Page 123 of Luca

One Year Later

Lying backon the chaise lounge, I watch as my kids splash in the private pool outside our villa. Well, they aren’t officially my kids, but I plan to rectify that soon.

Madilyn and Skylar King, as their passports note, play Marco Polo as their little brother Riker pushes toy boats across the cool water from his floatie. We began living at this incredible resort using our previous names, but as the refurbishments have moved along and the number of guests have picked up, we’ve finally tried to practice using our new names more often to make it a habit.

The security on the property is top-notch. We really have nothing to worry about, but that’s why we came here, right? I’m not taking any chances with these precious people. They mean everything to me.

“Who’s hungry?” Juliette, aka Jillian, asks as she brings a tray of fruit and sandwiches to the picnic table.

“Me!” Scar yells.

“He’s always hungry.” Maddy laughs as she pulls her baby brother to the side of the pool to bring him out.

Caleb said he’d happily go by Skylar from here on out if he could use the nickname Scar. Sadly, this always makes me think of Mimmo.

We haven’t seen my sister and nephew for so long. I get regular updates from Luigi and Maria, and occasionally we’re able to video chat, but it’s not the same. For years the three of us had been inseparable, and now my heart aches to hug them both. If only our old monthly seaside ritual could include the soft sands of Jamaica.

“I’ll go get the lemonade,” Juliette says bringing me back to the present.

I watch as my girl heads back inside and quickly turn to the kids. “Okay, you guys ready for this afternoon?”

“Yes—”

Maddy swiftly slaps her hand over her brother’s mouth. “Quiet, Scar. It’s supposed to be a surprise, remember?”

“Sorry. I’m just excited.” He dances in place and reaches for a slice of watermelon.

“After lunch, we’re going to the main pool area. Poppy has arranged to have pretty decorations set up. And my cousin Gianni is bringing your Gammy.”

All three kids start clapping animatedly, all but Riker abruptly stop when they see their mother heading in their direction.

“Pretty excited about lemonade, huh, Tru—” Juliette bites her lip as her two oldest point at her mockingly. “I mean, Riker,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, here, Mama,” Maddy says, reaching out for the tumblers.

Juliette places the pitcher on the table and then stands up, placing her hands on her hips as she looks up into the sky. “It’s a nearly perfect day.”

Scar begins cackling before catching himself and covering his own mouth, just as little turtle saves the moment by belting out, “Mama.” It took forever for that child to say it. He was practically completing three-word sentences before he’d push out those two priceless syllables. But his language and motor skills have improved tremendously since we’ve moved here. So, there’s no judgment. Only gratitude.

And it’s clear we have much to be grateful for. We live in a spacious, four-bedroom villa with access to every amenity you could think of. Juliette is available to the new medical center as a nurse, if the need arises, until she graduates from her online nurse practitioner program. But otherwise, she spends her days homeschooling the kids and assisting the employees of the spa in teaching wellness classes. When I’m not working, we spend our free time at the pool, doing water sports, frolicking on the beach, and hiking Jamaica’s beautiful countryside.

There were a lot of loose ends to tie up once we left Virginia. Dr. Weston managed to contact a realtor for us, but in the end, we decided to transfer the title of Juliette’s home into Cliff’s name. It was the least we could do after everything that transpired at his house. He did me a solid, letting me stay there so I could watch over Juliette and the kids. Cliff’s a stand-up guy, never asking many questions until a dead guy turned up in his house. Then I had to come clean about everything.

After the police were done with the place, Giovanni sent a team in to deal with the carnage. I paid to have Cliff’s house cleaned and painted, allowing him to sell it for top dollar once he’d settled in Juliette’s old place. I’ve offered to bring him for a visit here, but I know he’ll never leave those dogs again. I actually miss Boo and Midnight. I owe my life to them.

With help from Giovanni, I was able to video chat with Sampson and give him the lowdown on everything that happened. I trust this man with my life, so I signed over my business to him. He’s fully aware of our need to fly under the radar and takes extra care not to communicate with me unless the call is untraceable.

George is no longer working with the local police department as an informant. But Sampson says he’s still supplying an endless amount of entertainment and has stepped up, in my absence, and become a real asset to the company.

Custom Metal Works has thrived under Sampson and Marcus’s management. He recruited his son to manage the day-to-day operations, as Sampson has agreed to devote more time to creating custom art to join my collection. It’s taken some time to get all of my prized pieces shipped to Jamaica without being traced, sending to various locations before they finally arrive here. But they’re now safely tucked away in storage at my current warehouse.

Broadie Weston has been our guardian angel. Not only did he see to it that our family had somewhere safe to go, but he’s allowed us to thrive here. Juliette has a sense of purpose, the kids are learning far more than they did in the public school environment, and I earn a steady income creating custom sculptures specifically for Dr. Weston’s properties. He’s agreed to be a silent partner in the custom art projects I’m adding to my collection, knowing the end goal is a gallery where Sampson and I can display our talent while donating the proceeds back to the people of Jamaica who need it most.

“Hey, Mama. Don’t you have a session in the spa’s new salt cave today?”

“Oh, yes. I can’t believe Poppy is letting me join her. We’ll be the first two to use it. It’s fantastic.”

“What do you do in there?” Maddy asks.

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