‘Nothing?’ Elias asked, turning onto his side and studying her face with those aquamarine-emerald eyes.
‘Maybe nothing,’ she said, her heart performing its own dance.
She watched him seem to still then, his pupils widening, his eyebrows arching, his lips softening. She wanted to reach up and palm his olive skin, feel the warmth of it in her hand.
‘I love you, Captain Rebecca,’ he breathed. ‘With every piece of my heart.’
Elias’s words brought tears to her eyes and she didn’t hesitate to move into his arms and seal their feelings with another kiss… and then another and then…
‘Two weeks,’ he told her, the heat of his breath against her skin. ‘I will be back in the UK in two weeks.’
‘Do you realise that’s the length of time we’ve known each other.’
‘Well then,’ Elias said. ‘What can happen in two short weeks?’ He stroked her hair back from her face.
Listening to the still of the night, underneath the moonlight, Becky let herself drink in the ambience of one last Greek island evening. The hoot of an owl, the spitting of a bear-thing, a distant honk of a flamingo…
‘Everything,’ she whispered to him. ‘Everything can happen.’
Epilogue
Liakada Village
Late September
Becky fastened the pleather espadrilles onto the branch of the olive tree in the square. It was about time they went. They had never been the most stable. Above there were a pair of sturdy boots with holes in, weighing down the limb, and a pair of sparkly slippers adjacent, some of the sequins missing. It was evening and the annual festival had just begun. There were musicians (bouzouki and mandolin) and a singer encouraging residents to join in with the dancing being performed by the local school children. The sizzle of lamb souvlaki from the rack of spits slowly revolving was providing stomach-pleasing sound and scent, as was the popping of wine and beer bottles as the villagers celebrated.
‘Why exactly are we tying shoes to a tree?’
It was Megan asking the question as she climbed up onto a chair to try and attach shoes that looked way too expensive to be getting rid of.
‘It’s a Liakada tradition,’ Becky said to her sister. ‘Eleni told me. In fact she told me that if I came to the festival and didn’t tie a shoe to the tree that I would have bad luck for the rest of my life.’
‘Wow,’ Megan remarked. ‘Your future mother-in-law does love you. Are you sure you want to run her business for the next two weeks?’
Becky smiled, looking across the square to Elias who was drinking a beer with his father. It looked very much like Spiros was trying to get Elias to join the dancing. Despite living a couple of hours away from each other, Becky and Elias had got together every chance they had since leaving Corfu. Becky had even taken Elias to visit Blackpool and her mum had adored him – even more so when he had managed to win a Forky from Toy Story 4 from one of the claw machines. She had also spent weekends in London, meeting some of Elias’s friends from the leisure club – that had involved all the hot and steamy in the sauna and the jacuzzi and a lot of amazing cuisine she had taken so much pleasure in unravelling over her taste buds. And now they were here in Liakada for a little over two weeks, taking care of the cafeneon while Eleni and Spiros had an Italian holiday. Becky was going to be doing the cooking and Elias had promised to handle all matters postal in between remotely running his law business.
‘Do I want to be in Corfu for two weeks enjoying autumn sunshine and sea views instead of buttering bread for the soldiers and hearing about the latest broken bone of Shelley’s triplets? Hmm, let me think about that…’
Megan poked her with the heel of the shoe she was trying to get onto the tree. ‘You love working for me.’
‘Sorry, what?’ Becky said, holding a hand to her ear.
‘You love working with me,’ Megan re-phrased.
There had been a recent restructuring with the shareholders of It’s A Wrap and Becky was now an equal partner. Megan had paid back what she had borrowed from Becky and Becky had re-invested that and a little more of her inheritance from their dad into the firm. It felt right, to be continuing with Megan in a business she loved, using skills she knew were a little be out-there but also, apparently, brilliant.
‘Megan, are you sure you want to leave those shoes in the tree? They look expensive.’
‘Oh, they are,’ Megan answered, trying to balance the heel on a branch without it tumbling off again. ‘Dean bought them for me.’
‘Oh,’ Becky said.
‘Yes,’ Megan replied. ‘Oh. And an ex, like the song.’ She sighed. ‘I think he did love me. And I think I loved that. I… needed the attention and he was there for me.’ She gave a sad smile. ‘And I liked the dinner parties and the networking. And I was mad at you and sad about Dad and Mum had left and… God, all that sounds so childish but…’
‘But we’re moving on from all that. Sisters running the world, remember?’ Becky smiled. Their relationship was in the happiest of places now.
‘Running the world,’ Megan said, straining on tiptoes to reach a higher branch. ‘And, lobbing shoes into a tree!’ With that said, Megan threw her heel up into the arms of the olive tree and jumped back down onto the ground, ducking for cover.
‘Eleni didn’t tell me how much bad luck you might have if a shoe falls down and hits someone,’ Becky told her as they headed towards the wine stand.
‘I think local law enforcement would probably have the last say on that,’ Megan answered, linking her arm with Becky’s.
‘Becks!’
Becky’s heart contracted at the sound of a familiar voice and then there was Petra running towards her. Familiar giant backpack on her back, hair completely loose, wearing a T-shirt that stated ‘Gimme The Stud in Study’, over tiny denim shorts. She flew into Becky’s arms nearly toppling her over.
‘You look older,’ Petra breathed into her hair. ‘Good, but definitely older.’
‘Thanks, Petra,’ Becky replied. ‘Did you hook up on the plane?’
‘Well,’ Petra said, stepping back from Becky’s embrace and adjusting the straps of her rucksack. ‘There was this cabin crew member called JJ who had all the Jesse Metcalfe cute, but he seemed more interested in the guy in Row 12. Who was pretty hot but, you know, not quite as hot as me.’
‘Please tell me she isn’t here to help you cook,’ Megan said, nodding a greeting at Petra.
‘You’ve never seen me cook!’ Petra exclaimed, looking affronted.
‘Exactly!’ Megan replied. ‘You didn’t even lift a peach at the nursing home party and you were supposed to be working for It’s A Wrap.’
‘I was working,’ Petra said, grinning. ‘My skill set is entertainment. I spoke to everyone at the party. I even made one lady called Gladys’s eyes water when I told her about my time in Spain when I ate an entire bull’s—’
‘O-K,’ Becky said, ending the conversation. ‘Let’s get you a drink.’
*
‘Italy is going to be expensive,’ Spiros said sipping at his glass of ouzo and water.