Page 19 of Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall

‘Any time you’re in the area, pop in and say hi,’ said Sam. ‘You’re always welcome.’

‘I will do,’ said Jack, getting in the car. ‘Thanks.’

He waved his hand as he started up the engine and pulled away back down the driveway.

But he felt so numb as he pulled out of the driveway onto the road that he had to swerve to avoid a car coming in the other direction.

Jack brought the car to a stop at the side of the road. His breathing was still rapid in his chest as he glanced down at himself and the car bonnet. But both were intact. He had missed the other car.

But that wasn’t what was making his pulse race. He shook his head. Lily. Wild Lily Harper. After all these years.

Memories flooded back before he could stop them. He could see Lily laughing as she leapt off the bridge into the river below. Pulling on his leather jacket when she became cold late at night and snuggling in closer to him. Crying as he told her that he had never loved her and that she’d be better off without him.

He shouldn’t have come back to Cranley. Lily was a ghost from his past that wouldn’t let him go.

He stared up at the blue sky and swore to himself. He was an idiot. Why didn’t he know that her father had never recovered from the accident? He should have known. Why on earth hadn’t his parents told him?

Because you never speak to them, came the reply from deep within.You never talk for more than a few moments. You hardly ever visit them. When would they have the time or the opportunity to let you know?

He hung his head in shame. The fault didn’t rest with them. It was his fault alone.

How she must hate him.

Her face had been so white when he had told her that she couldn’t run away with him. Standing there in her pretty, long dress, all dressed up for the prom.

And then a short time later there had been an accident and her dad had been severely injured.

Of course Lily hated him. How could she not? But not as much as he already hated himself each and every day.

8

Lily was still trying to keep her emotions under control as she reached the kitchen.

Annie hadn’t said anything about her tear-stained cheeks, instead just giving her a sad look.

Lily swallowed hard. She couldn’t believe that he was back after all this time.

The shock of seeing Jack Carter was enough to make the job interview fade into second place in her ‘things to be most stressed about’ list for that day.

After all, he never came home these days, did he? It had been, what, ten years?

Fourteen years, her smug inner voice reminded her.

Annie gestured for Lily to join her at the table.

‘Do you want to talk about it?’ she asked gently.

‘Not much to tell,’ said Lily, her voice cracking a little. ‘He was the first one to break my heart.’ She took a deep breath. ‘We almost went to the prom together.’

‘Almost?’ prompted Annie.

Lily sighed. ‘We’d got to know each other that winter.’ She allowed herself a small smile. ‘I had a huge crush on him, to be honest. He was so cool and handsome. You know, the typical bad boy hanging around the village.’

‘Except he went to school with Sam and Will,’ added Annie. ‘That’s a pretty posh school for a bad boy.’

Lily shrugged her shoulders. ‘I never quite worked out the deal with that. I don’t know why he rebelled against his adoptive parents. Maybe because they were too rich. Anyway, he was only a day pupil so he was around every night and weekend. We met one afternoon down the river and that was it. Or so I thought.’

She had been so bored, so restless with dull village life as a teenager. And then Jack had appeared and it was as if a light bulb had switched on inside her. He would be her future and they would make it an exciting one. At least, that’s what she had hoped at the time.