The Little Village Bakery: A feel good romantic comedy with plenty of cake (Honeybourne Book 1) (5 page)

‘
I
t’s brilliant news
, sis. I just hope you and Rich don’t forget your little brother when you’re living the high life on his blockbuster film earnings.’ Dylan was lounging on a mess of huge floor cushions on the bone-dry lawn of Jasmine’s back garden. The heatwave had continued all through the previous week and this evening was still sultry despite the lateness of the hour, the air heady with the scent of Jasmine’s namesake flowers crowding a trellis at the back door. Dylan took a sip of his beer.

Jasmine smiled at him, sitting on a pile of cushions herself and hugging her knees to her chest, a mass of curls tumbling around her bare shoulders. ‘I won’t hold my breath for the huge earnings. And I can’t imagine anyone could forget you, least of all me and Rich.’

‘I’ll take that as a compliment. You’d be hard pressed to find a better brother, to be fair.’

‘And so modest too…’

‘Naturally.’

There was a pause. And then the thing that was on Jasmine’s mind tumbled out. ‘Do you see much of Spencer since he came back?’

‘Not this again. Yeah, I see him all the time.’

‘Not just around. Do you actually stop and talk to him?’

‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’

She shrugged. ‘Just that you used to be so close and now…’

‘Now what? He’s busy all the time with his career anyway. He’s Mr Workaholic and all he talks about is school.’

‘That’s not true. And how would you know if you’ve barely spent any time with him?’

‘I’ve seen him in the pub.’

‘Aha!’ Jasmine gave a little cry of triumph. ‘So he doesn’t spend all his time marking books and thinking about school if he’s in the pub!’

Dylan gave a quick grin, but it faded almost as soon as it had begun. ‘We’ve both changed,’ he said.

‘It feels like more than that.’

Dylan raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

‘Ok, the fight, I know. But surely you’re grown up enough to get past that. You were so close once, and you said yourself it was a hot-headed mistake, and Spencer has never breathed a word to me since he got back about… Well, you know. Can’t we all just move on?’

‘We have.’

‘So you say.’

‘Can we drop this now? Spencer has moved on and so have I. There’s no animosity now, but don’t expect us to be best mates anymore.’

‘Not even for me?’

‘Why the sudden interest in Spencer?’ Dylan returned sharply. ‘What’s he said to you?’

Jasmine stared at him. ‘Nothing. Really. I just get the impression that he misses you.’

‘You’re kidding! He doesn’t care one way or another and I don’t blame him.’

‘I think he does. I think he’s lonely since he came back to the village and he could do with a friend.’

‘He’s got tons of friends. Everyone here loves him.’

‘It’s not the same as having a proper friend.’

Dylan tipped his head back and stared into the sky. ‘Right,’ he sighed, ‘well, if it means that much to you when I next see him around I’ll buy him a drink or something. Would that make you happy?’

Jasmine couldn’t decide if he was being sarcastic or not. ‘It would make me happy,’ she replied.

‘Good. I know you think love makes the world go round and we all need to live in peace and harmony or some such crap, so I’ll do my best.’

‘Ok,’ she said. ‘That’s all I’m asking for.’

Rich strolled from the house and out onto the lawn with a glass of beer. ‘Took me ages to get the kids to go down. They weren’t very impressed that they had to go to bed while Dylan was still here.’ He flopped next to Jasmine and kissed her on the forehead.

‘See,’ Dylan grinned, back to his usual self. ‘What’s the point of false modesty when everybody loves me?’

‘Dylan was just telling me that we mustn’t forget him when you’re rich and famous,’ Jasmine said, leaning her head against Rich’s shoulder.

‘I’m sure we can throw him a crust of bread from our golden chariot as we drive past. If he’s really good we’ll ask the driver not to splash him with mud like we do the other peasants,’ Rich replied.

Jasmine giggled. She reached for the glass of orange juice on the ground beside her.

‘So, what’s been going on in the world of Dylan?’ Rich asked. ‘Now the kids are in bed, you can give us the full adult version.’

‘Rich!’ Jasmine elbowed him. ‘I don’t want to hear those sorts of details about my brother!’

Dylan laughed. ‘I have no idea what you’re both talking about. I’ve been perfectly hermit-like in my little house – reading, cooking, cleaning, like a good Christian boy.’

‘So you’ve not attempted to charm your way into the affections of a certain new owner of the old bakery?’ Rich asked over the top of his glass.

‘There’s not much that stays secret around here, is there? She seems to have other things on her mind right now, though,’ Dylan said.

