Will they get a second chance or will it be goodbye forever? Start Reading Silverton Shores by Mandy Magro

Will they get a second chance or will it be goodbye forever? An emotional and heartfelt rural romance from bestselling Australian author Mandy Magro.

Jessica Sabatini had everything she ever wanted until a tragic accident only hours before her wedding sent her world spinning out of control. In a haze of grief, she ran as far from Silverton Shores as she could.

It took her a long time to put the pieces of her world back together, but now she’s a devoted mum to her young daughter, Chiara, and adores her job at her grandfather’s renowned restaurant, Sabatini’s, in Florence. But the secret that’s gnawed at her all these years refuses to leave her alone. When her best friend and brother ask her to return for their wedding, Jessica is torn. Has enough time passed so she can find the strength to face the truth? She knows the heart of it lies in Silverton Shores, along with Morgan Savage, the man she once loved so deeply…

When Jess left him behind, Morgan thought he’d never get over her. The only way he could move on was to completely cut her from his life. Until now. He’s honoured to be the best man at his best mate’s wedding but with Jessica as maid of honour, how is he going to face her?

When the wedding brings them into one another’s lives once more, will it be the final chance to lay their broken hearts to rest? Or will it reignite all the passion, as well as reveal the secrets that have stood between them for all these years?

After hitting the sack at a reasonable hour, and surprisingly achieving a solid eight hours of sleep, Jessica Sabatini had woken at the crack of dawn with a firm belief that even at twenty-two years young, her life couldn’t possibly get any better. At least not until she and the love of her life had the two children they’d spoken at length about – a boy and a girl, two boys, two girls, she didn’t care, just as long as they were healthy, their dad was Morgan Savage, and they were all calling Savage Acres their home. Then her life would be all she’d ever dreamed of and more, she was sure of it. And as the hours had ticked by, she’d savoured this safe, joyful feeling deep down in her soul. Had tucked it away for the rare days she might need a reminder of just how lucky she was. A realist at heart, she knew life was never all roses. Doing her best to avoid the prickly thorns was all part of the journey.

Now, standing on the balcony of the ritzy penthouse suite at the new Silverton Shores Resort, she smiled as brightly as the mid-morning sunshine caressed her olive skin and the sea breeze stirred her long brunette curls. She looked to the canopy of powdery blue sky stretching cloudlessly to the sun-soaked horizon, then to the turquoise sea sparkling as if studded with diamonds, and her smile spread even wider. She couldn’t believe, after imagining it for six years, that the big day for her and Morgan had finally arrived – and by the looks of it, Mother Nature had most certainly come to the party, too. If only her grandparents could have made it across the ocean, but Florence, Italy, was a long way, especially when her nonna’s health was deteriorating.

Way too rapidly.

Inside the penthouse, where they were having their hair whipped into elaborate updos by the town’s only mobile hairdresser, her two bridesmaids, older sister Annie and best friend Shanti, cackled like a pair of kookaburras. The sound of their laughter sent Jess’s already buoyant happiness soaring into the heavens, where she hoped it would meet their recently departed local priest, Father Harris. He’d had a good wicket, making it to one hundred and one, but even so, she was sad he wasn’t the one to be marrying her and Morgan. Not wanting to allow her mood to plummet with grief at his passing, she focused on the music playing from the portable speaker inside when Brad Paisley’s ‘Waitin’ on a Woman’ was abruptly cut short then Trisha Yearwood’s ‘She’s In Love With The Boy’ began.

‘Oh my gosh, I love this song!’ she called through the open French doors.

‘We know you do!’ A united response came from Annie and Shanti.

Jess chuckled. ‘Oh, do you now?’ How could they not, when she’d basically played it to death?

