Chapter 30

30

Keeping her head down, Laura tucked her empty canvas bag into her coat pocket and hurried past Jackson’s house. He’d called round twice again since Vivienne and Nicola had left and the last thing she wanted was to run into him on her way into the centre of the village. She’d been tempted to drive to the nearest supermarket, but after spending the night tossing and turning and replaying the conversation Jackson and Richie had had, she didn’t trust herself to drive that far.

But she needed more coffee and so here she was, almost running past Jackson’s house and hoping he wouldn’t spot her. The quicker she could get into the centre and back out again, the better. Coffee with Vivienne and Nicola had been just what she’d needed to distract her, but now they’d gone, the afternoon stretched ahead of her and all she really wanted to do was to hole up and go to sleep just to escape Jackson’s words that kept repeating in her mind.

Her mobile rang, and she pulled it quickly from her pocket. The last thing she needed was to draw any attention to herself. She checked it wasn’t Jackson before answering. ‘Hi, Richie.’

‘Hey, sis. How’s things going?’

‘Much like they were when I saw you yesterday.’ Apart from the fact she no longer had a boyfriend.

‘Good, good.’ There was a pause.

‘What’s up?’ Laura frowned. Richie was normally one to get straight to the point when he rang. He wasn’t one to skirt around an issue.

‘Now don’t be mad with me, but I’ve invited my mate Dave over for dinner next weekend…’

Laura narrowed her eyes. ‘At least you have the good grace to sound sheepish.’ She paused and looked around. ‘Which reminds me, I haven’t seen any sheep recently.’

‘Sheep? You say that as though you see them often.’ Richie cleared his throat. ‘Anyway, back to the topic. Are you free to come for dinner?’

‘With you, Jane and this Dave bloke?’

‘Yes.’

‘No.’

‘No?’

‘That’s right, no. I told you not to set me up with anyone and I meant it. I’m not going to come.’ Laura pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand.

‘Aw, please? I’ve asked him now. I’ll look a right idiot if you don’t turn up.’

‘Well, you should have thought about that before you invited him. Perhaps when we were at Mum and Dad’s, yesterday , and I categorically told you and Jenny that I didn’t want to be set up with anyone. Remember that?’ She cringed as she heard herself. She was being unnecessarily harsh, but it was Richie’s fault she and Jackson were over, and she still didn’t quite understand why it was okay for Richie to set her up on a date with his mate from squash and yet Jackson was a complete no-go according to him. And to Jackson, it would now seem.

‘Will you think about it at least? Pretty please?’

‘The answer won’t change.’ She took a deep breath in as she crossed the road. She had to remind herself that he hadn’t known about her and Jackson. It wasn’t Richie’s fault they were now over. Oh no, that had been all Jackson. It had been Jackson who had ended up agreeing with Richie about his stupid no-Jackson rule. ‘Look, I know I sound like a brat and I know you’re only trying to do me a favour, but I don’t want to come to dinner as a set-up with your mate, I really don’t, and I wish you’d respect my decision.’

‘Point taken. I’m sorry. Consider Dave dumped.’

‘Dumped? He wasn’t even dated.’ Laura shook her head. Richie was trying to make light of the situation, trying to make her laugh, and any other day it would have likely worked, but not today. ‘Look, I’ve got to go.’

‘Okay. I promise I won’t try to set you up again. Bye.’

‘Bye.’ Pulling her phone away from her ear, Laura pressed the End Call button just as she walked smack bang into someone and she watched her phone skid across the path. Seriously? What else was going to go wrong?

‘Laura Price.’

Jerking her head up, Laura sighed. That. That’s what else was going to go wrong. She’d run straight into Evie Taunton, of all people. ‘Evie.’

The estate agent looked down at the bunch of flowers she was carrying and plucked off a petal. ‘You squashed my chrysanthemums.’

‘And you’ve likely broken my mobile.’ Laura scooped her phone from the path, surprised and relieved to see the screen intact.

‘I think you’ll find it was you who barged into me.’

Narrowing her eyes, Laura glared back at Evie, anger suddenly rising from the pit of her stomach. Did this woman have no compassion whatsoever? Had she ever heard of morals or kindness or any other thing which could make a person likeable or even passable? ‘What is your problem with me?’

Evie blinked, seemingly processing the question Laura had posed. ‘Excuse me?’

‘I said, what is your problem? What have I ever done to you? I’d never met you until the day I viewed Pennycress Inn. That viewing, and the two minutes we spent together so you could pass over the keys, were the only times we met in person and yet you tried to ruin my life.’

‘I think that’s a little dramatic.’ Evie plucked off another petal.

‘Dramatic?’ Laura stepped towards her, one hand gripping her mobile, the other holding on to the canvas bag that kept slipping from her pocket. She knew this wasn’t the time or the place to be having this conversation. And she knew that the anger she was feeling towards Evie Taunton wasn’t all deserved, but she couldn’t help herself. It was Evie who was standing in front of her, not Jackson, and it was Evie who had lied about her, led people to believe her intentions weren’t good. ‘Your lies almost destroyed my chance at a new start in this village. Why? Why did you say the things you did?’

‘A new start?’ Evie glanced up briefly from her precious flowers. ‘Usually people desire a new start away from everyone they know. They don’t usually want to move next door to an old family friend.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Laura frowned. Evie wasn’t making any sense.

‘I’m referring to Jacks.’

‘Jackson? What’s he got to do with any of it?’ What was she suggesting?

‘You heard me.’

Laura shook her head before glancing around the village green. If they hadn’t been the only ones standing there, she may have been tempted to ask someone to translate for her, to try to make sense of what the other woman was telling her, or trying to. ‘You’re going to have to be clearer than that.’

