‘It is and I feel relieved. After I met with them, I had a meeting with the headmaster at the local school about a place for Holly. I’ve not told her yet but she will be able to start after Christmas. It will be good for her to make new friends and have a proper routine.’
‘It will be good for you both. I’m genuinely happy for you.’
‘Heartcross is a lovely village with a brilliant community and it will be good for me to have some stability and a supportive network. I’ve been feeling as if my whole world has collapsed but now…’ He reached across the table and took hold of her hand. ‘And then there’s you.’
Suddenly emotional, Libby gulped. This was the first man in a very long time that she’d had genuine feelings for.
‘I think about us … a lot,’ he admitted. ‘And the circumstances we’re in.’ He paused. ‘After I’d discovered the betrayal of Sophie and Lydia, not only did I think I’d never bounce back but I also made a promise never to get entangled with another woman again. But then, who could resist a gorgeous woman standing in the snow, wearing a bikini and a red bobble hat? It’s every man’s dream.’
Libby laughed. ‘I couldn’t believe my luck either. Standing there, semi-naked. It was embarrassing.’
‘There’s something about you, Libby Carter. I just can’t get you off my mind. You’re like no one I’ve met before. You’re fun, vibrant, drop-dead gorgeous… I wasn’t interested in finding anyone, but you’re…’
She whirled a finger around, urging him to continue. ‘Keep those compliments coming.’
He smiled. ‘And I knew the kindest thing would be not to get involved in your life but in just this short time my feelings have grown hugely. I find myself thinking about you more and more … but in the situation we are in, it’s damn near impossible to date or have a relationship.’
‘Damn near impossible but not impossible…’ Libby was harbouring an idea, thanks to her dad, but before she talked about it with Guy there was an important phone call she needed to make. ‘We have to keep the faith.’ Even though a few weeks ago she could never have imagined being in this situation, she might now have come up with the perfect solution, one that she hoped would protect her heart from shattering into hundreds of pieces.
‘We have to find a way, though I’ve no clue how to make that happen. I don’t want you to give up on your dream but I don’t want you to walk out of my life either. If I didn’t have Holly, I’d be jumping on that plane with you and spending time with you in New York.’
‘You would have done that for me?’ Libby’s smile grew. He’d actually thought about it.
‘Of course I would. Maybe once Sophie and Lydia are settled, I can come out and spend time with you. There are ways to keep in touch—FaceTime and WhatsApp… I really want to see where this goes.’
Libby’s heart was melting. Guy was wearing his heart on his sleeve, being open and honest with his feelings, and she was feeling the same. She didn’t want to let him go but she also knew that while this was lovely to hear, there were bigger factors they would need to address.
‘New York isn’t that far.’ He was trying to make a joke of it but his voice cracked.
Libby reached across the table and took his hand. ‘I know it’s very early days but, distance aside, there’s a difficult conversation we need to have.’
Guy nodded. ‘I know.’
Libby’s voice was soft. ‘You know I can’t have children. It’s heart-breaking for me but I’ve had a long time to come to terms with it. You really need to think what is best for you and your future. I don’t want to be the one who takes your dreams away from you.’
Guy was quiet for a moment. ‘There are options.’
‘There are but you need to be sure you’re okay with them. I can’t go through the pain of getting close to someone again, only to have them leave me later when the going gets tough.’ Libby’s voice wavered.
‘I’m not the type of person who would leave when the going gets tough.’
‘I know, but it’s a huge decision to make and not one I want you to make now. You need time to digest this and decide what you truly want…’ She swallowed. It was difficult to give him an out like this but she knew it had to be said.
Guy nodded. He understood.
For the past ten years Libby had found it difficult to move on, memories from the dark times in her life often resurfacing, but since she’d met Guy all that had begun changing. She too had hope for the future, but they needed to figure out how to make it work.
‘I appreciate that,’ said Guy, ‘and I promise I’ll give it serious thought. For now, let’s lift this mood and enjoy our time together. Do you need to get back tonight?’ He raised his eyes playfully. ‘Holly is staying at her mum’s with Pickle so I have the night to myself.’
‘You don’t have to be by yourself.’
Standing up, he reached out and took Libby’s hand. They stood close together and he rested his head against hers. ‘There is something telling me we have to give this a go.’
‘I feel the same way.’
With his arms wrapped around her, they stared out across the clear night sky. They stayed silent as they watched the lights of houses in the far distance. ‘Quick, look.’ Guy’s voice rose and he pointed directly in front of them.
Libby swung her gaze upwards, to see the most wonderful sight. ‘Oh my… It’s amazing!’ In the darkness, the white light shone all the brighter.
