“I don’t see why this couldn’t wait until this snow eased off,” Gaby said. “This is completely treacherous.”
“I said I had a surprise to show you and it can’t wait,” Peter said, turning to give her a smile.
“Keep your eyes on the road, mister,” she said. “Can you even see the road in these conditions?”
“I can see it,” he laughed. “Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”
Half an hour ago, they’d been tucked up and cosy inside Peter’s flat while the January snowstorm took its course. Then his phone had rung, he’d spoken for a minute in hushed tones in the kitchen before reappearing and asking her to get her coat and boots on.
He wouldn’t tell her where they were going. Despite the terrifying weather, Gaby couldn’t deny being intrigued.
She watched him as he drove, never tiring of looking at his handsome face. When he sensed her eyes on him, he smiled and reached over to squeeze her leg, and although she told him off again for not watching the road, which got another laugh, the thrill of his hand on her body still sent a bolt of electricity straight through her.
It was hard to imagine that just two months ago, she almost walked away from this man. Thank God she’d come to her senses before boarding that cruise ship and sailing off into the sunset. The idea that she’d come so close to leaving him behind still made her shudder.
She thought of all she would’ve missed out on already. If she’d thought she was in love with Peter when she came rushing back to Hamblehurst two months ago, she hadn’t known the half of it. Since then, she’d only fallen harder and deeper in love.
The beautiful diamond ring on her engagement finger was a testament to how quickly their relationship had developed since that bright November afternoon. Peter had got down on one knee on Christmas Eve and asked her to marry him. Through happy tears, she’d said yes.
Desperate to exchange their marriage vows, they’d arranged their wedding for the first day of February. Gaby couldn’t wait to be a winter bride.
They’d planned a small and intimate wedding, with just close friends and family. During the school half-term break, they’d fly to the Caribbean for their honeymoon. The destination was Peter’s suggestion and when he’d told Gaby he wanted her to have the island adventure she’d planned before she’d upended her life to be with him, she’d fallen in love with him even more than she already was.
A sun-soaked week spent enjoying the golden beaches of Barbados would hopefully be just the first of the many exciting travel adventures they’d share together as husband and wife.
Aunt Jill was beside herself with joy about the wedding and had already bought a gorgeous new outfit and hat for the occasion. Many of Gaby’s friends were flying in from around Europe to celebrate her happy day, which touched her enormously.
Gaby’s parents were travelling down for the ceremony but neither could stay for the reception afterwards. Gaby realised she didn’t much mind that they wouldn’t be there for the full day, and it had actually come as a relief to realise she’d only see them for a short while. It was what it was, and she was okay with that.
Especially now that she was fast becoming a full member of the Bailey family. She loved Peter’s family and felt at home and at ease with them. Loving Peter had brought her a family she never thought she’d have and that feeling of belonging, of being wanted and cherished by them all, filled her with joy.
And then there was the career she was building with the Goodwins. When Gaby had called Harry Goodwin a few days after returning to Hamblehurst and asked about the job he might have for her, he’d hired her on the spot. She was now the full-time event manager at the Riverford Hotel, a job she loved. Bringing her vast experience from hotels and resorts around the world to her work, she’d already implemented changes that were enhancing their hospitality offer to their visitors and improving the efficiency of the business.
When the Goodwins finished refurbishing Maldon House later in the year, she would become manager there. The idea of being in charge of what she knew was destined to become one of the most beautiful boutique hotels and wedding venues in the area filled her with excitement every time she thought about it.
Although, after what she’d discovered earlier today, she figured there might now be a spanner in the works with that plan.
“Hey, did you hear me?”
Gaby broke out of her thoughts and realised she’d missed Peter saying something to her. When she glanced out the window through the swirling snow, she realised he was driving them down Foxglove Street.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, we’re almost there. If you squint through the snow, you might just see why I brought us here.”
For a second, she wondered if they were here for a surprise visit to her aunt. But of course that couldn’t be the reason, because her aunt was away for the weekend with a group of her friends, celebrating getting rid of her walking stick at last and being signed off by her consultant with a full bill of health after her surgery last year.
So, they hadn’t come to see Jill. But Peter was stopping the car anyway, a dozen or so houses further down from where Jill lived.
When Gaby gave him a puzzled look, Peter smiled and pointed out the window.
She turned and looked. There was aFor Salesign in the front garden of a pretty terraced house with a bright red door.
“It just came on the market this morning,” Peter said. “The estate agent phoned me with the news. He knows what we’re looking for and thinks this might be it.”
“Oh my God, it’s gorgeous!” Gaby squealed. “I remember admiring this row of terraced houses whenever I was walking back and forth doing my aunt’s errands last year.”
“Want to see what it looks like inside?”
