BooksBarbecue
Back Escape to the French Farmhouse
Chapters (79)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. Also by Jo Thomas
  4. DEDICATION
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. FORTY-SEVEN
  52. FORTY-EIGHT
  53. FORTY-NINE
  54. FIFTY
  55. FIFTY-ONE
  56. FIFTY-TWO
  57. FIFTY-THREE
  58. FIFTY-FOUR
  59. FIFTY-FIVE
  60. FIFTY-SIX
  61. FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. FIFTY-NINE
  64. SIXTY
  65. SIXTY-ONE
  66. SIXTY-TWO
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgements
  69. RECIPES
  70. Lavender shortbread
  71. Apricot jam sponge cake
  72. Lavender lamb
  73. READ MORE
  74. Prologue
  75. ONE
  76. TWO
  77. THREE
  78. FOUR
  79. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘Of course! Everyone is welcome here if they want to join in.’ I smile. And she does. She rolls up her sleeves, turns on the single tap over the sink, squirts in some washing-up liquid, and watches it fill with soap suds.

As we serve dinner, the time passes in a haze. Soon we’re handing over the last few bowlfuls and collecting up any scraps for the dogs. Stephanie and JB are clearing away paper plates and collecting cutlery.

We’re just finishing and the honesty box is filled with people’s donations, showing their support for what we’re doing.

‘Look,’ says Stephanie, showing it to me. Tears spring to my eyes. These people have so little, but want to give something back because they’re grateful for what we’ve done, for keeping Henri’s project going.

‘Hey! Ça va?’

‘Fabien!’ He catches me off guard when I’m a mess. I brush away the tears and hand the money box to Stephanie, who puts it back on its shelf by the hatch. She glances at us and decides to finish tidying in the clearing. The fairy lights are on, and a firepit is lit – it’s a dustbin lid on bricks – throwing up flames, despite the warm evening. The sun is setting, the bats are coming out, and in the background, from further along the river, I can hear a frog chorus starting up.

Fabien’s face glows in the lights from the trees and the firepit, the familiar face that was next to mine all night. The unshaven chin, the green eyes and that smile. My body is aching to be with him again, and as he kisses me on both cheeks, I think my legs might give way. It takes all my willpower to pull back from him and not let my lips linger next to his. He cocks his head quizzically at me, frowning.

‘Is everything okay?’

‘Oui, bien sûr!’ I say quickly.

‘I have news! It’s Henri. He’ll be home tomorrow. Rhi is on her way back.’

‘Oh, that’s wonderful!’ I find myself welling up again.

He cocks his head even further, reading me like a book, knowing that everything is not okay.

I have to explain this to him properly. I have to tell him how much I care about him and not that I’m completely in love with him. That is why I have to put an end to this. I love him. I know it. And I want him to be happy, but I’m never going to be able to give him the happiness he deserves. I have to finish this now before we get even more hurt. But I have to explain it properly.