Chapter Twenty
CHAPTER
Almost two weeks after Caleb’s weeklong whirlwind trip up north, Nyah found herself heading back to Wildstone, but it wasn’t for pleasure.
With her dad given the all-clear to fly, the time had come for them to pay their respects to Skye’s memory in the township where she’d lived.
It had brought fragile emotions to the surface—another final goodbye in a matter of months was a hard pill to swallow.
A few blissful nights with Caleb before her sister’s memorial was going to be just what the doctor ordered for her aching heart, that was for sure.
She’d missed him like crazy for the twelve nights they’d been apart.
It made her even more grateful for his decision to move to Cairns to be with her.
A long-distance relationship would have been impossible.
The engines of the small aircraft gradually quieted, their low hum blending into the quiet bustle that always accompanied arrivals at Wildstone’s modest airstrip.
With only two flights a week in and out of the small town from Cairns, mostly for the nearby miners, she’d been lucky to nab a seat, as had her dad and Rae, who would arrive in a few days’ time.
Her heart racing at the thought of being able to tumble into Caleb’s arms, she stepped out and onto the tarmac where the familiar scent of sun-charred earth welcomed her.
Striding out with her luggage in tow, she couldn’t wait to get to her man.
‘Welcome back, Ny.’ Caleb’s smooth voice reached her as soon as she stepped through the sliding doors.
‘Caleb!’ The sight of him standing there—strong, dependable, a constant amid the ever-changing tides of her life, and drop-dead handsome to boot—brought a wide smile to her lips. Quickly closing the distance then wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him again and again. ‘I’ve missed you!’
Caleb’s hands found hers, their fingers intertwining as if they were two halves of a whole. ‘I missed you more than words can express,’ he replied, his voice husky with emotion. ‘Being apart from you felt like a piece of me was missing.’
They stood there for a few beautiful breaths longer, locked in each other’s gazes, savouring the moment and embedding themselves in the certainty of their love.
Smiling from ear to ear, he reached down and grabbed her carry-on case. ‘Let’s get you back to the homestead, so we can catch up properly.’ The sexy glint in his eyes told her exactly what they were going to do when they got there.
With that in mind, the drive back to his place couldn’t go fast enough for her—or, clearly, for Caleb.
As soon as they were out of his Troopy and inside the homestead, he pulled her into his arms, his touch igniting a familiar flame within her.
Pressing her against the wall, he held her hands against it, and for a few breath-held moments, they stared into each other’s souls.
Bending to bring his lips to hers, their kisses were sweet and urgent, a physical affirmation of the deep connection that bound them together.
Stumbling down the hallway, their clothes were shed in a frenzy of desire, and after eventually making it up the staircase, they tumbled into his king-sized bed, their bodies seeking solace and pleasure in each other’s passionate embrace.
As they moved together in a dance as old as time itself, their souls intertwined, becoming one in a symphony of passion and love that knew no bounds.
Their lovemaking was a combination of raw emotion and unspoken words, each kiss, each tender bite, each feathering and desperate touch bolstering their shared desire.
Settling herself on top of him, Nyah held tight to the bedhead as she moved her hips in unison with his.
Climbing higher and higher, then hovering on the brink of euphoria, she lost control in the whirlwind of rising pleasure, surrendering all of her in throes of ecstasy.
Pulling her to him, Caleb groaned into her neck, his cries of pleasure amplifying hers.
In the hazy afterglow, she rested her chin on his abs and traced lazy patterns on his chest, feeling the contentment of their deep connection wash over her like gentle waves upon a shore.
Pressing up to meet his lips, she shared a lingering kiss then nestled in closer to him, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat as he stroked her hair.
Every beat was a note in a comforting serenade that whispered promises of forever in her ear.
How good it felt to be back with the only man she’d ever truly loved, and this time around she knew, innately, it was an eternal kind of connection.
‘I love you,’ Caleb murmured, his voice a tender caress.
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with all the love and adoration she felt for this man who’d become her everything. ‘And I love you,’ she replied as she met his gaze with unwavering intensity.
In that moment, surrounded by the warmth of their entwined bodies and the soft glow of the moonlight now filtering through the window, she felt a profound sense of peace settle as her eyes drifted shut, and she floated into one of the most serene sleeps she’d had in years.
