Chapter Six #3
Controlling every urge to pull her into his arms so he could kiss her into tomorrow, he met her gaze, seeing not just the woman who’d weathered so much but also the kindred spirit who dared to dream of brighter days.
Even now, when she’d just lost her mother, she was a pillar of strength.
Her revelation of optimism, both quiet and profound, and his understanding that amid the thorns of their haunted pasts, there bloomed an effortless companionship, made his spirit soar.
If he could provide such comfort for her, if he could make her forget about her heartache, if only for this little while, he was a happy man.
And as the night wore on, each joke and story they shared felt like additional building blocks, reinforcing the bridge they were constructing over the chasm of their time apart.
Though their path forward was divided, with him in Wildstone and her up north, there was consolation in knowing that they could reconnect as though they’d never been torn apart.
As it neared midnight, the jovial laughter that had been echoing through the pub faded, and now only the Johnny Cash song playing from the jukebox was audible above the chatter.
With precious minutes to go until closing time, the publican called last drinks and Caleb wanted to beg him for another hour with Nyah.
‘Looks like it’s that time,’ he said with a sigh.
‘Wow, the night flew by,’ Nyah replied, her smile lingering but tinged with a melancholy acceptance of its end.
‘I’m officially pooped.’ Hope yawned loudly as she stretched her arms in the air. ‘And ouch, my stomach hurts from laughing so much.’
‘Mine too.’ Vance grinned. ‘You ladies right for a lift home?’
‘I can drop them home, bud, you just go and tuck yourself in,’ Caleb replied quickly. He liked the thought of Hope and Vance dating, but not the idea of them taking advantage of either’s bed before any real courtship had begun.
‘Right you are.’ Vance knew his place, and he accepted Caleb’s brotherly protection with respect. ‘Catch you all on the flip side.’ He stood and leant in to kiss Hope’s cheek. ‘Night.’
‘Night.’ Hope’s face flooded with heat, as if Vance’s lips were a hot poker.
‘Catch you at work, Hart.’ He shared a friendly handshake with Caleb. ‘See you again soon, Nyah.’
‘Will do, catch you, Vance,’ Nyah replied with a smile as she and Hope gathered their bags.
With one last wave, Vance hobbled out, bidding the publican goodnight on his way.
‘Your chariot awaits, my ladies,’ Caleb kidded gallantly.
‘Ha, more like our mud-spattered beast awaits.’ Hope chuckled as she linked her arm into Caleb’s, gesturing for Nyah to do the same, which she did. ‘Lead the way, brother.’
Arms linked, they stepped out and into the night and back towards the football field.
The familiar sounds of the Wildstone nightlife filled their ears—the distant bark of a dog, the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze, the faint echo of cattle lowing.
Feeling proud as punch to have both women in his care, Caleb walked them down the pathway and back to his Troopy, parked beneath a ghost gum tree.
Opening the doors for them, he deliberately popped Nyah in the front and tucked Hope up in the back.
Just a few more minutes with Nyah by his side meant the world.
The two-kilometre drive to Nyah’s bungalow was way too short, but very sweet.
In the back seat, Hope had fallen asleep.
Glancing towards her friend, Nyah muffled a chuckle, before turning her gaze back towards him.
They paused as if time had completely stopped, facing each other as the charged moment stretched with unspoken longing.
But as much as Caleb ached to, neither made a move to break the space between them, and he was begrudgingly grateful for their resolve.
He didn’t want either of them to do anything that would set them back from the promising friendship they’d just revived.
‘Thank you for dropping me home,’ Nyah whispered, her soft voice betraying a hint of yearning.
‘No worries.’ His heart tugged forcibly towards her.
‘We should all catch up for dinner again before I go back to Cairns.’ Her gaze lingered on his.
‘Definitely,’ he agreed wholeheartedly, the word carrying more weight than a simple agreement—it was an oath, a pledge to what might never be, but what he still wanted with all his heart.
‘Night then.’ Leaning in, she brushed a tender kiss on his cheek.
‘Night, Nyah.’ He gave her hand resting upon his knee a squeeze before she had the chance to pull it away. ‘Dream sweet.’ It was what they’d always said to each other, a lifetime ago.
Inhaling sharply, she blinked faster, then quickly recovered. ‘You too, Hart.’
Caleb gritted his teeth against his hunger to love her as he watched her climb out of his Troopy.
His headlights cut through the darkness, casting long shadows across the ground as she strode along up the gravel driveway, then to her bungalow.
He waited, making sure she was safely inside, before turning around and heading towards Hope’s cottage.
And as he drove in quiet contemplation, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirled within him.
His bond with Nyah was undeniable and growing stronger with every shared glance.
But he also sensed the weight she carried—the heavy cloak of grief draped over her shoulders and the haunted shadows that lingered within her beautiful eyes.
He needed, wanted, craved, more than ever, to rid her of such sorrow.
After pulling up in Hope’s driveway, he killed the engine and looked up at the starry sky, where the constellations seemed to whisper secrets across the vast expanse.
If only they could reveal the ones he so desperately needed, so he could finally bring Skye’s abductor to justice.
As helpless as he felt, he had to believe he was going to crack the cold case, one way or another.
Because Skye Love hadn’t disappeared into thin air.
Someone knew something. Someone was hiding the truth.
And that someone would pay. He’d make damn sure of it.
With one last look at the glimmering Southern Cross, he climbed out and opened the back door.
Slipping his arms beneath his sleeping sister, he watched her smile sleepily as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and cuddled into him.
After carrying her up to her front door, he placed her on her feet and helped her inside, making sure she was safe and sound before heading home, alone, and desperate for both Nyah Love and the truth.