When I'm With You

Chapter One: All the words that you leave unspoken

Author's Note - So here it is, the first time I've ever been brave enough to post anything other than fanfiction.  It's scary!   Any feedback is much appreciated.  Thanks

When I'm With You

by Hannah Ward (c) Copyright 2018

Chapter One: All the words that you leave unspoken

The sky was overcast and a brisk wind blew in from the sea which fretted and tossed fitfully far below as it battered the jagged cliffs of the Cornish coast.  The white tops rolled in continually like never-ending battle lines to wage their war on the land and the great crash of the waves on the rocks was like a boom of thunder, a deafening roar which told of unbridled power.

On the cliff top a young woman walked with two sheepdogs, her shoulders hunched against the chill of the wind as she headed for the tumbling buildings of the old farm which was nestled in the valley below, sitting almost at the foot of the water.  From this distance it almost appeared as if the grey stone of the buildings grew out of the cliffs themselves, weather-beaten and lichen-covered like the giants which towered over it before they separated to form a tiny beach littered with rocks.

Back up the valley towards the cliff tops were some of the fields which belonged to the ramshackle farm where sheep grazed peacefully, unmindful of the weather.  It had been a hard winter and only the few brave daffodils which had poked their heads above ground, only to be almost bent double by the wind, showed any sign of the approaching spring.

The young woman swiped irritably at the few tendrils of vibrant red hair which had escaped their fastening to blow across her face and then stuffed her hands back in her pockets.  She sighed tiredly as she thought back over the last month.  It had been such a horrible time and she'd had to much to try to deal with that she could scarcely believe it had only been a month and not a lifetime.

She had just turned eighteen when her dad had killed himself, leaving her as legal guardian to her younger brother and sisters - Rose, fifteen; James, thirteen; Casey, seven; and Jessica, five.  Not only had she been dealing with funeral arrangements and solicitors, but she'd been left with a hundred acre sheep and cattle farm to try and run too.

She could have sold the farm and would have had enough left over after paying the mortgage off to buy a house and get by on her wages from working in the village pub, but she had never been one to take the easy route. The farm was where they had grown up and lived all their lives, it held all of their memories of their parents, and she'd be damned if she was going to destroy that. She knew that there were plenty of people in the village and the surrounding farms who thought she was completely mad for doing it the hard way, and maybe she was, but to be honest she didn't really care what anyone else thought. So long as they were together and were happy and safe then that was all that mattered to her.

The sound of a car driving up the lane caught her attention as she crossed the final field before the farm.  She entered the yard just as a grey haired and bearded man was getting out of his car.

"What can 'e want?" she murmured to herself as she quickened her pace to cut him off as he began to stride towards the house.

He stopped when he saw her and waited for her to reach him.  "Ah, just the person I was looking for."  He rubbed his hands together.  "Chilly today."

The young woman folded her arms across her chest.  "What d'you want?" she asked, more bravely than she felt.

"Well, I heard that you've decided to keep the farm, so I think it's for the best if I move in so I can help you out," he replied cheerfully.