Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow. Jessica Redland

pressed my fingers to my lips and shook my head. ‘Do you think Chloe knows?’

      ‘No. Don’t panic. I think she’s so smitten with James that she wouldn’t notice if you grew horns and danced the fandango.’

      ‘She sent me a “HOT TIP” this morning. Look.’ I handed Hannah my phone. Chloe and I didn’t speak every day but we kept in touch by text and social media. Something we’d done for years was to send each other texts starting with the words ‘HOT TIP’ when we came across something the other would like. It could be anything – a book, a film, an advert, a fragrance or an item of clothing. We knew each other so well that the recommendation was invariably spot on. Sometimes the tip would be advice or something funny.

      ✉︎ From Chloe

      HOT TIP! Samantha Wishaw. The unicorn of best friends. Rare, precious, and kind. Guaranteed to add sparkle to your world. Most claim they don’t exist but I know they do because I’m lucky enough to have one xx

      ‘I feel so guilty,’ I said as Hannah returned my phone. ‘I doubt she’d have sent me that if she knew the truth.’

      Hannah shook her head. ‘You can’t think like that, Sam. You let him go so he could be with Chloe and I’d say that does make you the unicorn of best friends. Not many people would do that. Oh, hang on, she’s coming over.’

      ‘Hi you two,’ Chloe said.

      ‘Congratulations,’ Hannah said, heaving herself up and kissing Chloe on both cheeks. ‘You look beautiful, Chloe. Will you give us a twirl?’

      While Chloe picked up her skirts and turned round so we could see the detailing on the back of the bodice, Hannah turned to me, her expression sorrowful. I gave her a weak smile and nodded to assure her I was okay.

      ‘Such a stunning dress on a stunning bride,’ Hannah said when Chloe was facing us again. ‘James is a very lucky man.’

      ‘I’m the lucky one.’ Chloe reached for my hand. ‘And I’m so grateful to Sammie for encouraging us to get together.’

      ‘That’s Sam for you,’ Hannah said, a slight edge to her tone. ‘Always doing what’s best for others.’

      I shrugged. ‘I’m a hopeless romantic, that’s all. I could see they were perfect together.’ How I managed to keep smiling, I’ll never know.

      ‘The photographer’s going to do a confetti shot in about five minutes,’ James said, joining us. His proximity to me made my heart race. Would it ever stop?

      ‘Excellent,’ Chloe said. ‘I love confetti.’

      He smiled at her so tenderly that the butterflies in my stomach swooped and soared, making me feel quite nauseous. He’d never looked at me that way. It was right that they’d both found their matching heart and I genuinely was thrilled for Chloe because, alongside Hannah, she was my best friend and I loved her very deeply.

      ‘Did you ask Sam?’ James said.

      ‘I was just about to.’

      ‘Ask me what?’

      ‘I’m just going to track down Toby,’ Hannah said, leaving the three of us alone.

      ‘We’ve messed up,’ Chloe said as soon as Hannah was out of earshot. ‘Are you still insured to drive anyone’s car?’

      ‘Yes. Why?’

      ‘After we’ve done the confetti shot, we have a huge favour to ask you…’

      8

      ‘This is ridiculous.’ Releasing a frustrated squeal, I smacked the palm of my hand against the steering wheel of James’s car several times until it was red and sore.

      Taking a deep breath, I executed yet another three-point turn. Although, in the narrow country lane, it was more like a seven-point turn. Maybe nine.

       ‘You have passed your destination. Please turn round at the next available exit.’

      ‘And you can shut up too.’ I stabbed at the sat nav button. ‘You have lied to me three times, you useless piece of…’ I took another deep breath. ‘None of those destinations were anything resembling a country manor, were they?’

      So far, I’d been directed to a riding stables, a dead-end lane and now my final disaster – a tumbledown barn in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, nowhere. There were no houses, no vehicles, no animals; just green fields and hedges as far as the eye could see.

      I glanced at the clock on the dashboard and grimaced. I was already an hour and a quarter late. I’d missed the drinks reception and the photos which was hardly ideal considering I was the only bridesmaid. The meal would have started fifteen minutes ago and, if I didn’t find my way back to civilisation soon, I was going to miss all the food and the speeches too. Even though it was hardly my fault, Chloe was going to be so mad with me for disrupting her plans for a perfect wedding day.

      Stopping the car, I fished my mobile phone out of the door pocket. Still no signal. What on earth had possessed me to agree to Chloe’s request? Dad was right; I was too kind to her and it was always my downfall. They’d mistakenly left a plant – one of their thank-you gifts for those who’d helped make the day special – at Auntie Louise and Uncle Simon’s. So, of course, I’d agreed to drive James’s car back to Whitsborough Bay to get it for them, figuring I’d only be half an hour at most behind everyone else; no problem. Apologising for the inconvenience and calling me a ‘life-saver’, James programmed his sat nav with the postcode for Aversford Manor, their reception venue, and showed me how to activate the route when I left Whitsborough Bay. It all seemed pretty simple. Then he hugged me and kissed me on the cheek, and the touch of his lips against mine, his warm breath against my ear and the woody aroma of his body spray sent me back to the island of unrequited love all over again. I’d tried so hard in the run-up to the wedding to convince myself that I wasn’t still in love with him but my heart betrayed my head every time. Could life be any more complicated?

      I glowered at the plant, secured between towels in the passenger side footwell. ‘Whoever your new owner is, I hope they’re flipping well grateful.’

      Leaning back in my seat, I exhaled loudly, then put the car back into gear and set off down the lane again. I paused at the junction, trying to decide which way to go next. Why didn’t I know this area at all? I’d lived in Whitsborough Bay all my life and the Yorkshire Wolds started less than ten miles to the south west of the town, yet it was an area I’d never explored. Gramps had lived there but I’d never ventured beyond the village next to his. When he lived somewhere so beautiful and peaceful, there’d never been any need to explore. I was going to have to get used to it, though. Next month, I’d be starting a new job in the area and would move here as soon as I’d settled in.

      Leaving my friends on the Whitsborough Bay district nursing team had never been part of my plan, but nothing over the past few years had turned out as I’d hoped so I shouldn’t have been surprised when Chloe excitedly announced that she and James had changed their mind about starting married life in York. By the end of last year, he’d sold his house, they’d bought and moved into a new-build on a small development close to her parents and mine, and James began commuting to work by train.

      I could psych myself up and put a brave face on for the planned family events but it was too much having James living only a ten-minute walk away. I felt constantly on edge, worried about bumping into him at any minute and finding myself back at square one. If I was going to have any chance of getting over James, I needed distance and the only way to get that was to leave Whitsborough Bay.

      Relocating to the Wolds appealed – far enough away to warrant a move but close enough to home to regularly see my family. Hannah was a district nurse there and joining her team would have been ideal but there were no vacancies.