Blackpeak Station (20 page)

‘Wait.’ Pushing her back against the wall, he kissed her thoroughly, then, as her hands rose behind his neck, picked her up in his arms. ‘Let me get some practice in.’

Carrying her over the threshold, he dropped her onto the enormous bed, threw his jacket off and began to loosen his tie. Charlotte sat up, looking out through the picture window at the lake and mountains glinting in the moonlight.
She climbed off the bed and walked to the terrace doors.

‘That’s quite a view.’

Behind her, Luke unzipped her dress. ‘It will be in a minute.’

Charlotte woke to an oddly bright room. She looked at the sunlight streaming in through the terrace doors. ‘What time is it?’

Luke looked over her shoulder at the clock. ‘Nine.’

Seriously? Charlotte sat up. She hadn’t slept this late since she left uni. Her temples were thudding a bit. Oh shit — she’d never called Jen. She swung her legs out of bed, slipped on Luke’s shirt and started looking for her bag. Ah, there it was on the floor. Bending over, she rummaged for her phone. Right — ON.

She turned to find Luke sitting up in bed, eyeing the hem of his shirt with interest. ‘What?’

The phone beeped in her hand. Six voice messages. Uh-oh.

The first was from Luke — she smiled. The next five were from Jen, and they got progressively worse as the night went on.

‘Where are you? Are you all right? Someone said they saw Luke — are you with him? Jesus, Charlie, I’ve been waiting for you for an hour. Will you fucking call me?’

Charlotte winced.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘I forgot to tell Jen I wasn’t going back to the motel — she’s not very happy with me. I’d better call her.’ It wasn’t exactly an inviting prospect.

Luke shrugged. ‘Send her a text.’ He reached for the room service menu. ‘Are you hungry? I might order some eggs.’

Sliding back into bed with the phone, she grappled briefly with her conscience. ‘Sorry,’ she tapped out laboriously. ‘With Luke. See you back home.’ She pressed send.

‘You know’ — Luke straightened her collar — ‘you look pretty good in a French cuff.’ His fingers trailed towards the buttons.

‘I thought you were ordering breakfast.’ Smiling, she checked the clock. ‘Don’t we have to check out soon?’ She watched his face, half hoping he’d suggest they stay for another night — she really wasn’t looking forward to facing Jen when they got back.

‘Hmm.’ He opened the shirt, considering — then, with a sigh and a grin, began buttoning it. ‘I suppose we do.’ He rolled away. ‘Come on — it’s a beautiful day. Let’s go home.’

Home?
As Luke headed for the shower, Charlotte sighed and stretched happily. It really was a beautiful day.

When they got down to reception at ten, Matt and Siri were checking out too. And Siri’s parents. Oh no — Charlotte, wearing Luke’s suit jacket over last night’s dress, hung her head.

‘Gidday.’ Matt looked her up and down and grinned. ‘I thought you disappeared early last night.’

‘Charlie!’ Siri gushed ‘Have you heard? We’re going to Nepal! Isn’t it fantastic? I can’t believe he organised it all by himself!’

Charlotte smiled, and looking up, stole a glance at Luke. He smiled back, his green eyes dancing. It just went to show — they might think they knew best, but sometimes your friends had absolutely no idea what would make you happy.

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief as Luke pulled up outside the homestead. Jen’s ute wasn’t there. She was spared the
walk of shame, at least. She slipped her heels back on.

Inside, she found her overnight bag slung on the bedroom floor just inside the doorway. Oh well — at least Jen had brought it back. She changed thankfully into clean underwear and pulled on a t-shirt and jeans. Luke, reclining on the bed, watched her lazily, arms folded behind his head.

‘How about we take the quad bikes out this afternoon?’

Putting down her eyeliner, she glanced over her shoulder at him in surprise. ‘Yeah, sure, if you want.’

‘We could go up to that place of yours — what’s it called? Something spur?’

‘Rough Creek?’

‘That’s the one.’

There was a crunch of gravel outside, followed by the slam of a car door. ‘Ugh.’ Luke got up and went to the window. ‘Here comes my biggest fan.’

Charlotte smiled apologetically. ‘She’ll get used to you.’ Eventually — surely.

‘She’d better.’ Circling the room, he came to stand behind her, studying their reflection in the mirror as his hands slid under her t-shirt. ‘I am doing her boss, after all. She should be worrying about whether I like her.’

God — she’d never thought about it that way before. Escaping his hands, she turned round. ‘Do you not like Jen?’

