Page 73 of Hard Lessons

The desperation in his voice sent a thrill through her, but she quashed it down. “Please, let’s talk first.”

He kind of growled when she untangled from his arms.

“Please, Luca. I need to.”

He shoved his hand down the front of his trousers, appeared to adjust himself, then nodded. “Okay, but outside. I need some damn fresh air and a smoke.”

Serena nodded and quickly stepped out of the front door.

The sea breeze was blissful. It caressed her face and filled her lungs.

Luca stepped out behind her and locked the door. He rammed the key and his box of cigarettes into his pocket.

“This way.” She set off at a brisk pace toward a dip in the grassy cliff. She hoped it would lead down to the beach.

Luca followed and within a minute Serena could see she’d been right. A set of wooden steps, only missing a few, hugged the steep slide of rock and grass to the shoreline.

“Hold on,” Luca said, indicating a handrail.

Serena did, though she had to concentrate on her steps. The urge to look out to sea, to admire the sunlight glinting off the water, the sweep of gulls flying as a group from north to south, a small sailboat in the distance was strong.

When she reached the golden sand, she set her hands on her hips and breathed deep. Instinctively she knew this place was good for her soul. Even though it was her first trip to Scotland, and it was so different to home, it spoke to her. The colors, the sounds, the air, the sky. It was like a home knitted blanket wrapping around her spirit and telling her everything would be okay.

“This could be from a brochure,” Luca said, wrapping his arm around her waist. “And look out there...” He nodded into the distance. “Is that an island?”

“Yes. The Hebrides.”

“The what?”

“The Hebrides, a set of islands that stretch far into the ocean. Some big, some small, some inhabited, some not.”

“I wonder who lives on them?”

“People who want a quiet life.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Come on, let’s walk and talk. Sooner we do that, sooner we can fuck.”

“Luca!”

He chuckled and puffed on his smoke. “You know I love walking and talking with you.”

She fell into step with him, enjoying the press of sand and small pebbles on the soles of her feet and the long crescent of virgin beach before them. “There’s one island,” she said. “Called Hebridon.”

“Mmm.”

“And it’s looking for new families to settle there.”

Luca didn’t speak.

Serena steamed ahead, letting her thoughts pour from her mouth. “They have a school that’s running out of children, a shop with not enough customers. It’s remote, isolated, a community surviving on its own. Few visitors and lots of beauty.”

“Sounds quiet.”

“Quiet and safe. The perfect place to hide, to raise a family, to raiseourfamily.”

“What?” He stopped, a wave sneaked around his feet. He didn’t seem to notice.

“Luca. Much as you drive me crazy with your bossy, bombastic ways, I know you’re the man for me. The only man for me. I want you to be the father of my children. My husband—”

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