The Little Village Bakery: A feel good romantic comedy with plenty of cake (Honeybourne Book 1) (24 page)

‘I know
you
. It’ll be brilliant.’

‘I suppose Jasmine does ok so it can’t be that hard.’

‘And she’s got three.’

‘Oh God!’ Dylan cried in a strangled voice. ‘You don’t think triplets run in the family?’

‘I hope not,’ Millie replied. ‘It’s pretty rare.’

‘Is it?’

She nodded. ‘Have you ever met another set of triplets?’

‘I don’t suppose so.’

‘Maybe we’ll get twins.’

‘That’s almost as bad.’

Millie kissed him. ‘If they’re like you I don’t mind if we have twenty.’

‘Twenty of me would be awful. Talk sense, woman.’

She laughed and kissed him again. ‘You’re coming around to the idea then?’

‘It’d shut Rich up, I suppose. He’s always got top trumps when it comes to the biggest balls in Honeybourne competition.’

‘It would. You’re going to make an amazing dad. I’ve seen you with Jasmine’s kids.’

‘You think?’

‘I know.’

He took a deep breath. ‘Right then. This gives me an excuse now to get plastered on Frank’s home brew?’

‘It does.’

‘Can we tell people?’

‘I think Jasmine has already worked it out.’

‘I guess she has. What about everyone else?’

Millie shrugged. ‘Maybe just close friends for now?’

‘Yeah, ok.’

Jasmine called through the gate. ‘Time for the big unveiling. Have you sorted everything?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Millie said as she got up to let Jasmine in.

‘It’s cool,’ Dylan said, a little of his old confidence creeping back in. ‘We’ve decided that we’re having triplets too so we can finally shut Rich up.’

Jasmine threw her arms around him. ‘You’ll be fantastic.’ She pulled away and grabbed Millie for a hug too. ‘Both of you. But now you have a bakery to open, so you need to come and face your public.’ She left them, hurrying around to the front of the building to take her place in the crowd.

‘We’d better do as we’re told,’ Dylan said, looking at Millie. He paused. ‘You know those little potions you make for everyone?’

Millie raised her eyebrows. ‘You want one of those? What on earth for?’

‘I was going to ask whether you can mix one to make me a good dad.’

‘We don’t need a potion for that. I have faith in you.’

‘You do?’ Dylan asked as they made their way, hand in hand, to the front of the bakery where everyone was waiting.

‘I do. And you know what else? I love you.’

‘That’s sad. I’m certain there’s a cure for it. That’s another potion you’ll have to make.’

‘I don’t want a cure. I’m deliriously happy with things just as they are.’

As they rounded the corner, everyone began to cheer. In the crowd, Jasmine was wiping a secret tear from her eye as she hugged her three children close. Rich was at her side and slid an arm around her.

‘Spencer has just proposed to Tori,’ he whispered.

Jasmine turned to stare at him. ‘The bloody hell he did!’

‘And she said yes.’

‘The bloody hell she did!’

Rich burst out laughing. ‘I thought you’d say that.’

‘I’m glad though,’ Jasmine said. ‘She seems lovely… And I might have a secret of my own,’ she added.

‘Oh yeah, what’s that?’

‘I think it’s something Dylan and Millie need to tell you.’

Their conversation was cut short by the beginning of the ribbon cutting. Dylan made a few quips about eating all the pies, Millie gave words of heartfelt thanks that seemed too little to truly express just how thankful she was for her new life, but then she was sure the words strong enough to express that feeling didn’t exist. The speeches came to an end, and a roar went up from the onlookers as the ribbon gave way to the open door of the bakery.

‘We’ve baked a whole load of stuff today; help yourselves to as much as you can eat!’ Millie shouted, standing aside to let people through. Dylan grabbed her in a passionate embrace and kissed her, Ruth watching them, goggle-eyed and weak-kneed.

Jasmine leaned into Rich as she watched her children race off towards the promised cake. ‘You know,’ she said with a contented sigh, ‘I really don’t think there’s a happier place to live on Earth than here.’

I
’d like
to come and hug you all personally for picking up
The Little Village Bakery
, but right now I’m sitting in my pyjamas, my hair needs a brush and I desperately need some blusher, so I think it might scare you to death. Instead, I’ll send my thanks via this letter – it’s safer for all of us.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading
The Little Village Bakery
as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I hope that you’ve managed to fall a little bit in love with the characters, because I’m head over heels with them all, and I’m worried it might be a bit weird. If you liked
The Little Village Bakery
, the best and most amazing thing you can do to show your appreciation is to tell your friends. Or tell the world with a few words on a social media site, or a review on Amazon. That would make me smile for at least a week. In fact, hearing that someone loved my story is the main reason I write at all. And if you wanted to, I do have other books that you could check out, along with plans to revisit Millie, Dylan, Jasmine and Rich, and all the other residents of Honeybourne just in time for Christmas. I hope you’ll come along, because you are most definitely invited.

If you ever want to catch up with me on social media, you can find me on Twitter @TillyTenWriter or Facebook, but if you don’t fancy that, you can sign up to my mailing list and will get all the latest news that way. I promise never to hassle you about anything but my books. The link is below:

So, thank you for reading my little book, and I hope to see you for the next instalment!

L
ove Tilly x

• @TillyTenWriter
  
• TillyTennant
  

T
he list
of people who have offered help and encouragement on my writing journey so far must be truly endless, and it would take a novel in itself to mention them all. However, my thanks goes out to each and every one of you, whose involvement, whether small or large, has been invaluable and appreciated more than I can say.

There are a few people that I absolutely must mention. Obviously, my family, who bear the brunt of every plot-fail tantrum and yet still allow me to live with them. The staff at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, who have let me lead a double life for far longer than is acceptable. The lecturers at Staffordshire University English and Creative Writing Department, who saw a talent worth nurturing in me and continue to support me still, long after they finished getting paid for it. They are not only tutors but friends as well.

I have to thank the team at Bookouture for taking a chance on me, particularly Kim Nash and Lydia Vassar-Smith. Their belief and encouragement means the world to me.

My friend Louise Coquio merits a special mention, never too busy to read a first draft no matter how awful it is, always ready with an endless supply of tea and sympathy. Also Kath Hickton, who’s just always there and has been for over thirty years. I have to thank Mel Sherratt and Holly Martin, fellow writers and amazing friends who have both been incredibly supportive over the years and have been my shoulders to cry on in the darker moments. Victoria Stone, my litmus test and my cheerleader, who will cheerfully tell me exactly what she thinks! Thanks to Jack Croxall, Dan Thompson and Jaimie Admans: brilliant authors who have shared the journey with me right from the start and are so supportive.

I have to thank all the bloggers, readers and anyone else who has championed my work, reviewed it, shared it, or simply told me that they liked it. Every one of those actions is priceless and you are all very special people.

Last but never, ever least, is my agent, Peta Nightingale. Where do I begin? She is more than an agent, she is a friend, and she has never lost faith in me, even when I lost faith myself. She is incredibly hard-working, endlessly patient, warm and fuzzy, and great fun to share a glass of prosecco with! I wouldn’t be writing this now if it wasn’t for her and the team at LAW literary agency, and
The Little Village Bakery
would very probably be nothing more than a dusty manuscript lying on a shelf.