Kitabı oku: «All He Wants For Christmas...», sayfa 8

‘Lunch time,’ he said as he came down to meet her at water’s edge for the umpteenth time that morning. ‘And we have visitors.’

‘Who?’

‘Lena and Trig.’

‘Trig for trigonometry?’ she said as she unbuckled the harness, more than happy to be done with it for the day.

‘Trig for trigger-happy,’ he said, and un-clipped the kite lines and gave her a breezy grin.

‘Oh, that’s comforting,’ she murmured. ‘Friend of yours?’

‘Friend of Jared and Lena’s, mainly. We grew up next door to each other. Jared and Trig joined the service together. Lena joined up a year later. Longest year of Lena’s life,’ said Damon. ‘Mine and Poppy’s too.’

‘So has Trig heard from Jared?’

‘No, but he’s got a lead on where he might be.’ They started up the beach, Damon loaded down with gear and Ruby’s aching muscles happy to let him carry the lot.

‘He’s come to you for help?’

‘Yeah, but not the kind of help you’re thinking. Trig wants to depart on a little fact-finding mission. Lena’s determined to go with him.’

‘That doesn’t sound like a particularly smart idea.’

‘Can I quote you on that?’

‘Only if you want me to wear Lena’s everlasting animosity.’

‘Point taken. I’ll keep you in reserve, counsellor.’ And then they were at the house pavilion and it was smiles and introductions and greetings, with Ruby acutely aware of her tangled hair and the salt on her skin.

Damon and Trig moved over towards the garden tap to rinse off the kite-surfing rig.

Ruby turned to Lena and thanked her kindly for the welcome-to-the-beach-house lotions and potions and then slid on into a polished how-do-you-do and a lovely-to-see-you.

‘You’re looking well,’ said Ruby, a substantial exaggeration given Lena’s extreme slenderness, but no woman needed reminding that she’d looked better yesterday. ‘I, on the other hand, look like a hoyden. Give me five minutes to shower and change and I’ll be back.’

‘Take ten,’ said Lena with a smile. ‘The boys’ll talk kite-board rigs for at least that long.’

‘Leaving you to do what? Entertain yourself?’

‘Leaving me to mock them,’ said Lena. ‘It’s a pattern we’re all familiar with. Go. Wash off the salt. Put on the visitor clothes—I can see you want to. Besides, Trig’s already compared you to half the Victoria’s Secret Angels. I want to see the look on his face when you do your corporate princess thing.’

‘The corporate princess is gone,’ said Ruby. ‘I bought myself some beach clothes.’

‘Should be interesting,’ said Lena. ‘One of these days you’re going to have to give me some fashion advice. The compliments I get whenever I wear the clothes you bought for me have been amazing.’

‘I have two words for you,’ said Ruby. ‘Persian Pink.’

‘Never,’ said Lena with a gamine smile that made her truly beautiful. Oh, the things people never saw when they looked in a mirror.

An oomph and a thump from somewhere over near the tap caught Ruby’s attention and she turned to find Damon in possession of the garden hose, apparently intent on cooling the trigger-happy one down. Trig, in turn, seemed equally intent on gathering up the hose line and strangling Damon with it—both of them grinning like sharks. ‘Are they always like this?’

‘Not always. Trig probably shouldn’t have been staring at your arse. I did warn him.’

‘About my bum?’

‘That Damon was serious about you.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘You’re here, aren’t you? And Damon’s all happy and relaxed on the inside as well as on the surface. That’s rare.’

Ruby eyed Lena uncertainly. ‘You can tell all that just by looking at him?’

‘Can’t you?’ said Lena with the beginnings of a smile. ‘Oh, all right. Maybe I’m imagining things. Seeing what I want to see. But he’s certainly very possessive of you, and making no apology for it with Trig. That’s an excellent sign of attachment. Damon protects what’s his. Always has. Usually with a complete disregard for his own safety that can be scary to watch.’

