Chapter 13
Peter paid the bill and left a generous tip for the waiter. He helped Gaby into her coat, happy to see that it had dried while they’d been eating and would keep her warm for the walk home.
Well, assuming she wanted to walk home. During dessert and coffee, Peter had detected a restlessness about her, as if she was eager to leave but too polite to say so. She’d covered it well enough, but he couldn’t escape the notion that she was keen to bring their evening together to a close.
He’d probably bored her senseless. It stood to reason that a woman who led an amazing life like Gaby did wouldn’t really want to hang around with someone like him.
She travelled the world and worked in some of the most fantastic hotels and resorts to be found.
He was a high school maths teacher who still lived in the small market town where he’d grown up.
Talk about chalk and cheese.
“I can call a taxi if you don’t feel like walking home,” he said.
“It’s not far to Foxglove Street,” she replied. “And walking off some of that huge meal seems like a good idea.”
Peter waved goodbye to his friend Eddie Carlotti, who was busy behind the bar, and then held the door for Gaby.
Her warm, citrusy scent drifted in the air as she passed, just like it had when they’d met at the pub. The bright and vibrant aroma suited her and matched her energy and thirst for life.
He almost opened his mouth to say so, and snapped it closed just in time. Commenting on her perfume was a truly bad idea because she’d know just by the look in his eyes what he really meant.
Your perfume is gorgeous and so are you.
He imagined blurting out the words and frowned because once those words were out, there was no taking them back.
Their evening together had left him flailing. He’d tried to convince himself that taking her to dinner was simply him repaying the favour Gaby had done by filling his guest speaker spot at the school. And that was part of it obviously, because he wanted her to know he appreciated the favour.
But the soft candlelight in the restaurant and the good food and wine and the sheer joy of being in her company had overwhelmed him… and made him want more.
And then she’d pulled out that small notebook from her bag with its dog-eared pages and worn cover and he’d looked at all the destinations Gaby had listed there and he’d realised that no matter how much more he wanted with her, he could never have it.
She lived a life of travel and adventure. The list of places already ticked off in that notebook was astonishing.
And there were so many more destinations she’d written there and which still waited in her future.
He’d known from the moment they reconnected that she was only here temporarily. Tonight over dinner, he’d dared to imagine he saw attraction in her eyes when they looked across the table at each other.
And there might well have been attraction. They’d been attracted to each other once. They’d loved each other once. Perhaps it was natural for flickers of those old feelings to return.
But Gaby would leave Hamblehurst soon. This time they were spending together was brief and lovely and Peter couldn’t bring himself to ruin it by telling her that being in her company had reignited every feeling he’d ever had for her.
And he couldn’t ruin it by confessing that, since they’d crossed paths again, he now understood why he’d never fallen for anyone else the way he’d fallen for her fifteen years ago.
She was the most amazing and mesmerising and addictive woman he’d ever known. No one else even came close.
But none of that mattered. She was out of reach. Even hinting at how he felt would spoil this brief time they’d had together and also spoil his memories of the summer they’d loved each other.
“I don’t think we’ll need your umbrella, thank goodness.”
Peter blinked out of his inner monologue and saw Gaby looking up at the night sky as they walked along the cobbled lane. The clouds had gone and the stars were out, the air fresh from the earlier rainfall and the drifting sweetness of autumn leaves.
“At least we won’t get wet again,” Peter said, pulling himself together.
“And it’s lovely seeing the stars.” Gaby smiled and slipped her hand through his arm as they walked.
The touch of her fingers hooking into the crook of his elbow just about killed him.
For a moment, Peter’s mind filled with an image of the two of them like this for the rest of their lives, arm in arm and walking the lanes of this little market town together, making their way home beneath a shimmering blanket of starlight.
It was an impossible fantasy and he knew it.
For his own sake, Peter knew this had to be the last time they saw each other. No more drinks, no more dinners, no more requests for favours to keep him inside her orbit.
