really don’t want to leave you, of course,’ Will said, adding hastily. ‘To cope on your own, I mean.’
‘I expect we’ll survive somehow.’
He sighed. ‘Good … I don’t feel I can bring the boat back here straight after the ceremony, leaving Jess and Mum to get a lift later. The new group of pickers who arrived yesterday need supervising. Normally we don’t take on new staff mid-season, but we need them for that new supermarket contract that Jess has managed to secure and Len’s not well and can’t come in today.’
‘I heard Len was ill. Nothing serious, I hope?’
‘Norovirus, apparently, but he needs to keep well away from everyone or it’ll go through the whole team.’
‘Poor Len,’ said Gaby, and she meant it. Although Len could be a pain in the bum, she didn’t really want him to go down with Noro.
‘He’s stopped throwing up but he has to stay away for another forty-eight hours.’ He shoved one hand in his suit pocket. Gaby winced. Stevie had always done that on the rare occasion he could be strong-armed into a suit like the day she got her Master’s a few years earlier. She could hear her mum now, saying, ‘For heaven’s sake, Stevie, you’ll ruin the cut of those trousers.’ Stevie had rolled his eyes and shoved his hands deeper in his pockets. Gaby smiled.
Will didn’t.
‘The thing is. You’ve come on a lot. I despaired when you first started, but I’m beginning to think you might make a half-decent picker after all.’
‘Why, thank you for the compliment, Mr Godrevy.’
He frowned deeply as if he was offended, then the corners of his lips tilted. ‘I – we – need you to keep an eye on the new lot, just for today. You know what novices are like. We need to finish harvesting the Daymarks for a big wholesale order. I wouldn’t ask but we’re desperate, so if you could leave this and go up there and show them the ropes. I’ll tell them you’re the temporary supervisor and know it all inside out so they won’t know any different.’
‘Again. Thanks for the vote of confidence.’
He grinned. ‘You’re welcome. I like the new tea cosy by the way.’
‘I like your new overalls.’ She raised a cheeky eyebrow.
He glanced down and grimaced. ‘Make the most of it. You’re not likely to see me in a suit again.’
‘I guess not. Um. You might like to cut the tag off before you go to the wedding.’
‘What? Damn. Where?’
‘The price tag’s hanging down the back. Hold on.’
Gaby held the buttonhole so he could take off his jacket. She snipped off the price tag with the cutters she kept in her pocket and smirked. The jacket had obviously been ordered online from John Lewis and was actually a rather nice one. She tried not to smile too much while he shrugged it back over his broad shoulders.
‘Don’t forget this.’ She offered the flower.
‘Thanks.’ He took the buttonhole from her, pulled a pin from his lapel and started trying to fasten it.
‘Hold on. You’re making holes in your new suit.’
She took the bloom from him, stuck the pin between her teeth and in seconds had fastened the narcissus neatly onto his lapel. With a gentle tweak to make sure it was at exactly the right angle, she stood back to admire her handiwork.
And him.
Wow. This was quite worrying. The way her hands weren’t quite steady when she’d finished fixing the flower. The way her stomach did a routine to rival an Olympic tumbler at the feel of his suit under her hands. The hungry way that he was looking at her despite her tea cosy hat and her dungarees with the strange flask-shaped bulge in the pocket like she was nursing a baby kangaroo.
He lowered his chin and peered down at the buttonhole. ‘I’m impressed.’
‘Practice. I’ve fixed them lots of times for friends during exams,’ she said. When he looked surprised, she added, ‘They liked to wear a different colour carnation for every day of Finals. It lightens the mood a little as you’re going to the gallows,’ she explained as his brow creased in puzzlement.
‘That’s how I feel.’
She laughed at his gloomy expression. ‘Then again, this is a wedding, not root canal work.’
‘Hmm … look, thanks again, and if there are any problems, you can reach me or Jess on our mobiles. It might take a while for us to get here, but if it’s an emergency, you must call.’
‘Relax. Enjoy. Everything will be fine,’ she said breezily. If only she meant it.
‘I’m sure it will. And, Gaby …’
‘Yes?’
‘Are you absolutely sure you’ll be OK?’
He looked at her and lifted his hand as if he was going to touch her but then dropped it again. He can’t possibly know what today is, Gaby told herself. No one outside the family knew. She wasn’t sure he even knew about Stevie at all. She had mentioned the circumstances briefly to Jess not long after she’d joined the farm, but asked her not to tell anyone else. She didn’t want anyone’s pity, least of all Will’s, but she did crave his respect … Oh, who was she kidding? She fancied him like crazy, and the sight of him in a suit and wellies was fuelling a load of very unusual fantasies.
‘I’ll be fine,’ she said, then cleared her husky throat. ‘Just go to the wedding, Will. Please.’
Yet he made no move to leave her, and they held each other’s gaze too long for boss and employee. For a few seconds, she genuinely wondered if he might jump on her in his wedding suit in the middle of a muddy field.
‘Will! What on earth are you doing? You’ll ruin that suit!’
At the shout from behind him, Will turned sharply, but Gaby could already see Anna making her way into the field. Like her son, Anna was also wearing wellies, but any resemblance ended there. She was holding up the skirt of a purple shift dress while hobbling between the flower rows. She wore a fitted teal jacket over the dress and her immaculate blow-dry was topped by a fascinator of extravagant blue and purple feathers. She reminded Gaby of a very angry peacock.
She reached them, darted an accusing glance at Gaby and then rounded on Will, while keeping her tight dress above the level of her wellies.
‘I’ve been looking for you for the past twenty minutes. What are you doing out here?’
‘Sorting out some cover for the new crew. Mum, be careful or you’ll get your dress dirty.’
‘If I do it’ll be thanks to you. We need to leave!’
‘I’m ready now. Gaby’s going to supervise the new crew while Len’s out of action.’
Anna’s eyebrows rose. ‘Her?’
