Second Chances at Hollyhock Farm (Hollyhock Farm #2)

Chapter 26

26

MELODY

Before everyone had arrived, Melody had checked all the tote bags were neatly stacked discreetly behind the small desk they had set up just inside the large barn door. They were ready for Phyllis to hand out to each attendee after they had paid their entry fee to Kathleen.

Melody was relieved to have a lot to keep her mind off her situation and was looking forward to giving her first yoga class in the lower paddock near the meadow. It was such a beautiful day and the stunning views across the fields would add atmosphere to the lesson.

Everything seemed to have started off well and she hoped they had thought of everything. The stallholders and all business owners or vendors taking part had signed an agreement to pay five per cent of their takings over the two days to the farm at the end of the second day. So far everything was going very well and Melody hoped it stayed that way. They had all been nervous that morning over an early breakfast in the kitchen with only a little bit of chatter from Lettie and Zac, who were doing their best to encourage the rest of them to be enthusiastic and enjoy the festival rather than worry too much about it.

Melody hadn’t missed the siblings’ nervousness though and knew both were putting on a brave face, as was she. They all knew this festival had to make money. The roof needed to be repaired and she thought of the blue tarpaulin Zac had helped Gareth and his brother Leonard fix up there a few weeks before. Hopefully none of the attendees would notice it, but even if they did, she reasoned, it might spark their sympathy for the lovely Torel family and encourage them to spend just that little bit more than they otherwise might have done.

She glanced at her watch. She had just under an hour before her first yoga class would begin and she was nervous. Melody wasn’t sure why she would be. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t done this sort of thing many times before. She waved at Lindy when she spotted her looking in her direction from the other side of the barn. Then, looking to her right, saw Phyllis and Kathleen watching her and speaking about something.

For a second she couldn’t work out if she might have forgotten something. Did she still have slippers on, or something? She glanced down at her feet and saw with relief that she was wearing her trainers. Zac came out of the storeroom carrying several yoga mats and gave her a nod. She hurried over, wanting to help him set up for her demonstration with the class she was soon to take.

‘Let me help you with those,’ she said, taking them from him.

He rested an arm on her shoulder and peered into her eyes. ‘Everything OK, Melody?’

‘Yes, of course.’

She turned and took the mats to the wall at the back of the area set aside for her class, unsure why everyone was behaving oddly towards her. Then it dawned on her. The rest of them were all concerned about her and no doubt worried about how she would cope if Rhys turned up again.

She thought back to how she had needed to clear up their trashed living room on a couple of occasions and was only too aware he didn’t bother to hold back when he lost his temper. She had seen the fury on his face when he realised there was a connection between her and Zac. Rhys wasn’t stupid though and would definitely notice that she wasn’t the only one to see his reaction.

But would he be stupid enough to risk causing any drama during the festival, especially knowing the others would suspect he might reappear? The realisation calmed her slightly. She was going to have to trust that nothing would happen while the event was taking place and focus on the jobs allotted to her. She, Lettie and the rest of the volunteers had spent far too much time and effort bringing the event to life to waste any of it fretting about Rhys.

She thought about the others keeping an eye on her and felt comforted to know they were around, even if the chances of Rhys turning up were small. What a lovely community this was, she mused, and how lucky she was that they had taken her so quickly under their collective wing.

She saw Zac returning with more mats and went to fetch the final few.

‘Zac,’ she heard Lindy calling as their paths crossed. ‘Come and see who I’ve just been talking to.’

‘On my way, Mum,’ Zac said, pulling a weary face at Melody, making her laugh.

She fetched the final few mats and as she carried them back to stack on the other ones, she thought back to Zac’s comment about them still being married and felt her mood dip. Legally they were still tied together and it was her own fault. However, she had been too desperate to get away from him to spend time booking an appointment with a lawyer and getting separation papers drafted up. Not that Rhys would have signed them anyway. He seemed to specialise in doing the opposite of what she needed him to do.

She took a calming breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds. She could do this. She had got away from him once before and now she had people other than her grandmother to support her. New friends only too willing to back her up. And Zac was one of them.

