Page 86 of The Village Inn of Secret Dream

Pete thought about his job in Singapore. Yes, he’d worked hard but mostly he had been in the right place at the right time. Had he learnt anything? Only that money hadn’t made him particularly happy.

He felt Ned watching him as they sat on the bench. ‘What about you?’ he asked the pensioner. ‘What failures have you learnt from?’

Ned laughed again. ‘How much time have you got?’ His smile faded a little though as he carried on. ‘Two marriages, neither of which were particularly happy experiences. That was my fault. They were good women and didn’t deserve a scoundrel like me. A son whom I never see. Doesn’t want to see me and why should he? I was a terrible father, never had time for him. And in my career too, I failed many times over, mostly due to my own arrogance. To be honest, that’s how I met your dad.’

Pete looked at him in question.

‘I was just through with my second divorce and partying too heavily when I met Todd at a gig,’ Ned explained. ‘He saw a fellow musician with huge problems in his personal life and we became kindred spirits, in a way. He helped me get clean and we went from strength to strength.’

‘I didn’t know that,’ said Pete.

‘Oh yes,’ said Ned. ‘Todd mentored quite a few musicians who were battling various addictions. He’d partied too hard and knew how it could affect both your personal life as well as your playing abilities.’

Pete nodded to himself. There had never been any chance of bragging with his father. His talent came naturally to him and it was just there. The fact that he had been a famous musician had never impacted their childhood either. Todd had been a normal dad to Josh and himself. He realised in that moment how special his dad had truly been.

He wondered what Todd would make of his younger son’s decisions in life. Would he have been as accepting of failure as Ned said he would have? Pete didn’t know. All he knew was that somehow he had to start afresh.

‘So what do I do now?’ asked Pete, to himself more than to the elderly pensioner sitting next to him.

‘You pick yourself up and start over,’ said Ned, slowly standing up. ‘Are you going to let one failure dictate the rest of your life? Are you going to let one mistake stop you from being happy forever? Then buck up, lad. Stand up and get going. Life passes by in the blink of an eye and you’re only young once.’

Pete stood up. ‘Thanks, Ned,’ he said softly.

Ned smiled at him. ‘I see it as repaying a favour to your dad for debts a long time ago,’ he said. ‘And if it gets through to you that you’re capable of so much more, then even better.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ Pete said.

Ned nodded. ‘That’s all anyone can ever do, son. See you around.’

Pete watched him as he walked off, his heart aching in that moment for his father. He would have given every penny in the world to see him once more.

But all he could do was cherish the family that remained and take his dad’s friend’s advice.

Belle was behind the bar when he arrived back at the inn, so Pete found his feet automatically moving upstairs.

There, in his bedroom, he went and stood next to the guitar case. He stared at it for a long time before finally reaching out and clicking open the locks.

As he crouched down in front of it, the sweet smell of mahogany hit him. It was a beautiful guitar of polished dark wood.

He reached out to feel along the smooth wooden body all the way up to neck and fingerboard.

Finally, his fingers hovered over the strings until he plucked just one. The tone rang out, deep and warm, and he felt it filling his heart as well as his ears.

Perhaps there would be a time in the future when he would play again, he thought. Perhaps he could face it after all. Just not quite yet.

He felt his heart lift a little as he headed back downstairs.

‘You look cheerful,’ said Belle, sounding surprised, when they met at the bar.

‘I feel more cheerful,’ said Pete, going to stand in front of her. ‘I’ve decided we’re going to save the inn.’

Belle blinked a couple of times as she looked up at him. ‘We are?’ she asked. ‘How do you propose to do that?’

‘I have no idea,’ said Pete, dragging a hand through his hair. ‘But I’ll think of something.’

She smiled at him, as if trying to believe that it were true. But as she walked away, Pete’s smile faded. He just hoped he would have enough time to think up a way of saving the inn. For everyone’s sake.

Because now that his dad was gone he had to step up, just like Josh had done. He might be three years too late, of course. And he had missed his chance to help his brother out in the shop. But maybe, just maybe, he could somehow keep the inn open for the village instead.