Singing the lyrics with gusto, she jiggled on the spot, once again feeling like the luckiest woman alive to have the hunkiest, kindest, most loving husband-to-be, the greatest of friends, and the most supportive of parents. Very soon she’d officially be calling Morgan’s wonderful mum and dad, Carol and Gary Savage, her own, too. Ever since her brother Roberto’s best friend, and her secret crush for as long as she could remember, the incredibly desirable Morgan Savage, had leant in and kissed her the night of her sixteenth birthday, her world had been a magical place. And now, in a matter of hours, in front of their family and friends, she’d be hooking her arm into her father’s and taking steps down the aisle to legitimately become the Mrs Savage. Then, in a matter of days, she and Morgan would be jumping aboard a plane for their chosen honeymoon destination of Florence, Italy, with possible side trips to Venice, the Amalfi Coast and the five seaside villages of Cinque Terre.

Ahhh, la dolce vita … the sweet life.

Her hands going to her swooning heart, she sighed with pleasure. It had been four years since she’d been to what she considered the most romantic city in the world, and she couldn’t wait to introduce Morgan to her father’s hometown and see her doting grandparents again. An entire month of glorious Italian sunshine, delicious handmade pastas, creamy gelato, juicy Florentine steaks, plenty of lip-smacking vino, and days and nights spent wandering the cobblestone streets hand in hand after making the sweetest of love in their Airbnb – their honeymoon was going to be an absolute dream come true.

Caught up in her Italian heaven, she briefly closed her eyes and exhaled softly. Blessed. Happy. Content. Excited. Optimistic. Head over heels in love. She was all these things, and more. Momentarily transfixed by the jaw-dropping view of her quaint seaside hometown surrounded by lush, green mountains that reached for the skies, she took another tentative sip from her glass of pink bubbly. Raising her hand to shade her eyes, she shifted her gaze from two seagulls sailing overhead to where waves rose, rolled, and then reached for the white-sand shoreline, caressing it with foamy kisses. The ebb and flow of nature’s heartbeat was so strong here, and so beautiful to bear witness to.

‘Hey, Jessie, it’s your turn for hair and make-up.’ Her singsong voice carrying, Shanti stuck her roller-clad head out the doorway. ‘Would you like a top-up while you’re being pampered, my darling bestie?’

‘Hmmm.’ Jess looked to her almost empty champagne glass, then back to Shanti wrapped up in her pink BRIDESMAID robe. ‘I want to say yes, but I better not, otherwise I’ll be stumbling down the aisle like some drunk-ass beach bum.’

Chuckling, Shanti joined her on the balcony. ‘Ha, whatever, you’re always class, Miss Jessie.’ She poked herself in the chest. ‘Whereas I’ve earned the title of being the ass of our duo, wouldn’t you agree?’

‘Nooooo, you are not an ass, you loon.’ Jess gave her friend a playful shove. ‘You’re just a free spirit with a wild child that comes out to play when you’ve been drinking.’

‘For reals, I can count the times I’ve held your hair back on one finger.’ Shanti held her pinkie up and wiggled it. ‘And as for you holding my hair back, I don’t have enough digits to make a legitimate show of fingers.’

‘True that.’ Jess laughed out loud. ‘And don’t you ever change, because I love you just the way you are, girlfriend.’ She grinned wickedly. ‘As does my brother.’

‘Oh, stop it already, there’ll be no shooting of cupid’s arrow from your romantic bow, thank you very much.’ It was Shanti’s turn to give Jess a little shove. ‘Roberto likes me as a mate, and that’s that.’

‘Righto.’ Jess pulled an I’m-not-buying-it face. ‘Whatever you say.’

Grinning, Shanti gave her the two-finger salute. ‘Hey, shouldn’t your mum and dad be here by now?’ She looked at her watch. ‘It’s almost eleven.’

‘Yeah, they should be.’ Jess huffed. ‘God only knows what’s held them up, literally.’ She chuckled. ‘Most likely Mum wanting to stop at every roadside produce trailer on the way back from the church Dad was pastoring at.’

Shanti rolled her eyes at the thought – Julie Sabatini was well known for her love of roadside fruit and vegetable stands. ‘Maybe give them a call, or I can if you like, while you start getting your hair done?’

‘Nah, all good, I’ll give them a quick ring.’ Grabbing her phone from her BRIDE robe pocket, she dialled her mum’s number. ‘Can you let the hairdresser know I’ll just be a sec, please?’

