But he didn’t care about that right now.
Right now, all he cared about was finding out which cruise ship Gaby was sailing from tonight so he could drive to Southampton and find her before she was gone.
All day, Peter had been thinking about those last tormented moments with Gaby and thinking, too, about what his brother had said last night.
There’s always a choice. You just have to keep looking until you find it.
Brad was right. There was always a choice, but Peter had been too stupid to see it—until now.
The light had dawned and he’d realised what he had to do. He only hoped it wasn’t too late.
As Peter leapt out of the car outside Gaby’s aunt’s house, his phone pinged and he saw a message from the headmaster pop up.
Uh-oh. He opened the text and read it.
Consider yourself very lucky, Mr Bailey, because one of your colleagues told me that you running out of school today might have something to do with that nice young woman you invited to talk at the school careers fair last week. If that’s true, all I can say is—it’s about time. And good luck—we want you to be happy. P.S. Don’t ever burst into my office like that again or I’ll take the ruler to the back of your hand, boy.
The headmaster had added a winking emoji at the end of the message. Peter grinned, relieved that his boss understood that some things in life just couldn’t wait and damn the consequences. Perhaps he wasn’t getting fired after all.
But if he was, it didn’t matter—not now that he understood the choice he’d made and what it might mean for the future.
Peter ran to Jill Young’s front door and rang the bell. Impatient, he rang it again.
“I’m coming, hold your horses,” came the voice from inside.
Jill opened the door and looked surprised when she saw him there.
“Peter, hello. What on earth are you doing ringing the doorbell like that?” She held up her walking stick. “I’ve only just come off my crutches and you must know I can’t move fast yet.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just that I need to know which ship Gaby’s on,” he said, the words pouring out in a rush.
Jill frowned, obviously confused. “What? Why on earth…” Her expression shifted and a smile lifted her lips. “Ah, I think I understand. You’re going to chase after her.” Jill’s smile widened further still. “I thoroughly approve.”
“I just… there’s something I need her to know before she goes, before it’s too late.”
Jill was already pulling her phone from her pocket and scrolling on the screen. “No need to waste precious minutes explaining it to me. I have her departure information and new work contact details here. She’s sailing on the Diamond Voyager which leaves at six o’clock this evening from the Ocean Terminal at Southampton.”
Peter grabbed Jill and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you!”
“Good luck!” Jill called after him as he fled back to his car. “I hope you find her!”
He was opening the car door when he heard someone calling out his name.
HeardGabycalling out his name.
Peter looked up and saw her hurrying along Foxglove Street towards him, pulling a suitcase behind her. Stunned surprise left him gaping as he tried to make sense of it.
“Peter!” she called out again as she drew closer.
“Gaby, what are you doing here?” he said, his voice catching at the sight of her. “I thought you’d gone.”
“I’m not going, Peter,” she said when she reached him. “I’m staying right here.”
He let that sink in. It didn’t. “What?”
“I’m not leaving on the cruise ship. I’m not taking the job on the cruise ship. I’m staying here. Because I want to be with you.”
Peter stared at her for a long moment. She looked so beautiful with her auburn hair flying in the cool breeze, her cheeks flushed from hurrying along the street. The light of theafternoon November sunshine reflected in her emerald eyes, bewitching him.
