‘And I, you. I wish—’
He put his fingertips to her lips. ‘Let’s leave the past in the past. No wishing we’d done things differently, that we’d been together all along. We’re together now, and that’s all that matters.’
After they kissed, Bridie glanced over her shoulder and saw Reggie and Isobel still walking towards them, deep in conversation. She imagined they were saying the same sort of thing to one another as they headed to Cobblers Yard too.
After a moment, she started walking again. Oliver fell in step beside her, his hand closing gently around hers.
The promenade stretched ahead, bathed in the glow of lamplight. And for the first time in a very long while, Bridie felt like she wasn’t walking back into the past – or running from it. She was walking forward, to a bright future.
Chapter 58
Bridie unlocked the shop door and let Oliver inside first. She’d just stepped into the shop when she heard footsteps on the cobbles. It was just as she thought – Isobel and Reggie were heading home across the yard together too.
She watched Reggie open the shop door. Reggie paused and turned around to look in her direction. He waved. Isobel turned around and waved too.
‘Night, night,’ Bridie called across the yard.
Isobel and Reggie called back, ‘Night, night, sweetheart.’ Isobel stepped inside the shop, but Reggie lingered at the door a moment, staring in her direction, as though there was something on his mind. Bridie was about to step forward, wondering what was up, when he gave her another wave and then joined Isobel. The shop door closed, and a moment later the light went on in Reggie’s flat upstairs.
‘What is it?’ Oliver asked, noticing her still standing at the door.
‘I never saw the other photo in Isobel’s locket. I would have thought there were two.’
‘Oh, right. I don’t know who the baby was, but Jack told me he recognised the other person in the photo, even though hewas a lot younger.’ Oliver grinned, taking in Bridie’s surprise. ‘Yeah, we were actually chatting like two normal human beings for once, rather than coming to blows, and that’s when he mentioned the locket and what he’d seen inside. ‘So that …’ he pointed at Reggie’s flat, indicating the visitor he’d brought home, ‘doesn’t surprise me.’
Bridie turned around. ‘I don’t understand …?’
‘It was Reggie. The other photo was of Reggie. I wonder what happened to the baby?’ Oliver said before turning his sights on the coffee maker.
Bridie stood by the door, staring across the yard.
‘I’m going to make us a coffee,’ Oliver said, approaching the cosy corner at the back of the shop. ‘Are you closing that door?’
Bridie slowly closed the door.
‘Everything all right?’ Oliver asked as she walked into the shop.
‘Isn’t life strange, Oliver? One minute everything is pretty normal, albeit with its ups and downs, and suddenly—’
‘The love of your life appears out of nowhere,’ said Oliver, taking her in his arms.
They were about to kiss, when she heard a howl. ‘Ah, Barney heard the shop door. I’d better go up there.’
Oliver nodded. ‘I’ll make the coffee.’
‘You can come upstairs, you know.’
‘I know, but I’ll hang here for a moment.’ He raised his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment – us together.’
Bridie knew it wasn’t a question. She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘You know, I think I’ve been waiting for this all my life too. I just didn’t know it.’
Bridie was just walking down the stairs, after giving Barney a fuss and some dog treats, when she heard Oliver on the phone.
‘You have got to be kidding, Jack.’
Bridie raised her eyebrows as she stepped into the shop. Jack? Why was he on the phone to Jack, of all people? She felt her stomach lurch at the thought that it was starting again – Jack coming between them. And they hadn’t even been together five minutes.
Oliver was sitting on the sofa. He looked up and smiled at Bridie, still talking on his phone. ‘Yes, of course I’ll tell her. Yes, you have a good night too, mate.’
