A Dusty Christmas

by Lilliana Rose

  She’d spent the last few hours worrying about Blaise, and if he were even going to be around. She deliberately hadn’t called or messaged him. They needed to speak in person. It had been hard to resist contacting him. What helped keep her steady in her decision was that she didn’t want Aaron to overhear the conversation or read a text message. The last half hour felt like forever as she sped toward Acacia Plains.

  Dusty hoped that Blaise would be there, so they could talk.

  She parked the ute at the back of the house.

  “You can go home now. Thanks for your help.” She paused. “You get that I will never choose you.”

  Aaron glared at her then gave a slight nod of his head.

  “Don’t bloody forget it.”

  Dusty opened the driver’s door and got out. Ted rushed up to greet her, jumping up so his paws rested on her hips.

  “Hey, boy, you been looking after the place.” She gave him a big, long scratch behind his ears.

  “About time you got home.”

  She looked up and smiled at Blaise walking toward her.

  “Blaise.” She rushed to him, and embraced his body, glad that he opened his arms to receive her. He felt good in her arms. Against her. She nestled into the base of his neck for a moment, enjoying how they reconnected too easily despite all that had been forcing them apart.

  She had to make things clear to him.

  So, she pulled away, and looked him square in the eyes. “Nothing happened. I want you to know that. And know that it is true.”

  He nodded.

  She noticed he looked past her, so she turned, seeing Aaron limping over to his ute.

  “I had to sort him out. He’s finally got it that I choose you.”

  “He has?”

  “Hey, I don’t care if he hasn’t. I don’t mind if I have to kick his balls until he does gets it.”

  “Good, now what happened?”

  “Nothing.” She said the word with all her heart.

  “That’s not really what I want to hear.”

  She looked at him confused.

  He smiled. “There was something else you told me, something else I’d rather hear you say.

  She took a moment to realize what it was. “Oh…”

  He raised his eyebrow, waiting.

  “I love you.” She grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “I love you, too.”

  Monday, December 23rd, 2019

  Dusty was on the last round of the wheat crop. She’d taken time this morning to take a truckload to the silos, which meant now she could empty the combine straight into the bin on the truck, and all being well, take the last load to the silos tomorrow morning. Then she would clean the equipment, and she would then be officially finished before Christmas.

  She planned to spend a few days relaxing, and more importantly, time with Blaise. She wanted him to stay in her life. She was sure of it now. Yet, it was still a big step, and she hadn’t told him. It was getting difficult to keep it a secret, though. He had been going back to his rental in Wilkton in the evenings, so she hadn’t seen a lot of him.

  Things had settled between them after the trip with Aaron to Melbourne. She was glad that Blaise trusted and believed what she told him. It was the truth, after all.

  One thing niggled at her—Blaise’s Christmas present. Dusty wasn’t big on gifts, but this year being their first Christmas together meant that she wanted to make an effort. She’d had an idea, but with each round of the paddock, she doubted herself.

  Would the gift be enough?

  Was it really a gift?

  It was what Blaise wanted, and she was ready to give it to him.

  The biggest issue was that she was simply running out of time, and she didn’t have time to go to the local shops.

  She turned the combine for the final time and finished the last of the crops for this year.

  Done.

  Satisfaction welled inside of her. She hadn’t thought she’d manage to finish before Christmas. Relief washed over her while a tear slipped down her cheek. Another year nearly over, and the hard work was paying off.

  Staying focussed, she drove to the truck and emptied the last load from the combine. It had been a difficult week, but now, as she finished, she needed to turn her attention to Blaise and their future together.

  Tuesday, December 24th, 2019 – Christmas Eve

  Blaise couldn’t believe that he managed to keep Claire’s secret of moving out. During the last few days, they had made trip after trip into Wilkton to drop off the things she wanted to have with her. It was made a lot easier with Dusty hell-bent on finishing the harvest.

  She had, yesterday. This morning she was taking the last truckload to the silos. She looked exhausted but happy that she’d done it.

  Now, he was strolling along the eucalyptus trees around the fence line on the side paddock next to the house, looking for ideas for a gift for Dusty. He had a few ideas, and with Claire cooking up desserts after desserts in the house, he had a bit of time to himself.

  He’d closed the books for the holiday season, and it felt good to be looking forward to Christmas with Dusty, spending more time with her, and seeing where that would lead them as a couple.

  Blaise spied something that he thought would help make the perfect gift for Dusty. Bending down, he picked it up. He needed to add a few things, and he knew just what to do.

  With Ted and Molly racing around him as he walked across the paddock back to the house, he headed back inside. Dusty had promised she would be back before dinner tonight. He was very much looking forward to that actually happening. Things seemed to take longer on the farm, so he’d already decided that if she were late, he wouldn’t hold it against her.

  First things first, he needed to finish her gift.

  Dusty had been true to her word. She was proud of her efforts to get the harvest finished, the grain delivered, and the machinery cleaned and back in the shed for another year. It was satisfying.

  Showered, in clean jeans and shirt, she sat at the table with Blaise and her mom, eating a light meal of chops and mashed potatoes with carrots and beans. Tomorrow she planned to overeat and enjoy her mom’s cooking, then chill with Blaise.