She pictured the fury on Rhys’s face when he had noticed Zac’s arm around her. Maybe part of Rhys’s fury had been because Zac wasn’t only with her but that he was clearly fit and strong. Well, she thought, hopefully that would be enough of a deterrent to stop the weasel coming to Hollyhock Farm again.

Melody noticed one of the stallholders giving her a wave and walked over to her. ‘Is something the matter?’ she asked the girl selling organic vitamins and vegan facial cleansers and creams.

‘I was wondering if you might watch my stall while I go to my car and fetch another box of these,’ she said, pointing to the body lotions. ‘It never occurred to me I could sell so many.’ She laughed. ‘I only hope I’ll have enough for tomorrow.’

Melody smiled. ‘I’d be happy to. You’d better explain to me what I need to know before you go. I don’t want to lose you any customers.’

The woman began explaining about her products and what they were used for and Melody quickly realised there was far too much information to take in. She grimaced. ‘Sorry, but I think it might be better if you give me your car keys and let me know the make and colour, and number plate of your car.’

The woman nodded. ‘Yes, I suppose you’re right. As long as you don’t mind going for me?’

‘Not at all. I’ll have to get a move on though because I need to go and change for a class I’m giving in half an hour.’

The woman took a deep breath. ‘If you wouldn’t mind fetching the box for me. There’s only the one in the boot of the car. It’ll be quite heavy and I wouldn’t want you to strain yourself.’

Melody smiled. ‘I’m stronger than I probably look.’ Two young women walked up to the stall and looked at the produce. ‘Better give me those car keys.’

Once she had them in her hand and the number plate for the woman’s car, Melody left the barn. She could hear a lot of chatter and laughter coming from the smaller building next door. She noticed there was already a queue to the door for the pop-up café area where Lettie’s friend Tina was selling healthy snacks and drinks alongside Bethan, a girl she had been introduced to a few days before who also worked at Brodie’s veterinary practice.

It was good to see people having a fun time and it also meant more money for the repairs, she thought cheerfully as she turned down the pathway between the two barns that led to one of the fields Gareth had kept free for parking. They had decided that people would need to park as close to the venue as possible, in case they had difficulties walking, or if it did rain after all, and now that Melody was in a rush to find one of the cars she was relieved she didn’t have to walk too far to get there.

She was stunned to see so many vehicles and wished she had thought to ask whereabouts in the field the car had been left. Not wanting to take too long and risk the woman running out of the few bottles she had left, Melody quickly walked up and down the rows of cars, trying to find the right one.

She welcomed people and thanked others as they left, happy that so far at least the event was a success. Lettie would be enormously relieved and the rest of them justly proud for all their hard work setting everything up.

Soon there was no one apart from her in the car park.

She eventually came across the woman’s car and hurried over to it, vaguely aware that another couple of vehicles had arrived. Pressing the fob, she watched with satisfaction as the car lights flickered, then went to the boot and opened it, surprised when she lifted one side of the box how heavy it was. The stallholder hadn’t been kidding, she thought.

‘So, this is where you’ve been hiding?’

Melody stilled, her breath catching in her throat. She didn’t need to turn around to know Rhys was standing behind her. Even if he hadn’t spoken, she was sure that his closeness would have caused her nerve endings to jangle. She looked from side to side, hoping to see other people around, but unsurprised that he had waited until they were alone. Bracing herself for what she was about to face, she turned around.

‘I’m not hiding anywhere,’ she snapped, determined not to show him how petrified she was of him still. ‘I’m fetching something for someone. You’re the one who is out of place here, Rhys.’ She almost spat his name, hoping her aggressive reaction to him made him realise she wasn’t the woman he’d spent those years bullying. ‘Why don’t you do yourself a favour and leave. You’ve no business being here, and you know it.’ She turned her back on him and focused on the box in the boot of the car, hoping he wouldn’t notice how much her hands were shaking as she reached to pick it up.

Before she knew what had hit her, his fingers grabbed hold of her neck from behind, squeezing tightly as he pushed her head lower towards the box. He bent over her, his body pressed against hers, making her cringe. She could feel the tension in his body as she clung to the sides of the box desperately hoping not to fall in.

