41. Isla
ISLA
PARIS, FRANCE
The stone steps of the Square du Vert-Galant disappeared into a fringe of willow trees, their branches trailing in the slow current of the Seine.
The air was sweet with the scent of rain-washed leaves and river moss, and somewhere across the river, a street musician played a lazy, lilting tune on an accordion.
The city rumbled beyond the island's edge, but here, tucked into the shade of the old plane trees, it felt like the world had folded in on itself.
Isla held tighter to the picnic basket as she and Aiden descended toward the river. The last week here had been so peaceful.
So perfect.
Café crème or chocolat chaud with macarons and pain au chocolat for breakfast. Slow, meandering days spent strolling the city hand in hand. Wine and cheese and incredible dinners beneath the Parisian stars.
And sex.
Loads of incredible, earth-shattering sex with her ridiculously handsome husband.
But she also knew they couldn’t stay.
Aiden had been away from his job for two weeks now, and she’d all but abandoned her mother and Sergio in Costa Rica—not to mention her obligations to Callum.
She’d talked to her brother—briefly—about it all over the phone. To her surprise, he’d done her the favor of flying to Costa Rica after visiting Aiden in Scotland, in order to make certain that Mum and Sergio had help.
And though she hadn’t outright quit yet, she knew now that she had to. She’d told him she and Aiden needed time to figure out how to make their marriage work, and Callum had said he’d understood.
But now it was clearer than ever: her time at La Hacienda was at an end.
It had to be.
And for some reason, that made her sadder than she expected. But even worse was the fact that she might need to be away from Aiden for several weeks—maybe even months—until she sorted the situation.
As though he could read her thoughts—which sometimes she wondered if he could—Aiden squeezed her hand. “You all right?”
“I’m just thinking about how much I’m going to miss this impromptu honeymoon we’ve had. And you.” She leaned against him. “I’m not looking forward to the flight out of here to Costa Rica tomorrow morning.”
“Neither am I,” he said, then leaned over and took the basket from her. “I do have a few small surprises for you this evening, though, and I hope you won’t be angry with me for them. But there was unfinished business I thought we needed to take care of before we left here.”
She gave him a curious look. Surprises?
Normally, she’d welcome them.
But Aiden hadn’t presented them like a good thing.
“What sort of surprises?”
Aiden nodded, gesturing with his chin for her to look ahead.
Then she saw them—standing on the grassy area where she and Aiden had been heading for a picnic—Callum . . . and Davy.
Isla drew a sharp breath.
Callum . . . she was happy to see.
But Davy?
She paused mid-step. “Aiden?—”
“Before you say anything, Callum brought Davy. I didn’t know she was coming. But this time, I agree with his ambush, Isla. I think you need to talk to her. You’ve been friends for half your life. Even if you choose not to continue that friendship, it might help you to hear her out.”
Isla let herself breathe slowly, listening to the distant chatter of a couple on a bench. Her gaze fell to a man reading a book, and she focused her mind, thinking.
Is he right?
She knew he was.
And maybe this was yet another thing she appreciated about Aiden. He gently but firmly challenged her to be a better version of herself.
She nodded, then let go of his hand, heading toward her brother and Davy. She greeted Callum with a hug. “This is a surprise,” she said, her voice tight before she turned to Davy. “Hi.”
Davy’s eyes were pained. “I tried to call and text you?—”
“I know,” Isla said softly. She’d ignored Davy’s attempts to reach out over the last week. She cocked her head to the side as Aiden greeted Callum. “Why don’t we take a stroll?” She’d deal with Callum later, but she did not want to have this conversation with Davy in front of Aiden or him.
Davy nodded, and they moved away from the men. Neither woman spoke for a few moments, their gazes focused on the Seine. At this time of the evening, before sunset, Parisians often came here to read and spend quiet time in the square.
“I know I shouldn’t have tagged along with Callum. I just didn’t know how else to get you to talk to me,” Davy blurted out at last.
“Maybe . . .” Isla started cautiously, “you should have given me some time to decide I was ready to talk to you, Davy.”
Davy gave a sorrowful nod. “I know.”
She looked so miserable that Isla felt sorry for her.
With a sigh, Isla said, “Davy, you violated my trust. And not just about something insignificant. You filmed something private and made a television show of it. My life. ”
“I know.” Davy gripped her forearm. “And it’s not excusable.
I know that, too. It wasn’t what I planned, though.
I had no intention for the show to ever be about your life, you know that.
But Antony and Boyd steamrolled me and my objections at every turn.
The only win I had was that I refused to let them twist what happened between you and Aiden into something ugly.
They wanted a whole cheating storyline, and I made sure it didn’t happen. ”
Isla pursed her lips. She’d watched the first episode—at Aiden’s urging—and at least that was true. The show had painted it instead as Isla being pursued by both Tomas and Aiden—leaving the question as to who might end up with her as a point of tension.
In fact, the show had been pretty interesting.
Even I didn’t completely hate watching myself.
“You still should have told me what they had planned?—”
“I know. And honestly, I didn’t even find out about it until Tennessee.
And then we had that argument when you forgot to tell Callum about the London segment, and—I don’t know.
I let my anger and hurt get the better of me for a while.
And then you had so much going on in your life. ” Davy stopped and shook her head.
“I’m so ashamed, Isla. I love you. You’re my best friend. I should have said something, and I don’t blame you if you don’t forgive me.”
I love you too. And I’ve missed ...us.
Isla felt so conflicted. Davy seemed truly sorry, and she could acknowledge that she had been steamrolled by Antony and Boyd. Both men seemed so misogynistic. But a breach in confidence like this?
