Sometimes Moments (44 page)

Nine months later.

“C
ome on, Peyton!” Graham yelled out to her.

Peyton and her best friend, Madilynne, walked up the path together, as Peyton shook her head. “Mads, you are marrying an impatient man,” she pointed out.

The moment Peyton reached the end of the path, Madilynne was grinning like a fool. “We both know he’s excited about today. We all are. This man has the patience of a mountain.”

Peyton made a gagging noise. Graham had spent his time between the city and the town. But now that Madilynne had finished her degree, she was moving back to work for the hotel, and with the lavender farm expanding, Graham needed to be onsite more often. Madilynne didn’t mind. She’d admitted that she was tired of the city, and the moment Graham had proposed, she’d said that they were moving back to Daylesford.

Graham took his fiancée in his arms and kissed her. Not wanting to see anymore of her best friends’ public display, Peyton took a step away from them and walked towards Jenny, who was standing just in front of the hotel. Peyton stood next to her and looked over the building. The cream-coloured stones were vibrant and beautiful against the lavender. Callum had designed her the most stunning hotel, and she couldn’t wait for it to open for business in a few weeks’ time.

“He’d be so proud of you,” Jenny said, wiping her face.

Peyton wrapped her arm around Jenny’s back and nodded. “I know.”

“Are you all packed for your trip?”

“Yeah. Aunt Brenda has made sure that the Austria tour guide is safely in my carryon,” Peyton said.

“We’ll be here waiting for you,” Jenny said.

Peyton smiled. Life had its moments of sheer pain and misery, but it also had its beautiful and pure moments. Right now, it was one of the beautiful ones. Peyton unwrapped her arm from around Jenny and stood straight before pulling out Callum’s Polaroid camera from her bag.

“Wait for us,” Aunt Brenda called, carrying a tray of drinks and placing them on the small table they set up.

Madilynne’s father and mother walked from around the back of the hotel with plates of sandwiches and set them on the table, too.

“I’m proud of you, love,” Uncle John said as he kissed her cheek. “Any words before the sign is bolted up and unveiled?”

Peyton looked around at the people who surrounded her. The people she loved. She didn’t want this to be a big town celebration. This was about them—her family.

“Thank you all so much for being here and believing in me and the hotel. I wouldn’t be standing here today without your support.” When Peyton reached for a glass, everyone else followed. “And I wouldn’t be here without Callum. He is my bright light that led me to this moment. I love and miss him like you do. He is the heart of this hotel by the lake. To Callum,” she said, holding her cup in the air.

“To Callum!” they all cheered and clinked their glasses.

“Honey, you ready?” Jenny asked her husband.

Constable Fields nodded and looked at Nigel, the tradie who was once her dance floor builder and now friend.

“Ready, mate?”

Nigel nodded as he bolted up the sign in place. “We’re ready,” he said from the ladder.

“Do it!” Madilynne shouted.

Peyton held her breath as she felt Jenny and Graham’s hands on her shoulders, supporting her. She was about to experience what her parents had when the first sign for The Spencer-Dayle had been put up. But this time, it was Peyton’s hotel sign that was going up.

When Nigel and Constable Fields pulled off the sheet that covered the sign, Peyton’s eyes watered at the beauty of it. It was perfect and it was theirs.

She finally understood this moment for her parents. It was unforgettable and awe inspiring.

“
The Spencer-Reid
,” she read out loud.

Peyton lips tugged into a smile as the happy tears ran down her cheeks. Then she heard everyone clap as they took in the sign.

This is ours, Callum.

Peyton held up the Polaroid and took a picture of the hotel. Neither parents nor the town had built The Spencer-Reid. It had been built by her and those who supported her.

Handing Graham the Polaroid, Peyton spun around and slowly walked over to the edge of the path. She paused for a moment before she held up the camera so she could see the pier in the small, glass square. After taking a deep breath, she proceeded to take the picture. The Polaroid developed and she looked at it—a structure that held so many of their memories.

She took the permanent marker from the pocket of her bag, uncapped it, and held the tip to the white frame of the picture. Then she glanced up at the pier one more time before she started to write. The moment she lifted the pen off the picture, she held it up against the pier.

Sometimes moments defined our forever moments.

“T
heir wedding was beautiful,” Jenny beamed as she looked through the Polaroids Peyton had taken.

Peyton smiled. “I can’t believe two of my best friends got married. I can’t believe how long they stayed apart because of me.”

