Page 30 of Happier Days (Family Life in Somerley #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY

It seemed everywhere Stella looked people were excited about the lakeside event.

It was a huge effort for her to go to them nowadays.

After Dan’s death, it hadn’t seemed appropriate to mingle with people he knew like they were having fun without him.

Then it became a habit not to go rather than enjoy a night catching up with everyone in the community.

Stella could recall the day Dan had died in technicolour. It was as if it happened minutes ago and never left her mind. She’d had a phone call from Jack to say that Dan had slipped, that he’d called for an ambulance as his brother wasn’t responding.

She and Max had rushed along, taking the car as near as possible and then running the rest of the way. When they’d arrived, there had been two paramedics trying to resuscitate Dan. Jack said he’d been in the ditch. He and Katrina had pulled him out and laid him on the road.

Later, she would find out that Dan had been heading to meet Katrina. She’d been out with Graham, taking him for a walk, so the two of them could meet in secret. Finding Dan unconscious, she had then rung Jack.

It had broken Stella’s heart twice over when she’d realised what had been going on between them.

And although she would never tell Jack, she’d been glad when he and Katrina split up.

Because, just as he didn’t want to be reminded of his twin, Stella couldn’t cope with the deceit between Dan and Katrina, and the fact that Dan might have been alive had he not been out meeting her.

Of course it took two to do that sort of thing, but as a mother she wanted to blame the person who had been left behind.

After the funeral, she’d hoped not to see Katrina much again.

When she brought Brooke to visit, Katrina stayed in the car rather than coming in now.

It made it much more bearable, but Stella missed afternoons once school was done.

Before, Brooke would often call in of her own accord, Stella would share cookies and tea with her, and then she’d go home.

It always made for a highlight of her day.

And even though Stella knew that Brooke was getting older and wouldn’t necessarily call so often, those visits had been wiped out, too. In fact, the fallout from that one incident had damaged her family. She hoped it wasn’t beyond repair.

Speaking of which, it was time.

With shoulders held high, she walked along the corridor to the double doors at the far end. They were kept locked, no visitors able to go in for health and safety reasons. Stella unlocked the door, slipped inside, and closed it behind her. Taking in a deep breath, she glanced around.

She was inside a large room, windows at waist height along either side of the walls letting in lots of light.

But the sight wasn’t a good one. There were piles of laminate flooring shoved out of the way in the corner, waiting to be laid in a square to make a dance floor.

The rest of the room was a concrete floor, ready to have carpet fitted once the walls were decorated and then soft furnishings added.

She sniffed. As well as a dusty smell, she could sense the sharp tang of fresh paint, despite the room being empty for over two years.

Dan had wanted to create somewhere to hold intimate weddings, with a suite above for a bride and groom.

When there were no bookings, the space was going to be used as a conference centre, smaller rooms upstairs let out for different-sized groups.

Stella walked through, slowly running a hand over a pile of chairs that were still covered in cellophane. Everything had been planned, it was going to be a new venture. But it had all ended.

The worst thing she’d had to be a part of was making the decision to switch off the machines that were the only thing keeping Dan alive. He’d never regained consciousness after the fall.

Feeling brave, she went upstairs and surveyed the bridal suite. The room had been decorated, and it, too, was waiting for carpeting before furniture could be added. But there was an en suite that needed doing.

Next to it, all the rooms needed plastering, electrics and plumbing added. It would only take a couple of months to put right, but none of them had wanted to continue with the project. It seemed wrong without Dan seeing it through.

The lake views out of the windows that side were stunning. Stella remembered standing on the lawn with Max and Jack, as Dan told them of his plans, pointing out where everything would be going. He’d been like a child, so animated and excited.

And now he was gone. And for the life of her, Stella couldn’t feel any enthusiasm for getting the job finished. If they did sell the hotel eventually, and even knowing it would fetch more money complete, she didn’t want to think of Dan not being there to see it.

Wiping tears that had fallen, she went downstairs again, slipped out of the room, and locked it up. Back in her office after returning the keys, she relaxed. At least no one had seen her. But she’d had to go alone.

Maybe now she might be able to take a look at Jack’s plans.