‘Sure thing, soon-to-be Mrs Savage.’ Shanti beamed then disappeared back inside.

Five rings sounded in Jess’s ear, then her mum’s recorded voice greeted her. ‘Hi, you’ve reached Julie and Enzo, we’re busy right now so please leave your message, and we’ll call you back as soon as we can. Ciao.’

‘Hey, Mum, it’s me, where are you? I hope everything’s okay. Call me back as soon as you get this message please.’ Hanging up, she gulped a breath of salty air as her heart began to beat faster.

Taking a moment, she tried calling again, but once again it went to message bank. ‘Me again, please call me back as soon as poss. I’m starting to get worried.’ Turning then stepping inside, she looked to where her big sister was pouting as she had lip-gloss applied. ‘Hey, Annie, I just tried calling Mum and Dad, twice, but there was no answer.’

Taking a moment to reply, until the make-up artist was done with her lips, Annie swivelled in her seat to face her. ‘They’ll be here soon, I’m sure. Dad likely just got caught up trying to leave church.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘You know how much they all love his sermons and like to tell him so afterwards.’

‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ Jess offered the hairdresser a smile as she settled into the seat in front of her. ‘It’s not like them to be late, though, to anything, let alone my wedding day.’

‘Annie’s right, mate, they’ll be here soon.’ Reaching out, Shanti gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘Your mum’s most likely knocked the silent button again, and she just can’t hear your calls coming in.’

‘Yeah, you’re both probably right, but you know me, I’m a worry wart sometimes.’ Trying to ignore the snowballing sick feeling in her belly, Jess looked Annie up and down. ‘Wowsers, sis, you look bloody amazing.’

‘Ha, yeah, take my scrubs off and I can scrub up like the best of them, my sweet Jessie.’ Hugging her fluffy pink BRIDESMAID robe to her, Annie turned left to right, posing as if she were Marilyn Monroe. ‘You just wait until I pop my bridesmaid dress on, then I’ll be turning heads quicker than you can say bombshell.’

‘Truth, Annie, I’m so used to seeing you in your nurse’s uniform, I forgot there’s a whole lotta woman underneath all that starched blue.’ Chuckling at her much older and, in her opinion, much prettier sister as she struck a few more poses, Jess tried her best to ignore the growing sense that something was wrong.

Ribbons of gold sunlight filtered through the paperbark trees, and the chatter of crickets, lowing of cattle and whinnies of horses carried across the rolling thousand acres that was the renowned Savage Acres Angus Stud. Standing on the wide back verandah of his parents’ sprawling two-storey Queenslander homestead, a cold mid-strength beer in hand, with Chris Stapleton’s honkytonk voice carrying from the speakers, Morgan Savage enjoyed the sensation of the early-afternoon sunshine warming his back while the laughter of his groomsmen kicking back on the outdoor settee set the tone for what he was sure was going to be a gloriously happy day.

Leaning on the railing, he smiled to himself. You’re one lucky SOB, Savage …

Soon he’d get out of his singlet and boardies, and slip into his tailored navy suit, snakeskin boots and brand-spanking new black Akubra. He’d been counting down the years, months, weeks, then days, then hours, until this very day, and he couldn’t be any happier that it was finally here. Just picturing his stunning bride-to-be walking down the aisle, towards him, to be with him forever, his heart picked up the pace from a happy canter to a saddleless gallop. Jess Sabatini had a way of making him feel so alive, so happy, so loved. After six and a half years together, their connection had only strengthened, deepened, intensified as each day had passed. He found it hard to believe that he could love her any more than he already did, but with a bond like theirs, it was inevitable he would one day die a very happy man after spending his life with her by his side. And once they added their longed-for children into the mix and made the two of them a family of four, he could only imagine just how wonderful their life was going to be. He was a very lucky man to be loved by a woman as magnificent as his precious Jess.

With his phone chiming from his back pocket, he plucked it out and looked at the caller ID. Why would Jess be calling him now? She should be sliding her beautiful self into her beautiful gown – heck, she’d look good in a hessian bag – then into the back of the classic candy-apple red 1968 HK Holden Monaro he’d had restored as a surprise matrimonial car for them.

