging out with Tess and Melody, to avoid getting roped into helping out with the shop.
‘You can’t go back so soon after the shop has opened,’ Maddy said. ‘You have to bask in the fruits of your labour. Why don’t you ask the school if Josh can enrol there for the autumn term?’
The simple suggestion had the weight in Ellie’s stomach jumping. Maddy was right. If the head teacher still had some spare spaces to fill, why not let Josh start back at school here with Toto? It would save her having to put an arbitrary end date on their stay before she was ready.
Maybe it was a cop-out. Another excuse not to face reality. But she’d started the shop project, she was responsible for its success and she couldn’t possibly leave her mother in the lurch after all Dee had done for them both.
They would still have to go back. But Dan hadn’t contacted her directly since they’d left Orchard Harbor, so he was obviously tied up with Chelsea and preparations for the baby. And she still had no desire to walk back into that minefield before she absolutely had to. Plus, Josh had enjoyed going to school with Toto for the last few weeks before the summer break. He’d made new friends, loved his teacher Miss Morely. Would it be so terrible to extend their stay until the end of September?
‘I could definitely think about it,’ Ellie said, as they stacked the boxes and bags into the truck bed.
‘That’s terrific,’ Maddy said. ‘Because I wanted to ask you a huge favour.’
Ellie smiled, feeling lighter already. ‘Which is?’
‘Would you plan our wedding?’
‘Oh…’ she murmured, torn. She wanted to say yes. Weddings had always been her favourite events to plan in Orchard Harbor. All that positive energy. Plus, she’d adored taking the stress off the bride and groom so they could feel relaxed as their big day approac
hed. And with Maddy and Jacob, the joy of doing that would be all the greater, because they had become friends. Giving them a great start to their marriage would be the perfect gift. But if she committed to this, wouldn’t she be committing to so much more? She wasn’t a permanent part of this community, and she needed to remember that.
‘Before you say no,’ Maddy jumped in, her face a picture of determination, ‘it’s only going to be a small affair. My mum and dad will come and a few of my friends from Richmond where I grew up. Jay’s got no family to speak of, so he’ll just be inviting some of his old mates from Bristol. Even factoring in everyone from the co-op we’re talking fifty people tops. And I’ve already got a dress.’
‘Really?’ Ellie said, impressed.
‘I found it a month ago in the Oxfam shop in Salisbury. Antique lace and satin, bias cut, and it fits so perfectly. I thought it might be a sign so I bought it. I thought I’d sew in some sequins along the neckline to give it a bit of bling.’ Maddy hummed with pleasure. ‘Seriously, I love it so much, if Jay hadn’t asked me soon I would have had to do the asking.’
Ellie laughed. ‘And there I was thinking you were as surprised as the rest of us when he proposed.’
‘I was astonished. But only because it’s taken him so bloody long.’
They both laughed at that one.
Dee came round the back of the tractor to join them, having just corralled Josh and Toto into the trailer they’d hitched up to carry the tables and chairs the short ride across the meadow and through the fields back to the farmhouse. ‘What are you two laughing about?’
‘The stupidity of wedding proposal etiquette,’ Maddy piped up. ‘Whose daft idea was it to leave that job to men? Seriously, it’s so much easier to be a lesbian.’
Dee’s smile was wobbly round the edges. ‘It is now. But we had to wait a long time to even get that option.’
Maddy sobered. ‘God, sorry, I didn’t even think of that. I didn’t mean to be crass.’
‘You’re a woman in love, on one of the most exciting days of her life.’ Dee patted Maddy’s cheek. ‘Crass is allowed.’
‘Maddy and I are talking about wedding plans,’ Ellie cut in, to give Maddy time to extricate her foot from her mouth.
‘That’s marvellous,’ Dee said. ‘I love weddings. Are you planning to have it here?’
‘Absolutely.’ Maddy nodded, her embarrassment forgotten in the rush of excitement lighting her eyes. ‘Do you think we could do it in four weeks?’
