It had been the only time in the months Zoe spent in hospital that Lily and Malie had seen tears of laughter, rather than pain and sadness in her eyes. To them, it had been worth every reprimand from the hospital.

As Lily continued to pedal, she felt the sensation and ease as something unique and wondrous. Zoe had lost the use of her legs in the same accident that had prevented Victoria from ever being able to have children naturally.

That night had taken something from each of the girls and ten years later, Lily realized that they were still feeling the echoes of that loss. But in the last few months Victoria, Malie and Zoe had each found a way forward from that, with the help of the love and acceptance they had found with their partners. And even the slight twinge of loneliness she felt being so far from her friends couldn’t take away from her happiness for them.

Lily resumed pedalling and pushed on into the forest that flanked the border of the Hawkesbury estate, where the dark canopy overhead brought more than shade. It brought memories of Blake. The steady hand the older man had guided her with, the welcome arms he had embraced her with after her return from London. The kind distraction he had offered her aching heart after her ex-fiancé’s betrayal. The quiet, sad yearnings he’d had for his son’s return … The son who had left Hawke’s Cove ten years before and not looked back once.

Until it was too late.

She shivered, the shadows turning her exertions ice cold, as loss entwined with the past to bind her in a sadness she had to force herself to shake free from. Finally, the path emerged from the forest and out into the sprawling open hillside of Hawkesbury estate. The sight of the vineyard spilling downwards in layers from where the old Georgian building stood proud at the top always filled Lily with happiness, even today when it was ringed with the sharp sting of grief. Blake had worked so hard for each and every vine. The pride in his voice and gaze as each harvest had increased in abundance and popularity had been clear to all. His restaurant, naturally, stocked the lion’s share of the produce, but in the last three years the estate had been supplying more and more vendors with high-quality wine that was gaining international recognition.

As Lily drew to a halt, leaning the bike and her weight on one foot, she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen now. What Blake’s son would decide to do with the estate – and everything that his estranged father had worked so hard for.

Sorry, mate. Didn’t mean to be away for this long.

Hitting send, Henry passed a hand over his face, trying to wipe away some of the exhaustion from gritty eyes. His phone pinged.