It wasn’t till she’d reached the entrance door that Connor revved the four-wheel drive again to life, slowing to wave at her as he handed, earlier than disappearing down the driveway.

Solely then, as soon as she’d had time to catch her breath and rid the jelly-like feeling from her legs, did she head inside to a fortunately darkish home, climb up the steps and tiptoe off to mattress.

CHAPTER

17

Needing him to take the lead, however not wanting to go away his facet for a second, Samantha saved her horse barely behind Connor’s, simply sufficient for him to know, and really feel, that he was main the way in which. The sight of him in his completely happy place, rocking gently in his saddle, his sturdy chiselled jaw relaxed and his good-looking face shaded by his hat, she couldn’t assist however really feel the magnetic pull dragging her coronary heart that little bit nearer to his. Though it was a lifetime in the past, she nonetheless remembered what it had felt like, together with his mouth pressed up towards hers whereas his palms caressed her pores and skin so possessively, so seductively – it did issues to her insides that made her stupidly consider that they, them, he and her, had potentialities that wouldn’t have been conceivable to her till she arrived again in Gum Tree Gully. Even so, with the glimmer of hope between them, she needed to firmly remind herself that this was the current, not the previous. She didn’t must go and overthink all the things. As if sensing her gaze, and studying her thoughts, he turned his head and smiled at her. Her coronary heart fluttered. She wished to carry onto this reminiscence, and onto him, without end.

Because the horses’ hooves clip-clopped alongside the cobblestone path, she discovered herself staring into his putting eyes as he studied her. ‘What are you eager about, Mr Gunn?’

Though there was hullabaloo throughout them, his smile drew her in nearer, making her really feel prefer it was solely her, and him, amid 1000’s of individuals. ‘I’m questioning why you don’t simply transfer house with me.’

‘As a result of it’s not that straightforward.’ Her horse startled as a black taxi got here out of nowhere, blocking their path. ‘I’ve a life, and a really profitable enterprise right here.’

‘You will have a life in Gum Tree Gully, too, Sammie, with me.’

And that was proper when the dream abruptly ended.

Forcing her eyes open towards the glittering sunshine pouring via the curtains, Samantha sat up. Pushing the covers again earlier than she’d even had time to rub the sleep from her eyes, she slipped from the mattress and stumbled over her pile of clothes that she’d dropped there the night time earlier than. However strive as she may to fake it didn’t occur, all of it got here dashing again to her, and he or she needed to plonk herself on the sting of the tousled mattress. Rubbing her face, she groaned towards the twist of her abdomen. Connor had virtually kissed her. And she or he’d virtually kissed him. They’d come so shut. Too shut. Issues have been getting means out of hand. She wanted to get a grip, on herself and the scenario. Connor wasn’t going to be some vacation fling for her. He was worthy of far more than that. Greater than she may give him. What within the heck had they been pondering? Good grief, she couldn’t even blame it on being a bit of drunk, as they hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol at Granny’s.

The chime of her telephone mercifully startled her from her ideas, and he or she threw herself throughout the mattress to seize it earlier than it went to her message financial institution. ‘Hey, Shea.’

‘Howdy doody. I’m too lazy to stroll upstairs. Would you like some scrambled eggs?’

‘Oh, you’re removed from lazy, Shea, and sure please.’

‘Proper, nicely, you greatest get your butt downstairs, my good friend.’

‘Okay, I’ll be there in a jiffy.’

After a visit to the toilet, then the lavatory to clean her palms and splash some water on her face, the aroma of freshly brewed espresso perked her up and had her virtually racing in the direction of the kitchen. The area was white and brilliant, the glass solar catcher dangling in entrance of the window reflecting rainbows over the counter tops. She momentarily discovered herself misplaced within the kaleidoscope of colors, her analytical mind taking a again seat to her dreamy one which mentioned life may very well be magical, and miraculous, if she simply allowed herself to see it.

Shea plonked a cup of black espresso in entrance of her. ‘Enchanting, isn’t it.’

‘Sure, it positive is.’ Samantha took a grateful sip. ‘Ahh, you’re a lifesaver, thanks.’

‘No worries.’ Shea floated again to the oven, the place she clutched the deal with of a pan and carried it over to the folded tea towel on the bench. ‘The solar catchers are my reminder, each brilliant sunny morning, that the day might be crammed with magnificence, and magic, if I would like it to be.’

‘I actually want I may see the world extra typically such as you do, Shea.’

‘You possibly can, in case you select to.’ She tucked an arm into Samantha’s. ‘After we eat breakfast, I would like you to get your driving gear on so I can present you extra enchantment.’

