‘For what?’
‘For making me feel better about myself.’
With his eyes once again on the course, Tony nodded. ‘You have to learn to like yourself before you can truly love someone. A very wise woman said that to me before I left Africa. And it took me a while to realise that it’s true.’
‘You didn’t like yourself?’ Leanne asked.
‘Not much, no.’
‘Because you blamed yourself for making mistakes? And for leaving when you were still needed?’
‘Something like that. I still haven’t totally cracked it but I’m beginning to heal. This trip has been very good for me. And meeting you.’
‘Me? I haven’t done much.’
‘You’ve listened without judging. That helped me a lot.’ Tony looked up at the sail. ‘The wind is changing a bit. But we have to get back, I’m afraid, my sweet friend. So we’ll turn and sail slowly without a spinnaker. How’s that?’
‘Perfect,’ Leanne laughed and put her hand on the winch. ‘Ready to take the jib, captain.’
‘You’re a great crew.’ Tony turned the wheel and the wind filled the sails from the stern, carrying the boat forward on the waves.
Leanne looked up at him. What a great photo it would make with him standing there, the wind in his hair, his eyes on the horizon and the white sail billowing behind him. She picked up her phone and took a shot.
Tony glanced at her and grinned, his teeth white in his freckly face. ‘Hey, I’m no model.’
‘But you look so fabulous there at the wheel. Like the master of the sea and of your destiny.’
‘I wish,’ he said with a laugh. ‘But get back to the job, darlin’, or we’ll sink.’
‘Aye, aye, captain.’
Leanne felt a surge of happiness as the boat steadied and they set the course on the little island in the far distance. ‘Thank you for taking me sailing. I feel better about everything. Even Carlo. I’m just going to ghost him from now on, except for when we’re doing the shoots.’
‘Ghost him?’
Leanne laughed and pushed him. ‘Get with the programme, Tony, and join the twenty-first century! Ghosting someone is the same as ignoring them. It usually means not answering their texts or emails. Get it?’
Tony laughed. ‘Yes, sure. Except in this case, you have to see him in person every day. So not quite possible, is it?’
‘Nope. But I’ll do my best.’
‘Good.’ He grinned and then leant over and kissed her lightly on the lips, pulling back just as suddenly with a contrite look. ‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to do that. It was just that you looked so cute just now.’
The kiss startled her, not because it had shocked her but because of how it made her feel. How soft his lips were and how good he smelled. She hadn’t expected that at all. ‘I forgive you,’ she said, placing her hands on his cheeks and pulling his face close, pressing her lips to his in a long, sweet kiss. ‘You look cute too,’ she whispered when they pulled back. ‘And you’ve made me feel so good today. Thank you for that.’
‘You did the same for me.’ They stared at each other for a moment full of unspoken words, until Tony tore his eyes away and checked their course. ‘We’re nearly there,’ he announced, his voice hoarse.
‘Already?’ Leanne squealed and looked ahead. ‘That was quick.’
‘Time flies when you’re having fun,’ Tony quipped. ‘And we did. Didn’t we?’
Leanne looked at his mouth, wishing she could kiss him again. ‘Oh yes,’ she sighed. ‘We did.’
Twenty-Three
As the sun dipped on the horizon, Maddy watched Leanne and Tony steer the sailing boat into the little inlet. As they tidied away the sails and ropes, putting out fenders and dropping the anchor, she was struck by the calm complicity between them. When they had left earlier, Leanne’s eyes had revealed a lingering pain, despite her best effort at putting on a brave face. Even though she had been perfectly friendly with Carlo, there had been an undeniable tension between them, she thought with a pang of pity for Leanne. Her pale smile earlier hadn’t fooled Maddy. She knew Leanne was both hurt and ashamed about what had happened. But then Tony had asked her to go sailing with him and it looked like he might have been able to cheer her up. She couldn’t help thinking there was something sweet between them. Tony could be good for Leanne, like the big brother she never had. Maddy smiled at them as they jumped onto the deck of the yacht.
‘Hi, there,’ she said. ‘You look as if you’ve had a good afternoon.’
Leanne beamed. ‘Yes, it was amazing. Despite the very strict captain barking orders at me the whole time.’
Tony sighed in mock despair. ‘What could I do with a crew like that? I had to make sure we didn’t sink.’