***
Two days later, Nyah’s buoyed heart squeezed tight at the weight of the next day’s task—but amid all the sadness, there was a glimmer of warmth at the thought of the township coming together to honour Skye.
Even with the hate campaign her mother had waged after her father left town, many people still respected him there—many more than Nyah had known until now.
And that made her feel less like an intruder.
More understood, even. Now, standing in the centre of her childhood home with a bag of memorabilia in hand, she tried not to lose all hope.
The house still hadn’t sold, but with an auction planned in the coming weeks if no buyers snatched it up after the open home that weekend, she was optimistic it would sell under the auctioneer’s hammer.
Her mother had left with quite a bit of debt, and she didn’t want to empty her own bank account to cover the costs.
Turning in a circle, she eyed the once vibrant walls, now faded and peeling.
The ringing silence that had settled like a thick layer of dust since Skye’s disappearance echoed off the bare floors and empty rooms. Outside, time moved on as sunlight streamed through the tattered lace curtains, casting warm patterns on the worn carpet where she and Skye had danced barefoot as children, their laughter filling the quiet countryside.
Making herself comfortable in the middle of the bare lounge room, she crossed her legs and placed the photo album she’d brought along with her into her lap.
With hands that trembled ever so slightly, she carefully turned the pages of the album, taking time to appreciate each seized memory.
Faded photographs captured Skye’s infectious smile and her own wild spirit.
In a few, they were at the beach on their annual vacation.
In one, Skye’s hair was tousled by the sea breeze, her blue eyes squinting against the bright sunshine.
Standing closely beside Skye, with matching blue eyes, Nyah had her hand clasped tightly in her little sister’s.
In another, Skye was perched triumphantly atop an old tractor, after beating Nyah to the seat.
They were always playfully competing. Childhood fun, sisterly love.
Tracing her fingers over Skye’s smiling face, her heart longed for a way to bring her back to life.
Glancing up at the sun-drenched window, she took a deep breath. ‘I miss you, little sis,’ she whispered into the air where the dust motes sparkled. ‘I hope you can be at peace now.’
After sitting for a little while longer, she rose, wandered the house at an easy pace, then headed towards the front door where she pulled on the new R.M.
Williams boots Caleb had gifted her. Feeling the soft leather hug her feet like an old friend, she smiled to herself as she traipsed down the front steps and back towards Caleb’s Troopy.
With determination fuelled by love and loss, she hopped behind the wheel, revved the engine to life, then spun around and headed back towards the main street of Wildstone, and the man she loved with all her heart.
Parking outside of the police station, she smiled when she hopped out and bumped into a familiar face. ‘Oh hey, Mrs Patterson.’
‘Nyah, hi.’ The elderly woman smiled kindly. ‘How are you holding up?’
‘As well as to be expected,’ she replied to the sweet woman who’d taught her and Skye how to bake Anzac biscuits, and how to dunk them into milk without losing half of it.
‘That’s good, love.’ Mrs Patterson reached out, her wrinkled hand gripping Nyah’s with surprising strength, and her own eyes misty with remembrance. ‘And when will your dad be arriving?’
‘He and Rae are getting here tomorrow morning, just in time for the memorial.’
‘Okay, well, I will see you all there.’ Her smile was overwhelmingly heartfelt.
‘It will be lovely to have you with us, Mrs Patterson.’ Nyah blinked faster, emotions overcoming her. ‘Skye always adored you.’
‘I always adored her too, Nyah.’ Mrs Patterson sniffed. ‘And you, too, of course. Both of you were such lovely children.’ She raised a hand and touched Nyah’s cheek. ‘And you’ve turned into a beautiful young woman, too. Caleb’s a very lucky man.’
‘Aww, that’s so sweet of you to say.’ Nyah smiled from her heart. ‘Thank you.’
The next day rolled around in what felt like the blink of an eye.
After picking up her father and Rae at the airport, it was early afternoon when they arrived at the park they’d chosen for the get-together.
With the breeze picking up, the towering trees seemed to whisper secrets to one another as the townspeople gathered beneath the dappled shade, forming a sea of faces marked by lines of hardship, laughter and time.