Possessive. Serious. Lena’s words whizzed by, with Ruby scrambling madly to keep up. Disregard for own safety. Scary. Ruby backing up to ask the obvious question. ‘Possessive how? As in if I even look at another man sideways he’ll strangle me, possessive?’

‘Not quite, although I wouldn’t say he’d be entirely happy were you to look at Trig sideways.’

Neither, it seemed, would Lena be happy. Ruby stifled a smile. ‘Duly noted.’

‘All I was meaning,’ said Lena repressively, ‘is that if you were ever in danger, Damon would protect you with everything he had, including his life. For example, he pulled Poppy out of a rip once, when they were little. Saw her in trouble and swam like a demon to get to her, got caught in it as well and then swam like two demons to get them out. I thought they were both going to die.’

‘Brave though.’

‘Made an impression, I’ll give him that.’ Lena eyed her speculatively. ‘Damon used to avoid his I’ll-die-for-you dilemmas by not laying claim to much. Wonder what he’s going to do now?’

‘Hopefully, stay alive,’ said Ruby dryly. ‘As for your claims about Damon laying claim to me, I think I’ll just tell you I have no idea what you’re talking about and go and have me that shower now.’ Ruby took a step towards the back of the house and then turned around to assess once more the wrestling tangle of well-muscled limbs. ‘They’re not going to kill each other now, are they?’

‘No, Damon knows Trig was only winding him up by studying you. He’s made his point. Now they’re just saying hello.’

‘Right.’ That was hello. ‘Australian thing, is it?’

Lena just smiled.

Ruby returned to the fray some fifteen minutes later, wearing a pretty little cropped and layered silk camisole, heavy on the plums and pinks, ivory hipster trousers, bare feet, and her purple butterfly headband. She’d taken the time to blow-dry her hair and apply a touch of make-up. Visitors were visitors after all. No need to disrespect them by not making an effort.

Trig stared at her as she approached them, his grin wide and his gaze unholy. Probably her lack of shoes. Could be the butterfly.

Damon stared too, eyes narrow upon her bared midriff.

‘Looking a little possessive there, boyo,’ Trig murmured to Damon.

‘Just feeling my way,’ responded Damon evenly, and then went and spoiled all that lovely nonchalance by shooting Trig a dirty glare. ‘You’re not feeling anything.’

Ruby’s smile widened. ‘I just couldn’t find a thing to wear,’ she said to Damon when she reached them. ‘You might have to take me shopping.’

‘I am so impressed,’ said the aptly named Trig. ‘What else does she do? Besides bait you.’

‘I could tell you but you’d weep,’ said Damon, and turned to Ruby. ‘We’re trying to convince Lena to stay here and concentrate on getting better while Trig goes looking for Jared.’

Family politics. Never, ever—on pain of death—get in the middle of it.

Particularly if you weren’t family.

‘How’s that working out for everyone?’ she said cautiously.

‘You’re a lawyer. Reason with her,’ said Damon.

Oh, yes. This was going to end well.

‘So … I’m guessing we’ve moved past delicacy, in terms of approach?’ asked Ruby.

‘Delicacy’s not something we employ around Lena,’ said Trig. ‘Lena considers it a weakness.’

Okeydokeythen. Ruby ignored Lena’s mutinous expression in favour of asking the obvious question. ‘Lena, in your honest opinion, will you slow Trig down?’

‘No,’ said Lena.

‘YES.’ This from an extremely frustrated Trig. ‘Lena, you have no idea how much I worry about you these days. Stay here with Damon and Ruby. Get well. Get out of my goddamn head!’

‘Why would I want to be in your head?’ Lena yelled back. ‘There’s nothing in there but testosterone.’

‘I don’t know, Damon,’ said Ruby dubiously. ‘She looks fighting fit to me.’ And in a voice she knew would carry, ‘How long did you say they’d been married?’

That stopped them.

Lena scowled. Trig glowered.

