Chapter Twenty-Two
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
‘I did warn you.’ Noah angled his head to look at her.
‘I believe your exact words were “it’s a bit of a hike”.
’ She craned her neck, assessing the summit that lay ahead.
They’d driven over the hills on the eastern part of the Brennans’ property and past countless paddocks before pulling up at the base of this ridiculously steep incline.
‘You never once mentioned having to climb an actual mountain.’
He arched a brow. ‘Fan of hyperboles, are you?’
‘It’s all relative,’ she muttered. ‘To you, it’s an anthill. To me, it’s a mountain.’
A week had passed since she’d made her monumental, life-changing decision, and although she’d held off sharing her news with anyone while she got her ducks in a row, the last of the arrangements had now been made.
She wanted Noah to be the first to know, but she wanted to find the right moment to tell him.
Noah, meanwhile, had chosen today to make good on his promise to take her to his favourite place.
He snaked his arms around her middle and kissed her lips, once, twice. ‘I promise, you’re not gonna regret climbing this tiny mountain.’
Beth rolled her eyes but her traitorous face broke into a smile. ‘Fine. Let’s get this over with.’
‘That’s the spirit!’
Taking her hand, he helped her up the rocky slope—her worn sneakers weren’t really up to the task of dealing with all the loose gravel—and she soon discovered that he was right, the mountain was rather tiny. Before she knew it, they were at the top, standing on a rocky outcrop. And the views!
Taking in her surroundings, she let out a breathy exhale.
To the west, the land was a series of undulating paddocks dotted with cattle, but ahead of them, to the east, an endless green carpet of treetops stretched as far as the eye could see.
Beth moved to the edge of the outcrop, drawn to the beauty of the land.
She closed her eyes and, filling her lungs, soaked up the sun and the quiet and felt utter peace.
The longer she stood there, the more the sounds of the bush intensified until they became almost deafening.
She absorbed the energy of the place and it vibrated through every atom of her being.
She’d never felt so at one with the land.
‘It’s something, huh?’
‘Noah, it’s …’ She shook her head. ‘There are no words.’
‘Right?’ He sat a few metres from the edge, his back up against a tree and his legs stretched out in front of him. ‘I come here when I need to recharge.’
‘I can see why.’ She perched on a large boulder near where the ground fell away in a sheer drop. ‘How did you even find it, though? I mean, it’s so out of the way.’
Noah shrugged. ‘It wasn’t long after Gramps died.
I just needed time alone and found myself pulled in this direction.
When I climbed up here and saw this—’ he gestured at the majestic view that lay in front of them, ‘—it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I felt … I don’t know, connected to something bigger.
My sadness lifted and I just felt at peace. ’
She stared at him, dumbstruck. ‘I swear, something like that just happened to me.’
‘Really?’ He smiled softly. ‘There must be something in that.’
‘Like a deeper meaning? Or something spiritual, maybe?’
‘Either? Both? I don’t know, I just always feel like I’m being welcomed home when I come up here.’
She nodded, reminded of the words spoken by the Aboriginal Elder on the day of little Jedda’s Welcome Baby to Country ceremony. ‘It’s like your soul knows this land is where you belong.’
‘Exactly.’ His eyes softened and she smiled back at him, her heart full to bursting.
They understood each other perfectly, and she could scarcely believe how fitting it was that he’d brought her here today, given the decision she’d made and the news she had to share with him.
‘You know,’ he said, his jaw set with something like determination as he picked up a twig, ‘Karlup is a Noongar word that comes from the word “karl”, which means “fireplace” or “hearth”, and the hearth was always considered the heart of the home. So, Karlup as a place name means “heart country”. Beautiful, huh?’
‘Heart country?’ The phrase sounded familiar … and then it dawned on her. ‘As in, the Heart Country B&B? That is beautiful.’
He stared at her a moment longer before turning his attention to the twig, and as he broke off tiny fragments and let them fall to the ground, something inside her shifted, a falling into place of all the pieces that made her who she was, who she wanted to be and how she wanted to live her life.
And Noah was right there, experiencing it with her.
She knew he’d never come right out and ask her to stay—he’d done that once already.
But it was obvious that his feelings hadn’t changed.
He didn’t want her to leave, wanted desperately for her to stay, but he would not sway her decision.
She heard the truth in his silence. Saw it in the punishment he inflicted on the stick.
