Her mother was immediately at her side, reaching for the box. ‘Oh, just a couple of glasses I bought the other day.’ She put the box back where Nikki had got it from. ‘We’re not using those tomorrow.’
Nikki turned to stare at this woman she’d known all her life. ‘You still look like my mother.’
Red spilled through Rose’s cheeks. ‘I am your mother.’
‘Really? I’m not so sure.’ Nikki shook her head. This was getting way too weird. But right now there was a lot to do before tomorrow’s festivities. Maybe by the time they had everything ready her real mother would be back and this stranger would’ve caught the bus out of town.
Then suddenly she was enveloped in her mother’s arms, hugged fiercely. ‘I’m very proud of you. You’re special. My girl.’
Nikki hugged her back, blinking rapidly. Weirder and weirder.
‘Merry Christmas.’ Fraser walked up to Nikki and kissed her on both cheeks when he and his parents arrived at the Page farm early Christmas morning. Then he kissed her on the mouth, softly. His stomach squeezed with nerves. What if this didn’t work out? What if she threw him off the farm? He felt a hand on his back. Not Nikki’s. Her father’s. Suddenly, he knew deep down inside that everything would work out just fine.
‘Merry ho-ho to you too,’ Nikki murmured against his mouth before turning to Molly and Ken. ‘Merry Christmas to you both.’
His mum enveloped her in a hug. ‘This is special, being here with your family. Thank you for inviting Ken. I know he’s become a handful.’
Nikki gave his mother one of her heart-stopping smiles. ‘We don’t ignore people once something happens to them.’
His mother blinked and smiled back. Fraser knew she’d just been given the best present of the day. Unconditional acceptance of her beloved husband.
He caught Nikki’s hand, drew her back to him. ‘You look absolutely stunning.’ Dressed in a clinging red dress that barely reached mid-thigh and a wide silver belt that accentuated her tiny waist, balancing on red shoes with impossible heels, she looked perfect. Good enough to eat. The Santa hat perched cheekily on her flowing hair brought a mist to his eyes. He loved Nikki more than he’d thought possible.
The scent of peonies wafted through the air. Peonies, bright and colourful, fragile and silky, the perfect perfume for Nikki. He watched as his father hugged this woman who’d shown him so much care and compassion, even love, over the past few months. Both his parents adored her. Even his dad—who had fewer and fewer lucid moments as the weeks progressed, hurtling towards a total fog and a shadow of the hulking man he’d once been—fully understood how special Nikki was. Her whole family had taken his small one in, making them welcome and a part of them.
Like today. It was Christmas Day on a grand scale with the McCalls. People everywhere. Nikki’s parents, her brothers and their wives or partners, the partners’ parents, and Amber, who was on duty on Boxing Day so she couldn’t go down south to share the day with her folks.
Later in the day, Allan and Rose would open their home to all the local strays and waifs—as Nikki called the neighbours who had nowhere to go or no one to share Christmas with—for a dinner that had to be seen to be believed, going by what Nikki had told him. Even Morag and Bryne had been invited to come along later in the morning.
Morag now worked on the farm and, along with Bryne, lived in one of the farm cottages. Another happy ending for someone Allan and Rose hadn’t known until an accident had brought them all together.
‘Good, I’m glad you’ve arrived.’ Rose bounced down the steps. ‘Now we really can get Christmas under way.’
‘It’s only eight o’clock.’ Allan clasped Fraser’s mum in a hug. ‘I swear this is Rose’s favourite day of the year. She’s like a big kid, waiting for the presents to be opened.’
‘Yes, well, we’re all waiting for that today.’ Fraser heard his mum say.
Fraser’s breath caught in his throat. He’d hardly slept a wink last night waiting for the sun to come up. He’d have come around at five if he’d thought Nikki might be awake. Anything to get the gift giving out of the way. He couldn’t believe how nervous he felt. Terrified even. What if—? Quit the what-ifs. What would be would be. He was done with doubts about the future. He knew what he wanted and he aimed to get it.
Thankfully, Jay thrust a glass of champagne into his shaking hand. ‘Here you go, pal. You look like you could do with something strong under your belt.’ His over-exaggerated wink made Fraser grin self-consciously.
