Perfect (Love in Yorkshire #1)

Three

The farm was nothing like I expected and I closed the window as the stench of dung abused my nostrils.

Connor had pulled the car up in front of a large stone-built house and I unclipped my seatbelt and clambered out of the door.

A cluster of cows mooed, the sound penetrating the calmness and the horrendous farm odour intensified. It was so strong you could almost taste it.

“You’ll get used to it,” Connor assured me with a half-smile as he strode around the back of the vehicle with an animal-like grace. I shot him one of my best unimpressed looks.

I retrieved my rucksack from the backseat and turned to fully take in my surroundings. There were two large barns, both appearing to be damaged; part of the roof was missing off one, and the other had scaffolding erected around a worn breeze-blocked section. I could see the hairy bodies of cows housed there (aka the probable source of the smell). The other barn was full of haphazardly stacked hale bales that screamed health and safety breach.

Various bits of machinery cluttered the pebbled yard, all of which had seen better days. There were also a couple of old cars which were rusted through.

Narrowing my eyes against the sun, I attempted to shield my gaze with the palm of my hand.

Connor rustled around in the boot of the car. The only vehicle which looked like it had any life left in it, was a bright green tractor. It had one of those spikey attachments on the back that they use to churn up fields. I hadn’t a clue what it was called. The huge tyres were daunting; I could so imagine Connor at the wheel—shirtless and sweaty—what the heck? I swallowed. Where did that come from?

As my stepbrother started to drag my case from the car, fear of the unknown beat within me like a drum. I looked around again for signs of human life. There was no one, just us, the cows and I could see sheep in one of the distant fields, their coats like cotton wool stuck against a green background. The place was seriously run-down. Had dad lost all his money or something? The farm was a proper shit hole .

Connor slammed the boot and started towards the house, this time carrying my case. He had probably forgotten that it was mine. I quietly fell in behind him, shooting invisible daggers into his broad back.

Although old and a bit worn-looking, as I got closer; I accepted that the house was fairly pretty. In a rustic kind of way. It had ivy taking up most of the crumbly stonework and looked to be around two storeys tall with four large Georgian-type windows on the front. The place had obviously been extended at some point as two newer sections sat on the side like a spider’s legs. I shuddered as I thought about how many actual spiders lived in it.

It was light-years away from the large family home I now shared with Mum, but it was OK, and I embraced the twinge I felt at the prospect of exploration.

Connor pushed through the large wooden front door, and I shuffled into the building behind him. The sweet smell of baking hit me and mixed in with the foulness of the outside air. It was a strange combination.

“Anna!” Connor bellowed across the hallway as he dropped my case at the bottom of some stairs. He didn’t even turn to check I was with him; he just stalked over to a mahogany side table and started leafing through some letters with a sour expression. It was like I wasn’t even there.

My grip tightened on my rucksack, and I fleetingly wondered who Anna was; his girlfriend, perhaps? I felt a spike of something indescribable at the thought. Surely not jealousy?

There wasn’t much light in the hallway, and it felt cold, which was strange considering it was the beginning of July. The floor was made of stone but was partially covered by a deep red patterned rug; the stairs leading up were part carpeted. You could see the polished wood peeking out at the sides. The walls were also panelled with wood. It looked a bit like the Head’s office at school, and it also wasn’t the tidiest of areas; there were walking shoes and wellies strewn around the floor. There was also an abundance of coats hung messily on the wall near the front door.

Two other doors sat on either side of me, possibly living rooms. I was just about to ask Connor about my room when a flustered woman appeared in the open doorway down the corridor to the front of us.

“Fantastic! You’re here,” the lady I assumed to be Anna shrieked, whilst bustling purposefully toward me. She was a large woman with a strong Yorkshire accent, dressed in shabby jeans and a flour-dusted sweater. I noted her bare feet and that her hair was falling from what you could only call a chaotic bun. She looked exactly like you’d imagine a woman who lived on a farm to look.

Connor grunted a reply and started opening one of the letters. I ignored him and stepped forward, only to be pulled into a bear of a hug. Her hair smelled of cooking oil.

“I imagine you’re Anna?” My statement was muffled against her neck as she squeezed my tired body and I felt her nod before she set me back with hands on my shoulders, her face assessing.

I put her around the sixties mark as she nodded. “Stunning child, absolutely beautiful,” she said with saucer-wide eyes.