Her gaze flicked toward Callum, who stood chatting in the distance with Aiden.
What type of hypocrite will I be if I can’t forgive someone who lied to me when they’re acknowledging it and apologizing?
“It’s a good show,” Isla said at last. “You did a good job, Davy. And you should be proud.”
Davy’s face fell. “But . . .?”
Isla smiled. “But nothing. Maybe I’m the idiot who needs to learn to read the paperwork a little better.
” She reached for Davy’s hands. “Listen. I forgive you. I can’t say that it won’t take some work to figure out where we go in our friendship from here, but I love you, too.
And I hope you’ll forgive me, too. Not only for the things I said in Tennessee and Maine, but also because you were right about me being self-centered the last couple of months. ”
Davy sniffled. “Really?”
Isla nodded. “Really.”
With a laugh, Davy hugged her tightly. “Isla, I’m so sorry. If it helps, I’m planning on quitting my job at the Travelog Channel as soon as we figure out how to wrap this show. I shouldn’t have?—”
“You must be joking. No, absolutely not. You’ve worked too hard to get where you are, Davy. I won’t allow it. Besides, that channel needs some fierce, kick-ass women breaking the glass ceiling and contending with the likes of Boyd.”
Davy sniffled and wiped her face. “I guess that’s true.”
Isla linked arms with her and tugged her back in the direction of Aiden and Callum. “It’s absolutely true. You need to represent us all. If you quit now, it’ll be a blow for women everywhere.”
Davy laughed lightly. “Leave it to you to be dramatic.”
They reached the men with smiles on their faces.
And Isla felt amazingly, surprisingly better.
She hadn’t realized how much the conflict with Davy had been weighing her down.
So she cut her eyes at Callum and set her hands on her hips.
“We’re better now, you happy? But no more ambushes, big brother.
The next time I see you and you’re surprising me, I don’t want to feel like I should have prepared for a therapy session. And bring Liddy, occasionally.”
Callum chuckled. “Actually, she’s back at the hotel. And once you and Aiden are done picnicking on the Seine, if you all want to join us for dinner, she’s dying to see you. You too, Davy.”
Isla sidled up to Aiden. “What do you think?”
“I think that would be a fantastic way to spend our last evening here,” Aiden said, slipping his arm around her waist.
“Good. Because I have one more thing to surprise you with,” Callum said, crossing his arms.
Isla’s jaw dropped. “Is Liddy pregnant?”
Callum’s face colored. “Good God, no.” He choked on a laugh, then gave Isla a sharp look in the eye. “No. The surprise is that you’re fired, Isla.”
What?
She stared at him, stunned.
Aiden stiffened. “I don’t know if that’s the best phrasing.”
Callum chuckled. “Of course, if you still want the job running La Hacienda , it’s yours, but otherwise, I took the liberty of hiring Sergio as the full-time manager.
And do you remember Marco? He’d been interested in working at La Hacienda three years ago but decided to study tourism and marketing at uni first. He applied for assistant manager, and I feel he’s perfect for the job.
And, in the meantime, I’d like to hire you—if you’re interested—in helping me renovate a few properties I’ve bought for short-term rentals.
You did such a fantastic job with La Hacienda that I thought you might enjoy it.
Plus, it would keep you in the country and?—”
He didn’t finish. Isla cut him off with a hug, a surge of emotion flooding her. She squeezed him tightly, pressing her face into his shoulder, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over.
God, she loved her brother.
He’d always been there for her. Helping her when she needed it.
And now . . . what he was offering?
It’s perfect.
Tears stung her eyes, and she squeezed him tightly. “How did you know?”
“That you wanted to quit? Or that you might be keen to help me with the renovations?” Callum returned her hug and then pulled back, grinning at Aiden. “A friend of mine might have supplied me with some inside information.”
“You’re not mad at me for quitting La Hacienda? ”
“You know . . . funny thing. That same friend helped me to see how saving the place wasn’t just about you. Useful people, those friends.”
She could kiss Aiden for it.
Having a husband who was best friends with her brother might turn out to be the best decision she’d ever made.
“And Mum? How did she take all this?” Isla asked.
Callum chuckled. “Have you met your mother? She carried on in the only way our mother knows how. And then she hugged me, knowing that her baby girl Islita would be happy.”
Isla smiled, so at peace. Finally.
He set a hand on her shoulder. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” she said tearfully. “To all of it. The quitting. The renovations. And dinner with you and Liddy...and Davy.”
Callum smiled. “Good.” He winked at her. “Then we’ll see you at dinner. Come on, Davy. We don’t want to interrupt the honeymooners.”
As they left, Isla turned back toward Aiden, her heart so full that she could barely form a sentence.
“Happy?” Aiden asked, setting his hands around her waist.
“I—” She couldn’t get the words out and kissed him instead. “I love you with all my heart, Aiden Camden.”
“Good. Consider it a wedding present. You still probably have to go to Costa Rica tomorrow—get your things—but I want you coming back to me as soon as possible, darling wife. Turns out the thought of having you away makes me profoundly cranky.”
Isla sighed happily, then leaned against Aiden, tucking her head against his chest. “I love you, Isla Camden,” he whispered.
“I love you, too. And I can’t wait to spend my life with you.”
Willow branches swayed above the water, their shadows dancing on the worn stone benches tucked beneath them.
The scent of fresh peonies floated on the breeze, twining with the earthy tang of grass and river stone.
Somewhere upriver, the low chug of the engines of the bateaux-mouches teased the evening air, and the sunlight dripped gold over the slow, shining skin of the Seine.
It was the kind of place made for whispered promises. For choosing forever.