‘You mean she doesn’t fancy you?’ Rich asked. ‘Oh my God, we’ve fallen into some parallel universe where women don’t drop their knickers at the mere mention of Dylan Smith’s name!’

‘Unbelievable, isn’t it?’ Dylan grinned. ‘But,’ he continued, his expression more serious, ‘I think she’s in way over her head taking on that old wreck of a building… and I think she’s realised it too.’

‘You don’t think she can fix it?’ Jasmine asked, frowning. ‘But she seems so confident whenever I see her.’

‘I know. But my mate Bony had a look and he reckons there’s some serious structural work to be done on the place. I don’t think Millie bargained for that. She told me she didn’t even have a survey done – sold her old place, paid cash for this and packed her car up without a second thought.’

‘Ruddy hell.’ Rich took a gulp of his beer. ‘That woman has a set of balls bigger than mine.’

‘And that’s saying something,’ Dylan laughed.

‘She must be regretting that now though,’ Jasmine mused.

Dylan nodded. ‘I think so.’

‘But it can be done? The building’s not beyond repair?’ Jasmine asked.

‘No, but beyond her budget.’

‘Poor thing…’ Jasmine tugged a hand through her curls.

‘Poor thing?’ Rich scoffed. ‘She should have got a survey done. All her problems could have been avoided for the sake of a few hundred quid.’

‘Don’t be mean,’ Jasmine chided. ‘You’ve never made a silly mistake in your life?’

‘I didn’t mean that—’

‘Well what then?’

‘It’s a pretty big thing, buying a building, especially one you plan to live in and earn your living from. You’d think a survey would be the first thing to do.’

Jasmine gazed quietly across the lawn for a moment. ‘I’m going to see her tomorrow,’ she finally announced. ‘She’s part of our community now, and if we can help we should.’ She narrowed her eyes at her husband. ‘No matter how silly you think she is.’

‘You can try,’ Dylan cut in, ‘but she doesn’t seem very keen to accept help. I already told her that we’d do what we could, and she pretty much refused point-blank.’

‘She won’t think
I’ve
got an ulterior motive though, will she?’ Jasmine smiled wryly.

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Dylan replied with mock innocence.

‘Did you wash your hair?’

‘Yes…’

‘That’s all anyone needs to know.’

Rich interrupted their verbal sparring. ‘I still don’t see what we can do for her though.’

‘In this village, there must be loads of people with different skills who can lend a hand. We just need to ask around, barter with them, see what we can get done for her for free or at a reduced price.’

Rich grinned. ‘A bit like one of those TV shows where the whole community fixes a playground for the kids out of bits of old rubbish.’

Jasmine laughed. ‘Sort of.’

Rich pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. ‘That is a very good idea. I married such a clever little girl, didn’t I?’

A
s Jasmine turned the corner
, making her way to the old bakery on a meltingly hot Saturday morning, she was distracted by the sound of raucous laughter coming from Dylan’s garden. Changing her route, she peered over the hedge to find Dylan and Spencer sitting on the front step.

‘Hey,’ Jasmine called. She pushed open the gate and strolled towards them. ‘Something sounds funny.’

‘Jasmine!’ Spencer leapt up to fling his arms around her and kiss her on the cheek. But he pulled away quickly, and Jasmine caught a frown on her brother’s face. It was so fleeting that Jasmine wondered whether she’d seen it at all.

‘We’re just catching up,’ Dylan said, shading his eyes as he squinted up at his sister from the step.

‘We’ve got a lot to catch up on, too,’ Spencer cut in. ‘I was just passing, to be honest, when Dylan shouted me over. I was only going to stay ten minutes – that was about an hour ago.’

‘Have you come for anything in particular or is it just a social visit?’ Dylan asked Jasmine.

‘Actually, I was on my way to the bakery to see Millie.’

‘Charming. So your little brother was second best?’

‘I thought you’d still be snoring at this time of the morning.’

‘What do you take me for, some sort of layabout?’

‘Yes.’

Spencer grinned at her. ‘I must admit, I did have to check my watch twice when I came past and saw he was in the garden.’

‘Oi!’ Dylan pouted at Spencer. ‘I thought we were mates!’

‘We are. Which is why I know that something is wrong with the world if you’re up before midday.’

‘If you must know, I thought I would go across this morning and see if she needs any help with anything,’ Dylan said.

‘She must be hot then, to get you out of bed this early… Or were you hoping to get back in and take her with you?’ Spencer fired back with a mischievous glint in his eye.