Her gaze roamed over me from head to toe. “You look exactly like your pictures honey, such a pretty little thing. Isn’t she Connor?”

My eyes darted to Connor to find him watching us, his gaze hooded, giving nothing away, the letter in his hand suddenly forgotten. Our stares met and tangled.

His lips twisted. “If you say so,” he grunted.

His reply was bland which was typical and his face was now as unreadable as a book with the pages glued together. He was such a sod. My inner tantrum stomped her feet.

Anna’s eyes narrowed into slits which added a few more lines to her crow’s feet and her grin became much meatier.

“Ignore him sunshine, almost twenty-two and he’s already like a grumpy old man is Connor,” she began before she suggested, “Why don’t you take her case up to her room Con and I’ll give her the tour. Oh, and you need to call Andy about the new creep feeders you ordered.”

She bellowed this over her shoulder, my God the woman was loud. I pulled my eyes away, breaking the connection. Connor grumbled something under his breath as he threw the letter back on the table. I watched him from the corner of my eye as he prowled towards me, his stance screaming irritation. Did the guy ever smile? At least he appeared to be doing as he was told for a change. I fleetingly wondered about his relationship with my dad. Was he a prick to my father too? I didn’t take too kindly to that thought and so I dashed it away. As far as I knew, they were on good terms and worked well together.

I side-stepped to allow him to grab my case and murmured a quick thank you as he set off up the stairs, taking them two at a time, the muscles in his shoulders flexing with the weight of my stuff.

“So, you two had a fallout again?” Anna put in gently, releasing me and turning to eye his retreating form; her ‘thoroughly in need of a pluck’ eyebrows sky high.

I nodded, “You could say that,” I replied whimsically.

She pursed her lips. “You’ll get used to him. He acts as hard as nails, but he has a softer side once you get to know him.”

I almost choked at that one but managed to recover myself. The thought of my stepbrother possessing anything soft was surely a joke. A warmth pooled between my legs and I allowed my mind to wander no further.

Anna wiped her hands down her jeans before saying, “You forget about Connor for now, and let’s get you settled. Would you like a shower before your dad gets in?” The woman offered. I almost jumped up and down and clapped my hands with glee.

“Yes please, that would be great.”

I re-hooked my rucksack over my shoulder as Anna gave me a brief tour of the layout downstairs. The kitchen was based at the back of the house and was rather messy from baking. The two rooms on either side turned out to be a florally decorated living room and the other was my father’s study. I breathed in the scent; you could identify an essence of Dad. It was decorated with oak wood flooring and mahogany panelling on the walls. There was an array of masculine-looking furniture with leather-bound books, shelved floor to ceiling. I spied Dad’s traditional work desk with the green leather surface sitting against the far wall and his worn Chesterfield. The room was large and full of natural light and for some reason, I preferred it to the softer more feminine room which surprised me. I was usually all for the girlie stuff. The patio doors also gave you a peek into the back garden where there was a variety of shrubs and flowers; a possible place for sunbathing, I mentally filed away .

Anna chatted about life on the farm and how she had been the live-in cook for the last two years since my father bought the place and got it back on its feet. Really? This was back on its feet. I would have hated to have visited when it was off its feet.

At least I’d been reassured that the place was at a ‘work in progress’ phase and Dad wasn’t broke, thank God. The timeline Rachel gave me was interesting as it confirmed that Dad must have bought the farm before he and my mother officially split up. This, in turn, was proof that he had been seeing Rachel for longer than we thought. When mum had eventually found out about the ‘other woman’, he’d said it had only been for a matter of weeks. At least that is what I thought I’d heard during one of their rows.

I decided to push the thought from my mind, water under the bridge and all that.

Anna was still chelping on. She was a lovely woman, very warm and welcoming and I started to relax again; the lump in my throat was officially gone.

As we climbed the stairs, my eyes were drawn to the various paintings which lined the walls. They were mostly of landscapes, possibly places in Yorkshire and quite old-fashioned but they suited the house.

I followed Anna down the long landing and she pointed out my dad and Rachel’s room and also where she slept. We took a few corners along the way which highlighted just how big the house actually was. I could hear the low beat of music coming from one of the other corridors and it instantly pricked up my ears. I sure hoped mine and Connor’s rooms were a respectable distance apart. Yes, he was attractive but I didn’t want him too much in my face. We were also classed as a family now and I needed to keep reminding myself of that fact. I wasn’t here to win over a boy, I wanted to build on my relationship with my father and I was certain Connor would mess with that if he could.

