Shadow of Doubt
Page 27
“I just wanted to make sure that he was going to be okay. It would have been my fault if he’d died.”
“No, Colin’s fault, not yours,” Mum said. “Charlie cares about you.”
I shook my head. Mum sighed and hugged me again as the taxi tooted outside. I extracted myself and kissed her soft cheek before turning and opening the door.
“I’ll call you every day,” I said.
***
Edinburgh Airport was busy with holiday makers escaping to the sun. I checked my small piece of luggage and proceeded through departures and found the gate for my flight on the digital departures board. After a cursory wander past the shops, I located an empty seat on the end of a row of chairs at the gate lounge and pulled my Kindle out of my bag.
“Is this seat taken?” a voice beside me asked a few minutes later.
I shook my head and kept reading. I felt someone sit down beside me and after a few seconds I realized that they were looking at me. I breathed in a familiar scent, sighed and closed my Kindle. When I looked up, Charlie was smiling at me. He was looking very relaxed in faded blue jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt. His cuts and bruises had all healed, although I could see the edge of a red scar emerging from beneath his hairline on his forehead.
“Are you stalking me? Is this even legal?”
Charlie’s smiled widened. “I’m not sure that talking to your mother is either stalking or illegal.”
“My mother, I should have guessed.”
“I know what you said at the hospital, but what we feel for each other is real, Jess. I see it in your eyes and I know it in my heart. Let’s start again away from all this.”
I took a deep breath and shook my head. “No, I can’t.”
Charlie reached over and took my hand. “What are you afraid of?”
“Trusting someone again, only to have them betray that trust,” I said as a single tear rolled unbidden down my cheek.
“I know,” Charlie said reaching out to catch it. “But I promise that I will never hurt you again. It’s time to stop being afraid, the worst has actually happened. Life is too short Jess, to spend it hiding. We both could have died, in fact, I almost did.” He shrugged.
“To save me.”
“Doesn’t that tell you something?”
I stared at him for several long minutes, not saying anything. All I saw was love in his eyes, along with concern and hope. There were no shadows, no doubts, no hidden agendas. He was right, the worst had actually happened, what lay ahead wasn’t something to be frightened of, it was something to embrace. This was my chance for a new start, out of the shadows and into the light.
I leaned forward and kissed him, a gentle peck at first which morphed into something stronger, more passionate. I felt his hands cup my face and I rested my hands on top of his. When we broke apart his eyes were dancing, but his expression was serious.
I sat back, smiled and held out my hand to him. “Hi, I’m Jessica.”
His warm hand enveloped mine and he returned my smile. “Hi. I’m Charlie.”
The End
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, thank you to my editor, Gary Smailes, for his continued support, guidance and encouragement. Many thanks to Julia Gibbs, once again, for her detailed copy editing and to my beta readers Sarah and Craig whose time and effort I hugely appreciate. Thanks also to Trevor for his advice on rifles vs shotguns. The cover was designed by Warren Designs and I think perfectly captures Jess looking out towards the lighthouse on Campbell Island.
My advance reader team has once again been massively supportive with their early reads and reviews. A big shout-out to: Tres, Shannon, Michaela, Melanie, Judy, Eveie, Roger, Karen, Graham, Eileen, Suzanne and Milena.
Thanks to my husband Craig, father Jack and my boys Jude, Zak and Scott for your love and encouragement. I couldn’t do this without you.
And finally, a big thank-you to you, my readers. Thank you for your emails! I love hearing from you.
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Author’s Note
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You probably consider reviews when making a decision whether to try a new author – I know I do. Reviews also help indie authors like me to gain exposure for their work and get advertising opportunities.
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Thank you so much!
S
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Also by SL Beaumont
The Carlswick Affair
The Carlswick Treasure
The Carlswick Conspiracy
The Carlswick Deception
The Carlswick Mythology
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