Caroline woke when she felt Gillian lower herself onto their bed. Through barely opened eyelids, she spied the beside clock—2:45am. Concerned about her hard-working farmer, she forced her brain into gear. "Are you just coming to bed?"
Before an exhausted Gillian had time to answer, Caroline rolled over to spoon into her, ready to bury her nose in her hair and be comforted by the scent of her, only to suddenly pull back. "Your hair's wet!"
"Aye. I needed to clean up. Surprised shower didn't wake you." She was bone weary and more than ready to sleep, but found the radiant warmth from Caroline comforting after the back-breaking hours in the draughty barn.
"How's Loretta Swit? She do alright?" Caroline managed to inquire as she tried to push the nest of wet hair out of her way to nuzzle Gillian's neck.
"Hot Lips had twins but one didn't make it. Sad, but happens." Getting the words out coherently required more energy than she had.
Caroline heard Gillian yawn. "Go dry your hair so you don't get sick."
"In a minute," came Gillian's barely audible reply that was followed by the start of some soft snoring.
Caroline kissed her shoulder and thought about how curly her hair would look in the morning as she too drifted back to sleep.
"Shush, you daft girl," Caroline said under her breath as Ruth bolted to the hallway window, barking at the movement outside. Not used to waking before Gillian, Caroline rolled over and smiled at the sight of Gillian's curly hair all akimbo, relieved she was in such a deep sleep she didn't hear the racket.
Caroline reluctantly got up to nab Ruth before she barked again. It was times like these she wished they had a door flap and a fenced in yard so her protective hound could let herself out and she could enjoy a lie in for a change with her tired farmer. She trudged down the stairs and as she unlocked the door and opened it, she was pleased to see Raff's car in the yard. It was proof he was making good on his promise to take the early shift because he knew Gillian would be up all-night lambing.
A few cold minutes later, Caroline and Ruth entered the kitchen where Caroline was disappointed to find the note she'd left for Gillian still on the table and the snack it mentioned untouched in the fridge. Gillian was getting a bit thinner of late and she worried it was because the farmer was running herself ragged, burning the candle at both ends. Caroline had started making extra snacks to make sure Gillian was properly nourished but the snacks often remained untouched. She had no such problem with Ruth, who rubbed herself against Caroline's legs in an effort to remind her she was ready for kibble.
Wanting to talk to Raff but not wanting to risk waking Gillian by entering their bedroom to get dressed, she checked to see if the basket of clean laundry was still on top of the dryer. Pleased to find a clean pair of jeans, bra and turtleneck, she pulled them on as Ruth watched her from the doorway. Returning to the kitchen, she pulled on a pair of wellies, grabbed her Barbour and scarf and headed out in search of Raff.
"Morning, Raff," she said with a grateful motherly smile when she reached him. "How's the little one doing?"
"Morning. They're doing fine," he said as he looked up from watching Hot Lips nurse her lamb. Spotting the dog moving in, he grabbed Ruth by the collar to keep her from disturbing them.
"Been here long?" Caroline asked, already knowing Ruth had alerted her to his arrival. She reached into her coat pockets hoping to find a pair of gloves. Finding none, she kept her hands as deep in them as possible.
"No. How late did she go?" His voice was steeped in concern.
"Very late. She's still sleeping. Thanks for coming. She's overdoing it and I can't convince her to hire any help."
"That's just her way. She never stops," he responded flatly. He could see the sincerity on Caroline's face and it brought him a sense of peace. He was grateful she cared about his mum as deeply as he did.
"I'm wondering if you would do something for me. I want to surprise her and take her away somewhere for a couple of weeks. Think you could tend the flock and take Ruth? And possibly help Greg with Flora if he can't take her for the whole fortnight? I'm thinking right after the ribbon cutting. I know it's unfair to ask, but she needs a break. We both do. It's been crazy since the fire. It's been…" she rambled before her voice faded out, uncomfortable with needing so much from him.
Caroline saw the smile behind Raff's eyes as he nodded his head. She loved how he loved his mum and appreciated the gentle reliability of the man who was becoming her bonus son. She wished Lawrence were as grounded as Raff had become, having risen to the challenge of young fatherhood so well. Seeing Gillian's features in his face reminded her why he was such a blessing to their lives. "I will pay you. It's the least I can do."
