Page 51 of Together Again at the Cornish Country Hospital

‘I think I might love Nick a little bit too.’ Amy laughed at the look that crossed Lijah’s face.

‘As long as it’s not as much as you love me.’

‘Nowhere near.’ She caught her breath as he kissed her, love and desire pulsing through her in a way that not even the aftereffects of an anaesthetic could dampen. This was the real thing, and it wasn’t always going to be easy, but no relationship ever was. All she knew for certain, was that if she focused on how she felt about Lijah, she’d be able to get through whatever else came her way. Amy didn’t care whether other people believed that soul mates existed, because until recently she hadn’t either. Now she knew without any doubt that Lijah was hers and he was her best friend too. As Gwen had reminded her, most people never found a relationship like that and she wasn’t giving up her chance of happiness for anyone.

* * *

Nathan came in to see Amy the day after her operation. He’d been discharged from hospital on the day of the accident and when he’d come to visit her, Amy had been waiting to hear whether she could go home too. Lijah had joked that she and Monty would now be a matching pair, but he’d also made it clear that he’d be there for whatever Amy needed. Lijah had told her that the final leg of the tour would have to be rescheduled eventually, to fulfil the commitment he’d made, but that he wouldn’t be going until she was recovered enough to fly out and join him for at least part of it. After that, he wanted to concentrate on writing, but he wasn’t sure yet whether that would be for himself or other artists.

Amy wasn’t worried about the details. They could take it a stage at a time and work it out together. She wasn’t ready to give up nursing, she loved her job and her friends at St Piran’s, but her career would probably look a bit different in the future too. There was a chance she might switch to agency nursing for a while, rather than having a fixed contract. It would give her more flexibility to go out and join Lijah while he was on tour, but all of those decisions could wait for another day. For now, they’d be going back to Mor Brys. Claire was flying out to Tenerife at the weekend, and the lease on the rental of the house on the cliff had almost expired, Nick having arranged to stay at Dolly’s place until he worked out what he wanted to do next. It felt like going full circle, returning to the house where they’d spent so much time when they’d first dated.

When Amy’s mother had asked her if she’d be willing to see Nathan, she’d said yes, but she wanted it to be at the hospital. She didn’t want him coming to Mor Brys and trying to spoil what she and Lijah had. The first few days back there were just for them. She wanted to close the door on the rest of the world, at least for a little while, and just hang out with Lijah and Monty.

‘You okay?’ Nathan looked sheepish, his usual arrogance decidedly absent.

‘I’m getting there. How about you?’

‘I need to sort myself out, and accept that there’s something weird going on up here.’ Nathan gestured towards his head. ‘One of us could’ve died.’

‘I’m glad you’re going to get some help, I know it’s a big step to take, but I really think you’ll feel better for it.’

‘Yeah, that’s all I wanted to say really.’ He shrugged and she nodded in response. It was probably too much to hope that he’d apologise for what happened, but she’d much rather hear that he was finally going to get some help. Nathan suddenly whipped the baseball cap he was wearing off his head. ‘Here, you might want to wear this when they let you out, in case there are any press around. Your hair looks bloody awful.’

She laughed then, not doubting for a moment that her brother was telling the truth. It might have been delivered in his usual brutal style, but she had a feeling that somewhere deep down inside of Nathan, his latest dig at her appearance had come from a place of love. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance they could build on that in the future.

30

By the time Gary and Wendy’s wedding came around, Amy was a lot more mobile, but she was still wearing a boot-style cast to support the bones in her ankle. It was hidden under a flowy summer dress and Lijah looked amazing in a royal blue linen suit, as her plus one.

The wedding service had been beautiful, and Gary hadn’t been able to hold back the tears when he saw Wendy walking down the aisle towards him. His speech had referenced the fact that he and Wendy had first dated at school, and Lijah had squeezed Amy’s hand, whispering close to her ear.

‘This could be us next.’

She’d raised her eyebrows, answering him in a whisper. ‘It could if you get really lucky.’

‘I already am.’

‘So cheesy.’ She’d grinned then, the familiar warmth that came from being near Lijah spreading right through her. Amy knew what he’d said wasn’t just a cheesy line, and that he’d meant it when he said he felt lucky, because she did too.

The reception was proving to be every bit as special as the service, and Amy and Lijah were sitting side by side, watching her friends from St Piran’s having fun on the dance floor. He’d met them all now, and every single one of them treated him like a normal person. He was Amy’s boyfriend first and foremost, and Gwen had summed it up:It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, all that matters is that you treat Amy well.

It was great to see Gwen looking and acting so much more like her old self, and her treatment for Addison’s disease was managing the condition effectively. Gwen was in front of them now, twirling around the dance floor with Barry, giving Isla and Reuben a run for their money. Aidan and Jase were dancing too, with baby Ellis held in a papoose between them, and Danni and Charlie’s baby boy was safe in the arms of his Uncle Joe, who was cooing over the baby with his wife, Esther, while his parents made the most of the chance to slow dance alone. Amy had seen Eden and Meg at the bar earlier toasting the happy couple, and she loved the fact that Gary and Wendy had included the newest staff members too, like they were already old friends. That’s how life was in St Piran’s, and it was why she couldn’t ever imagine herself leaving it behind completely.

‘Do you want to try and dance?’ Lijah stroked the back of Amy’s hand, but she shook her head.

‘I’m happy sitting here just watching everyone.’

‘Me too. It’s been brilliant today, hasn’t it? Like being part of a big family. I’ve never had that before.’ Lijah gave her a slow smile. ‘Although we’ve got plenty of time to work on creating one of our own.’

‘I’d love that, but even if it doesn’t happen, the family I’ve got will still be enough, as long as you’re a part of it.’

‘You’re stuck with me now. You had two chances to get away and you blew them both.’ He was still smiling, the look in his eyes making her desperate to kiss him.

‘Well thank God for that.’ Amy leaned forward in her seat, pressing her lips against his. She and Lijah were together again, and she didn’t care any more if there was someone at the wedding waiting to snap a photo and send it to the press. Let the media do their worst, and the commenters say whatever they wanted to say. None of it mattered, because she had something wonderful, something that no one could spoil unless she let them. Amy was never making that mistake again, or changing the way she lived her life to suit anyone else. This was her time, and she was finally learning to shine.

* * *