Page 23 of Greek Island Fling to Forever

Arianna nodded. ‘It means a lot to me too. Surely that hasn’t changed for you?’

It had. She could see it from the flash of guilt and regret in his face. He glanced over towards his son, who was busy landscaping his new castle, completely unaware of their conversation.

‘When Emma died...things weren’t going so well for us. I can’t help wondering if her last thought was that I’d let her down.’

Arianna knew full well that guilt had a big part in grief. All the things that could never be changed, never be taken back.

‘What do you mean?’

‘I wasn’t living at home when Emma died. We’d been arguing a lot, and we were both tired. I told her that I loved her, and suggested that we take a couple of weeks out, so we could reconnect with the things that really mattered. I’m not sure she completely understood.’

‘I’m so sorry, Ben. Surely you can’t think that you let her down, though. From what you say, you were trying to save your marriage.’

‘I was. We both were, and I know we would have succeeded, given a bit of time. I just wonder whether she knew how much I loved her and Jonas.’ Ben took a deep breath, his face suddenly haggard.

‘In my experience—’ Arianna puffed out a breath ‘—not that I have a great deal of experience in making relationships work, but I think you always do know when someone honestly loves you.’

‘Maybe. I hope you’re right.’ He turned his gaze up to meet hers and something in his eyes made Arianna dread whatever he was about to say next.

‘When the accident happened, Emma was on her way to do the weekly shop. A lorry swerved to avoid something and skidded out of control. Witnesses said that it was coming towards the passenger side of the car, where Jonas was in the car seat at the back. Emma couldn’t avoid it, but she turned the wheel so that it hit her side of the car.’

‘Ben, I...’ Arianna shook her head. ‘That was a very brave and loving thing to do.’

‘She was like that. She could be fierce at times, and we used to argue but... I just hope she knew that I would have done anything to be sitting in the driver’s seat, so that Emma and Jonas would have been safe on the other side of the car. If there was any way that I could go back...’

‘I believe you.’ Arianna almost choked on the words. What she believed probably meant less than nothing to Ben. But his face softened suddenly, and he nodded.

‘Thank you.’ Ben reached across the table, covering her hands with his. ‘If I’m honest, this is one of the reasons I came here. Those superhero dreams I had when I was a kid were more precious to me than I knew. Since Emma died, I’ve lost the feeling that I can make a difference to anyone and... I miss it.’

He’d saved her. That might not be very important to him, and it might not be so important to her father, who yearned for his lost son. It meant a lot to Arianna, though.

‘Thank you for saving me. I know it’s not much of a consolation...’

Ben gave her hands a squeeze and then let go of them. ‘It’s means more to me than you know. But today wasn’t supposed to be about making me feel better.’

‘As I said. Two sides of one coin. It feels as if we both started from the same place.’

He nodded, clearly turning the idea over in his head. ‘Maybe you’re right...’

‘I think that Jonas knows his dad is a superhero, who protects him against monsters. Kids are pretty switched on about that kind of thing and maybe you should listen to him.’

There was no opportunity for Ben to think about it and decide. Suddenly he was on his feet. ‘Jonas, what are you doing? You’ll hurt yourself.’

Jonas was upside down in a heap on the sand, and turned himself back up the right way, looking a little shamefaced. ‘I want to do somersaults.’

‘Not like that, mate.’

‘Auntie Lizzie showed Callie how to do one. I want to do them too—show me.’

Ben rolled his eyes and then turned back to his son, taking the steps down from the veranda two at a time. ‘I can’t do a somersault either. And Callie’s a bit older than you—that’s probably why Auntie Lizzie showed her, don’t you think?’

Jonas’s face began to crease. ‘But, Dad...’

Arianna ventured to the top of the steps. If Ben could come to terms with the past, then so could she. She could do nothing about all the things that Xander had missed out on, but there was one thing she could do for Jonas.

‘I can do somersaults...’

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