“Why don’t you nap on the way home?” His heart squeezed. She’d changed his place from a house into a real home since she’d been there.
She smiled. “You don’t mind?”
He shook his head. It would give him time to get his head together.
It didn’t take long for her breathing to become regular and he concentrated on the road, battling his fatigue. Finally he turned into his drive and his stomach twisted at the burnt remains of his shed. The double doors were wide open revealing the blackened interior, charred wood, ash and water. The roof had a hole in the centre where the flames had burnt it out. It would take some work to fix it.
After the arson investigator went through, Jeremy would see just how much work. He didn’t want to mess with any evidence. The longer Henk and his gang stayed behind bars the better. He got out of the car and helped Zamira out.
“I’m so sorry about your shed,” she said.
He shrugged. “I can buy new stuff.”
She gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “What happened to Fetch?”
“Mai took him home with her after they finished mopping up the fire. He’s apparently terrorising her cat, Calypso.”
She chuckled.
He wrapped his arm around Zamira’s waist, needing to hold her, to reassure himself she was fine. They walked inside. “Do you need any more pain killers?” he asked as he switched on the kettle.
She shook her head. “What I need is you.” She hugged him. “I want to forget about everything that’s happened, forget about going home on Sunday and just be with you.”
He ached. Only three more nights.
It wouldn’t be fair to ask her to stay. Her life was in Melbourne. He bent down and kissed her, savouring the taste of her lips.
Mindful of her gunshot wound, he slid his hands down her side and pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. She fit so perfectly against him. He didn’t want to let her go.
The kettle boiled and he stepped back, swallowing down the words he wanted to say. “Do you want a cuppa?”
“I’m still exhausted. I need sleep more than anything.” She held out her hand. “Will you join me?”
That sounded perfect. He slid his hand into hers and they walked down the corridor to his bedroom. Slowly he helped her undress and she climbed into bed, her short, dark hair like a halo on the pillow.
He got in next to her, pulled her close, and she nestled her head against his chest. This was where she belonged. He squeezed his eyes shut as the pain in his heart increased. He wanted her to stay, wanted her to be part of his life.
“Sweet dreams,” she said, a smile in her voice.
“I love you.” Jeremy’s heart stopped as the words slipped out of his mouth and Zamira’s body tensed. Idiot!
Zamira tilted her head up, her eyes wide. “What did you say?”
He gritted his teeth, what else sounded similar? Fuck it. It was out now. He shrugged his shoulders. “I love you.”
She sat up, pursed her lips, studying him.
His face heated. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say it. It kinda slipped out. I know you’re going home on Sunday…” He shifted on to his elbow.
She put a finger on his mouth to stop him speaking. “Did you mean it?”
He nodded, ran his hand through his beard, his chest tight. Like he’d say something like that as a joke.
Her smile lit up her face. She placed her hand on his cheek, brushed her lips against his. “I love you, too.”
Hope speared through him, but he controlled it. “You don’t have to say it back.”
She laughed, rolled her eyes at him and kissed him hard. “It’s true. I’ve been miserable about the thought of leaving.” She kissed him again. “Franklin said there’s a job with the Task Force over here… I could move, I just need to find a place to stay…”
He ran his hand through her hair, pulled her closer, touched his forehead to hers. Joy filled him. “Move in with me. Please. When you went missing, and then when you fell off the trawler…” He huffed out a breath. “I’ve never been so scared. I want you with me.”
Her smile widened. “OK.” She kissed him again.
Was it that simple? His heart swelled. He would never get enough of her kisses, of her. His mind raced. He could make space in his wardrobe — hell, she could have a whole spare room if she needed it for her things. “I’ll finish my office.” Except he had no equipment anymore. His spirits fell. It would take time to replace everything that was destroyed.
She laughed and his spirits lifted again. “Hey, there’s no rush. We’ll work it out.” She squeezed his hand. “Besides we need to rebuild your shed first. I’ll help if you can teach me what to do.”
The thought of having Zamira with him while he rebuilt, teaching her, sharing his life, filled him with such incredible joy. “I can do that.”
Whatever life threw at them, they would get through it together.
Epilogue
It had been fourteen days since Jeremy had last seen Zamira in the flesh and fourteen very lonely nights. His weekend trip to Melbourne to meet her parents was far too long ago and Skype calls weren’t quite the same. He smirked. Though some had been very entertaining. He tapped his foot on the ground while he waited at the gates of the airport for her to disembark.
People walked past and he stood straight, scanning the faces, waiting to see the one who brought so much light into his life.
Why were there so many people on this damned flight?
He waited, and he waited and then finally he saw her beautiful face. His spirits lifted and he pushed past people and picked her up, spinning her around.
Zamira squealed. “Put me down!”
He lowered her to the ground, keeping her body pressed against him. “I missed you.” He kissed her and she pulled him closer, kissing him back, one leg wrapping around his. He groaned.