Lower than an hour later and the double hit of caffeine had kicked in properly. Surefooted and calm, Samantha’s mare was a dream. For nearly two hours she and Shea rode via the countryside that had as soon as been her yard, their dialog comfortably sparse within the presence of Mom Nature. Dappled daylight made the trail forward seem bejewelled, and throughout them birds sang candy melodies. She knew precisely what Shea was doing – permitting her to see what she was lacking, to really feel what she had left behind, and he or she revelled in her restraint. And in that second of serendipity, photographs of the one night time she’d spent with Connor filtered via her thoughts. It was as if destiny was making an attempt to make her see what, up till now, she’d refused to.

Their night time of ardour hadn’t been a mistake, and neither had coming right here – destiny had performed a hand at each flip, each step, at each bend and curve in her journey to this time limit. She simply needed to belief within the course of. As scary because it was, she needed to let her tight grip on the reins of her life go, a bit of. And with that revelation, regardless of the cooling breeze, she felt warmth rising via her. She wanted to step into her new future and to do this she needed to face her fears. She had to return to the cemetery. However not but. This afternoon they have been heading away from Gum Tree Gully, and to the coast. As a result of tomorrow Shea and Jack could be married. Solely after that will she do what she wanted to do to get her life on the fitting path.

***

Her make-up and hair finished, Samantha left the hustle and bustle of the lounge room and wandered into the principle bed room of the ocean-view house on the Cairns Crystalbrook five-star resort. She wanted to catch her breath earlier than slipping again into her maid of honour duties. Working her fingers over the lace materials of what was now Shea’s robe, Samantha had to make use of each little bit of resolve to not break into uncontrollable tears. She wished Shea to be sporting this costume at the moment, however she felt responsible about not being the one to comply with via on her mom’s needs. Would the ache of her dad and mom’ loss, the one that also squeezed her coronary heart sufficient to make her concern vulnerability, ever diminish, or would it not stay within the place the place she filed the emotions she didn’t wish to endure, or face?

Sinking down on the nook of the lodge mattress, she reminisced about one other time, one other costume. The day she’d married Benjamin she’d been so completely happy, so looking forward to a future crammed with the sense of lastly belonging, and unconditional love, and her very personal youngsters to cherish. When the reality was, she was in reality a naïve, damaged younger girl who’d been led to consider that she’d discovered the one, and was strolling into her without end. Benjamin had performed his playing cards nicely. He’d performed her nicely. Little had she recognized that her make-believe world was going to be yanked out from beneath her ft. It made her furious to suppose again over it with recent eyes. But when she was going to as soon as once more grow to be the optimist Shea was encouraging her to be, she needed to deal with the truth that Benjamin had been a lesson, and ultimately an escape from her world of heartbreak, if just for a short time. In the long run he hadn’t been meant for her. And she or he hadn’t been meant for him. It went each methods. That additionally meant acknowledging the person who was meant for her, the person she was inevitably meant for, and that was each scary and overwhelming, and seemingly unimaginable, given the 1000’s of miles that separated their each day lives.

Shaking away her melancholy, Samantha stood, straightened her shoulders and targeted on the day forward. It was her greatest good friend’s wedding ceremony, and Shea deserved for it to be all about her and Jack. She was going to do her damnedest to make that so. Sliding off her gown, she eased the silken forest inexperienced bridesmaid costume up her legs and shimmed into it. The zip was a bit of arduous to do on her personal, however with a little bit of ungraceful twisting, she bought there. The model spanking new cowgirl boots Shea had chosen have been subsequent. The primary one took a bit of little bit of grunting and groaning to get on. Mission completed, she heaved a breath. One down, one to go. Going to tug the subsequent one on, she stopped quick. There was a observe inside. Plucking it out, she anticipated to see Shea’s handwriting, but it surely was Connor’s cursive scrawl. Her coronary heart stopped, and he or she coated her mouth – no matter did he should say?

Hello Sammie,

I simply wished to let you know the way particular you’re to me. I’m sorry issues between us have been a bit of, let’s say, awkward at instances, or probably even complicated? I feel I’m secure to say that we each know there’s one thing distinctive lingering between us. There at all times has been, and without end can be. What it’s, we could by no means get the prospect to completely perceive, and that’s okay. Generally, sadly, life simply doesn’t work out the way in which we plan, as we each know. A very powerful factor to me is that you simply don’t depart right here and grow to be a stranger to me once more. I would like you in my life, nevertheless which may be.

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