Jill’s eyes widened. “Well, that’s quite an offer.”
“I think so too. I was flattered.”
“Does it interest you?”
“It might. Until they’ve finished refurbishing the place, it’s hard to know for sure because I have no idea where I’ll be working by then and what other offers I might already have.”
Jill gave her a thoughtful look. “I suppose there are still so many places you want to go.”
“Yes, so many.”
“It’s an exciting life you lead, my dear. I just hope…”
When her aunt stopped talking and turned towards the window, Gaby followed her gaze, thinking Jill’s beloved wild birds must be putting on another entertaining show at the feeders.
But when she looked out the window, it wasn’t garden birds that she saw.
It was Peter, climbing out of his car and walking towards the house.
Gaby’s stomach flipped into a tumble of somersaults as she jumped to her feet.
“I think you have a visitor, dear,” Jill said with a smile.
“I have no idea why he’s come here!” Gaby said as she rushed to the window and looked out. “I didn’t invite him over.”
“Well, go and answer the door and invite that nice young man inside,” Jill said when the bell rang. “I’ll make myself scarce.”
“No, Aunt Jill, you don’t have to go!” Gaby said, instantly dreading time alone with Peter. Their parting last night was hard enough without going through it all over again.
“There’s something I need to take care of in the other room,” Jill said, already shuffling on her crutches in the opposite direction along the hallway. “Please say hello to Peter for me.”
As her aunt closed herself off in the back room, the doorbell rang again. Flustered, Gaby quickly checked her appearance in the hallway mirror and ran a hand through her hair which was messy and tangled after her busy shift working at the Riverside Hotel. She did her best to tame it, but without a brush handy it didn’t much help.
And why did she care what she looked like anyway?
Don’t ask stupid questions. And stop talking to yourself in the mirror. You look deranged.
Drawing in a calming breath, she opened the door, wondering what in the world Peter was doing here.
25
When the dooropened and Peter saw Gaby standing there with her auburn hair flying wild around her shoulders and a look of utter astonishment in her eyes, he was so captivated by the sight of her that he forgot all the carefully thought out words he’d prepared before arriving.
“Uh, hi Gaby,” he said eventually. “How, er, how are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?”
“I’m also good.”
With some effort, he pulled himself together and told himself to get on with it.
“I’m sorry to just turn up like this. I know you probably just finished the shift you were working at the hotel earlier.”
“I got back about twenty minutes ago. I was about to organise dinner plans with my aunt.”
“Oh, sure. I don’t want to keep you from that, but… listen, can I come in for a minute?”
“Of course.”
