Page 82 of Never Too Late
‘Kitty?’
‘What?’ I kept my focus on the trees in my sightline, their fuzzy buds looking like they were stuck on the branches with glue by a child, randomly and at will, waiting until there was enough sun, enough warmth to tempt them to unfurl and burst into magnificent cups of magnolia.
‘Kitty, look at me.’
I hesitated but then turned.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘It doesn’t matter, Tomas. Really. Like I said, it’s…’
‘Ancient history, I know. But I never said it then and I should have done. I should have done so much back then that I didn’t.’
‘Tomas…’
‘No, please.’ He laid his hand over mine as they rested on my lap. ‘Please let me say this before I explode. I’ve been keeping all this inside for so long and never thought I’d get the chance to say it. And then you were there. In that hotel.’
‘Looking like I’d been in a cage fight.’
His rich, warm laugh broke the tension in the cosy cabin of the car, the tears that had sprung into his eyes while he was talking sparkled now in those deep sea-blue eyes.
‘You look like you, how do they say, whooped their arse.’
‘Yeah, I gave that bath a good whooping with my face. It didn’t know what hit it.’
We were both laughing now, both with tears in our eyes, the emotions of that day, that time, swirling around once more in our hearts.
I slid one hand out from under his and laid it on top.
‘Let’s just go to lunch for now, shall we? I promise I will listen to you but I think that’s all the emotion I can cope with for the moment.’
‘I apologise. I had all this planned. I was going to be all super cool about it. Benoit told me?—’
‘Benoit?’
‘Yes.’
‘You spoke to him about us?’
‘Yes. But don’t worry, he’s under strict instructions not to discuss it with Sasha.’
I shot him a look.
‘Believe me, I know she hates my guts.’
‘I’m not sure I’d go that far, but no, she’s not your biggest fan.’
‘I don’t blame her.’
‘You and Benoit are close.’
He nodded. ‘He’s the son I never had.’
There was something in his voice, a tremor. He cleared his throat hurriedly, gave my hand a gentle squeeze and dropped the briefest of butterfly kisses on my temple before turning back to the front.
‘Let’s go and get some food.’
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