Page 117 of The Summer Escape

“And he’ll look after me when you go to work?”

“That’s the plan, yes.”

Trystan had been encouraging Beth to get back into wedding photography. While having the option felt great, she couldn’t escape the niggling feeling that it wasn’t the right path for her any more. In November she’d done some work for a local restaurant who were going through a re-brand. Taking photos of food for their website and social media had been a much more interesting project than she’d anticipated and had made her wonder what other areas of photography she might enjoy.

“Go to sleep now. Goodnight,” Beth whispered and pulled the door behind her. She paused at the top of the stairs before venturing down to find Trystan leaning with his forearms on the kitchen counter.

“You look about as tired as Ellie is,” Beth told him. He straightened up when she walked behind him and slipped her arms around his waist. Pressing her cheek against his back, she inhaled the scent of him and sighed loudly.

“Did you have a good day?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Really?”

She opened her mouth, but closed it again when she couldn’t figure out how to respond. Apparently she might not have done such a good job of pretending to enjoy herself as she’d thought.

“I’ve been wondering about something,” he said quietly.

“What?” she asked, feeling his shoulder blades rise as his muscles tensed beneath her cheek.

“Are you sure you want me to move in with you?”

Taking a step back, she pulled on his arm to turn him to face her. “Why would you even ask that?”

“Because I don’t know if you’re a hundred per cent sure. And if you have doubts, it would be better if you share them now.”

She shook her head. “I don’t have any doubts. I’m not sure why you’d think that.”

“You’ve been in a strange mood for the last few weeks. Whenever I ask if you’re okay, you say you’re fine …”

“Because Iamfine,” she said in a rush, but the tears that filled her eyes told another story.

He tilted his head as he rubbed at her upper arms. “I don’t know how to help you if you won’t tell me what the problem is.”

“It’s nothing,” she sniffed, stepping closer to him. “At least nothing to do with you.”

“Tell me what’s wrong. Please.”

“I just …” She inhaled deeply as tears streamed down her cheeks. “It’s the first Christmas in my life that I haven’t spent with my mum.” As a sob escaped her, Trystan folded his arms around her and she cried into his neck.

“I’m sorry,” Trystan murmured after a few minutes. “I didn’t think. I should have done.”

“Mum always got so excited about Christmas. She loved everything about it. For the last few weeks your mum kept calling and telling us all her plans, and since we arrived she’s been baking with Ellie and crafting, and she bought her all those presents. It was really nice of her but …” Beth paused for breath and pushed her fingers over her damp cheeks.

“It’s all the things your mum would have done with her?” Trystan finished for her.

“Yes.”

His eyebrows drew together. “You could have talked to me. I’d have told Mum to back off.”

“I didn’t want her to back off.” Beth shook her head. “I love how she is with Ellie. I don’t want her to stop. It’s just hard for me sometimes.”

“I’m really sorry. I knew there was something going on with you. I thought I’d done something wrong.”

“No.” Wrapping her arms around his waist she hugged him hard. “You make everything better. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He brushed her tears from her cheeks and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Next time can you please talk to me instead of shutting me out?”