Jason stood quickly. ‘Shit, Dee, what is it, what’s happened?’
‘Just come quick please!’ Gesturing for him to follow her, she ran off. Jason and Dillon exchanged worried glances and followed close behind.
Out in the open parking area, glinting under the light of the bright full moon, was a dark menacing figure. Jason stopped in his tracks. Who the hell? The figure that straddled a black and silver motorbike was clad from head to toe in black leather and wearing a black crash helmet.
Shivers travelled Jason's spine, and he swallowed thickly as a sense of unease settled in his stomach. ‘Can I help you, mate? You looking for someone?’ He made his way a little closer to the silent figure but got no response. Panic that this was somehow connected to the kidnapping washed over him, and he suddenly wished he was armed. Straightening his shoulders in the hope of appearing tougher and more confident than he actually felt, he spoke again. ‘I said can I help you?’ The figure still remained silent. ‘I’m sorry but we’re not actually a campsite as such. I think you must be looking for the site down the road. He glanced behind him to where Dorcas and Dillon were watching. They both shrugged, and Dillon pulled Dorcas into his side protectively.
Feeling increasingly nervous, Jason tentatively walked nearer to the figure. On closer inspection, it appeared the black clad figure was smaller than he first thought. I could take him...unless he's armed. Jason inhaled and ran his hand through his hair.
The mystery person reached up, removed the black helmet, and partially unzipped the leather jacket.
He gasped. ‘Stevie?’ As the words fell from his lips in an exhaled whisper, her auburn hair cascaded around her shoulders. He felt as if the air in his lungs had been knocked from him. ‘What the hell?’
Cocking her head to one side she smiled. ‘You know ages ago when you were in London and you took me for a bike ride? Do you remember how I said I’d found the ride quite exhilarating?’
Jason scrunched his brow. ‘No, no. I think what you actually said was that you were scared shitless.’
She laughed. ‘Yeah whatever…anyway…I had some kind of pre-midlife crisis and learned how to ride.’
‘You’re joking?’ He laughed in disbelief as his heart hammered at his ribs.
She raised her eyebrows. ‘The local community centre was doing beginner’s lessons in the car park and then out on the roads. It was great fun. So...does it look like I’m joking? ‘
‘Well…no… Where are your teddy bear ears?’
She smirked. ‘Oh, yes about that…I decided to get a grown up helmet to go with the grown up bike I bought.’
He nodded, still not quite believing his eyes. ‘I see…I see… Oh, by the way, how did the Head of Science interview go?’
‘I got the job.’
Jason’s heart sank. ‘Oh, that’s great. Well done.’ He looked her up and down. Now that the rush of adrenaline had calmed, he could take in the sight of her completely. The black leather clung deliciously to her curves, and he swallowed hard. My God, she looks amazing. ‘So…erm…what are you doing here? I thought we weren’t going to do the visiting thing.’
She bit her lip, looking nervous. ‘Oh, I’m not visiting.’
He was baffled. ‘Sorry? I don’t get you.’
‘Yes, you do.’
He folded his arms. ‘I feel like you’re talking in riddles here.’
Her mouth quirked up in a sexy half smile. ‘Like I said I’m not visiting, and you do get me. All of me.’
The jackhammer in his chest stuttered a little. He scrunched his brow, reluctant to grip onto the hope that was rising within him in case he was misunderstanding. ‘I’m sorry, what?’
‘I turned the job down, put my house on the market, and bought a sodding motorbike, so how about you let that sink in and tell me if you still want me because I can’t tell if you do, and it’s kind of killing me here.’ Her chest heaved as her words rushed out of her mouth like a deluge.
He took a tentative step towards her. ‘Are you…are you telling me you want to stay? Here? With…with me?’ His eyes began to sting. ‘Is that what you’re saying, or am I getting this whole situation wrong? Because if I am, I think my heart will rupture, and I’ll die on the spot. Tell me, Stevie, are you here to stay?’