Damon headed for the fridge in order to hide his smirk and returned with two beers and a bottle of white wine. ‘I’ll get glasses.’

Ruby smiled. Delicately. And watched him go. Watched him return and pour wine for Lena and slide it across the countertop, and pour one for her too, before distributing the beer. While the silence droned on.

‘Far be it from me to want to take charge of this discussion,’ she began calmly, and suffered Damon’s extremely level gaze in silence, ‘or take sides, but, Lena, it does seem to me that the gentlemen have a point. What if you end up having to move quickly because you’re in danger? What if you have to run? Could you?’

Trig opened his mouth to say something. Ruby silenced him with a glance. ‘Lena?’

‘I can run,’ said Lena in a thin hollow voice.

‘Lena, you can barely walk,’ countered Trig savagely. ‘Don’t you dare downplay your injuries to me. I was the one who pushed your guts back into your body.’

‘I can run,’ said Lena. And then went and spoiled her insistence with a fat and silent tear.

Trig fled, taking his beer and Damon with him. Out to the barbecue area where they set about unearthing a four-foot stainless-steel barbecuing wonder from its coverings.

‘Looks like they’re starting lunch,’ said Ruby.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Lena as she wiped her tears away with her fingers only to have more replace them. ‘I’m not myself. I just want—’

‘To be yourself again and find your brother. I know.’ Ruby reached across the counter, covered Lena’s hand and squeezed.

‘It’s okay.’

‘No, it’s not okay,’ said Lena. ‘I never cry. Especially not in front of Trig.’

‘Because … Why not?’

‘Because he’ll never let me live it down.’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Ruby. ‘Looks like a man hell-bent on forgetting the past few minutes to me. You want to know what else I think?’

Rhetorical question.

‘I think you’re terrified you might not recover from your injuries as well as you might like, and I think those two clowns out there are terrified right along with you. I think that regardless of what you want to do, what you need to do is take it easy on your body and listen to the clowns for once.’

Ruby smiled and the circus continued. ‘Besides, Trig’s not going anywhere unless you agree to stay here. I’m guessing he’s saving that little titbit up for when all other forms of persuasion fail. What would you rather have him do, Lena? Babysit you or go look for your brother?’

Trig left. Lena stayed. And the following morning Ruby began to turn her mind to her future. Her two weeks were almost up and, much as she’d delighted in them, she couldn’t stay on here indefinitely and neither would Damon.

Charming he remained, but Damon was getting restless.

The system design work he’d taken on currently held his attention but Ruby was under no illusions that he was about to forgo his covert work and his travelling lifestyle and become a model citizen. The jobs Ruby had taken to looking at all required her to commit to a particular course of action and stick to it. They all expected her to base herself somewhere for two to three years and stay there.

Ruby pushed the latest company structure and advancements file she’d been reading away from her with a sigh. Lena was at the kitchen bench making fruit smoothies for them both. Lena did not like being coddled and she’d just finished a workout in the pool that had left Ruby quietly terrified that Lena was going to overdo it and land herself back in hospital.

‘I’m no medical expert,’ said Ruby as Lena walked slowly towards the table, a smoothie in each hand. ‘But have you considered that doing physio three times a day when the doctor recommends you only do it once might be doing you more harm than good?’

‘Stop fussing,’ said Lena. ‘I’m fine. But seeing as we’re being reflective, have you considered where Damon fits into all these work options you’re contemplating?’

‘Why do you think I’m rejecting them all?’ Ruby took a glum sip of her smoothie. ‘Have you any idea how hard it is to make plans that will accommodate your brother in my life?’

‘Well, have you tried making them with him? That might help.’

‘Ow,’ said Ruby. ‘Sarcasm. Don’t you think that if I’d wanted to engage Damon on the topic I’d have done so already?’

‘Maybe. Maybe not,’ said Lena. ‘You might be waiting for him to say I love you. Which he does, by the way.’

