Chapter 51
JED
Just under a fortnight later, it was the eve of Tara’s thirty-seventh birthday and I was taking her out for a meal.
I’d lined up Mum to take Aaron to swimming club but Ingrid had stunned us by offering to do it instead.
I hadn’t expected Aaron to let her as he’d shown great reluctance to spend any time in her company, only agreeing to a conversation with her a couple of weeks back on the proviso that I was there too.
I’d stepped into my familiar role as mediator and told him I could see his mum was trying her best and I’d really appreciate if he could meet her halfway so, when he agreed to Ingrid doing the swimming run, I wondered if my words had got through to him.
Either that or he figured that the car journey each way wasn’t that long so there wouldn’t be much time for conversation.
Although our meal was to celebrate Tara’s birthday, we’d received good news earlier in the day that our offer to buy Lighthouse Retreat had been accepted so we toasted to that too.
It had been a cheeky offer way below the asking price so there’d been some negotiation but we’d still got it for a song and a huge bonus was that it already had approval to be used for business and residential purposes.
We needed to do a lot more research on the practicalities and implications of running some sort of refuge for teens needing support but our priority was to convert part of the former hotel into a family home with bedrooms for Erin, Lucy, Aaron and Zoe if she wanted to stay with us.
We could explore everything else while the renovations were underway.
‘I know it’ll be months before our new home’s ready,’ I said as we lay in Tara’s bed that night, ‘but how are you feeling about leaving this place?’
She seemed to ponder on that for a moment.
‘Surprisingly okay. I thought about our living situation months ago. I knew it couldn’t be here and the thought of moving out really upset me at the time.
Carly said something about this flat being my safe haven and that really resonated with me but I’ve found a new safe haven now and it’s a person rather than a place.
’ She paused to gently kiss me. ‘So, much as I love it here and will be sad to move out, I don’t need to be here anymore.
I need to be where you are and where our family are.
I know we’re not quite halfway through the year yet, but I think it’s time for another fresh chapter in our book of life with our new hopes and dreams. What do you think? ’
‘I think that sounds perfect.’
Waking up beside Tara on her birthday had me wishing time would speed up so that we could finally spend every night together. It would be months before that happened but it would be worth the wait.
Tara had the morning off work to get ready with Carly and the other bridesmaids but, as the wedding wasn’t until two o’clock, I was at work first thing so I reluctantly kissed her goodbye and crossed the cobbles to the gallery.
I left for Fallowfield Grange after lunch, telling Anastasia and Lucy that I’d see them in the evening. Carly and Liam were having a small wedding but a big evening do and had invited Anastasia and Colin – who were still an item and very happy together – as well as my family.
I wouldn’t see Tara until the ceremony itself. I didn’t know anything about her bridesmaid dress except that it was blue and I couldn’t wait to see her in it. Spotting several of the Bay Trade crowd in the bar, I joined them for a pint before we were called to take our seats.
Liam was at the front with his best man – a good friend from the army – and the pair of them looked very calm, laughing together and smiling at the guests.
Music started playing and the guests hushed as Carly entered the room and walked down the aisle with her dad, followed by Bethany, Tara and Liam’s sister.
I knew I should probably focus on Carly as the bride but I couldn’t take my eyes off Tara.
She looked absolutely gorgeous and, when she glanced at me and smiled, I thought about what she’d said about a new chapter in the book of our lives.
It wasn’t just a new chapter. It was a new book we were writing together as a team and I couldn’t wait to see where each fresh chapter took us.