‘I’ve been offered a partnership at the Rose Bay Medical Centre.’
She flinched, then rallied. ‘You must be thrilled. That’s great news.’ Locking her eyes with his, she said, ‘I mean it, Cole. I’m proud of you. Not that I’m surprised. You’re a great doctor with the people skills required to make patients trust you.’
‘I haven’t accepted. I’m probably not going to.’
Her eyes widened.
‘I haven’t said anything to the partners yet. I wanted to talk to you first. To decide together where to live.’ This was about their future, not just his.
‘Tell me more.’ Could those beautiful blue eyes get any wider?
‘The contract has everything I want, yet it doesn’t sit right with me.’ Sipping his wine, he reached for Vicki’s free hand, entwined their fingers. She didn’t jerk away. ‘That’s wrong. It was Sydney I needed to look at properly. I went there as a teen to get lost in the crowds, to be free of people approaching me to talk about the theft I didn’t commit. Being in a large city worked. I got on with study and making friends who knew nothing of my past.’
‘Then I don’t see what the problem is for you to continue living there.’
‘I’m not saying I’ve made up my mind not to. But the other night, helping the rescue crew, I felt right at home with everyone without having to prove anything to myself or them. It’s as simple as that.’ Turning to face her, he locked his gaze with hers. ‘I want to live where we’ll both be happy. Have a job that fits round your dreams too. I love you, Vicki, and that’s all that matters. Everything else can be worked around, but not my love for you.’
She studied him with an intensity he was coming to know. There was no anger or sadness, only hope in that expression. ‘I never stopped loving you, Cole. I needed to be heard, that’s all.’
‘And hugged when everything was going belly up.’
She nodded. ‘That too.’ A devastating smile broke out on her face, and knocked his heart sideways.
Leaning closer, he wound his arms around his woman and covered her mouth with his, and kissed her long and deep, like he’d never kissed her before.
Pressing against him, her breasts on his chest, Vicki returned the kiss with equal vigour and love. The longer they kissed, the more his body softened—though some areas tightened. The months of tension evaporated, to be replaced with the love he hadn’t stopped holding for this beautiful woman.
The sound of a metal chair leg scraping on concrete cut through the wonder ‘I love you,’ he whispered as he lifted his head to look around.
Beside their table an old man was getting to his feet. ‘Good luck, you two.’
Vicki laughed. ‘Thank you, but I don’t think we’ll need it now.’
Cole grinned. They were back on track. He waved to the waitress. ‘Could we have two glasses of your best champagne, please?’
‘Coming right up.’ The young woman was smiling. ‘Very quickly.’
Vicki pushed her barely touched glass of wine aside. ‘That’ll have to take a back seat if I’m having bubbles. I’m driving, remember?’
He slid it across to her hand. ‘We’re not going back to Palm Beach today. We’re going to spend the night here in town at that hotel you can see.’ They’d be together, make love, eat in bed, drink some more champagne in the hotel where there wouldn’t be any interruptions from Vicki’s family or friends. ‘Ironic when I said I didn’t need to remain isolated any more and here I am, wanting a night totally to ourselves.’
‘Here you go, you two.’ Champagne flutes appeared before them. ‘Enjoy.’
‘Oh, we will,’ Vicki lifted a glass and wound her arm through his. ‘To us.’
They sipped.
‘That’s nectar.’ She smiled.
‘It is.’ Hang on. He still had something to say. ‘Vicki, wherever we choose to live, I will help with your project, give support in any way you require. When we have a baby I’ll do my share of parenting so you don’t have to juggle everything too much.’
‘We can do all of this in Sydney, if you would like to take up the partnership. I have no beef against Sydney. It’s a great place to live—together.’
‘We’ll talk about it. Later.’ He tapped their glasses together. ‘To us,’ he repeated her words. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you too.’ Then she burst into tears.
EPILOGUE
Twelve months later...
VICKI STEPPED OUT of the car and smoothed the skirt of her cream full-length dress over her six-month baby bump and down to her new cream suede, solid-heeled shoes. The heels, thicker than normal, were to keep her upright in the sand. Anyway, they looked awesome.
‘Are we ready?’ Damon looked directly at her, a cheeky grin on his face.
She laughed. Did that a lot lately. Then she looked around at the group standing with her on the walkway leading down to the white sands of Palm Beach. ‘What do you think?’ she asked her brother. She was as excited as the first time she’d done this. More so, really, now that she and Cole had resolved their differences and were living together all the time, sharing their lives as she’d always hoped for.
