Page 86 of The Christmas Holiday
‘Tell anyone and I might rethink that promise not to chuck you off here.’
‘OK then!’ I lookedat the camera. ‘Cheese!’
His laugh caught on the wind and wrapped itself around me. I missed his laugh. I missed a lot of things about Hunter Scott if I was honest. But like he’d said, we’d lost that chance. But I was at least glad of this moment – a temporary lowering of the barriers both of us had put up. He took the shot and then a couple more before returning the phone to his pocket.
‘Come on. We’d better get a wiggle on if we’re not going to get caught out in that.’ He thumbed over his shoulder at the spreading cloud as he tucked the plastic sheet back into his bag and we set off at a quicker pace.
‘So, how’s your mum?’ he asked as we hurried along.
‘Good, actually. Thanks. She lives in Spain now.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. About four years now. I think she kindof had a moment and just upped and left. Got a job working in a restaurant, loved it and decided to stay.’
‘Do you see her much?’
‘When I can.’ I slid him a glance. ‘She’s quite different now. In a good way. She met a man out there and he completely adores her. He had to be quite persistent – I mean, you know what she was like. She’d shut herself off from anything like that. But I guesshe thought she was worth the effort. It’s like she’s found herself again. She’s let go of all the bitterness and unhappiness my father caused. Honestly, she looks ten years younger! I’m so happy for her.’
‘That’s great.’
‘I told her about this job – and that you would be on it. She was about as surprised as I was.’
He looked across at me and gave a quick smile before focusing backon the trail.
‘Mum said she feels a bit responsible for us breaking up. She said she realises now that she didn’t handle things in the best way she could have, and that she let her bitterness get the better of her, which probably wasn’t the best thing for me. I’ve told her not to be silly but she insisted I ask you to forgive her. I told her you wouldn’t think there was anything to forgive.’
Hunter remained silent.
I stopped walking and, after a couple more paces, he realised and turned around.
‘Everything all right?’
‘Yes. I mean… you do think she did something wrong, don’t you?’
‘We need to beat that weather.’ He took another couple of steps forward.
‘Hunter?’
He turned and, seeing I remained where I was, came to a halt. ‘OK. Yes. I don’t think your mum’sattitude helped our relationship. I don’t blame her for it, and there’s nothing to forgive. She wasn’t doing anything intentionally and she’d been hurt and coloured by her own experiences. But we both know it didn’t help give you the healthiest of outlooks when it came to relationships.’ He let out a long breath. ‘I imagine you’re going to go off on one at me now, which is fine, but I’ve neverlied to you and I’m not about to start now, just to keep the peace.’ He fiddled with his beanie, pulling it a little further over his ears. ‘I’m honestly glad to hear your mum has moved on and is happy at last, and that’s she’s found someone who appreciates and loves her the way she deserves. I’m just sorry, for both of you, that it didn’t happen sooner.’
He stood there. I knew he was waitingfor me to react – badly. And he was prepared to take it for the sake of the truth. Which was what he’d spoken. His words shadowed almost exactly what my mum had confessed to me when I first told her about the trip, and how Hunter would be there. I’d never known. He’d never spoken badly about her when we’d been together. I knew he hadn’t always found it easy to be around her, but it hadn’t occurredto me there was a deeper reason. For a long time, Mum wasn’t exactly the easiest person to be around, for anyone.
‘If you’re ever in Spain, you know, on one of your trips, she’d love to see you.’
I registered the surprise of my reaction – or lack thereof – in his eyes, before the half-smile appeared on his mouth. ‘I’ll bear it in mind. Always good to have the name of a decent restaurantwherever you are.’
I smiled back at him. ‘Thank you.’
‘For what?’
I lifted and dropped my hands. ‘I never realised you felt that way, but you never used her in any arguments.’
He shrugged. ‘She’d had the shitty end of the stick. I understood why she was the way she was. Honestly, the comments sometimes weren’t great, but I tried to let them go as much as I could. It drove me nutsthat either of you thought I’d ever treat anyone the way she’d been treated, but I could see why she was wary for you. And she was all you had.’
‘I am sorry, Hunter.’
‘I know. Me too. But that’s life.’