When he walked her back to her aunt’s house, he’d thank her again for her help, thank her for joining him for dinner, tell her he’d enjoyed catching up, wish her well for the future… and then he’d walk away.
He’d walk his path and let Gaby walk hers.
And then he’d put her out of his mind, somehow, and move on with his life.
“Are you okay, Peter?” Gaby asked, giving him a concerned look as they walked. “You seem quiet all of a sudden.”
“I’m fine,” he replied and offered an easy smile—well, as easy as he could manage given the thoughts storming through his head. “I think I ate too much bread at dinner and it’s sending me into a carb coma.”
“Don’t pass out until you walk me home.”
“I can just about manage to last that long.”
She laughed and they turned off the lane onto the high street.
They’d only taken a couple of steps when Peter heard his name being called from across the road.
When he looked over, he saw his parents walking down the street from the opposite direction.
They waved and checked for traffic before hurrying across to join them.
“Hello son, fancy meeting you here,” his father said with a grin as he clapped him on the shoulder.
“We’re out for our late evening stroll and were just about to swing back towards home when I saw you across the road,” said his mother, her warm gaze switching from Peter to Gaby with a questioning look on her face.
“Mum, Dad, I’m sure you both remember Gaby Leonard,” Peter said. “We knew each other years ago and she’s back here for a couple of weeks visiting her aunt. Gaby, you probably remember my parents, Kate and Tommy.”
“Of course I remember,” Gaby said. “It’s great to see you both again.”
Warm hugs were exchanged along with fond greetings as the three of them got reacquainted.
“I can’t believe it’s been so long since we last saw you,” Kate said. “I remember you used to come to our house for dinner when you and Peter were dating. It seems like only yesterday.”
“What are you doing with yourself these days?” Tommy asked.
“I work in hotel and hospitality management,” Gaby said.
“That sounds wonderful,” Kate said. “And how is your aunt? I don’t think we ever met her, did we Tommy?”
“No, I don’t think we did,” Tommy said. “Do you come back to visit her often?”
“Actually, no,” Gaby said. “I travel a lot for work and Aunt Jill likes to come and see me either in London when I’m passing through or sometimes she flies out for a short break to wherever I’m working and that way she combines a little holiday with seeing me.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Tommy said. “But it must be nice for you to come and see her at home for a change. Do you two have a lot of sightseeing planned while you’re here?”
“Not quite. Aunt Jill had an operation on her knee and I wanted to be here to help her over the worst of the recovery.”
“I’m sure she appreciates it,” Tommy said. “Give her our best wishes.”
“Yes, please do,” Kate said. “Is she on the mend?”
“She’s getting better every day. It’s a huge relief.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Kate said. “So, where are you working once you leave here? Do you have far to travel?”
“Actually, I just finished a contract working in a hotel in Madrid before I came here and afterwards I’m starting a new short-term job on a cruise ship for three months.”
“That sounds wonderful!” Kate said, immediately interested. “Where were you working in Madrid? Tommy and I are thinking of having a short break there next year and we’re looking at hotels right now and wondering which one to go for. Maybe you could give us some suggestions?”
“Kate, I’m sure the girl doesn’t want to stand here in the freezing cold giving us travel tips,” Tommy said, catching Peter’s eye with a look of apology. “And we’re interrupting these youngsters’ evening.”
“You’re quite right,” Kate said. “You should come to dinner at our house while you’re visiting, Gaby. I won’t take no for an answer. We have our big family get-together on Thursday. Come and join us.”
“Uh, I think Gaby might have better things to do than put up with our rowdy dinner chaos, Mum,” Peter said, keen to stop this in its tracks.
He’d just been convincing himself that once he walked Gaby home, he wouldn’t see her again.
His mother inviting Gaby to dinner was the equivalent of a grenade being lobbed into the middle of his self-preservation plan.
“I’m sure she can spare an evening to drop by and have dinner and tell us all about what she’d been up to since we last saw her,” Kate said, waving off his comments and turning back to Gaby. “So, shall we see you on Thursday?”
