Jamie sent her a funny half-smile. ‘The thing is, Grace, I think I’m falling in love with you.’
Grace leapt to her feet and scrambled backwards, barely noticing the bite of hard rock beneath her feet. Her heart kicked so hard she had to fight a wave of dizziness. ‘This was just supposed to be a fling!’
‘I know.’
‘Nothing like this was supposed to happen!’
‘I also know I’ve never felt the same depth of feeling for any woman that I felt for you when I was sixteen. I’ve wanted to, but it’s never happened for me. I’m feeling it again now, though, Grace. Don’t you think that means something?’
No. No she didn’t!
He stared at her for a long moment. ‘What are you afraid of?’
‘I’m not afraid!’
That was a lie, she was terrified. If there was one man who could bend her will to his, it was this one. Her experience with Mal had left her hurt, exposed and humiliated. She’d trusted him and he’d lied to her. It’d be a hundred times worse with Jamie. She couldn’t risk it!
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think you moving to the Kimberley is a good idea.’
***
Grace knocked on the cottage door the next morning, nerves jangling. She’d barely slept last night, but one thing had become clear—she had no right to tell Jamie where he could and couldn’t live.
Jamie didn’t appear. Opening the door, she called out, ‘Hello,’ but a single glance told her the cottage was empty. He’d left!
Her heart surged so hard the rush of blood knocked the fog clean out of her head. And in that moment, everything became clear. A plane engine firing to life had her swinging towards the airfield.
She left the cottage at a run. She ran as fast as she could, but the plane sped away and lifted off, flying into a wide blue sky. She waved her arms and yelled for it to come back, but it didn’t turn around—just became a smaller speck as it moved away.
Bracing her hands on her knees, she tried to catch her breath. She needed to go after him. She—
‘Grace?’
She swung around, her heart ricocheting off her ribs. ‘Jamie? But—’ She gestured at the plane.
‘I realised I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. Again.’
At his words, she flung herself into his arms. ‘Don’t go, Jamie. Stay. Stay here forever.’
He crushed her against him, before gently detaching her arms from his neck. ‘But you said—’
‘I was scared. I finally felt as if I had my life on the right track and then you came along.’ Reaching up, she touched his face. ‘Jamie, my feelings for you are so big I’d change my whole life for you. It terrified me.’
His face gentled.
‘But this morning I realised you’d never ask that of me. Your vision of our life is one where we’d both have what made us happy. I want that life, Jamie. I want that life with you.’
His smile, when it came, nearly made her swoon. ‘I love you, Grace.’
‘I love you, Jamie.’
His lips swooped down to hers and he kissed her with a thoroughness that curled her toes. ‘I’m going to make you the happiest person on the planet.’
‘We’ll make each other the happiest people on the planet,’ she corrected, wrapping her arms around his neck. Now that she had him, she was never letting him go.
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