‘I see him all the time.’
‘That’s at work. When are you seeing him properly?’
‘Tonight.’ Nadia closed the mini hamper and put it into the basket beneath the pushchair.
‘Have you…’
Nadia felt her cheeks redden. ‘Not yet.’
‘Sorry, that was personal.’
‘It was, but strangely, I don’t mind.’
A nod of understanding before Monica probed, ‘So tonight is the night?’
Nadia laughed. ‘Not necessarily!’
‘Oh, I bet it is. Didn’t you get your legs waxed yesterday?’
‘I might have done.’
With a giggle, Monica rolled up the blanket and with that beneath the pushchair too, they were ready to go.
‘I want to hear all about it, you know, Nadia. You two are at that exciting early stage where you can’t keep your hands off each other so enjoy every second.’
‘Oh, I intend to.’
Yesterday in Whistlestop River, Hudson had met Nadia in the main street and clutched her hand before pulling her in for a kiss that took her breath away. The day before, they’d been to the Whistlestop River Inn with work colleagues and Monica and Archie had collected Nadia afterwards and caught her andHudson trying to steal a moment with each other down the side of the pub when they thought they had a good five minutes until Nadia’s sister showed up.
‘I don’t care who knows now,’ he’d told her when they were sprung. ‘I’ve waited long enough to feel this way about someone again. I thought I could be single until the kids were much older but I’m glad I don’t have to be.’
Nadia smiled now as she and her sister started their walk back to the airbase. ‘It’s early days but I’m falling for him in a big way. I’ve known him for years. He’s always been a friend, someone I’ve admired.’
‘And now he’s a whole lot more.’
‘Yes, he is.’
‘Do you think he’d be up for a bit of European travel? Bella’s christening isn’t all that far away.’
Nadia felt her cheeks colour. ‘I’ll have to ask him.’
‘It’d be great if you did. We can go out for dinner too, all of us, together.’
‘I’d really love that.’
They walked the rest of the way talking about Switzerland, the country Nadia had left and never admitted to missing until now.
Archie’s work had been very understanding of his current circumstances. He had been down to take time off following the birth of his second child anyway but instead of spending that month in Switzerland, they’d extended the rental at the Airbnb to spend the time here in Dorset. He’d said it was time for them all to be a family, and that Nadia was a part of that.
Almost at the airbase, they said hello to Bess, who had come off shift and met up with Gio, who had brought their new puppy to meet her by the looks of things.
‘Oh, isn’t he gorgeous?’ Monica wasted no time fussing over the dog which Bess was having no luck making sit. ‘Sorry, I’m overexciting him.’
‘He has to learn,’ said Gio. ‘And so do we. Bess here isn’t strict enough.’
‘I am so!’
Gio shook his head in Nadia’s direction. ‘She’s not. If she had her way, she’d let him on the bed, on the sofas; he’d rule the house.’
