The next day Jess waved Dan off, vowing she would get in touch with him when she had sorted everything out. She began her long drive home. She couldn’t deny that she loved being with Dan. They had funand there was a massive attraction, but she felt she had almost been cheated by him too. After the way he had broken her heart. She felt it was too easy for him to just walk right back into her life after all this time, and pick up where he had left off. Ten years was a long time. People changed, and just because hewas ready to settle down with her now, it didn’t mean that she was.
She pulled into the familiar drive of Fern Cottage. The shrubs seemed greener than when she had left, and daffodils sang their yellow praise all over the front garden. And, there, swimming in the large pond to the right of the house, she suddenly caught sight of two swans. It was at that split second she made her decision.
She could see Sam hovering behind the glass in the front door. As soon as she opened her door he came running out and gave her a tentative kiss on the cheek.
‘Good to have you home. Freya is more than excited that you are picking her up from school.’
‘I can’t wait to see her,’ Jess enthused.
Sam carried her case in and made her a cup of tea, so obviously wanting to avoid the subject of them for as long as he could. He had decided not to mention the broken window incident for fear of worrying her. The police had done as much as measure the footprints and said they were small, so had just put it down to a childhood prank.
‘Cottage in good order?’ he questioned.
‘Yes, all was fine. It really is so lovely down there.’
‘Maybe we should spend the summer down there? You know how much Freya loves it.’ Sam looked at Jess questionably.
She looked at her caring husband. She did love him dearly. Passion, or no passion, this man had given her so much, including the child she had always longed for. She took in her surroundings. They had worked hard to build this home together, and she soaked up the comforting familiarity of it all. She had been offered sex on a plate by Dan and had decided not to take it. Maybe it wasn’t passion she longed for after all. Maybe Dan Harris had been the catalyst for her this time. The catalyst to make her realise that Sam Beresford actually was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
‘You didn’t answer my question, Jess.’
‘Sorry what did you say again?’
‘About going to Cornwall in the summer?’ Sam reiterated.
Jess got up from the kitchen chair, walked over to him, and placed her arms around his neck. ‘How long have we got until I pick Freya up?’ She questioned.
‘Couple of hours,’ Sam replied. Jess took his hand. ‘Let’s go upstairs husband.’
They made love, like they had never made love before. With Sam leaving Jess panting for them to do it all over again.
‘Wow,’ he exclaimed as they both lay back exhausted on the bed.
‘Sam Beresford, I love you, and yes we can go to Cornwall for the next fifty summers if you want to!’