The Life-Changing List

  An emotional, uplifting new duet from Scarlet Wilson and Kate Hardy

  The lives of Darcy and Felicity Bennett have been at a standstill since losing their beloved sister Laura five years ago.

  But Laura had suspected this would happen, so she’d arranged for her solicitor to give them both a bucket list to bring the sisters back together and help them sort out their lives.

  Join Darcy and Felicity as they take on the list—and find two handsome companions to help them find joy in life again!

  Read Darcy’s story in Slow Dance with the Italian by Scarlet Wilson

  And read Felicity’s story in

  A Fake Bride’s Guide to Forever

  by Kate Hardy

  Available now!

  Dear Reader,

  When I was asked if I would write a duet with fellow author Kate Hardy, I jumped at the chance.

  When I first started reading Harlequin Romance novels, Kate was one of the first authors I read and loved, alongside Caroline Anderson.

  I’ve been so proud to join them in writing both Harlequin Medical and Romance books.

  Writing a duet with Kate is fun. Plotting our sisters’ stories and brainstorming together, having little aha moments and forming our bucket list that shaped the stories just made everything pop for me.

  Here’s hoping you love the stories as much as we do,

  Scarlet Wilson

  Slow Dance with the Italian

  Scarlet Wilson

  Scarlet Wilson wrote her first story aged eight and has never stopped. She’s worked in the health service for more than thirty years, having trained as a nurse and a health visitor. Scarlet now works in public health and lives on the west coast of Scotland with her fiancé and their two sons. Writing medical romances and contemporary romances is a dream come true for her.

  Books by Scarlet Wilson

  Harlequin Romance

  The Christmas Pact

  Cinderella’s Costa Rican Adventure

  Harlequin Medical Romance

  California Nurses

  Nurse with a Billion Dollar Secret

  Night Shift in Barcelona

  The Night They Never Forgot

  Neonatal Nurses

  Neonatal Doc on Her Doorstep

  Marriage Miracle in Emergency

  Snowed In with the Surgeon

  A Daddy for Her Twins

  Cinderella’s Kiss with the ER Doc

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  This book is dedicated to my fellow author Kate Hardy, who always motivates me to work hard and write better stories

  Praise for Scarlet Wilson

  “Charming and oh so passionate, Cinderella and the Surgeon was everything I love about Harlequin Medicals. Author Scarlet Wilson created a flowing story rich with flawed but likable characters and...will be sure to delight readers and have them sighing happily with that sweet ending.”

  —Harlequin Junkie

  Scarlet Wilson won the 2017 RoNA Rose Award for her book Christmas in the Boss’s Castle.

  Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  EPILOGUE

  EXCERPT FROM A FAKE BRIDE’S GUIDE TO FOREVER BY KATE HARDY

  PROLOGUE

  DARCY HELD HER hands in her lap, twisting one of the green leaves in her bouquet. ‘Where is he?’ she asked again, knowing that her voice sounded awkward with strain. She could see the sweat at her dad’s collar.

  The chauffeur gave a difficult smile. ‘I’m sure it will just be a few minutes. Most brides aren’t as organised as you and are usually running way behind. We’re here dead on time. It’s almost unheard of.’

  He tugged at his jacket and Darcy looked down at the gold watch on her slim wrist. She could see the hint of pale green near the church’s main doors. Her sisters. The bridesmaids had gone ahead as planned. But it seemed that they too had arrived before the groom.

  Darcy took a deep breath. She was already worried about Laura. The pale green colour that had looked so beautiful in the early planning stages of the wedding had washed out her already paler than pale sister, making her look sicker than she wanted anyone to know she was.

  It was a mild summer’s day, but would Laura be cold? The bridesmaids’ dresses were strapless, and Darcy didn’t want her sister to have to hang around the church entrance—getting more chilled by the second—because Damian couldn’t organise himself enough to get to his own wedding on time.

  They’d often joked about how chaotic he was—the polar opposite to Darcy, who planned things to perfection. They drove each other to distraction, but opposites attracted, didn’t they? That was what people always said, and Darcy assumed they must have been fated to meet.

  A brisk breeze caught the jacket of the chauffeur and Darcy made up her mind. ‘We’re getting out,’ she said to her father, who started in surprise. ‘I’m not having Laura stand in the cold. We can all go inside and wait in the foyer. I’ll get Fizz to call Damian and see where on earth he is. The other car has probably broken down or something.’

  Her stomach gave an uncomfortable twist as she gathered up her skirts and opened the car door, stepping out onto the road outside the church. She waved her hand at the photographer, who tried to stop her as she strode up the path towards her sisters, her father hurrying behind her.

  Her mother was sheltering in the foyer, her pale pink hat perfectly positioned on her head. ‘What’s going on?’ she asked Darcy.

  Darcy looked from side to side. The minister was hovering in the background, clearly as unnerved as the rest of them. The chauffeur appeared beside Darcy. ‘Can you give my sister your jacket for a few minutes, please?’ she asked.

