Christie Barlow - Love Heart Lane

Felicity smiled. ‘Any names?’

‘Angus,’ said Drew proudly, ‘after my father.’

‘Great name.’

‘How’s the big city?’ he asked, changing the subject while carefully steering the tractor down the steep slope towards the bridge.

‘Not how it used to be.’ The words were out of Felicity’s mouth before she could stop them.

He snagged her eye. ‘Everything okay? That doesn’t sound good.’

‘It’s just work, I’m not as enthusiastic about it as I once was.’

‘I know that feeling. If you need a shoulder, Isla’s going nowhere. She’s always been a good listener,’ he offered with a smile, halting the tractor. ‘She’d love to see you. How long are you around for?’

‘A couple of weeks.’

‘In fact,’ he said, opening the door and jumping to the ground, ‘come back with me now to the farm. I need to load up Rona’s wood – say hello to Isla and then I’ll give you a lift back.’

Felicity thought about it for a second. It had been eight years since she’d set foot on Foxglove Farm. The very last time was the night she’d upped and left.

‘Yes, you know, I will. It will be great to see Isla.’

‘She’s missed you, you know … but understands you’ve had a lot to deal with. Now where’s this suitcase of yours?’

‘Just there, under the tree,’ answered Felicity, her thoughts turning to Isla. She’d missed Isla too, and all of a sudden she felt a tiny pang. True friendship was hard to find and Felicity knew she had a great deal of apologising to do. Of course in London she’d hung out with people, and she socialised with many work colleagues from the department store – but her only real friend was Polly from the pub. And no one had come close to the friendship she’d once shared with her two oldest friends Isla and Allie. They’d always been a close-knit group until Felicity had decided she needed to escape the pressures of a small village, spread her wings and escape into the world beyond Heartcross.

The snow crunched under Drew’s boots as he quickly retrieved the suitcase and threw it into the tractor before turning around and driving the short journey back to Foxglove Farm.

‘So, were you prepared for this weather?’ asked Felicity, holding onto her seat as they bounced along the snowy rocky track.

‘We knew it was coming but didn’t expect it to descend so quickly and it’s here for the foreseeable. Apparently, according to the predictions, this is going to be the worst snowfall we’ve had in twenty years.’ Drew cocked an eyebrow.

Felicity hadn’t realised this when she’d jumped on the flight from London, and she suddenly panicked. ‘Has the village already made provisions?’

‘The last trucks came over the bridge this morning and stocked up Hamish’s shop. It may be a few days before they can get through again.’

‘How is Hamish?’

Hamish and his wife Ava had owned the village shop for as long as Felicity could remember. They were lovely down-to-earth people in their mid-sixties, who had never set foot outside of Scotland. Felicity had fond memories of them both. After school her grandmother used to give her a handful of pennies – the local shop always had the best collection of penny chews, and Hamish would often throw in extras for Felicity. But two years ago, Ava had passed away, leaving Hamish completely devastated and struggling to cope without the woman he’d loved for all those years by his side. The village community had rallied around him, helping to keep the shop running until he was back on his feet.

‘He’s doing okay now. It took him a while but recently he’s joined numerous clubs in the village from the ramblers, which keeps him fit, to playing bowls.’

‘Good for him.’

‘He’ll be happy to see you. He always had a soft spot for you. Everyone in the village was deeply saddened by your grandmother’s death. The village is definitely not the same.’ His voice faltered. ‘She was always kind to me. As a wee kid, I used the shortcut at the back of your house on the way to school and your grandmother was always waiting at the garden gate with a sausage roll or a slice of homemade cake for my lunch box. She was an absolute gem. It’s a shame to see the teashop close after all this time though. Isla used to love to escape there for a slice of cake and a cup of tea on the way back from the village.’

Felicity swung round towards Drew. ‘What do you mean, the teashop has closed?’ Surely Drew had got that wrong.

‘Have I said something out of turn?’ asked a surprised Drew. ‘Didn’t you know?’

Felicity shook her head. ‘Mum hasn’t said a thing, well, not to me anyway.’ She felt sad that the teashop hadn’t been open and perplexed as to why she hadn’t been told. ‘How long?’

‘I’d say a good six months. It’s been difficult since your grandmother became ill. Your mum couldn’t keep everything going.’

Felicity’s eyes became glazed with a layer of glassy tears. She brushed them away with her glove. Why hadn’t her mum told her how difficult things had become? ‘I didn’t know Drew, I really didn’t.’

‘Allie thought you may be back sooner to give a hand, but then we all realised it’s not that easy when you have your own job to do and a life in London.’

Felicity nodded, but no words came out. Why hadn’t she come back at Christmas? But in her heart of hearts she knew why – that time of year was always too painful for her.

‘Working in a department store it’s always busy in the lead up to Christmas and then there’s the sales.’ Felicity knew she was saying the right things, but it didn’t sit right with her. Deep down, she knew she’d let her mum down and wished she could turn back time.

Drew nodded, ‘Here we are, Foxglove Farm. It’s been a while since you’ve seen this place.’

‘Too long,’ Felicity whispered under her breath, looking out of the windscreen at the swirling storm of white that was being battered away by the wipers. The usual sight of the farmhouse was nearly hidden by the snow that now swirled densely.

‘What on earth?’ A sudden movement in the bottom field caught Drew’s eye. Felicity shot a look towards Drew, then followed his gaze.

And suddenly, there he was in the distance, waving his arms frantically towards the tractor. Fergus. Felicity’s breath caught in her throat as she recognised him instantly, her heart pounding faster against her chest. She’d never anticipated that he would be here, at the farm, and she had no idea how he was going to react to seeing her for the first time in eight years. This wasn’t how she’d planned it out in her head.

Drew flounced out of the tractor leaving the engine running, bellowing to Felicity to follow him. Before she had time to think she trailed Drew through the blanket of snow, her legs trembling. Snowflakes pelted against her face as she struggled to keep up with him.

‘Drew … I need help.’ Fergus Campbell’s voice was fraught. ‘The Shetland is stranded in the icy water.’

Drew stopped for a second to assess the situation, raking his wet hands through his hair. The pony was struggling to climb up the bank of the river. Each time it tried it slipped back down into the water.

‘We need a rope … wait there, and I’ll bring the tractor back down,’ he cried, turning and striding back past Felicity quickly. ‘You stay with Fergus,’ he instructed with authority.

Fergus hadn’t spotted Felicity yet but it was only a matter of time. Felicity felt anxious, the past dominating her mind. As she moved closer, she could see the panic-stricken face of Fergus, and her nerves jumped all together in every direction. She’d no idea how Fergus was going to react to her arrival back in Heartcross but any second now she was about to find out.