Country At Heart

by Mandy Magro

  Phillip returned seconds later with an unknown man beside him, just as her lungs began to burn again. Phillip’s lips came to rest upon hers as he blew air into her mouth. She drew it deep into her lungs as she felt something pulling at her seatbelt. Looking down, she spotted a pocketknife just as the nylon of the seatbelt gave way and her body floated up from her seat. Holding Phillip’s hand, she swam alongside him and the other man to the surface, gasping for air as soon as soon as her face emerged from the water. Hands grabbed her and began pulling her from the water as orders were shouted. A large crowd had gathered on the embankment and she could hear distant sirens approaching. No longer needing to fight to survive, she felt all the adrenaline drain from her as she slumped against Phillip, extremely drowsy. Nausea took hold of her and she closed her eyes and began to shiver. Then Summer gave into to the overwhelming dizziness and everything around her went black.

  Struggling to draw a breath, Summer thrashed about, her cries for help filling her mind but not finding a way out of her lips. The icy cold water enveloped her like the hands of death as she sank deeper and deeper into the murky depths, unable to find the strength to swim back to the surface.

  A familiar voice dragged her from her nightmare and she flicked opened her drug-heavy eyes, recognising the warm hand squeezing her own as Dean’s and looking up into his beautiful green eyes. Beyond him she could see the silhouettes of people near a window, their hushed conversation halting as they turned in her direction. A heart monitor machine beeped beside her, the rhythm slightly erratic as all her senses came to life.

  Dean reached out and gently placed his hand on her cheek, his eyes filling with tears. ‘I could have lost you without being able to tell you once more how much I love you.’

  Relief flooded Summer as she placed her hand over his. ‘And I could have died without telling you I never wanted to leave you, Dean. I love you so much, and I hope you’ll forgive me and take me back … it’s just …’ The memory of the accident rushed back to her and instinctively she brought her hands to her stomach. ‘My baby?’ she whispered. It was a question she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to.

  ‘Your baby is okay, Summer.’

  Dean’s voice was so tender, so selfless, Summer wanted to hold him for an eternity. She watched as he reached into his pocket, pulling out the angel pendant she had given him, amazed he still had it after all she had put him through.

  ‘This kept me safe in Afghanistan,’ Dean said as he placed it on her belly. ‘And now it can keep the baby safe too.’

  Summer smiled. It was time for her to start being honest with those she loved. ‘It might be your baby, Dean.’

  He smiled sadly. ‘I kind of gathered that.’ Pushing her hair from her face, he held her gaze, giving Summer the impression he was falling into her soul. ‘I wish you’d felt you could open up to me about what Marcus did to you, Summer. I would have been upset that you had lied to me, but I would have understood.’ He shook his head as a tear dripped down his cheek and landed on her lips. ‘It crushes me when I think about what that bastard has done to you.’

  Before Summer could ask how he knew about Marcus, Marie stepped between them and wrapped her arms around Summer’s neck, sobbing. ‘Oh, my beautiful girl. I could have lost you. Thank God you’re okay.’ Donald came to the other side of the hospital bed, his face contorted in anguish. He placed his hand over Summer’s, giving it a light squeeze. Dean stepped back and sat down on a chair beside the bed, allowing Summer time with her parents.

  She turned to face her father, her mother still embracing her tightly. ‘Hey, Dad.’

  Donald tried to smile, the sadness in his eyes something Summer had never witnessed before. ‘Hey, Summer.’ His lips quivering, he choked back a sob as he knelt down beside the bed. ‘I’m so very sorry I’ve tried to meddle with your life, I only wanted what I thought was best for you and yet all I’ve achieved is hurting you and your poor mother.’ He began to sob, his words escaping him in bursts. ‘I … could … have … lost … you … forever.’

  Summer reached out and pulled her dad into a hug. ‘Thank you for apologising. I love you, Dad.’

  ‘I love you too, Summer, so very much.’ He pulled back and cupped her cheek. ‘I don’t really want to have to tell you this, but you have a right to know. The case made the local five o’clock news on telly today, and they also mentioned your accident.’

  Summer nodded slowly. ‘I can’t say I’m shocked, I knew it wouldn’t be long.’ She turned to Dean. ‘Is that how you found out?’

