Chapter 16

It was a funny feeling, walking into the pub on her own. In Oxford or London, she wouldn’t think twice about going into a bar alone. Village pubs were different. Everyone turned to look when she walked in. She plastered on a smile and scanned the room for Amber. She’d messaged to make sure she’d definitely be there, but she couldn’t see her. Feeling self-conscious, she headed for the bar.

“Hello!” a familiar voice said. It was Sam, sitting on a stool at the bar. She was relieved to see someone she knew. “Annette let you out to play, did she?”

“She did,” Josie said with a grin.

“I’ll get you a drink. What you having?”

“No. I’ll get you one. I owe you for helping me with the couches.”

“It was nothing. I actually quite enjoyed it.”

“Me too.” She registered his almost-empty pint on the bar. “Beer?”

He picked it up and sighed. “I was just about to go home.”

A wave of disappointment swept through her. “One more?”

“Go on then.”

She slipped onto the stool beside him and said hello to Andy, the barman, before ordering their drinks. He poured the beers and moved on to serve someone else.

“So do you know everyone in here?” Josie asked.

Sam swivelled to scan the room. “Not everyone. Most people.”

“I can’t imagine living in the village where you grew up.”

“It’s kind of nice,” he said. “Most of the time. Have you met many of the locals yet? Has Annette been introducing you around?”

“So far I’ve just met Amber. Actually, I’m supposed to be meeting her and her friend.”

“Tara? They’re around here somewhere,” Sam said. “I saw them come in. They’re a good laugh those two.”

Josie scanned the room again until she caught sight of Amber and another woman in the corner. “There they are.” She gave them a quick wave. Amber immediately stood up and came towards them.

“Sorry,” she said, giving Josie a quick hug. “I didn’t see you come in.”

“It’s fine. I only just got here.”

“Come and sit with us. You gonna join us, Sam?”

He slid off his seat. “Why not?”

“Sam!” a tall, lanky guy shouted from the other end of the bar. “I need you on my darts team!”

“I’m just finishing this.” He raised his glass. “Then I’m going home.”

There was a groan and some shouts of encouragement from the small crowd around the dartboard.

“All right, all right!” He held his hands up in defeat. “Looks like I’m playing darts,” he said to Josie and Amber. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

Josie smiled at him before following Amber across the pub.

“We saw you come in really,” Amber said after she’d introduced her to Tara. “But when your face lit up at the sight of Sam, we thought we’d keep out of the way for a bit!”

Josie opened her mouth to protest but just laughed instead. The pair of them looked so cheeky, grinning at her.

“It’s not like that,” she insisted, glancing across the pub at Sam.

“Don’t worry,” Tara said. “He looked just as pleased to see you.”

“Annette will try and set you up with him,” Amber warned. “She and Wendy were always fond of Sam, and she’s been on a mission to set him up with someone recently.”

“Does he date much?” Josie was suddenly curious about his love life.

The girls shook their heads in unison.

“He was in a relationship,” Amber said. “That was a few years back. They were living together in Bristol.”

“What happened?” Josie asked.

Amber shrugged. “He moved back here and turned all moody for a while. He never really talked about it.”

“He dated Belinda a while back.” Tara’s face gleamed with amusement. “She works in the chemist’s over in Newton Abbot.”

“One date,” Amber clarified.

Tara leaned in to whisper. “She reckoned he was so shy he didn’t speak a word the whole evening.” She let out a sharp cackle. “But we think he probably just couldn’t get a word in.”

Josie was amused by Tara. She wasn’t quite what she was expecting in a friend of Amber. They seemed to be completely different personalities. So far, Tara seemed bold and brash whereas Amber was soft and gentle. Tara was stunning, with rich brown hair that fell in soft curls down her back and matching dark eyes and skin. There was a touch of the exotic about her.

“So are you going to ask him out?” Tara asked.

“Sam? No. I’ve got a boyfriend.”

“Oh, yeah. I knew that. That’s a shame.’

“Yeah,” Josie agreed. It took her a moment to catch the girls staring at her curiously. “I mean …” What did she mean? It was a shame she had a boyfriend?

“What’s the deal with the boyfriend?” Tara asked, narrowing her eyes. “Sounds like there’s an issue …”

Josie took a sip of her drink. “You’re very direct. We only just met.”

“Oh, but we’re going to be great friends!” Tara said with a teasing grin. “Besides, Amber already told me all about you so I feel like I know you already. Come on, tell me about the boyfriend.”

“You may as well just talk,” Amber said. “Tara’s like a dog with a bone once she thinks she’s on to a bit of gossip!”

“Not true,” Tara said. “I’m just a concerned friend.”

“Okay,” Josie said. She actually felt like telling someone what was going on in her head. “I haven’t heard from Jack all week, and I guess he’s expecting me to come home over the weekend. I was going to call him today and tell him I’m staying here for the weekend, but then I thought I’d just wait and see if he even notices I’m not there … That’s a bit pathetic, isn’t it?”