  He looked surprised, but after one glance at frail Laura he immediately nodded and slipped his jacket off, and around her shoulders.

  Fizz—who had been missing for a few seconds—appeared from the side, a phone in her hand. ‘Darcy—’ she said in a croaky voice ‘—come here.’

  Darcy’s stomach plummeted. She knew. She knew what was about to happen. But she didn’t actually believe it was about to happen to her.

  Fizz had gone ahead with a few family items in the bridesmaids’ car. Just normal things, like touch-up make-up, phones, emergency snacks and safety pins—because you never knew when you might need a safety pin. The overnight bags were already at the reception hotel.

  But Fizz was currently holding a phone in her hand. It was silver. Which meant it was Darcy’s. Fizz had the same phone in pink, and Laura in green.

  Darcy handed her orange gerbera and dark green leaf bouquet to her mother and walked over to Fizz. She spoke in a low voice. ‘What is it?’

  Fizz looked pained. ‘I heard your phone pinging. I think you have some texts.’ She blinked, and Darcy knew her sister was blinking back tears on her behalf.

  She calmly took her phone from her sister’s hand.

  The screen was still lit and the first few words of the message were clearly visible. I am so, so sorry.

  Darcy licked her lips. Her throat was instantly dry and her skin prickled uncomfortably. She slid the message open with her finger then blinked at the length of the message. Damian had never been known to be long-winded. But it seemed today he’d made an exception.

  Her eyes scanned the message as tears she didn’t want to shed blurred her vision.

  ‘I’ll kill him,’ came the voice of her father behind her, who had obviously read part of the message over her shoulder. ‘I’ll find him, and I’ll kill him.’

  And Darcy knew that in that second her father, the most placid man on the planet, meant every word. He adored his girls. She knew he would lay down his life for any one of them.

  Every part of her body was shaking. But she was determined to be strong. She didn’t want her family to see her break. Not after everything they’d been through together. The last few years with Laura’s illness had taken its toll on every one of them. Her mother and father had aged visibly. They didn’t need any more stress. Not when Laura was still at risk and only part way through her treatment.

  Darcy lifted her head. This was her mess. No one else’s. Her heart squeezed when she thought of all their family and friends currently sitting in the church, waiting for her and Damian.

  A braver woman would walk in, tell them that he’d changed his mind and invite them all back to the hotel for a party—after all, it was already paid for. That was what other brides on social media did, wasn’t it?

  But even though Darcy knew her family and friends would put up a good front on her behalf, she knew that wasn’t what she wanted. She wasn’t that kind of person.

  She too
k her phone and did a search. It took a few seconds to pull up a hotel that she’d looked at in the past but was always out of her price range. A few presses of some buttons and she’d booked herself in for the next five nights.

  She kissed her sisters and her mum and dad on the cheeks. ‘Thank you all. But you know that Damian isn’t coming.’ She shook her head, trying to pretend her voice wasn’t trembling. ‘I know I should go and tell people, but I just can’t do it. I need some time to myself.’ She tilted her chin up, feeling a little braver. ‘I’ve booked a hotel. Please invite our guests back to the reception, some of them have travelled a distance. Look after them.’

  ‘Darcy,’ Fizz said, her arm immediately on Darcy’s. ‘I’ll come with you. You’re not going by yourself.’

  Darcy pulled Fizz in tight. ‘Look after Laura,’ she whispered in her ear. ‘Her next round of chemo is two days away. Look after her for both of us.’ She pulled back now, not trying to hide the tears streaming down her face. ‘We’re the Bennetts. We’ll get over this,’ she said, the family motto they were all familiar with. ‘I love you all,’ she added before she gave a nod to the chauffeur. ‘Will you take me where I want to go?’

  The man gave an immediate nod and Darcy turned and started walking away from the church, not wanting to look back at her family.

  She couldn’t. Not now.

  Not when her heart was breaking.

  Not when she had no idea what might come next.

  CHAPTER ONE

  THE TWO SISTERS held hands as they sat down in front of the solicitor. His invitation to them had been like a bolt out of the blue. The date was seared on both of their hearts. It was the date that Laura had died. Today was the five-year anniversary.

  Darcy felt as if a lump had settled directly in the centre of her chest. She was conscious of Felicity’s hand in hers. Her fingers were cold. Had she lost weight? Darcy wasn’t sure.

  They’d spent the last few years living in different parts of the country, her in Edinburgh and Fizz in London. Where once all three of them had been in constant contact, since the loss of Laura, things had changed. There had been no fall-out, nothing dramatic. But the miles between them had enabled a distance to form in their relationship—almost as if they lived in separate bubbles. They still chatted on occasion, and texted, but their connection had changed—as if something was missing between them and they both felt it hard.

  Fizz was usually effervescent, occasionally flighty, and jumped from one thing to the next. She had bags of energy, but today seemed a little more subdued. Maybe Darcy was overthinking things? It could be that Fizz was just as nervous as she was about being called to the solicitor’s office.