  Dean shook his head. ‘No, your father rang me around lunch time to tell me about your accident, and I came to the hospital straight away. We’ve been sitting around in here for hours, waiting for you to come to, and while we waited your dad told me everything.’ He smiled at Donald. ‘He even apologised for being a dickhead to me – those were his words too, by the way, not mine.’

  Donald chuckled. ‘Well, I have been a bit of a dickhead.’

  Summer smirked. ‘I have to agree with that statement, Dad.’

  ‘Me too,’ Marie added, smiling.

  The four of them burst into laughter, the seriousness of the situation forgotten for one precious moment.

  EPILOGUE

  Nine months later

  With her dad on one side of her and Dean on the other, Summer sat tall at the back of courtroom, the constant support of the two most important men in her life helping her stay strong. Tasha was seated in front of her, her mum and dad beside her. Marie, Tony, Kimmy, Fiona, Phillip, Bailey and Justin were there for the final hearing too. It had been a long and tedious case, as Marcus’s father tried to drag it out as long as he could, and there had been some shocking revelations along the way, including the fact that Marcus was homosexual, and hadn’t had sex with Summer or Tasha after drugging them. This claim had been proven when Tasha had been checked over by a doctor, and her virginity had been confirmed. Being from such a straight-laced family, the poor girl hadn’t even known that she would have been sore after having sex for the first time. It had all been a stupid scheme of Marcus’s to try to cover up his homosexuality, for fear of disgracing his homophobic father. Thankfully, Marcus had pleaded guilty to the drugging, saving Summer and Tasha from the horrible task of having to give evidence; their typed statements were enough.

  After an hour’s deliberation, Judge Martin reentered the courtroom and they all stood, his cloak floating out behind him as he sat down. The crowd sat too as the judge looked towards Marcus, his stony face not giving anything away.

  ‘Mr Avolio, you have pleaded guilty to drugging two women without their consent, to try to hide the fact you’re a homosexual from your family. I must say I’ve never heard of anything so ludicrous in all my years of law. I am sentencing you to two years imprisonment. Taking into consideration the time served already at the Lotus Glen Correctional Centre this will cut your sentence to another fifteen months to be served.’

  There was a collective gasp as Marcus hung his head and wept. Dean threw his arms around Summer and kissed her cheek, and she hugged him tightly back. Tasha turned to her and, without saying a word, expressed her relief and gratitude with a gentle smile. Summer returned the smile, wishing she could feel something, anything, now the sentence was finally laid down, but instead she was numb. All around her, friends and family smiled and hugged, clearly satisfied with the outcome, and she could completely understand their joy now it was finally over. But watching Marcus being led from the courtroom, she felt only sorrow for Sara Avolio, who almost fainted. Vince caught her just before she crashed to the floor. Yes, Marcus had to repent his sins, but he also had some deep issues caused by his father. Summer hoped his time in prison allowed him time and space to accept he was gay. She hoped too that Vince could love his son unconditionally, regardless of his sexual preferences. Only time would tell.

  Morning sunshine stretched its way across the front verandah of the beach shack, the light spilling in crystal-like rays through the canopy of native
trees that surrounded the home. Sitting in her favourite spot with Indy and Fonzie cuddled in beside her, Summer savoured the liquid gold as it warmed her skin. After court yesterday she just needed a little time to herself, to regather and regroup before getting on with her day. Sweet scents rose from the earth, more potent than during the day, as the night dew still clung to the blades of grass. Birds began to call to each other from the branches of trees.

  Inside, the shack was silent, Dean and little Tommy still journeying in the land of dreams. Or so she thought. The squeak of the screen door pulled her gaze from the horizon as Dean walked onto the verandah in his boxers. Wiping her tears, she smiled at him while admiring his tanned, muscular body. ‘Good morning, my gorgeous fiancé.’

  ‘Morning, my beautiful.’ Dean gave her a loving smile that melted her insides as he sat and wrapped his arms around her. ‘I know it’s been a long, tough road, but it’s over now. I’m so sorry you had to go through such a terrible thing.’ Cupping her face, he captured her gaze with his. ‘We can move on with our lives now, and there is so much to look forward to, so let’s try to focus on the positives, okay?’