‘Hey, my sexy bride-to-be.’ He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.

‘Morgan, it’s me, Annie.’ She was sobbing so hard she was barely comprehensible.

‘Annie, is everything okay?’ The wild gallop of his heart was no longer pleasant.

‘No, it’s not.’ Annie’s voice shuddered. ‘It’s Mum and Dad, they’ve been in a terrible accident.’

‘Jesus.’ The world suddenly swayed, and he grabbed hold of the railing with a vicelike grip. ‘Are they okay?’

‘We don’t know.’ Racking sobs echoed as the phone muffled. Momentarily lost for words, and worried sick about how Jess would be handling this, he dragged his gaze from the recently renovated cottage up the rise – the one he and his new bride were about to call home – and instead looked to where Jess’s brother, Roberto, was clinking beers with another of his groomsmen. How in the hell was he supposed to pass this horrendous information on to his best mate?

‘Hey, Morgan.’ Shanti’s trembling voice came down the line. ‘All we know is that they’ve been involved in a head-on with a drunk driver.’ She sniffled. ‘Mum’s on the phone now, trying to find out more, so when we hear anything, anything at all, I’ll be sure to let you know, okay.’

‘Okay.’ A supportive hand came down on Morgan’s shoulder, and he turned to catch eyes with his father – the grief in his dad’s gaze let him know he’d just taken a similar call. ‘How’s Jess doing?’

‘Oh, Morgan, she’s not good at all.’ Sobs sounded in the background and Shanti cleared her throat. ‘I better go and comfort her and Annie, talk soon, mate.’

Morgan wasn’t about to sit around at home while his sweetheart was suffering such devastating heartbreak. ‘Please let Jess know I’m on my way there.’ He would carry whatever pain he could for her, no matter how crushing it was.

Please God, let Enzo and Julie be okay.

‘Why don’t you wait until we know more?’ Shanti’s tone was way too hopeful. ‘I mean, it might not be as bad as we think.’

‘No way, I can’t leave her to handle this without me.’ It was then he watched Roberto take a phone call that brought his solid-as-a-rock best mate falling to his knees. ‘I’ll bring Roberto with me.’ The clench in his heart stung, really damn bad.

Julie and Enzo Sabatini were nowhere near okay.

‘Of course, good idea, I’ll let Jessie know you’re both on your way over.’ Shanti sniffled again. ‘Let’s hope and pray for the best, see you soon.’

‘Yup, we’ll be there before you know it.’

Morgan ended the call and slumped against his father. And for all of thirty seconds, he allowed himself to be consoled by his rock, his confidant, his hero, then he straightened, took a breath, readied his shoulders to carry his loved one’s tears and anguish, and took determined strides across the verandah, where he took a crumbling Roberto into his arms and did what only a best mate could do at a time like this; he offered him solace before the storm that his instincts told him was about to change all of their lives forever.

It had been seven devastating days since the drunk driver had killed himself and cruelly taken her parents with him, and day by day, as Jess had come to accept this was a nightmare she’d never wake up from, her heartbreak had only intensified and become all-consuming, to the point where she could no longer feel anything else. Not even love for Morgan. Feeling oddly numb considering her nerves were on edge, she stared blankly out the window of the car. In the back seat, Shanti comforted Annie, although her older sister’s sobs weren’t subsiding. If anything, they were getting louder, shriller, more excruciating to hear. Jess wanted to cover her ears, squeeze her eyes shut, block it all out, but that would be childish. She needed to cope. She needed to handle this.

No!

She needed to get the hell out of Silverton Shores for a while.

Everything here felt way too surreal, as if she were watching a horrific movie from the inside out. She didn’t even notice they’d pulled to a stop at the cemetery until Roberto placed his hand on her bouncing leg, steadying it, but not steadying her.

She doubted she’d ever feel stable again.

The God her parents had taught her about didn’t exist.

How could he when he’d gone and done this?