Leanne stuck her tongue out at him. ‘Yeah, right. I did a brilliant job. You just can’t bear to admit it.’
Tony laughed and ruffled her hair. ‘You were great, girl. Good job, considering you haven’t been on a boat for a long time. Is there any beer?’
His phone pinged before Maddy had a chance to reply. ‘Maybe a message from Claudia’s man?’ she suggested.
Tony looked at his phone. ‘Yes. It’s from him. It says he needs Claudia’s signature on some papers, that’s all, and can we meet up in Dubrovnik tomorrow. He promises not to make trouble. And that we’re not to tell anyone where he is.’
‘What was that?’ Claudia asked, coming out of her cabin. ‘You heard from Oliver?’
‘Yes. He wants to meet you in Dubrovnik to sign some papers.’
‘What papers? It’s a trick,’ Claudia muttered. ‘He’s trying to get me back.’
‘I think you should talk to him,’ Tony said. ‘I’ll come with you. We can meet him in a bar or café. Somewhere public where he can’t do anything.’
Claudia shrugged. ‘Okay. I suppose I’d better find out what he’s up to. I’ve finally managed to contact my lawyer. He says Ollie has started proceedings and will be hiring a lawyer. So that’s something, I suppose.’
‘That sounds like he’s going to cooperate,’ Leanne said.
‘Yes, but it might also be a trick.’ Claudia turned and went into the galley and tied an apron around her waist. ‘I’m cooking tonight. Pasta followed by grilled fish that we got from the market in the harbour. Then the rest of the fruit. Not much else, but we have plenty of wine.’
‘I think I’ll skip the wine tonight,’ Leanne said, turning red.
‘I think we should do the grilling on the island,’ Tony suggested. ‘Otherwise the whole boat will stink of fish. In fact, why don’t we have a picnic and get a barbeque going? Forget the pasta, Claudia – we’ll do grilled zucchini and those little potatoes we bought the other day. Then some salad and what’s left of our bread. How’s that?’
‘Fun!’ Leanne shouted. ‘Like scout camp.’
‘More like boot camp,’ Claudia muttered. ‘But fine, if that’s what you want.’
They did. When Lucilla and Carlo emerged from her cabin, Leanne was so busy helping Tony put everything together that she didn’t have time to pay them much attention. Maddy looked at her with a huge sigh of relief. It’d be okay. Leanne would move on and the holiday could continue in relative peace. Dubrovnik, the pearl of the Adriatic, beckoned. The highlight of the trip, Maddy thought with a tingle of excitement. She had always wanted to visit this ancient city and now she’d be able to explore it. Things were settling down and all was well. For the moment.
* * *
The improvised barbeque turned out to be as much fun as Leanne had hoped. Even Claudia joined in, dressed in a pair of white shorts and a denim shirt she had borrowed from Lucilla. ‘I didn’t bring an outfit for this kind of thing, but it’ll do, I suppose,’ she declared.
Leanne looked at her pristine hair and make-up, gleaming white shorts and Gucci sandals and laughed. ‘Yeah, you look a total wreck. Mind if I take a shot?’ She aimed her phone at Claudia. ‘You might as well come out of hiding now that your hubby has spotted you.’
<
br /> ‘Yes, but… the IRS,’ Claudia started.
‘They’re not interested in you,’ Leanne argued. ‘In any case, I managed to upload the photos of Carlo and me to my Instagram page, so that should stir things up a bit. Most likely no one will pay you much attention.’
Maddy picked up her phone. ‘I got a bit of a signal. Here are the photos.’ Her eyes widened as she watched the screen. ‘Oh my God, they’re amazing,’ she exclaimed. She stared at Leanne and Carlo in turn. ‘You two… You made those rags look fabulous. Everyone will want them now.’
‘Incredible.’ Claudia looked at the photos over Maddy’s shoulder. ‘This should cause a sensation.’
‘Already doing well on Twitter,’ Carlo announced. ‘Hashtag #sexyrisorcenaturali. And the company have set up their own Instagram account. They’ll take over the campaign as soon as the buzz gets started.’
Lucilla grinned and high-fived Carlo. ‘We did it!’
‘Yes, great,’ Leanne interrupted, annoyed at their assumption it was all their doing. She’d played a part, hadn’t she? ‘All done now. How about putting some food and drink together for the barbecue?’