‘Bit early for that.’ Even if he did feel like something to anesthetise the gnawing hope and worry churning his gut.
‘Maybe we should have brunch first,’ Allan teased, a cheeky grin so like Nikki’s on his face.
‘Definitely presents first.’ Nikki clapped her hands and began shooing them all up the steps and along the wide veranda to where the huge Christmas tree stood in pride of place.
There were truckloads of presents. Fraser gaped. Never in his life had he seen anything like it. ‘Blimey.’ This was going to take hours.
Nikki giggled as she slipped her hand into his. ‘Told you Mum goes overboard. Anyone who comes up our drive today will receive a little gift, even if they haven’t been invited.’
A lump blocked Fraser’s throat as his eyes searched the pine tree for the gift he’d placed there yesterday. There, near the top, sharing a tiny branch with an angel, hung the precious object. So small and yet monumental in its significance.
‘Are you all right?’ Nikki nudged him. ‘You’ve gone all pale.’
If only you knew. ‘I’m fine. Who’d have believed four months ago we’d be spending Christmas together?’
Her laughter tinkled on the air. ‘Not that I regret any of it.’
Thank goodness. ‘Coming home turned out to be the most right thing I could ever have done.’
‘Hey, are you two joining us?’ Allan called from his Santa seat. ‘I’d like to start handing out the presents.’
‘Go ahead, Dad. Sorry, Santa.’ Nikki tugged Fraser to a cupid chair and pushed him down, then sat on his knee. ‘Ready when you are.’
Fraser gulped his champagne and the bubbles shot up his nose, causing him to sneeze. The moment was getting closer. There was no escaping now. Not that he wanted to. But he’d certainly jumped in the deep end. What had happened to doing things quietly and privately? Nikki had happened, that’s what. This was about her, for her.
Presents were passed around to everyone and the delighted cries of thanks and excitement momentarily distracted Fraser. The girls especially seemed ecstatic, getting enough presents to keep a small nation going. Even he had never had so many. He unwrapped CDs and DVDs, an All Blacks jersey, a pair of cricket shoes, and from Nikki a voucher for a mystery weekend away for two.
‘You’re taking me, of course,’ she chirped, and for once he saw no uncertainty in those azure eyes studying him from under long lashes.
‘Do you know where we’re going, or is it a surprise for you too?’
‘I know exactly where we’re headed. I didn’t want to go anywhere not romantic enough.’
‘We’d make it romantic no matter where we went.’
‘Aw, you say the nicest things.’ Her lips brushed his. Her scent filled his nose, tipped his world sideways. He was such a lucky man.
‘Okay, you two,’ Jay chipped in. ‘That’s the presents done.’ Then he banged his head with the palm of his hand. ‘Oops, wrong. Seems like there’s one more at the top of the tree.’ He looked around at everyone, his cheeky grin finally aimed at Fraser. ‘Eh, mate. Your turn, I believe.’
Fraser froze. The moment he’d been anticipating with excitement and a dash of trepidation had arrived. Everyone was watching him, waiting with happy anticipation. Everyone except Nikki.
‘What’s going on? Fraser, what does Jay mean?’ She squirmed around on his thighs, peered at him with a big question in her eyes.
For the life of him he couldn’t move. Not because Nik was sitting o
n him but because his muscles had forgotten how to work. His legs were like custard. His arms gripped the sides of the chair, unable to manoeuvre him upwards.
‘Nik, shift your butt and let the man up.’ Jay ducked as a wad of scrunched wrapping paper flew at him.
But at least Nikki stood up, turning to stare down at Fraser again. ‘Please tell me what’s going on.’
The tiniest wobble in her voice propelled Fraser out of the chair and had him reaching for her hands. ‘It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s all good. Trust me.’
She squinted at him, her mouth twitching as though she was trying hard not to smile at him. ‘You’ve hung some of that terrible plastic mistletoe somewhere, haven’t you?’
‘It’s right up here.’ He tugged her with him as he approached the tree and reached up to remove the last present. Then he sucked a huge breath, winced as his injured lung protested, and knelt down in front of her. ‘Nikki Page, please, will you marry me?’
