‘High.’
He kissed the side of her face. ‘Better to know the worst now than to have it nagging at the back of our minds. Whichever way it goes, we can make plans. Together.’
‘But what about kids? Family?’
‘Without you? Not a chance.’
He was risking his own happiness, his shot at a family. He’d stay with her for however long or short that might be. Relief and happiness were washing over her like waves. ‘I didn’t realise how much I needed you until you walked away.’
‘No one’s ever needed me before. Do you know how that feels?’
‘Wonderful. Special. Amazing. Because now I know you need me too. I was wrong to deny you that chance.’
‘So get it into your head, I’m with you all the way. But I’m confident it’s going to be good news.’
‘Good news. But if it’s not, there are important decisions to make, like whether to have surgery or—’
‘Not now.’ He stopped her with a finger to her lips.
‘If you’d gone...’
‘I wasn’t going anywhere without answers. I don’t give up that easily. But when I realised what was going on I didn’t know the best way to get through to you. Lucky I have Breanna.’
She wrapped her fingers around his and squeezed. ‘Lucky. Families are the best.’
* * *
‘Satellite number two, right on time, skipper.’ Jett pointed to the night sky a couple of weeks later. They’d taken Chasing Dawn out for a short sail while the weather was calm, and were lying side by side on the deck and watching the stars. Only their fingers touched and for Jett it was the most spiritual feeling he’d ever known. The two of them alone beneath the wonders of the universe.
‘Well spotted.’ His stargazer, satellite-spotter sailor lover tapped the back of his hand with a fingernail.
‘I read up on how to interpret the test results,’ he said, still tracking the satellite’s slow steady arc across the sky. ‘If your results are negative for a known family mutation, your risk of developing cancer is no greater than mine. It’s called a true negative.’ He turned his head to look at her. ‘But I guess you already know that.’
‘Yes.’ She turned her head on the wooden deck and looked back at him, her eyes reflecting the star sparkle. ‘We just have to wait.’
‘There’s something I don’t want to wait for,’ he said, and raised himself up on one elbow. She looked so beautiful lying there, bathed in starlight, his pink snowflake charm winking at her throat. ‘This is as good a place as any to ask you to marry me.’
Her eyes went round and wide. ‘Marry you? But don’t you want to wait until—?’
‘Not another word.’ His eyes narrowed.
‘I only meant until the moon rises.’ She cast her gaze to the growing shimmery glow on the eastern horizon, then smiled back at him. ‘In ten minutes, give or take.’
‘Okay.’ He relaxed again and rolled towards her. ‘I guess I can find something to do for ten minutes. Give or take.’
‘Are you planning on getting nautical with me, Chef Davies?’ she said, reaching for his belt.
‘With a dash of piratical flavour,’ he promised.
‘Marriage...’ Olivia tried out the word a short time later, feeling incredibly lazy and loose and loved, as they watched the first sliver of moon rise over the rugged coastline.
‘Commitment. Now. No matter what happens we’re in this together. And to prove it...’
He slid a ring onto the third finger of her left hand. A snowflake mounted on a rose-gold band to match the one around her neck. ‘Oh, my. Pink diamonds. Again.’ She grinned at him and caressed it with her other hand. ‘It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. And it matches my necklace.’
‘I doubt it’s practical for everyday use but when I had the other one made, I decided I wanted this too.’
Laughing, she threw her arms around his neck. ‘I love impractical. And I love you... Hang on—’ Pulling back, she watched his expression while she replayed his words in her head. ‘You had it made when exactly?’
He didn’t reply but his trade-mark cocky grin spread over his face.
She grinned back. ‘I do love a confident man.’
EPILOGUE
‘Brie’s late. I don’t know why we didn’t pick her up on the way.’ Olivia tapped her fingers on the snowy cloth in one of Hobart’s premier restaurants. Which drew her attention to her engagement ring glittering like a million dollars. She couldn’t keep the grin from her lips. She’d spent a lot of time gazing at her left hand over the past couple of weeks, reminding herself that no matter what the future held, she’d not be alone.