“Sorry,” I mutter as he chuckles.
“Come on.”
I follow him out of the house and down to a garage. He lifts the door and smiles over at me.
“I thought you said your legs work fine.” I laugh, climbing up into the golf-style buggy.
He doesn’t say anything as he sits in the driving seat and pulls out of the garage.
It’s a bumpy ride down to the meadow, but it’s worth it. Sat two fields away from the estate, the most beautiful meadow lies covered in an array of wildflowers. The grass is greener than any grass I’ve ever seen. It’s bright and vibrant, and seems full of life.
Trees line the boundary but open up at the bottom of the hillside. Anthony comes to a stop at the gate, and I jump out to open it.
He speeds in past me, his eyes sparkling in delight.
I can tell he is loving this.
“It’s beautiful,” I beam, slipping back into the buggy beside him.
He shakes his head, smirking at me, and I see so much of my beautiful man in that look, it makes my chest constrict.
They are so alike.
“You’ve not seen nothing yet. Hold on.”
He takes off through the flowers, and I spin in my seat, shocked. “Anthony, the flowers!”
He laughs freely. “They will bounce back.”
I look behind us to see the trail of destruction, but my eyes lift instead to the beautiful view.
We come to a stop at the top of the hill, and I sit speechless in my seat as I absorb Lowerwick in all its beauty. I can see the entire estate from here, and it seems so much bigger, grander. More.
“Wow,” I mutter.
“Look at this,” he says, tapping my arm.
I turn, my eyes following his finger to where he is pointing, and the view in front of me takes my breath away. At the bottom of the meadow sits a glistening lake. I see no end to it, just miles and miles of uninterrupted water.
Stepping from the buggy to get a better look, I take in the paddle boat and rope swing that lies broken on the floor.
Mason.
“He loved it out here. They both did.”
I twist towards him. “They don’t come here anymore?”
“Scarlet does. Nearly every day. Mase hasn’t been in years.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, turning fully to take in Lowerwick at my back.
“This has to be the most peaceful place on earth,” I tell him.
“It is.” He smiles sadly. He steps from the buggy and sits on the grass, then nods his head to the spot beside him, encouraging me to drop down next to him. “You see there—to the left of the property.” He points.
I squint, trying to work out where he means—until I spot it.
The headstone stands large and proud in a garden of colourful flowers.
