by Annie Seaton
Trust. The strangest dream.
After she’d showered, Rosie headed for the kitchen, picking up the water glass on the way. Sally came in the back door, carrying her walking shoes.
“How was dinner?” She looked closely at Rosie. “You look dreadful.”
“Head cold.” She held up the glass. “Did you bring me a glass of water through the night?”
Sally shot her a cheeky grin. “I wouldn’t have been game to come anywhere near your room through the night. I didn’t want to interrupt anything.”
Rosie flopped onto a chair as Sally filled the kettle. “You wouldn’t have. I blew it.”
The door flung open and Sonia burst into the room. “So what’s the deal? What happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“Taj packed up and left early this morning. He drove out as I was coming back from my walk.” Sonia stared at Rosie. “You look dreadful. Have you been crying? Did you have a fight?”
“No, I have a cold and no, we didn’t have a fight.” Rosie grabbed for her tissue as she sneezed. “Sonia, did you bring me a glass of water through the night?”
“No. I didn’t know you were sick. So where’s he gone?”
Rosie shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“What about the house?” Sally’s voice was calm.
“I guess we’re all going to have to find somewhere else to live.”
Chapter 15
Rosie called Mr. Pepper to see what was going to happen now that Taj had decided not to stay for the three months.
“We don’t have to worry until the time is up. But if you want to, you can still come in and sign the contract I drew up. I thought that was quite a workable solution, Miss Pemberton.”
“I’ll give it some thought, thank you.”
Not likely. She was being polite.
Rosie disconnected the call and tried to push away that gloom that had hung over her since Taj had offered to buy her out. She knew she had been unfair to him and she’d blown it. It had been an overly generous offer that he hadn’t needed to make and he had not forgotten Sally and Sonia either. Losing her parents and not being wanted by anyone until Aggie had come along, had left her wary of trust. To be fair, she knew that Taj had come up with a workable solution, and she’d over reacted. What she hadn’t believed was that he’d said he wanted to see her more.
She let out a sigh as she stared at the surf. He had come into her life for a week. Could she really have fallen in love with the flesh and blood Taj Brown in a week?
Trust. That strange dream of Aggie sitting beside her wouldn’t leave her. Rosie wasn’t so sure it had been a dream. It was time to take control and trust her feelings. It was time to take a risk with trust.
He’s falling in love with you, you know.
TAJ TOOK THE LIFT DOWN from Mr. Pepper’s office and glanced into the coffee shop on the ground floor. Everywhere he looked there was a memory of Rosie. Hell, he couldn’t even take a shower without thinking of her. Now that he didn’t need to stay in Sydney, he was going to head to California and leave it all behind him.
The legalities of the house on the hill were underway and he could forget all about it. Forget all about his dysfunctional family, Aunt Agatha, and more to the point, a black-haired, rosy-lipped woman who had stolen his heart.
Time to move on.
The traffic from Bondi Junction into town was heavy as the afternoon peak hour approached. Lost in his thoughts, he missed the entrance to the Cross City Tunnel and ended up in the back streets of Rushcutters Bay before he got back the main road and tried again. His mood worsened as he sat in the line of traffic. Maybe he’d forget the States; maybe he should go to the Maldives where life was slower.
He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. Damn, he didn’t want to go anywhere apart from that house on the hill at the top of Bondi Beach. But the problem was, he knew he wasn’t welcome.
He left his car with the parking valet at the Intercontinental, and slowly climbed the marble stairs to the foyer. He’d call the airport and change his flight. Surfing in the Maldives appealed more than anything. Almost.
If he couldn’t have what he wanted, he’d go and find the best waves he could.
“Taj.”
He stopped and turned as the soft voice reached him. A tiny sliver of hope unfurled in his chest but he pushed it away, not daring to hope.
“Rosie. What are you doing here?”
“I...I wanted to talk to you.” Her cheeks were flushed and her nose was red. But she was beautiful.
“Do you want to come up to my room, or sit in the lounge down here?”
“Your room would be fine.”
