Chapter 19 The Blooming Dawn

• Dawn light stretched across the garden. Dew shimmered on rose petals and the honeysuckle vine that curled around the trellis. Scarlett stood by the open French doors, cup of tea warming her hands. She watched as Damien knelt in the flower bed, his jacket tossed on a bench.
• For a moment, the memory of that forced marriage, the coma, the threats all felt distant. Here, in this sunlit morning, life felt gentle.
• Damien looked up and smiled. The lines of worry around his eyes were softened by the golden glow. He wiped dirt from his fingers and stood.