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Samantha smirked at his look of mock seriousness. ‘Do you, now?’
‘Yup.’ He shut the door and hightailed it back into the driver’s seat.
After loosening the constricting seatbelt, Samantha gestured towards the forest of fragrance trees hanging from the rear-vision mirror. ‘Got enough air fresheners, Connor?’
‘Ah, yeah, there’s a story about that.’ He put the gearshift into first then spun the LandCruiser around. ‘I went and left the window down last week and a feral cat decided to climb in and add its touch of cologne.’ Offering her a quick sideways glance, he grimaced and shook his head. ‘After scrubbing from top to bottom, I didn’t think I’d ever get rid of the stench, so the next best thing was to try and cover it up with a wad of those thingamajiggies.’
Looking around as if she were about to spot the offending cat, Samantha sniffed hard. ‘Well, they’re doing the trick because I can’t smell anything but vanilla and strawberry.’
‘That’s good, mission completed.’ He tapped the steering wheel, then after a few silent seconds smiled at her. ‘So Mum’s really excited you’re joining us tonight.’
‘Great, I’m looking forward to catching up with her after all this time.’ She was a little nervous, too, given the fact the last time she’d seen her was at Angus’s cremation. ‘So what’s on the menu?’
Connor tipped his head a little to the side. ‘That’s for me to know and you to find out, Miss Evans.’
‘Hmm, a man of mystery, hey?’
‘Always.’
Silence settled again, but this time it felt natural, comfortable. Connor turned the stereo up, and the fact that he had Garth Brooks on made Samantha wonder if that was on purpose or just a coincidence – it had been playing the last time she’d sat in here, all those years ago, on the very night everything had changed between them.
After a leisurely few kilometres of having a dirt road completely to themselves, Connor slowed and pulled through the gates right on dusk. Samantha dug her feet into the floor as they bounced over a succession of cattle grids. Gazing out and over the dusty pink landscape, she was shocked at how well she knew every rise and fall, every curve and stretch of flatness, as if she’d never left at all. Something inside her soul stretched and sighed as if waking from a dreamy sleep, as a weird sense of belonging here floated and settled inside of her, as if she was finally home after a long arduous journey. The intoxicating sensation had her taking a few slow breaths as she tried to make sense of it.
‘Does it still look the same?’ Connor’s husky voice invaded her thoughts as his headlights swept over his property, igniting the silhouettes of cattle and horses for as far as the eye could see.
‘Yes.’ With a dreamy smile, Samantha turned, nodding. ‘Other than all the new horse agistment paddocks, it’s exactly as I remember it.’
The sprawling homestead now in her sights, she looked to the wrought-iron railings of the front verandah lined with potted plants, then up to the bedroom window facing the paddocks. That was where Angus had tried countless times to go all the way with her, but she’d remained steadfast on not having sex before marriage. The accident had gone and changed all of that – just like it had changed everything that had mattered to her back then.
‘Are you okay, Sammie?’ Connor’s hand came to rest upon hers.
She blinked poignant memories away. ‘Oh, yes, sorry, I was a million miles away.’ Not having realised they’d pulled to a stop, and the engine was no longer running, she sucked in a breath, both from being startled and also from the beautifully warming feeling of Connor’s reassuring touch.
‘You sure?’ He regarded her with all-knowing eyes.
The lump of emotion lodged in her throat finally dissipated. ‘Uh-huh, all good in the hood, I am.’
‘All good in the hood, hey? You’re getting mighty hip there, Sammie.’ Connor’s smile was slow and sexy.
Shrugging off the melancholy caused by her past, she had to laugh at her old-school response. ‘Good grief, being back here is certainly bringing out my teenage self.’
‘Yeah, well, I reckon that’s a great thing.’ Shoving his door open with his boot, he offered her one last contemplative look filled with too much to fathom before jumping out. ‘Now let’s get inside so I can get back to cooking my Michelin-star meal while you and Mum catch up over some vino.’
She grabbed the gift bag with goodies and the bottle of wine from her feet, then climbed out and met Connor at the bonnet. ‘You’re talking yourself up there, don’t you think, chef Gunn?’
‘Trust me when I say, I’m gonna walk the walk with my menu tonight.’ He almost stripped her soul naked with his penetrating glance.
A second longer caught in his gaze and she would have revealed everything she’d been none too aware of herself until this very heated instant. And as he hooked his arm into hers and led her towards the homestead, she breathed him in deeply, letting the beautiful familiarity of him fill up all the places that were void inside of her. She had to silently admit that his company soothed her frayed nerves so effortlessly and her tattered heart so movingly. Simply being in his presence covered her in a blanket of relief, and she mentally tugged it in nice and tight as they stepped into another of the houses that had helped shape the woman she was today.
***
In his element, Connor felt happier than he’d been in what felt like forever. His mum’s favourite group, The Highwaymen, was playing from the stereo. Waylon, Willie and the boys’ voices were compelling, and the candles he’d picked up were lit, creating a relaxing ambience. But watching the two most important women in the world to him from his posting at the stove, he was tumbling into memories he didn’t want in his head. And as he turned the scallops in the foaming garlic butter ever so gently, he firmly told himself that even if she was single again, he wasn’t going back to that place with her. It wouldn’t be good for him, and it certainly wouldn’t be fair on her – especially not with his health concerns. ‘History repeated’ wasn’t going to be a phrase anyone could use when describing their newly reforming relationship. When she left town again, undoubtedly taking another piece of himself with her, he wanted to remain in contact this time round, to be able to check in with her from time to time and be welcome to visit her in London if the opportunity ever arose. They were friends, had always been despite their rift, and always would be from this moment forward. Being around her again showed him just how important it was to have her in his life. And besides, it was hard to know exactly what he was feeling, given the fact he’d had his emotions under lock and key for so damn long. At the same time, curiosity about where they would’ve gone, if things had been different, was driving him insane. So, self-control was everything right now.
Because if he’d thought her beautiful before, it was nothing compared to the stunning woman she was now. Another glance in her direction, as he carried the pan over to the plates to begin dishing up their entree of scallops on cauliflower puree with scatterings of micro herbs, reminded him of that fact. Although she’d tamed her wild hair, and dusted make-up over her adorable freckles, she couldn’t fool him into believing that wild girl he’d roamed this countryside with when they were kids was gone. Nuh-uh, she was still there, hiding beneath her armour, just waiting to be reminded of how free and happy she could be, if she allowed herself to let go. And he was going to do his best to remind her, as subtly as possible – because he knew better than most that Samantha Evans needed to come to her own conclusions, and discover her own truths along the way.
Closing the distance between the breakfast bench and the dining table he’d set with the best china by the bay windows, he stopped and waited, plates in hand. They were so wrapped up in their laughter and conversation that neither his mum nor Samantha noticed him. He cleared his throat, and caught their attention, the wide smiles on their faces warming his heart no end.
‘Oh, hey, love.’ Placing her wine glass down, Joyce sat up straighter in readiness to receive her food.
