“Still? I’d hoped he’d be over it by now.”

“It’s not a whim, Todd, it’s a belief. A lifestyle choice.”

“Right. Well I’ll buy steaks for us and a large carrot for our son.”

She laughed. “I’m making vegetarian lasagna. For all of us.”

Todd shuddered. “What else are you doing today, apart from wrestling vegetables?”

“I have a feature to finish, and then I’m going over to the boathouse. The last guests left yesterday so I’m going to move some of our things back in and get it ready for the summer.” They had an agreement that they never rented it during July and August, that way the family could enjoy their home without sharing it with strangers.

Clare loved the rental income, but she also loved the two months of the year she could take her coffee down to the lakeside in her yoga pants, without worrying that she could be seen by people she didn’t know. She dreamed of the day Todd’s business took off and they were able to afford to keep it to themselves and not rent it out to strangers.

“Do you need help with that?”

“No, I’ll enjoy it. I’m looking forward to having a day to myself.” She felt like a child looking forward to Christmas. It was going to be a day entirely for her.

To her surprise Todd put his keys and his coat down and walked back to her.

“You’re still okay with this life we chose?”

“Why would you even ask me that?”

“It’s all the talk of Becca probably. She blamed me for making you throw in your glittering career and move out of London to follow my dream.”

“We moved when my father died. We agreed it was the right thing. And anyway, this wasn’t just your dream, it was my dream, too. We were both tired of working hard for other people. And my career wasn’t that glittering.”

“Free shoes and handbags?”

Clare laughed. “Crowded commutes and early morning meetings? And I don’t have much of a need for expensive shoes and purses here. Wellington boots are the order of the day. And this wasn’t an impulsive decision.” They’d talked about it for years before they’d taken the plunge. Every Saturday over a bottle of wine, they’d plotted ways to move back here. “I was born here, remember? You’d never set foot in the Lakes until you met me.”

“A lapse in judgment I will always regret.” He brushed a toast crumb from her cheek with the tip of his finger. “So many missed years.”

She knew that Todd loved the Lakes as much as she did. “Admit it, you married me for my family house.”