Nikki gasped. The hand he still held began trembling. Her eyes widened in astonishment. She didn’t say a word.
There was utter silence on the veranda. Not even the cattle in the nearest paddock had anything to say. The world was waiting on Nikki.
In his chest his heart was trying to pound its way out through his ribs. Say something, please. Yes. No. Anything but this awful silence. He could barely wait.
Nikki blinked. A tear escaped, ran down her cheek. Her mouth widened slowly into the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. ‘Yes.’
Relief surged through him, lifting him back on his feet. ‘Really?’ His mouth was split wide in a grin. ‘Really?’
‘Yes, Fraser, I will marry you.’
The whole room erupted in clapping and cheering.
Nikki leaned in against him, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him long and tenderly.
He kissed her right back, long and tenderly.
Of course, it was Jay who interrupted them. ‘Haven’t you forgotten something, you two?’
Pulling his mouth from Nikki’s, Fraser stared at him. ‘What?’
‘The small matter of the last present.’
Fraser rolled his eyes. What a dope he was. He took one of Nikki’s hands and placed the tiny box in her palm. ‘Nikki, sweetheart, you need an engagement ring now.’ And he closed her fingers around it.
Her one tear turned into a torrent as she tore the ribbon off and then snapped the lid back. ‘Oh, my goodness, it’s beautiful. Stunning, fabulous. A bigger version of the first one.’ She sniffed.
‘You like it, then?’ Fraser took the sapphire and diamond ring from its cushion and slipped it over her finger.
Nikki gazed at her hand, holding it out to the sunlight. ‘I love it. But nowhere near as much as I love you, Fraser.’
Then they were surrounded by everyone trying to shake hands, hug them, see the ring. The melee finally stopped as Allan and Jay began handing around more glasses of champagne, this time top-shelf champagne.
Allan raised his glass. ‘A toast to Nikki and Fraser.’
Nikki hesitated, understanding finally dawning. ‘You all knew Fraser was going to propose today. Did he ask you all for my hand in marriage?’
As everyone answered in the affirmative, she turned back to Fraser with a cheeky smile. ‘That was very brave of you.’
‘You’re telling me!’
‘I suppose you’ve all decided when we’re getting married too?’ Then her gaze turned on her mother, and when Rose’s face turned crimson Nikki gasped. ‘You have. All those boxes in the spare room. They’re to do with our wedding, aren’t they? Nothing to do with second-hand shops at all.’
‘Not a thing. It was the only explanation I could come up with when I found you about to delve into those cartons of table settings.’ Rose gave her daughter an understanding look. ‘It is your day, love. There’re still lots of things to organise and decisions to make about colours, flowers, the dress.’
Nikki looked around for Molly. ‘I think we can sort the dress out right now.’
Molly brushed tears from her face and came to give Nikki a kiss. ‘At least we know it fits.’
Fraser looked at the two women he loved most. ‘What’s going on?’
‘You’re not the only sneaky one around here. When we were packing up your mum’s things while you were lying on your back in hospital, we came across Molly’s wedding dress.’
‘And you just had to try it on?’
‘Of course. It’s beautiful.’ Nikki frowned. ‘When are we getting married?’
‘How about New Year’s Day? Start the year off as we mean to go on.’
This was where everything could go pear-shaped. Nikki liked to be in charge, and to have partially organised her wedding without her knowledge had been a risk, but there’d been no other way to have the wedding so soon. The licence had been arranged, the caterers booked, the marquee ordered. But Fraser knew they had to get married quickly for Nikki’s sake. He couldn’t stand for her to fret that he might opt out before the day. Even waiting a week might seem an age for her if she was worrying he might not show up. She loved him, trusted him, but if there was even a smidgeon of doubt about her own worth, that would fester away within her. He wasn’t taking the chance.
‘We’ve got a date, Fraser McCall.’ Her kiss was sweet and sexy and loving and all the things that made up his woman. ‘Second time lucky, eh?’
