Rosie nodded. ‘Yes. I used to play quite a lot when I was younger; I was actually quite good,’ she said shyly. ‘And then sometimes when I came over to visit them, I would hit a few balls. But it takes a long time to play a round and I never seemed to have enough time. I was always rushing about trying to be a mum and work and be there for Dermot.’
‘And now? Would you take it up again now you have more time?’ said Luke.
Rosie shrugged. ‘Perhaps,’ she said eventually. ’I guess I’ve never thought about it until now. I do have a set of clubs but it’s been yonks since I used them. How about you? That’s why you ended up in Scotland in the first place, to play golf. Do you miss it?’
He laughed. ‘I know, imagine that! And I have my clubs with me and I haven’t touched them since I arrived. Mind you I havebeen otherwise engaged. But you have some lovely courses here. Maybe one of these days I will play them. You know it kind of saved me when my marriage broke down. I would take myself off to the golf course and play for hours. It gave me some time to think.’
Rosie glanced sideways at him. ‘It must have been hard anyway without the other man being your brother.’
He nodded. ‘It was a massive shock and felt like the ultimate betrayal. Cindy and I had our problems for a while and neither of us were particularly happy. I just didn’t expect her to get together with my brother.’
‘Have you been able to forgive him?’
He grimaced. ‘I haven’t had a proper conversation with him since I found out. He has been so contrite over it and has left voicemails and texts apologising. I know that neither of them set out to hurt me deliberately. But it did. Hugely. And I haven’t been able to speak to him since then as I was afraid I might punch him. I know that says more about my male ego.’
‘And now?’ she said gently. ‘How do you feel about it now?’
‘They are seemingly happy together. And life is too short to hold grudges. Writing the book has definitely helped as it has made me realise if I want to move on with my life, I will need to forgive them both.’
There was no need to say anything and instead she squeezed his hand.
They walked along the trail which led down to the beach and didn’t pass another soul. ‘It’s so quiet,’ said Luke. ‘Not that I’m complaining. But where has everyone gone?’
Rosie stopped and stretched her hands out in front of her. ‘I made them all go home. Especially for you,’ she said jokingly. ‘I know you celebs like to have the VIP treatment.’
Luke laughed at her and grabbed her round the waist, planting a kiss on her lips. ‘Well, I certainly feel like a very important person these days and that’s all down to you.’
* * *
Two hours later, Rosie and Luke had stripped off and were swimming in the clear water marvelling at what a beautiful evening it was. With the stretch of golden sand, and the lapping water it did feel as though they were in their own exotic paradise.
‘I will never forget this place,’ said Luke. ‘Thanks for this, Rosie. It’s been such a special day.’ He dried himself off with a towel and then sat down on the sand next to Rosie.
She reached for his hand. ‘Thank you for reminding me how to smile again,’ she said. ‘And how to . . .’ her voice trailed off as she realised that she was about to say love. Gawd, that was the last thing she needed to do and would truly spoil the moment.
‘And?’ he said inquisitively.
Fortunately, Coisty chose that moment to start digging and Luke was soon covered in sand.
‘I’ll just go and get the food from the car,’ she said, jumping up and dusting herself down. She was getting a bit cold now that the sun was starting to dip and she pulled on her shorts and a warm hoodie.
‘Okay, thanks,’ said Luke. ‘I’ll keep an eye on Coisty and make sure he doesn’t disappear down under.’
After collecting the picnic hamper from the car, she walked back to their spot on the beach and saw Luke on his phone. As she got closer, she realised his face looked serious. Rosie felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as he looked up at her and frowned. This did not bode well. When he finally ended the call, he looked at her with despair in his eyes. ‘I’m so sorry, Rosie.’
‘What,’ she said, dropping the picnic bag onto the sand and feeling anxiety start to mount. ‘What’s happened?’
‘It’s my agent, Linda. She’s been taken into hospital. I need to go and see her as soon as possible.’
Rosie opened her mouth. ‘Oh,’ was all she could stutter.
‘I need to go back to London.’
Rosie didn’t need to look at her watch to tell him that he couldn’t leave the island tonight as the last ferry had left. Selfishly that meant she had one more night with him before their romantic time together came to an end. Then she felt guilty for even thinking that when his agent was clearly unwell.
He reached out and touched her face tenderly. ‘Don’t worry, I know I can’t go anywhere right now,’ he said. ‘Let’s just make the most of tonight.’
Rosie forced a smile, reminding herself that she had the past amazing week to remember and hold onto. She needed to be grateful for that. But inside she felt as though she was crumbling. She bit back the tears and leant against Luke and let him hold her.
