“It’s all about new beginnings isn’t it?” Honey Blackwell smiled at her friend, Camilla Dix.

“What is?”

“Spring. It’s such a beautiful time. I love how it chases those dreary winter days away, offering a sense of hope and renewal.”

“Mmm. I love spring too. But then I love summer, autumn and winter.”

“You love any season as long as Tom’s around.”

Camilla giggled. “Am I that transparent?”

“You are, but that’s okay. I’m happy for you.”

“I’m happy for me too.”

They strolled along, arm-in-arm, through the pretty village of Heatherlea. It was a beautiful morning, the first Saturday in March, and Honey had suggested they go for a walk to make the most of the sunshine.

The sun glinted on car windows as they passed and birds sang in the trees and from their perches on rooftops. It was as if nature shared Honey’s feeling of optimism and anticipation, as if something wonderful could happen at any moment.

“What did you say Tom was doing again?”

“He’s gone to see his parents for the weekend. He tries to get back to Brighton at least once every six weeks, although it’s not always possible with the surgery… and the fact that he wants to spend time with me.”

Honey nodded. Camilla and the local vet, Tom, had been together since Christmas and although Camilla had told her friends that they were taking it slowly, it was evident that they were very much in love.

“And you got to look after Mr Squidgeyface.”

“I did.” Camilla leant forwards and rubbed the head of the large British bulldog. “HP is a good boy, aren’t you?”

The dog glanced over his shoulder at Camilla and Honey, his pink tongue dangling from the side of his mouth.

“It still makes me laugh every time I hear his name.”

“Hairy Pawter?”

Honey nodded. “It’s brilliant.”

As they strolled past the church, Honey admired the architecture of the old stone building. It hinted at the village’s history and strong sense of community. She found the worn headstones in the graveyard fascinating because they dated back hundreds of years and some of them belonged to ancestors of people who still lived in the village today.

“HP was named by the man who owned him before Tom adopted him. It suits him and I can’t imagine him being called anything else.”

“Is HP all right staying with you when Tom’s away?”

Camilla nodded. “He’s happy to snore his head off in front of the fire and the TV while I work, and I have a key to Tom’s place, so I can take him home for a bit too.”

“I see… swapping keys now and what…” Honey counted on her fingers, deliberately exaggerating each one, “you’re only around three months in?”

Camilla’s cheeks coloured.

“Camilla, I’m teasing. I really am so happy for you. Tom’s such a great guy.”

“I know. I just never thought I’d get involved with someone. Let alone end up almost living with him.”

“So you’re staying over more often than not?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you sell your cottage and move in properly?”

Camilla chewed her bottom lip. “I might, but not just yet. I need to be sure.”

“You have doubts?”

Camilla met Honey’s gaze and her bright green eyes shone. “No. Not at all.”

“Then why wait?”

“He hasn’t asked me to move in.”

“Well you could ask him.”

“I could. But I don’t want to push him if he’s not ready. I figure he’ll ask when he feels the time is right.”

Honey shook her head. “You’re such a bright and confident woman, Camilla, but when it comes to affairs of the heart…”

“Tell me about it.”

Camilla squeezed Honey’s arm.

“Anyway, what about you and Dane? Any news there? I know you said he’s busy today because he has a pile of books to mark, and that he’s quite often got things on in the evenings, but how are things going between you?”

Honey pressed her lips together. “All right, I guess. I mean… we’ve been seeing each other in a kind of… relaxed manner for a few months now. We’ve been out for a few meals and joined you all at the pub quiz, but we’re—”

Camilla waved a hand. “I know all that! I’ve heard that at the café when you’re deliberately trying to be vague about how things are going between you, but don’t you want more? How do you feel about him?”

Honey shrugged. “I like him. He’s smart, handsome, funny and a great cook but for some reason, we’re just… more like friends.”

“Friends?” Camilla frowned, a line marring the porcelain skin between her eyebrows.

“Well, yes.”

“Hey, that’s okay. Perhaps it’s just too early for you to feel anything else… yet.”

“Perhaps, but I’m confused about him. A few times, he’s walked me home and I’ve invited him in, and I’ve gone back to his house but… nothing ever happens. I’m too embarrassed to ask him if he likes me enough to want more.”

“So you’re both a bit shy. It could be that.”

“I don’t know… maybe. I’m just afraid to push for more in case it ruins what we have. Although, I’m not certain that we have anything at all.” She pushed her light-blue hair with its pink streaks back from her face.

“And how does he feel about it?”

Honey shrugged. “Dane seems fine. He’s never tried to do more than give me a quick kiss and has never asked me to stay over. He seems happy being friends.”

“It could be that he’s just taking it slowly and that there are reasons why. Maybe he’s been hurt in the past or he doesn’t want to push you in case he scares you away.”

“He could be gay.” Honey chewed her bottom lip. Now she’d actually said it out loud to someone, she realised it was a very real possibility. Not that he had to be gay not to fancy her, of course, but there was a very real possibility that she’d misread the early signals she’d thought she was getting from him, and he really didn’t fancy her at all.

“Do you think he is?” Camilla’s eyes widened. “I didn’t see any signs.”

“It’s not like a flashing light above someone’s head, you know, Camilla.”

“I know that, Honey.” Camilla shook her head. “What I meant was that the way he looks at you… it just suggests that he’s into you.”

“Or he’s very short sighted and he’s staring really hard.”

Camilla giggled. “I’m convinced it was the look of a man who’s falling for a woman.”

“I’d like to think so. You know, I’m probably just as much to blame for holding back as he is.”

Honey suspected that she knew why she hadn’t been able to progress her relationship with Dane, but hadn’t admitted it to anyone, not even her closest friends when they met up on Tuesdays at The Cosy Cottage Café for food and drinks. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Allie, Dawn and Camilla, because she did; she’d trust them with her life. It was more that she didn’t trust herself. Honey was aware that if she started trying to explain why she felt the way she did, why she couldn’t let go and fully commit to a relationship with Dane, then she knew she wouldn’t stop and her whole life story would come pouring out. Then her friends would wonder why she’d kept it from them for so long and the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt or offend them. They’d been so good to her since she’d moved to Heatherlea; she’d never had friends like them before, and she would be devastated to lose them. So she’d kept her true feelings about Dane and their romance and her past to herself, buried deeply inside. Only now… Camilla was gently probing and Honey had already admitted more than she’d wanted to say.

“Shall we go back to mine and have a drink? I’ve got some chocolate muffins there and that coffee machine Tom got me for Christmas makes the best lattes. Not better than Allie’s at the café, of course, but pretty close.”

“That would be lovely.”

“Come on then.”

They turned and made their way back to Camilla’s pretty little cottage, and Camilla chatted as they walked, about the weather, about her latest trip into London to meet a very wealthy and rather famous client, and about anything other than Honey and Dane. And Honey was grateful to her friend for understanding that she needed to change the subject, because it was making her head hurt. Honey needed time to think but she also needed time to take some head space away from it all.

Besides, Dane didn’t seem in any rush with their relationship either, and Honey wondered if he had secrets of his own. If only she could ask him openly, and find out. But that would mean opening up to him too, and she didn’t know if she was ready for that, or if she ever would be.