Dee’s heart began to throb and she panicked. Had he not heard her? Did he not love her? Did he think she was joking? Holy shit, she was going to have to say it again.
‘Travis, I love you.’
At last, Travis moved. He scrambled from his chair and dropped to his knees on the floor beside her.
‘What did you say?’ he breathed again, his voice barely a whisper.
‘Are you seriously going to make me say it again? When you haven’t even said anything back,’ she cried.
He smiled and took hold of her hand. His smile grew wider and a little more mischievous. ‘Yes. Say it again.’
‘I love you, Travis,’ she told him.
Travis scrambled to his feet.
‘Cool,’ he said with a shrug.
Her heart hovered now; it froze inside her chest as if unsure whether it should continue beating.
But then, Travis slid his hand into hers and pulled her to a standing position. He wrapped his arms around her, and his cheek found hers. His breath caressed her skin and he nestled his nose and mouth against her ear.
‘Dee, it is not possible for you to love me more than I love you.’
Dee stood back, staring at him with disbelief.
‘What did you just say?’ she asked him, and it was her turn to smile.
‘Dee, I love you,’ he declared. ‘Also, I think we both need hearing aids.’
38
While Friday night was filled with bone-quivering sex, Saturday morning was filled with good news and cuddles for Annie.
‘So, you’re not going anywhere and we get to have breakfast at Tammy’s? Yes!’ She fist-pumped the air. ‘Are you guys going to get married? Like Anna and Kristoff?’
‘We’re not sure,’ Dee said, taking a sip of her coffee.
‘Probably,’ Travis told her, which made Dee smile.
She left Travis and Annie to get ready for breakfast while she called Christian. She needed to decline Christian’s job offer, but Jo soon hijacked the call with loud screams and girl talk.
When Jo eventually passed the phone back to Christian, Dee explained the situation.
‘I am the last person to judge you for this,’ Christian said softly. ‘After all, I gave up things for love, too. And I can’t say that I regret it.’
‘Will you stay on at the factory?’ he asked.
‘I want to,’ Dee said, ‘but can I ask something of you first?’
‘Depends what it is,’ Christian said. The heir to the Olsen empire had a heart of gold when it came to love and family, but a heart of steel when it came to business.
‘Can you give me three months to get the factory back on track before you make a decision about closing it?’
Dee had courage and confidence in herself and her staff. She knew that if they were given time, they would make the factory work.
Working in a paper factory was not her dream job, but she was committed to seeing it through to the end—or at least until she’d made the changes that would see it become viable. Besides, her career was only part of her life now. Just a slice, not the whole pie.
The phone call ended with Christian agreeing to the three-month trial, and he promised to check in with her on Monday to confirm the details.
Dee opted for coffee and a muffin at Tammy’s, while Annie and Travis ordered bacon and egg sandwiches.
‘We should just not eat at home anymore,’ Annie suggested. ‘We should eat here all the time.’
Travis gave his daughter a dubious look. ‘Not happening,’ he quipped.
‘Well, I think it is a good plan,’ Annie argued.
Dee backed up Trav. ‘Tammy’s food is great, but it’s sometimes food, Annie. Don’t you think you’d get sick of it if you ate it every single day?’
‘I suppose.’ Annie reached out and took a mighty bite of her sandwich, clearly happy and at peace with the world.
‘So, what are we doing today?’ she asked through a mouthful. ‘Can we go to Grandma’s?’
Last night, after one of their many lovemaking sessions, Travis had told Dee about his Mum’s good news. Yet another cause for celebration.
‘We can,’ Trav said.
‘And can we pick up Pete and Chloe on the way?’ she asked.
Dee and Travis shared a knowing look.
Travis smiled at Annie. ‘We can pick up Chloe,’ he said. ‘But Pete has gone away for a while.’
Dee caught the sadness in his tone and she gave his thigh a squeeze.
‘Okay.’ Annie seemed nonplussed. ‘Let’s get Chloe then!’
They drove through the hills with the windows down. The wind howled in and around the car, but nobody minded.
