The Ever After Diary by Gisele Stein

Author:Gisele Stein [Stein, Gisele]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780645892956
Amazon: 0645892955
Publisher: Stein Books & Publishing
Published: 2024-01-09T00:00:00+00:00

16

HALFWAY

June 1

111 days until the anniversary

“Don’t mind me, ladies,” Will addresses a pair of stubborn sheep blocking his way, staring blankly. It isn’t until he’s nearly nose-to-nose with them that they scatter like wind-whipped leaves. Sometimes it strikes him as strange, these designated hiking trails winding through private properties and skirting right by farmhouses – the barking of dogs always makes him quicken his pace.

By the late afternoon, the roar of High Falls Waterfall, a cascading deluge over jagged rocks, beckons him. He was excited to rest here for some time, lured in by the sound of rushing water, but before he even spots them, he hears the boisterous laughter and chatter of a group of male hikers. Their matching T-shirts with Team Groom written on them give away that they’re likely on a stag do. As he’s done many times before, Will makes a brief greeting and picks up the pace to distance himself.

In the quaint town of Middleton-in-Teesdale, he spots a peaceful wood of birch trees along the river and takes this as a better spot for a lunch break. Clusters of dandelions, their bright yellow heads reaching up from the grass, make for a nice side salad to go with his spaghetti in tomato sauce. After lunch, Will loads up on supplies at the local supermarket, knowing he won’t find another shop for days after leaving Middleton. His backpack heavy with provisions, he ascends to a common, setting up camp as night falls.

The persistent drumming of rain against his tent lulls him the next morning, and he lets himself doze, delaying the inevitable wet hike. Big mistake, as it turns out later: The bachelor group has caught up with him again. The familiar round of laughter alerts him to their presence from a mile away, their noise grating on him as he tries to pick up the pace, hastening through the landscape like a hare escaping the hounds. But no matter how fast he goes, the minute he slows down, the guys catch up again. It’s just like the fly on his face he couldn’t shake off no matter how hard he tried. Will slows his steps, the comparison hitting him. He doesn’t really want their company – in fact, his entire being revolts against the idea. Still, he comes to rest on a scenic stone bridge, untying and retying his shoelace as he allows the group to catch up.

When, at last, they draw near, one of them, a tall guy with a cheerful face, reaches out a hand immediately.

“Hey mate, we’ve been seeing you from afar. Hope we’re not crowding ya.” They stop, too, snapping a few shots and refilling water bottles in the stream below the bridge. “I’m Jamie. That’s Ben over there, the lucky groom-to-be.” The cheery tall one points to a guy trying to keep his balance on a slippery rock, “And then we got Craig, Dave, and Pete, all from the Cotswolds originally,” Jamie says, pointing to each in turn.

“Will,” he replies, nodding, “from Newcastle.

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