This is SD Hudson Magic.
Welcome to episode 13 of my first ever romantic sleep story.
The last time we saw Rebecca Tregoren,
She was about to go into a theatre to have an emergency skin graft.
Jake meanwhile had just learned of her accident and was still reeling from the shock.
But before we begin,
Let's take a moment to focus on where we are now.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
That's it.
Then let it out on a long sigh.
This is your time and your place.
Relax into the support beneath you and feel the pressures of the day seep away.
Feel the tensions seep away from your cheeks and your shoulders melt away from your ears.
Relax,
Safe in the knowledge you are free from judgement or condemnation.
And here we are.
Back at Cartwright Manor,
Where the clouds are collecting as Jake sits alone on the patio picking to pieces the events of the day before.
He could have prevented such a thing from happening.
He might have known such a thing would happen.
According to the broadcast,
Rebecca had almost been killed and now she was lying in hospital on the road to a long recovery.
Why on earth hadn't he been there for her?
If they'd been together,
She would have been driving a car,
Not a rickety old bike.
Then again,
That wasn't quite true,
Was it?
Rebecca would do what she wanted,
Regardless.
That was part of what made her so wonderful.
Oh God.
He covered his head in his arms.
And what about Olivia's car?
It had been in the garage for the past couple of days.
He wouldn't put it past her.
If he found out she had anything to do with this,
He'd kill her with his own bare hands,
So help him.
Rebecca,
What have I done?
The sun cut through the grey mass,
Casting a broad flame over the sweeping lawns.
Behind him,
A cool breeze wafted through the tall Georgian doors.
And there was old man Cartwright,
Looking markedly better for a good night's sleep.
It certainly is good to be back.
Jake glanced at him across the silverware.
There was no point in hiding it any longer.
He would have to say something.
I.
.
.
What's the matter,
Son?
Have you been up all night?
You look terrible.
Jake froze.
All strength had left his body,
And with it,
The will to make the truth more palatable.
I.
.
.
I've been living a lie.
He could hardly bear to finish the sentence.
Yes,
This was his father,
But if he said the word out loud,
He would be confused once more.
He scratched impatiently at his five o'clock shadow.
This divided loyalty was killing him.
It's time you knew.
What do you mean,
Son?
Come on,
This is not like you.
What's happened?
I'm in love with someone else.
The words hovered like unwelcome guests.
Jake waited for a reply,
For his father to tell him he'd let him down,
For him to be labelled a disappointment and told he'd gone back on his word.
But no reply came.
And lowering himself into the seat opposite,
Old man Cartwright picked up the daily news and dived into the front page,
As though nothing had passed between them.
Meanwhile,
Over in Scotlake Infirmary,
Rebecca was getting ready to leave.
Mrs Tregorn had arrived,
And Sam was there too,
Waiting behind the wheelchair,
Ready to get her best friend home as soon as possible.
The taxi's here now,
Sweetheart.
It'll be a long drive,
So you'll need to get going if you're to get back for lunch.
Rebecca frowned,
Then winced,
Then frowned again.
Food was the last thing on her mind.
You OK,
Love?
Mrs Tregorn rested her creased fingers on her daughter's arm.
It was only the day before she'd been out in the sun,
Amongst her hardy perennials,
Weeding and planting and making ready for their next get-together.
But now she was here,
In the hospital,
Facing the one thing no mother wants to face.
Their child's pain.
She was determined to get Rebecca out of there as soon as possible.
There was no need for her to stay in Scotlake.
She would never have to work away again.
Rebecca recognised this look.
Her mother was scared,
Yet pleased at the same time.
Scared of the mess her daughter had managed to get herself into,
And pleased she was finally getting out of it.
She'd gotten herself into many scrapes as a young girl,
Not least of all by setting fire to her rubbish bin,
Because that was the best way to get rid of rubbish.
But she was getting older now,
And finding herself in the middle of controversy was quickly losing its appeal.
The only good thing to come of this was the close relationship she'd formed with Sam.
You will give me a call when you get there,
Won't you?