Before stepping from the passenger side of her brother’s Holden Commodore, she made sure nobody was watching as she pressed another Valium from the foil packaging and quickly popped it into her mouth. Taking a glug from her water bottle, she swallowed down hard, wishing she was anywhere but here, about to say her final goodbye to the two people in the world who had mattered the most. Overhead, the bright blue sky she’d watched appear that morning was now darkening at an alarming pace as the shadows of the raging, ominous clouds chased the daylight away. Bearing witness to Mother Nature’s broodiness, she swore her broken heart was darker still. It had to be. What other explanation did she have, to have fallen out of love with the love of her life?

Raising her umbrella, Shanti stepped in beside Jess, Annie and Roberto, the four of them silently acknowledging one another’s heartbreak as they briefly locked tear-stained gazes.

When the church proceedings were over, Jess, Shanti and Annie followed the other mourners through the tall, wrought-iron gates of the Silverton Shores cemetery, then weaved their way along a narrow path shaded by weeping willows, towards what would be Julie and Enzo Sabatini’s final resting places. Her parents would be side by side forever. Jess watched as Roberto went in the opposite direction, towards the hearse parked up the rise, to fulfil his role as a pallbearer. Her broken heart split deeper, further, as she watched Morgan give her brother a supportive hug. If only she could feel something, anything, for the wonderful man who’d won her over. But in a single heartbeat, from one second to the next, everything, and everyone, had changed.

As she reached the cover provided by the outstretched branches of an old gum tree, she saw people paying their respects, congregating as they waited for the final part of the service to begin. Jess took her place at the front of the gathering, sandwiched between Annie and Shanti. Somewhere in the surrounding scrubland, a flock of screeching cockatoos momentarily concealed the sound of her raspy breath. And up the rise, the pallbearers took slow steady steps as they carried the two mahogany caskets towards the gaping, black holes. A week to the day after she’d heard the news, now dressed head to toe in black polyester instead of ivory silk and lace, all Jess could do in this heart-wrenching moment was imagine herself in another life, another time, far away from Silverton Shores, far away from the heartbreak and crushing grief, far away from those who loved her most. Somewhere she could pretend to be whole, happy, hopeful. To lose a parent was one thing, but to lose both was unthinkable, a child’s worst nightmare. And yet, here she was, with her reality a living nightmare.

The caskets arrived. She turned her cheek, unable to look directly at the boxes that held her lifeless parents. Time flickered between slow and steady and rapidly fast, all the while with her careening between the two. She watched the new young priest’s mouth moving, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. The caskets were lowered. Sobs sounded. Then it was time to drop the two roses she wasn’t aware she’d been holding, and so very tightly the sharp thorns were digging into her flesh. As she placed one foot in front of the other, Shanti hooked her arm into hers and helped her to the first grave. Unclenching her fingers, she watched the velvety petals tumble then hit the top of her father’s coffin. Annie broke down beside her. Roberto came to her aid. Jess sucked in a shuddering breath. She couldn’t cry, because she was afraid she’d never stop. Taking a step to the left, her gaze met with her mother’s dirt tomb. Holding the rose out, she let go and watched it drop in slow motion, twisting and turning, until it hit the casket headfirst. Bouncing, it toppled and wedged down the side of it. The irrational part of her brain wanted her to climb down and straighten it, because her mother would have hated the untidiness. The rational part of her, her father’s deeply imbedded characteristic, told her to stand her ground, remain steady, be strong.

Turn to God, Enzo Sabatini would have said.

Like hell she’d be doing that.

Because the God she’d believed in wouldn’t take such wonderful people so soon.

Blinking through the rolling emotions, she stepped aside as people began to step forward, saying their final goodbyes then offering their condolences. As if on autopilot, she nodded and accepted their sympathy, as did Annie and Roberto. Finally moving to the edge of the crowd, she spotted Morgan, standing with his hands in his pockets and his head hung low. He looked so alone, so broken, so dejected. And she knew, without a doubt, that she’d done that to him. It was all her fault he was heartbroken. As much as she wished she could go to him, to both offer comfort and seek it, she couldn’t face the aftermath of her actions. So, she turned away, and step by step, put an agonising, irreparable distance between them.