New Year’s Day
The sun shone brightly from a perfect summer sky, glinting off the sides of the huge white marquee erected on the front lawn of Nikki’s family home. All the lawns were immaculate, the grass no doubt scared to grow a millimetre since Fraser and Jay had mown and raked them two days ago. The rose beds were stunning with their bright red, yellow, pink and white blooms. In the paddocks to the west of the house the vines were covered in bright green foliage.
A trail of scattered rose petals led from the house to a huge oak tree under which the marriage celebrant stood patiently waiting in front of at least a hundred guests. Among those guests were all the full-time crews from the station and, biggest surprise of all, his friends he’d travelled with, who’d flown out from England two days ago.
Fraser’s mum and dad grinned and waved to him as his gaze found them at the front. He hadn’t seen them look as happy in years. Thankfully, today was one of his dad’s better days and he knew exactly what was going on.
Everything was going perfectly. Even the baby had obliged and arrived between Christmas and today, giving Yvonne time to recover for the wedding.
Fraser crossed to his favourite garden—the peony bed. The heady scent filled his nostrils, and he snapped off a pink bloom and poked it into his buttonhole. The breath caught in his throat. Never in a million years had he imagined this day quite like this. It was the perfect backdrop for his beautiful bride.
‘Where is Nikki?’ Jay had followed him and now stood beside him, tapping the toe of his shoe on the path. ‘You’d think she would be on time today of all days.’
‘I’m the one who’s supposed to be nervous, not you.’ Fraser grinned at this man who was standing up with him at the ceremony. ‘She’ll be here.’
And there she was, standing at the top of the three steps leading down to the lawn, her hand on her father’s arm. Fraser forgot to breath. Beautiful didn’t begin to describe Nikki. Dressed in ivory satin that highlighted her blue eyes, she looked perfect. ‘Wow.’
‘That’s my sister?’ Jay grinned. ‘She does scrub up all right, doesn’t she?’
‘All right? She’s stunning,’ Fraser croaked.
‘Amber looks awesome too.’
Amber? Oh, yes, tucked in behind Nikki, she looked pretty in her long pink-and-white dress, but his eyes returned to Nikki. He couldn’t get enough of her. He heard the guests gasp as they turned to watch Nikki descend the steps and fully agreed with them.
‘I’ve never seen Amber in a dress,’ Jay muttered.
Fraser decided he’d be telling Amber to wear one all the time if th
e star-struck expression on Jay’s face meant what he thought. Amber had spent months trying to be noticed by Nik’s brother and all she’d had to do was wear a dress. He grinned to himself. What a great day.
Finally, Jay nudged him. ‘Come on, man, time you got hitched.’
Then he was being tugged by his future brother-in-law to the front of the excited guests, where he turned to watch the progress of his bride. His heart leapt with joy within his chest and a lump the size of a brick blocked his throat. Everything that had happened over the past five and a half years had been worth it to experience this moment.
When Nikki and her father reached him, Fraser couldn’t resist leaning in for one little kiss. ‘You’re absolutely beautiful, my love,’ he whispered around the lump. ‘You’re everything to me.’
My future, my life, my everything. Thank goodness he’d come back to Blenheim. If there was one thing in his life he could thank his father for it was forcing his hand to come home. Home was where their families were.
‘Let’s get married.’ She smiled that sweet smile that he’d dreamed about every night since he’d first set eyes on her trying to catch tadpoles in the pond behind the farmhouse.
Taking her hand, he smiled back. ‘Let’s.’ And he gave her another wee kiss for luck before turning to the marriage celebrant. ‘I think we’re ready.’
A few years later
Fraser slowed for the turn into the drive leading up to the farmhouse. ‘Are you ready for this?’
Nik shook her head at him. ‘This is family, Fraser, nothing more, nothing less.’
He grinned. ‘Exactly.’ Pressing his foot down on the accelerator, he added, ‘Hope someone’s got the beer cold.’
‘This is my family.’
True. ‘It will be icy cold.’ They rounded the bend. ‘Oh. My. God.’
‘Fraser, Little Miss Big Ears.’
‘Sorry. But—’ He waved a hand in the direction of the house. ‘That’s over the top.’
‘That’s my family.’ Nikki chuckled. ‘Though they seem to have gone overboard today.’
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