‘Clearer, hmm.’ Evie locked eyes with her. ‘Is the fact that you, an old family friend of Jacks, swooped in to steal him from me clear enough?’

‘I… I didn’t even know Jackson lived here in Meadowfield when I bought Pennycress. Heck, I probably wouldn’t have gone through with the sale if I’d known.’ And now, if she had known what would have happened between them, then she certainly wouldn’t have moved here. However much she loved Pennycress, she would have chosen to save her heart.

‘I’m sure Jacks would believe you.’ Sarcasm rolled off the woman’s tongue as she looked back down at her flowers.

‘Evie, I really don’t understand what you’re trying to say, but whatever it is, I don’t think anything would warrant spreading lies about me.’ It couldn’t be because of Jackson and Evie splitting up – that had happened a couple of months before Laura had moved here.

‘You do know what I’m saying. You understand perfectly. You and I both know Jacks was the reason you wanted to move here.’

Laura shoved her phone in her pocket, trying to compose herself. ‘If that’s what you thought, then why on earth did you accept my offer on Pennycress?’

‘I didn’t know who you were until Mr Yates had accepted it.’

Shaking her head, Laura still didn’t understand, but whatever Evie Taunton thought had happened, she couldn’t grasp why it would lead to the lies. ‘I can’t do this.’ Spinning on the spot, Laura began walking back home, picking up her pace until she was certain Evie could no longer see her.

Once she’d reached Wisteria Lane, she slowed again before stopping by a large tree growing on a patch of grass by the road. Leaning her palm against it, she closed her eyes. Evie had said she’d known who she was. How? Jackson hadn’t known she was moving in. He hadn’t realised who had bought Pennycress until he’d brought his welcome basket round. How had Evie known before she or Jackson had? And why would she care, anyway?

Laura took a deep breath and pushed herself away from the tree again, forcing herself to continue her journey home. That part of the puzzle she guessed was easily solved. Terry had joked about Evie stalking Jackson. She obviously still liked him. Laura had picked up on that almost instantly too, before she’d known Evie and Jackson had been together.

But the other part… How had Evie known she and Jackson knew each other? She’d called them ‘family friends’.

Laura crossed the road and made her way up the garden path.

‘Laura?’

Looking up, Laura halted. Jackson was sitting on the steps up to the porch of the inn, holding a bunch of flowers. ‘I really don’t want to talk to you.’

‘Please let me explain.’ Standing up, he left the flowers on the step and began to make his way towards her.

Laura shook her head, desperately trying to locate her keyring in her pocket. ‘You said enough yesterday at my parents’ house.’

‘No, no, I didn’t. I should never have said what I did. I just panicked. Richie had been so close to guessing what was going on between us that I just said what I needed to to push him off course.’ Reaching for her, he laid his hand on the sleeve of her coat.

Looking down, all Laura wanted to do was stretch out and take his hand, to hold him tight, but she couldn’t. ‘Would that have been such a bad thing? We had agreed to tell them anyway.’

‘I know, I just…’ He ran his fingers through his hair, his dark curls springing straight back up.

She didn’t want to lie to her family, and after yesterday’s performance, she knew Jackson wasn’t going to be ready to tell her family, to tell Richie, about them any time soon. ‘I can’t do this, Jackson. You’ve made your thoughts about us perfectly clear. I know now that if we carry on seeing each other, it will be in secret, and I can’t live like that. I can’t live a lie.’

‘No, it won’t. I’ll tell Richie. I should have told him yesterday. I should have set him straight instead of pretending.’ He locked eyes with her.

Blinking, Laura looked away as she wrapped her fingers around the teddy keyring. The words, ‘And I don’t know what else you’ve lied about,’ were on the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t say them – she had no proof he’d lied about how he felt about Evie Taunton or that he still liked her that way. Hadn’t he been sticking up for Laura when he’d last spoken to her? ‘I need to go.’

‘But—’

She strode down the path and let herself in, shutting the door firmly behind her. Going through to the sitting room, she threw her keyring on the mantelpiece before slumping onto the sofa, her coat still on.

This was it; she and Jackson were over. She’d done the right thing. She knew she had. She didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t live a lie to her family and she couldn’t be with Jackson without their blessing.

Holding on to the arm of the sofa, Laura pulled herself up and made her way across the room to the mantelpiece to pick up her keys. If she didn’t put them on the reception desk as she had every day since she’d moved in, she’d forget where they were.

As she picked them up, she knocked the photo frame with the drawing of Pennycress in it. Bending down, she picked it up, holding it in her hand and staring at it as everything finally made some sort of sense.

Jackson had a photo in his living room of him with her family. Evie must have recognised Laura from the photo. That’s how she’d found out that Laura and Jackson knew each other.

She replaced the photo frame, lining it up with the other one on the other side of the carriage clock. Even so, would that have been enough to make Evie jealous of Laura to the extent she wanted her run out of the village? Jackson had told her both he and Evie had agreed to end their relationship, but what if Evie hadn’t really wanted it to end, what if she’d only agreed to save face and she thought if she could pressure Laura into selling up, she could win Jackson back? Just as soon as she’d answered one question, another one emerged.

Laura shook her head. She needed to go and lie down. She needed a break from thinking altogether. A break from trying to decipher what other people were thinking and the reasons behind their actions – Jackson, Evie Taunton, the villagers, her family. She had so much to think about, so many other things on her mind, the repairs to Pennycress, all the things she had to organise before she could even think about opening up. It was all too much. How was she supposed to wrap her head around it all?

Dropping the keys on the reception desk, she walked up the stairs, pressing against her temples with the pads of her fingers in a vain attempt to disperse the headache forming.