In spite of the weird crush that I appeared to be experiencing, I needed to keep Connor Barratt at arms-length, for my own sanity if nothing else.

“Well, here we go. I hope it’s OK for you. I washed and pressed the bedding myself,” Anna beamed, stopping outside what would be my bedroom for the next few months.

“Thanks, Anna. I’m sure it’s lovely,” I replied, following her gesture for me to go ahead. I started to drag my suitcase inside. Connor had left it by the door which was a relief; the thought of him in my room infecting it with all that testosterone did funny things to my insides.

It was smaller than my bedroom at home, but it was perfect. Decorated mainly in white and pastel colours and the bed was a double which was an added plus. My bed back home was only a single.

There was a white wooden dressing table with a large mirror and a tall wardrobe, not that I’d brought that much with me, anything for an excuse for some online shopping.

I scooted around with my eyes wide; the carpet was thick and luxurious under my sandaled feet and I smiled my approval at Anna before trotting over to peek out of the window. The view overlooked the main yard where I’d come in. Not a garden view, but still not bad. You could still see rolling hills in the distance. We really were in the middle of nowhere.

Anna still lingered in the doorway, beaming at me. Blatantly happy I was pleased. To be honest, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The place could have been a dungeon and I’d have made sure I appeared grateful. My manners were always impeccable. Well, with normal people anyway. I decided to file my unusually rude behaviour with Connor in the ‘extraneous circumstances’ section of my conscience.

“Well, I’ll leave you to shower and then see you downstairs later. I’m sure Mike will knock on when he’s back. We had a bit of an emergency in field four and we don’t know when Rachel will be back—her mum’s been poorly.”

I nodded my understanding and thanked her again and she left, taking the smell of cooking with her.

I clicked the door firmly closed and turned my back against it, the wood was hard against my sticky back. A cocktail of emotions still bubbled within me. I was here at last and was determined to make the summer work. Any grudge-bearing for Dad leaving my mum was over. There was no point dredging up the past. I now had the opportunity to make up for not having been in touch during my exams, and to be honest, I didn’t really feel that guilty, dad could have made the effort too.

I pushed the thought out of my mind and hefted my case onto the bed to unpack. As I placed a handful of toiletries on the dressing table, I realised that I hadn’t been told where the bathroom was. I rescanned the room, noticing a door at the opposite side of the bed and slowly moved to open it. It was a bathroom. The fact that it was en-suite kicked my excitement up a notch, as the thought of sharing with a smelly boy was not something I would have welcomed. Even one I would jump at the chance to see naked in the shower it appeared. I rolled my eyes at my automatic sex starved thoughts.

The bathroom was cute and small with a white toilet, a sink and a shower but it was perfect and immaculately clean.

As I started to peel the clothes from my body, I had a promising feeling that I was going to like it here. Well, most of it, if only I could arrange a truce with my tetchy stepbrother. There was no real reason for us to dislike each other after all. Maybe I was partly to blame? I canned my moment of self-reflection and padded barefoot to the shower. I would need to play it by ear.

As I stepped under the spray, I made the decision that I’d attempt to clean the slate and get on Connor’s good side. He had to have a good side after all. Didn’t everyone?

*****

I sat at the dressing table, finishing off blow drying my hair whilst a million thoughts swam around my head. I felt thoroughly refreshed after showering and had put on clean underwear and a pale blue sundress with spaghetti straps. It was A-Line and fell below my knees. It was also slightly creased from being stuffed in my case but if my dad, Anna, and Connor were the only ones around, I’d still be more pristine than them.

I wanted to look extra pretty for my father and so applied a minimal amount of makeup and a squirt of perfume. After struggling with a couple of different styles, I left my long hair loose and it fell past my shoulders in soft, shiny waves.

Eyeing my appearance in the mirror I smiled. Yes, my looks had caused me problems in the past, but would I really have it any other way? Those that were not so lucky had their own problems. Teenagers were cruel and would find fault no matter what. It is probably human nature to think that beauty and perfection is everything ?

My mind rolled back to Connor’s comments about boys behaving like dicks around me. A picture of Samantha Jones’s spiteful face passed fleetingly through my thoughts. I retrieved my phone and re-read a couple more texts about last night’s party.