Amber and Tara glanced at each other, then looked sympathetically at Josie.

“It doesn’t sound like the strongest of relationships,” Amber said.

“Even by my standards that sounds pretty casual,” Tara put in.

“We’ve been together quite a while – over a year. I don’t think it should still be so casual after so long.”

“Do you love him?”

Josie thought for a moment.

“You shouldn’t really have to think about it,” Tara said. “Especially not for that long.”

“I kind of do love him, though,” she argued. “In a way.”

“Okay,” Amber said. “I’ll rephrase. Are you in love with him?”

Josie screwed her nose up.

Tara’s laugh came out as a cackle. “Looks like Sam might have a chance after all!”

Josie shook her head and concentrated on the drink in front of her. “I can’t believe I told you all that when I hardly know you.”

“I told you we’d be good friends,” Tara said with a wicked grin.

“Don’t worry,” Amber said. “You’ll know all our secrets soon enough.”

“What’s the plan then?” Tara asked. “Split up with Jack and ask Sam out?”

“No!” Josie said firmly, then sighed. She’d never been good at hiding her feelings, and she really wasn’t managing to keep anything from Amber and Tara. “I don’t know.” Her gaze landed on Sam across the pub. If you compared the amount of time she spent thinking about him to the time she thought about Jack, there did seem to be an obvious conclusion.

The girls were looking at her expectantly.

“I’m thinking that maybe it’s time things came to an end with Jack,” she said honestly. “But I can’t just ask Sam out.” Could she?

“I don’t see why not,” Tara said. “Maybe try and stop staring at him.”

Josie dragged her gaze away. “I wasn’t,” she said unconvincingly

“How is it up at the farm?” Tara asked. “You’re getting on well with Annette, I hear?”

Josie was thankful for the subject change. “Yeah, really well.”

“She loves having you around,” Amber said. “And it’s great that you’re reopening the kennels.”

Once they got Josie talking about the kennels, she got carried away, telling them what she’d been doing with the website and how many bookings they’d had so far.

“Sorry.” She finally took a breath. “I swear I didn’t used to be so boring.”

“Don’t worry,” Amber said. “We usually just sit and complain about the same old stuff, so it’s a nice change.”

“We only complain until the third drink,” Tara said. “Then conversations get far more lively.”

Amber grinned. “By drink five, Tara’s usually dancing on the bar.”

“I’m young, free and single,” Tara said. “And I need to let my hair down after a week at work!” 

Josie caught Sam’s eye, and he held his empty glass up and flashed her a questioning look. She nodded and he moved to the bar.

“Aww,” Tara said. “Sam’s got a crush.”

Josie’s cheeks burned. “Shut up!” 

“He usually has two pints and leaves by nine,” Amber said. “He’s definitely hanging around longer than usual tonight.”

Josie shushed them when he walked their way. The laughter had subsided by the time he handed her another beer.

“Thanks.”

“Come and sit with us,” Tara said, pushing a stool out from under the table.

“Sam!” an elderly man called from the bar. “Come here, I need to ask you something.”

He smiled at Josie and sighed before walking away again.

“He’s just too popular,” Tara said. “Everyone loves Sam.”

“You should definitely ask him out,” Amber said. “When you’ve ditched your current boyfriend, of course!”

“I don’t need romantic drama,” Josie said weakly. “I thought I was getting a quiet life in the country.”

“You will certainly get that!” Tara stood. “Who’s up for a shot?”

“No!” Amber and Josie said at once.

“I’ll have a toddler jumping on me at sunrise,” Amber said.

“And I’ll have dogs jumping on me,” Josie added.

“You’re so boring!” Tara laughed as she carried on to the bar. When she arrived back, she launched into a story about her boss, who she was sure had a crush on her. She worked at a bookshop in one of the nearby towns. Josie was quite surprised; somehow Tara seemed too loud and brash to work in a bookshop. Apparently she enjoyed it, even with the slightly creepy boss. The conversations got louder and sillier the more Tara had to drink, and Josie thoroughly enjoyed the evening with her new friends. She caught Sam’s eye a couple of times, but he always seemed to get roped into other people’s conversations.

Finally, she saw him in the doorway, pulling his jacket on. He flashed her a smile and waved before disappearing outside.

“I think I might head home,” Josie said, leaning closer to Amber. They’d joined a conversation with the people on the next table and it was all fairly raucous. She didn’t think she’d be missed.

“Ask Andy, the barman. He’ll give you a lift if you don’t want to walk back on your own, or he’ll find someone else to.” It was the same advice Annette had given her about getting home.

“Sam just left,” she said. “I’ll catch up with him.”

Amber smiled coyly.

“He lives right next door,” Josie said innocently.

“I’ll message you soon,” Amber said as Josie grabbed her bag and called a quick goodbye to the group.