  On Boxing Day, she’d agreed to go with him to visit his parents. Spend a few days there. They were starting to do more things which showed they were a couple. The fear that had previously fluttered in her belly about this was gone. She was confident in her decision. And what she was going to announce to Blaise tonight.

  Her mom was coming with them, and she was going to stay with her sister, Jody. Jody had decided to stay in Adelaide with her boyfriend on Christmas Day, much to her mom’s disappointment. So, she had decided to invite herself to stay with Jody.

  “At this rate, I won’t be hungry tomorrow,” said Blaise as he finished his meal. “No dessert for me.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Dusty.

  Blaise always had dessert.

  “Yep.” He leaned back and patted his stomach.

  “I’ve made an apple crumble pie,” said Claire.

  “A small piece then,” said Blaise.

  “That’s more like you.” Dusty smiled. To think she was nearly going to be too scared to have a future with him, and that she’d been running the risk of losing him. But not now.

  “Before dessert, I have an announcement,” said Claire.

  Blaise looked a little sly.

  “What?” asked Dusty. She had a sneaky suspicion they had both been up to something.

  “I’m moving out.”

  “No.” Dusty’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t. This is your home. You don’t have anywhere to go.”

  “I do. I had a little nest egg of my own, and I’ve now got a room in the retirement home at Wilkton.” Claire looked at her daughter. “You don’t need me around now. You’re going to start your own family.”

  “I can do that with you still living here.”

  “Maybe, but you two need your sp
ace to get adjusted to each other.”

  “When did this all happen?” She turned to Blaise. “Did you enable her?”

  “I had no choice.”

  Dusty rolled her eyes. “Sure, you didn’t.”

  “It’s done, Dusty. And you will live here.”

  Dusty nodded. “This might just put a dampener on my gift to you, Blaise.”

  “Not possible.” He grinned at her.

  She put her hand on his arm. “I’ve made a decision.” She looked directly into his eyes, seeing a flash of worry. “I want you to move in with me.”

  Blaise jumped up and fist punched the air in his excitement.

  “About time,” said Claire.

  Blaise leaned down and planted a long kiss on Dusty’s lips. “No dampener at all, and it’s the best gift you could ever give me.”

  Dusty breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”

  “Since we’re giving out gifts,” said Blaise. He slipped out of the kitchen and came back holding a small white gift box. “Merry Christmas, Dusty.” He handed her the gift.

  Her heart skipped as she took the small box, undid the golden bow, and lifted the lid. She smiled. Inside was a double gum nut, sprayed golden, with twisted wire around the top to form a loop so it could be hung on the tree.

  “You listened to me,” she spoke softly.

  “Of course.” He grinned at her.

  “This will be the perfect addition to the Christmas tree.” She looked at him, kissed him, feeling his heart joining with hers.

  “The first of many.” His eyes glowed with hope.

  “Yes, the first of many,” she answered him back with a certainty she never knew she had.

  “Does this mean I can tell my friends over our coffee catch-up next week that you’re both engaged?” asked Claire.

  “Mom, you’re—”

  “Fine with me,” Blaise interrupted. “Dusty? Will you marry me?”

  Dusty giggled. Paused. Looked into his eyes again and felt herself melting with him. It was natural with him. A bit rocky at times, but hell, she never took the easy, smooth road. His look fueled a fire of passion within her.

  There was only one answer to speak.

  “Yes.”

  Dusty and Blaise relaxed together, the two of them on the couch listening to carols play from the stereo.

  Dusty sighed happily. This was the content feeling she’d been hoping for with the crops safely reaped and delivered, and now spending time with Blaise. It had been a long job, but a job well done. She was exhausted, and her body ached. But it didn’t matter. The feeling of love with Blaise and the satisfaction of a job well done more than made up for it.

  She nestled into him, holding him close, enjoying the flicker of the Christmas lights in the room. Her gift from Blaise, a double gum nut, catching her eye and causing her to smile.

  “You do know I’m missing the ring on my finger,” she teased.

  “You do know I wasn’t at all planning to propose to you tonight. I didn’t want to rush you.”

  “I’ve been a bit cautious.”

  “We’re on track together now.” He squeezed her tight.

  “We are.” She didn’t care about the ring so much because everything felt right to her. That was what really mattered.

  Dusty realized it was just past midnight.

  “Merry Christmas.” She kissed Blaise on the cheek. His skin soft, hot, and delightful to touch with her lips.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  It felt great to have this time together, but it was so much more.

  An engagement.

  A promise.

  There was a future together.

  And she didn’t need to worry otherwise.

  “The first of many together.”

  “I look forward to every one of them with you.”

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  Thank you Kaylene for editing and formatting, and always having time to offer support and advice.

  Thanks to Kelly Dennis for a sexy, hot cover design.

  Thanks to my sisters for their support of their crazy sister who is a writer, and my toddler boy for being well-behaved so I can still have time to write and nurture my soul.

  Thanks to my dog Kimba, for reminding me when it’s time to eat and to go to bed, and for simply just lying there next to me or at my feet, being that extra life in the room, so the writing journey isn’t so lonely.

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  Lilliana is an Amazon bestselling author, who writes in contemporary romance. She grew up on a sheep farm in Australia, then swapped her workbooks for city heels, and now lives in the city. She enjoys drawing on the contrast between country and city life in the contemporary romance she writes. For her moving to the city was like coming to a different country.

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