Page 82 of Sunrise over Strawberry Hill Farm

She tried to concentrate her mind back on her date and began to chat about the campsite.

‘I think you’re very brave,’ said Tyler, nodding thoughtfully. ‘Not sure I’d take our farm down that route.’

‘Why not?’ she asked.

He was silent for a while before answering. ‘I guess I only know about cattle,’ he eventually said.

He was quiet and considered, she thought. Steady. No surprises. What you got with Tyler was exactly as you saw him.

For a moment, she tried to imagine him behind the wheel of a red Ferrari, but she couldn’t see it. It wasn’t in his DNA. Behind a tractor, yes. A fast car? Absolutely not.

‘Well, for us it was a matter of survival,’ she told him.

‘Of course,’ he replied. ‘The farm is all that matters.’

Flora gave a start. It was true to a point, she thought. The farm, her home, was terribly important. And yet she had begun to realise that there were other things to bring a richness to life. She smiled to herself as she remembered Grams all dressed up in her finest ballroom dancing outfit, so far removed from the farming overalls she had worn for many years. Sometimes, a change really was as good as a rest.

After ordering their food, they chatted, but it was mainly about farming. Flora tried to bring him out of himself to talk about hobbies or interests. But Tyler was comfortable and happy just being a farmer. And there was nothing wrong with that, she reminded herself.

After finishing their meal, she went for broke. ‘So what about future dreams?’ she asked. ‘A bigger farm? Or somewhere completely different?’

‘Oh no,’ said Tyler, shaking his head. ‘I’m not so good with change. I like it here.’ He looked at her with questioning eyes. ‘Don’t you?’

‘Yes, of course,’ she said.

‘Must be hard, though, things changing so fast for you and Grams,’ he said. ‘Not sure how I’d cope.’

‘I’m not really sure that I am coping,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve spent so long trying to save the farm that now that everything’s changed, I’m all aflutter. I mean, it’s exciting. The thought that Strawberry Hill Farm could have a different future. It’s been so hard all these years. I feel like it’s a new opportunity.’

Tyler frowned. ‘Really?’ he said. ‘I’d be in a bit of a mess, to be honest.’

Flora laughed. ‘Well, I’m not saying I haven’t let off steam and gone a bit crazy a couple of times,’ she told him. And propositioned Nico, she added silently.

‘We’ve all done that,’ he replied, looking at her with softening eyes.

He was a decent man, she thought as she walked home. He had offered to drop her home, but Flora had told him that it would only take ten minutes on foot.

Truth be known, she was avoiding the difficult end-of-a-date scenario. What if he tried to kiss her? What would she have done? Backed away or accepted it?

She groaned as she walked down the track towards Cranfield. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Tyler, she reminded herself. He was a kind and lovely man. A few months ago, she had considered him a good prospect, someone to even think about having a relationship with.

But that was before she had met Nico.

Nico had changed everything. He had changed the farm. And changed her, she admitted. She liked slightly more reckless Flora.

And she liked Nico too. In fact, she was pretty certain that she liked him an awful lot more than she had let on to anyone, even herself.

49

Despite another gloriously warm and sunny start to the day, Nico was still feeling grumpy when he woke up the following morning.

He had deliberately gone to bed earlier than normal, reluctant to hear how much Flora enjoyed her date. In fact, he was really hoping that it had been a disaster and that she wouldn’t meet Tyler again.

Deep inside, he knew he was being unfair. He was only there for the summer. They had a tentative friendship, and from all that he had discovered about the sacrifices she had made so far in life, she deserved every chance of happiness.

And yet, the thought of Flora being in anyone else’s arms apart from his filled him with despair. They hadn’t even kissed. Perhaps they weren’t even compatible. But as time went on, he found himself wanting to get to know her even more. And thinking that perhaps he should be the one kissing her.

Downstairs at breakfast, he looked up and automatically smiled when Flora came into the room. ‘Good morning,’ he said.