Australia Outback Fantasies
Page 48
How dumb can you be, Haslem?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
IT WAS a month later and early evening and Maxi was home on her own. She put the finishing touches to the chocolate cake she’d made, thinking it would be just the thing for supper when her family got home from the fundraiser in the village.
Besides, the activity had occupied her hands and mind. And for a while at least stopped her thinking about Jake.
She’d spoken to him only once since she’d left Australia. He’d called to ensure she’d arrived home safely. But the conversation had been brief, his impersonal, far-away tones leaving her unsettled. And even though she’d been surrounded by her family, she’d felt lonelier than she could have imagined.
But some time very soon, maybe even tonight, she was going to have to pluck up the courage to call him. And tell him of her plans. Whether or not he’d even be interested, she didn’t know, couldn’t guess …
Her thoughts were miles away when the doorbell rang. Sliding off her kitchen stool, she went to answer it. And when she did, a whimper of disbelief escaped from her mouth.
‘Hello, Max,’ her visitor said quietly, and looked straight into her eyes.
‘Jacob …?’ Maxi’s voice shook. ‘Tell me I’m not dreaming.’
‘I’m right here. Feel me.’ He held out his arms and in a second she was flying into them, being cradled against the solidness of his chest.
‘Let me look at you …’ He tilted her head up, his voice a murmur against her lips until his mouth caught her own breathy sigh, swallowing it, savouring it, before he claimed her fully with a passion that shook them both.
‘Is it really you! And what are you doing here!’ She buried her face against his throat, breathing in the warm male closeness of him like life-giving oxygen.
He gave a laugh deep in his chest. ‘If we can get past the front door, I’ll tell you.’
‘Oh … sorry.’ She managed a strangled laugh. ‘I’m in the kitchen. Come through.’ Leading the way but still holding his hand, she asked, ‘Are you starving? I could rustle up some food.’
‘No, thanks. I’m fine. Coffee would be welcome, though.’
‘Let me take your coat,’ Maxi offered.
For answer, he burrowed more deeply into its folds and moved closer to the Aga. ‘Just give me a few minutes to thaw out a bit, Max.’
She rippled a laugh of sheer happiness. ‘Poor you. Actually, it’s quite mild for this time of year.’
Jake snorted. ‘It might be to you. But I’ve been sweltering in forty-degree heat until recently.’
She handed him a big mug of coffee, watching as he drank in huge gulps. As he always did. She blinked back a sudden rush of tears. She’d missed him so much …
Oh, hell. Jake put down his coffee-mug hurriedly and reached for her. ‘Don’t cry, Max. I never wanted to make you cry.’ Wiping away her tears with his thumb, he tightened his arms around her.
‘They’re happy tears,’ she told him shakily. ‘How did you get here, though?’ She locked her hands around his neck. ‘I mean, what about the practice? Did you manage to get a locum?’
He tipped his head to one side. ‘It’s a long story. Got time to listen?’
For answer, she thumped him lightly on the chest.
They went through to the lounge. Jake shrugged out of his coat and draped it over the back of a chair. Holding out a hand, he guided her down beside him on to the sofa. ‘My former practice partner, Tom Wilde, arrived back in Tangaratta last week.’
‘So, he’s covering for you while you’re away?’
‘In a manner of speaking.’ Jake hesitated. ‘He wants to take over the practice again and he has a partner who’s keen to come in with him.’
Maxi’s eyes flew wide. ‘Is that what you want? To sell the practice?’
He shrugged. ‘Depends on you, Max. I’m quite happy to set up practice here if it will mean I can have you back in my life.’
Maxi’s mouth dried. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? And if he was … ‘You’d do that for me?’ she said, her voice not quite steady. ‘Leave your own country and settle in mine?’
‘I’ll do whatever it takes, Max,’ he said throatily. ‘You make me whole.’
‘Oh, Jacob …’ Her voice broke. ‘What a lovely thing to say. But you won’t have to give up your outback practice. I’ve made some plans, too.’
‘Plans?’ Jake heard the snap in his voice but he didn’t care. A fire of rebellion began building inside him, flaring with incredible speed. He’d just confessed his love for her or as good as, and she was telling him she’d made her own plans!