‘Then let’s do this.’ He took her arm as Phil stepped up to take the other.
‘Can’t have you falling flat on your face.’ Phil grinned.
‘I wouldn’t be flat with junior in there, making a hill out of my stomach.’
Behind them, her father said, ‘Anna, Julie, let me escort you both down to the beach. I’ve been made redundant with Vicki by my sons.’
Everyone laughed. It had been decided days ago that her brothers were walking her along to Cole where he waited on the beach with his father, and Nathan and Molly with the twins, to renew their vows. Cheeky guys that they were, Phil and Damon reckoned they might bring a bit more luck to the equation this time.
‘Let’s go.’ She laughed. ‘Can’t keep Cole waiting.’
‘Why change now?’ Damon quipped.
‘Because today, and only today, he can have everything his way.’ Tomorrow they were going on a second honeymoon, back to Rarotonga and the same luxurious resort.
‘Bet he’ll be too busy making sure you have everything you want to be thinking of himself,’ Julie said from behind her.
Yes, Cole put her first so often now it could get embarrassing. Despite being busy with the medical clinic he’d bought into here in Cairns, he’d backed her all the way with the agency, which was already doing well. Not so busy there weren’t days when she had no jobs to fill, but those were becoming fewer and fewer.
Stepping onto the sand, Vicki looked along the beach to the small group waiting for them all. Her heart lurched with all the love spilling out. How could she once have thought they were over? It wasn’t possible. She loved that man waiting for her more than life itself. And now they were going to be parents, were expecting a tiny miracle to love and cherish for ever.
She stumbled. Love was so wonderful.
‘Hey, clumsy, look where you’re going.’ Phil grinned.
‘There’s a big distraction just ahead.’ She grinned back.
‘You two...’ Damon rolled his eyes ‘...need to find a hotel quick smart.’
‘Not until after the ceremony,’ she retorted. Then she was standing in front of Cole, her heart flapping around in her chest like a fish on sand, and nothing else, no one else, mattered. Reaching for his hand, she held on tight, never wanting to let him go again. ‘I love you,’ she whispered.
Cole leaned close to brush his lips across hers. ‘And I you.’
‘Hey, you two. Enough of that. There are decent people present,’ Damon’s laughter broke through the haze taking over her head. ‘And the marriage celebrant.’
‘You saying I’m not decent?’ Karen asked with a twinkle in her eye.
They didn’t legally require a marriage celebrant to re
new their vows, but she and Cole had become friends with Karen and Arlo since the monsoon, and when Karen had heard about the ceremony there had been no stopping her partaking in it. Not that either of them had wanted to turn down her offer.
‘Right, let’s do this.’ Karen shuffled the pages in her hands as she waited.
Vicki and Cole turned to face her, still holding hands.
Here we go, second time lucky, Vicki thought. Luckier.
Karen started with something unexpected. ‘I am so glad you picked a beautiful, sunny day for this celebration, nothing like the night we met under a hill.’ When everyone chuckled, she added, ‘That was the worst time of my life and yet Arlo and I now have two wonderful friends we didn’t have before.’ She glanced across to her husband with a tender smile just for him.
Arlo winked. ‘Get on with it, woman. The champagne’s getting warm.’ His foot tapped the Esky at his side.
‘Cole and Vicki, do you both vow to love and cherish each other for the rest of your lives? To support and care for one another? To raise your family surrounded by love and understanding? To share the good, the bad, and everything in between with love and have a smile for each other every morning?’
Vicki’s breasts rose as she drew in sun-warmed air and gazed at the man who was her husband, her support, her soul mate, her love. ‘Yes, absolutely. I’ll always love you, Cole. Always have, always will.’ Her throat clogged up with unshed tears. She wasn’t going to cry today. This was a joyous occasion.
Cole’s hands were shaking as he held hers. ‘Vicki, my heart. I promise to do all those things and more. I love you with everything I have. And some,’ he added as a tear slid slowly down his cheek.
She rose on her toes to wipe the tear away with her finger, then leaned up to kiss him. Another tear appeared on his cheek. Okay, maybe crying was allowed.
‘Not so fast,’ Karen interrupted.
Laughter bubbled up from Vicki’s tummy. ‘Like Arlo said—hurry up.’
‘Cole and Vicki, man and wife, we all wish you both the very best for the future and in everything you do. Your love is strong and beautiful. Enjoy.’ Karen stepped back. ‘Cole, you may kiss your wife.’