I was so glad I hadn’t ventured down the serious boyfriend’s path yet. Getting the right grades for Uni had been my focus during my first year of exams. Sure, there had been a brief thing with Andrew and I’d kissed a couple of other guys, but that was it. That other thing could wait. High school boys were immature anyway.

I fluffed my hair and applied lipstick, almost smudging it as I heard a bang on the door.

“Come in.”

The door swung wide and Dad rattled into the room like a tornado. I set the lipstick on the dressing table and shot to my feet to greet him, a smile lighting my face. He was so pleased to see me; I was instantly alive with happiness. He met me halfway and swung me into his arms. It felt amazing and he smelled of hard work and cut grass and was dressed in dusty work overalls.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to collect you, sweetie. Everything OK? How’d you like your room? Did Connor get you on time?”

I laughed, “How many questions was that? Slow down.”

He set me back on my feet and peered down at me through his mop of sandy hair. His face was full of affection and it tugged at my heartstrings. I felt wanted.

“All is good and yes Connor was there on time and I love the farm and my room too, it’s very me.” My response was babbled, but there was so much I wanted to say.

He shot me a smile before strolling over to the chair of the dressing table, spinning it around, and sitting on it backward.

We chatted as I sat on the bed and it didn’t feel uncomfortable at all, even when he asked how mum was doing. It felt natural. As if we had never been apart.

Dad explained why he had invested in the farm and that he had also purchased other bits of land in Yorkshire as a new business venture. Dad had been born on a farm and my Grandad had been a wealthy business owner. He had obviously decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps as I’d thought. Dad used to own property down south too but sold it to raise the capital for all the farming stuff he needed to replace here.

We must have sat there, catching up for around half an hour before he checked his watch and explained that he needed a shower before dinner. He spoke about Rachel’s disappointment that she couldn’t be here for when I arrived and I listened and offered my sympathies that her mother was unwell again.

Dad stood and dusted off the chair before squeezing my arm. “So, I’ll see you at dinner kido. Anna serves it at seven sharp and it’s just us tonight. She needs to pop to the village.”

“No Connor?” I asked, unable to stop myself.

“No, he goes to the pub on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

I felt a strange mix of disappointment and relief that Connor wouldn’t be there, but at least it would give me more uninterrupted quality time with my father.

“See you in a bit,” Dad smiled and turned to leave.

“Yes—oh and Dad,” I began. He peered back at me from the doorway. “I’m so glad I’m here. It’s going to be a great summer.”

His face lit up again at my blatant ‘olive branch’ attempt.

“It will be. You never know, maybe you’ll want to stay longer, you know you’re always welcome.” He paused, his eyes searching my face. “Anyway, see you at dinner, I want to hear all about your exams.”

I nodded, not even slightly worried. I was confident I had done fairly well, considering the shit I’d had to deal with at the time. “Cool. I’ll fill you in later.”

As dad closed the door gently behind him, I checked the time on my phone and saw that I had an hour before dinner. This was the perfect amount of time for a walk in what was left of the sunshine.

I sent my mum a text to say I’d arrived and wondered if I’d receive a response. She usually started drinking around supper time. I glanced out of the window to double-check the weather and decided against adding a cardigan to my outfit, I didn’t want more creases. After briefly rechecking my appearance in the floor-length mirror, I left my bedroom with a sense of adventure brewing.

As I made my way down the stairs into the hallway, I could hear pots and pans clanging in the kitchen, no doubt Anna was cooking supper. I exited the house and scanned the yard, it still looked as cluttered as before. Connor’s car was gone and in its place was a battered old Land Rover which I assumed belonged to my dad. It was strange really as Dad usually drove the fanciest of cars.

It was still a bright evening but was much cooler than I had anticipated. The farm was situated in a valley and I loved the countryside setting. I knew from Dad’s emails that the farm grew crops, kept sheep and pigs but made most of its money from trading cattle.

I plodded over and into the barn where a cluster of cows were housed and eyed the glossy black and white coats. There were tons of them; all fenced together, but they looked fairly healthy and content. I was surprised that the dung smell from earlier had disappeared and that the air was now quite sweet.

I stepped onto the metal fencing to peer further into the enclosure. A couple of furry heads lifted to peer at me, their mouths continuously chewing.

