Page 27 of Always Be My Pumpkin

Flynn’s family moved a lot before they came back to Oakwood, his dad chasing career moves all the way to his dream job as chief of surgery at the hospital near where he grew up, back in Cricket Falls. They left Oakwood when Flynn was five, and he hardly saw his mam’s family again until he was almost thirteen, when his father got offered a position at the nearby regional hospital and decided it would look good on his CV.

‘You and Pat always clicked, didn’t you?’ I watch him, the way his eyes close for a beat, the corners of his mouth curling at the memories.

‘Yeah.’ He nods. ‘We still do.’

‘You must have missed him a lot when you left.’

‘I sure did.’ His voice is low and wistful, then he adds, ‘But I missed you more.’

Really? I stop strolling and stare out over the water. The woods are quiet this afternoon and it’s just the two of us walking this earthy lakeside path.

‘I missed you too.’ I thread my arm through his and rest my head against his shoulder. ‘I wish you didn’t have to leave again.’ I tilt my face to his, and he dips his chin and meets my gaze as I say, ‘I wish you could stay.’

‘Me too.’ He takes hold of my other arm and twists me gently so we’re facing each other now. ‘I want to.’ His teeth skim over his bottom lip and it feels like he’s deciding how much to share.

‘But only if you’ll be here, Gracie. I’m not sure I want to be here if you’re not.’

‘You know I’ll be here. Where else would I go?’ I pull back and stare at him, and he tilts his head as though he’s not sure if he believes me.

‘I might have to work in Abbeyville, or further, depending on what happens with Oakwood. But I’ll buy a little second-hand car and commute.’

It’s been my dream since I was a little girl to manage Oakwood Library. To develop it into the amazing community space that I know it could be. But if that’s not possible, I might need to rethink where I’ll ask to be based.

‘So, you’ve no desire to leave again?’ Flynn’s eyes narrow as he watches the faraway look in mine. ‘Maybe go back to London? Or Australia?’

My jaw drops. ‘How do you know about Australia?’ I presume he means Jamie’s plans.

‘I wasn’t going to say anything. I didn’t want to upset you.’ He drags a hand through his hair, scraping the back of his scalp with his fingers. ‘I heard Scott talking to Coach Murphy about it at football training the other night.’ He shakes his head. ‘I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was in the shower drying off and they were standing outside the open window. Scott was asking Coach about clubs in Sydney in case he decided to move there. He was laughing about it, how Jamie would move the whole football team out there if he got his way.’ His jaw twitches, and I know that twitch, I remember it from before, whenever Flynn was worried or upset about something, usually another argument with his dad.

‘What difference does it make to you if Jamie emigrates?’ I scan his face. ‘If it’s the football team you’re worried about, Jamie’s no great loss. He hasn’t trained properly in years. And I don’t think Scott will go, not without Sarah.’ And why should Flynn care? It’s not like he’s planning to join the team again. He might wish he could stay, but it’s not like he’s planning to. Is he?

I chew my lip as my mind spins back to Sarah. I hope Sarah won’t go. I’ve been trying not to think about it since I got back, the possibility of losing another person who means so much to me. But I know how persuasive Jamie can be and how he’s especially good at getting around Scott. And if Scott does really want to go, if it means the chance of a partnership in his own agency, I’m not sure Sarah will say no. Especially as half her friends from law school are in Sydney or Melbourne or Perth. And she’s forever giving out that, judging by their social media, they spend half their time surfing or sailing or topping up their tans at the beach.

Flynn’s gaze drops to my mouth, where I’m still worrying at my lip. ‘And what about you?’ he asks quietly.

‘Me? Why would I go to Australia.’ I shake my head. ‘Yes, okay, Jamie asked me, ages ago. He wanted us to start applying for visas even though I told him I only wanted to come back to Oakwood.’

I throw my hands up, exasperated. Flynn doesn’t look convinced and I can’t believe he thinks I’d follow Jamie to Sydney. ‘But that was before . . .’ I wince at the image that lands in my brain. ‘Before I found out my boyfriend was a liar and a cheat.’ I swallow the lump in my throat. ‘That woman at the bar, Olivia. He slept with her in London, while we were still together.’

‘Bastard.’ Flynn’s eyes flash with anger.

‘So, you can see why I don’t want to go anywhere with Jamie.’

‘Yeah.’ His voice is flat and his brow furrowed. ‘But that lying cheat doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere without you.’

‘So?’

‘Gracie, I saw your face when you heard what Olivia said back there, like you were rethinking everything.’ He digs his hands into his jeans pockets and kicks at a clump of grass at the edge of the path. ‘And you’ve told me before how good Jamie is at persuading you to do that.’

I shake my head, hot tears burning, and Flynn shrugs an apology, but his face is still fraught.

‘I’m sorry, but I heard Scott tell Coach, Jamie won’t go unless Gracie goes. He told Scott he made one mistake, but he’s determined to fix it, and he won’t rest until you take him back.’ Flynn watches me closely. ‘He seems fully convinced he can persuade you to.’

I shake my head again as I stare out across the lake. ‘He can’t.’

Flynn stands and stares out over the water alongside me. He doesn’t say any more. But I get the sense he’s not sure if he believes that. And it bothers me, because I’m grateful for his support. But I need to stand on my own now, and I need to prove that I can. To Flynn. And to myself.

Flynn’s gone for takeout when I arrive downstairs after my shower, later that evening. He still seems determined to recreate our old movie nights. I think he’s hoping that will ease the tension between us. I hope so too.