Page 57 of Daydreams & Doughnut Cake

Dismayed, I glanced at the time. It was already nearly eight o’clock. He wouldn’t have waited this long, surely? But in case by any chance he had, I got in the van and drove as fast as I could without getting arrested, almost screeching to a stop by the village green.

Dashing into the hotel, I made my way to the bar, half-expecting to bump into him coming out. But when I walked in, there was no sign of Danny – just a few happy-looking couples staring over at the entrance, clearly wondering what on earth the weird, panting, wild-eyed woman was doing standing there.

Slinking out in despair, I phoned Danny to explain why I didn’t make it but it went straight to voicemail. So I left him a message and got back in the van, wondering if I should just pitch up at the glamping site and try to find him. But I’d no idea which of the shepherd’s huts he was staying in and I couldn’t very well go round knocking on all the doors, trying to find him. I also didn’t want to run the risk of bumping into Jackie...

So I drove back to Risley Common, sadness weighing me down inside. It was feeling like we weren’t meant to be, Danny and I. There seemed to be far too many obstacles in the way ofus being happy, so what was the point in even trying to see if we were a good fit romantically...

I was still hoping he might phone after he’d heard the message I’d left him. But the hours at home ticked by and I heard nothing from him.

Much later, nearer midnight, as I sat staring at the TV but not taking any of it in, a text buzzed through and I almost put my back out diving for my phone on the coffee table.

But it was from Jackie, of all people.

Dreading what she had to say to me, I held my breath as I clicked on her message.

Too late to phone so I’m texting instead. Told Danny about the anonymous notes I sent you and everything else I did and he was shocked. Been sitting here in his hut talking for ages about what happened between you that night and I know now that my grief stopped me being able to look at the situation rationally. If you loved Mark as much as I did (and I know you did) you’d have been feeling desperate. I still really hate what you did but I understand now that you weren’t yourself that night and I’m really sorry for the horrible things I did. I hope you can forgive me? I’ve missed you and my gorgeous niece.

I sat back, relief flowing through me.

It had mattered so much to me what Jackie thought. And now that she was saying she forgave me, it was like a weight had suddenly rolled off my shoulders.

*****

Next morning, I woke knowing with certainty that I had to see Danny before he left.

It was as if Jackie’s text the night before had given me the green light to follow where my heart had been leading me for a while.

But I needed to take Amelie to nursery school first. So I called Danny, hoping he hadn’t already left.

Frustratingly, my call went to voicemail again so I had to abandon hopes of speaking to him straight away, and I set about getting Amelie ready. I’d left a message, though, so hopefully when he picked it up, he would call me back...

I dropped Amelie at nursery. But there was still no word from Danny, and I wondered if maybe I was too late. Had he decided that seeing me again would only complicate things? And that ‘friends’ was best, after all?

I drove straight to the glamping site, my heart thumping, hoping against hope that his car would still be in the little car park at the entrance to the site.

But it wasn’t. And as I sat there, wondering what to do, I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, panic rising in my chest.

Had Danny left already?

Had I missed my chance?

Suddenly, there was a peep of a horn and when I swung round, my heart leapt with joy at a familiar sight.

Danny’s silver Golf GTI! He loved that car. And in that moment, so did I!

I got out and ran over to him, and when he emerged, his face was wreathed in a big smile.

‘Hey, you,’ I gasped.

‘Hey, yourself,’ he said, his face breaking into a big smile. ‘This is a surprise.’

‘Is it?’

‘Yes. I thought... well, I thought maybe the school show was a convenient excuse not to see me.’ He shrugged. ‘You said we could only ever be friends.’

I smiled shyly up at him. ‘Maybe I changed my mind?’

He gave me a look I couldn’t quite read... a mix of hope and doubt, maybe?

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