‘Fine,’ she answered. ‘More than fine. Do you want to know what I was thinking about the day I met you? The day you came to the garden party?’
‘What was that?’
‘That my life was boring. That there was nothing exciting about it, and then I met you, and it’s been everything but boring.’
‘I could say the same about you.’
She shook her head. ‘Your life wasn’t boring.’
‘Perhaps not to some.’ He slid his hands around her waist and pulled her close. ‘But it was lonely. Do you want to know the first thing I thought when I met you?’
‘Yes.’
‘I thought your eyes were the color of the Caribbean Sea, and that the smile on your face was as fake as the one on mine that day.’
‘The Caribbean Sea?’
He nodded.
‘I’d like to see that.’
‘You will,’ he said. ‘Anywhere you want to go, I will take you there.’
Smiling, she pointed at her lips. ‘This smile isn’t fake.’
He laughed. ‘Neither is this one.’
After glancing about the ship, she met his gaze and asked, ‘What if I want you to take me to bed?’
‘All right,’ he said.
‘Right now?’
‘Can you think of something better to do?’
‘No.’
He kissed her. ‘Neither can I.’
Laughing, and hand in hand, they hurried across the deck towards the ramp that would take them to the captain’s cabin below, where there was a bed that was large enough for two.
She laughed then, knowing one thing for certain. She had found the home she’d been looking for. A home of her own, a place where she could laugh and live, and never have to leave. It was in Drake’s arms.
Epilogue
Six months later
The winter winds were cold and blustery, but Meridith didn’t mind, the sight before her was simply too heartwarming for her to feel chilled. She watched as Hugo lifted one of his big feet, then pressed it down on a squash, breaking it into pieces. He then used his snout to push half of the pieces towards Lily—short for Little One. That’s what she’d been called in Africa, before Drake had bought her and they’d brought her back to London.
It had been over a month now since Lily had arrived, and she was quickly becoming as popular to zoo visitors as her housemate. The first thing Hugo had done was wrap his trunk around Lily’s head and pull her beneath his head. Meridith had held her breath for a moment, fearful Hugo would hurt Lily, but that hadn’t been the case. He’d simply been giving her an elephant hug.
The two had instantly become fast friends. Family. Meridith loved the idea of them having each other.
Warm arms encircled her from behind, and she leaned back against the solidness of her husband. ‘Hello, my love.’
‘Hello,’ he replied. ‘I see Hugo is still breaking the squash for Lily.’
‘I don’t think it’s because she can’t,’ Meridith replied. ‘I think it’s because she doesn’t want to.’
