The Love of Our Lives: a new uplifting and gripping love story to win your heart by Emma Steele

Author:Emma Steele [Steele, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2025-09-11T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Over the next few weeks, I work my way steadily through Emily’s list, and Charlie is only too happy to join in too. In a strange way, I’ve realised we’re tracking the same timeline – around August this year, she will have this baby and her whole life will change. Just like mine.

So Charlie and I start cooking classes with Sven and go climbing at an indoor centre. We try new instruments, me the guitar from the cupboard and Charlie the ukulele, because Sven had one lying around from his youth. We go out dancing until all hours of the morning and I try shots for the first time, get properly drunk and eat a 2 a.m. kebab with a more sober Charlie. And I am so close to sending Adam a tipsy message but somehow manage to stop myself. We go skiing on the dry ski slope at the other end of town – or rather I do, with Charlie watching happily on. And although it’s not quite the Cairngorms, yet, I know I have to start somewhere. I have to assume that Emily already skied, given the affluent crowd she ran in, but given what Fran said about her working all the time, maybe she never actually managed to go.

I put on those hiking boots at the door and Charlie and I walk up a Munro together one clear, frosty day. And as I stand there at the top, looking out across the beaten green and brown landscape, I can’t help thinking how absolutely incredible the world looks from here.

I’m a bit concerned about Charlie overexerting herself during her pregnancy, of course. But as she keeps saying, she’s still only a few months along, and the worst of the sickness has already passed, so everything is fine. Sven seemed a little nervous about it initially, but when he sees how much fun we’re having, he quickly backs off. He knows I’ll look out for her, after all.

At any rate, we’re pretty limited with what we can do on the list as it’s only February and it’s still too cold for some activities. I think about jumping on a flight to continue them somewhere hot and exotic, but I’m not sure if I want to; I’m not sure I’m quite ready to, truthfully. Plus, I’m enjoying doing a lot of it in Scotland, and as I’ve learnt since I’ve been here, you don’t actually need to leave the country to have big adventures.

It’s as I’m walking towards the flat after doing another Munro with Charlie, with mud all over my boots and a lightness inside that’s just wonderful, that I see someone coming along the street from the opposite direction. My heart catches.

Adam.

The first I’ve seen of him since Christmas.

‘Hello.’ I can’t help smiling, as we come to a stop in front of each other. He’s in jeans and his old black winter jacket, a scruffy beanie on his head, and attraction floods through my body.

‘Hello,’ he says, his eyes lighting up like he’s genuinely happy to see me too.

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