Olive gave her a thoughtful look. “I hope you won’t think it’s odd for me to say this, but I am proud ofyou, dear. You’ve gone through an awful lot over these past few months and I can only imagine how hard it’s been for you. But seeing you now, a new mother who quite obviously adores her baby, makes me feel proud of you. And I just hope everything works out for you in the future.”
Touched by these words, Courtney smiled. “Thank you, Olive. That’s incredibly kind of you.”
“And there’s something else I’ve been looking forward to asking you about. How did things all work out in the end with the job you did for that nice young Travis Stone?”
Olive’s smile was warm and yet Courtney felt a cold ache at the mention of his name and had to fight to keep her own smile in place.
“It all worked out just fine,” she said. “I got the hang of the social media tasks and I think he was happy enough with what I did while his assistant was recovering. And Travis put me in touch with someone who runs a marketing company for authorsand publishers and I’m now doing some work there on a trial basis to see if we’re a good fit.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. When Travis spoke to our book club at the library, he said he was close to completing a new book. Did he manage to finish it while he was staying here?”
Courtney nodded. “He did, yes. He finished just a couple of days before he returned to London.”
“Ah, well, good for him. And have you two kept in touch since he left?”
Courtney could see the genuine curiosity in the older woman’s eyes. “We’ve sent a few messages back and forth, but now that I have Hope keeping me busy…”
She trailed off, and Olive must have got the gist of what she was trying to say, because she tilted her head and gave her a kind look.
“Well, I hope you’ll both keep in touch once you find more time for such things,” Olive said. “Travis Stone struck me as a nice young man and someone worth staying friends with.”
Courtney felt a blush colour her cheeks and dropped her gaze. Olive let out a soft laugh and rose from the sofa.
“Well, I ought to be on my way. Now that my jet lag has been dispatched, I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone after spending so many weeks on the other side of the ocean. I’m dropping by to see my friend Walter for a catch-up and then I’m meeting some of my lady friends for a late lunch. I’ll see you soon, I hope?”
“Of course you will.”
“Good luck with your move across Hamblehurst to your aunt and uncle’s house,” Olive said at the door. “And don’t be a stranger!”
After a final hug goodbye, Courtney waved Olive off. After checking on Hope in her bassinet and watching her daughter sleep for a few moments, she returned to her final packing tasks.
As she worked, her mind returned to what Olive had said. She mulled over Olive’s words about how she’d convinced herself she wouldn’t be able to attend her grandson’s wedding in Canada because of worries about the effects of the long-haul travel… and then had realised those worries were nothing more than a mental obstacle and one she could overcome if she put her mind to it.
It was a heartwarming story. Courtney knew for herself how much grit and determination it took to do something that scared you. The last year of her life had led her to face countless daunting challenges she never imagined having to endure, and although there were many, many times when she thought she didn’t have what it took to keep going, she somehow found the will to do just that, despite the odds, despite the fear, despite the heartbreak.
So, considering all she’d survived this year, why was it that she was terrified of the idea of sending Travis Stone a simple text message to say,Hello, how are you?
The answer, she knew, was simple. She’d felt far more for Travis than just friendship. She still did. But there would never be anything more than friendship between them, and that just wasn’t enough.
And so there was no point in sending off a casual text message to him, asking how he was. Their brief time together was over and their lives were leading them in wildly different directions.
Better to accept that and let go of what she’d felt for him and concentrate instead on what truly mattered—her daughter and giving Hope the best future she possibly could.
It was better that way.
She was bagging up some of Hope’s plush toys that she’d overlooked when the doorbell rang again. With Hope still fast asleep, Courtney went to answer the door, figuring it was heruncle Colin and aunt Lorraine and feeling glad she’d almost completed her packing before they arrived.
But yet again, it wasn’t her uncle on the doorstep.
This time, it was Travis Stone.
The unexpected sight of him made Courtney’s breath catch in her throat. His smile was uncertain, his eyes scanning hers as she stood there, stunned. He wore a grey shirt and dark blue jeans, and looked achingly handsome with his hair cropped shorter since the last time she’d seen him.
“Hi, Courtney,” he said. “Sorry to just drop by like this out of the blue.”
“It’s fine. It’s great to see you.” Her heart was hammering against her chest, but she did her best to offer a smile, determined not to let him see just how shocked she was to have him turn up without warning. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been good, thanks. What about you? How is Hope?”