"No need," he answered, screwing up his face into a frown before an idea struck him. A little excited as the idea took form, he countered, "Think you could return the favour, so I can get Ellie away for a few days this summer?"
"Absolutely," Caroline responded without hesitation, knowing Flora could never get enough sleepovers with Calamity and grandmum Gillian was always ready for as much time as possible with her new grandson. He was Raff's Mini Me in every aspect and she'd admitted to Caroline that watching him grow brought back the good memories from Raff's childhood. "Have you had breakfast?"
"Had a protein bar on the way over," he responded, eyes carefully inspecting the mother and her lamb.
Caroline smiled affectionately, nodding in the direction of the house. "Come on up you're ready for a break. I'll get the coffee started and will make you a proper breakfast, but keep the trip idea to yourself, I want to surprise her."
The aroma of coffee and streaky bacon lured Gillian from the comfort of the high thread count bedding. That and the rumbling of her empty tummy lead her down the stairs in time to see Raff pushing the last bite of his breakfast into his mouth. The whiskers on his face told her he'd reported for duty as soon as he rolled out of bed.
"Hope you left some bacon for me," she said in greeting to Raff as she sidled up to Caroline to give her a hug. She slouched against the Aga, peering at the condiments. "Is there any squirty cream for that eggy bread?"
"What are you, four?" Caroline teased as Gillian gave her a chaste peck on the cheek. She flipped a piece of bread in the skillet and poked her head in the fridge to see if she could fulfil Gillian's wish as the late riser took a seat across from Raff.
Soundly placing the can of crème in front of Gillian, she asked, "Do you want some eggs on the side like Raff?"
"Skip the eggs, just a couple of slices of that eggy bread, thanks," Gillian replied as she turned her attention to her flock. "How's Hot Lips this mornin'?"
"She's a natural. Doesn't seemed phased by losing the other one. Looks like Betty White is about to drop hers anytime." Glancing at his mum over his coffee cup, he noticed the circles under her eyes were darker than the last time he saw her. "I can give you a couple more hours this morning if you want to go back to bed after you eat. If Caroline will make me lunch you can take over after that."
"Yeah? That would be great," she said with a yawn as Caroline placed a plate piled high with three slices of eggy bread, a couple of strips of bacon, and several small chicken sausages in front of her. She felt Caroline kiss her on the top of her head as she stirred some milk into her coffee, missing entirely the looks Caroline and Raff exchanged.
"Cheeseburgers around noon," Caroline offered. "I'll fry some mushrooms and onions to go on them if you wish. I know your mum likes them that way."
"That'd be great," Raff said as he carried his dishes to the sink. As he prepared to head back outside, he watched Caroline place Gillian's breakfast and some utensils in front of her and refill Gillian's coffee cup before she grabbed her own plate and sat down. When he saw Caroline reach across the table to take Gillian's hand in hers and say something inaudible that made his mum giggle happily, he hurried out the door. Sauntering back to his chores, he realised he'd never heard his mum giggle like that, not even with Robbie. It dawned on him that in that moment, despite how exhausted she was, his mum was enjoying the part of her life that didn't revolve around him and her grandchildren, and he was happy for her. He was happy for Caroline, too.
Caroline stirred her tea as she impatiently waited for the general contractor on the school project to answer his mobile.
"Good morning, Dr. McKenzie-Dawson. How are you today?"
"James. Good morning. I'm hoping you can give me a progress report. Are we on track to complete everything on schedule?" She crossed her fingers as she waited for his reply.
"We think we'll be ready for the inspectors soon. The last bit of flooring is being installed today and then the final painting should be finished by weekend. Why don't we plan to do a walk thru with the committee this week to come up with the final punch list?"
"Excellent. Helen will be in touch to coordinate it. I'm very pleased James. You promised that once it was under roof your men shouldn't have delays. I appreciate your delivering on your timeline. I must say, this has gone much more smoothly than the last," she said with sincere gratitude, "But let's not do another one."
James laughed heartily, taking the jest as it was intended, and thanked her for trusting him and not micromanaging the build like some of his other clients.
Helen, who had heard her name mentioned, appeared in her open doorway, iPad in hand, as the call was ending. "Did you need something?"
