Epilogue
“I’m so nervous. What if I get plane sick? What if the plane has a malfunction? What if we crash into the sea? I can hardly swim,” she said, nearly hyperventilating.
“Look at me, little one.” He grasped hold of her face between his hands. “Breathe with me. That’s it. Nice and easy. Slow and steady. I’ve got pills in case you get sick. Planes rarely malfunction. And if by some chance it does crash into the sea, I was a Navy SEAL, baby, swimming is like breathing to me. I’ll grab hold of you and swim with you to shore.”
“Okay. . .okay, that’s good.” She knew he was humoring her, of course. But she was starting to feel better.
Two weeks had passed since they’d confronted Macca’s father and they hadn’t heard a word from him. Everly and Nico were due to move in tomorrow and they were flying down to Brisbane the morning after. They’d had to stick around longer than planned because Gigi had needed to get a passport.
She’d never flown anywhere before. And now she was flying all the way to the States. To start a new life. In an unknown place. With strangers. Her breath started to grow fast again.
“Okay, you’re panicking. Come here, little one.” He slid her onto his lap. They were sitting on their favorite swinging seat out on the porch. Macca reached over to the side table and picked up the pacifier that lay there. She’d started off only really using it at nap times and when she was upset, but she’d grown to love it. Almost as much as she loved Bunnykins and Kiki.
Macca had gone online and ordered a whole lot of things that would be waiting for them to set up a space for her in his cabin on Sanctuary Ranch. She couldn’t wait. She just wanted to start their new life together.
She sucked on the pacifier and leaned against him as they stared out at the ocean. She would miss this place, though. This house was the first place she’d truly felt happy. But she knew that wherever they were, Penny was with them. In their hearts.
They’d spent these two weeks packing up some of his nan’s personal things. They’d also done some sightseeing. And they’d just spent time together. Sometimes with her as big Gigi, but mostly as Little Gigi.
She pulled the pacifier out. “We’ve got to remember to get a toy wombat for Eden at the airport.”
“I won’t forget, sweet pea,” he told her. She’d spoken several times with the Littles back at Sanctuary. He knew it had eased her mind to hear how excited they all were that she was moving there. “And a koala for Abby. And a kookaburra for Ellie. And a kangaroo for Charlie. And a boomerang for Daisy. She thinks they’re easy to use after watching Crocodile Dundee.” Gigi shook her head at that.
He had to grin as he brushed his fingers through her hair. “Hope we have enough room in our luggage for all these toys.”
“I can leave some of my stuff behind, Daddy,” she said seriously.
“Baby, I was just joking. You hardly have anything as it is. There’s plenty of room. Going to be a change going from this weather to the colder temperature in Montana. I’m going to have to get you some nice warm clothing and proper boots.”
She nodded.
“We’ll have to go on a few test drives before I’m going to let you drive on the opposite side of the road by yourself. Not that you’ll have to do any driving if you don’t want to. We’ll have to look into what you need to do about your license.”
She stiffened.
“What is it?” he asked. He tugged out her pacifier, even though she tried to hold onto it.
“Oh, um, you see, I don’t actually have my license.”
He straightened up. She snuck a peek up into his face. Uh-oh. Her bottom cheeks clenched together.
“Say again?” he asked in a low voice.
“I know how to drive,” she said hastily. “But I never actually got my license.”
“You drove the day Nan died,” he pointed out.
“Well, yes.”
“Without a license?”
“But I know how to drive,” she protested.
“You need a license to drive.” He gave her a stern look. “Driving without one is breaking the law, Georgina Marie.”
Uh-oh.
He stood them both up, then to her shock he bent down and placed his shoulder in her stomach then stood with her swinging over his shoulder.