Page 125 of A Scottish Country Escape

‘Being with you is home now.’

He took both my hands in his. ‘I have been such a dick. I was frightened to admit I was falling for you. That day when I left Paper Roses whilst you were on the phone… that was when I started to realise how I felt about you and I had no idea how to handle it.’

I tried to reconcile what he was telling me. ‘But what about Nadia and Shelley?’

My skin sizzled as Dexter’s long tapered fingers moved to caress the tops of my arms. I could feel the gentle imprint of his fingers through the chiffon of my sleeves.

‘I spoke to Shelley last night. She knows I will always be there for her and Nadia, but not in the way I think she was hoping for.’ His hypnotic eyes never left my face. ‘I told her the truth – that I’ve fallen for you.’

My heart lurched. My voice was cracking. ‘And how did she take it?’

‘Not very well at first, until I showed her a brochure of a new five-bedroom detached house I’ve just bought in Edinburgh to rent out. When I told her she and Nadia could stay there rent-free, I think that sweetened her mood, especially as it’s just ten minutes’ walk to the shops.’

His face broke into a grin and I found myself grinning back. My head was buzzing with everything that had happened, but it all felt so wonderful. Seeing the spark back in his eyes made my breathing pick up pace.

‘At least them living in Edinburgh means I can still see Nadia and be her favourite uncle.’ He paused. ‘Come to think of it, I’m her only uncle.’

‘So, what now?’ I smiled, my heart juddering. ‘I guess now that you can write again, you’ll want to crack on with completing the first draft of Killing Time.’

Dexter was appalled. ‘There’s something far more important I need to do first.’

And as Dexter’s lips claimed mine, all I could think of was how important it was to enjoy every moment with the ones you love.

Epilogue

15 June 2023, Fir Haven Nature Reserve

There was a swell of people from the local community gathered around the leafy entrance to the nature reserve.

Ahead of us, as we blinked out of sunglasses, was concealed the memorial to Ross Ronald. It was shrouded under a long, silky blue cloth, only giving the odd tantalising glimpse when an occasional breeze decided to lift the material.

Standing beside Dexter and me were Elsa, who was holding Nadia’s hand, Linda Carlucci, and Cameron Lomax with his wife, Ingrid. Behind them were Cate and Lucy, unable to contain their excitement about their forthcoming wedding which was to be held here at the end of the month.

I heard footsteps behind me. It was Gran and Angus, their arms linked as they murmured their appreciation of the weather.

While the others talked in hushed tones, Angus made his way over to Linda and offered her words of comfort. After all, they had both felt the loss of Ross so keenly and, had he lived, they would have become brother and sister-in-law.

It was as if the heartaches of the past, though not forgotten, were being addressed and dealt with for the sake of those who had been lost.

The town was saying sorry to the Carlucci family – and not before time.

Angus moved up to stand beside the concealed monument, clutching some words he had written on a piece of paper. He blew out a puff of air, offering a shaky smile to my grandmother. She replied with an encouraging thumbs-up.

‘Thank you to everyone for coming. You will be relieved to hear I don’t intend to say very much.’

There was a ripple of laughter.

‘But I do want to thank some very special people who have made this memorial to my brother possible.’

Angus reeled off a series of names, which included me, Dexter, and Cameron. Then he turned to Linda in the crowd, hovering there in her long mint-green dress and fitted jacket. ‘I also want to say thank you to Linda Carlucci, the love of Ross’s life. Even after all these years, your love for one another is as enduring and as special as this place.’ He indicated the swell of swaying trees behind him. ‘And it seems fitting that today, on what would have been Ross’s seventy-seventh birthday, we reveal a memorial to his brave actions that night in August 1964.’

I was aware of Cameron Lomax lowering his greying head and Ingrid tightening her grip on his hand.

As Angus moved to take one of the corners of blue cloth, Cate leant towards my ear and whispered, ‘I hope me suggesting the sculptor doesn’t backfire. I feel personally responsible.’

Lucy, beside her, rolled her eyes. ‘I’m sure it will be beautiful, Cate. Stop worrying.’

Angus tugged at the blue cloth and it slid off… to reveal the figure of a young man, his head bowed as he sat engrossed in a book.