Sometimes Moments [Preview]

Chapter One

Chapter One

Cherry blossoms dancing in the wind caught her eye. Beautifully and gracefully demanding for attention. The pink flowers were obscured by sheer cream coloured curtains. Breathing out, Peyton parted curtains and pulled open the window, allowing the cold autumn air to serenade her. The one spot she stood in was one she loved but hated. The cherry blossom tree outside her window held so many memories, ones she hated and ones she loved. That old tree was the reason why her parents bought the old house in Daylesford, Victoria.

Peyton looked at the structure of the tree, taller than the house and older than she. During winter the cherry blossoms grew vibrant, far more beautiful than in autumn or spring. This one tree strived in showcasing its beauty during a time where snow would sometimes fall. Giving the tree one last appreciative look, Peyton closed her window and locked the latch.

"Peyton."

She turned around to see her great-aunt Brenda holding a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in her hands.

"Big day today," her aunt said with a proud smile. Walking over to her oak dresser, Peyton picked up a hairband and tied her brown hair into a low ponytail. With a huff, Peyton walked over to her bed and sat on it.

"I don't know if I can do it, Aunt Brenda," she confessed as she looked down at her hands. The bed dipped and Peyton turned her head to see her aunty smiling up at her.

"Honey, your mother and father would be proud of you," she said with confidence and placed the plate in Peyton's hand.

"But, what if I'm not ready, not skilled-"

"None of that!" her aunty scolded, cutting Peyton off. "Peyton, you worked hard. Your Uncle John and I, we know you can do it. You put yourself through school. You know how to run the hotel. You've run it plenty of times before."

Peyton closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, but I mean it's now mine. It's not you and Uncle John running it anymore. It's me. It's mine. I just... don't want to let Mum and Dad down, as well as the town."

Picking up a piece of buttered toast, she took a bite to stop her from saying any more. The fine line her Aunt Brenda's mouth made wasn't one Peyton liked to see.

"You inherited it, Peyton. It's been yours all this time. We have just been maintaining it until you finished university and decided what you wanted to do with it. Nothing is going to change unless you want it to."

"I know," Peyton said before putting a forkful of scrambled eggs in her mouth and chewing.

"You know, Peyton," her aunt said, taking her hand. Peyton knew this talk. It was one her aunt had with her many times before. But the sadness in her light brown eyes had Peyton's heart aching. "You don't have to stay here. You can go to the city. You can go anywhere in this world and do what you want. Maybe see Cal-"

"No," Peyton cut her off and handed her aunt the plate.

"But-"

"I will not go to the city. I will not leave this town. And I will not see him. He's dead to me and you know it. He didn't even-" Peyton stopped herself. She felt the tears burn her eyes and she swallowed hard, hoping they'd retreat.

Standing up from her bed, Peyton looked at her great-aunt. The heartbreak was always evident in her eyes. They shared a form of pain. Her aunt lost a niece and a nephew-in-law, and Peyton lost a mother and father.

Aunt Brenda placed the plate on the bed and wrapped her arms around Peyton. "You need to forgive him, love. Your mother wanted you to forgive him," she whispered.

Peyton stood there, letting the tears slide down her face. She tried to forgive him for leaving her but the moment her parents died, the idea of forgiving him was a thought she couldn't comprehend. Breaking her heart, she'd get over. But never being at her parents' funeral, that she would never forgive. There was no point of forgiving. He left their small town years ago and never once looked back.

#

Two weeks of no bookings allowed Peyton the time to decide if she'd change what her parents worked hard to establish. It wasn't her idea to close the hotel for two weeks. It was her aunt and uncle's. Though in their early-seventies, they still managed to run The Spencer-Dayle while she finished her last year of high school and then university. But now, the hotel was Peyton's and her aunt and uncle would be enjoying their retirement on the peninsula.

Holding her laptop bag close to her, Peyton walked up the hill until she met the path of trees that led up to the lake. She looked up to see the leaves had turned into lovely shades of brown and orange. Leaves slowly fell from the branches. She stood there a moment and tried to settle her nerves. It was her first day as owner of her family's hotel. The moment her parents died in that car accident Peyton inherited it all. Her parents' money, the house and the hotel. They had rebuilt it after the previous owner let it grow old with time. They saw the hotel by the lake as potential and her parents chose right. It became a popular tourist accommodation and brought income to the family and town.

Walking through the lane of autumn trees, Peyton reached the end of the dirt path and looked over at the fog that blanketed the lake. It didn't matter how many memories she shared with him on this lake; she would always love it. The days she spent with her father sitting on the pier, admiring the hotel. They were the memories she wished were her reality. But all it took was one car crash and she lost her parents forever.

Behind a few trees near the edge of a lake was a bench. The first Monday of every month, Graham would meet her there. When she started her final year of high school, Graham had been one of her best friends and when graduation came around, he was the only one that stayed in the area. Instead of moving to the city for university, he stayed on his family's lavender farm and did online university just like Peyton. What brought them closer was her parents' death. Graham was the only one that could understand after he lost his mother to cancer when he was twelve.

Since taking over the farm, she saw less and less of him. But they stuck to their promise. The first Monday of each month: a morning together by the lake. Peyton smiled, knowing she'd see him next week. Squinting her eyes, she noticed someone sitting on the bench. She knew it was either Mrs Figs on her morning stroll or Mr Tucker feeding the ducks. Walking down the small embankment, Peyton walked over to the bench to say good morning.

She stopped just short of the bench when she noticed his baseball cap. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat.

"Think you've got your dates wrong. First Monday of the month is June second," Peyton stated.

There was a chuckle that slipped from Graham's lips and he stood up from the bench, turning to face her. The large grin on his face was one she loved, so was his deep dimple. His blonde hair was just visible from under his hat. Peyton looked down to see a bundle of lavenders in his hand.

"It's a big day for you, Peyton. Couldn't miss it for the world. Plus it gives me an excuse to see you," he said as he pulled her in for a hug. The scent of Lavender hit her nostrils and she smiled, it was scent that was forever on his skin.

"Not a big day if you keep me from working!" she scolded before untangling herself from him.

Peyton let out a laugh as she took the lavenders from him. Each time she saw him, he'd bring her lavenders from his farm. Turning, she looked out over the still lake and then at her hotel. It daunted her. The idea that she was now the owner of what her parents once called theirs terrified her. She didn't want to let her parents down but she found it would be inevitable. All she could hope for was that she wouldn't destroy the dreams they built. She didn't want to tarnish what The Spencer-Dayle meant to her aunt and uncle, and the town.

As if he knew her fears were consuming her, Graham placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly to reassure her.

"They'd be proud of you, Peyton. We all are." And that's when she let tears stream down her face. She knew she couldn't let her family's hotel by the lake falter. It was all she had left of her parents.

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SURPRISE! Thought I'd update a little early! I hope you enjoyed chapter one of Sometimes Moments :)

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