“I know and I was wrong. Because I couldn’t see one, I made a decision for us, without talking things through with you.” She drew in a deep breath. “I thought I was doing what was best for us. But we should have made the decision together.” She said with reluctance. “I didn’t sleep last night, thinking about it.”
The smile returned, stretching across his face. “I have a compromise.”
“Tell me,” she appealed with an eagerness that did not need hiding.
“I don’t know if I’d like living here. It’s hot, it’s not London, I don’t have a job here and I don’t speak Hebrew.”
“Actually, it snows in Jerusalem sometimes in winter,” she added with a cheeky grin. “Is there a positive?”
“No,” he said with a firm press of his lips.
The single syllable was a hard punch to her lungs. “I see.” It looked like if she wanted them to be together, she would have to move to London. The thought speared through her lungs, making it hard to breathe.
His brow lifted. “All I know is that the only thing I like about here, is you.”
“Me?” she said, her forehead creasing. She really was not sure what he was saying or what he was alluding to. Should she get excited, or was there a ‘but’ coming along?
“Yes, you.”
“What’s the compromise?” She twisted her fingers in her lap.
“I want to be with you and if I have to come here and put up with this blasted heat and irritating humidity, I’ll do it,” he said with a determined nod.
“What?” she gasped, excitement bursting in her belly, while her tired brain struggled to make sense of his words. Did he really mean he was going to come here? What if he hated it? How would their relationship last if they were fighting over where to live? “If you hate it here and you don’t have a job, what you will you do? It’ll come between us,” she admitted.
“Wherever we live must have air conditioning.”
“Fair enough. But—”
“Let me finish.” He raised his hand in a stop gesture. “We need a place with a study-room, so I can write.”
“Write your blog? From here?”
His eyes lit up. “I’m going to give you two years. Two years of living here and if I still hate it, we’re moving to London. By then, I think you’ll be well and truly yesterday’s news.”
“I like this but I’m confused. How will you write your blog?” Her eyes narrowed as her brain registered the concession he was offering. He would do that for her? For them to be together?
“I’m taking time off to write fiction. Your aunty’s tour inspired me and I have this brilliant idea of a political thriller. But, we’re also going to spend time together and travel.”
“And what about Sebastian?” she asked with a tentative reluctance.
“That’s up to you?” he threw at her.
“Me?” she squeaked, as her heart leapt to her throat every time she heard the loser’s name.
“Yes, you.” He pointed at her. “You tell me what you want to do and I’ll do it.”
“B-but, this is what you wanted, for years. It’s what has driven you, to right the wrongs of what he did to Bea.”
A large sigh escaped his lips. “I know, but I want you more. It’s taken a boy of sixteen to show me that.” He quickly recanted the morning’s meeting and how, after taking Dov to Tsfat, he started to drive to the airport. “The talk with Dov made me reflect and see how much anger I’ve been holding for so many years.” He threw his hands up in the air. “Bea no longer cares about Sebastian, she told me the other day. Yet the fire in me still wanted to bring him down. I can’t shake it. So, my beautiful Tilly, you’re going to tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” He paused. “Bringing him down will mean you will be involved. The press may come after you, or they may not.”
She nibbled her lip. “Can I think about it?”
“Of course,” he nodded. “For years, I’ve been caring for Bea, but I need to stop that. She’s a grown woman and has a boyfriend who’ll care for her. After all these years, I can now do what’s best for me. And what’s best for me is being with the woman I love.”
She gasped. “You really love me?”
“Yes,” he said with a proud determination. “I even rang my Dad, well, my foster Dad, to make sure.” He cleared his throat. “It’s not easy for me to talk about my feelings but that call was the best thing I ever did. He’s got experience, knowledge and integrity. I trust him. I know now what I feel is love – real, true love.”
Her lips stretched into a giant smile. How amazing was Nate? Her chest was close to bursting with joy and her palms pressed against her cheeks. Her heart soared, this was so much better than any arrangement she could have ever dreamed of. “You love me and here I was, almost ready to follow you to London.”
“Seriously?” He hit his forehead in mock-horror. “I should have let you speak first.”
She giggled at his theatrics. “But will you be happy?”
“All I know is that I’m happiest with you. If I have to change my life to be with you, I’m prepared to do it.”
“Thank you, Nate. I’m overwhelmed by your love and thoughtfulness of me. I promise to come to London with you, if you’re unhappy living here.” She stopped, placing her hand over her heart. “I’m crazy for you Nate, you make me so happy. Thank you for coming after me but just so you know, I would’ve come after you.”
“Thank God for that.” Relief stretched across his face. “Can I kiss you now?”
“Of course,” she said, jumping up from her seat before snuggling in his lap. “Kiss away, Handsome.”
Seven months later
Tilly held Nate’s hand as they walked the length of the coastline between Coogee and Bondi beaches, enjoying the autumn warmth.
“Sydney is a beautiful place to be when it’s sunny – look at that view,” Nate said, gazing at Tilly.
She hit him playfully on the arm. “You’re looking at me instead of the ocean.”
“You’re more beautiful.” He pressed his lips on the sensitive spot behind her ear, making her shiver.
They stopped walking and she turned to him. “You’re insatiable,” she teased.
He lifted her left hand and kissed the knuckles on her fingers, the diamond, platinum ring sparkling in the sunshine. “We’re engaged and I’m supposed to want you.”
“I can’t wait till we’re married. Should we have a summer wedding here, England or Israel?” She said in a wistful voice, still unable to decide where to marry, although she was swaying towards London since Nate had moved to Israel for her.
“We’re getting married in three days,” he said with a casualness that made her jaw drop.