“Careful you don’t fall in,” a voice uttered from behind me. Startled I jerked my head around to see two men standing at the entrance of the barn. One was near my dad’s age and the other my own I guessed. I released my death grip from the fence and lowered myself to the hay-strewn floor.

“Now you must be Harlow,” the older of the two men began, moving forward with a hand raised towards me. He was tall and gangly with a mop of curly blonde hair and he was well-spoken, not a hint of Yorkshire. I noticed he held a large bag in one hand.

I approached them, avoiding a smudge of what looked suspiciously like part of a cow pat, and shook his hand with a bright smile.

“Yes, that’s right,” I admitted as my heart rate normalised, raising a ‘hi there’ hand at the younger guy. Shaking hands with a boy my age would surely be weird. It was definitely an old person’s thing to do.

They both wore beige combats and green T-shirts with a medical-type logo on them.

“I’m Marcus. I’m your dad’s vet and this is my apprentice, Tom,” the older chap introduced.

“Yeah, but we’re vets to your dad’s livestock, not to your dad,” the boy Tom joked with a nervous chuckle. He transferred his weight from one foot to the other in a swaying motion as he spoke. I’d seen guys do this before. He was probably a bit shy in the company of girls. I grinned, not wanting him to feel silly .

Vets? That made sense considering the logo.

Tom had a genuine, friendly smile on his face and I felt thankful that at least there was one guy here near my age, who hadn’t taken an immediate dislike to me.

“I was just admiring the cows; this is probably the closest I’ve been to one in my entire life.” I laughed.

Marcus shifted the weight of the bag he carried to his other hand. I imagined it contained his medical tools.

“You haven’t missed much. All they do is eat. Eat and crap of course,” the vet added, chuckling at his own words. “When did you get here?”

Cocking my head thoughtfully I replied. “A couple of hours ago.”

“Well, I bet Mike is relieved you’re here at last, he’s done nothing but talk about you for months.”

Tom echoed his words. “Yeah, months.”

Warmth bloomed in my tummy. I liked it when Dad talked about me.

“It’s great to finally see the place. I’d seen a few pictures, but it’s nothing like I expected.”

“That’s the country for you. It isn’t the same unless you experience it in person,” Marcus said proudly, taking a swift glance around.

“Mike said you may be going to Uni here. Tom is at Scarborough, so you’d have one friendly face.”

I moved my focus to Tom who was still grinning widely. He was soaking up the banter, but his eyes were literally pinned to my face. It felt good to have some handsome boy's attention again. And from a clever one too. He’d have to be super smart if he was training to be a vet.

“Yes, possibly,” I replied, pushing my hands into the pockets of my dress. I felt extra feminine in their company. Country guys, rough to my smooth.

Marcus nodded thoughtfully. “Cool. What do you fancy studying?”

“I’m interested in the Early Years course they offer. Maybe to go into teaching or something. Dad sent me the prospectus.”

Marcus nodded thoughtfully. “I can imagine he did, he’d get to see you more then. Dad’s and their ulterior movies. ”

“That’d be cool Harlow, you’ll love the campus. Maybe I could take you on one of my afternoons off?” Tom offered brightly. His expression had altered to a similar look that the guy on the train had worn. He was now in contemplation mode.

“That would be great.”

Marcus cast Tom a knowing smile before saying.

“Anyways, I’m sure we’ll see lots of each other. We’ve just finished our rounds and I better get back to the Mrs. I’ll be in bother if I’m late for supper.” Marcus chimed, giving me one of those ‘I’m a hen-pecked man and I love it’ looks. He turned briefly to his apprentice with a meatier grin and patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll see you at the car, Tom. Bye, Harlow.”

I gave him a finger-tipped wave. He looked like he belonged on the set of Emmerdale.

Tom straightened and watched Marcus depart before glancing back at me. I felt heat sneak into my cheeks as he shamelessly checked me out. I wasn’t offended, not after the way Connor had treated me. I needed a bit of male attention to soothe those seriously ruffled feathers.

I pursed my lips, suddenly curious. “So, you’re training to be a vet? That’s cool,” I said.

My words seemed to shake him out of his stupor and he had the intelligence to look embarrassed.

“Sorry—er—for staring. Yes, I’m trying to be. A vet that is. The hours are mind-numbingly long but it gets you out and about,” he blurted in response. “When would you apply if you did decide on Scarborough?”

“I have one more year of exams, so next year, ready for September I think.”