Gaby looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights. “Uh, that’s really kind Mrs Leonard, but I wouldn’t like to impose.”
“Nonsense, I invited you, didn’t I?” Kate said. “We’d love to chat more over a nice family meal instead of standing out here in the cold. Peter will drive you to our house, won’t you Peter?”
His mother’s pointed stare made it clear that she expected him to be on board with the dinner invitation.
“Of course I will,” he said, knowing that resistance was futile.
“That settles it,” Kate said, looking pleased. “We’ll see you on Thursday evening, Gaby.”
Peter watched his parents hug Gaby again. On a chorus of ‘good nights’ and ‘see you soon’, Kate and Tommy waved goodbye and continued on their late evening walk.
“That was a nice surprise,” Gaby said as they resumed walking along the high street.
“Hmm, very nice,” he quipped. “Just be glad they obviously forgot that your aunt only lives a couple of streets away from them, or they’d be walking us back there so my mother can interrogate you further about Madrid hotel recommendations.”
“I wouldn’t have minded,” she said, amused. “I’ll bring a shortlist of hotel suggestions with me on Thursday.” She quickly glanced in his direction, her expression now uncertain. “Unless you’d rather I didn’t come to dinner. I realise your mother sort of sprang the invitation on you.”
“She sprang it on you. If you’d rather not come, I completely understand.”
“I’d like to come, it’s just… well, you didn’t seem very happy when she invited me.”
“Listen, it’s completely up to you.”
Peter realised he was starting to sound tetchy and rude. Making a big deal out of a simple dinner invitation was ridiculous. If Gaby failed to appear for dinner, his mother would want to know why and would blame him for not insisting she join them.
“I’d love it if you joined us for family dinner, Gaby,” he said and realised he meant it because he’d get to see her again after resigning himself to parting ways. “You can meet my nieces and nephews. It’s total chaos but it’s worth it for my mother’s roast chicken.”
Her eyes lit up. “I forgot about your mother’s roast chicken. It was so good. And I’d love to meet your nieces and nephews. Are you sure this is all okay with you?”
“I’m positive.”
As they turned onto Foxglove Street, they discussed the arrangements. By the time it was all settled, they’d reached her aunt’s house.
“Thanks again for dinner tonight, Peter,” Gaby said.
“Thanks again for helping out at the school careers fair. It means a lot to me.”
At the front gate, she fished her keys from her bag. “I thought we might not see each other again after tonight. I’m glad your parents appeared and gave us another chance to spend some more time together.”
“If you change your mind, or your aunt needs you that evening, just let me know.”
“Okay.”
He wished he hadn’t said that, because her expression shifted again, as if she were trying to decipher the true meaning of his words.
“But I hope that doesn’t happen, because you’d miss a fun night of Bailey family mayhem,” he added, wanting to smooth things over and detesting the idea of hurting her feelings with his clumsy verbal gymnastics.
Gaby’s dazzling smile reappeared and had a predictable effect on his tumbling heart.
“I’m already looking forward to it,” she said.
“Good.”
They stood outside the front gate, eyes locked, and the cold night air was suddenly thrumming with electricity between them.
Gaby’s green eyes sparkled beneath the streetlamps and the evening breeze caught her hair and sent it billowing softly around her face, and the impact on Peter was devastating.
It took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to step closer and take her in his arms and kiss her.
“Good night, Gaby.”
“’Night, Peter.”
He waited until she was inside the house before he turned for home. Neither the cold night air nor his bracing stride helped to clear his racing thoughts.
All he could think about was Gaby.
This is a complete disaster waiting to happen, he thought.
The only thing that might save him was the fact that dinner at his parents’ house wasn’t exactly a romantic proposition. The chaos and noise of competing conversations and excited kids would keep his stupid emotions and desires in check.
He clung to that life raft all the way home like the drowning man he was.