She swung a shapely leather clad leg over and climbed off her motorbike. After setting her helmet on the seat, she stepped towards him. ‘I’m here to stay…if you’ll have me,’ she whispered.
On hearing her words, a guttural incoherent noise erupted from his body, and he quickly closed the remaining gap between them, grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, crashing his mouth into hers. Holding her was like coming home again. She was where he belonged.
He broke away and looked her in the eyes again. ‘Oh God, Stevie I’ve missed you so, so much. Are you sure about this? Are you sure being here is what you want?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘But the job. Head of Science was important to you.’
‘Not as important as being with you. And I’ve actually got an interview at Aviemore High School on Wednesday. They called me a couple of weeks ago whilst I was with Mollie. She’s my best friend. She knew something was going on but I couldn’t tell her everything. It was very awkward. Oh shit, I’m rambling. Anyway, they knew I was moving into the area, and they seem very keen to see me.’
He pulled her into his arms again, slipping his hands into her hair. ‘Stevie, I know I said this to you before, but I don’t think you ever really believed me. I think you were scared…and I get that…but…I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I want to carry on loving you for the rest of my life, if you’ll let me.’
Her eyes were glistening in the moonlight that was now lighting up the camp. Reaching up she cupped his cheek. ‘I think I can handle that. And I love you too.’
He glanced over his shoulder where Dillon and Dorcas waved as they climbed into their car and drove away, both smiling widely.
Turning his attention back to Stevie he rested his forehead on hers. ‘Right now, I want to take you to bed and make love to you all night. I’ve a lot of time to make up for.’ He stroked her cheek. ‘And I was so fucking right.’
‘About what?’
He looked straight down into her cleavage and smiled. ‘You do look fucking hot in leathers.
Six Months Later…
‘So why can’t I go on my own bike?’ Stevie asked with a pout. Jason had been acting strange all morning, and she was beginning to think he was scheming. Dillon and Dorcas had been sneaking in and out of the cabin, whispering to him too, which made her suspicions spark even more.
‘Because for once I want you on the back of my bike, okay? I miss it, so shut up moaning and get your helmet on.’ Jason laughed and flicked her nose with his fingertip.
She frowned at him as she fastened the chinstrap in place. Riding together and touring the area had become a favourite weekend pastime, and he had showed her some wonderful places, the likes of which she had fallen in love with immediately.
She clung onto to Jason as he rode through the Cairngorms and into the oncoming wind. Eventually, once he pulled into a little lane off the main road, he helped her off the bike and gestured that she take off her helmet.
‘Okay, now I want you to close your eyes and keep them closed. You’ve never been here before, and I want it to have the right impact. I want this to be a fresh start. A new beginning and a new special place for us.’
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ‘Oookay. But what’s so secretive about today? You’ve been doing the whole cloak and dagger thing all morning.’ She closed her eyes, clung on to his hand, and stumbled over her own feet.
Jason chuckled. ‘Hey, trust me, okay? I promise you’ll love this.’ He led her along as they zigzagged through the trees that had stood before them when they arrived. After a few minutes of walking, he eventually came to a standstill, and a breeze hit her face as she sensed a more open space. ‘Okay, you can open your eyes now.’
>
She did as instructed and gasped. Her eyes welled with tears as she looked out at the stunning view before her. Dramatic landscapes were all around them in their little pocket of paradise in the Highlands, but this view outshone them all. They stood at the top of a hill, looking down into a stunning, tree-lined loch. At the bottom, in the middle of the clear water, standing proudly was an old ancient ruined castle, its walls crumbling against a backdrop of lush green and heather covered mountains and set against an azure blue sky. The cotton candy clouds moved rapidly forward as if greeting them, and the rippling loch beneath mirrored the sky’s vivid colour, making it look almost unreal like an enhanced photograph.
Jason slipped his arms around her waist as she looked out shaking her head. ‘Wow, you’ve certainly surpassed yourself this time, Reynolds,’ she whispered.