Her best friend asked as she pushed her into the whitewashed corridor.
Of course,
She answered.
And everything will look different once we're on the road,
Won't it Becky?
Her mother interjected.
You'll see,
We'll be back in no time.
Mrs Tregoren turned her back on the hospital and looked towards the mountains.
She'd made a concerted effort to avoid showing it,
But she was seething.
Fat boy Jake had promised he'd look after Rebecca,
And he failed abysmally.
She trusted him to get her a job and keep her safe,
And he let her down.
She had hoped they'd both reconcile,
As her husband predicted they would when he was alive.
But no.
Jake had had his head turned with the promise of a fat check and a luxurious lifestyle.
How he had changed.
The Jake of yesteryear,
Who'd hugged her and joked about how she never aged,
Was far removed from the one Sam just spoke about.
What on earth had happened to him?
It took just over two hours to get back to Fort Denning.
Rebecca hadn't so much as glanced out of the window before she fell into a deep sleep.
But when the busy road was far behind them,
And a stony mountain track,
The only thing running between east and west,
She opened her eyes once more,
And the old sense of wonder crept back in.
She was a child again,
Running alone through the highland hills,
And laughing heartily at the jokes father told her every night before bed.
Her only companions were the wind and the rain,
The blazing sun and the falling snow.
Then,
Every evening,
Just as the sun set,
Her sheepdog would arrive and she would follow her flock back home.
She let down the window and gazed out.
This was her father's land.
She was safe here.
The tall pine trees and gravel path would announce any visitors,
Whether they wished to be announced or not.
And as the long days became short weeks,
Rebecca settled happily into the old log cabin she called home.
It was almost two months later when the unexpected snow fell.
The golden leaves clung to their parents like belligerent children.
But when at last they landed,
As weightless kisses upon the hardened soil,
Rebecca knew it was time to get up.
Her bandages were off and the cast was gone.
It was time to face the music.
There you are,
Said her mother as she joined her on the dew-covered balcony.
Look at the gift Jack Frost brought.
Rebecca gazed out at the snow-capped pines.
Her mother was right.
This was a gift.
The hope and faith she'd been waiting for.
Didn't good things always happen in the snow?
I can feel father with us,
She said,
Pulling her blanket in closer.
He's always with us,
Her mother replied.
But yes,
His presence is stronger today now the snow's here.
He'd be very proud of you,
Becky.
You know that,
Don't you?
They sat together,
Peering into the thick forest for the slightest sign of life.
But even the deer were hiding now.
It was cold.
Winter had brought a frosty pine to the air that danced across Rebecca's cheeks.
But her hand no longer shot to the thin,
Feathered scar.
It was less angry than it had been,
And it no longer burned with the salt from her tears.
In fact,
This was the first day she hadn't felt the urge to scratch it.
I can see that old smile coming back,
Mrs.
Tregorum beamed.
But Rebecca was unwilling to jinx it.
So what are we baking today?
You?
Cook?
Her mother sat back in mock disbelief.
Well,
I've got to start somewhere,
Haven't I?
Then I can be brilliant at everything.
They laughed out loud,
Until the landline cut through the cold air like a sharp knife.
Don't answer it if you don't want to,
Rebecca shot.
It was from Fort Scott Lake.
It had to be.
Perhaps from the hospital.
Or maybe it was from work,
Trying to find out when she was coming back.
That was never going to happen.
The sick pay helped,
Though.
Not that Mum would take anything from her.
The poor thing was doing a terrible job of hiding her guilt.
It wasn't her fault,
Of course,
But Mum always blamed herself,
Bless her.
Helping her after father died was the least Rebecca could do for all the love and kindness she'd had growing up,
And she would be there for her again as soon as she could lose this crippling anxiety.
It's definitely McStayton's,
Mrs.
Tregoren lied as she stood up.
They're calling to arrange delivery,
But I can pick up the shopping myself if I want to.
Maybe you could come?
She knew she was pushing it,
But she was keen to strike while the iron was hot.
After all,
It was rare for Rebecca to get out of bed these days.
Maybe.
They sat in silence until the phone rang out.
