‘Don’t even try that,’ Toni cut her off with a groan. ‘Hedoesn’tlive here. I’ve already screwed myself over by falling in love. I can’t dream of some magical solution where neither of us has to make any sacrifices. Weddings are lovely, but you know what I think? People make a big deal of them because it’s oneway of making the sacrifices and hard times in a relationship worthwhile. Lovesucks. I miss him and there’s nothing I can do about it. At least I know it won’t hurt forever. If losing Miro can dull to this vague hurt over nine years – despite how guilty I feel to admit it – then I’ll get over Gabri. Probably soon. I don’t think he loves me as much as I love him anyway.’
She drew in a deep breath. It was only the stale air of the pub, but it could have been the salt-scented breeze from Elba, the action was so refreshing. She’d admitted it: she loved Gabri. He was right, she was holding on to Miro’s memory, but apparently, she could hold onto her husband and also fall in love with Gabri and her heart hadn’t gone up in flames – at least, not literally.
The situation was messy, but life was messy and she understood that better than most. It was Gabri who didn’t like mess. Perhaps she should have told him more clearly on the last day that she could hold him in her heart and still keep Miro’s memory, but what would that have changed?
She’d have to ignore the niggle at the back of her mind, wondering how he would have reacted if she’d told him exactly what he meant to her, but he’d been so vehement about needing his island, his peace. It wasn’t her place to crash into his life.
‘It’s better this way,’ she said softly. ‘Sometimes, it’s just better to leave it as two wonderful weeks.’
Gabri stood on the passenger deck of the ferry, watching the clay roofs of Portoferraio grow smaller in the distance, the lighthouse and the terracotta bricks of the old city on the hill glinting in the summer sunlight. Hands in the pockets of his tailored trousers, he turned his face into the wind, marvelling at the simple pleasure of it.
His island would still be there tomorrow, when he returned to it. Monte Capanne with its forested foothills had watched Napoleon stomp around in frustrated ambition and it had watched Gabri mourn the life he’d thought he wanted and build another. The mountain would be there whenever he needed it.
But he was hoping he was strong enough not to need it, cautiously optimistic that he could upset his equilibrium and find it again without running away. Right now, he was keen to makehimselfneeded – or wanted, was a better way of thinking about it. He was preparing to take on the world.
Nearly an hour later, the island was only a jumble of dusty green hills on the horizon, with the lighthouse islet of Palmaiola in the foreground. Ahead was the sandy stone and render of Piombino – the mainland. With a duffel bag at his feet and his dress shoes freshly polished, Gabri was almost looking forward to the Frecciarossa high-speed train once he’d made it from Piombino to Florence. There were no high-speed trains on the isola.
When the ferry was rounding the headland on its approach to the port, his phone rang and he dug it out of his bag with a frown. Perhaps he wasn’t quite ready to step seamlessly back into a corporate environment.
His phone identified the caller asI Do Destinationsand his heart leaped. The number of times he’d almost called Toni – he’d lost count. But he had a few items to work through on his list before he could attempt a redo of their final conversation.
‘Pronto, chi è – hello?’ he answered in a jumble of confused languages – and emotions.
‘Gabri?’
It wasn’t Toni. That much was clear from the way his stomach sank. He cleared his thoughts with a shake of his head. Toni worked at Great Heart, not in the Bath offices of I Do. He shouldn’t have hoped it was her.
‘It’s Ginny from I Do.’
‘Ciao, Ginny. It’s lovely to hear from you. I hope you aren’t wanting to book me in for any more weddings, because I’ve got some other business I need to take care of and I won’t be available for a few months at least.’
‘Oh, well that wasn’t really why I was calling, but that’s a shame. Your flowers are always a highlight for our clients and the photos from our last wedding are spectacular. Especially… Look, I’ll text you one. Give me a second.’
His phone vibrated in his hand and he tugged it from his ear to swipe to the messaging app. The photo on the little screen stole his breath and sent a surge through his veins. It was Toni – and himself – standing on the beach at Innamorata regarding each other cautiously as the sun set in the background.
No wonder the bridal couple had been so keen on a sunset wedding. The rays of the sun seemed to highlight every shade of emotion on Toni’s face – and his own. It transformed the moment from an awkward pose to a glistening suggestion of possibilities and his smile wobbled on his lips as he looked at it.
‘Reshma was just testing the light,’ he mumbled after he’d lifted the phone back to his ear. ‘It was complicated for the photographer to…’ He gave up. That clearly wasn’t the reason Ginny had sent him the photo. ‘Is she okay?’
‘Yes, she’s fine – determined never to do a wedding on Elba ever again and keen to file away your scorching affair as nothing more than a fling, but I suppose that’s her decision. Just maybe not the decision you’ve reached. I thought you’d better know.’
‘I assume you think I should do something about this,’ he said gruffly, giving her no hint in his voice of his amused smile.
‘Well, I— Yes.’
‘I’m open to suggestions.’
‘What?’
‘Ascolta – listen, Ginny,’ he began, ‘I know she thinks there’s no way she can have another relationship, but I haven’t given up yet. It will just take me a little while to get things organised.’
Ginny only spluttered in response. Eventually, she managed to say, ‘This isn’t exactly the way Toni described the situation. In fact, she said something like, “I don’t think he loves me as much as I love him”.’
It was Gabri’s turn to splutter. He’d planned to take his time, move slowly and carefully so she had space to adjust to the way he saw things between them, but those words lit a fire under him.
‘Maybe we didn’t talk things through as honestly as I thought.’ She apparently hadn’t understood the depth of emotion he’d been trying to convey. ‘But she told me she wasn’t ready for anything serious. I need to give her time.’
‘Pfft,’ was Ginny’s only response at first. ‘What if she finds someone else?’