When they stepped out at Dianne’s house, Dianne was already outside, her arms raised as she let the wind sweep in and up and around her, while Toby barked and spun at her feet.
Annie ran to her grandmother, held her arms aloft and did the same, giggling all the while. Chloe was next. She held one hand over her protruding stomach, while she held the other out to capture the wind. She smiled and Dee was glad to see it. The poor woman hadn’t had much to smile about of late.
Dee and Travis joined the group. They held up their hands and looked at each other as the wind whispered and lifted their clothes. Travis winked at her, and Dee winked back. The future was a little uncertain—there were no guarantees about the factory or Dianne’s health, or about Pete. But at least they knew they had each other, and today … today they had the cold wind of the hills to make them laugh.
Also by Eliza Bennetts:
Seasons Series
Summer at Urchin’s Bluff
Autumn at Blaxland Falls
Winter in Mason Valley
Summer at Urchin’s Bluff
Seasons – Book 1
By Eliza Bennetts
Emma Stapleton’s husband was a good guy. At least, that’s what she’d thought before he dumped their fourteen-year marriage down the toilet. She and her twelve-year-old son are left reeling, and a holiday to the beautiful beachside town of Urchin’s Bluff promises to be an escape for them both.
Emma plans to enjoy the small-town charm, swimming, and spending time with her best friend, Jane. However, a chance meeting with Cole Merchant—local firefighter and chronic bachelor—sets her pulse racing. Too bad Emma’s sworn off men.
While she unwinds in the quaint beachside setting, Emma falls in love with life by the sea … and the locals steal her heart as well. Just when it looks as if everything is about to come together for Emma, disaster comes calling—in more ways than one.
Ebook available at Amazon, click HERE
Paperbacks from Booktopia, Book Depository and Amazon
Autumn at Blaxland Falls
Seasons – Book 2
By Eliza Bennetts
For Joanna Mendis, Blaxland Falls is full of bad memories and ghosts of the past.
The thought of returning to her hometown makes her feel physically ill, but a job offer she can’t refuse is enough to lure her back. With her teenage daughter Sasha by her side, Jo tries to make a new life in her old home.
Her plight is made somewhat sweeter by the fact that her new boss is a hunky Norwegian billionaire, and her job as a cleaner is set in a beautifully designed boutique hotel.
Blaxland Falls is a stunning town, and work is … interesting, but that doesn’t stop the ghosts of the past from rearing their heads. Her arrival in town makes some people very uncomfortable, and as much as she tries to push her past behind her, Jo soon learns that the darkest secrets always refuse to die.
Ebook available at Amazon, click HERE
Paperbacks from Booktopia, Book Depository and Amazon
Author’s Note
I love to daydream and write, usually in that order, and since I was old enough to hold a crayon in my chubby hand, I’ve been creating stories.
While I may never be able to equal the brilliance of those fables I crafted as a four-year-old, I now enjoy writing stories about heroes and hero
ines who’ve lived a little. I specialise in women’s fiction and romance stories with protagonists who are thirty-five years or older. This is a genre known as “seasoned romance”.
Thank you for reading Winter in Mason Valley – Seasons Book 3. I love hearing from readers and I especially love sharing the latest news about my writing and other bits and pieces through my newsletter. Sign-up below!
Sign-up or visit online : ElizaBennetts.comelizabennetts.com
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Eliza Bennetts completed her Bachelor Degree (English Literature) at La Trobe University in Melbourne.
She is now a schoolteacher and lives in the bayside city of Geelong with her husband and two sons.
Acknowledgments
To Libby Iriks from Perfect Pear Editing, thank you again for your support and guidance. I love working with you.
Thanks again to Mila from Mila Graphic Artist for nailing the cover. Somehow, you’re able to translate my word vomit into the perfect visual.
To the members of the Romance Writers of Australia, thank you for being such a warm, sharing and supportive group. You make passing through the veil into the world of being a writer that much less scary.
To Dan, for being the man! Thanks for proofreading and encouraging me to keep going when I’m racked by self-doubt.
Lastly, thank you to my readers. You are the reason I do it. I hope my books brighten your days. Hugs x
Winter in Mason Valley Page 23
