Page 40 of All Our Beautiful Goodbyes

Three months later

“I can’t believe you made it.”

Joanna practically skipped across the floor in Gatwick Airport as she made her way to meet Garrett at the baggage claim. At the sight of him, after all this time, she felt a little dizzy. He wore a brown leather jacket and faded blue jeans, and his hair was cut shorter since she’d last seen him—which was from the air when the helicopter blades were blowing his gorgeous wavy locks in all directions.

Seeing him again was like some kind of drug. He was more handsome than she remembered, despite the fact that he’d just come off the red-eye.

Joanna held out her arms, and they embraced like two people who had known each other a lifetime.

“I can’t believe it either,” he said, burying his face in her neck. “Thank God there were no delays. I didn’t sleep a wink on the flight.”

“I couldn’t sleep either,” she replied, still hugging him. “I couldn’t wait for you to get here.”

Garrett and Joanna had written to each other using webmail every day since her return to London, and they’d spoken on the telephone once a week, usually on Sundays, taking turns with the long-distance charges.

During that time, Joanna had shared everything about herself with Garrett. She’d been as open and honest as anyone could be with another human being, and she felt as if she knew everything about him as well—his favorite bands, favorite foods, and, most importantly, his deepest values and his goodness. He had sent her photographs of his enormous, close-knit family, who lived in various towns all over Nova Scotia, and had made it clear that he wanted her to return someday and meet everyone, because he’d told them all about her.

In the airport that day, there was no point denying their feelings for each other. They’d fallen madly in love from a distance. And for Joanna—seeing him again at last, in the flesh, was better than Christmas.

They stepped apart, and he cupped her face in both his hands. “I can’t believe I’m looking at you right now.”

“Me neither.” Her heart was on fire.

Garrett pulled her into his arms again, held her briefly. He then took hold of her hand and led her to a tall potted tree fern next to a post, where they could hide from the crowds and finally kiss the way they wanted to.

When his lips found hers, the kiss was like heaven. All she wanted was more of it. More of him .

An alarm sounded at the baggage carousel, and the conveyor belt began to move. Flight passengers hurried to collect their suitcases, but Joanna and Garrett were not yet done saying hello to each other.

It was not until the carousel slowed to a halt, and most of the passengers had collected their bags and departed, that Garrett and Joanna finally moved away from the potted plant and picked up his suitcase.

“You’ll probably need to sleep for a few hours when we get back to my flat,” Joanna said. “I wouldn’t mind taking a nap myself. Then we can go out for dinner later. I made reservations for us at Rules. It’s that restaurant I told you about, in Covent Garden.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“And I can’t wait to show you around London,” Joanna said.

“I’d love to see where you work,” he replied as he wheeled his suitcase behind him.

“I was planning to take you to the clinic tomorrow. Then we’ll visit the horses at the Royal Mews.”

He reached for her hand. “I honestly don’t care what we do. I’m just happy to be here.”

“I’m happy too.”

They walked to the train station in the airport, moved through the turnstiles, and rode the escalator down to the platform. The next train was due to arrive in three minutes, so they found a spot to wait near the yellow line.

“How’s your grandad?” Garrett asked.

“Good as gold,” she replied. “Except that we’re still working through what Nana did—keeping that secret from him all their lives. I wish she was still around so that I could ask her about it, but it’s not possible.”

“She must have really wanted to hold on to him,” Garrett said.

“Yes, but it was so incredibly selfish of her, not to tell him. How did she ever sleep at night? And even when she knew she was dying, she still didn’t tell him.” Joanna huffed in frustration. “I’ve been driving myself crazy feeling angry about it, but what’s the point in that? I have to just lay it to rest because we can’t change it, and we’ll never know what was going on in her head.” She peered up the tracks again, watching for the train. “But enough about that. He still hasn’t booked a return flight from Nova Scotia, but he can’t stay there forever. There are laws.”

“Maybe he and Emma will get married finally,” Garrett suggested, “and he’ll become a Canadian citizen.”

“The way he’s been talking lately,” she replied, “I wouldn’t be surprised. But one day at a time.” Garrett wrapped his arm around her waist, and she laid her head on his shoulder. “I sure would miss him.”

Garrett kissed the top of her head. “You can visit anytime you like. I have a spare bedroom. Or maybe you could just relocate. There’s plenty of work for qualified vets like you.”

Joanna looked at him and grinned. “Slow down there, sparky. One day at a time, remember?”

He chuckled. “I’m trying. But life is short, you know?”

“Oh ... trust me, I do know.”

The train approached and slowed to a halt in front of them. As the doors slid open, a voice said, “Mind the gap,” and they stepped across. They found seats next to each other and waited for the doors to close.

Joanna linked her arm through Garrett’s and rested her head on his shoulder. Then he reached for her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed the back of it.

Seconds later, the train lurched forward, and they were on their way to an undiscovered future.