Page 56 of Sunrise over Strawberry Hill Farm

‘Good morning,’ she said, when she found him in the courtyard a while later.

‘Good morning,’ he replied.

He was looking hot and sweaty, having already shifted a large pile of decking. Her pulse picked up on seeing him.

‘So where is this all going?’ she asked, deliberately keeping her voice strong and steady. After all, she was a grown-up. And grown-ups sometimes made mistakes, got a little drunk and forgot themselves. That was all. It happened all the time. Not to her, admittedly, but to everyone else, it seemed.

‘I was hoping to use the tractor to take it down to the pond,’ he said. ‘Unless you wanted to drive?’

‘No, that’s okay.’ She gave him a broad smile. ‘I’m probably a little bit drunk still after last night. I can barely remember anything. Those gin cocktails were lethal!’

She desperately hoped that he would believe her and that it would explain her actions.

He gave her a long look before replying, ‘Yes, they were. Right, I’d better get these moved out of the way before our first guests arrive.’

Then he returned to his work and Flora was able to breathe again once more.

Anyway, there wouldn’t be time to think about Nico and her embarrassment that day. It was the grand opening of the campsite at last and Flora was nervous. She was about as far out of her comfort zone as she could be, she realised.

But a tiny, surprising part of her was excited too. It was something different, something other than farming. And maybe, just maybe, it might even succeed beyond her wildest dreams.

She was keeping everything crossed as she stepped out to greet the first paying customers when they arrived early that afternoon.

‘Welcome to Strawberry Hill Farm,’ she said, with a smile.

It was a young family with a toddler who had been the first to book one of the family tents a few weeks ago.

‘I can’t believe we’re finally here,’ said the woman, jiggling the young girl on her hip. ‘The journey was awful.’

‘Then you’ve come to the right place to relax,’ Nico told them with a warm smile as he joined them.

Flora led them to their tent, showing them the Portaloo block as they went. She felt proud as the couple ooohed and aahed when they saw the inside of the tent.

‘It’s bigger than our first flat,’ said the man, laughing.

His partner joined in. ‘And more luxurious than our bedroom now,’ she said, her eyes gleaming. ‘Is that really a kettle in here?’

Flora nodded. ‘There’s a jar of coffee and teabags over there. There’s a water tap on the side of the farmhouse. Let me see, what else? There’s extra blankets, if you feel the cold. Did you bring your own travel cot?’

The man nodded. ‘We did, but she’ll probably end up snuggling in with us as well.’

The little one was currently wandering around the tent, giggling as she went.

‘Be careful and don’t touch anything,’ warned her mother.

‘There’s nothing breakable in here,’ Flora told her. ‘Or, at least, please don’t worry. It’s all upcycled, so there’s nothing fancy.’

‘It’s wonderful,’ said the woman, with a satisfied sigh as she looked at the view. ‘We live in the middle of a city so never get to see anything like this.’

* * *

It seemed to be a recurring theme as the day progressed and the other customers arrived.

‘They all said it was wonderful and brilliant,’ Flora told Grams later on.

‘One lady said that it was the most beautiful bedroom she’d ever get to sleep in,’ added Nico, with a proud look on his face.

Grams smiled. ‘Oh, you two are so clever to have worked all this out between you. What a team!’