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Back One Winter Morning Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. Read More
  55. Two Years Later
  56. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

The two of us continue chatting as Bonnie drives us through the centre of town and out the other side, her filling me in on all the goings-on I have missed at the stables, and me gazing out at all the sights that have become so dear to me. The lake is calm and alpine blue today, the leaves reflected in its surface a fiery collection of autumnal golds and reds. I have only been away for two weeks, but I missed this place for every second of that time. Now that I’m home, my soul feels settled once again.

Bonnie has yet to mention Kit, and when I ask after his whereabouts, she says something vague about him and Griff going off this morning to do ‘bloke stuff’. Usually it would be him who picked me up from the airport, but when I called to check a few days ago, he said Bonnie had offered, and he’d catch up with me at the yard instead. I spent most of the flight thinking about how I can’t wait to see him, to touch him, to tell him my news and kiss him on his handsome face. To hear he isn’t even going to be at Koru Stables when we get there knocks the air out of me a bit.

Realizing that I have fallen silent, Bonnie takes one hand off the wheel and gives my arm a reassuring squeeze.

‘Don’t fret, chicken,’ she says. ‘You know what blokes are like – bloody unreliable at the best of times.’

I nod along, but what I’m thinking is No, no they’re not. Kit is not like most blokes – he is better than all the others. Or so I assumed. Could he really have changed so much in just a fortnight? Has he not even missed me at all? Maybe going away alone was a mistake; perhaps it’s only served to make him realize that he doesn’t like me as much as he thought. Trying my best to ignore the churn of unease beginning to swirl in my stomach, I take out my phone and send him a quick text, telling him I’ve landed safely and can’t wait to see him. This is Kit, I remind myself. There is just no way he would do anything to purposely hurt me. I know he wouldn’t. So why, then, am I unable to shake off the feeling that something is going on?

‘GEEEE-NIEEEE!’