“Get a room,” someone yelled.
That was a very good idea. He wanted to bury himself inside her and never let her go.
He broke the kiss and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”
Zamira laughed. “I need to get my bag.”
Right. Of course. He’d helped her pack up her apartment and the things she’d wanted to keep were already on their way, being shipped across the country, but she needed clothes in the meantime.
They walked over to the carousel hand in hand. “What colour is your bag?”
“Red.”
He scanned the baggage claim but there were no red bags. He stepped in front of her, kissing her. “It’s not here. You might have to go naked.”
Her tongue teased him and he went hard as jarrah wood. As she went to pull away, he held her in place. “Give me a minute,” he murmured. Now he wished he hadn’t arranged what he had at his house.
She glanced down and grinned. “Oh look, there’s my bag.”
“Minx.” He breathed out, doing his thirteen times table and then let her go. “Which one?”
He picked it up and together they went out to his ute. “Mum and Dad dropped me at the airport,” Zamira said. “They’ve accepted my move. It helped that you charmed them so completely when you came over.”
He squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”
She frowned. “What for?”
“For moving here for me. I know it’s going to be hard at first and I know what you’ve given up for me.” No one had ever done anything like that for him before.
“Jeremy, I’m happy. I can’t wait to start my new job and get to know all your friends.”
That was going to happen sooner than she thought. He drove out of Albany Airport and towards Blackbridge.
In what seemed like no time, he turned into his driveway and swallowed his smile at all the cars in front of his house.
“What’s going on?”
He parked and got Zamira’s case out. He took her hand. “Shall we go and see?”
They walked inside to find a huge WELCOME TO BLACKBRIDGE sign hung along one of the walls in the
living area and his friends standing underneath it. Mai and Nicholas, Kim, Jamie, Adam, Elijah, as well as Fleur and Will, Kit and Lincoln, Hannah and Ryan. Even Moira and Ollie had made it. Mai stepped forward. “We wanted to be the first to welcome you to Blackbridge.” She smiled at Zamira.
Zamira brought a hand up to her mouth, her eyes glistening. “Thank you.” She glanced up at him. “Did you know about this?”
He smiled. “I wanted you to feel at home here.”
She kissed him hard. “Anywhere you are is home to me.”
His heart squeezed. He felt the same way.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed the book. It would be super awesome if you could leave a review wherever you bought it, because I love to hear what you thought of the story.
If you’ve only just discovered the coastal town of Blackbridge, make sure you check out the earlier Blackbridge Series.
If you’d like to read some of my other series, you can get the first books for free by joining my reader group.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks as always must go to the people who helped me research this book. Derek Stone from the Denmark Marine Rescue was kind enough to show me around their base and answer a bunch of questions, Matt Hartfield and the Water Police answered policing questions for me, and Rania answered my Muslim queries.
A huge thank you to my production team: Ida from Amygdala Design for the cover, Ann Harth for the structural edits and Teena Raffa-Mulligan for the copyedits.
Shield
First Response #2
Jamie’s story is coming soon. To find out when it’s released, sign up to my New Release newsletter
https://www.claireboston.com/new-release-signup/.
Want more Blackbridge Stories?
Make sure you check out The Blackbridge Series where you’ll get Hannah, Mai, Fleur and Kit’s stories.
https://www.claireboston.com/books/the-blackbridge-series/
Also by Claire Boston
The Texan Quartet
What Goes on Tour
All that Sparkles
Under the Covers
Into the Fire
The Flanagan Sisters
Break the Rules
Change of Heart
Blaze a Trail
Place to Belong
The Blackbridge Series
Nothing to Fear
Nothing to Gain
Nothing to Hide
Nothing to Lose
First Response Series
Shelter
Shield
Harbour
Protect
The Beginner Writer’s Toolkit
Self-Editing
About the Author
Claire Boston is a contemporary romance author who enjoys exploring real life issues on her way to the happily-ever-after. She writes heart-warming stories, with resilient heroines and heroes you’ll love. In 2014 she was nominated for an Australian Romance Readers Award for Favourite New Romance Author.
When Claire’s not writing she can be found creating her own handmade journals, swinging on a sidecar, or in the garden attempting to grow something other than weeds.
Claire lives in Western Australia with her husband, who loves even her most annoying quirks, and her grubby, but adorable Australian bulldog.
You can connect with Claire through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/clairebostonauthor) and Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/clairebauthor), or join her reader group (http://www.claireboston.com/reader-group/).
First published by Bantilly Publishing in 2019
Copyright © Claire Boston 2019
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or, in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Shelter: First Response Series
EPUB format: 978-1-925696-34-9
Mobi format: 78-1-925696-35-6
Print: 978-1-925696-36-3
Large Print: 978-1-925696-37-0
Cover design by Amygdala Design
Edited by Ann Harth
Proofread by Teena Raffa-Mulligan
SHELTER Page 23
