Island Fling to Forever

She needed to find the courage to make big promises. The for ever kind. And she might have to give up everything she’d ever fought for before to do that. Could she?

Would he even let her try?

Rosa thought again of the future she imagined—living her truths, being herself, being content. But never happy.

But what was her other option?

She had to make a promise she would have to keep. She had to live up to expectations for once, whatever her parents said.

She knew, deep down in her soul, that this was it for her.

This was love, and it was all she was going to get.

Anna had changed her dreams. Her life.

So had her father, and that had seemed impossible even a week ago.

Maybe she could do it, too.

She had to at least try, or she knew she’d regret it for the rest of her life.

‘I’ve been thinking,’ Jude said. ‘I can’t leave things as we did, not again. When you left me last time, I spent three years wondering what I did wrong, wishing I could have one more chance to put it right.’

‘Or for me to do it right,’ Rosa put in, and he smiled.

‘So this time, let’s try, yeah?’

Hope bubbled up in her chest. ‘You’re giving me a second chance?’ This was it. This time, she wouldn’t screw it up. The third time was the charm, right? She just had to stamp down on all those impulses that told her to run. She could stay.

‘I’m giving us as many chances as we need to get it right,’ Jude said.

But Rosa wasn’t listening. Her parents’ words were echoing through her mind and finally, suddenly, it seemed possible. If she had Jude with her, she could do it all. Couldn’t she?

‘I’ve been thinking... I could come to New York. There’s so many stories there, so many photos. I could work there. It could work.’

‘Rosa.’

‘I could stay in one place.’

‘No, you couldn’t.’

‘I could come on tour with you, then.’

‘And follow me round like a groupie?’

Why was he smiling? He kept shooting down every possibility she gave him, and he was doing it with a smile on his face.

‘Jude...’ She was begging. She was actually going to beg. What the hell had he done to her? ‘Just tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.’

* * *

Rosa’s words stuck in his chest, and he caught her hands in his in their place, holding them to him. ‘You don’t understand. Rosa, you don’t need to do anything. Except be you.’

She blinked up at him, those dark eyes he loved still wet with tears. Jude wanted to kiss away every tear on her cheek, but first he had to explain himself.

‘I went back to the beach after you left. I spoke to Sylvie about New York and the more I imagined going back there, back to that same old life again...the more I knew I couldn’t do it. I can’t be that Jude Alexander any more. The man they wrote about in that book is gone—if he ever existed at all. And so is the best friend Gareth knew. I’m not the same, now. I can’t play that part.’

‘Well, I knew that,’ Rosa muttered, and he smiled down at her.

‘Yeah, well, you were always the expert at being true to yourself.’

‘Even when it hurts others.’

‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ Jude said.

Rosa gave a half shrug. ‘It’s true. I just... I don’t know how to be anything else. But I’ll learn. I’ll figure it out if it means I get to be with you.’

‘Luckily for both of us, I love you exactly the way you are,’ Jude said, gratified by the sharp intake of breath his words caused in Rosa.

‘You love me? Still?’

‘Rosa, I’ve always loved you. From the moment you walked into my life three years ago, I always knew that there was no one else for me. No one else could be so full of life—or could make me feel so alive.’ Jude took a breath. ‘You asked me a question earlier, remember?’ Rosa nodded. ‘Will you ask me again?’

‘Will you run away with me?’ The hope in her eyes was what helped him answer. To step over the edge and give up the life he’d worked for, the fame, the proof that he was worth something, the dreams he and Gareth had dreamt together. Everything.

He’d risk everything for her.

‘I’ll run anywhere with you,’ he said, and kissed her.

For a moment, the world seemed to tilt and turn and snap into place. For the first time in too many years, everything felt right. He didn’t have to prove anything, any more. He didn’t need to be anything except the man Rosa loved.

All he needed to do was love her back. And it felt as if he’d already been doing that for ever, anyway.

Rosa broke the kiss. ‘Wait. How is this going to work? What about the band?’

‘I’ll tell them I need a break. Or I’ll take some time to write—and I can do that wherever you are.’ He kissed her hands. ‘I can’t let you give up your dreams for me, but maybe neither of us needs to give up anything. Maybe we can both just chase them together.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Surer than I’ve ever been about anything,’ Jude said. ‘Think about it. We can not settle down together. We can spend time in the city when I’m recording, perhaps, and maybe you’d like to come on tour sometimes, when you’re not away working.’

‘And the rest of the time?’

‘I’ll come with you. Wherever you want to go.’

‘And we’ll spend our summers on La Isla Marina with Anna and Leo and the b

aby, and Mama and Dad?’

‘Of course,’ Jude replied. ‘One of these days I’m going to beat your father at Scrabble.’

‘No,’ Rosa said fondly. ‘You’re not. He cheats.’

‘I knew it!’

‘But you’ll play him anyway?’

‘I will. But only because it would be rude to refuse my wife’s father a game.’

‘Your wife?’

‘You liked how I slipped that in there?’ Jude asked, grinning.

‘I know I’m unconventional about these things, but I seem to remember something about having to be asked, first.’

Jude dropped to one knee, her hands still tight in his as he looked up at her. ‘Rosa Gray, will you chase your dreams with me?’

‘Yes.’

‘Will you love me for ever?’

‘Definitely.’

‘Will you let me love you and walk by your side for the rest of your life?’

‘Oh, yes.’

‘Then I think we might as well get married, don’t you?’

Laughing, Rosa pulled him to his feet and kissed him, soundly. ‘For a poet, that was incredibly unromantic.’

‘I’ll work on it,’ Jude promised.

‘Well, we do have for ever,’ Rosa said, wrapping her arms around him. ‘After all, I’m not going anywhere. At least, not without you.’

‘That’s all the promise I’ll ever need from you,’ Jude replied, and kissed her.

EPILOGUE

LA ISLA MARINA was beautiful in the late-afternoon sunlight. The tiny lights strung through the trees were already lit, glowing in the fading daylight, and lanterns lit the way to the pagoda, through the rows of chairs filled with friends and family, from the island, the mainland, Britain, the States and beyond.

Rosa peered around the corner, down to the pagoda where Jude already stood, her father at his side. Then her niece squirmed in her arms, and she resumed swaying in the way the baby seemed to like best, hoping she wasn’t drooling on her dress. Being an auntie seemed to involve a lot of cuddles, which she was just fine with. Uncle Jude was better for the lullabies, though.

‘Are you ready?’ Rosa asked Sancia, as Anna fiddled with their mother’s veil.