Chapter 45
They were both silent in the car on the way to the airport the next morning.
Guy parked the car and wheeled her suitcase across to the departures hall.
Liz had checked in online, so once she had handed her suitcase in, Guy walked her slowly towards the departures lounge.
‘I wish you’d changed your mind and stayed on for longer,’ he said.
‘I couldn’t.’ Liz bit her lip. ‘I have a deadline to meet. I want to be work-free for when you visit me. You will come soon?’
‘I promise. You go finish your book and I will be there to help you celebrate.’
A lingering kiss, oblivious to the people around them, and then Liz turned and walked up the steps into the lounge and was gone.
Guy drove slowly home along the traffic-filled bord de mer thinking about the last couple of weeks.
How his life, shattered by Jacqueline’s death and all the questions that surrounded it, had been completely turned around.
Hard to believe it was only eighteen days ago that Liz had walked into his life.
And just five short days ago his life had changed again when he’d learned about the existence of Jake’s son. His nephew Leon.
Once home, Guy parked the car in the garage, made himself a coffee and sat out in the garden to drink it.
So many ideas, plans, going around in his head.
The need to get Villa Celestia valued was at the top of the list. Once he knew that, he could put the second part of his plan to sell into action.
He’d walk down to an immobilier and arrange an appointment later today.
When Liz had asked last night what he would do back in the UK, he’d been a little evasive, because, in truth, he did know what he wanted to do.
If at all possible, he wanted to go back to his first dream – open a small intimate restaurant somewhere in the West Country.
But until he had a chance to do some research, he had no idea where exactly.
He knew Liz loved her cottage and he would never ask her to move, but he wanted to be near her; he also knew he had to be reasonably close to his father.
And then there was time to be spent getting to know Leon, which would probably be easier if he stayed on the Riviera as the yacht Leon was on was more likely to visit ports in the Mediterranean than in the UK.
Maybe he could buy a pied-à-terre down here as well as something in the UK?
So many decisions to be made – some by him alone but a lot he and Liz would decide together.
Guy drained his coffee. Getting the villa valued was the first step. A step he’d organise right now.
* * *
Sitting in her window seat looking down on the clouds as the plane flew her back to England, Liz sighed happily.
How apt they were travelling high above the clouds as she felt she was currently on cloud nine herself after the last few days.
Her life was now full of unexpected dreams and hopes for the future that she would never have imagined being possible a matter of three weeks ago.
Meeting and falling love with Guy Lyon had changed her life.
Dear Guy. Neither of them had mentioned the word ‘love’, but she knew in her heart of hearts that she loved him, and he loved her.
For years, characters in her stories had fallen in love at first sight, but she’d always been sceptical about it happening to people in real life. But now she knew for a fact it was possible – at any age.
Guy had clearly been hurt by Jacqueline and her betrayal, more than she herself had been hurt by Ralph’s behaviour and his final abandonment of her.
The two of them were coming into this new relationship with baggage, but they were both mature enough to accept that the past was the past and had to be left there – it was their future together that mattered.
He’d promised that their location in different countries would be short-lived and Liz could only hope he was right.
The retreat too had been a wonderful experience.
The whole fortnight had been inspirational.
Sandy, with her knowledge of the publishing industry, had impressed and the way she had managed to keep Becky onside was impressive.
Liz smiled as she thought about Becky. Despite her bumptiousness and slightly crazy attitude towards life, she was fun to be around.
Antibes itself was beautiful, lovely food cooked by Guy, swimming in the Mediterranean with new friends that she hoped would stay in her life, everything had combined to refuel her creativity and banish her writing block.
In the last week of the retreat, she’d written so much, despite spending every evening with Guy.
Once home, she intended to sit down, add to the thousands of words she’d written at Villa Celestia and quickly finish the first draft.
She’d treat the next ten days or so as her own retreat and get the book down while she waited for Guy to visit.
And there he was, back in her thoughts again.