Chapter 10
Lorraine
Our weekend together was coming to an end.
We’d spent Saturday and Sunday together in the cabin getting lost in each other.
We shared memories and laughed. We watched TV snuggled up on the couch together.
We spoke about the future. But we’d never said definitively that that future would be ours together.
I packed my bag, wishing I’d said more, that I’d told him how much he meant to me. Even now, I was scared of a future together, but I wanted one with him.
He was strong and resilient, kind and giving, funny and warm. He was all of that and more. He was someone I loved, and not just because we were friends and shared a long history together.
Love didn’t just happen in a few days; it didn’t take a weekend away. No, I’d loved him for a long time, years, maybe decades. Probably decades. OK, decades.
I told myself we had time. But did we really?
We walked to the door together, and I turned to have a last look at the place where everything had changed.
“I’m going to miss this,” I said quietly.
He looked over at me. “Me too.”
I didn’t know if he meant the place or our togetherness. I meant both.
Dan opened the door, and I stepped outside. The world was a hive of activity. The joyful sounds of children having snow fights drifted down to us. The world was all white and bright.
The driver was waiting for us and helped with our bags. Our drive to the airport was the same as our drive here; we were both quiet, lost in our own thoughts. Dan reached across the car and took my hand. My heart lurched. And when I glanced at him and caught his smile, peace settled over me.
We didn’t have to lose what we had gained.
On the flight home, the sky stretched out before us. Pale blue with grey clouds floating. Dan flew with easy confidence, his hand steady on the controls as the plane hummed beneath us. Just like he would be on the farm treating horses. I’d never thought about how sexy that confidence was until now.
I watched the world shrink beneath us as we travelled across the open sky.
“I love you,” he said as he glanced over to me.
I blinked. “What?”
That had come out of nowhere. He’d said it yesterday, but it felt different then, a different context, an explanation of sorts. Now it was a declaration.
His smile was small, but sure. “I’ve loved you since we were children. Before our lives went in different directions. Before I knew what the hell to do about it.”
I stared at him, my heart ready to burst. Maybe it was the altitude.
“And I don’t want this to end. I want every weekend with you, every day with you. I don’t want to waste any more time being apart.”
The plane hummed beneath us. The world was just clouds and sunlight and him, right there, waiting.
I laughed.
He cocked his head.
I shouldn’t have laughed. Declaring your love for someone wasn’t a funny matter. I needed to explain myself. “Did you wait until we were up here to say it because I couldn’t escape?”
He chuckled. “Not really.”
He glanced over again; his eyes were earnest.
I reached for his hand and laced our fingers together. “I don’t know when I first loved you. I didn’t really recognise it as love until today. I think I was hiding from it.”
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. “Do you think you could keep loving me? Can we make a go of this?”
“I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to.”
“Is it because I’ve still got it?”
I shrugged. “That might have something to do with it.”
He turned in his seat and pulled me towards him.
My eyes widened. “Shouldn’t you be flying the plane?”
“It’s on autopilot.”
His lips found mine. He kissed me slow and with purpose.
When he pulled back my worries ran slow, like they were wading through a snowdrift. But my heart—my heart was certain.
The Landcruiser travelled through the big front gates of the farm.
The sky was the muted, faded blue of late afternoon.
The golden hour was upon us, and the land was bathed in warm light.
Everything looked the same—the fences, the buildings, the bare brown paddocks still waiting for rain, the horses eating their dinner.
But everything felt different.
Dan parked under my carport. He turned the engine off, and for a second, we just sat there, letting the peace settle. A faint smile lifted his lips, like he was keeping some secret to himself. Except his love wasn’t a secret anymore.
My heart fluttered.
We climbed out and Dan grabbed my bag from the back before taking hold of my hand. Gosh, I didn’t think I’d ever tire of feeling the strength and comfort in his touch.
Taylor stopped her ute on the road behind us. She must have been out on the afternoon feed run. She stepped out and watched us, her mouth curling into a smirk.