Luke raised his eyebrows.

‘Oh, come on,’ she teased, hoping she could make it a joke. ‘You just hate there being a girl you can’t charm.’

‘She’s a charm-free zone all right,’ he agreed, his mouth turning down. ‘Anyway’ — he regathered her — ‘I won’t have to see her that much any more once you two stop being flatmates.’

She stared at him, puzzled.

‘She’ll move out,’ he said slowly, ‘when I move down
here, right?’ Releasing Charlotte’s hips, he ran both hands through his hair. ‘Tell me she’s going to move out?’

‘Yeah … I guess …’ She shook her head. Of course Jen couldn’t live with them. It was just — God, so much was going to have to change. She hadn’t considered this stuff at all.

‘Good.’ Luke watched her warily. ‘Because I’m a big boy — I don’t share houses. Or anything else.’ He hooked a finger over the waistband of her jeans. ‘Especially not my wife.’

Jeez.
Wife
— it sounded so serious. Was she ready for this? Luke pulled her close. Well, she was certainly ready for something …

More door-slamming echoed down the hall. Charlotte sighed. ‘I guess I’d better go and apologise. I have to face up to Jen sometime.’

‘And spoil such a lovely afternoon?’

She smiled. ‘What’s your plan? We hide in here all day?’

‘No …’ Leading her to the front window, he slid up the sash and climbed out. ‘We escape.’

She giggled. So much for being a big boy. ‘Are you scared of Jen?’

‘Not even slightly.’ Luke gave her a withering glare. ‘I just bore easily. You coming?’

Charlotte leaned back on her elbows in the grass and turned up her face to the autumn sun. There was a whirring noise beside her ear. She opened her eyes in time to see Luke take another photo on his phone.

‘This really is a lovely spot.’ He got to his feet and turned round, framing Mount Pickford and the glacier, then made a slow three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn. ‘I told my parents I’d send them some pictures next time I was down.’

His parents? Something else she hadn’t thought of.

Glancing down at her face, Luke laughed. ‘Yes, I do have parents, you know. What, did you think I’d just hatched?’

Not exactly … more appeared in a puff of sulphur one day, clutching a tiny pitchfork. She sat up. ‘So do I get to meet them sometime?’

‘Well, I haven’t actually checked, you understand, but I’m pretty sure they’ll come to the wedding.’

She rolled her eyes.

‘Sure.’ Sitting down again, he pulled her across his lap. ‘Any time you want. They’re dying to meet you.’

‘Well …’ Charlotte thought. ‘I could probably get away the weekend after next.’

There was a moment’s pause. ‘What happened to this place falling apart without you?’

She smiled. ‘Well, it would at some times of year. But we don’t have that much on at moment. I can take a few days off here and there.’

‘That’s very good news.’ He stroked the hollow of her throat. ‘But it’d have to be more than a few days, I’m afraid. Mum and Dad are in Italy at the moment.’

Of course they were. ‘When do they get back?’

‘Oh, late spring, usually.’ Luke played with the end of her ponytail. ‘Unless, of course, there’s some reason for them to come back before then.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘Tell me’ — he brushed the ponytail up and down her throat — ‘about your ideal wedding.’

Oh dear. Nothing like his, she was pretty sure. She’d been having second thoughts about the church — the big dress, all those people staring. It just wasn’t her. ‘Well,’ she began tentatively, ‘it’d be small … just family and really close friends … and nothing too formal. Maybe in a nice
garden or something, somewhere?’

‘Maybe here?’

Here? No way! That would be amazing … but Luke couldn’t want that, could he? She’d been sure he’d want something posh and huge in Christchurch. She tried to see his face.

‘How about May 15th?’ he grinned. ‘I’m free.’

Sitting up, Charlotte frowned. ‘But that’s only a month away!’

‘It’s that or wait until next summer.’ Taking her shoulders, he pushed her back down. ‘I don’t want to wait. Let’s just do this — now. As soon as we can.’

His eyes searched hers. There it was, that naked look she loved. The one that was only for her. Would she ever be able to say no to this man? Not this time, at least. Gazing up at him, she knew beyond doubt that she didn’t want to wait another day to marry him, either.

Luke smiled. ‘I almost forgot.’ He reached into his pocket. ‘Give me your hand.’ As Charlotte watched, he slid the most beautiful diamond she had ever seen onto her finger.

‘Oh!’ Kath pressed her hand to her mouth. ‘Oh, Charlie, it’s so lovely … and it matches your bracelet, too.’