  Summer nodded. ‘I know, but in a weird way, I just can’t help but feel bad for Marcus. He’s a very mixed-up soul.’

  ‘Trust you to always be thinking of everyone else, Summer – you’ve got the most amazingly selfless heart. But you know how I feel about it, and I can’t feel sorry for him. What he did to you and Tasha was wrong, and he has to pay for his actions.’

  ‘Yeah, I know he does. I s’pose it’s just a shock. He did a damn good job of covering up who he was because of his father, especially with how much he used to flirt with me.’

  Dean squinted as he gazed towards the rising sun, his jaw clenching and the pulse in his neck noticeable as his hands rolled into fists. ‘Yep, the lengths people will go to to hide the skeletons in their closet is mind blowing. It still kills me to know what he did to you.’

  It had been a tough road for Summer but it had also been terribly hard for Dean, and through it all he had kept his own feelings about it at bay while he’d put her feelings first. She could understand it would have been heartbreaking to hear all the evidence of what happened the night Marcus had drugged her.

  Summer decided it was time to change the subject. ‘Hmm, speaking of skeletons in the closet, how’s your dad handling the news from my mum?’

  Dean turned to face her, his hardened expression softening. ‘Oh, he’s coming to terms with it. And he’s not mad at your mum at all; if anything, he feels for her, having to go through with the abortion. Although, Dad’s a firm believer in things happening for a reason, as you’ve probably noticed, and he reckons that he wouldn’t want a thing to have been different because then he might not have had the blessing of having you as a daughter-in-law.’

  Summer smiled. ‘He’s so sweet.’

  Dean pulled her in closer. ‘You’re the sweet one. I love you, baby.’

  ‘I love you too.’ Summer leant in and feathered her lips over his, the kiss turning passionate, Summer’s entire body tingling with his sensuous touch.

  Dean was the first to pull away, his breathing heavy, a mischievous smile on his lips. ‘I got to stop, otherwise I’m going to want to drag you into our bedroom and make sweet love to you all day long, and that’s an impossibility at the moment.’

  ‘Uh huh,’ was all Summer could say, her desire to make love to Dean right here on the verandah leaving her breathless. He always knew just how to turn her on – his kiss, the brush of his hand or a simple breath on the back of her neck sending her to places she’d never been before.

  A cry from the beach shack, which Summer now called the Love Shack, brought their eyes to the screen door and huge smiles to their lips.

  ‘Sounds like our little man’s awake,’ Summer said chirpily, standing.

  Dean stood with her, taking her hand in his as they strolled inside.

  Carefully placing the champagne flutes on the table, Dean rested the bottle of Moët against the rim of each glass before pouring it, a tactic he’d learnt to avoid spillage. Losing most of the vision in his left eye had certainly been a challenge, his depth perception and the accurate placement of objects still out of whack, but with Summer’s help he’d overcome it and life had never seemed better. The grand opening of Summer’s yoga studio was finally here after endless months of hard work and the crowd gathering around him chatted excitedly.

  While waiting for Summer to join him, he stood back from the crowd and gazed around the room, giving Fiona and Bailey and Phillip and Justin a wave as he did. Summer had put her heart and soul into every inch of the place and it was perfect. Rolled up yoga mats and multicoloured floor cushions lined the back wall and plenty of natural light filtered through the bifold back doors that opened up onto a lush green Zen garden complete with stone pathways, Buddha statues and water features. That was the meditation area, while the inside was for Summer’s yoga classes. A large Balinese-style timber door led down a short hallway to connect with Phillip’s organic café. Dean thought it was a brilliant combination of businesses. Healthy eating and healthy living – how could Summer lose?

  Entering the room with another plate full of canapés, Summer took Dean’s breath away. He watched as she swanned around the room, chatting and laughing with her guests. God, she was beautiful. He caught her eye and gave her a smile and she made her way over to him. Passing a glass of champagne to her, he raised his beer, looking her up and down, her blood-red silk cocktail dress accentuating her curves in all the right places.

  ‘You look absolutely gorgeous.’

  ‘Why thank you.’ Summer grinned cheekily as she pinched him on the butt, his black suit making him look like her own very sexy James Bond. ‘You look quite yummy yourself.’

