Second Chances at Hollyhock Farm (Hollyhock Farm #2)

Chapter 14

14

MELODY

Melody heard voices and turned to look out of the window. She watched as Lettie kissed Brodie in the yard before waving him off. ‘Lettie’s back,’ she said, getting to her feet. She had enjoyed spending time with Zac and wasn’t ready to leave him but she was staying at the farm to help out and didn’t want to be caught chatting when there was so much to do on the farm and for the festival.

‘You off then?’ Zac asked, standing and taking their mugs to the sink.

‘I should be helping your sister with all she has going on.’

‘And I should be answering some of the emails from work that have been sitting in my inbox for far too long.’

She watched him leave the room then went outside to join Lettie.

‘Hello there,’ Lettie said, giving her a beaming smile.

Melody really liked her new host, although she seemed more of a friend already than someone she worked for in exchange for room and board. ‘You’re looking…’ She tried to come up with the right word to fit what she wanted to convey.

‘As if I’m on a mission?’ Lettie laughed.

That was it. ‘Yes, exactly. Has something happened?’

She followed Lettie into the barn, listening as she explained that she had bumped into Kathleen who had called her friends together to come up with ways they could help at the festival.

‘That’s good of them,’ Melody said, remembering how Kathleen had been the one to contact Lettie’s mum, Lindy, about her and Patsy coming to stay and help out at Hollyhock Farm. ‘She’s such a kind lady.’

‘Very pro-active too,’ Lettie said. ‘I think we can safely say we’ll have enough helpers greeting people at the gate and taking money, which is an enormous relief because I’m going to need to be free to go where I’m needed during the festival.’

Melody agreed. ‘Yes, and I’ll be there as backup for you when I’m not giving a class.’

Lettie grinned. ‘I’m feeling a little more confident about the whole thing.’ She laughed. ‘Not much, but a little.’ She frowned. ‘I thought that as well as you pinning flyers at various places like the noticeboard in the supermarket, pub and even Brodie’s practice, that maybe we could also place an advert in the local paper.’

‘Good idea,’ Melody agreed. ‘I’ve also set up a Facebook page about the festival that’s starting to gain some traction and lots of followers who have been sharing my post, so that’s another audience discovering what we’re planning.’

Melody thought of her and Zac going to meet Callum in the pub later and told Lettie about it. She saw Lettie’s eyebrows rise in surprise. ‘It’s not a date, or anything.’

‘With which one?’ Lettie smiled.

Aware her friend was teasing her, Melody relaxed. ‘Either one of them.’ She wasn’t sure but she thought she had seen a look of disappointment momentarily cross Lettie’s face. Melody wondered which part might have given her cause to react in that way.

‘I, er, am not long out of a relationship,’ she explained, hoping it was enough to deter Lettie from getting any ideas about setting her up with someone.

Lettie raised both hands. ‘Not my business. You’re my friend and helping me both here on the farm and with the festival, and I’m just grateful to have you here.’

It was a relief to hear her say so. Melody remembered her reasoning behind telling Lettie about meeting Callum at the pub. ‘I was thinking about when Callum offered to have us on his radio show,’ she explained. ‘I thought Zac and I could speak to him about it tonight and hopefully arrange for us to go on air as soon as possible.’

Lettie beamed at her. ‘What a brilliant idea. Callum is a lovely bloke and if he said he’d help promote the event, then he’ll do it. Let’s hope he can have you on his show soon.’

‘I’ll bribe him with lagers later, if necessary,’ she said and laughed.

She was feeling much better about agreeing to meet up with him now that she could justify doing so. Her friend’s event needed publicity and hopefully Callum would be able to give them the biggest amount via his show.