It was unlikely.
And if theyhadstayed together, somehow, would their teenage love affair really have gone the distance into a long-term relationship?
Peter liked to think the answer was yes, but the truth was there was no way of knowing. Perhaps the sweet fling they’d shared had been so sweet precisely because they both knew it would never last beyond the summer.
If he was imagining there might have been a chance for marriage and kids with Gaby if their brief summer together had turned into something more, then he really was living in a fantasy world.
At least he’d been unable to blurt out his stupid thoughts to Gaby because his phone had rung. Their easy, relaxed conversation would almost certainly have come to a shuddering halt if he’d tossed that grenade into the proceedings.
And it’s not as if he’d spent the last fifteen years obsessing about her. He’d rarely thought of her because life moved on and you had to keep moving on too.
Yes, since they’d run into one another at the café the day before, he’d thought a lot about the summer they’d shared and how it had felt to be with her back then, but that was only natural.
But he couldn’t start dreaming of things that would never be, because Gaby was only back in Hamblehurst for a quick visit.
He thought of the cruise liner she’d be joining soon and how she’d sail off to work on board and enjoy a new adventure. He thought of all the places where she’d worked in the past and the obvious pleasure she got from her life of adventure and travel. There were probably countless such adventures waiting for her in the future.
A future Peter would play no part in, because once Gaby left she wouldn’t come back. She hadn’t come back to Hamblehurst during the fifteen years since her last visit—she’d told him thatwhen they’d chatted at the pub—and there was no reason to imagine that would change in the future.
So, Peter had to accept that this time they’d share together would be brief. She’d only be back in his life for a few days and he had to be happy with that.
And hewashappy with that. If he wasn’t, he never would’ve asked for her help with the careers fair and never would’ve asked her out to dinner.
As he continued walking towards his flat, he breathed in the cold night air and looked up at the stars and told himself to be grateful for any time with her at all.
It was an unexpected and fleeting gift and he wouldn’t ruin it by letting his imagination run wild with dreams that could simply never come true.
9
On Monday afternoon,the nurse came and removed Jill’s stitches from her knee. Gaby saw the look of relief on her aunt’s face when the procedure was over, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Once the nurse had completed her work and answered Jill’s questions about the next steps in her rehabilitation process, Gaby thanked her and showed her out. When she returned to the living room, her aunt was already on her feet and using her crutches to move back and forth across the floor.
“That feels so much better,” Jill said. “The pressure around the wound feels entirely different with the stitches removed. I already feel like I can move more easily.”
“I’m so glad, Aunt Jill,” Gaby said. “From what the nurse said when she examined you, the recovery is going brilliantly.”
“I can’t tell you how happy that makes me feel. This past week has been difficult and painful at times and it’s felt like a bit of an uphill slog. Surgery takes its toll, even if it’s for the greater good. I’m just relieved to put the tough bit behind me now.”
“I think you deserve a cup of tea after enduring the nurse tugging those stitches loose,” Gaby said and gave a shudder. “And some cake too. We’ve still got some flapjacks from theSweet Treats bakery to use up as well as those iced cupcakes I bought there.”
“I’ll be the size of a house once this convalescence is over. If I ask you to buy any more cake while you’re here, just ignore me. I can’t be trusted. And my neighbours keep bringing goodies too, and I can hardly refuse to accept their home baked gifts when they’ve all been so kind. Although if they keep it up, we may have to redistribute some of these cakes and treats amongst them all otherwise I’ll be adding to my poor knee’s trouble by piling on pounds of weight.”
Gaby left her aunt to her pacing exercises and went to make the tea. While the kettle boiled, she checked on the vegetable curry she’d cooked earlier and which was marinading on the hob. She liked keeping her aunt fed with tasty wholesome meals while she was staying here and tonight’s curry was packed with plenty of healthy veggies and warming spices to aid with her healing.
Once she’d laid a tray with the tea things and a plate of cakes, she carried it through and served her aunt a cup. When she passed Jill an iced cupcake, her aunt rolled her eyes and laughed before taking a bite.
“If these weren’t so tasty I might be able to control myself,” Jill said. “But my goodness, Mel from Sweet Treats is some sort of sorceress when it comes to baking.”
Gaby laughed and sipped her tea. “I hope you don’t mind if we eat dinner a little earlier this evening so I can go and help Harry Goodwin over at the Riverford Hotel again.”
“That’s fine with me. You’re very kind to help him and his family. What’s the situation with that poor woman who was involved in the road accident and whose daughter you’re filling in for?”
Gaby gave a brief summary of what she knew, which wasn’t much. The woman was still in hospital and it looked likelythat she’d need another operation to deal with the injuries she’d sustained. The Goodwins had given their employee full compassionate leave while things remained uncertain at the hospital. They’d managed to redeploy staff and bring in temporary cover to deal with the unexpected loss of their events manager, but a couple of gaps remained.
When Harry had called Gaby on Saturday evening and asked if she’d be willing to help them again, she’d been happy to say yes. Tonight she’d step in to manage a corporate networking function at the hotel and she’d also agreed to oversee another booking later in the week.
“The Goodwins have done a great job dealing with the staff absence, but they have a busy schedule of events booked and I’m glad I can lend a hand,” Gaby said when she’d finished filling her aunt in on what was going on.