‘Don’t you ever, ever, speak to me like that again, do you hear me?’ he hissed in her ear.

She didn’t have a chance to reply before his fingers let go and he moved back from her. Confused, she didn’t dare turn around straight away, hoping he had spotted someone coming and was about to leave.

‘And don’t let me ever see you touching her like that again,’ she heard Zac say. His voice was cold, reminding her of razor-sharp steel. Surprised and relieved, she turned to see him push Rhys backwards onto the grass. ‘In fact, I’d better not ever see you speaking to her again. Now, get the hell out of here and if I see you here or anywhere near Melody again, I promise you’ll regret it.’

She was stunned to see Rhys on the ground scrambling backwards as he tried to get to his feet. He glared up at Melody and opened his mouth to say something, but she turned away from him, unable to find the words to convey how much he disgusted her.

They watched Rhys stumble away from them, get in a hire car and speed out of the field.

Zac shook his head. ‘Thank heavens there isn’t anyone coming in the opposite direction,’ he said.

‘And that all the animals are up in the top fields.’

Zac turned to her. ‘Are you all right, Melody?’ he asked, his voice gentle as he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her slowly to face him. ‘He didn’t hurt you, did he?’ He checked her neck. ‘I think you’re going to have a bit of bruising there.’

She saw the muscles in his jaw working and noticed he had clenched his teeth. She suspected Zac would have loved to punch Rhys, hard, and a part of her wished that he had. She was glad he hadn’t though. She loved Zac for his gentleness and just because Rhys was a thug who picked on people physically weaker than himself, Zac had no reason to do the same thing by hitting him.

‘Hey, you OK down there?’ a deep voice shouted and Melody looked over to see Joe.

‘Thanks, Joe,’ Zac replied. ‘We’re fine. Thanks though.’

After watching for a couple of seconds, Joe walked away seemingly satisfied that his help wasn’t needed. Zac gazed at her, his expression troubled, and she realised he needed her to comfort him as much as she needed to feel his arms around her.

‘I’m so glad you arrived when you did,’ she said, slipping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. His heart was racing and she wasn’t sure if it was fear or suppressed rage. ‘I can’t believe he dared to come back when he knew people would be looking out for him.’

She realised that even if she had hoped Rhys wouldn’t return, she had never really believed it. He had always been self-assured and certain that he was right about most things, so why not believe he had every right to come back to Hollyhock Farm to confront her when he wanted to?

‘He’s a vicious bully,’ Zac said partly to himself. He leant back and peered into her eyes. ‘You can’t have had an easy life with him and that saddens me. You deserve so much more than him.’ He shook his head. ‘No one deserves to be with someone who treats them like that.’

‘I know. I promise you he wasn’t always like that. I never would have knowingly become involved with someone who behaved like he did today.’ She recalled the version of Rhys she had fallen in love with. ‘He used to be charming and kind.’ She gave a shuddering sigh. ‘I’m not sure what happened to make him change so drastically and I won’t make excuses for him because as far as I’m concerned no one has the right to behave like he does.’

‘And if I have anything to do with it, he won’t get another chance to take you by surprise like that.’

Melody rested her head against him again. ‘And I love that you feel so protective of me,’ she admitted. ‘But realistically there’s nothing much anyone can do.’ She felt him stiffen and looked up at him. ‘You have to work, Zac, and there are times when I will be out in the fields by myself or at the farm.’ She thought of all the people that seemed to be drawn to Hollyhock Farm and smiled. ‘And what happens when I return to Edinburgh?’ It was something she wasn’t ready to think about. Not yet.

He went to say something, but Melody gasped.

‘What’s the matter?’ He looked over his shoulder then back at her.

‘Sorry. I’ve just remembered one of the stallholders is waiting for me to take a box of her products to her, but I’m going to be late for my class if I don’t hurry. Would you take them to her for me?’

‘Of course.’ His shoulders relaxed and he smiled. ‘You nearly gave me a heart attack just then. Right, where’s this box then?’