The weather was turning, she could smell it as she trudged across the farmyard.
Laurel had been walking the grounds, ostensibly checking that everything was running smoothly, but really to clear her mind. The soft swaying of the wheat fields reminded her of simpler times before her mother had died, when it was carefree and fun and she didn’t have to deal with all of this, well, shit. There had been no accounts, no Countryside Stewardship Schemes forms, no professional development to worry about, no panicking about whether they’d make the wages run or not.
There was a school in the conference centre, the cafe was busy, the petting zoo was holding its own and the plants in the farm shop needed replenishing. Today was a good day for Little Willow Farm, except for the fact that her stomach curdled like sour milk at the thought of Alex in her office.
Oh. But he wasn’t in her office. There he was, striding angrily across the car park to his little banger of a Golf. He wrenched open the door and threw his old satchel onto the passenger seat before forcing his big frame into the little car.
Alex was leaving way too early.
Nate appeared at the door to the admin building and watched Alex’s car pull out of the car park. His hair was dishevelled as if he’d brushed it with his fingers. He sighed deeply and looked at his shoes. Laurel frowned. Something had happened.
Nate glanced around the farmyard, his eyes settling on Laurel, and he started over to her.
‘Hey,’ she said when he was in earshot. ‘What’s going on? Where’s Alex gone?’
‘Laurel, I’ve fucked up, but I’ll fix it,’ he said earnestly, mouth tight.
She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘What do you mean, you’ve fucked up?’
‘Alex and I have had a bit of a…’ he hesitated, ‘disagreement.’
Her mouth pinched.
‘A disagreement? About what?’ Because if it was about the funding recommendation, then she would not be impressed.
Not. At. All.
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
‘Uh.’ A disbelieving little smile flickered across his face. ‘Well, it was about you, actually.’
Laurel paled. Because surely to God, they weren’t having a conversation about what happened ten years ago.
‘Well, notyouyou. It was women in general, and you happened to be the closest one.’ He sighed. ‘Alex is, well, he behaves like a fifteen-year-old boy sometimes, and I just, I couldn’t cope with it anymore.’
‘Right...’ she drew out the word, waiting.
‘He made a couple of rude, sexist comments and we’re friends, right?’ he gestured between the two of them.
Friends, yes. Laurel swallowed and nodded.
‘So, I kind of bopped him on the nose.’ He squeezed his eyes shut and screwed up his face.
Bopped him on the nose?Boppedhim? What was that? Laurel’s eyes widened as recognition dawned. He hadn’t ‘bopped’ Alex at all. He had punched him. Punched the BAS liaison. Punched the person who very possibly held the future of Little Willow Farm in his hands.
‘Nate! Youpunchedhim? You punched Alex?’
Her stomach dropped, and she scrubbed at her face with both hands. This was the worst possible outcome. It would have been preferable for them to have had a good laugh about what had happened ten years ago, for her to be a laughing stock. But this? Ruining the chances of the site getting BAS recommendation for funding? This didn’t just affect her, this was the family, the farm, the village. Nate had ruined everything.
Nate gripped the top of her arms and stepped closer. ‘I’ll fix it, Laurel, I promise.’
‘You’ll fix it? God Nate, don’t fucking bother!’ Laurel wrenched herself away and took a few steps back from him. ‘Youknow, Nate, you know how important this is to me, and you’ve fucked it right up! He’s never going to recommend the site for funding now, is he? Never.’
‘Laurel, please. I know Alex. Let me talk to him, deal with him.’
‘What, like you dealt with him today?’ Laurel scoffed. ‘You just said we were friends, Nate, and I cannot trust you not to ruin this, not anymore.’
Laurel wilted like a dying sunflower. She had been completely mistaken in Nate. Completely. She thought he understood what she was trying to do at Lower Houghton. But to mess this up for her just showed that he didn’t give a fuck.