Tom’s face lit up further. “I’m in my second of five years at Scarborough, so I’ll still be there. Probably ground down by stress, if I even make it that far,” he explained with a boyish grin.

He had chocolate brown eyes and brown hair that looked like he ran his hands through it, a lot. He was cute in a boyish way but wore enough aftershave to drown an otter.

As he spoke, he’d moved further towards me. He was still taller, but I would say of average height for a boy his age. He certainly didn’t tower over me as Connor did. A cow mooed, masking my reply which made me grin and shoot a glance behind me.

“Cool,” I answered.

“So, teaching? Don’t you fancy following in your dad’s footsteps”.

I grinned as we both knew I was no farmer. “I don’t know for definite, how are you supposed to know what you want to do with your life at sixteen. It’s crazy really.”

“I agree although it was easy for me. My dad’s a vet and so it was kind of expected. Anyway, we’ll see if I ever graduate, I must say I struggle with the paperwork side of things.”

I imagined he was humouring me; his eyes were bright with intelligence. He was probably excellent at everything, especially as it was in his blood. Didn’t you need loads of qualifications to train to be a vet or something?

He leaned forward with a keen look on his face, dashing his hands across his thighs before asking. “So, sixteen?”

I paused for a moment, wondering whether to do the whole, ‘how old do you think I am’ thing but decided against it. I had briefly mentioned my age, but I knew I looked younger and if he said so, I wouldn’t have liked it. I decided not to put myself in that position. I was slight in height and baby-faced. It was another one of life’s frustrations. I could never get in the bars and stuff when my friends went.

I cleared my throat. “Almost seventeen—you?

His eyes widened; it was a telling sign that he had thought me younger. “Twenty—twenty-one next month.”

So, he was the same age as Connor.

My shoulders slumped at the fact that I had misjudged his age. Was it wrong of me to feel disappointed that he was so much older than me? I had hoped there’d be more people around my own age. I didn’t want all the guys to view me like some type of kid.

He pushed a hand through his hair again, it was like a nervous tic but I grinned at the motion. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“No, it’s just me,” I replied .

He scratched his perfectly shaven jaw; either that or he wasn’t at that whisker stage yet. He also looked younger than his age. “Lucky you. I have a sister, Ella. She’s just shy of nineteen and a huge pain in my arse.”

I raised my eyebrows in understanding and chuckled. Tom’s eyes brightened. He was obviously pleased I found him funny.

“What are you up to tonight?” From the intonation of his question, I had a feeling he was about to ask me out. I inhaled and pretended to play tonight’s plans in my head, it didn’t take long.

“Well, nothing really—just dinner with my dad.”

I was actually looking forward to a bit of quiet time and so I hoped he didn’t push it.

“Why don’t you come to the pub, I’ll introduce you around?”

There it was— as expected. His body language was so readable.

I faked thinking about it. It was a sweet offer and one that I would probably have accepted, had it not been my first night at the farm.

I constructed my reply and let him down gently with my usual amount of tact. “Another time maybe? I just got here and need to see my dad really.”

I didn’t want to scare him off and never receive another invitation. As he digested my words, I remembered dad saying that Connor went to the pub on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Knowledge of this would again have given me a second reason not to go; the thought of him putting me down in front of a pub full of people was not a pretty picture.

“No, that’s fine and makes total sense,” Tom replied jovially. At least I’d not burnt my bridges there.

“Tom!” a voice sounded in the distance.

“Ah, better go otherwise Marcus will shit a brick. Anyway, good to meet you at last and I’ll see you soon Harlow.” He dashed off with a fairly effeminate wave.

“I’ll look forward to it,” I threw out there. I sure hoped he was one of the good guys. I could see he was interested in me and I quite liked it. He appeared to be a pleasant, intelligent guy with an OK face. He also had a good sense of humour and absolutely no demons, well none that I could see through a first impression anyway.

I grinned, pretty much, perfect boyfriend material, if maybe a little on the safe side.

I pondered that thought; it would be fun to have a little light flirtation. Build back the armour that had been smashed down by my step-monster Connor.

I spent the next half an hour, walking around the farm, peering into an assortment of nooks and crannies. I also paid a quick visit to the sheep in the fields and an even quicker trip to the pig pens, the smell there was eyebrow-curling stuff.

After popping to the bathroom to wash my hands, I set off for dinner, thoroughly looking forward to spending some quality time with Dad.