“Anyway, the poem was great. You must have been inspired.”
With a rueful laugh, Leo palmed the nape of his neck. “I was, yeah.”
Miles arched a brow. “So. Can I take that to mean that you concede? I won the bet, as far as you’re concerned?”
The terms of the bet came back to Leo in a rush.
I’m betting each of you will find the course of your life forever altered by your trip to Sanctuary Island. In fact, I’m willing to bet each of you will find love there
.
“Well?” Miles blinked expectantly. “Did I call it, or did I call it?”
“The course of my life, forever altered,” Leo murmured, his gaze sliding out to sea. The wide, open horizon, hinting at opportunities and possibilities the world had never held for him before. And all because of Serena. “You could say that.”
“And what about the rest of the bet?” Miles pushed. “Did you find love?”
The crack in Leo’s heart fissured and threatened to split apart completely, but he managed to smile. “I did, but then I lost it again.”
Miles’s blue eyes flickered, his stare darting over Leo’s left shoulder. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
With a sense of inevitability, Leo turned slowly and found Serena standing behind him with an uncertain smile on her glossy red mouth.
***
The groom winked at her before melting away into the night, presumably to collect his bride and get ready for their first dance as husband and wife.
Serena couldn’t say for sure. She only had eyes for the groomsman.
Swallowing around the lump of emotion clogging her throat, Serena said, “Did I hear that right? You and Miles had a bet?”
Leo’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure what you heard, but it’s not what you may be thinking—it wasn’t some sordid wager about getting a woman into bed or anything like that.”
Serena laughed, the sound a little choked. “I know, don’t worry. I heard…enough. I think. I have a few questions.”
Stepping closer, Leo stared down at her. “Ask me anything, love, and I swear I’ll tell you the truth.”
Every part of Serena yearned toward him, her chest brushing his with every short, shallow breath. “That poem—you really wrote it.”
“That doesn’t sound like a question,” Leo teased gently, his eyes roaming her face as if memorizing every line. “But yes. You told me you could see me as a poet. And when I listened to the wonderful words of the poems you recorded for me…suddenly, I began to see it, too.”
“It was beautiful,” she whispered, her heart so full she thought it might burst. “I loved every line of it. I’m so proud of you, Leo.”
“Do you know, I’m proud of me, too.” He smiled, a warm, confident grin without a trace of the brittle sarcasm he used as a shield. “But I never would have even attempted it without your encouragement. You were the mirror through which I glimpsed the man I want to be.”
“See,” Serena croaked, tears burning behind her eyes, “that’s what I mean, that right there. Poet.”
Instead of blushing or waving it away, Leo lifted one red-brown brow in a sultry arch. “What were your other questions?”
Nerves prickled along her palms, lifting every hair on her arms. Chickening out, she blurted, “Do you know what table we’re sitting at?”
Some of the light dimmed from the bright stars of Leo’s eyes. “The wedding party is at the two tables in front. Don’t worry, though—if no suitable donors are at our table, I’ll make sure to do the rounds with you, introduce you to some possible library sponsors.”
Miserable with anxiety and kicking herself for her cowardice, Serena muttered, “Thanks. But I’m not so worried about that, since you didn’t bother to listen to me when I said I didn’t want your donation. The check arrived yesterday, so thank you for that. And I’m pretty sure the Harringtons want to sponsor the library. One of the brothers came by to see me a few days ago. Dylan, the one who married Penny
With a rueful laugh, Leo palmed the nape of his neck. “I was, yeah.”
Miles arched a brow. “So. Can I take that to mean that you concede? I won the bet, as far as you’re concerned?”
The terms of the bet came back to Leo in a rush.
I’m betting each of you will find the course of your life forever altered by your trip to Sanctuary Island. In fact, I’m willing to bet each of you will find love there
.
“Well?” Miles blinked expectantly. “Did I call it, or did I call it?”
“The course of my life, forever altered,” Leo murmured, his gaze sliding out to sea. The wide, open horizon, hinting at opportunities and possibilities the world had never held for him before. And all because of Serena. “You could say that.”
“And what about the rest of the bet?” Miles pushed. “Did you find love?”
The crack in Leo’s heart fissured and threatened to split apart completely, but he managed to smile. “I did, but then I lost it again.”
Miles’s blue eyes flickered, his stare darting over Leo’s left shoulder. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
With a sense of inevitability, Leo turned slowly and found Serena standing behind him with an uncertain smile on her glossy red mouth.
***
The groom winked at her before melting away into the night, presumably to collect his bride and get ready for their first dance as husband and wife.
Serena couldn’t say for sure. She only had eyes for the groomsman.
Swallowing around the lump of emotion clogging her throat, Serena said, “Did I hear that right? You and Miles had a bet?”
Leo’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure what you heard, but it’s not what you may be thinking—it wasn’t some sordid wager about getting a woman into bed or anything like that.”
Serena laughed, the sound a little choked. “I know, don’t worry. I heard…enough. I think. I have a few questions.”
Stepping closer, Leo stared down at her. “Ask me anything, love, and I swear I’ll tell you the truth.”
Every part of Serena yearned toward him, her chest brushing his with every short, shallow breath. “That poem—you really wrote it.”
“That doesn’t sound like a question,” Leo teased gently, his eyes roaming her face as if memorizing every line. “But yes. You told me you could see me as a poet. And when I listened to the wonderful words of the poems you recorded for me…suddenly, I began to see it, too.”
“It was beautiful,” she whispered, her heart so full she thought it might burst. “I loved every line of it. I’m so proud of you, Leo.”
“Do you know, I’m proud of me, too.” He smiled, a warm, confident grin without a trace of the brittle sarcasm he used as a shield. “But I never would have even attempted it without your encouragement. You were the mirror through which I glimpsed the man I want to be.”
“See,” Serena croaked, tears burning behind her eyes, “that’s what I mean, that right there. Poet.”
Instead of blushing or waving it away, Leo lifted one red-brown brow in a sultry arch. “What were your other questions?”
Nerves prickled along her palms, lifting every hair on her arms. Chickening out, she blurted, “Do you know what table we’re sitting at?”
Some of the light dimmed from the bright stars of Leo’s eyes. “The wedding party is at the two tables in front. Don’t worry, though—if no suitable donors are at our table, I’ll make sure to do the rounds with you, introduce you to some possible library sponsors.”
Miserable with anxiety and kicking herself for her cowardice, Serena muttered, “Thanks. But I’m not so worried about that, since you didn’t bother to listen to me when I said I didn’t want your donation. The check arrived yesterday, so thank you for that. And I’m pretty sure the Harringtons want to sponsor the library. One of the brothers came by to see me a few days ago. Dylan, the one who married Penny
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