She punched his arm. “You’d better be joking.” Her gaze took in the serious look on his face and she knew for certain this was no throw-away line. Her belly clenched at his autocratic decision. “What? I’m the bride. What about the organising? I thought this was something we would do together.”
“All done.” He threw her a nonchalant look which made the temperature in her blood skyrocket.
She wagged her finger at him. “Months ago, you told me off for making hasty decisions for us and now you’ve done exactly that.” She crossed her arms across her chest, quite unable to believe they would be married so soon, and without her involvement or input. “Did you at least invite my parents?” she snapped at him. How would her family get to London? It would take them two days of travelling plus her father would need to get a minister to fill in whilst he was away. She rubbed the back of her neck as an ache crept up her spine towards her head.
He gave her a smug smile. “You think I wouldn’t invite your family? Your mum’s planned it all. We’re getting married at your home.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. Her parents were in on this and she had been the last to know? Her fists tightened into balls. It was like a joke where everyone understood the punch line except her. “A casual wedding? You hate informal,” she threw at
him, with a toss of her head.
“If I can move to Israel and give up my preconceptions of what I thought I wanted, I think a relaxed ceremony and reception will be great.”
“Why did you leave me out?” As much as she did not want to admit it, it was like when everyone else in the class was invited to a party and she had been left out.
He gathered her close and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry, I wanted to surprise you. It’s all for you. This way, you’ll have the wedding you always wanted and not have to compromise.”
“But it’s your wedding too?” her nose crinkled, still struggling to understand why he was doing this.
“The wedding is the bride’s day. I want to make you happy and thought you’d love this.” He pressed his lips against hers.
“But what about Bea? Your friends? The Youngs?” She stumbled for words, unable to comprehend the bombshell he had just thrown at her. “And my parents just agreed to this?” She threw her hands in the air with a humph, wondering if her fiancé was ridiculing her or being sincere. “You haven’t met them—”
He grinned. “I met them a couple of months ago—”
She scratched her ear. “Was that when you were supposed to be attending a colleague’s wedding in New Zealand?”
“Got it.” He cocked a conceited eyebrow skyward. “I came here instead and did the honourable duty of asking your Dad for your hand in marriage. I can’t wait to marry you and since we’re here, it makes sense not to wait. Besides, your family misses you. I want them to give you the wedding you would want, not the wedding you think we should have. You told me what you wanted, remember, in the car driving to Jerusalem, after the reporters found you?” He looked at his watch. “We have time to buy you a dress before we drive to see your parents.”
She gasped. “I don’t know whether to hit you or kiss you.”
“I’d prefer a kiss, if you’re offering,” he said with a self-satisfied smile stretching across his face.
She pressed her lips together pretending to decide on what she would prefer, but there really wasn’t a decision. Kissing Nate was bliss and she never gave up a chance to have him press his lips against hers. “Kiss, it is,” she announced. “Thank you Nate for everything.” She may not like surprises but he had thought of everything. The wedding would be what she wanted – her mum would have made all her favourite foods and it would be a lovely family affair. There would not be any media or hangers-on. It would be all she dreamed of and more. Was it any wonder she had fallen so hard for Nate? He had come after her, made compromises and was now giving her the most perfect day for them to start their married lives together.
They kissed and moments later, she found herself grinning at Nate. It matched the look he gave her. “I love you more than anything.”
“More than Israel—” his brow lifted in hopeful expectation.
She gave his shoulder a playful slap. “You still have one year and five months before making a decision. Besides, I thought you were happy.”
“You know I’m happy.” He wore his smile with honesty.
She sniggered. “Because of those ex-pat blokes you met?”
He grinned. “The London Lads? We’re mates who like to drink beer, eat meat pies and watch football.”
She punched his arm lightly. “For someone who claimed to only want to live in London, you’ve done pretty well in making heaps of friends. Plus, you speak better Hebrew than me. I can’t believe how fluent you are in such a short time.” She pressed her lips together. “I think you’re fitting in better than me.”
“Well, you’d better start practising your words then.” He gave her a cheeky grin before kissing her pout away. “It’s traditional for the groom to give the bride a present.”
She scratched her head. “I haven’t heard of that.”
“I just made it up.” He dug his mobile phone from his pocket, turned it on and flicked through screens.
Annoyance zipped along her arms. “You’re checking your emails, now?”
“I need you to see this. It’s in today’s paper,” he said, still focussing on his phone until he found what he was looking for and handed it to her.
She took the phone and read every word. “I can’t believe it.” Her heart thundered against her chest as she re-read the first paragraph.
“Believe it baby, Sebastian and his arrogant arse are no more.” Pride beamed from his mouth as he gazed at her.
“You made him resign? How did you…” Her eyes widened as she registered exactly what he had done. With the truth, Nate had brought that creep down.
“I have to confess, it was a pleasure,” he added with a faux-serious tone.
She looked back at the phone. “It says he resigned for personal reasons.”
He sniggered. “His personal reasons revolved around you, Bea and his inability to keep his trousers on. He’s going to have plenty of time to think and reflect now that he’s retired from politics.”
“Good riddance.” She threw her arms around her husband-to-be. “I love my present but I love you more.”
“I love you more than you will ever know.”
They stood in the sunshine and kissed.
“I can’t wait to marry you,” she whispered between kisses.
“Me too,” he said before kissing her with a thoroughness that did not allow them to say anything else. Well, not for a while, anyway.
Dear Reader
I hope you enjoyed ‘Falling for Mr Wrong’ as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, I’d appreciate an honest review from you on either Amazon, iTunes, Kobo or Barnes and Noble (depending on where you bought my book from).
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Kindest Regards, Joanne
Table of Contents
About The Author
Acknowledgements
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Falling for Mr Wrong Page 17