‘Jake, don’t look like that.’ Maxi felt her heartbeat increase sickeningly. ‘Just let me explain.’
‘Hell, you’d better.’
‘I want to go back to Tangaratta.’
‘Uh …!’ The breath went out of him as if he’d been struck.
Maxi licked her lips, biting them uncertainly. ‘That is … if you’ll have me?’
‘If I’ll have you!’ Jake made a grab for her hands, intertwining them in a fierce grip and holding them over his heart. ‘I’ve spent the last month feeling as though a very bad surgeon had been let loose on my guts. I finally decided that if I loved you I’d better damn well get over here and convince you of the fact. And find out if you loved me back.’ His voice softened suddenly. ‘Do you love me, Max?’
‘Oh, Jacob …’ Maxi felt as though a huge crippling weight had been lifted from her. Tears sprang into her eyes again and she blinked them back. ‘Of course I love you. I thought I’d proved that over and over again.’
He pressed his forehead against hers. ‘I guess neither of us actually said the words, though, did we?’
‘No. Awfully slack of us,’ Maxi agreed, snuggling against him.
Jake felt the knot in his chest begin to unravel. It was going to be all right. ‘So, Dr Somers, are we getting married, then?’
‘I want to make a life with you, Jake.’ She touched his face, stroking the marks of strain around his eyes with gentle fingertips. ‘You need a holiday anyway.’
‘We need a honeymoon,’ he corrected, his mouth quirking into a crooked familiar smile. ‘And let’s not hang about. Do you want to get married here or back home?’
She looked into his eyes, hers alight with love and giving. ‘I never thought I’d ever think of Tangaratta as back home but I do. Isn’t that amazing?’
He laughed. ‘You’re amazing, that’s why. Everyone’s been asking when you’re coming back?’
‘Everyone there was so kind to me.’
‘Why wouldn’t they be? You were like a breath of fresh air in the place. You went all out, got things done—initiated projects that people were crying out for. It took a fresh eye. Most of all it took courage, Max. And even for the short time you were there, you touched lives. The people of Tangaratta aren’t likely to forget that in a hurry. And best of all we’ve had rain, glorious rain. The place is green again and instead of cicadas we now have frogs croaking all over the place and keeping us awake at night.’
She chuckled. ‘That I have to hear. When can we fly out?’
A wry smile tilted his mouth. ‘Whenever you like. It’ll be so good to have you back, Max.’
Maxi dipped her head. ‘I’m—sorry about the way I just … took off. But I just needed the reassurance of being with my family again, checking on Luke again. That kind of thing, you know, before I announced to the world I was staying in Australia.’
Jake groaned his frustration. ‘If only you’d explained that to me, I would have done everything in my power to go with you. As it was, I thought you’d just plain had enough of me. You should have talked to me,’ he said deeply. ‘We should have talked to each other.’
‘I meant to … I wanted to,’ she said miserably. ‘But you seemed so … locked up.’
He gave a snort of harsh laughter. ‘Perhaps that’s what I should have been—locked up. You needed me to hold you and reassure you but I
stood back like a wounded adolescent. And instead let you go without a word.’
‘But you’re here now.’ Maxi took a ragged little breath, running her fingers lingeringly over his cheekbones, around his jaw and then stroking his bottom lip.
‘Yes,’ he echoed deeply. ‘I’m here now.’ Lifting his head, he looked around. ‘Where is everyone? I expected to be greeted by the Somers family en masse.’
‘There’s a fundraising do on at the church hall. They’ve all gone there. You’ll stay, though, won’t you?’ She looked up, a searching question in her eyes. ‘Spend a bit of time with us?’
‘If it’s OK with your folks.’
She tutted as if that didn’t deserve an answer. ‘I expect you hired a car. Do you have luggage?’
‘Mmm. I’ll get it presently. But there’s something I need to do right now.’ Propping his hands beneath her elbows, he levered them upright.
‘Now what?’ Maxi gave a nervous laugh.
His eyes glittered. ‘Have a little patience, hmm?’ Moving across the room, he reached into the pocket of his overcoat and drew out a small gift-wrapped package.