Wow. So it did. Luke really did think of everything … Sliding the bracelet up her wrist, she examined them together.

‘Oh, for God’s sake.’ Jen peered over her shoulder. ‘When’s the tiara coming?’

Charlotte sighed heavily. She was beginning to see Luke’s point — this was getting old.

‘I think I’ll just go and pick some carrots.’ Tactfully, Kath withdrew.

Jen leaned against the kitchen bench. ‘You’re not seriously going to go through with this, are you?’

‘Look, let’s just drop it, eh?’

‘I can’t just “drop it” — I’m supposed to be your friend.’

‘Yeah?’ Charlotte’s patience snapped. ‘Well, you’re doing a pretty crap job of it at the moment.’

‘I’m trying to help.’

‘Thanks — but I don’t remember asking for your help. Just leave it alone. I know what I’m doing.’

‘Clearly you don’t,’ spat Jen, ‘or you wouldn’t be doing it.’

‘What, marrying the guy I’m in love with? Who loves me? Jesus!’

‘You don’t love that guy. It’s crazy. You can’t. You’re just on the rebound from—’

‘I do love Luke! I’ve never felt this way about anybody.
Anybody,
okay? I’m sorry that doesn’t suit you, and I know I’m supposed to clear these things with you first, but hey, not everyone wants to spend their lives sitting round being bitter over things that aren’t going to happen. Some of us move on.’

‘Fuck you, Charlie.’ Jen straightened. ‘Maybe it’s time
I
moved on.’

Shit.
Charlotte swore under her breath as Jen left the room.

‘Everything okay, dear?’ Tentatively, Kath walked back in, carrots in hand.

She shook her head. She was so angry she could cry. She was
happy
, God damn it. Of course she was. Why did Jen have to try and ruin it? Because she was jealous, that was why. Because she didn’t know how good it felt to be swept off your feet. To be
so
in love you didn’t have time to think about it. Hell, maybe Jen
should
leave. Maybe she didn’t want her here, poisoning things with Luke. But she felt a sudden
pang at the thought of Blackpeak without her.

Kath put the carrots in the sink. ‘She means well.’ Turning back, she patted Charlotte’s shoulder. ‘Try not to let her upset you. It’s your life, you know.’

That’s right — it was.

Kath put the jug on.

Charlotte took a few deep breaths. ‘I know I haven’t known Luke that long — but sometimes you just … it’s fireworks, you know? I mean, that’s what falling in love is all about, isn’t it?’

‘Sometimes — yes, it is, dear.’

‘Some people wait their whole lives for something like this to happen to them.’

‘Yes,’ Kath sighed, ‘they do.’

‘I don’t understand why she has to be such a — why she has to give Luke such a hard time. God, he’s giving up pretty much his whole life to try and work from home down here and be with me — what more does she want?’

‘It’s going to be a big change for him, all right.’

Charlotte looked up. What did that mean, exactly? ‘Do you think we’re making a mistake as well?’

Kath smiled gently. ‘It shouldn’t matter what I think, dear. It’s what you think that counts.’

She was going to spend every day of her life with the most exciting man she’d ever met, that’s what she thought. Maybe it wasn’t safe. But it sure as hell wouldn’t be boring.

‘I think you should get a pre-nup,’ announced Nick, before Charlotte had said much more than hello.

Removing the phone from her ear, she stared at it for a second — seriously? Someone had been watching too much American TV. Just as well she’d waited until Luke
went back to work before she called.

‘Don’t be ridiculous — Luke’s parents have got more money than God. All I’ve got is a huge hunk of debt. If anyone needs a pre-nup, it’s him.’

Nick sighed. ‘They’re property developers, right?’

‘Yeah, so?’

‘So, do you ever read more than the weather report? The market’s hardly booming right now.’

Christ, she couldn’t believe she was even having this conversation. ‘Honestly — you should see Luke’s house. It’s probably worth more than half of this place.’

‘Well, if he’s got so much dosh, he won’t care about signing, will he?’ Nick’s voice softened. ‘Look, it’s no big deal — everybody does it these days.’

Ah! Like the Sammartinos?

‘Flavia thinks it’s a good idea, too. For all of us, yeah? We just need to protect our investment.’

Charlotte bit the inside of her cheek. She didn’t give a rat’s arse what Flavia thought.

‘Just ask your lawyer to draw something up, okay?’

Yeah. Like that was going to happen. ‘Anyway, I was calling to tell you the wedding’s on May 15th,’ she said curtly.