Page 74 of Snow Going Back

This was the end now. She knew it with the strangest certainty, and she knew that Lance knew it, too. She gently pulled her hand away and took off her ring, placing it on the coffee table.

‘Kate,don’t,’ he begged, his low voice breaking pitifully. ‘We can work through this. I’ll – I’ll…’ He trailed off and hung his head with a defeated sob.

Kate felt her own eyes well up, and a tear fell down her cheek. She’d never wanted to hurt Lance. She’d never wanted to hurt anyone. But she couldn’t keep holding them all up at the expense of herself.

‘You’re going to find someone amazing, Lance,’ she told him gently, meaning every word. ‘And while I’m sorry it couldn’t be me, when you do, I’ll be happier for you than you’lleverknow. Because I want you to find that happiness.’

Lance looked up at her, tears still running down his face and his heart breaking in front of her eyes.

‘Christ, Kate. I can’t believe this is happening,’ he said shakily.

Kate nodded sadly, but she didn’t reply. Because she already knew and had come to terms with the sad knowledge that this was the right decision for them both.

FORTY

Kate woke up feeling groggy and bleary-eyed, forgetting for a moment why. Forgetting, too, why the room around her didn’t look quite right. Then suddenly it all came flooding back. She lifted her head, looking around the room for Lance. He’d been next to her when she’d fallen asleep. But she quickly realised that she was alone on the deep sofa she’d spent the night on. She lay back with a deflated sigh and rubbed the sleep from her eyes before staring up at the ceiling.

She felt a strange hollowness inside, like the space Lance had filled in her life still held his shape out of habit. But the feeling wasn’t a bad one. It felt more like a weight had been lifted. Like in his place was an empty canvas, just waiting for whatever she chose to create in her life next. She still couldn’t quite believe she’d done it. That she’d taken that huge leap for herself, despite the fallout that would inevitably follow. That wasn’t going to be fun. But she’d realised, through Cora, that life was both too long and too short to spend without something or someone in it that set your soul on fire. And she wanted that. She wanted it desperately.

Kate sat up, and her gaze fell to the note on the coffee table. She reached over and picked it up.

Kate,

I’m not good at goodbyes, especially ones I never wanted to say.

I love you. And I’m not sure how I’ll ever get over coming so close to making you my wife, only to lose you at this eleventh hour. But it seems I shall have to try. If I’m to have any chance of succeeding though, I must beg one simple kindness. Don’t call me or ask us to be friends. I could never be friends with you. You mean far too much. If you ever find yourself in need of me, I’ll be there. Always. But otherwise, from here I shall say goodbye.

Good luck with your court case. Not that you’ll need it. You’re an incredible lawyer, Kate. And an even more incredible woman. And much as it will kill me when you do, I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.

Yours always.

Lance

A stray tear escaped and ran down her cheek as she read his heartbroken words, then she carefully folded the letter in half and put it away. She looked up to a picture of Cora on the wall. Cora stared back with her solid, knowing smile, and Kate took a deep breath in. This wasn’t going to be smooth sailing once the news hit back home. There were storms ahead, and Kate hated that her decisions were going to hurt people she loved. But it was done and done for good reason. For better or worse, she’d chosen her path. Now she needed to embrace it and take the leap, with her head and her hopes held high, into the great unknown.

A few hours and several coffees later, Kate walked into the coffee shop on Main and looked around at the people seated. It didn’t take more than one sweep to spot him. Even if he hadn’t raised his hand to catch her attention, he looked so similar to William that he would have been hard to miss.

She walked over and held out her hand with a smile. ‘Hi, Edward? I’m Kate.’

Edward nodded, shaking her hand briefly before withdrawing it. ‘I know who you are,’ he said. ‘Please, sit.’ He gestured to the chair opposite.

Kate looked over to the counter. ‘Can I get you a drink or anything first?’ she asked.

‘No, I’m fine, thanks,’ he said, pointing to his bottle of water.

Kate nodded and ordered herself a tea before taking the seat opposite him. She assessed him subtly. He was a little over average height, slightly stooped with the standard old-man half ring of fluffy white hair on the sides and back, with a handful of whiskers still clinging to the top. His eyelids were very drooped, but his eyes were still beady and alert. He wore a smart suit and tie that he seemed at ease in, and he held good eye contact. Erica had worked out that he had to be eighty-four. Which wasn’t anidealage to be taking over a lively company such as Coreaux Roots, that was for sure. But what other choices did she have? She took a deep breath in and gave him her brightest smile.

‘Thanks for meeting with me,’ she said politely. ‘So, you obviously know why I’m here in general. And firstly, really, I’m just trying to get a feel for you as a person, talk to you about your interest in the company and whether you were close with your brother, that sort of thing. So tell me everything you need me to know.’ She pulled a pen and notepad from her bag and gave him an encouraging nod.

Edward scratched his cheek. ‘There’s not a lot that’s important that you shouldn’t already know, but alright,’ he said.‘I’m Will’s younger brother. I run a printing press over in Hillier Valley. We’re just a local paper but a good one. I have a team of thirty-eight people working for me now. And I know that ain’t the hundreds Will had,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘But those thirty-eight have been with meyears. I know how to manage people, how to look after them and how to keep the company running strong to keep them earning money,’ he told her firmly. ‘And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. Your community. Your family.’ He held his hands out in a small shrug. ‘Will and I were very similar in our approaches. And that’swhyI asked for the company to be given to me.’

He paused to take a sip of water. ‘I’m eighty-four, Kate. I’m not looking to take companies over for the money or the power. I’ve not got long left here. But Iknowwhat’s been going on.’ He eyed her hard. ‘Those two on Cora’s side. Nasty bits of work, the both of ’em. If they get hold of the company, or any part of it, they’ll destroy it. And it will be the workers who suffer.That’swhat I don’t want. That’s what Will never wanted.’ He stared out through the window for a second.

‘It definitely sounds like your visions were aligned,’ she agreed. She clicked the pen on and off under the table a few times. ‘What would you do with it later on?’

He chuckled, a wide grin spreading across his face. ‘You mean when I’vehad it,’ he translated. ‘I have a son in New Zealand. We’ve talked, and he’s agreed to move over to learn the ropes, if I’m awarded the company. I’ll train him up to take over. That’s my plan, anyway.’

Kate nodded. It was certainly the best plan she’d heard so far.

---