“Oh.” Maxi’s hand went to her mouth and her heart began pounding like a drumbeat inside her chest.
‘I had a day in Sydney before I flew out,’ Jake said casually. ‘I did a bit of shopping. And this, my love, is for you.’
Maxi swallowed deeply and took the gift with trembling hands. ‘It’s so beautifully wrapped …’
Jake rolled his eyes. ‘Honey, the idea is to pull the ribbon undone and open it.’
She did, her throat drying further with every movement. The ribbon fell away and then the gold-embossed paper until she was left holding what was unmistakably a jeweller’s box.
‘Oh … Jacob,’ she sighed.
‘Oh, Maxi,’ he mimicked, but gently.
She lifted the lid and stared, speechless at what she saw.
‘They’re Argyle diamonds from Western Australia,’ Jake said proudly. ‘I wanted you to have something from my country because it will always be a reminder of where we finally rekindled our love.’ He took the ring and slipped it on her finger. ‘So, I’m asking now formally, Max. Will you marry me?’
‘Oh, Jacob.’ She swallowed, blinking back the tears of joy. ‘What lovely sentiments and what a beautiful ring. And of course I’ll marry you.’
‘Come here, then,’ he said throatily and drew her into his arms.
In a while they resumed their place on the sofa and began making plans.
‘How long can you stay?’ Maxi asked, adrift in something so delicious she wanted to stay floating there for ever.
Jake kissed her tenderly. ‘Tom said he’ll hold the fort as long as necessary. And about the wedding—I really don’t mind where, as long as it’s soon.’
Maxi looked down at her ring, her eyes suddenly misty. ‘I think it would be lovely to have an outback wedding.’
Jake shook his head. ‘You never cease to amaze me. Are you sure?’
She nodded.
‘Then we’ll fly your whole family over for the occasion. And they can have a holiday afterwards in Sydney. Mum will be happy to show them around. And I’ve a feeling Bron and Dave will want to host our wedding at their place.’ Jake bent his head and kissed her gently. ‘If that’s all right with the bride, of course.’
‘Perfectly.’ She fluttered a hand towards the window and the twilight outside. ‘When you think about it, home really isn’t a place at all, is it? It’s people. And for us it’s our people of Tangaratta.’ She stared into his eyes, so blue and steady. ‘We’ll have a lovely wedding.’
‘That we shall,’ Jake said, indulging her.
‘And I just love my ring.’ Maxi lifted her hand from his clasp, watching as the diamonds caught the light.
‘Thought you would.’ There was a youthful grin on Jake’s face. ‘We had to have diamonds anyway.’
Maxi lifted her gaze and looked at him tenderly. ‘Tell me why.’
‘Because they’re for ever.’ Jake’s eyes glittered briefly. ‘And that, my love, is what we’re all about.’
‘Oh, Jacob …’ Maxi thought her heart would burst with joy. She blinked, looking into his eyes and seeing a reflection of what was surely in his heart. And in hers.
What she’d thought they’d lost had been found, only now it was so much more. Their hearts were safe in each other’s keeping. And very soon their lives would be joined in marriage. ‘There’s just one small thing, Jacob.’
His brows knitted sharply, betraying a tiny residue of vulnerability. ‘What is it, Max?’
‘Would you kiss me again?’
He gave a short grunt of laughter, then drew her close, very close. ‘It would be my absolute pleasure,’ he said, his voice gruff, and bent to capture her lips.
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IMPRINT: Special Release eBooks
ISBN: 9781460890622
TITLE: AUSTRALIA: OUTBACK FANTASIES - OUTBACK HEIRESS, SURPRISE PROPOSAL/ADOPTED: OUTBACK BABY/OUTBACK DOCTOR, ENGLISH BRIDE
First Australian Publication 2013
Copyright © 2013 Margaret Way/Barbara Hannay/Leah Martyn
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the publisher, Harlequin Mills & Boon®, Locked Bag 7002, Chatswood D.C. N.S.W., Australia 2067.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
OUTBACK HEIRESS, SURPRISE PROPOSAL
About the Author
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
ADOPTED: OUTBACK BABY
About the Author
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
OUTBACK DOCTOR, ENGLISH BRIDE
About the Author
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
Copyright
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