‘I’m on it,’ Tony declared. ‘If you get the food together here, I’ll go and get beer, crisps and sausages from our boat. Then we’ll meet on the island. Carlo, come on. Let’s get this party started!’
Tony’s good mood was contagious and suddenly everyone was busy packing food and putting chilled wine into the hamper Lucilla had prepared. ‘Lamb chops, zucchini, aubergine and potatoes can all be grilled together,’ she said. ‘And the sausages too. We have more than enough.’
‘I’ll put in some fruit and bread,’ Maddy offered. ‘And there are paper plates and plastic glasses for the wine in that cupboard. Could you take care of that, Claudia?’
‘And I’ll take care of Bridget,’ Leanne volunteered.
They all packed into the rubber dinghy, which Nico steered carefully to avoid underwater rocks. Tony and Carlo were already gathering firewood and lighting the fire on the island and once they had carried everything ashore, the smell of delicious grilled meat soon filled the air.
Leanne sat back on her beach blanket when she had finished eating and sighed with pleasure. What could be better than this? Food and wine and good company in such a beautiful place, the dark sky dotted with glimmering stars and the full moon slowly rising over the treetops. It was perfect. Only one thing was missing. She sat up. ‘Music,’ she called out. ‘We need music. Can we sing a song or something?’
‘I have a terrible voice,’ Claudia declared. ‘But maybe Carlo could sing an Italian song?’
Carlo laughed and got up from his place beside Lucilla. ‘I’m no Pavarotti, but I can give you “O Sole Mio”. Please tell me to stop if it hurts your ears,’ he said with a laugh. He took a big breath and started singing. He had a nice, deep voice with a slightly hoarse timbre, but he missed a note here and there, making Leanne wince. When he finished, they all applauded, and he bowed and sat down. ‘Not very good, but I haven’t sung in a long time, forgive me. He looked at Tony. ‘How about some Irish music on the thing you play sometimes?’
‘What thing?’ Leanne asked. ‘Don’t tell me you have a guitar or a fiddle?’
‘No fiddle, I’m afraid, but…’ Tony groped into his breast pocket and pulled out a small metal flute.
‘A tin whistle!’ Leanne exclaimed. ‘How perfect. Please play us a tune.’
‘Oh yes,’ Maddy sighed. ‘Something Irish, please.’
Tony started to play a lilting, haunting melody that echoed across the still, black water, bringing tears to Leanne’s eyes. ‘Oh,’ she whispered when he stopped playing. ‘How beautiful. What was that tune?’
‘Seán Ó Riada. “Mnà na hEireann” – “Women of Ireland”,’ Tony replied. ‘I’ll play another one of his, if you like.’
‘Yes, please,’ Claudia said, looking dreamily out over the bay. ‘That music is heavenly –there’s something otherworldly about it.’
Leanne took out her phone. ‘Hang on. I want this on video. What are you going to play?’
‘This one is simply called “Tin Whistles”.’ Tony put the instrument to his mouth and yet again, the sweet sound filled the air while they all listened with bated breath, letting out a collective ‘oooh’ when the music ended.
‘Mille grazie,’ Lucilla said. ‘That was incredible. Irish music is so lovely.’
‘Especially Seán Ó Riada,’ Maddy sighed.
‘Can you sing something, Maddy?’ Lucilla asked.
Maddy shook her head and laughed. ‘I’m not very musical but I know Leanne has a nice voice. Why don’t you sing something, Leanne?’
‘Feck off,’ Leanne protested. ‘I’m in no mood for singing.’
‘Why not?’ Tony asked. He played a few notes on his tin whistle. ‘You know this one?’
Leanne nodded. ‘“Danny Boy”.’
‘Come on,’ he urged. ‘I’ll play it if you sing.’
‘Do I have to?’
‘I won’t take no for an answer.’
‘Okay, then.’ Persuaded, Leanne closed her eyes and cleared her throat. She took a deep breath and started to sing, shakily at first, but with growing confidence as Tony accompanied her on the tin whistle. The beautiful words and music carried her away to another place, another time, singing Irish songs in her granny’s kitchen when she was a child. She wiped away a tear when she had finished, noticing in the dying glow of the fire and the beam of the moonlight, that everyone else was doing the same.
