A Winter Wedding at Primrose Hall (Primrose Woods #6)

Chapter 6

6

‘And this is something you really want to do?’ Tom cringed inwardly, hearing the note of disbelief in Jackson’s voice.

The brothers were over in the refurbished stables at Primrose Hall where the Sunday craft fairs were held, rearranging the chairs and tables in readiness for the weekend.

‘Yes,’ said Tom with as much conviction as he could muster.

It was the second time in the space of less than a week that he had delivered his news and received a less than enthusiastic response.

‘Well, to be fair, I didn’t see this coming.’ Jackson raked a hand through his chestnut hair, biting on the edge of his lip. ‘Obviously I’m not going to stand in the way of you following your dreams, but I can’t say that I’m not disappointed.’

Tom gave a wry smile. Had he imagined a note of sarcasm in his brother’s words? After all, they both knew that while Tom’s job sounded a good proposition with a great salary, company car, pension and bonus, it was hardly the stuff of dreams.

‘I feel I’m ready to get back out there and do what I’m experienced and trained to do. It’s definitely time. I want to find somewhere else to live, somewhere bigger, with outdoor space where I can put down some roots.’

Jackson had never seen Tom’s place. Probably because Tom never invited anyone round there. His small flat was always intended as a short-term rental, a stop gap after moving out of the house he’d shared with Anna, his ex. It suited his needs initially, it was simply a place to put down his head of a night, but he’d outgrown it long ago. Funny to think that Sophie’s response to his news had been lukewarm as well when she was the catalyst behind his decision to go back into the corporate world.

Spending time with her these last few months had been an eye-opener. He hadn’t been looking for a romantic connection, but somehow she’d managed to get beneath his skin so that he spent far too much time thinking about her, anticipating when they might be able to meet again. He’d realised he was ready to put the past behind him and take a chance on this new connection to see where it took them. He enjoyed the suppers he’d shared with Sophie at her cottage in Wishwell, but he was in no position to repay the favour and he felt bad about that. They’d gone out to restaurants instead, but he missed not having a place of his own where he could entertain friends. He wanted to be in a position where he could offer some kind of future to Sophie, but that would only happen if he had a decent job to fund his lifestyle.

‘So what does this mean for the hall, and in particular the stables?’

‘I don’t start the new job until January so obviously I’m on board to help with all the events leading up to Christmas. As far as the stables are concerned, whilst I love all the traders and being a part of those Sundays, it probably makes more sense for me to hand the reins to someone else. I don’t want to be in a position where I’m letting you down. It’s feasible that I might need to be at the other end of the country for a 9a.m. start on a Monday morning which would mean me travelling on a Sunday. Besides, the stables are in good shape now, so it won’t be difficult to bring someone else in to take over that role.’

‘You’ve got it all worked out.’ Jackson pressed his lips together.

‘Well, we both knew it was only ever meant as a short-term arrangement, so now is probably as good a time as any to move on.’

Tom had been glad to take up the position at the stables. It fitted in well with his other commitments and he quickly became a central part of the team, his presence proving indispensable when Jackson had his motorcycle accident in the summer. Worryingly, in the first twenty-four hours, it had been touch and go as to whether Jackson would pull through, so it was a huge relief that the surgeons were able to stabilise his fractured pelvis. With Jackson’s favourite event on the calendar, the classic car show, happening the following weekend, the accident couldn’t have come at a worse time, but Tom stepped up to fill Jackson’s shoes and, along with Pia, put on a fantastic summer show that surpassed even the previous year’s events.

Unfortunately, Jackson had to undergo further surgery and intensive physiotherapy, which was still ongoing, but if you didn’t know, or didn’t notice the slight limp to his gait, then you would never guess that he’d been in a bad accident. Only the occasional stab of pain or his inability to stand on his feet for long hours at a time, which was a huge source of frustration to him, indicated that there was anything wrong. Jackson was back in his domain, overseeing his estate on a daily basis, managing the latest project or preparing for the next event at the hall. Tom was surplus to requirements and while he was grateful to Jackson for offering him work when he’d needed it, he didn’t want to rely on his ongoing charity.

Now as the pair of them moved tables and chairs around the barn in preparation for the craft workshops at the weekend, Tom got the distinct impression that Jackson wasn’t best pleased, and for the life of him, Tom couldn’t work out why. He honestly thought he would have been relieved to get Tom off the payroll now that Jackson was back working almost full time.

‘Obviously I can help out on the occasional weekend if you need me,’ he suggested. ‘I mean, I won’t be leaving you in the lurch. Will I?’

Tom noticed the few moments of hesitation from Jackson.

‘No. Not at all. You need to do what’s right for you.’ Jackson turned his back to move some more furniture. ‘We managed before, and we’ll manage again. I had thought you enjoyed working here, though,’ he threw out as an aside.

‘I did. I do! You know that. I’ve loved every moment, but… hey, Jackson.’ When he didn’t turn round to face his brother, Tom caught up with him and grabbed his arm. ‘I didn’t think this would be such an issue. I thought…’ Jackson shrugged away his touch.

Was it too much to hope that his brother might be pleased for him? Tom shook off the worm of annoyance that spread in his gut. Jackson was a control freak, used to doing things on his terms, for people falling into line with his plans and getting his own way. Surely though he could appreciate and understand why Tom needed to make decisions to secure his own future.

Tom bit on his lip. He couldn’t help wondering if Jackson would have welcomed him into his life quite so readily if Rex hadn’t been on the scene. Certainly Ronnie and Pia had been instrumental in persuading Jackson to keep an open mind about his new half-brother and to give their relationship time to build, especially when Jackson was suspicious of Tom’s intentions.

It had been a faltering start to their relationship but despite the obstacles, they had found some common ground in the following months. They discovered they shared a love of the great outdoors, and also enjoyed regular competitive games of squash. Tom took pleasure in being objectively the better player, although Jackson was on a mission to lessen the gap in Tom’s winning streak. They could rib each other, were still debating who was the better-looking brother and could enjoy a heart-to-heart over a pint of beer. They might not have spent their formative years together, but Tom had dared to hope that they were making up for lost time and building a bond.

Hell, Jackson had even asked Tom to be his best man at his upcoming wedding. Surely the brothers’ relationship wasn’t so shaky that it might be threatened by Tom calling the shots for once. Was their relationship only valid when Tom played a supporting role to Jackson?

Now he suppressed a sigh.

‘Anyway, what was that thing you wanted to talk to me about?’

‘Oh, that.’ Jackson batted it away with a shrug. ‘That’s really not important now.’

But Tom had come to know Jackson well enough by now to know that it was probably more important than his brother was letting on.