Page 1 of Grounding the Baker
ONE
AUSTIN
“Happy birthday, you old fart!”
Austin laughed at the greeting from Tony, who was sitting at the table with his other childhood friends, Gerard, Nathan, and Michael. It was strange being back in Heartwood after more than two decades. He’d visited over the years, but never thought he’d live here again.
“Happy New Year, you even older fart!” he replied.
This caused them all to laugh. Well, not Nathan, he wasn’t the laughing type, but he smiled in his awkward way, which Austin was happy to see. Nathan might be a gentle giant, but he had the biggest heart of anyone Austin had ever met.
Everyone got up for hugs, as if they hadn’t seen him for years. It was partly true. He’d only been back in Heartwood a few days and was still busy unpacking. He saw them each at least once a year, but it was rare that they were all together. In fact, when was the last time they’d been together as a group? Then he remembered. It was the day of Ellie’s funeral. There had been no question all these guys would be there. They might have all left this village in thearse end of nowhere as soon as they could, but somehow they’d all ended up back here. The exception was Michael, who had never left. Heartwood was in his DNA.
“What do you want to drink?” asked Gerard, a giant bear of a man who had his husband, Kevin, wrapped around his little finger.
“Just a Diet Coke,” said Austin.
“A what?” spluttered Tony, as if he’d just committed a mortal sin.
“I’ve got to get back for Maisie. I can’t be getting day drunk.”
It was true. His eight-year-old daughter was his entire world. One advantage of being back here was that he wasn’t short of babysitters, but he didn’t want to take the piss. Being a single dad for the last year had been a challenge whilst also running a business. He’d had friends nearby but he’d still felt lonely and not in the right place to raise his daughter. Austin had wanted her to be surrounded by a community, like he’d had growing up. His own parents were long gone, and Ellie’s had emigrated overseas. They’d fully supported Austin’s decision to move back to his hometown.
Gerard went off to sort the drinks. He owned the Stag and Lantern with his husband, Kevin, who was the chef. Gerard ran the front of house, but was either on a break or not working today, because he was back in a few seconds saying their drinks would be here soon.
The place was the epitome of an English country pub and was hugely popular, not just with villagers but with visitors who came from all over the country. Getting a table on Sunday was impossible as Kevin’s roast dinners were legendary. Austin had brought Ellie a few times, just to eat here and drive back home afterward, which had taken hours. The food was worth it. The pub had the perfect cosyfeel to it, with a roaring fire, beams across the ceiling, and heavy oak tables. There was a lounge area– for drinking and a few bar snacks– but it was smaller than the restaurant, which was where they did most of their business. The Christmas decorations were still up, but Gerard had fairy lights up all year round. There were a few nods to the Pride flag too. It was subtle, and made it clear this was an inclusive place, and everybody was welcome provided they weren’t an arsehole. Gerard might be an old softy, but he was six feet three and built like a rugby player. He would only need to glare at someone and they’d quieten immediately.
“How does it feel to join us in the Forty Club?” asked Michael.
“No different from yesterday, to be honest.”
Austin was the last of his friend group to hit the milestone. They’d all been at the local primary school together before going to different high schools in neighbouring towns. Austin had attended the same high school as Gerard and Nathan, but the five of them had still hung out after school right up until they’d left for university.
“I still can’t believe you’re back here,” said Michael.
“Why not? It was your idea.”
Michael had suggested it when Austin had been honest about how he was feeling. The house and town they were living in reminded him of Ellie all the time, and he needed to move forward, not live in the past. Austin had said he’d think about it, yet within an hour he’d been sent photos of a gorgeous cottage that was for sale. It was close to the primary school and the village centre. On a whim, he’d left Maisie with friends and visited Michael for the weekend, taking time to view the cottage, and by Monday morning he was back at work and putting an offer in. That had beenin September. The people he’d bought from had wanted the sale completed by the end of the year.
He’d had one final Christmas with Maisie in their old home, and the day after Boxing Day, the removal men were packing up their lives. Thankfully, Maisie loved her new bedroom and was looking forward to getting started at her new school. It was Austin who was shitting himself about how she was going to settle in.
“Have you completed the paperwork I sent you?” asked Michael.
“Yes. I’ll email it over later. You said you can file it tomorrow, didn’t you?”
Michael nodded. “It’ll take about a month, but I’ll push it through as quick as I can.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got the design work to tide me over, and nobody’s going to want their gardens done until spring.”
“You’d be surprised, so the sooner we can get those permits sorted, the better. Already having an established business makes the whole thing a lot easier than starting from scratch.”
“That’s what I’m doing, though, isn’t it?”
“It’ll be fine, man with your skills. Besides, you’ve got the whole sexy lumberjack vibe going on. All the divorced and widowed women with their enormous gardens will want a piece of you.”
Austin snorted. That was the last thing he wanted. In Suffolk, he’d had a very successful landscape gardening business. He’d passed his clients on to one of his loyal employees who was going to make a go of it himself. When Ellie had gotten sick, he’d scaled things back so he could be at home more. Cancer had taken her in less than six months, and over the last year he’d not been able to get the business back to how it was. He’d picked up design work on the side—as he’d taught himself so he could do his own—and it gave him a steady income, but it wasn’t what he loved.
“What are you two talking about?” asked Tony.
