She might not want to accept that she’d changed, but she had.
Tom gave a wry smile as he accepted the inevitable consequence of that change. She no longer needed him.
The days when she’d asked his opinion on anything and everything were obviously long gone.
This new Sally seemed to know exactly what she wanted.
And at the moment it wasn’t him.
He stared at the mountains, breathing in the air, enjoying the solitude. So much of his relationship with Sally had been forged in these mountains. They’d shared so much, understood each other’s need to climb and be outdoors.
His eyes drifted down the sharp line of a ridge straight ahead and he wondered if that was one of the reasons why he’d never managed to make a commitment to another woman.
For a while Sally had been part of him. She’d understood who he was. Everything about him. And he hadn’t come close to sharing that bond with any other woman.
And he didn’t want to.
The realization hit him like a physical blow.
He still wanted Sally.
And ending their relationship seven years ago had been the biggest mistake of his life. He should have married her while he’d had the chance and given her so many babies that she couldn’t leave the house!
He ran a hand over his face and cursed softly.
Maybe she was right. Maybe he had been arrogant, making the decision for both of them. Maybe he should have trusted her feelings more.
Trusted her love for him.
But he hadn’t, and he’d thrown away the one thing that had mattered to him in life.
He sucked in a deep breath and stared across the mountains without seeing their beauty.
For seven years he’d had to live with the lingering doubt that he’d made the wrong decision and there hadn’t been anything he’d been able to do about it.
But she’d finally come back.
Sally Jenner was home.
Which meant that he’d been given a second chance.
* * *
By the time she returned to work on the following Monday, Sally was feeling more positive.
She’d found a lovely garden flat on the shores of the lake, which was available immediately, and she intended to move in as soon as possible.
She’d taken Bryony and Helen to see it and both of them had agreed that it was idyllic. And Sally was already forming a close friendship with Helen. She could see what Oliver loved about her. She was gentle and warm and extremely good company.
And as the three of them had stood staring at the view from Sally’s new flat, Helen had asked her if she’d be one of her bridesmaids. Bryony and her seven-year-old daughter, Lizzie, had already agreed.
‘I don’t have sisters,’ Helen said quietly, ‘and I’ve always wanted three bridesmaids. Don’t ask me why. Will you do it?’
Sally had hesitated but Helen had been so sweetly insistent that eventually she’d agreed.
‘Sally?’ Emma walked up to her, carrying a pile of notes, a harassed expression on her face. ‘A woman’s just turned up complaining of breathlessness and chest pains.
The husband says that they’ve given up on the GP because he just keeps giving them different antibiotics. He’s obviously really worried about her. Would you check her blood pressure and things while I just call Tom?’