Truly, Madly, Greekly: Sizzling summer reading
Page 32
His heart leapt up into his throat, wondering, waiting, not daring to think. And then he caught a flash of chestnut brown hair and the turquoise colour of his fleece. Ellen.
She started running and he went to her, rushing down the steps of the hotel to meet her.
‘I couldn’t do it, Yan. I couldn’t leave,’ she cried.
He wrapped his arms around her, swinging her in the air and holding her tight.
‘I don’t want to leave. I want to stay. I belong here … with you,’ she said.
He put her down and gazed into her tear-flooded eyes. ‘Then stay.’ He smiled. ‘Stay.’
‘I love you,’ she cried, placing a palm to his cheek.
He kissed her mouth, stroking her hair back from her face. ‘And I waited for you.’
Epilogue
She could hear the water softly lapping, brushing the stones at the shoreline smooth, every wave altering their composition a little more.
Head held up, facing the sea and the mountains of Albania, slightly worried for the delicate white flowers woven into her hair, she filled her lungs with the rich, salty air.
She was barefoot. Petals of all different colours – shocking pink, deep purple, hues of orange and lemon – caressed her soles as she began to walk the length of the water platform. She squeezed Al’s arm and looked up at him. His mouth was clamped shut, his glossy eyes directed forward, emotion threatening to spill.
A bouzouki started to play a mid-tempo folk song and her heart soared. This was real. This was happening to her. She was about to become a wife and pledge to share her life with the man she loved. He was waiting.
* * *
Yan turned around the moment the first chord of the instrument was struck. And there she was. Ellen. Dressed in a long, light, white gown that skimmed over her body, shimmering in the sunlight. She looked beautiful, so beautiful. He wanted to look at her forever and today that’s what he was going to promise.
He turned to his younger brother, Viktor, and patted his arm, instilling encouragement.
Today the best man had more nerves than the groom.
* * *
‘Flowers,’ Lacey hissed as they reached the priest.
Ellen turned to her, not understanding and was almost blinded by the glare from the neon pink bridesmaid dress.
She’d let Lacey choose, not seen the frock until that morning and, although it wouldn’t have been her first choice of colour or design, it was a hundred per cent Lacey. And today she didn’t want it any other way.
‘You’re meant to give me the flowers now,’ Lacey repeated.
‘Oh, yes.’ Ellen quickly passed them over, a nervous laugh escaping.
Then, as Al delivered her to Yan’s side, she looked at her husband-to-be.
Hair freshly cut, skin that tan-coloured brown he’d turned the last year. Crisp white shirt and linen trousers, barefoot. But it was those eyes she centred on. Those bright, clear, azure pools of light she’d always felt could see right inside her. They were gazing at her now, so full of adoration.
He reached for her hands and, as the priest began the service, she knew right now, life couldn’t get any better.
* * *
Yan wiped a tear away as she finished reciting her vows to him. She had said so many perfect things about her love for him and their life in Corfu. He hoped that what he had to say would be enough.
He cleared his throat and slowly slipped a piece of paper from the pocket of his trousers. The breeze fluttered the page as he unfolded it, perspiration forming on his brow.
‘I have not learned the words to say.’ His eyes went to Ellen. ‘But I have written them and I will read them.’
He looked to the paper and concentrated hard.
‘Ellen, you came into my life and changed everything about it.’ He paused, a balloon of emotion starting to expand in his chest. ‘You took me for who I am and could see who I wanted to be.’
He blew out a breath as he refocused, trying to ignore his swelling heart and the tears reforming in his eyes.
‘I learn to love, with you. I learn to trust, with you. I learn the value of myself and today … today, I give all I have and all that I am, to you.’
He took a moment to collect himself before looking up.
* * *
She couldn’t stop the tears and she didn’t want to. The fact that Yan had written those words, understood what they meant and had read them out in front of everybody in the congregation was unbelievable.
In just a year he had made such progress. She was so proud of everything he’d achieved personally and professionally. While she had taken over the running of the office at the Blue Vue Hotel, he had got his after-school club off the ground. Twelve months had changed so much.