‘And you know this how?’

‘Observation.’

‘I see,’ said Ruby dryly.

‘The thing is, Damon spends a lot of time thinking he’s not worthy of love,’ continued Lena earnestly. ‘Pushing it away. He might not know how to say it. He might have to follow your lead. And you can lead, Ruby. You’re very good at it.’

‘Are you suggesting that I say it first?’

‘That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.’

‘I’ll keep it in mind,’ said Ruby coolly. ‘As long as you bear in mind that I love you is not an easy thing to say—and mean—no matter who’s doing the talking.’

‘I’ve overstepped my boundaries, haven’t I?’

‘You have.’

‘Sorry. Bad habit.’ Lena looked dismayed.

‘You’re here. The relationship is playing out in front of you and you want to smooth your brother’s way. You’re forgiven,’ said Ruby, and meant it. ‘But let me give you a little background information about me and the way I was raised.

‘My father was a man of many secrets and even more agendas, none of which I was privy to. I loved him but I didn’t know him. I adored him but I was never quite sure when he was being truthful and when he was lying through his teeth. Hell, I don’t even know if he loved me. If he’s alive and well and living off a mountain of stolen money and has no intention of contacting me ever again, I’m going to have to go with no.’

‘That’s quite a background,’ said Lena with a grimace.

‘Now enter Damon,’ said Ruby. ‘A fascinating, complex, glory of a man with a head full of secrets and a job that requires him to keep them. A man so used to keeping people out that getting him to reveal even the tiniest thing about himself requires a patience and perseverance I’m not sure I possess. And then just when I think I can’t do this, he turns around and bares his soul for me—not his secrets but his soul, and I get lost in him, Lena, so lost it scares me. And he gets lost in me.’

Ruby’s headband came off, and this time she left it off as she ran her hands through her already beach-swept hair.

‘If this is love, it’s not a comfortable, easy love,’ she said. ‘If this is honesty, it’s going to take some getting used to.’ Lena’s sympathetic gaze cut to some place just over Ruby’s shoulder. ‘And if that’s Damon I’m going to freak.’

‘I just remembered a doctor’s appointment,’ said Lena. ‘A really long one.’

‘Lena.’ Damon’s quiet, measured voice confirmed the worst. ‘No need to get up, though it’d be nice if you’d butt out.’

He came into view, a dangerously attractive man wearing long shorts and a simple grey cotton T-shirt that looked anything but simple on him. He held out his hand to Ruby, his ocean eyes stormy. ‘Walk with me.’

It wasn’t a request.

They headed for the beach path, Damon leading and Ruby in his wake once they got there, but he did not let her hand go and he did not slow his stride. He kept walking once they reached the water’s edge.

Walking off a mad, one of her favourite nannies-of-old would have said. Better a walk than broken toys. And once Ruby had finally calmed down enough to be coherent, she’d say, ‘Okay, Ruby Lou, talk. Who’s wounded you most mortally now?’

That particular question had always been a prelude to a conversation about anger and wilfulness and how to manage both. The nanny would bring out her sewing kit and together she and Ruby would analyse the insult and Ruby’s reaction to it and at the end of the conversation there would be a funny, pretty headband for Ruby Lou to wear.

‘What can’t you have?’ Nanny Laura would say as the headband went on.

‘My way all the time.’

‘And why can’t you have it?’

‘Because other people have feelings too.’

‘There’s my considerate girl.’

A memorably grounded nanny, that one, though she hadn’t lasted long.

But the lesson had sunk in and Ruby did her best to think of other people’s feelings too.

Damon had feelings, ones that ran fathoms deep.

And Ruby had wounded them.

‘How much did you hear?’ she asked when they were halfway along the beach and the silence had reached suffocation point.

‘Damon, stop. Please.’ She planted her feet in the sand at the water’s edge and tugged on his hand. ‘I’m asking you to stop walking while I explain.’