Then Rebecca looked at her mother closely,
As if she was seeing her for the first time since childhood.
Her temples were graying.
The sparkle she had when her husband was alive had dulled to a quiet resignation.
Mrs.
Tregoren,
With her rose-tinted skin and bright eyes,
Had always been such a jolly figure.
But the years had passed,
And the elements had taken their toll.
What with the loss that never went unfelt,
She had changed significantly.
The love for her daughter was still there,
Though,
Dancing in her eyes.
That same love Rebecca had known all her life.
OK,
She smiled.
I'll come with you,
Mum.
I've got to start somewhere now,
Haven't I?
The lines on her mother's face softened.
That's the spirit,
Dear.
And watching her daughter hobble off to take a long-awaited shower,
Mrs.
Tregoren began cleaning up before reaching for her mobile phone.
Stop calling,
She hissed.
The landline's noisy and it's putting Becky on edge.
She's not ready yet.
I don't know if she'll ever be ready.
She waited for a reply,
But was met with silent indignation.
Well,
Are you going to stop or not?
Still nothing.
Just for now,
Jake.
I know you're hurting,
But so is she,
And that's all that matters at the moment.
Then she threw her phone back into her bag before catching sight of Rebecca hobbling back down the stairs.
You ready then?
Her daughter was dressed.
That was a good sign.
But she was unusually pale.
You've done well,
Love,
But you're still a bit pasty.
Maybe that's enough for today.
I don't want you to overdo things.
Rebecca's hand shot to her stinging cheek.
How dare he?
Even now he had the audacity to call her home.
Hadn't she suffered enough?
She sat down on the bottom step and composed herself.
She needed time alone to think.
Perhaps I'll take a look at that honey cake recipe while you're out,
She answered.
You never know,
It might end up being even edible.
Okay,
Love,
I won't be long.
You know where my favorite loaf tin is.
It's never failed me yet.
And as Rebecca busied herself with the flour and the eggs,
Mrs.
Tregorn left,
Immersed in thoughts of Jake Fairmore and the conversation they had had eight weeks earlier.
I'm so sorry.
It was her,
All her.
I had no idea she'd sink so low.
What on earth are you talking about,
Jake Fairmore?
She'd spat.
You said you'd look after my daughter and you didn't.
Instead she was forced to change jobs and go through all that nonsense with your father's company.
You knew,
Didn't you?
You knew he was my father.
Yes,
Jake,
I did.
Mr.
And Mrs.
Fairmore were good people,
But they forbid me to say anything.
They didn't want you being confused,
That's all,
And they knew your birth father didn't really have the time for you.
You should have told me.
This comment had caught her off guard.
I'm sorry,
Jake,
She said.
We promised them our family were close as well,
You know.
It shouldn't have been that way,
But that's just the way it was.
Anyway,
What do you mean by my Becky sunk so low?
Not Rebecca,
No,
No.
Not Rebecca.
Please,
Let me speak to her.
I need to know she's okay.
That's the last thing she needs right now.
She needs a break from that town and everything connected to it.
That Paul's been calling too.
What is it with you fellas?
Neither of you can do the right thing by our Becky and I don't understand why.
Jake sucked the air through his teeth and Mrs.
Tregorn knew he'd finally got the message.
Why should she sugarcoat it?
She'd expected so much more of this lad and he'd let her down sorely.
Put in a good word for me,
Please,
He insisted.
I can't stand the thought of her lying in the road like that.
His voice trailed off,
Leaving Mrs.
Tregorn in sympathy for just a moment.
Okay,
Son,
I'll see what I can do,
But I can't promise you anything.
That was two months ago and she'd said nothing since.
The time just hadn't ever seemed right.
Rebecca's progress was much slower than she'd hoped.
Meanwhile,
Jake had called every day since and was becoming a nuisance.
She tried to be patient,
But it was time for him to take decisive action,
Not just snivel down the phone.
If he couldn't see his way to doing that,
He could stay in Fort Scott Lake as far as she was concerned,
Along with all the rest of them.
And good riddance to them all.