He led her across to the bank of lifts that led to his suite. They stood silently as the lift whizzed them up to the fourteenth floor. He held his security card above the lock until the light turned green and reached past her to open the door, standing back as she stepped inside.
His suite had a magnificent view over the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Two red leather sofas flanked the window that looked out over the vista.
“Sydney’s a beautiful city, isn’t it?” Her voice was scratchy, and she lifted a tissue to wipe her nose as she sat on one of the sofas. Taj sat opposite her on the other one. Even with her red nose and puffy eyes, she was beautiful and he couldn’t trust himself not to touch her.
“It is. What are you doing here, Rosie? Has Mr. Pepper called you already?”
“Mr. Pepper? No, I called him the other day to see what we had to do now that we weren’t living together for the three months. Why would he call me?”
“Before I tell you why, you tell me why you’re here to see me.”
She raised her eyes and held his gaze and he leaned forward. His fingers ached with the need to touch her. But he waited.
She cleared her throat nervously. “Can I ask you something first?”
He nodded but her question was unexpected. “The other night before you left, did you bring me a glass of water?”
“No.” He stared at her as a slow smile sweetened her face. Every nerve ending in his body stirred.
“Aggie came to see me. She told me I had to trust.” Her hands moved jerkily as she reached up and gripped them in front of her chest. “I’m sorry I was so quick to judge you the other night.” He watched as she flexed her fingers, curling them and uncurling them. When he lifted his gaze to meet her eyes, he was surprised to see a sheen of tears.
She rushed on and her words fell over each other. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve only known you a short time, but I think Aggie was right in putting us together. I just wanted you to know that before you go anywhere. And I don’t care about the house on the hill. It’s only a house and we’ll manage. Whatever you decide to do.”
Taj stood up and held her gaze as he sat beside her. He reached out and took her clasped hands with his. Her fingers were icy cold.
“The house is yours.”
“What?” Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “It can’t be. If we didn’t make the three months it had to be sold.”
“It has been sold. I bought it and the money has gone to the foster children like Aggie wanted. But I have given the house over to you. Mr. Pepper will have the documents ready for you next week. I thought that’s why you were here.”
“No, that’s not fair. It’s your family house.”
Taj took her face between his hands and ignored the rush of feeling that shot through him. “No, Rosie. It belongs to you. You were Aggie’s family. You were the one who loved her and looked after her, while the rest of her family abandoned her. Mr. Pepper told me why they cut her off and it was all to do with greed and money. I’m not proud of the Brown family.”
“Oh, Taj. Aggie was right. She told me to trust and—”
“What else did she say?”
“You really believe that she visited me?”
“Rosie, I trust you. If you say Aggie came to visit, then she did. What else were you going to say?”
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Her fair skin deepened with a blush and the look in her eyes as she gazed up at him was enough for Taj.
“She told me you would fall in love with me,” she said shyly. “So it was obviously a dream.”
“A dream you wanted to come true?”
Rosie nodded. For a long minute he held her gaze and he saw everything there that he wanted to see.
He pulled her to him gently and smiled as he lowered his lips to meet hers, but she pulled back.
“You’ll catch my cold.”
“I don’t care. I’ll take anything you want to share with me.”
Epilogue
Five years later
“Hurry up, Theo. The surf’s waiting.”
Rosie looked up and grinned at Taj as he hitched the boogie board under his arm and held out his hand to the four-year old boy who was sliding down the grassy hill. His little board shorts were covered with grass stains, and his long golden curls were full of grass and twigs.
“Mummy, Theo’s pants are dirty.” His twin sister carried her own boogie board and looked impatiently at her brother. “Hurry up, Theo. The waves are waiting for us.”
Taj waited for them to catch up and smiled at his wife. “Surf does look good.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Makes up for this pair of grommets getting us out of bed so early.”
“We can always hope they have a sleep this afternoon.” Rosie grinned back at him. She looked up at the house; the renovations were almost finished and the house had been restored to the former glory of a 1930s mansion.