“Well, look who made it through the storm.” Her brown eyes were full of mischief.
I giggled. “We rode the storm out perfectly fine.”
Dan nudged me in the side as he choked on his laughter.
Taylor turned and watched Isabelle pull up in the other ute. She must have been on the watch for us to return.
She went to stand by her mother. “Please tell me I’m going to get paid for my whole two weeks of work experience?” Then she glanced at our hands and an impish grin erupted on her face. “Did you get married?”
Dan made a low sound in his throat. “That escalated quickly.”
“We were gone for four days!” I exclaimed.
“Yeah, so?” Isabelle replied.
Taylor raised her eyebrows. “You’re glowing. And Dan’s walking like someone who got a whole lot more than sleep.”
It was my turn to choke. “Taylor.”
Dan straightened his back and puffed his chest out. “Am I walking like a stallion?” He curled his lip, imitating a stallion displaying a flehmen response.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t encourage them.”
Taylor nodded at Isabelle. “I think that translates to you’re getting paid.”
Dan shrugged. “That depends.”
“On what?”
He grinned. “If your grandmother confirms it.”
I groaned and looked to the sky, asking for strength. “I’ve told them before, people our age don’t kiss and tell.”
Isabelle clapped her hands. “Wait until I tell Dad he lost the bet.” Within seconds she was on her phone. She had better be texting only her father and not the farm group chat. I pulled my phone out; nothing came up on the screen. Thank God.
Dan’s brow furrowed. “What bet?”
“How long it would take for you two to be married.”
“We’re not married,” I said, forcing my voice to be insistent rather than amused. That kid had a wild imagination. They all did.
Isabelle grinned. “Dad said you can’t be married because Dan didn’t ask him for Nan’s hand.”
I let out a sigh. “You tell your dad…” I didn’t bother finishing the sentence because I could see him walking up the road with Callum.
Just like Isabelle looked like her mother, Callum resembled his father with his wavy brown hair and everlasting smile.
Sometimes living five minutes away from them was detrimental to my sanity.
“Callum,” Isabelle called out. “I’ve earnt some money to put back into our car fund.”
The car fund they’d used to parent-trap Ciaron and Taylor during their separation.
“How much?” he asked.
“Two weeks’ pay.”
His brow furrowed so hard I thought it might collapse. He looked between Dan and me and screwed up his face. “They did that much kissing?”
Ciaron regarded us and smirked. “Aye, they did.”
Oh my God. This was not happening. I glanced up at Dan who had a bemused look on his face. I forgot that he was used to their antics. He’d been around us for so long nothing would shock him.
When Ciaron came up beside Taylor, I said, “Dan doesn’t need your permission to marry me.”
“According to Isabelle you’re already married.”
“If I agree, will you all go away?”
They grumbled amongst each other, shook their heads, didn’t come to any agreement.
Dan squeezed my hand. I glanced at him. His gentle smile was only for me as he leant down and whispered, “I think eloping is our best option.”
“When?”
He chuckled. “Six months, tops. When Curtis is fully in charge of the hospital.”
“Deal.” I turned to Taylor and Isabelle. “If you’re finished, we’d like to go inside now.”
“I’m sure you would.” Taylor waggled her eyebrows. “I sure do hope you used a condom.”
Isabelle threw her hands in the air and walked to her car. “I’m out. I don’t need to know about it. STDs in nursing homes was bad enough.”
“What?” Callum said as he hopped into her car.
Taylor and Ciaron soon followed suit, and Dan and I stood watching them drive away.
Within seconds I got a text from Taylor: Dan needs to ask me for your hand in marriage, not Ciaron.
And another: And the answer will be yes.
And: I haven’t seen you this happy for a long time <3
Dan was watching every message come through and was grinning like his horse had won the Grand National.
“Welcome to our crazy family,” I said.
He kissed the top of my head. “There’s no other place I’d rather be, and no one else I’d rather be with.”