Not waiting for the priest to say anything else, she threw her arms around him and held on fast.
* * *
Twenty-five children, each with a basket of hard boiled sweets, waited by the archway leading back to the hotel complex. They were his children. They came every day after school to learn sports and dance, to fish from the beach, to enjoy life. The church had taken six months to renovate, Ellen had helped him gain a childcare qualification and now everything was perfect. The church was finally alive again. Full of the sounds of laughter, boisterous fun and happiness.
‘Congratulations!’ the children chorused.
‘Did you teach them that in English?’ Ellen asked him, waving at the children and giving the nearest ones high-fives.
‘Yes, Mrs Aleksandrov, I do this. And later, tonight, I will teach you how to say it in Bulgarian, Greek and German. I will even write this down.’
‘Ah, and what else are you going to teach me?’ she asked.
He laughed then, catching the glint of mischief in her eyes.
‘Traditional dance with no clothes. I think it is popular all over the world.’
He smothered her lips with his, pulling her close and the children laughed, clapping their hands together in celebration.
THE END
Letter from Mandy
Are you crying? Are you smiling happily for Ellen? Or are you still laughing over Lacey’s antics? Whichever it is I want to say a huge THANK YOU for buying Truly, Madly, Greekly!
Corfu is one of my favourite places in the whole world and the Blue Vue Hotel was inspired by the hotel I stay at on the island. I hope the setting, the characters and the story took you away to a little piece of European paradise and perhaps made you want to visit.
If you enjoyed the book I would LOVE you to leave me a review on Amazon. Hearing what readers think means everything to us authors. Who was your favourite character? Do you know someone like Ellen or Lacey? Are you Team Yan or Team Sergei? Was it a perfect holiday read? Reviews can spread the word to so many more readers – and I think delicious Yan needs to be shared!
And, if you liked this book, perhaps you want to read more! I love connecting with readers on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest – in fact Truly, Madly, Greekly has its own Pinterest board full of gorgeous guys, yummy Greek cuisine and beautiful beach scenes. Come and join me!
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Mandy Baggot New Release Email
Here’s to more feel-good reads and scrummy heroes!
Mandy xx
@mandybaggot
mandybaggotauthor
www.mandybaggot.com
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my wonderful agent, Kate Nash for believing in this story and pushing me to make it the best it could be.
Huge thanks to the team at Bookouture for taking me into their fabulous family and enjoying this escape to Corfu so much they bought it.
A big thank you to the Rokas Family of the Mareblue Beach Hotel, Corfu. Their wonderful hotel and the amazing holidays I’ve had there since 2012 inspired the fictional Blue Vue Hotel in the novel. I can’t wait to see you all again soon for more Apricot Coolers and gor
geous Greek cuisine!
To all the friends I’ve made in the animation teams over the years who work so tirelessly to make sure holidaymakers have a great time. Mary, Ginny, Teo, Nikolai, Tisho, Ebo, Tommy, Rico, Gill, Chu-Chu to name but a few. I hope I’ve done justice to your hard work in the novel.
My crazy friends, Rachel Lyndhurst and Susie Medwell have to take a bow now. They are a constant source of all the good things a girl needs on the writing train. Thank you so much for all your advice, laughs, email/text/messenger/hugs. I can’t wait to share wine and pork scratchings with you later this year!
Thank you to my husband, Mr Big and my daughters, Amber and Ruby. There are times when Mummy has to be on the computer more than she is cooking/cleaning/cuddling/watching trumpet and ukulele practice. You are patient (most of the time) and you understand (some of the time) and if you let me write more, think of all the holidays to Corfu it might pay for. Fingers crossed!
But the biggest thank you of all has to go to my street team, The Bagg Ladies, and all the wonderful readers and book bloggers who support me every time I have a new book out… and beyond. You do an amazing job and without your passion for books and spreading the word to the world I wouldn’t be lucky enough to write for a living. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!