Jenny sighed and placed the photographs on the front desk. “And you brought them together.”

She waved the Polaroids at Jenny, dismissing her. “Yeah, yeah.”

After picking up the picture of Madilynne in her tulle mermaid wedding dress, she put it in the black frame, ready to be placed on the wall of sometimes moments. Then she held another stack of pictures from her trip from Austria and smiled. It was a trip she’d never forget. She had done it all. Everything she couldn’t do with Callum, she had done for them.

The day she’d come home, Jay had been at her door. They sat on the step and stared at the Reid house together. Then he apologised and Peyton listened. In the end, she’d forgiven Jay just to keep peace. She wanted to live a life with no burdens, and Jay had been one. The moment she’d forgiven him, she’d felt free, ready to live every day like her last. After that day, when they walked past each other in town, they would turn and smile but never stop.

“I’ll grab some of the frames from the office,” Jenny said.

Peyton nodded and opened the lid of the pink box Oliver had delivered to her almost a year ago. Then she pulled out a stack of their Polaroids and smiled. She no longer cried as often as she had when Callum had died. She’d learned to appreciate their time together. And he’d been right—she did reflect on their time together.

She picked up the instant picture of him that she had taken and placed the rest in the box. The sight of him had her heat aching. It still did that. Peyton ran her finger down his beautiful face and smiled. She missed him. Her love still burned brightly and it always would.

When the doorbell rung, she set Callum’s picture down. Peyton looked up, expecting a guest. Instead, a man holding a large bundle of lavender walked through the door. The first things she noticed were his plaid flannelette shirt and his work boots. Then she frowned at the muddy boots, which would leave dirt on her floorboards. She noticed that he held a clipboard, staring at it.

“I’m looking for Peyton Spencer,” he said the moment he reached the desk.

When he lifted his chin, their eyes met. His light-brown ones had her breath catching. And for a moment, she swore her heart stopped. It was brief, but she felt it. Her heart hadn’t done that for quite some time.

Since…

Peyton stopped her train of thought and focused on the surprised look on his face. The way his eyes twinkled and his lips parted had her breath catching. The unnamed man placed the lavender and clipboard on the desk before he rubbed his short beard.

“I’m Peyton Spencer,” she said as her palms started sweating, which wasn’t something she was familiar with.

“I have a delivery for you. Just need a signature here,” he said, picking up the clipboard and handing it to her.

She let out a laugh, but she wasn’t sure why.

“Is something funny?” he asked, raising his brow.

She shook her head, getting some control over herself. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. That was rude.” Peyton grabbed a pen and signed her name on the line. Then she took off the small envelope from the bundled lavender. After removing the card, she read it.

Have a great first day.

Love,

Mr & Mrs Scott.

“Thank you,” she said, looking up at him. As she noticed the curiosity in his eyes, a blush reddened her cheeks.

“Cooper Hepburn. I’m the new operations manager while Graham and Mads are on their honeymoon,” he said, introducing himself.

She nodded. “And I’m
still
Peyton Spencer. I’m the owner of The Spencer-Reid.”

She handed over the clipboard, his hands gazing over hers. Her heart stopped once more and she became a little breathless. It was the smile he wore. It was beautiful and genuine.

“Well, maybe I’ll see you around town, hotel girl.” He grinned.

She shook her head. “Maybe I’ll see you around…”

Cooper nodded at her before he turned and walked towards the exit.

The moment he reached the door, Peyton breathed out and said, “Lavender boy.”

He stopped and quickly spun around, smiling at her. “Lavender boy?” he asked. The playful grin had her heart racing.

Callum’s words ran through her head.
“I always knew you’d marry lavender boy.”

The twinkle in Cooper’s eyes had Peyton swallowing hard. She knew that look. He might not know it, but she might have just seen forever in Cooper Hepburn’s eyes.

She nodded. “Yes. Lavender boy.”

“I’m glad I made this delivery today. It was nice meeting you, Peyton Spencer.”

“You, too, Cooper Hepburn.”

Cooper nodded once with a smile before he walked out of her hotel. When she felt the butterflies soar in her stomach, she knew. Pulling out the picture of her and Callum, her heart warmed at the look in Callum’s eyes. It was the same look she’d seen in Cooper’s.

“Thank you for sometimes, Callum. I think I may have found my forever with lavender boy.”