Page 59 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 1-4

Quin’s eyes looked suspiciously bright. ‘That’s because you’re brave and loving and kind and—’

She stopped his words with her mouth, and when she pulled back she said, ‘I was too scared to get on the bus—afraid that if I did, something would happen and I’d never see you again...or Sol.’

Quin pulled her close again. ‘Thank God for that.’ He cupped her jaw. ‘And you are an amazing mother—you protected him, and me, by risking your own life.’ A shudder went through his body and he said, ‘Jesus, Sadie, if anything had happened to you...’

She put her hands on his chest. ‘It didn’t. And the danger is gone. We’re free now.’

Quin took one of her hands and held it to him. With emotion thick in his throat he said, ‘I love you, Sadie...can you forgive me?’

The emotion she’d been so carefully holding back threatened to burst like a dam. ‘Forgive you for what?’

‘For being so hard on you...for asking you to leave...’

Tears pricked Sadie’s eyes. ‘Forgiven, my love.’

He smiled. ‘Say that again.’

Sadie smiled too, and it was wobbly. ‘Which bit?’

His eyes flashed. ‘You know.’

She kissed him and then pulled back. ‘My love...’

‘I love you too—so much. And if you’ll let me I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much.’

Quin lowered his head to hers, sealing his words with a kiss that was so tender, and so full of all the longing Sadie had lived with for four years, that emotion ran over and leaked out of her eyes.

When they stopped kissing, Quin wiped her tears away. He said, ‘No more tears, okay?’

Sadie half chuckled. ‘I’ll try my best.’

They sat in harmonious silence for a long time, watching the afternoon turn into evening and dusk. Eventually Sadie asked where Sol was, and Quin told her he was sleeping over at his friend’s.

He stood up and held out his hand. She put her hand into his and let him lead her up to the bedroom as the dusk disappeared into the moonlight outside and the waves lapped against the shore.

They made love and talked and drifted into a doze, before making love again and finally falling into sleep.

When Quin woke he looked up and saw Sadie standing on the balcony with a sheet around her, watching the sunrise. He got up and went over to her, naked, and she leant back into his embrace. For the first time in four years he felt whole again. At peace.

She looked up at him and smiled. ‘Come for a walk?’

He nodded. ‘Anywhere, any time.’

They’d used to say that to each other. She’d stop him working on his laptop and say,‘Come for a walk?’and he would take one look at her and say,‘Anywhere...any time.’

They showered and got dressed and then walked along the shore, hand in hand, close together, not even speaking, just letting the moment wash over them and through them, healing all the pain and loss that they’d endured for four years.

They walked all the way to the end and then started back. Other people were on the beach now, jogging or walking their dogs before the heat of the day set in. There were some early surfers.

About halfway back, Sadie stopped. ‘This is where we got married.’

Quin looked to the spot where she was pointing. ‘How do you know?’

‘Because it was the best day of my life, and thinking about it sustained me every day for the last four years. I can remember Sol kicking in my belly as we were making our vows.’

Quin turned to face her, pulling her close. He smiled. ‘I remember him kicking too...and I remember how we celebrated.’

Sadie blushed and buried her head in Quin’s chest. He smiled at the memory. She’d been very...amorous in her pregnancy.

---