‘That was beautiful,’ Claudia said, dabbing her eyes with the edge of her shirt. ‘But sad. Can we have something cheery now, please?’
Then Tony played a lively jig and they all started to chat and laugh as the mood lifted. After they gathered up the remains of the meal, they all piled into the dinghies, but before Leanne clambered aboard, Tony gently pulled her aside. ‘You have a beautiful voice.’
‘And you play that thing to perfection,’ Leanne replied. ‘Want to start a band?’
Tony laughed. ‘Not at the moment, but you never know. You should post a video with your singing on your blog, too.’
‘Only if you play.’
‘Why not? We were good together, weren’t we?’
Leanne looked at him, unable to make out his expression in the dark. ‘We were,’ she said.
His glasses glinted as he leant closer. ‘Good night, my sweet Irish colleen,’ he whispered, kissing her cheek before he left to board the other dinghy.
As Leanne watched them leave, the splash of the oars was the only sound in the quiet, still night. She hugged Bridget to her chest and placed her cheek against the dog’s soft head as Nico started the engine and the rubber dinghy slowly made its way back to the yacht. It had been a lovely evening, a sharp contrast to the night before. Funny how feelings can change so quickly. Last night she had thought Carlo was the man for her, and that making love would be the beginning of a relationship with him. How wrong she had been. He had revealed himself to be the exact opposite to the man of her dreams.
And then Tony… She smiled as she thought of him. He was serious, a bit of a nerd really, but with hidden depths and a sweet, caring side she found so touching. He looked at her as if he thought the world of her… Not to mention how he made her feel when they touched, and his talent for music, and that kiss… It was all so unexpected. Leanne smiled to herself as the engine stopped and they glided in beside the yacht. She didn’t notice Bridget stiffen until she was growling and then barking furiously. They all looked up at the deck and froze.
‘It’s him,’ Claudia whimpered.
Twenty-Four
‘Him?’ Lucilla mumbled, looking at the dark shape on deck. ‘You mean…’
‘Yes,’ Claudia whispered back.
‘Good evening, ladies,’ a gravelly voice said in a Yorkshire accent mixed with a touch of New York. ‘Please come aboard slowly without making too much noise.’
Dumbstruck, they silently started t
o climb the ladder.
‘What shall I do?’ Nico muttered in Leanne’s ear as he helped her onto the deck. ‘I can try to alert the coastguard on the satellite radio inside when I get a chance?’
‘Yes,’ Leanne whispered. ‘Please do.’
They said nothing else, all huddling together on the rear deck, while Bridget, barking and whining, struggled to get out of Leanne’s grip. The man switched on the light above the entrance to the saloon, springing into view. He was taller than his photos had indicated, with square shoulders and an equally square jaw. It was as if he were hewn out of a block of granite. Then he smiled and his features softened, the crinkles around his eyes making him look suddenly charming. But then something glinted in his hand and Leanne gasped.
‘A gun!’ she shouted. ‘He has a gun!’
They all backed away. Leanne held the wriggling, barking Bridget in a tight grip, her eyes on the man. She was very sure she didn’t want to die. Not right here, right now at the hands of this stranger. ‘Please. I beg you. Don’t shoot us,’ she pleaded.
‘Don’t do anything stupid and I won’t,’ he growled.
‘Won’t what?’ Claudia asked, stepping forward. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. That’s not a gun, it’s a phone. Not the least bit dangerous unless you’re planning to text us to death.’
Feeling relieved, Leanne giggled. ‘Judging by his typing skills, that’d take him a while.’
‘Oh, okay,’ Oliver Wilde said. ‘Relax, everyone. I’m not armed. Who do you think am I?’
‘What do you want from us, Oliver?’ Lucilla asked.
‘I want you to help me,’ he replied. ‘My boat broke down just outside the bay. So I managed to row to your yacht and now I need help to get out of here. And I want to talk to my wife about something else, but that can wait.’
‘But why are you here?’ Maddy asked, trying to sound confident.
‘What’s going on?’ Tony asked, climbing up the ladder at the back. He stopped dead when he spotted Oliver. ‘Holy shit,’ he gasped. ‘It’s Oliver Wilde.’
A Holiday to Remember: An absolutely hilarious romantic comedy set under the Italian sun Page 18