Page 120 of The Summer Villa
She was still bewildered to discover that the journal upon which she’d built The Sweet Life had actually been Colette’s, and had since tried her utmost to include her friend in the company, granting her shares and even offering her a place on the board, but Colette was having none of it.
Her motto had, after all, been to follow the simple life.
And she certainly had that now with Luca. Once she and Ed divorced, she had married Luca and moved lock, stock, and barrel to Italy, living in bliss above his restaurant ever since.
Now, with a baby on the way, all her dreams had finally come true.
While Ed had failed in his aim to sabotage Villa Dolce Vita’s relaunch and thus thwart their ultimate reunion (while also hoping to make some money on the side through threatening Kim with a plagiarism lawsuit), he had at least succeeded in one thing – finally enabling Colette to live the life she deserved.
‘Hey, guys.’ Annie peeked her head around the entrance gate of the courtyard. She looked amazing. Dark curls tumbled around her head, she wore a pretty floral summer dress and, flanked by a mischievous-looking Charlie on one side and a smiling stranger on the other, she looked … happy.
Kim smiled.
‘Buonasera!’ Colette called out happily, rushing to greet Annie.
‘Who’s your friend?’ Lily asked, pointing to the man with her.
‘This is Nick,’ Annie announced proudly, and Kim knew that this time she truly was head over heels.
Good for her. From what she’d heard about Nick he was a great guy who genuinely cared for both Annie and Charlie, and had also been a huge help in getting her business back on its feet. But for her part, Kim never had any worries on that score. No matter what life threw at her, Annie O’Doherty always came back fighting.
‘So,’ she looked from Kim to Colette, the old devilish glint in her eye, ‘are we going to get this party started or what?’
Kim stood up and moved to embrace her and Colette, realising that their journey had come full circle.
Their friendship had begun here at Villa Dolce Vita, and despite all the ups and downs, it would continue.
Annie had found love and contentment with someone who truly appreciated her, Colette was having the baby she’d always craved with the love of her life, and Kim was finding that true happiness was better to be lived than spoken of.
Life for all three was finally sweet.
