‘You’re a very lucky girl, Emma.’
‘Me, lucky?’
‘From what you’ve told me about this man, Mark, you really do love him, don’t you?’
Emma just hung her head and nodded sadly. There could be absolutely no doubt in her mind now.
‘Not everybody gets to experience that, you know. You’re thirty-five now and you tell me this is the first time you’ve felt anything like this. You should be glad it’s happened. Some people go their whole lives without ever having that depth of emotion for another person.’ She reached over and caught Emma gently by the chin, lifting her face until they were eye to eye. ‘I’ve been lucky like that twice in my life. First I fell in love with your father, and then there was you. Cheer up and be happy. You’ve had something very special.’
Emma managed a little smile. ‘Thanks, Mum, but now I know what it’s like, why can’t I keep it?’
‘Why can’t you?’
‘I told you, Mum, my job. I love Mark but I love my job. And I’m good at my job. I don’t want to give it up.’
‘Not even for love?’
Emma shook her head, but her mother must have sensed her indecision.
‘Not even for a wonderful man who loves you back?’
‘Oh, Mum…’ Emma’s head was swimming as a multitude of conflicting thoughts and emotions swirled around inside her.
‘Not even for the chance to live in a gorgeous part of the world with his lovely dog and maybe your own family.’ There was a catch in her mother’s voice that reached into Emma’s heart. ‘You can’t imagine just how amazing the bond of love can be with your own child.’ She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘You deserve to experience that as well, my darling.’
Emma could feel the tears running down her cheeks once more and she let her mother envelope her in her warm, caring arms and hold her until the crying stopped. As the tears stopped, so Erasmus’s words came back to her and she knew she was ready to fight as hard as she could to make this long-distance thing work. Maybe, once the hotel was up and running, Mark would be able to take more time off, maybe even do that doctorate in LA? In her new position she would now find herself heading a team at JMGP and, as she had learnt with Elliot and Sweet Memories, if she could delegate more, that might give her more free time… She grabbed a clean tissue, blew her nose and wiped her eyes, before looking up at her mother with renewed resolve.
‘You’re right, Mum. I can’t turn my back on him. I love him, Mum. I love him and I’m going to make it work.’ As she spoke, her phone started ringing and she saw with delight that it was him.
‘Mark, hi.’
‘Emma?’ He sounded delighted to hear her voice. ‘Are you at your parents’ house?’
‘Yes, I am, Mark. Listen, there’s something I need to say. We’ve really got to—’
‘Hang on. Just tell me one thing. Whereabouts in Church Lane are you?’
Emma was stopped in full flight. ‘Church Lane? What, you mean my parents’ address?’
‘Yes. I’ve been driving up and down for five minutes now and I can’t find the damn house.’ He sounded frustrated.
‘You’re driving up and down this road?’ Emma was desperately trying to make sense of what she was hearing.
‘Yes, and it would be a great help if you people displayed house numbers on your gates.’ In spite of his frustration, she could hear joy in his voice. ‘Where are you, Emma? I need to see you, to talk to you.’
The penny was beginning to drop. ‘Just keep driving. I’ll come out onto the road and meet you. We’re opposite the playing fields.’ Dropping the phone onto the table, she beamed across at her mother. ‘It’s him. It’s Mark. He’s here.’
If she had been expecting a whoop of delight, she was to be disappointed. All she got was another little smile from her mum and a pragmatic decision.
‘I’d better wake your father and put the kettle back on again, hadn’t I?’ Her smile broadened as she pointed towards the door. ‘So what are you waiting for? Didn’t you say something about going out to meet him?’
Emma grabbed her and kissed her before rushing out of the lounge, through the hall and out onto the drive. As she reached the gate, she looked left and then right. As she did so, a silver car appeared and she realised it was Mark. She actually felt her heart leap as he screeched to a halt and jumped out. She was totally unsurprised to feel tears running down her cheeks.
‘Emma…’ He caught her in his arms and hugged her to him, lifting her bodily off the ground. ‘Emma, my darling, Emma.’ His voice sounded choked with emotion.
As he released her and stepped back, she saw that there were tears on his face too. She found herself starting to babble about her determination to make things work between them, but he just reached across and laid a finger on her lips.
‘I’d have been here sooner if I hadn’t had to get a flight into Gatwick and got caught up in traffic on the M25.’ In spite of the tears on his cheeks, he was smiling broadly now. ‘I should have done this back at the villa, in the pergola, overlooking the valley, but I missed my chance. But I’m not going to miss another one. Emma, I love you and I want to be with you. I don’t want to make the same mistake I made before. Love is more important than work. I know how much your job means to you so I want to come to California to be with you if you’ll have me.’
Emma was speechless. ‘You want to come to California? But what about the villa, the hotel?’
‘It’ll be fine. Claudio knows what he’s doing and I can pop back every now and then. And if it isn’t fine, so what? I’ll still have more than enough to live on, for us both to live on, if you’ll have me.’
Emma was still struggling. ‘And Carmen? What about her?’
‘You said it yourself, she needs a passport. We’ll find somewhere nice where she’ll be as happy as we are.’ He opened his hand and she saw he was holding a little black box. ‘I know you’re going to think I’m out of my mind after knowing each other for such a short time, but I’ve never been so sure about anything in all my life. When something’s right, you just know it. I missed the first flight because I had to wait at the jewellers, but never mind. I’m here now.’
She thought her heart would break as he she saw him open the box and hold it out towards her. ‘I’m not expecting you to commit yourself, or to say you’re going to marry me or anything. I’m sure you’d think that would be crazy. But please, Emma, take this as a sign of the overwhelming, undying love I feel for you.’
As if in a dream, she reached out and took the ring from him, slipping it onto her ring finger. There were tears in her eyes and a smile on her face as she answered.
‘I don’t think it would be crazy.’ She stretched her arms up and around his shoulders. ‘Not crazy at all.’
And she kissed him.
Epilogue
Searchlights criss-crossed the night sky above the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard as stretch limousines delivered celebrity after celebrity to the premiere of Dreaming of Italy. It was a warm night and the crowds were out en masse, cheering, applauding and clamouring for autographs.