Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (a court of thorns and roses ebook free txt) 📗

‘You’re still good at your job.’

‘And I love it.’ He shrugged. ‘I know it won’t last forever, but if a new series is commissioned, I hope I’m part of it.’

‘It will be, and you will be.’ Thea freed a hand to wipe a stray hair from his forehead. ‘Julian used our feelings to help his cause. A ploy that seriously backfired on him. We shouldn’t let it ruin what we have.’

‘I think this is the bit where I hold you tight and tell you I love you. You hug me back and say the same, then we both promise each other not to be so stupid ever again.’

‘Okay.’ Thea buried herself into Shaun’s shoulder. ‘That works for me.’

‘Good, because your untethered bodice is doing things to me that would mean I’d have to walk away at speed otherwise.’

‘Shaun?’ Thea wrapped her arms around his waist. ‘Two things.’

‘Tell me.’

‘If anything like this happens again, we talk first, rather than act like children. Agreed?’

‘Agreed.’ Shaun inhaled the scent of Thea’s hair. He’d begun to think he’d never relax against the gentle aroma of shea butter and coconut again. ‘And second?’

‘During the reception I took a leap of faith and booked two nights at that hotel in Stow-on-the-Wold on my phone. They only had a luxury suite with a king-sized bed left. I hope that’s alright.’

*

Mabel sat next to Bert and placed her lilac hat ceremoniously on the table in front of them. ‘You did them proud.’

Bert grinned at his wife as he placed his palm over hers. ‘As did you, old girl.’

They sat quietly, holding hands, both knowing that they were thinking the same thing. We never had a son or a daughter to see happily married. We never thought we’d have a day like this. Yet, here we are. Aren’t we lucky?

*

Tom watched as Dylan climbed onto his mother’s lap, cuddling Harold the Stegosaurus to his chest. He was still in shock after what Sue had told him and badly wanted to talk to Helen before Sue took an overexcited Dylan home.

He could see Helen, arms full of empty plates, stacking them into the crates that Sybil and her team had brought over from the tearoom. Tom collected up a handful of glasses, and headed in her direction.

‘Do these go in a crate too?’

‘That one over there.’ Helen pointed to a foam lined box to the right. ‘How are you doing?’

‘I’ll be better when we’ve had a chat. Do you have time now, do you think?’

Looking over her shoulder, reassured that Sybil’s waitresses had the clear-up under control, Helen nodded. ‘My old office?’

*

The stone walls of the store room come office felt soothing after the heat of the spring sunshine. Helen shivered as they entered her old work space. Tom took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.

Helen smiled. ‘Thank you. Although don’t stand too close, or I might have to seduce you. I’m sure you’ve been told you look good in uniform a million times, but hell, you look good in a uniform.’

Tom gently coiled a curl that hung across Helen’s fringe between his fingers. ‘Hold that thought. For now, I need to tell you why I was so late.’

*

Although it hadn’t taken long for Tom to share his news, Helen had to repeat it back to him several times before it sank in.

Sue was still going to move to Australia with Nathan, but Dylan was not going with them. Her partner wanted a new start in a new country with no ties. And that meant leaving both Harriet and Dylan behind.

‘But how could Sue… I mean…’

Tom grimaced. ‘That’s why she was late. Her conscience isn’t letting her sleep. Apparently, she’s been drumming up the courage to tell me for ages that she thinks Dylan will be better off with me full time.’

‘But, he’s her son!’

‘Yes,’ Tom slipped his arm around Helen’s waist, ‘and he’s mine. And although I am delighted I won’t be losing him to the other side of the world, I can’t help wondering how his mum leaving him is going to affect him.’

A trickle of fear ran down Helen’s spine as she asked, ‘What will you do?’

‘I’ll have to live in Tiverton. No way am I going to move Dylan now he’s settled at school.’ He licked his lips. ‘That’s why Sue was going on about Sam having loads of money and assuming I got paid heaps. She was making herself feel better about leaving me to care for Dylan full time. The thing is,’ Tom looked anxiously at Helen, ‘how do you feel about it? I mean, I know you love Dylan and he loves you, but you’ll be like a mum to him with Sue gone. That’s what Sue was getting at with all the family stuff, I think. Dylan being part of a family with me – us.’

Tears gathered in Helen’s eyes.

‘Helen?’ Tom felt panic grip him, ‘You aren’t going to run away again, are you?’

She smiled as she shook her head. ‘No, never. I was just wondering how we’d tell Dylan his mum was leaving him.’

‘Not our problem. We’ll have to pick up the pieces though.’ Tom sighed. ‘At least there’s Zoom and Skype and all that, so we can make sure he talks to his mum every day.’

‘Maybe we can record the school nativity and that sort of stuff?’ Helen shifted on the hard seat. ‘I suppose we could rent Sue’s house. Just get the landlord to adjust the contract?’

‘We?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Helen paused. ‘Although, I’m not sure I want to live where Sue did, so…’

‘But you live in Bath.’ Tom curled a spiral of her hair around a finger.

‘I had a surprise for you. I wasn’t going to say until you got back to Bath with me, but, maybe now’s a good time.’

‘If it’s good news, then now