“I’m glad you’re able to come for a drink. I wasn’t sure if you would.”
She held his gaze as they walked, her eyes searching his. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, you’re here to spend time with your aunt and coming out with me means time away from her. And…”
“And?”
“It’s been a long time since we were… together.” He trailed off again and glanced her way, wanting to see her face and her reaction. Even in the dark, he saw the blush that coloured her cheeks.
Was that blush caused by embarrassment at their teenage love affair, a relationship which probably seemed foolish and naïve to her now? Or did the memories of that summer together make her ache for those innocent days, the way they made him ache?
Stop thinking like that, he warned himself.In fact, just stop thinking full stop.
“You’re right, it’s been a long time since we were together,” Gaby said. “But that means we’ve got a lot to catch up on, right?”
Her easy reply made Peter relax a little. They were two grown adults who were more than capable of navigating a catch-up over a drink without overthinking things or having to forensically examine what they’d once meant to each other.
And if he could just get his heart to stop thrashing around inside his chest every time he looked at her, he might even enjoy the evening.
“I can’t wait to hear about all the travelling you’ve done,” Peter said as they turned off Foxglove Street and onto the high street. “I bet you’ve got some amazing stories to share.”
“I bet you do too.”
“My stories will take about five minutes to summarise, so it’s all on you to keep us entertained after that, I’m afraid.”
Gaby laughed and the sound of it took him back all those years to the summer they’d shared and how much he’d loved to hear her laugh. He’d loved it so much that he used to store up dumb jokes and amusing observations to tell her, just so he could hear the rich warmth of her laughter and know he’d been the cause of it.
You told yourself to stop thinking, he told himself again.At the very least, stop thinking stuff like that.
“You’re underselling yourself, Peter. I’m excited to hear about your teaching job and how your family is doing.”
“In that case, I’ll happily bore you senseless with all that stuff.”
She laughed again and looked around her as they passed the high street shops that were shuttered for the night. “Even when everything is closed, this is still such a pretty place. I’d forgotten how nice everything is in Hamblehurst. You’re lucky to live here.”
“I am lucky and I know it. English village life isn’t for everyone, but I love it.”
“Did you always know you wanted to move back here after university?”
Peter nodded. “My family is here and I like living near them. They drive me nuts, obviously, but that’s what they’re supposed to do. I’ve got six nieces and nephews now to keep me busy, too.”
“Wow, that’s fantastic.” She looked a little awestruck at this. “Six?”
“Three nephews and three nieces. And my sister is expecting her second baby now, too.”
“Yourlittle sisterhas a kid already? And another on the way? I can’t believe it! In my head, she’s still only ten years old.”
“Hey, inmyhead she’s still only ten years old, too. Me and my brothers had some adjusting to do when she waltzed into our parents’ house one day when she was only twenty-one and announced she was getting married to her boyfriend and having a baby. It’s a wonder we didn’t kill the guy.”
Gaby laughed, long and hard this time. Peter fought against the stupid pride he felt that he’d been the one to make her laugh.
“Have you got photos of your nieces and nephews? I’d love to see them.”
“Only about a thousand of them. You’ll regret asking.”
Her smile was luminous. And being with her again felt so good. After only a few minutes together, their conversation came as easily as it did fifteen years ago.
It was time to remind himself that she belonged to someone else.