“Look, the builders have painted the widow’s walk. She frowned and blinked as the sun glinted on the railing. For a moment, she could have sworn that she caught a glimpse of a tall graceful lady in a long purple dress, standing on the narrow balcony at the top of the house on the hill.
Taj lifted a hand and waved.
Rosie’s mouth dropped open. “Who are you waving to?”
“Aunt Agatha.” He leaned in and kissed her as the children ran ahead. “She was right, you know.”
Rosie’s lips opened beneath those of the man she loved with all of her heart. The man who’d just won the world surfing championship for the fourth consecutive year. As they’d travelled the world, they’d supervised the house renovations from afar. She lifted her head and stared over Taj’s shoulder as the wisp of purple faded into pale blue autumn sky.
“Thanks, Aggie,” she whispered.
Glossary of Aussie Words
arse: the rump; bottom; buttocks; posterior, ass (US)
boogie board: a small lightweight surfboard, usually ridden lying down
bonnet (car): hood
crikey: a mild oath or expression of surprise
garbage bin: trash can
gawking: staring
grommet: a surfer under the age of sixteen years
Jackson Pollock: a famous artist
lift: elevator
Mallee bull: a saying, fit as a Mallee bull, or strong as a Mallee bull, meaning very fit or strong
rellie: relative
solicitor: attorney
windscreen: windshield
yakking: empty conversation
This story also has Australian spelling where we use the ‘s ’ instead of ‘z’, in words such realise, specialise, ostracise etc, and sceptical for skeptical.
Acknowledgments
A special thank you to my wonderful editor, Susanne Bellamy.
You polish my sentences until they shine.
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The door behind her creaked open and she put her head down and kept going, determined to ignore him.
“Morning, sweets.” She stopped walking and turned around. The posh accent was at odds with the sight of the laid-back man leaning against the doorframe who lifted his cup and nodded at her.
Megan’s breath caught in her throat and she stared at him unabashedly. Tight, low-slung black jeans were unbuttoned and his chest was bare. Her mouth dried as her gaze rose from his bare feet, up his legs, and skittered past the dark V of hair running into the top of his open jeans, and farther up to sleep-rumpled hair, with sexy dark stubble covering his strong jaw. He was a dead ringer for his uncle. He could have stepped straight from one of the posters that used to cover her walls.
“Cat got your tongue?”
Last night she hadn’t noticed what a beautiful speaking voice he had. Deep and smooth with a melodious hint of a Welsh accent, but the hard line of his jaw and his closed expression didn’t quite fit with the sexy voice. She held his gaze and drew a quick breath. Dark-blue eyes surrounded by long dark eyelashes stared back at her. His unsmiling gaze was fixed on her face but she still self-consciously tugged her crumpled T-shirt down over her bare midriff without speaking.
“Ah, she has lost her voice.” He said to no one in particular before tipping the mug to his mouth and taking a sip. The smell of freshly brewed coffee drifted across and Megan’s nose twitched. She put her suitcase down and pulled herself up straight, meeting his gaze.
“No, I haven’t lost my voice,” she said. “I was wondering if I could speak to you without getting another crude proposition.”
He laughed. “Up to you, sweetheart. But it wouldn’t be a bad way to start the day, if you are interested. Guaranteed to get the blood pumping.”
About the Author
Author of the Year Ausrom Readers' Choice 2014
Best Established Author Ausrom Readers’ Choice 2015
Finalist for Author of the Year, Book of the Year, Cover of the Year, Best Established Author, Ausrom Readers' Choice 2016
Finalist for Best Established Author Ausrom Readers' Choice 2016.
Best Established Author Ausrom Readers’ Choice 2017
Annie lives in Australia, on the beautiful north coast of New South Wales. She sits in her writing chair and looks out over the tranquil Pacific Ocean. She has fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an author, and is producing books at a prolific rate.
She writes contemporary romance and loves telling the stories that always have a happily ever after. She lives with her very own hero of many years and they share their home with "Toby" the naughtiest dog in the universe, and Barney, the cute rag doll kitty.
Stay up to date with her latest releases at her website: http://www.annieseaton.net
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