Summer on the Italian Lakes
Page 31
I indicate for Carrie to take a seat and we both sink down in adjacent arm chairs, cradling our glasses.
‘Brave? Don’t say you’re giving up your job!’
She shakes her head, laughing as she does so.
‘No. Can I ask you a question and get an honest answer?’
‘Fire away.’
‘What did you think of Nicole?’
Ah, now I understand. Nicole was Carrie’s plus one on the wedding invitation but as soon as we were introduced, I knew she was Carrie’s significant other.
‘A very strong, likeable personality. Someone my gut instincts told me could be relied upon if you need something doing, or have a problem you want to share. I was surprised we hadn’t met before.’
Carrie frowns, taking a sip from her wine glass.
‘That’s entirely down to me, I’m afraid. We’ve been together for nearly three years and it’s not that we’re hiding our relationship, but originally it was a convenience thing. We met at university and kept in touch. When Nic sold her house up north because her department was relocated to the firm’s headquarters in Gloucestershire, she came to stay with me. And never left. Everything was fine, until your wedding.’
I grimace. I had no idea there was an upset.
‘I hope no one said—’
Carrie holds up her hand to halt my flow of words.
‘It wasn’t anything anyone said but I’ve been to a lot of weddings and yours was different. I’ll be honest and say most of them are rather boring. A lot of hanging around and not much happening. Everyone is really waiting for the food and the party to begin. But yours and Arran’s day was different. The whole thing felt like a party and maybe that was because you kept it small and everyone felt a part of it. When we arrived home Nic thanked me for taking her along. She said she didn’t feel like a stranger in the midst of a tight group of family and friends, but someone made welcome because she was special to me.’
I can see that Carrie is moved by the memory and I give her a moment before responding.
‘What a lovely thing to say. I know Aunt Grace had a long chat with her and they bonded over their love of greyhounds. Nic and I talked about travelling actually. She has a bucket list and I thought that maybe, well, next summer, the two of you might like to come and stay for a couple of weeks. Perhaps do some touring while you’re here.’
Carrie studies my face, intently.
‘Now I understand why she felt so welcome.’
‘I think it was plain to us all that you meant a lot to each other.’
She grins back at me. ‘Well, we’ve decided we want to formalise our arrangement. Maybe next year, so we will take you up on that offer. What I realised though, was that having someone in your life who you really care about, and who cares about you, is a blessing. It’s not something to take for granted and I’d been doing that for a while. Nic doesn’t say much, it’s not in her nature to moan and groan – that’s my job. But she was patiently waiting until I was ready to commit fully. And now I am.’
Carrie stands, and we hug, as best friends do when they have something truly wonderful to celebrate. To love someone and have that emotion returned is a gift and one that many spend their entire lives searching for and never find.
We live in a world where the bad news hits the headlines faster than the good news, if it makes it at all. Good deeds go unrecognised all the time, but I suspect that it’s not often they go totally unnoticed, or unappreciated. What many suffer from is a hesitancy to put themselves in a position where they reach out to offer help, love, or simply a listening ear, because they fear rejection. It’s humbling to think that our special day sparked such a wonderful and positive reaction. It’s true what they say – love begets love.
*
‘I’m so tired I’m talking to you with my eyes closed. That was quite some party, wasn’t it?’
Our naked bodies are entwined, but exhaustion has taken over and it’s nice to lie here together, listlessly. Tonight, was the final piece in the puzzle that is our wedding tableaux. Every single person we know and care about has now been a part of our celebration in one way or another. That had to span two countries, two very diverse sets of friends, a bit of a language barrier in a few cases and not be blighted by the missing family members who chose not to turn up. What mattered is that everyone who attended came with love and our best interests at heart; and that’s what made it so special.
‘I thought that was lovely what Nic said to Carrie about our wedding in the UK. It’s a pity she couldn’t take time off to fly over for the party tonight, but they’re both going to come and stay with us next summer. That’s okay with you, isn’t it?’
Arran’s arm squeezes me, gently pulling me even closer.
‘Of course. This is our home now, you ask whomsoever you like to stay. Did we run out of your favourite wine? I noticed you were drinking the white stuff this evening and not the pink variety.’
I haul myself up on an elbow to look down at Arran; I love watching his face when he’s about to fall asleep. Sometimes he’ll say something and the very next second his breathing has dropped and he’s sound asleep. It’s a quality I envy as often I find it difficult to switch off my mind and achieve that state of pure relaxation. His eyelids flutter but he doesn’t succeed in opening his eyes.
‘No. I was drinking water, but I wanted it to look like I was drinking wine. It seems that those little sticks in my arm were past their sell by date.’
I count. One, two…
Arran sits bolt upright in bed as if he’s on a spring and someone has just released it.
‘Okay. I’m awake. Tell me it’s not a joke because if it is you are going to have one mightily gutted guy sitting next to you, wide awake. And if I can’t sleep—’
I start chuckling. ‘Oh, it’s no joke and who knows, tonight might be the first time I fall asleep before you do.’
I’m already settling down, nestling the pillow snugly around my face. As my eyes involuntarily close, etched on my mind is the look on Arran’s face. Even in the darkness his grin is wide enough for me to know how happy he is and that’s all I need to know.
Love sometimes begets babies, too, even when you least expect it, but that doesn’t make it any the less of a miracle, does it?
As I sink through the foggy layers of sleep, Arran’s voice drifts in and out, as if he’s following me.
‘A baby… Granddad, I hope you caught that… the Villa is going to have new life breathed into it and I can’t wait to be a dad.’
We hope you enjoyed this book.
Lucy Coleman’s next book is coming in 2019
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Acknowledgements
IT’S ALL ABOUT TEAM WORK!
When a new book makes its way into the world it’s always a mega team effort and that includes you, dear reader!
But first, a HUGE thank you to my awesome editor, Lucy Gilmour, whose energy and enthusiasm makes her a joy to work with.
Special thanks, too, go to Dushi Horti, for tightening everything up and Rose Fox for giving the words a polish. Did I mention that I love commas… but now there are a lot less of them!
And a shout out to Vicky Joss, Queen of social media and the much wider team for the behind the scenes work involved in the actual publication and marketing processes.
My lovely agent, Sara Keane, and Aria’s Sarah Ritherdon get a special mention as they were instrumental in turning me into an Aria author – for which I’m very, very grateful!
I’m also sending a virtual hug to everyone who has read, reviewed, Tweeted and generally helped spread the word about my Aria titles. The enormous support for The French Adventure and Snowflakes Over Holly Cove took my
breath away and your continued support is a true blessing.
To the growing band of online buddies – wonderful people I may never meet in person, but who have become virtual friends – thank you for brightening my day and being there for me.
It’s an honour, as an author, whenever a reader chooses one of your books to escape with for a few hours. I do hope that Brie and Arran’s story left you with a smile on your face and a longing to head off on a trip to Italy.
With much love and sincere thanks,
Lucy x
About Lucy Coleman
LUCY COLEMAN lives in the Forest of Dean in the UK with her lovely husband and Bengal cat, Ziggy. Her novels have been short-listed in the UK's Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Lucy won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award.
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Addictive Fiction
First published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus Ltd
Copyright © Lucy Coleman, 2019
The moral right of Lucy Coleman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781788541565
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