Page 5 of The Village Inn of Secret Dream

It was all wonderful right up to the point where they declared how much they cared for him, or even worse, that they loved him. Then he cut off all ties with an apology and yet more flowers.

It was the fairest thing for him to do. He was never going to fall in love like his brother. Let alone actually propose to anyone. That would be crazy given what he knew about marriage. It was all a lie, wasn’t it? At least, that was what he believed these days.

Pete stared out of the window, imagining his brother going down on one knee in the middle of the inn. Had Belle been there? Of course she had, he told himself. Where else would she be? The inn was her home. She would never leave.

He thought back to that evening after his dad’s funeral. He had been so upset, so distraught, that he could barely think straight. It was only later, much later, that he regretted the way that he had walked away from Belle after she had kissed him.

But why had she kissed him anyway? That wasn’t the kind of relationship they had. Despite dating every other available woman in the area, he had always, and most deliberately, kept their friendship as just that. The evening was a blur of dark, heavy emotion and he supposed that it had all got too much. What other explanation was there?

He hoped there wouldn’t be any awkwardness between them. That his silent treatment over the past three years hadn’t upset her too much. She was one of his oldest friends and they had been through so much together already. Surely one rash kiss in the heat of the moment could be forgotten? He truly hoped so.

Finally, Josh pulled the van up into Riverside Lane and Pete’s long journey was at an end. It was the first time he had been back since that awful time three years ago. Apart from his mum heading out to visit him in Singapore for a holiday the previous year, he hadn’t seen his family for such a long time.

Getting out of the car, Pete stretched after having spent the best part of twenty-four hours sitting in airports, airplanes and cars. He took a deep breath and looked around the village, smiling to himself at the familiar view.

Cranbridge was as beautiful as always, with its sandy-coloured brick cottages lining the riverbanks and the green rolling hills surrounding the village peeping through from between each house. Instead of a main street, there was a wide shallow river running down the middle of the village, with three ancient pedestrian stone bridges connecting either side over the clear, bubbling water.

With a contented sigh, he turned to look at the first of the shops along Riverside Lane. The Cranbridge Stores had been in his family for decades, but it had always been a struggle to keep the corner shop going financially.

Josh had casually mentioned that the shop was doing far better than it had ever done before, now that it had been renovated, but Pete had still been braced for the run-down place that he remembered from his last visit.

But it appeared that everything had changed, thankfully for the better.

Whereas before it had been cramped and dark, now it had a brand-new sign and what appeared to be a complete makeover. Josh had mentioned Amber’s decorating skills but nothing had prepared him for how pretty the place looked.

The wooden veranda which ran along the length of the shopfront had been refreshed with benches and lanterns. Soft cushions in pale yellows and greens, as well as a couple of matching rugs, hung over the back of two wooden benches. Fresh sunflowers and lavender in galvanised buckets filled the corners either side of the steps, with lanterns filling the remaining space.

Pete was stunned. It looked great.

He slowly became aware of Josh watching him for his reaction.

‘You’ve done well,’ said Pete eventually, still staggered at the change since he had last been there. ‘It looks incredible.’

‘Thanks,’ said Josh, nodding proudly in agreement. ‘Come on. Let’s get inside.’

But before they could even put a foot on the bottom step, the front door to the shop was flung open and there was his mum and Grandma Tilly rushing down the steps towards him.

‘You’re here at last!’ cried his mum, sweeping him into a bear hug.

Pete leant against her for a moment, breathing in her soft, familiar perfume, before stepping back to look at her. She looked even better than she had done when she’d flown out to Singapore to visit him.

After his dad’s funeral, his mum had been diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully the treatment had been swift and she had been in remission for over a year, so it was a relief to see her looking so well.

Cathy stepped to one side to let his grandmother come forward to give him a hug. Although, at barely five feet, he could only lean gently on her soft grey hair with his chin whilst she flung her arms around his waist.

‘It’s good to see you, Peter,’ said Grandma Tilly, stepping back to look up at him with her ever-shrewd blue eyes. ‘I wouldn’t mind one of those suntans myself.’

‘Just say the word, Grandma, and we can head off to the Caribbean if you want,’ Pete told her with a grin.

Grandma Tilly chuckled. ‘Wouldn’t say no to one of those cocktails with an umbrella in it.’

‘Head off?’ Cathy shook her head. ‘He’s only just arrived.’ She reached out to give his arm a squeeze. ‘I know you must be upset about losing your job, love, but it’s so good that you’re home. You must be so happy to be back.’

But as they began to head up the steps into the shop, the words rang hollow to Pete’s ears. Happy to be back? He was happy to see his family, of course. Happy to be in Cranbridge which had been the family’s home for so many years.

But, despite all of that, the urge to run had never been stronger.

However, it wasn’t the thought of being with his family that upset him.