One Winter Weekend

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

W hen morning dawned Lucy went online and rescheduled her return flight.

Dominic left to gather his things and check out of his hotel and returned an hour later, scrubbed up and ready for the day.

He still wouldn’t tell Lucy what he had in mind for the day, though he insisted she check out at the front desk and bring her suitcase.

Then they boarded a water bus out to an island close by.

To Lucy’s surprise and delight, Dominic had taken the liberty of calling ahead to the island’s lone but massively exclusive hotel, the Cipriani and making a reservation for the two of them.

At this time of the year, the luxurious hotel was well decorated for Christmas but luckily was not brimming with guests, with most people opting to stay in the busier and less expensive hotels in San Marco.

As the older woman at the front desk explained, most of the island was now a dedicated nature reserve, with some hiking available to tourists. Obviously in this weather walking all over the island wasn’t high on most visitors’ priorities but from the wink Dominic gave her, Lucy guessed he didn’t intend for them to spend a lot of time out and about anyway.

The windswept little island seemed almost bleak in the December light, yet there was a sort of peacefulness to it. She could easily imagine returning here for a future getaway, though perhaps in a warmer month.

“Do you really think we’ll spend every winter in Venice?” Lucy asked, snuggling closer to him.

Dominic shrugged. “I hope so. But I don’t think superstitions should change our fate, though. I think it’s up to us to decide our future.” He stopped and looked down at her, tracing her chin with his thumb. “And I for one, am very serious about our future. I want to make sure our love stays locked in place forever.”

“I want that too,” Lucy whispered. He tipped her chin up for a kiss, and she melted into him, forgetting all about the cold.

The flight from Venice back to England had to be rerouted due to weather, and when Max and Naomi finally arrived home late that night they were exhausted.

Max was thrilled to be home, but he would be most thrilled once he was tucked into his bed.

Naomi’s parents were up waiting for them, but baby Julia was tucked safely in bed, sleeping. Naomi beamed down at her daughter despite her fatigue. “She’s such a good sleeper,” she whispered proudly to Max, who smiled and rubbed her back.

Naomi’s mother poked her head into the bedroom. “You know,” she said, a hint of a smile on her lips, “she’s done so well this weekend. Why don’t you leave her here one more night? That way you can get some solid sleep after your flight, and unpack at your leisure tomorrow.”

One more night without the baby in tow sounded heavenly, but Max could see Naomi wavering. He held back, waiting to see what she would say.

To his surprise, she tiptoed out of the bedroom with a reticent—but exhausted—smile on her face. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

“Absolutely not,” her mother said, looking as surprised as Max felt.

Naomi gave her a quick hug. “Thank you! We’ll come over tomorrow afternoon to pick her up.”

They collected their coats and went back out to the cab, waiting for them at the curb. Did I really just hear “tomorrow afternoon” from my wife? Max wondered.

As if reading his thoughts, Naomi grinned sleepily at him. “I hope Mum is up for a lot of babysitting. I’m getting kind of used to these baby-free nights.”

“I’m assuming that is the jet lag talking,” Max said in amazement, and she laughed and leaned against him, snoring almost before the cab pulled out of the driveway.