Overwhelming love flooded Tabitha’s heart at her niece’s angelic voice.
‘Hello, Olivia. I hear you’re having pancakes for breakfast. Lucky you.’
‘I like blueberry pancakes. Daddy made them.’
‘They’ll set you up nicely for a busy day of playing.’
‘Mummy said we’re going to get a dog.’
‘That’s not what I said, Olivia,’ Elspeth’s voice swiftly cut in. ‘I said Auntie Tabitha was looking after two dogs again and thatmaybeone day we’d get a dog.’
‘I like dogs.’
‘I know you do,’ Tabitha said, imagining Olivia’s squashable cheeks and the serious look she probably had on her face.
‘She’s wandered off.’ Elspeth was back on the phone. ‘She has the attention span of a gnat.’
‘Hard work, eh?’
‘Yep. Just as well they’re both so adorable.’
‘How are you managing with the wedding prep?’
‘Mum and Dad are arriving tomorrow to look after the girls for a few days while we get the barn finished ready for Saturday, which is a relief. Olivia’s still only in school during the morning until the week after next, so it’s been quite a juggle.’
‘I wish I was there to help.’
‘No you don’t, Tabs,’ Elspeth said kindly. ‘Although you’ve got to come home sometime.’
‘Do I really, though? It’s what Mum and Dad did, spent their lives travelling around.’
‘Yes, but—’
‘I know what you’re going to say, that they had each other.’
‘Well yes, they did. And us lot. They were never on their own.’
‘Perhaps I like being by myself.’
‘Do you?’
‘I’m comfortable travelling around on my own.’
‘That’s why you sent this Raff guy packing, eh?’ Elspeth said sarcastically.
‘I see something of myself in him – he’s at a place in his life he’s not certain about, his insides in turmoil, for different reasons than me, but we have that in common.’
‘I knew you liked him.’ Elspeth sounded smug.
‘I do like him,’ Tabitha said more sharply than she meant. ‘Doesn’t mean anything more than us being friends is going to happen though, so don’t even go there.’
‘Talking about Raff, he diverted my attention away from us talking about Ollie yesterday. Have you heard from him since you went out?’
Tabitha sighed, still uncertain how she felt about rekindling their friendship, although it felt like smouldering embers rather than it being ablaze. ‘He did message me last night and he invited me to his birthday party on Wednesday.’
‘Ooh, that sounds promising.’ Elspeth paused. ‘You should invite Raff to go with you.’
‘I already have.’