‘Why does everyone think I only have one thing on my mind?’

‘Because you do,’ Spencer said. ‘Don’t think your sensitive act fools anyone.’

Jasmine laughed. ‘Have you met Millie yet?’ she asked Spencer.

‘I was thinking I’d put my head in at some point, but I don’t want to seem too nosey or crowd her out. I know how stifling the community here can be, especially if you’re new to village life and not used to it.’

‘I don’t think it’s stopped anyone else,’ Jasmine replied. ‘Ruth Evans has moved in to the bay window seat.’

‘That’s exactly what I mean,’ Spencer laughed.

‘It hasn’t stopped Dylan making a regular appearance over there either.’

‘I’m just trying to be neighbourly,’ Dylan said. ‘Anyway, you were the one who suggested we get everyone involved in the renovations.’

‘I need to talk to Millie first, though, before I invite the whole village into her home.’

‘If you’re going over now, why don’t I come with you and introduce Spencer?’ Dylan suggested.

‘And why do I need you for that?’ Jasmine raised a questioning eyebrow. ‘I’m perfectly capable of taking Spencer myself if he wants to go.’

Dylan grinned. ‘Yeah, but if I go across with weedy Spencer, I’ll look all butch and then she’ll definitely fancy me.’

Spencer grinned. ‘I’ll have you know that I’m all lean muscle and built for speed under this puny-looking exterior.’

Dylan stood up and clapped him on the shoulder. ‘I believe you, mate, though thousands wouldn’t.’

‘I’ve seen him in the three-legged race on sports day,’ Jasmine cut in. ‘It’s like watching a cheetah in action.’

Over the top of Dylan’s hedge, Jasmine saw the door to the bakery opening and Millie emerging with a rubbish bag. She set it against the side of the building and wiped a hand across her brow.

‘Looks like a good time to catch her if we’re going to,’ Jasmine observed.

‘Come on.’ Dylan rubbed his hands together like a panto villain. ‘Time to meet the neighbours…’

Spencer raised his eyebrows at Jasmine as she let out a huge sigh. Dylan bounded down the path and they followed him out of the gate as he jogged across the road.

‘Morning!’ he called.

Millie looked up with a small smile, which spread as she noticed Jasmine behind him. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’ Millie asked as they arrived at the door of the bakery.

‘Lots of things,’ Jasmine said brightly. ‘Most important of all, though, we wanted to introduce a dear friend, Spencer Johns.’

Spencer smiled shyly and put his hand up in greeting. Millie took the briefest moment to appraise him. He was slim, but strong looking, with thick, black hair that seemed to defy any attempt to style it and bright blue eyes. His intelligent features crinkled into a smile that betrayed a dimple in each cheek. Where Dylan was all rugged outdoor sexuality, Spencer looked as though he might read poetry and discuss the meaning of life with you. Millie decided quickly that she liked him.

‘You’re taking on the old place?’ he asked with a nod at the building. ‘I had heard. It’s about time someone was brave enough to put the soul back into the bakery. It used to be a wonderful asset to the village.’

‘I don’t know about brave,’ Millie said, glancing back at her ramshackle home. ‘Stupid seems a lot more like it.’

‘That’s the other thing we wanted to talk to you about,’ Jasmine said. ‘How do you feel about coming for lunch? A sort of business-meeting lunch? We’ve got some ideas to put to you.’

Millie scratched her head through the floral headscarf she had tied over her hair. ‘I’d love to, but I have so much to do here…’ She glanced uncertainly at each of them in turn.

‘I’ve got time on my hands,’ Dylan replied cheerfully. ‘I can help you this morning, and then you’ll be able to come.’

‘It’s kind of you, but I couldn’t…’ Millie looked at Spencer hopefully as her sentence trailed to nothing, but he simply shoved his hands in his pockets with an amiable smile. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad having Dylan around to help, but she didn’t think she could cope with him alone. Somehow, Spencer seemed a lot less threatening. She wondered whether he would offer his services too.

‘Ordinarily I’d love to help, but I have a thousand details to plan for a school trip next week,’ Spencer said, seeming to guess her thoughts.

‘Spencer is also known as
Mr Johns
,’ Jasmine said. ‘He teaches at the school, and more specifically, he teaches my triplets.’

‘We’re going to Stonehenge with the children, so I have loads of research to do about the place before we get there.’ Spencer ran a hand through his hair. ‘Kids are full of questions and I’m determined that they won’t catch me out with something I don’t know the answer to. It hasn’t happened yet, but it probably will.’