AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Cheers. To old friends and happy memories.’
Amy took a gulp of the cool beer.
‘So,’ he said, placing his glass on the table. ‘I can’t believe after all these years you’ve come back and here we are.’
‘I know. Although I could say the same thing about you.’
‘Tell me what’s been happening then, apart from what you filled me in on at the distillery.’
Amy wasn’t even sure where to begin. It must have been at least fifteen years since she last saw him. She gave him a brief version of the waypoints of her life and where she had been since leaving Arran to go to university in Glasgow. ‘And then, as I told you, I’ve been in Vancouver for the past six years.’
He cupped his chin in his hands and focused his gaze on her. ‘I love Vancouver.’
She was puzzled. ‘What do you mean? When did you go?’
‘It must have been about the time you moved there.’
‘Really? So, you were there about six years ago?’
He nodded.
‘Why didn’t you look me up?’ she asked, narrowing her eyes.
‘Because I didn’t know. I’m not on social media. I can’t stand it — so I never kept up with what folk from school were doing. I’d actually left by the time you arrived.’
‘Wait a minute. What were you doing in Vancouver?’
‘I was travelling across North America then ended up in Seattle and made friends with a bunch of guys who were heading up to Vancouver in their camper van. They invited me to join them, and I did.’
‘How long were you there for?’
He took a sip of beer and frowned. ‘It must have been a few weeks. We went all over and saw the sights; the suspension bridge, the parks — Stanley Park was amazing — and did the islands too, which were sensational. It’s a beautiful part of the world.’
Amy was surprised and pleased that James had also experienced the beauty of Vancouver. Neither of them spoke for a moment. They sat in a comfortable silence as they contemplated another sliding doors moment.
‘What happened after you had been there?’ said Emma, curious to know where he went next.
‘By then I was running out of cash, so I went back to Edinburgh and got an office job but to be honest my heart was never in it. That was when I quit and went back to working in bars and learning everything I could about whisky. Then I moved up north to the Highlands and started working in a distillery there.’
‘Ah, I see,’ she said.
‘Then when I heard about the role back here, I got in touch with the owners and decided that it was time to come home.’
Amy was mesmerized by his blue eyes. She had forgotten just how much of a spell they could cast. She quickly swigged another mouthful of beer. ‘Timing is everything, isn’t it?’
He smiled. ‘Indeed.’ His voice was gruff, and he held her gaze.
Once again, Amy found herself remembering the good days when their teenage love was full of hope and exciting times. Being here now with James felt surreal and every time she looked at him, she felt herself melt a little. She stood up abruptly, keen to change the dynamic between them. ‘Another drink?’ She didn’t wait for him to answer and turned to walk to the bar, aware that he was watching her every step.
Chapter Thirty-Four
It was the day before the wedding and Kirsty was just unloading the dishwasher when Emma walked into the kitchen. She was dressed in her leggings, a T-shirt and trainers and had a hoodie tied around her waist.
‘Hi there,’ Kirsty said, resisting the temptation to askagainif she had spoken to Max about what was on her mind. ‘What are you up to this morning?’
Emma looked at her and sighed. ‘I am going to tell him today. Don’t worry. I know it’s awful that I haven’t spoken to him yet, but the timing just hasn’t been right, especially with everyone constantly hovering about.’
Kirsty was about to speak but Emma waved her hand at her to hush her.