She felt the pull of his hand against hers and held on tight. He could do this. Be still for her. And she could try and mend the damage done. ‘How much did you hear?’ ‘All of it, Ruby.’

He turned to look at her, and she could see that exercise hadn’t calmed him down any.

‘All of it. Starting with my sister trying to explain away my faults and finishing with you saying you’re too scared to take a chance on me.’

‘I didn’t say that,’ argued Ruby. ‘I said I needed time. There’s a difference. I am taking a chance on you, Damon. What do you think I’ve been doing? I’m just not sure what happens next, that’s all, and I’m not pushing you for answers. Dammit, Damon! You’ve made no mention whatsoever about where you’re going or what you plan to do once these two weeks are up. You’re playing us day by day and close to the chest and so am I. Isn’t that what you want?’

Damon smiled mirthlessly. ‘Apparently not.’

‘Then what do you want? Because I’m willing to have this conversation if you are. I just didn’t want to be the one to start it.’

‘I want to talk about what comes next,’ he said gruffly. ‘Where you’re going. Where you want to go. The things I have to do and the things I can change to suit myself. Or suit us.’

Damon took a deep breath and reached out to tuck a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear. ‘No headband.’

‘I left it on the table.’

‘I know love and trust doesn’t come easy to you, Ruby. It doesn’t come easy to me either. But I do want to be with you. Make some changes so that I can be with you, at times. If that would suit you.’

It was a start.

CHAPTER TEN

THREE days later, on the back of some rather haphazard planning, Ruby went back to Hong Kong. Damon joined her a week later. Living with her, loving her, and watching her try and make up her mind on a new career path and permanent location with a smile on his face and a patience that surprised her.

When she’d gone round in circles a few times he weighed in with reasoned argument.

If she liked it in Hong Kong why not stay on here for a while?

Forget her father’s actions, they were not hers to own and if people couldn’t see that they were fools.

At least in Hong Kong she already knew who her friends were. The ones who’d stood by her when things had gone bad. The ones who kept in contact with her and valued her company.

An advantage over starting afresh, he’d said.

He could see things very clearly when he wanted to, could Damon. Ruby’s respect for him grew, along with her dependence on making decisions with him rather than without.

Eventually, she decided to make Hong Kong work for her for now. The Australian-based law firm still hadn’t filled their Hong Kong position. Plenty of room now for some negotiation of terms. One week every month a trip back to the Sydney office to consolidate the work. Formalised mentorship facilitated by computer conferencing technology. And free rein to do things her way when it came to setting up shop.

And if the decision sounded as if it was based in part on Damon’s solid reasoning that Hong Kong would prove a useful base for them both, well, maybe it was.

Damon too was looking to rent office space in Hong Kong. Build up a legitimate network development service for small businesses. Employ a manager. A couple of technicians. Lend a hand every now and then.

Keep his head in the game. Go legit with at least some of his work.

It sounded good in theory.

Whether he would have enough focus to actually step up and do it was anyone’s guess.

Days whizzed by and Ruby took to talking to the cat again.

A vastly friendlier little cat, for little girls were apparently very good at sneaking through a little cat’s reserve. The cat, who now went by the name of Jao, now had two homes to choose from, and one he retreated to when he wanted peace and solitude and the other home he favoured when he wanted to play.

Not bad for a no-name scrap of mistrust and misery.

‘Fall on your feet, don’t you?’ she told Jao, who’d developed a habit of taking a fast and clawless strike at her ankles from beneath the overhang of the kitchen bench. ‘Just like Damon.’

Damon who’d been looking at office space but neglecting to pay attention to the contractual leasing terms of the office space chosen. Damon didn’t have the patience for it. Ruby did. Also a vested interest in not wanting him to expire of frustration before his venture into the world of small-business ownership had even begun.

‘Damon’s going to need a very switched on business manager,’ she said to the little cat as she marked for signing the leasing arrangement he’d decided to go with.

