Chapter 31 #3
I grabbed my laptop and a handful of files. “We'll come back at dinner and go over what we’ve found.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Mitch said, opening the first folder.
I secured the files, laptop, and Bella’s supplies in the saddlebags, and Apollo carried us back toward my cottage. Bella's arms wrapped around me, her cheek pressed against my back. I could get used to this.
The sun had started its descent, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold. Koolaroo glowed under that light, turning the grass into a field of amber. Or maybe I was finally able to see her beauty. This place wasn't just Frank's legacy of lies anymore. It was ours to rebuild.
At the cottage, we dismounted and carried everything inside. I led Apollo to his paddock, and by the time I returned, Bella had changed into one of my old T-shirts and was pulling ingredients from the supplies she’d brought.
“What are you doing?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
She glanced over her shoulder, eyes shimmering with mischief. “Making good on a promise. Cupcakes for life, remember?”
My chest tightened. “I remember.”
Golden sunlight streamed through the kitchen window and caught in her copper hair, turning it to flame.
I crossed the room and slid my arms around her waist from behind, pulling her back against my chest.
She melted into me, her hands stilling on the mixing bowl. “You know,” she said softly, “when I came to Koolaroo, I thought I was here to end a life.”
“Hmmm,” I murmured against her hair.
“But instead, I started one.” She turned in my arms, tilting her face up to mine. Her eyes glistened. “Mine… with you.”
My heart kicked hard against my ribs. “And look at us. We're still breathing.”
“We're more than just breathing, babe.” Her smile turned fierce. “We're thriving.”
“I like that.” I brushed my thumb across her cheek. “And I love it when you call me babe.”
“Good.” Her smile softened. “And I love how much you love my cupcakes.”
I laughed against her mouth as I kissed her. “You promised me cupcakes for life.”
“And I absolutely meant it,” she whispered. “For life.”
I deepened the kiss, tasting sugar and everything that was her. She rose on her toes, pressing closer, and the world narrowed to this moment: her warmth, her breath, the way she fit against me, like she'd always belonged there.
When we finally pulled apart, she was breathless and smiling.
“I could do that for the rest of my life.” I grinned. “Kiss you and eat your cupcakes—in that order.”
Her laugh was bright and genuine, a sound I was already addicted to. She pushed playfully at my chest. “Then let me finish, or you'll never get those cupcakes.”
I reluctantly released her and dropped into a chair at the small kitchen table to watch her work while I tackled the files.
Bella hummed as she spooned batter into tins.
She no longer needed bandages on her burns, and although she said they didn’t hurt anymore, they would.
Some of those burns would scar. However, those scars were proof of just how tough my little woman was.
My heart swelled. The knowledge that she was mine and I was hers was everything.
She slid the tray into the oven and turned to face me, leaning her hip against the counter. “What are you thinking about?”
“You,” I said honestly, “and how I'm the luckiest bastard in the Outback.”
Her cheeks flushed pink. “Declan...”
“I mean it.” I stood and crossed to her, framing her face with my hands. “I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm not letting you go. Not ever.”
“Good,” she said, eyes shining. “Because I'm not going anywhere.”
I kissed her slowly, deeply, and full of everything I couldn't put into words.
When the sun finally dipped below the horizon, we were still standing there in my kitchen, wrapped around each other, the scent of vanilla filling the air.
She'd come to Koolaroo to end a life.
Instead, she'd given me a reason to begin my life for real.
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Thank you for reading Outback Escape!