Seeing Helen, Caroline was reminded of her surreptitious investigations over the weekend. She'd holed up in her home office in the early afternoon after Gillian had headed out to the barn. She had finally begun her search for possible places for their holiday. France would remind her too much of Kate, so that was out. She didn't want to watch Gillian ogling hot Italian stallions, so Italy was out. The more Caroline thought about it, the less she wanted to go someplace where they would have to be on the move to see all the sights and the museums. That's how she landed on the idea of a true beach vacation.
Robbie had taken Gillian to Mallorca, so Spain was out. She thought about Greece but her Auntie Muriel would expect a visit if she ventured anywhere near Corfu and that idea made her rule out the whole Mediterranean. It would be too hot in the British Virgin Islands. Then it hit her; Gillian had already told her where they should go. Without any further hesitation, she researched the resorts on the island for the one that appealed the most, pulled out their passports for the necessary information, took a final look at the school calendar, and booked their flights and accommodation. The only thing that remained for her to do was find a way to keep the trip a secret from Gillian, but by the time she had everything arranged, she was so excited at the thought of two weeks alone with her lover in paradise she wasn't sure how long she wanted to wait to tell her.
"Caroline?" Helen asked quietly, hesitant to rouse her boss from her memories.
"Oh. Sorry." Caroline straightened up in her chair, shifting herself back into the present. "Yes, thank you, Helen. Right. We need to get the Building and Grounds Committee in for a walk through. The sooner the better."
With her nose pointed down at Caroline's schedule displayed on the tablet, Helen dove right in. "Looks like you could fit the walk thru Wednesday late afternoon. I'll confirm that with James and then email the committee. Anything else?"
"Please pull the file from our last ribbon cutting ceremony so I can update the guest list. I want to include some of the first responders. Assuming the inspectors give the all-clear, we can set the date. I'm thinking at the end of next month."
"You seem like you're in a rush. What's up?" Helen gazed at her soulfully, wondering why Caroline was drumming her fingers quietly on the desk with a sense of urgency.
Caroline blushed as she shifted in her seat awkwardly, looking unusually evasive. Looking like she wasn't sure how much she wanted to share, Caroline began, "Close the door, please."
Helen was a little taken aback as Caroline was known for her open-door policy. It was one of the many things the staff liked about her, but the notion of being inside the head teacher's inner circle gave her a frisson of excitement. She turned to find Caroline's gaze drowning in her cup of tea, clearly needing a minute to collect her thoughts.
Caroline looked up again and motioned to Helen to have a seat.
"I want to schedule the ribbon cutting asap," the head teacher began. "We need to make it extra special as Judith will be attending and more press will show because of her."
"What's the hurry? Going somewhere?"
"Am I really that transparent?" Caroline gave her a coy smile.
"Please tell me you're not leaving us," Helen said, a stab of fear evident on her face.
"Why would you say that?" Caroline took off her glasses and looked quizzically at her reliable assistant.
"I figure it's only a matter of time before you'll want a new challenge," Helen admitted. She never understood how they'd been so lucky to get Caroline in the first place and knew the head teacher was lauded for turning Crow Wood Park around.
"I'm not planning on going anywhere but on holiday, I promise you," Caroline chuckled.
"A vacation? That's well deserved. Where?"
"Not sure yet," she fudged. "Somewhere with warm ocean breezes and cold tropical drinks, preferably somewhere without mobile phone service or internet."
"Sounds wonderful." Helen planted a beaming smile on her face, delighted for Caroline. Trying to keep it light, she added, "Can I come if I promise to read quietly on a beach chair and only speak if your drink needs a refill?"
Caroline grinned. "I want to surprise Gillian so don't say anything if she calls," Caroline warned her through a gentle laugh.
"You have my word," Helen responded as she stood to leave, sensing Caroline was ready to get back to work. "You deserve to get away after all you've had on here this year. Good for the two of you. I'll get right on scheduling the walk through and then bring you that file."
As she walked out of Caroline's office, Helen catalogued everything Caroline had achieved in the last few years. It was high time to push the chairperson of the board to nominate Caroline for the Queen's Birthday Honours. Helen knew it would take years, but it was time to set the wheels in motion. She didn't think there was anyone more deserving.
