Zara Stoneley - Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage

‘Has he?’ Lucy grinned. ‘Brilliant,’ she paused, ‘if you want it that is?’

‘Want it? You’ve got to be kidding me. I knew you would have had something to do with it. I do love you Lucy Jacobs! And he said he’s talked to Eric and I can stay for practically free, which is amazing, it means I can still save some money towards, well,’ Lucy could swear she saw a blush, ‘save a deposit for a house with Jamie.’ She changed the conversation before Lucy had a chance to comment. ‘So, Charlie’s moving in …’ She glanced around.

‘No. Oh no, he’s not moving in here. And don’t thank me, he needs to move out for Maisie’s sake, but I did think maybe it would be handy for you.’

‘It’s fab, and I am thanking you. But, where’s he going if …’

‘He can’t move in here, Sal. For a start we’re not that involved,’ Sally raised an eyebrow, which Lucy ignored, ‘and he’s got to think about Maisie. She needs to know she’s the most important person in his life. Being here would complicate things,’ and would give Josie all kinds of ammunition for the battle she was sure lay ahead, ‘and let’s face it what kind of a mother figure would I make?’

‘A good one. She loves you. Okay, okay, don’t give me the evil eye. It’s true, but I get the fact it might not be perfect timing. I suppose if her mum gets back to find you two shacked up she might go off bang.’

Go off bang was probably an understatement. Lucy felt herself go red as she remembered the embarrassment of the last time Josie had knocked on her door to find Charlie there. And that was before Maisie was living with him.

‘But where are they going to live?’

‘Jim seemed to think he might know a place.’ Jim, it seemed, had the answers to everything. He’d sorted out Annie’s cottage for her to stay in, and now he’d assured Charlie he’d ‘sort something’. His quiet confidence had helped though. Charlie had cheered up knowing he had a plan in place, a way forward.

‘Oh?’

‘Well apparently Elsie Harrington owns some of the cottages in the village, they’ve been in her family for years. Jim said he’d check with her, he thought one was coming vacant soon. It’ll mean Charlie’s got a proper garden for Maisie and Roo.’

Sally giggled. ‘I don’t know who’s worse, Jim or Elsie Harrington, they both seem to have fingers in every pie. So, we’re all on the move then.’ She studied her feet. ‘You don’t think me and Jamie are rushing things do you? You know, thinking about a house?’

‘Rushing?’ Lucy laughed. ‘You’ve got to be kidding, from what I’ve heard everybody expected you to start dating ten years ago.’

‘Hang on, I’m not that old! But, well, we’ve only been seeing each other a few months.’

‘But you love each other don’t you?’ Lucy spoke softly. ‘You know he’s right for you, and you know each other inside out, don’t you?’

Sally nodded. Then suddenly smiled. ‘Shall we drink to us all moving then?’

Lucy shook her head. ‘You’ll drink to anything. But first,’ she nodded her head in the direction of the bureau, and Squeak who had settled down but was keeping a beady eye on proceedings. ‘I did think about just moving them, but I didn’t quite know if they’d be okay in the coop with the others.’

‘Are you on guard duty Piper?’ Sally stroked the puppy, who flapped her tail and cocked an ear in her direction. ‘I thought you were picking her up this morning, Lucy?’

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