Page 73 of Finding Happiness at Heritage View

‘It’s my pleasure.’

He put a hand on her arm. ‘I hope it is. I hope you enjoy this as much as I know Abigail will.’

Hazel mounted her horse and, taking the reins, she looked down at him. ‘Thank you for trusting me.’

But he waved away the gratitude that wasn’t necessary. ‘I was wondering… I know we went to the ice-creamery, but what do you say to meeting up again, just the two of us?’

Cinnamon tossed his head as though he thought it might be a good idea. ‘You mean like a date?’ she asked, seemingly happy at his suggestion.

‘Yeah, like a date.’ Just the word made him happy, especially when she smiled back at him.

‘What do you have in mind?’

‘Something simple, how about a picnic?’

‘Ready!’ came Abigail’s voice.

‘I would love a picnic,’ she said so only Gus could hear, and as he watched them ride over to the school, he tried to come back down to earth.

Arnold came over to stand with him. ‘You two coming here has been the answer to my prayers,’ he confided. ‘This moment has been a long time coming.’

‘I can well believe that.’ He could now that he knew everything that had happened to Hazel.

And as Gus stood back, watching the scene play out in front of him, he thought about what Arnold had said. He might appreciate their appearance in the Cove and what it had done for Hazel, but in the same way, Gus knew that Heritage Cove had brought him and his daughter something very special too. And he hoped this was only the beginning.