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“I’ve missed Wendy too. I’m surprised she hasn’t come to find me if she really wanted to see me.” Kitty only hoped he read the subtext in her words.

Josh’s smile grew a little bigger. “She’s had a lot to think about. How are the plans for your move back to London going? Is everything okay?”

Was he trying to get rid of her now? Kitty sighed, berating herself for being so paranoid. He was making conversation, nothing more. Three minutes in his presence had sent her into a tailspin of confusion.

“It’s good. I’m winding things down with Thea. Now that the sanctuary is running with the appropriate military precision, it’s time to turn my hand to less demanding and less hairy clients.”

Josh laughed. She’d missed his laugh so much.

“Don’t talk about my sister like that,” he said.

Kitty snickered. “I’ll tell her you said that. Anyway, I better go. I need to get back home. I’ll see you around?”

His blue eyes hung on hers, and he nodded, handing her the metal buckets Wendy knocked to the ground.

“I’ll see you around,” he said.

She turned, walking back to the house.

“Kitty?” Josh said behind her. She looked back. “Thanks for the pies.”

Breath burned in her chest. Ammy must have told him about the mud pies. That they’d tried to make him feel better. Unsure what to say, she nodded and left, her head and heart in turmoil.

* * *

That evening,Kitty made her way through the better part of a tub of ice cream. She’d spent the day trying to convince herself that now they’d spoken, she and Josh could get through the next week without awkwardness. But no matter how many times she tried the notion on for size, she couldn’t escape the fact that she was just as much in love with him as she ever was.

The thought of leaving Josh, Tottenbridge, and the happiness she’d found there was unbearable.

Devilstating.

She’d grappled with all the thoughts and emotions churned up from seeing him again and had decided her values were all wrong. She’d been so obsessed with success. But despite working like a trojan to build her career, all she’d really achieved was to make herself miserable.

She needed to talk to someone who wasn’t involved or invested in her disastrous love life or her work. Kitty picked up her phone and dialled Ronnie’s number.

“Hello, Sis.” The warm, familiar voice greeted Kitty like a soft hug, and she crumbled into a blithering mess.

“Ron, I’ve got something I need to tell you. Promise you’ll hear me out.”

By the time Kitty had finished, she was exhausted. Ronnie had been wonderful, listening to every minute detail of Kitty’s story quietly and without judgement.

“Everything else aside, Kitty, what would make you happy? If everyone else disappeared, what do you really need?” Ronnie asked.

“I need to do something that fills my heart with joy. I feel that way when I’m with the animals. I make a difference in their lives. It’s meaningful.”

“Then that’s what you need to do, Sis.”

Her sister made it sound so easy. But Kitty could honestly say that even if Josh didn’t exist, she’d choose her new life in Tottenbridge in a heartbeat. Living in this small village full of beautiful, caring people was the happiest she’d ever been. Why would she walk away?

After saying goodnight to Ronnie, Kitty turned to the laptop next to her. Her finger hovered over the touchpad. She took a deep breath and clicked the word ‘SEND.’ There was no turning back now.

Cross-legged on her bed, Kitty waited for the panic, the gut-wrenching plunge of deep regret, but she felt nothing. Quite the contrary, a sense of calm settled over her, and a smile grew on her lips. It was her first genuine smile in days.

Kitty had turned down her dream job, and she was smiling. For the first time in her life, she had no fixed plans and nothing, or nobody, to live up to. The feeling was exhilarating.

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KITTY