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“I messed up, Gem,” Kent carried on. “I didn’t tell you about Harrison because I was searching for a way out of it. I was trying to see if there was some other way I could raise the money to do up the house and keep the coffee shop. But there isn’t. And that’s okay. This is just bricks and mortar.”

“So’s the coffee shop,” Gemma said, only for Kent to shake his head.

“No, it’s not. It’s not at all. The coffee shop has a heart. People need it. That’s what matters, Gem.”

She could feel tears dripping down her cheeks and she wasn’t sure why. Why was she crying?

“I don’t want you to give up your dream for me,” she whispered, but rather than replying, Kent leant forward and kissed her gently on the lips.

“You are my dream, you fool.”

EPILOGUE

The house sale went through in a couple of months, and though Gemma knew Kent wanted to wrap it up as quickly as possible, she was grateful that it meant they got to have two weekends away in Hay. Most of the time was spent cleaning cupboards and making the house presentable for when the estate agent brought prospective buyers around. Still, they managed to carve out a few hours to wander through the gift shops and bookstores.

“Are you sure you’re not going to regret this?” Gemma said when they got the telephone call that someone had offered the full asking price.

“I am positive,” Kent said. “You make memories with people, not things. And you, Gemma Holridge, are my person.”

There were also changes to the coffee shop, which included new furniture to fit more tables without feeling cramped, and outdoor heaters. There was also a change in Kent’s living situation.

“I’m sorry, but when people ask where my boyfriend lives, it just sounds plain weird to say, ‘a caravan on his friend’s farm’. Just move in with me—you practically live there, anyway.”

She knew that plenty of people would question her sanity for inviting him to live with her after knowing each other for such a short time, but Gemma hadn’t felt a shadow of doubt. Just like she hadn’t doubted that Kent would accept the offer, even though Kent had taken his time to reply as if he was genuinely considering saying no.

“Fine,” he’d said, “but I think we should keep the caravan. After all, what’s the point in travelling the world if you haven’t seen all the beautiful places on your doorstep?”

“Family caravan holidays,” Gemma grinned. “That sounds like it could be fun.”

“Anything that involves you, me, and a family sounds like good news to me.”