  Dean gave her a dashing smile and a wink before taking a swig from his beer. ‘Everyone’s having a great time. I love seeing Dad and your parents getting on so well. They haven’t stopped chatting since they got here.’

  Summer looked over to where Tony stood confidently on his prosthetic leg, deep in conversation with Donald and Boris while Marie chatted with Kim and Astrid. Dean knew she was a little sad that Vince and Sara weren’t here, but after everything that had happened, and their loyalty to their son, the friendship would never be the same again. They hadn’t spoken a word to Summer or her parents since Marcus was arrested, and that would probably be the way it would stay. ‘Yeah, it’s wonderful that all the water is under the bridge now between my parents and your dad. It makes life a heck of a lot easier.’

  Dean nodded. ‘It sure does. Your dad’s even started calling me son lately.’

  ‘Mmm, he’s really changed his ways. I even overheard him asking Phillip and Justin to go golfing sometime, amazing huh?’ She gave Dean a hug. ‘Thanks for putting up with him to start with. I know he can be a pain in the butt.’ Nibbling on Dean’s ear, she dropped her voice to a whisper, and he enjoyed the sensation of her body against his. ‘I can’t wait to see what this big surprise is that you’ve spent months organising.’

  Dean raised an eyebrow, his dimples dancing on his cheeks. ‘Well, not long and you’ll find out.’

  Babble pulled their attention from each other to three-month-old Tommy, who was lying on a yoga mat chewing on his cuddle toy. Crouching down beside him, Summer kissed his cheeks before picking him up and cradling him to her, cooing and chatting to him. He looked so much like his daddy, with a headful of sandy-coloured hair, bright green eyes and dazzling dimples. Dean blinked back happy tears as he watched them. Summer and Tommy were his world. He would have died of a broken heart by now if he hadn’t got Summer back. Their love was the kind that most people only dreamed of, and here he was, living the dream. And the happiness Tommy brought was immeasurable. He was one very lucky man.

  His mobile phone rang and Dean grabbed it from his pocket. ‘Hello? Yup. Oh, you’re out front. Okay. I’ll come and help you in.’

  Giving Summer a peck on the chee
k, he headed towards the front door. ‘You wait here, beautiful, I’ll be back with your surprise.’

  Moments later Dean returned with Dorothy and a very elderly man dressed in a sherwani. The room became hushed as he entered it, the man’s otherworldly presence felt by all. A loud gasp came from the back of the room as Summer ran towards them, her arms outstretched. The tall Indian man opened his own arms as he took Summer into them and embraced her, the strong bond the two shared unmistakeable. Pulling back but still holding onto the man’s hands, Summer cried with joy. ‘I can’t believe you’re here, Amar.’

  Amar pointed to Dean, his big brown eyes smiling. ‘You can thank your fiancé for getting me here. He begged me to come over and bless your yoga studio, and how could I say no?’ He placed his hands on Summer’s cheeks. ‘I am so very proud of you.’

  ‘Thank you, Amar, that means the world to me.’

  Turning to Dean, she threw her arms around his shoulders. ‘You never cease to amaze me. Thank you for making another of my dreams come true.’

  Dean held her tightly as he whispered in her ear, ‘It’s my pleasure because you, Summer Milton, are my dream come true.’

  Slowly undoing her zip while kissing her neck, Dean slid the silky dress from Summer’s shoulders and watched as it slipped to the floor, the candlelit room revealing her honey-coloured soft skin beneath it. Country love songs played softly in the background, Alan Jackson’s ‘Everything but the Wings’ adding to the moment. Summer’s eyes met his, the raw hunger burning within them matching his desire for her. Standing before her, he unbuttoned his shirt and then let it slip from his arms before removing his pants, the whole time holding her gaze. Then Summer unclipped her bra and let it fall to the floor before slowly, seductively, sliding her lacy red G-string off.

  They stood there, drinking each other in, Dean’s craving to be inside her growing by the second. He reached out and feathered his fingers down her cheeks, over her shoulders and then traced them down to her erect nipples, circling them teasingly before running his hands down her stomach. Pulling her into him, he grabbed the curves of her arse, his touch now less gentle as he brought his lips down to hers, stopping just short of her open mouth as he whispered, ‘Just breathe into me, I want to have a piece of you inside me.’