‘You’re looking down at Loch an Eilein. It means Loch of the Island. Do you like it?’ he asked as he kissed her head and held her tight to his body.
‘It’s…it’s beyond words.’
‘I’m so glad. Listen…I had Dill and Dee come and bring some bits and pieces so we could have a little celebration.’
She frowned and turned her face towards him over her shoulder. ‘What are we celebrating?’
He turned her around to face him fully. ‘Well…in case you hadn’t been counting like I have, you’ve been living here with me for six months now. And I think that’s a big deal worth celebrating.’ He kissed her forehead.
She had been taking each day as it came and hadn’t really been counting, but now that she thought about it he was right. ‘Gosh…yes. Six months. It’s flown, hasn’t it?’
‘Hmmm. You know what they say about time flying when you’re having fun, eh?’
She giggled. ‘Very true. And it really has been fun. I still can’t believe that Rowdy is getting to like you.’
He pursed his lips. ‘I’d say like is a strong word. I think he tolerates me now he's moved up here too. Although he does come back when we’re out walking and I call him now, which I suppose is his way of compromising.’
Stevie smiled. ‘You see I told you he’d come around when he realised that I love you. Joking aside though, I can’t express how much being here has meant to me. Having this chance with you…’ She touched his cheek, feeling the stubble at his jaw.
He rested his forehead on hers. ‘I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I couldn’t be happier. Come on, let’s see what they brought.’
Off to the side was a large wicker picnic basket under a bush that she hadn’t spotted until now. He had obviously arranged every detail meticulously. He lifted the lid and pulled out a couple of blankets. Laying one of them down on the mossy ground, he gestured for her to sit. Once she was comfortable, he sat too and pulled out a pair of mini speakers.
‘We’re having music too, eh?’
He winked. ‘Absolutely. I’ve made sure they remembered everything.’
She watched as he removed a mini bottle of champagne and two flutes. She shook her head with a smile. ‘No tin cups this time?’
‘No way. These are crystal, Miss Watts. You can’t drink Champagne from tin cups. And it felt like a champagne occasion, but seeing as I’m driving, I figured we’d have a bigger bottle back at the cabin tonight. There’s one chilling, ready for when we get back.’ He leaned in towards her and she saw his pupils dilate. ‘Then I can lay you out in front of the log burner and make love to you.’
Her heart fluttered at his words as she breathed in his scent. ‘I like your thinking, Mr. Reynolds.’
Fumbling to remove his iPod from his pocket, he connected the speakers and filed through the songs, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.
Eventually, he smiled up at her and reached to touch her face. ‘I was going to bring my guitar to do this, but I’m already quaking in my boots, and so I’d probably muck it up. So I figured I’d let someone else do the singing for me.’
She smiled lovingly at him. ‘Oh Jason, you haven’t played for a while. And I do love to hear you play.’
‘I know, but I don’t think my nerves are up to it today.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘What is there to be nervous about? It’s only me.’
‘I know, but there are things I want to say, and I’m running the risk of breaking down as it is.’
She giggled. ‘What’s going on, Jason?’
‘It’s been six months since you came to stay with me. They’ve been the best six months of my life. I hope you’re as happy as you make me. And I think we need a new song to celebrate everything we’ve come through. I think this song says everything I want to say, but it does a much better job than me blurting things out in my own ridiculous way.’
He hit play and grabbed her hand, squeezing it as the opening chords began. Her free hand covered her heart as she realised that what she was listening to was one of her favourite songs. Nickelback’s ‘Never Gonna Be Alone’.
He pulled her into his arms and held her close. She listened intently as the song played. He was right, it was a perfect fit for them. It made her think of the tattoo she had discovered on his back. It translated to Never Alone With You In My Heart, and he’d had it done to remind him of her after he had disappeared ten years ago. Every single sentiment behind the words to this song was meant to communicate his undying love, commitment, and deep devotion to her and to them. No more running. He would be there for her regardless of what life threw at them.
