Page 94 of A Scottish Lighthouse Escape

I let out a little sob.

My stomach fluttered at the sight of him standing there, oblivious to the wind and the rain. I was losing myself in his eyes as they swept my face.

‘You just have to find the right person, someone who genuinely loves and appreciates you for who you are and what you stand for.’

Mitch’s expression was earnest. ‘Remember how I gave you a definition before, of what a lighthouse is? Well, I have another one that I read just recently. A lighthouse is a powerful beacon that illuminates a path through darkness and uncertainty, towards the light.’ He raised a hand and traced my jaw. ‘Let’s do that for each other.’

I couldn’t speak. I pressed my lips together, not able to swallow back a gulp of emotion.

Mitch threw his hands up in the air. ‘And I know you’re not Romilly. I got hurt too. But maybe we were meant to find each other.’ He grinned. ‘Two sarcastic, grumpy, dog-loving lost souls who could make feeling guilty an Olympic sport.’

‘Grumpy?!’ I struggled, my chest threatening to brim over with happiness. ‘You speak for yourself.’

Mitch let out a jokey gasp. ‘Oh, come on. When you first arrived here, nobody could say the right thing to you.’

I pulled an agonised face. ‘Yeah, you’re right. When I got here, I was angry at everyone and everything. I was hurting over Joe’s betrayal and missing my grandparents and my parents so much. I didn’t think I deserved to be happy.’ I gave him a coy glance from under my lashes. ‘But you were so patient with me, so kind and helpful, not to mention gorgeous.’

Mitch arched a brow and laughed. ‘I’m glad you added gorgeous.’

I laughed again, through some threatening tears. ‘I kept telling myself not to fall for you and that it was wrong.’

‘And now?’ he asked, pulling me towards him.

I lost myself in those captivating ocean-like eyes of his. ‘And now, I’m going to grab happiness with both hands.’ A watery smile spread across my face.

Mitch tapped the end of my nose with his finger. ‘I’m glad to hear it. Me too. I was convinced I didn’t need anyone in my life, but then you came along and I knew I’d been lying to myself.’ He gave a shy smile.

Oh God. This man. This wonderful, caring man.

His bashful smile deepened. ‘I was working up in that lighthouse or sitting in the bothy and finding myself thinking about you non-stop.’ He hesitated. ‘And while I’m at it, I have another confession to make.’ He pulled an embarrassed face. ‘I was jealous.’

‘Jealous of what? When?’

Mitch cringed at the memory. ‘When I thought you had a male visitor to the cottage. Reece.’

I started to laugh through a gauze of tears.

‘Please don’t tell Reece this, but I imagined him to be some suave, city slicker type in his late thirties. You’ve no idea how relieved I was when I clapped eyes on him and found out he was over eighty and a retired furniture designer.’

This time, we both laughed together before drawing closer again. I knew now that I’d been trying to fight the inevitable.

And as we kissed over and over, huddled together under the twisted, soaked canopy of trees, I knew that Mitch was my here and now – and my future.