With more clarity than she’d ever experienced, she knew that she loved him.
That she was in love with him. Wholly and completely.
He was selfless and unbelievably sweet, and the urge to move closer, to tell him how she felt, almost overpowered her. But first, she had to tell him of her decision.
‘Noah?’
He snapped another portion from the twig and looked up at her. ‘Yeah?’
‘I have some pretty big news to share with you.’
The rhythmic twig-breaking ceased.
Breathe. Just breathe.
‘I’ve withdrawn my expression of interest on the cottage in Townsville, and yesterday, I formally resigned from my job at DHB. A moving company is packing up my belongings as we speak and they’ll be shipped here in the coming days. I’ve decided that I’m staying, Noah. Karlup is officially my home.’
‘What?’ He tossed the twig aside and, launching from his spot on the ground, hauled her into his arms. ‘Why didn’t you say something sooner?’
‘Because I needed every ounce of breath to climb this bloody mountain!’
He grinned and, whooping loudly, spun her around.
She laughed, so carefree and happy that she wanted to cry, but then he kissed her and she forgot everything.
Focused on nothing but the feel of his lips on hers.
His kiss lacked his usual restraint, but she ate it up, giving as much as she took, and when he eventually pulled away, she knew she was ready.
Breathing heavily, he touched his forehead to hers and whispered, ‘It’s like your soul knows this is where you belong.’
She smiled up at him and laid a hand over his heart. He wasn’t wrong—she was right where she needed to be.
‘Noah?’
‘Mmm?’
‘I’m glad you brought me here, but right now—’ she snaked a hand around to the nape of his neck, ‘—I want you to take me home.’
* * *
The kitchen was empty when Beth, freshly showered, emerged from Noah’s bathroom a short while later.
Noah had said he’d prepare dinner while she took her turn getting cleaned up, but she spied him out on the verandah instead.
She stepped outside and, struck by the way the sun kissed the horizon and bathed the world in golden light, sucked in a quick breath.
Noah turned at the sound, though, and immediately stole her attention.
His face lit up when he saw her and he followed her every move as she crossed the deck towards him.
The soft fabric of her skirt skimmed her ankles and fluttered around her legs, caressing her skin and sending her heart rate rocketing.
‘Hey,’ she murmured and stepped into his arms. Would her smile be permanently etched on her face from now on?
‘Hey, yourself.’ He tipped her chin up and kissed her softly. ‘You hungry?’
‘Mm-hmm.’ Not that she’d be able to eat much, thanks to the butterflies currently frolicking in her belly.
He edged sideways, turning her and giving her a view of the picnic he’d laid out on the grass. He’d thought of everything—a blanket for them to sit on, cushions for comfort and bamboo lanterns to keep the bugs away.
Her smile widened. ‘What’s this?’
‘A celebration.’
The huskiness in his voice nearly undid her.
Forgetting all about the meal he’d prepared, she was a heartbeat away from dragging him inside, but he took her hand and led her down the steps.
In the centre of the blanket, he’d arranged a grazing platter of cheese, crackers, olives, Italian meats, sun-dried tomatoes and strawberries.
A bottle of wine sat in a bowl of ice, and beside it lay two champagne flutes.
‘Noah, this looks amazing.’ She settled onto the blanket and popped an olive in her mouth.
Noah lit the torches before joining her and pouring them each a glass of sparkling wine.
They talked about everything and nothing, and soon, the lanterns were flickering in the twilight, promising that a romantic glow would remain once dusk fell.
Once they’d had their fill of the impromptu picnic feast, Noah moved the platter from between them and rearranged a few pillows.
‘So,’ he said as she snuggled into his side, ‘what swayed you in the end? What does Karlup have that Townsville doesn’t?’
‘I’m not sure I can put it down to one thing, you know? To start with, everyone here feels like family now. I can’t imagine not being able to have a glass of wine with Ellie or afternoon tea with Flo—’
‘Or perving on me when you think I’m not looking.’ Noah shot her a wink.
‘That, too.’ She grinned. ‘But there’s so much more to this place. Learning that my dad grew up here, feeling a connection to him and his family, to their land, hearing stories about him from your parents. I don’t want to walk away from all that.’
The topic of her father’s family made her think of her mother and the secrets she’d kept. She’d come to the conclusion that she needed to talk to Flo again, see if she had answers—maybe she’d gained insights from Pru—but right now, she didn’t want to think about Rosie.