Chapter Thirty
Iona
I ona’s boat cut smoothly through the water as she steered towards Kisimul Castle. She turned around and smiled at Monty. He’d found his sea legs… Or close enough. He’d never make a sailor, but with the armbands and a bit of practise, he was able to stand up and watch rather than sit clinging to the sides. Sunlight caught the waves, scattering the surface with hundreds of diamonds. The perfect late summer day.
Monty strolled up behind her and put his arms around her as she steered. ‘I’m so happy.’ He nuzzled his nose against her neck. ‘You’re just the best.’
‘Monty, you’re such a sap.’ A smile tugged at her lips. ‘But I love you.’ She still couldn’t believe he was here with her, not just for a visit, but as part of her life. This was a better version of her life than she could ever have predicted. No half-measures, no doubts.
‘Almost there.’ She cut the engine.
‘Don’t go getting any injuries or anything today.’
‘I’ll try my best, though if I do, you’re welcome to kiss me better.’
‘With pleasure.’
She smiled and relaxed into his hold for a moment. They’d shared so much in this place, and returning together just for the sake of it was something she hoped they’d make a tradition. She guided the boat to the small slipway, the castle’s imposing silhouette casting a long shadow over them.
They drifted the last few feet, the boat bumping gently against the side. Monty hopped out, and Iona passed him the rope. ‘I’ll make you a seaman yet.’
‘I doubt that, but it’s definitely more fun than it used to be.’
‘Have you missed this place? Your ancient stronghold.’
He smirked. ‘Ha! I definitely don’t look at it like that, but it’s always going to be a special place for me.’
‘It is a special place. I kind of took it for granted before, but there really is something magical about it. All the stories that have happened here over the years.’
‘Maybe we can add our own.’
‘Oh yeah.’ Iona took his hand. ‘We can definitely do that.’
They scrambled around the rocks at the edge of the castle to the place where Monty had scattered his father’s ashes all those weeks ago.
Seabirds circled a fishing boat a little way off and waves gently lapped the shore. Such a perfect sanctuary; a place where the rest of the world fell away, leaving only the two of them.
‘I’m sure Dad would approve.’ Monty shielded his eyes, scanning the place he’d scattered the ashes.
Iona slung her ponytail over her shoulder as the breeze picked up. ‘He definitely would. And you’ve ended up living in the place he wanted you to visit.’
‘Yeah. That bit is bizarre, but he’d love it.’
Iona wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘Just like I love you.’
He brought his lips to hers and kissed her. Softly at first, then deeper, more urgently. ‘And I’ll always love you,’ he breathed.
‘One day, I’ll get you paddleboarding over here.’ Iona squinted back across the water to the village.
‘I’m not sure I’m that brave yet,’ Monty said with a smile.
‘Oh, I don’t know. Look at all the things you’ve done this summer already.’
‘Crazy, isn’t it?’ They headed down the rocks, and Monty knelt down and picked up some stones.
‘Are you making another tower?’
‘I never was very good at it.’
‘Here, let me.’ Iona crouched beside him and picked up some more loose stones. ‘These ones first.’ She placed some flat ones at the bottom, and Monty added some more. She got to her feet and pulled out her phone. ‘It looks good. Let’s get a picture.’
‘I think I can make it even better.’
‘Can you? And just how do you propose to do that?’
‘Like this.’ Monty reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, placing it on top of the newly fixed sculpture. Iona’s heart skipped a beat. That wasn’t a ring box, was it? He wasn’t…
‘Iona.’ He gazed up at her. ‘You’ve made me happier than I ever thought possible. Every moment with you is an adventure, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?’
She gasped, staring at him, utterly speechless, her mind racing. Was this really happening? She clutched her hand to her mouth. So soon, and yet exactly right, because she absolutely wanted to. Weird visions of herself kite surfing in a wedding dress made her laugh, and she glanced from the ring box to Monty’s confused face.
‘Yes,’ she breathed, tears welling in her eyes. ‘A thousand times, yes! I will.’
Monty’s face lit up, and he stood, pulling her into a tight embrace. The ring sparkled in the sunlight as he slipped it onto her finger. ‘It can be adjusted of course, or if you’d like to choose your own.’
‘No. I like this one. I know nothing about jewellery, and this looks stunning.’ She held up her hand, admiring how it looked. ‘It’s gorgeous.’
‘Not as gorgeous as you, but I’m so glad you like it. You had me worried there for a moment, when you laughed.’
‘I was imagining my preferred mode of transport for the wedding.’
‘Which is what? Dare I ask?’
‘On my kite board, of course.’
Monty chuckled and pulled her into a warm embrace. ‘You are hilarious. And actually, I might be disappointed if you don’t arrive like that. It seems like the only way suitable for you.’
‘You really are my kind of guy.’ She slipped her hand around his cheek and kissed him.
‘And you’re my girl. And this is our place,’ he murmured as she carried on kissing him. ‘No matter where we go, we’ll always have this.’
‘Always and forever.’
With the light breeze ruffling their hair, and the ancient stones of the great fortress of Kisimul as silent witnesses, Iona and Monty held each other close. Even the cry of the seabirds now sounded joyous. With their bodies entwined and lips locked, their hearts and souls aligned. Iona had discovered something rare and beautiful on the wild island.
She’d come here to escape her old life and found something infinitely better. She tightened her hold on Monty, at the same time embracing a future that promised to be the most exciting adventure of her life.
The End