“I know what you mean. She’s been great to me. Gave me time off whenever I needed to take the kids for Suzie. Let me leave early. I made sure the jobs got done, and she didn’t care how I managed it all.” He eased the van closer to the edge of the road to allow a car to pass. “After a decade of working for a corporation that felt as if it was full of machines, not people, she restored my faith in human nature.”

“I can believe that.”

The road climbed up through the valley, and she gazed at the wild beauty around them, reflecting on the ups and downs of life.

“How is your sister doing?”

“She’s doing well, thanks. Tough couple of years, and then she met someone. Pete’s a doctor. They got married last year.”

“You like him?”

“Very much. He’s a great guy. And the girls adore him.”

“So Uncle Joel is no longer so much in demand.”

“I see quite a bit of them, but it’s usually planned rather than an emergency.” He turned into a small parking area with just one other car. “We can walk from here. It’s steep, but it should be quiet, and the views from the top are incredible. I packed water and a snack into my backpack. And I have a spare layer if you need it, but I doubt you will because it’s hot.”

It was more than hot. It was sweltering, but she didn’t care. She was just so happy and grateful to be outdoors.

“I’ll be fine, but thank you.”

She stepped out of the car and felt the sun warm her face. The fells rose up around her, cocooning them from the outside world. She heard the soft rush of water from the nearby stream and the occasional bleating of sheep. Fuchsia-pink foxgloves speared through dense ferns, adding a splash of bright color to the landscape.

“It’s peaceful.”

“It’s a magical spot.” He changed into hiking boots, hauled a large backpack onto his back and snapped a lead onto Buster’s collar. “He’s good, but I don’t take any chances around sheep.”

She laced up the hiking boots Milly had given her and rammed a hat onto her head, tugging down the brim.

He watched her. “Is that for disguise? Because we’re pretty much the only people here.”

“Reflex action.”

He nodded. “Well, Buster and I have your back, so hopefully you can relax. I’m guessing that’s something you don’t do very often.”

“Hardly ever.” But she felt relaxed now. The landscape was wild and beautiful, and it made her feel so small and insignificant that her problems shrank to nothing, and she wished she could just stay here, in this moment, and never go back to her life.