  ‘Ladies.’ Darcy jerked at the deep voice. Mr Cochrane’s slim frame filled the doorway. ‘Thank you for coming.’ He shot them a warm smile as he crossed the room and sat down behind the desk.

  He was in his late sixties, with a neat grey beard and carefully trimmed hair. The last time Darcy had been here was when he’d spoken to the family about Laura’s will. She’d still lived with their parents but had owned a car and had some savings and a few treasured possessions. They’d all been surprised she’d made a will, but had carried out all her wishes once her small estate had been settled. So why on earth had Mr Cochrane invited them back to his office today?

  He gave them both a nod and opened a file on his desk. ‘It’s nice to see you both, and I am conscious of the date.’ He paused and took a breath. ‘But today’s meeting was intentionally called on this date.’

  Darcy glanced anxiously at Fizz, who seemed just as bewildered as she was.

  Mr Cochrane clasped his hands. ‘It’s Laura that asked me to invite you both here today.’

  ‘What?’ said Fizz quickly, her brow furrowing.

  Mr Cochrane held up his hand. ‘She gave me some instructions, and it is those instructions that I’m following.’ He glanced at them both, and Darcy could sense something.

  ‘The truth is,’ he continued, ‘Laura was worried about how you would both cope once she was no longer here. She described the three of you as the Terrible Trio.’ As soon as he said those words Darcy couldn’t help but smile.

  ‘She left some instructions that if in five years’ time neither of you were settled with a partner or had a family, she wanted to leave something else for you both.’

  He slid a paper across the desk towards them. Both of them instinctively reached out for it then gave a nervous laugh. ‘Go on,’ Darcy said to her sister, waiting as Fizz lifted the paper and held it in front of them.

  Fizz started reading, her voice trembling. ‘Time has passed and I hope both of you are happy and healthy. I’m not sure where you are in life right now, but if you’re both here today it’s because I’ve left you a final task to fulfil for me. Although Mr Cochrane handled my will and distributed my millions to the masses...’ Fizz’s voice broke and she wiped a tear from her face. She gave a little laugh and turned to Darcy, who had the biggest lump in her throat. ‘I can just hear her voice—hear her saying these words.’

  Darcy nodded and brushed a tear from her own face. ‘Me too.’ She swallowed, even though the lump was still there, and took over the reading from Fizz. ‘I kept a little something back. A policy that Mum and Dad had for me as a child, and has remained in the bank—on my instructions, under the care of Mr Cochrane. I wanted to keep this little pot of money for something special. My bucket list.’

  Darcy dropped the hand that was holding the paper. ‘Her bucket list?’

  It was an expression she hadn’t heard in years.

  Mr Cochrane gave a gentle smile. He nodded to her to continue reading.

  Darcy took a breath and lifted the paper. ‘I want you to take the money, split it between you and fulfil the items on my bucket list over the next month. I want to push you both to maybe do something you haven’t. I want my sisters to have fun. Have fun in my memory. Know that I am right by your side when you do all these things. I love you girls, Laura.’

  Darcy turned the paper over. There was no writing on the other side.

  Fizz spoke first. ‘Where’s the bucket list?’

  Mr Cochrane handed over two sealed envelopes, the names on the envelopes were in Laura’s handwriting.

  Now the tears did start to fall. Darcy reached out quickly and held it to her chest. Holding something that her sister had written for her a number of years ago tugged every emotion she had. She was glad she was sitting down right now because she wasn’t sure if her legs would carry her.

  After a few moments Fizz spoke. ‘Why two envelopes? Are we doing the same things? Have we to do them together?’

  Mr Cochrane held up both his hands. ‘The instruction I was given is that you can both interpret your lists the way you think best—so I’m not entirely sure if they are identical or not. What I do know is that she wanted you to do these things your own way. So you’ve to do the bucket lists separately.’ He raised one eyebrow. ‘There was a mention you might need a companion or friend for some things.’

  Darcy sat back in her chair and breathed out. This was the last thing she’d expected. A bucket list? She hadn’t had one of those since she was a child—or a teenager at least.

  He handed over a further item for each of them. Darcy blinked at the figure. ‘This is the amount of each share of Laura’s final gift to you both. If you give me current bank details the money can be transferred to your accounts.’

  Fizz said the words out loud. ‘It’s more than I would have expected.’

  Mr Cochrane gave a nod. ‘Laura trusted me to invest it for the last few years on her, and your, behalf.’ His smile was sincere. ‘I think she would be happy with how things have worked out.’

  They left the office in stunned silence, Darcy still clutching the envelope with the bucket list to her chest.

  The connection to their sister was still there. It always would be. The Terrible Trio. Her heart ached at those words. Sometimes she’d wondered what nickname their father would have given them if there had only been two. The Dangerous Duo? Even the thought felt like betrayal.

  She swallowed again. She’d never got over Laura’s death. It always felt as if a part of them was missing. How could she go on and live a happy life when her sister had never got that chance? Those feelings of guilt had never left her, no matter how hard she tried to rationalise them. It was all just so unfair.