Once the song ended, Stevie sat gazing at him with glassy eyes. He restarted the song but turned the volume down so that it created a background for his words.
Moving to sit opposite her on the blanket, he took both of her hands in his, and with a racing heart he began to speak. ‘Stevie for ten very long years I was…I was lost. I had no real life. I didn’t belong anywhere. And then purely by some divine intervention, you arrived on my doorstep and I was found again. You rekindled emotions in me that had lain dormant for all that time. I’d been incapable of giving my heart away because you still held it in your hands. When I lost you again, I lost another piece of the heart that you had helped to mend, and I thought I was done for… but then...’
He swallowed the lump in his throat and bit down on his lip to abate the threatening tears as his own emotions began to get the better of him, and he closed his eyes briefly. ‘But then you came back to me. I’m not prepared to lose you again. I never want to be lost again. I need to stay found, but that will only happen if you stay with me…so…’ Releasing one of her hands, he reached back into the basket and pulled out a little tin, and Stevie’s face lit up.
She covered her mouth with her free hand, and a little squeak of excitement escaped. ‘It’s a puffin tin,’ she said as the tears over-spilled from her bright blue eyes. ‘It’s beautiful. What a thoughtful gift.’
He took a deep breath. ‘Someone I love very much told me that puffins mate for life, and so, Stevie, my beautiful soulmate ...’ He released her other hand and offered her the tin and pointed to the lid. Understanding his silent plea, she removed the lid and gasped. The diamond solitaire glinted in the June sunlight. He took a deep calming breath. ‘I’m offering you my heart for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?’
A sob escaped as she nodded fervently. ‘Oh yes! Absolutely yes! One hundred percent yes!’ She flung her arms around him, and they sealed their engagement with a long, deep kiss. Jason pulled her onto his lap, and as he lowered them to the ground, he pulled the spare blanket over them. He kissed her eyes, cheeks, and lips as the salt water in his own eyes made its escape and mingled with hers. Slowly and languorously, he made love to her there in their new special place under the azure blue sky overlooking Loch an Eilein.
Being with Stevie there in that beautiful place made Jason realise that everything in his life had led him to that very moment. Every pain he had felt and every tear he had shed over losing her had been worth it. As they lay in each other’s arms, holding one another close, he thought through the journey he had made over th
e last ten years.
‘I never thought we’d get here, Jason,’ she told him as he leaned over her body drawing circles on her bare skin. ‘I can’t quite believe we’re getting married.’ Her beautiful smile lit up her face and warmed his heart.
He tangled her fingers in his and looked deep into her beautiful, bright blue eyes that sparkled with love. ‘You know…I think it’s because we sometimes get lost along the path of life. We set off thinking that we know exactly what we want and where we want to be, but we end up making bad decisions even though they seem right at the time. I think it’s those bad decisions that lead us astray so we end up making a detour. Take you and me for example. God, Stevie, I made so many mistakes.’ He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. ‘But I think it’s what we do once we realise we’ve made those mistakes that counts.’ He kissed her forehead and ran his nose down the length of hers as she gazed up at him. ‘And now I know one very important thing…regardless of my reasons to leave all those years ago…when you’ve been lost for so long like I was…it’s the reasons to stay that really matter.’
He covered her mouth with his for what felt like the first time. And it was the first kiss of the rest of their lives.
Epilogue
‘Oh darling look at you. You look so…grown up.’ Stevie’s mum clasped her hands in front of her face, her eyes welling with tears.
Stevie rolled her eyes. ‘Um…Mum I hate to break it to you, but I’ve gone twenty-nine, which legally means I am grown up and have been for quite a few years now.’
The make-up artist and hair stylist who had been busy completing Stevie’s look had packed away their things and had come to join the let’s-stare-at-Stevie party. She was beginning to feel a little like a museum exhibit in a wedding dress and a feeling of déjà vu descended on her.
‘Jason will probably damn well faint when he sees how stunning you look, sweetie. Don’t you think?’ Her mum dabbed at her eyes.
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