My smile is huge as I set my phone back on the bedside table. I snuggle back into the warmth of the quilt and close my eyes.
All thoughts of wanking forgotten, I fall asleep to thoughts of blue eyes and laughter.
I wakeup to another beautiful day.
The sky is a bright, clear blue, the sun making the frost sparkle, and even though I know it’ll be freezing outside, it makes me want to go out there.
It’s early still, I’m not due at Hailey’s for at least another hour, so I take the opportunity to have a wander around the lodge park.
I met some of Char’s family briefly when I checked in. They gave me an overview of the facilities here and I head for one of them now.
Apparently there’s a marked woodland trail that takes about forty minutes to walk around. Perfect for the time I have this morning. My breath steams in the air as I walk past the other lodges to get to the start of the trail. Some are bigger than mine, others roughly the same size, but the whole park is pristine.
I knew Charlotte came from money, but staying here makes me realise just how wealthy her family are. I’m pretty sure this place is more of a hobby than a main income stream, especially seeing as they refused to let me pay for staying here.
It makes me wonder why Char and Hailey haven’t just hired people to get the pub ready for them if money isn’t the issue. I might ask her about that later.
I reach the start of the trail and come to a stop. It’s surrounded on all sides by open countryside. It looks so pretty—all sparkly with early morning frost—that I want to take a photo. I snap a few with my phone, so pleased with the way they turn out that I feel the need to share them with someone who’ll appreciate them.
I pull up my message thread with Sean and attach two of the photos.
Vic:I can see why you like to walk in the mornings. I’m not used to so much open space.
No, I’m used to walking a trail through thick forest with nothing surrounding you but more trees. There are trees here too, it’s a woodland walk, after all, but not like I’m used to. Not in this little part of the Peak District anyway.
I don’t expect Sean to reply straight away, but he does and I’m already smiling as I open his message.
He’s sent me a photo in return. It’s of wild and rugged countryside, Lucky front and centre with his tongue hanging out.
Sean:It’s beautiful isn’t it? Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
Is that why he fled London and came back here? No, he said he’dhadto come back, not that he’d wanted to. But maybe that’s why he stayed. I stare at the photos he sent me. I live with nature on my doorstep; it’s one of the reasonsImoved back home. I can’t fault him for doing the same. I just wish we’d kept in touch.
But then maybe I wouldn’t have got involved with Hailey and we’d never have had Joe. As much as I wish things had been different between me and Sean back then, I realise I wouldn’t change any of it because nothing is more important to me than Joe and I’ll never regret anything that brought me him.
They say things happen for a reason, and maybe that’s true.
With a lightness to my step, I pocket my phone and set out on the trail. As I walk, I can’t help but wonder something, no matter how hard I try not to. It might not have been the right time for me and Sean back then, but maybe this was fate’s way of giving us a second chance.
He saidfriends, I remind myself as I crunch over frosted grass, twigs snapping underfoot. Sean’s not interested in a do-over, no matter how much the idea is starting to appeal to me. I need to remember that.
I’m about halfway along when my phone buzzes again, but it’s not Sean’s name lighting up my screen this time. It’s Sam’s.
I sigh as I get a feeling I know what this is about, but I answer anyway.
“Hey big bro,” she says before I even get a word in. “I hear you’re thinking about adopting a dog?”
Fuck.
I rub a hand across my eyes, Joe’s earnest face filling my mind. I don’t want to disappoint him, but I’m not seriously considering getting a dog. Am I? “Yeah... about that.”
Joe’s waitingfor me when I get to Hailey’s. He opens the door with a huge smile and bounds over to me, bouncing on the balls of his feet when he comes to a stop.
I laugh and shake my head. Christ, she didn’t waste any time. “I take it Sam called you?”
“She did. Is it true? Are you going to adopt Jax?”
I sling an arm over his shoulder and guide him back inside. “I’ve made an appointment to see her and talk things over with Sam. Let’s see how that goes, shall we?”
