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My phone chirped, and I picked it up.A message from Jess, with lots of pictures of her and Connor looking loved up and sun-kissed, and a little “P.S.please check the mail!Love you!”
I shot out of my seat at the kitchen table.I wasn’t used to an actual mailbox.In London, my mail was delivered into a little pigeonhole in the apartment block foyer.
I opened the door in my PJs and crossed to the end of the lawn.The little red flag on the mailbox was down.What did that mean?New mail?No mail?I felt a flurry of excitement.God knew why.The mail wouldn’t even be for me.
On bare feet, I padded across the grass, soft and warmed from the rays of the sun, and I opened the flap.There were about a dozen envelopes inside, and I flipped through them idly as I walked back to the house, then I stopped in my tracks.
I would recognise Seb’s handwriting anywhere.
Theexpress mailstamp told me he’d written it not long ago.Perhaps the same day we’d had the fight.
I started to crumple it up, but made myself uncurl my fist.I might want to read it later.
I might still want to burn it and dance around the flames, instead of reading it, but I’d decide that after another few cups of tea.
I stacked Jess and Connor’s mail neatly on the kitchen counter.Nothing had red text or anything like URGENT on it, so I sent her a pic of the mail stack with a thumbs-up emoji.She replied with a heart.
I missed her.I was very glad she’d be back for a few days before I had to leave, so we could spend time together.
The envelope with Seb’s handwriting dogged my thoughts as I messaged my aunt to ask about today’s plan, and what time she wanted me.She replied almost instantly:
Aunt Laurie: It’s after eight!Half the day’s gone, girl.I’ve been up baking since 5!
She knew I’d been out with Jenny so I realised there was no heat in her words, but I’d been in the country for five days now, and I probably needed to start properly pulling my weight.
Me: I’ll be there in thirty minutes!
She replied with a clock emoji and a whip.I laughed.
I jumped in the shower and, as I was drying off, I texted Jenny to see how she was feeling.
Jenny: Fresh as a daisy, but maybe a slightly crumpled one.Toby and I will stop by the bakery later for coffee!
I got dressed and locked up.Maybe I’d be able to find out from Jenny later who the guy in the baseball cap was.There’d been a properCasablancamoment in the bar yesterday when they’d seen each other.He was definitelynotjust some guy who worked at the local auto mechanic.
Rick was loading planks of wood into his truck bed when I stepped outside.He wore a sleeveless grey shirt and his muscles bulged and pulled as he worked.I swear my temperature rose by a few notches just looking at him— hair tousled, tattoos on display, legs for days.
Eddie was with him, adjusting the stuff that was already loaded and reading off a clipboard.
“Morning!”I called.
Rick set an enormous tool bag in the truck and turned, a smile spreading across his handsome face.“Well, good mornin’.”
“More spindles today?”
“Yup.Only twelve willow trees to go.”He winced, pushing a hand through his hair.The sunshine picked out the gold strands within the dirty-blond.“Wanna get the job done, ya know?You off to work, too?”
“Yep.I’m late, actually.I better get a move on, or my aunt will relegate all the worst jobs to me.”I gave him a jaunty little wave, then inwardly cringed.This man was turning me into a pile of jelly, which was not what I expected fresh from splitting up with Seb.
That reminded me of the letter.I promised myself I would read it after work.The more I procrastinated, the more Iwouldprocrastinate.I knew myself, after all.
When I arrived at the bakery, Aunt Laurie was serving a couple of older women cinnamon buns and coffee.I inhaled the scent greedily.
My aunt made a show of looking at her watch.“Well, look who’s decided to turn up for work,” she cackled.
“Sorry!”
She grinned.“I’m just teasing you.I hope Jenny had fun.That girl is welded to her little boy.Not that she shouldn’t be, she’s a brilliant mother, but children aren’t the be all and end all of a woman’s life.”