‘Damon’s well aware of that,’ said a voice, and Ruby looked up from the papers and saw Damon coming towards her, fresh from the shower with only a towel to keep him company.

‘You couldn’t afford me,’ she said, and favoured him with a very appreciative smile. ‘Besides, I’ve decided to take the Hong Kong job. Even if I only do the initial set-up and then pass the position on to someone else. That corner suite we looked at yesterday would be perfect.’

‘The ground-floor corner office with the too big reception area, too small a workshop and the little courtyard? The one you told me was on the border of Triad territory?’

‘Yes,’ said Ruby serenely. ‘Border being the operative word. Between two opposing Chinese corporations, actually. Authorities tend to steer clear and that is of benefit to a lawyer with a client base of asylum seekers, many of whom have not had pleasant experiences with authority.’

‘Get each side to throw in a day guard and lockdown parking facilities for your wheels and I might even agree,’ he said as he picked up the pen and scrawled his signature beside every cross. ‘You’ll be dealing with desperate people, Ruby. You’re going to have to take precautions.’

‘I know. And later on I want to pick your brains when it comes to securing computer files and whatnot. Maybe I can be your first customer.’ She picked up the paperwork and waved it in his face. ‘Next time, read it.’

‘Why? You already have.’ He dropped a kiss on her lips and forestalled further comment. ‘You know, you’re lucky to have me. I haven’t mentioned locking you up and not letting you out of this apartment ever again once during this conversation.’

‘Nor will you if you have any sense of fair play at all. When it comes to courting danger, each to his own.’

‘The family’s going to say it’s my fault you went dark side,’ he continued morosely. ‘They’ll say I encouraged you.’

Ruby smiled. ‘And they’d be right. Am I going to have to get undressed in order to win this argument?’

‘You’ve already won it. Besides, I need to change the topic,’ he murmured, and let his bottom lip drag against hers before sliding his lips across to her ear. ‘I have to go to Eastern Europe for work.’

Ruby drew away swiftly and fixed him with an unfriendly gaze. ‘I knew you were buttering me up for something.’

‘No, you didn’t. You thought I was just being my usual charming self.’

This was true. Not that she had any intention of saying that aloud. ‘When are you going to Eastern Europe?’

‘Today.’

Ruby nodded. Thumped him in the chest with a none-too-gentle fist. ‘How long have you known?’

‘Ten minutes.’ He glanced at the microwave clock. ‘Fifteen.’

‘When are you coming back?’

‘A week?’ Damon shrugged. ‘It’s hard to say. Hopefully a week.’

‘Will you call and let me know?’

‘No contact. You know how this goes, Ruby. We’ve talked about it.’

Yes, but talking wasn’t doing. Ruby glared at him afresh. ‘Make sure you bring me back a present. At least then I’ll know I’ve been in your thoughts.’

‘A headband?’

‘Yes,’ she said and lifted her chin. ‘A headband for reasonable, considerate, loveable little Ruby, and I’ll give you fair warning. Regardless of my inherently forgiving nature, I do have a temper, and certain actions have been known to trigger it.’ Her hands had gone to her hips. ‘Keep your secrets when it comes to your work, I don’t want them. As for our personal affairs, I don’t like being manipulated and I resent being lied to. Are we clear?’

‘Ruby, you’re the classiest and most effective manipulator I’ve ever seen. How come I can’t even practise on you?’

‘I’m not joking, Damon. Don’t ever play me that way.’

‘I won’t.’

‘Promise me.’

‘Ruby, I won’t.’

And Ruby believed him.

Another week. No word from Damon, but then he’d warned her not to expect it. Ruby stayed busy and somewhere along the way she realised she wasn’t fretting about Damon and the things he might be doing. Shades of grey and each to their own, and Damon would go about making the world a better place his way and Ruby would try and make the world a fairer place her way, and who was to judge which was the right way?

