Page 26 of They Found Us

“Thank you, but it’s more the view that makes it special. Come, I’ve set up an area by the shallow end of the pool in the shade.”

“Perfect.”

While I get Zander settled in his pram, Mark pulls out of Vanna’s hand in excitement. He jumps straight into the pool. Luckily I know my son well and fastened his life jacket onto him before we got in the car.

“He’s no fear at all. Worries me to death, he does.” I sigh.

“Well, he’s got Guerra blood.” Vanna laughs.

“So, how long have you lived here?”

“Since we arrived, actually. We bought the land from the farm next door, just over that hill. There was only a small rundown cottage here then. We lived in that while we built this and then knocked it down to build the swimming pool.”

“Gosh, did you design it all yourself?”

“Yes—well, between me and Alex. We had a lot of time on our hands, so we did the majority of the work ourselves as well.”

“And now you own a gym?”

“Yes, Alex and I run the fitness centre. We needed something to do, and we are both into fitness. We mostly do strength training and self-defence classes. It seems to be very popular on the island.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Right, cocktails. What do you like?”

“Anything, really, but nothing too sweet and not strong. I’ve not had a drink since I got pregnant with Zander, and I need to drive home.”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

While Vanna crushes ice and squeezes lemons at the bar beside the pool, I give Mark his pool toys and splash about with him for a few minutes. He absolutely loves water. He can prettymuch swim now, but I’d never let him in water without a vest just yet.

“Here we are. One lemon drop cocktail specially made by me.”

“Oooh, lemon drop. I don’t think I have had one of those before. What’s in it?”

“Just try it.”

As I take a sip, my taste buds are met with a delightful blend of sweet and tart.

“It’s good,” I say as I take another sip, enjoying the sharp, refreshing taste of lemon balanced beautifully with the sugar around the glass.

“I knew you would like it. Vodka, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, sugar on the rim, and a lemon wedge for garnish. But I didn’t put as much of the alcohol in yours, so I topped it up with a splash of soda water.”

“Thank you, it’s perfect.”

“It was my mother’s favourite drink. Although the lemons in Italy are much better than we can get here.”

“Yeah, that is true about Italy. We’ve be growing our own lemons, and Leo’s been doing everything exactly as he did back there, but they’re just not the same. He can’t get them to grow as big or be as sweet.”

Flashbacks of lemons in Italy fill my mind. When Leo actually asked me to marry him, we were surrounded by his lemon trees. He’d undressed me and laid me on the ground beneath them. Then he’d pulled a lemon from the tree and sliced it open with a knife. He’d squeezed it intensely, so the juice ran down his arm and on to my naked body. He’d then proceeded to lick my body clean.

“Earth to Katie. Hello?” Vanna pulls me out of my memory just in time.

“Oh, sorry. I was miles away.”

“In Italy?”

“Yes, Italy.”