Page 102 of A Scottish Lighthouse Escape

Her attention drifted out of her office window, where we could see slivers of snow through the partially closed, wooden blinds. The amber street lamps lit up the snow, and it looked so festive.

‘My grandma harboured a dream for years that she might one day have her work exhibited, but she kept it to herself, and if any of us asked her about it, she’d laugh it off and deny it.’ I studied her. ‘I only found out her true ambition after she passed away, when I stumbled across journals she’d kept.’

Ruth’s haunted expression met my solemn one.

‘This was the only way we could get her work in here, by pretending that Mitch had painted those pictures and not her.’

Ruth looked shamefaced.

‘Grandma often mentioned what a gorgeous gallery this was and she’d name the artists who’d been fortunate enough to have their work exhibited here.’ I leant forward. ‘You obviously were deeply in love with my grandfather.’

She swallowed and looked away, back out at the snow swirling against the dark.

Pictures of Joe and the apartment in Hampstead, our married life together, us dancing to our first song at our wedding – ‘Everywhere’ by Fleetwood Mac – which we used to belt out in the car, him becoming hoarse shouting instructions to the TV for the football referee, Joe making me laugh with his impersonation of Owen Wilson; they were packed away now. They’d meant so much at the time, but they weren’t treasured memories anymore. They were no longer real to me.

Mitch was.

I stood up and moved to leave Ruth’s office.

I cranked open the office door.

Ruth rose up from her desk and walked slowly towards me. Her papery voice carried around her office. ‘Thank you. I mean it.’ She jammed her lips together to try and stop herself from crying. ‘You’re a credit to Tilda and Howard. They both would’ve been so proud of you.’

Then, to my surprise, she opened her arms and tentatively embraced me.

I gave a fleeting smile and departed her office.

Mitch spotted me and approached. He took me in his arms and delivered the most tender kiss on my mouth.

Reece squeezed my shoulder and as the snow continued to spin down from the sky, I knew that being with Mitch here in Rowan Bay was where I was meant to be all along.