If Damon ever wanted a muse when it came to his work and the ethics involved he would get one. Label him a hero or brand him a thief. She could argue either way.

Ruby leased the corner office suite. Made a few changes. The walls would not be grey but ivory. The furnishings would be comfortable and not pretentious. Her new neighbours wondered what she was up to. She had flyers printed up listing the company’s services. Obtained flyers and posters from charities and services that she thought her future clients would find useful. Word got around. Her new landlord stopped by.

Yes, she was Harry Maguire’s daughter.

No, she had no idea where the money was, or her father for that matter.

Yes, she was opening up a law office specialising in migration, and yes, indeed, she would be most interested in having the local security service stop by her offices on their nightly rounds. Day rounds too, if they existed. It would be money well spent.

And Damon stayed away.

Day three of week two of his absence and Ruby’s office walls were now ivory and she’d moved on to furnishings. Work desks and office chairs. A wooden table and benches and potted greenery for the courtyard. She started the hunt for a receptionist. At least three languages, she told the dressmaker three doors down. With written proficiency in two. Preferably someone who lived locally but wasn’t closely affiliated with any of the Triads.

The dressmaker knew of someone who might be interested in part-time work. Very smart boy. The son of one of her regular clients. Chinese Korean.

And then just like that, Damon was back. Standing in the doorway of her new office, a bunch of purple orchids in one hand and a gaily wrapped package in the other.

‘Two presents,’ he said. ‘I thought I might need them.’

‘So true,’ she said, and then Ruby was in his arms and Damon was twirling her round and kissing her with an intensity that belonged to him alone.

‘Miss me?’ he whispered when she finally broke free.

‘Like crazy.’

‘Feel like taking the afternoon off?’

‘Only if you can get two desktop computers, a scanner/printer/fax and a notebook here and set up by nine tomorrow morning.’

Damon handed her his tributes and pulled out his phone. Two minutes later it was organised.

‘Tell me you’re impressed,’ he said.

‘Show off.’ But she kissed him again and it was quite some time before she turned her attention to the opening of gifts. ‘I could get used to this.’

‘That’s the plan.’

‘Truffles from Belgium,’ she said in approval of the exquisitely boxed handmade selection. ‘Very nice.’

‘And this,’ he said, and dangled a heart shaped pendant on a silver ribbon from his fingertips. Silver filigree that swirled an intricate path around a heart of red Murano glass.

‘Damon, it’s gorgeous,’ she said with unfeigned enthusiasm and set about putting it on. ‘Venice?’

‘Still full of bridges and rising water.’ He fingered the pendant at her neck. ‘Guess what I discovered when I walked through the door and you looked up and smiled at me as if Christmas had come early?’

‘That I like presents?’

‘That Lena was right about one thing and wrong about another.’

‘Lena’s right and wrong about a lot of things. Which things are we talking about?’

‘Love,’ he said quietly, his gaze intent on hers. ‘I love you, Ruby. And you don’t have to say it first and you don’t have to say it back if it’s not your way. I just wanted you to know how I feel about you these days.’

Ruby stared at him wordlessly, still clutching the pendant he’d given her, the heart currently residing around her neck. She opened her mouth to say those three little words back to him but those words, they simply wouldn’t come.

‘I’ve missed you so much,’ she said weakly. ‘I’m so glad you’re back.’ Her next words came out in a panicked rush. ‘I’m still working on the love thing.’

‘It’s okay, Ruby. Not everyone jumps off cliffs the way I do. Not everyone wants to.’

‘I want to,’ she said earnestly. ‘I do. I’m standing on the cliff edge and I’ve just watched you leap off it and my heart is in my mouth for you, and my knees are shaking, and why the hell didn’t you wait for me, Damon, so we could have done this together? Because now I’ll have to jump off that cliff all by myself.’

‘No, you won’t,’ he said with a wry smile. ‘I’ll jump with you, Ruby. Any time you’re ready. First time’s always the hardest. Next time might not be too bad at all.’