Hawaiian Sunset, Dream Proposal
Page 16
‘I’m sure,’ he said, as they started to walk along the beach. ‘I never knew what it was that Martyn was hiding from me, but now I know that he had the best of reasons for keeping quiet. He didn’t want to upset your mother’s apple cart. He was leaving it to you to find the truth, and to her to decide whether or not she should tell your father.’
He let his hand rest against the small of her back. ‘I’m glad this has all come out into the open. All I want now is to let you know how I feel about you. Martyn knew all along, and he gave me his blessing in his letter to me. I love you, Amber. Aloha au ia’ oe.’
She stood very still and looked up at him. The sand was soft beneath her feet, and overhead the palm leaves danced in the faint breeze. ‘I love you, Ethan. Mau loa. For ever.’
He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly, holding her close as though he would never let her go. She stayed locked in his embrace for a long, long time. So much had happened, she had learned so many things, but most of all she had learned that she loved Ethan with all her heart.
‘He really gave us his blessing?’ she asked softly, after a while.
Ethan smiled. ‘He said I should put a ring on your finger before some other likely candidate came along and whipped you away from me.’
‘That sounds like Martyn.’
‘Yes.’ Then he frowned. ‘What’s that noise?’ Ethan moved back from her a little, trying to discern what was happening.
Amber could hear a light chirruping sound, and it took a moment before she realised that it was her mobile phone.
She glanced at the display. ‘It’s my mother,’ she said, looking anxiously at Ethan. ‘I hope she’s all right. I feel as though I messed things up for her.’
He lightly squeezed her shoulder. ‘You did what you thought was best. Answer it.’
‘Hello, Mum.’
‘No, Amber. It’s your father.’
‘Oh, Dad, I’m so glad to hear your voice. Are you all right? I thought you were usually at the surgery at this time?’
‘Well, I was out on call, and I just dropped in home for a while. I could see that your mother was upset.’
‘Was she?’ Amber was cautious, not knowing what to say. She didn’t want to cause her mother any more problems. She frowned and Ethan drew her nearer to him in a gesture of support.
‘You know, she told me everything. About Martyn and all that happened. I just wanted you to know, Amber, that it’s all right. I was hurt and angry to begin with, but it was more to do with the fact that your mother hadn’t told me from the beginning. All along I had a feeling that things weren’t quite right, but I loved you and accepted you as my own. The fact is, I love your mother, and I’m glad that she’s told me everything now. I just hope that you’re okay with it. It must have come as a bolt from the blue.’
‘Something like that,’ she said. ‘But, yes, I think I’m all right with it. It’s a lot to take in. I just want you to know that to me you’ll always be my dad. You’ve always been there for me, and that’s what really matters. I love you both. Tell Mum for me, will you?’
‘I will, Amber. She’s here with me, and I’m sure she knows already.’
They cut the call after a while, and Amber turned to look up at Ethan once more. ‘I think it’s going to be all right,’ she said. ‘I don’t know how they could have kept up the pretence for so long, each one worried about what the other would think.’
‘Love does strange things to people,’ Ethan murmured. ‘It makes you blind, it drives you crazy, it causes you to do all sorts of things to protect yourself from being hurt.’
‘Is that what happened to you?’ She ran her fingers gently down his cheek.
‘In a way. I knew that you were everything I ever wanted, but I was afraid you would leave me high and dry. I tried to tell myself that you weren’t for real and you would be heading back home just as soon as you tired of being out here. But you unlocked my heart and crept inside, and now I can’t ever let you go.’
She smiled up at him. ‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she said huskily. She wrapped her arms around him and drew his head down towards hers, kissing him softly, her lips clinging, her body arching against him.
He sucked in a taut breath. ‘If you’re going to do that, we had better start making plans,’ he said in a ragged voice.
‘Plans?’
‘For our wedding day,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t want history to repeat itself after all. You’re taking me way too close to heaven, and I’m just a mere man. I don’t have the willpower to resist you.’
She laughed softly. ‘My parents are supposed to be coming over here soon, aren’t they? Why don’t we arrange it so they’re coming for a very special celebration?’
‘My thoughts exactly,’ he said in a roughened tone. ‘Nau ko’u aloha,’ he whispered. ‘My love is yours. Mau loa. For ever.’
‘For ever,’ she echoed, and gave herself up to his kisses. The sun had gone down over the horizon, the night was young, and moonlight bathed them in its silvery glow. All was well with the world.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
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First published in Great Britain 2010
Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Joanna Neil 2010
ISBN: 978-1-408-91807-4
Sadržaj
Cover Page
Excerpt
About the Author
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Copyright