Chapter 10 - The Home by the Lake
Later that evening, the guests had all departed.
The sun was setting over Lake Michigan, painting the sky in breathtaking shades of gold, pink, and deep violet. The cool evening breeze rustled gently through the leaves of the old oak trees surrounding the granite castle.
Dominic sat on the wide stone terrace overlooking the water, holding a warm glass of bourbon.
Clare stepped out through the french doors, wrapping a soft cashmere shawl around her shoulders. She walked over and leaned against his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his waist.
Dominic wrapped his broad arm around her, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.
"Where's Ellie?" Dominic asked softly.
"In the library with Vance," Clare smiled softly. "He's showing her how the antique grandfather clock works. I think she’s planning to take the pendulum apart."
Dominic chuckled, shaking his head. "Let her. I'll buy a hundred more grandfather clocks if it keeps her smiling."
They stood together in peaceful silence, watching the calm waves lap against the stone sea wall below.
Dominic looked down at his left leg. There was no pain. No tension. No darkness.
One year ago, he had been a hardened, lonely man trapped in a dangerous world of his own making, crippled by betrayal and surrounded by enemies hiding behind polite smiles.
And all it had taken to tear that dark world down was one tiny four-year-old girl kneeling beside his foot, touching a black strap, and telling him the truth.
Clare looked up into his eyes, her heart filled with a quiet, profound happiness. "What are you thinking about, Dominic?"
May you like
Dominic looked out across the golden water, pulling Clare tighter against his side as the sound of Ellie’s happy laughter echoed from the library window above.
"I'm thinking," Dominic whispered warmly, "that for the first time in my life... everything is exactly right."
