“Well...” He pulls out his phone and beckons me to sit next to him on the sofa. “You’ve got all that time off in December, right?”
“I do.” I’ve saved up a lot of holiday over the yearandbought an extra five days to give me four weeks off work. “My editing deadline is January tenth.”
“So you could probably do with somewhere quiet and out of the way to write. Like you had this weekend?”
“I guess.” Although Cheddar was perfect for two nights, I’m not sure I can face four weeks there, especially when it’s practically down the road. “Not sure I want to be away from home for that length of time though.”
“But you could do a couple of weeks.” He softens his voice. “And is this place really home anymore?”
I open my mouth but stumble over the words. Is it? I look around the living room, still free of clutter and most personalisation from the viewings, and it’s like I’m seeing the place with fresh eyes. “No.” I sigh. “It’s probably not been that for a long time.”
“There’s nothing stopping you from taking yourself off for a writing retreat, is there?”
My gaze drops to his phone, a familiar website filling the screen.
Seb grins.
“What have you done?”
He holds his phone up in the air as I grab for it. “I may or may not have booked you a couple of weeks at that pub.”
“I can’t afford that.” Well, I could, but it’d have to come out of my savings. Those rooms weren’t cheap.
He winces. “About that. Dan’s got to move out of his place soon but can’t move into his new one until two weeks after that. He asked me to ask you if he could stay here.”
“Fuck no.” It might not feel as much like home as it used to, but it’s still mine. Well, half mine, but I can’t have him back here. Even if it’d be for just a couple of weeks.
Seb rolls his eyes. “Naturally, I told him to do one. But—” He raises a finger when I go to object. “If you’re not going to be here, you could charge him rent and he’ll be available if you have any more viewings.”
“I can’t charge him rent.” His name is on the mortgage, even if he stopped paying his half.
“Course you fucking can. He’d have to pay to stay anywhere else.”
“Mm.” Still not convinced.
“Just think about it.” He taps his phone to wake up the screen. “Am I cancelling this or leaving it?”
I glance down and those same memories resurface.
Broad shoulders and a warm smile.
There’s no denying the way my pulse kicks up or the curl of excitement in my belly at the thought of going back there. Of maybe running intohim.
And even if I don’t, like I said before, it’s a beautiful part of the country. There are worse places to spend a couple of weeks writing.
“Leave it.”
Seb crows in triumph, and I give him a shove.
“Writing,” I say, pointing at his phone. “That’s all I’m going to be doing there.”
“Of course.”
PETE
Late November. . .
“Right.”Sadie stands and brushes a strand of hair off her face. “I reckon we call it a day.” She has her hands on her hips, gaze taking in our Christmas tree farm that we’re currently in the middle of.
