Moonlight Plains (29 page)

He’d never felt so wretched.

Sally was preparing her flat for Megan’s bridal shower, and flowers were strewn all over her kitchen benches while she sorted out which ones best suited the various bottles she’d collected. Vivid pink dahlias in an old mint-sauce bottle. Fluffy bougainvillea blossoms in a honey jar.

It was all very ‘crafty’, as Sally wanted everything for the party to be pretty and girly – this was Megan’s last hurrah as a single gal, after all. She’d even found a box of her nan’s embroidered tablecloths stored away in her parents’ spare room, and she was using these on the dining table, as well as embroidered linen napkins.

Linen
, not paper. She’d asked her mother how to make starch, but Angela, who had a cleaning lady, had no idea.

‘I’m sure there are instructions on the packet,’ she’d said, and she was right.

Sally had washed, starched and ironed Nan’s linen and now it looked crisp and gorgeous, lending her boring little flat just the right old-fashioned touch of quaintness.

Sally had ordered fancily decorated cupcakes, too, while Jane and Dimity were bringing savoury platters. The girls were having high tea and champagne cocktails and those silly, groan-worthy party games where everyone promptly gave the prizes to the bride.

The phone rang just as she had located a suitable bowl in which to float the apricot and white frangipani blossoms. Her hands were sticky as she pressed the answer button. ‘Hello, Sally speaking.’

‘Sally, it’s Abigail from
My Country Home
. Sorry to ring you so late on a Friday, but I wanted to catch you before the weekend. Are you free to talk?’

‘Yes.’ Sally held her breath. Was she about to hear bad news about her story? Circulation for this month’s issue had dropped dramatically? The cover photo hadn’t grabbed?

‘I’ve been talking to Charlotte, our editor,’ said Abigail. ‘She asked me to pass on the good news that our figures are looking stellar for this month’s edition.’

‘Oh.’ Sally’s relief was swift and sweet. ‘That’s great to hear.’

‘And your webcam interview with the carpenter is going gangbusters on our website. We’re so glad you offered it, Sally. That carpenter’s so cute and sincere he’s winning hearts all over the country. I guess you’ve seen all the comments?’

‘Well, no, I haven’t, actually.’ Sally had been far too fragile to torture herself by watching the footage of Luke that she’d filmed in the week before the party. She knew it would only rouse too many memories, would stir up way too much pain.

Abigail laughed. ‘So you haven’t seen the number of women begging him to come and work on their homes?’

‘No.’ Sally felt sick.

‘There’ve even been a couple of marriage proposals.’

Marriage?
Sally clenched her teeth so tightly her jaw almost cracked.

‘Anyway,’ Abigail hurried on. ‘Charlotte’s hoping you’d like to do another story. Another renovation project. Actually, we’d like to offer you a retainer to write regular stories for us.’

Sally knew this was not the moment to be tongue-tied. For heaven’s sake, this was her dream come true. It was what she’d hoped for when she’d first suggested the story to Luke.

Now her mind was spinning as she tried to think positively. It would help if she knew of another renovation on the go. It wasn’t the sort of story you could pull out of thin air. And then there was the Luke thing.

She missed him so badly. She wasn’t sure she had the heart to pour herself into a similar story that would keep reminding her of him. How could she ever drum up the same keen interest?

‘I’d love to write more stories for you,’ she said. ‘But I’d – ah – have to do a bit of research to find a good project.’

‘Yes, of course. I understand. Give it some thought, Sally, but just remember we’d love more stories like Moonlight Plains. We’ll keep in touch, okay?’

‘Yes, definitely.’

‘Feel free to ring me any time if you want to talk over ideas.’

‘I will, thank you. Thanks so much for the call.’

Sally disconnected and stood staring at the flowers still scattered around her kitchen. She knew she should be excited about this offer. She should be thrilled that her story was a success and they wanted more from her. A retainer, no less . . .

Meanwhile, women were ogling Luke on the internet and offering him marriage. How crazy was that?

She had to calm down. She couldn’t think about any of it now. In less than an hour, her girlfriends would be arriving for the bridal shower. She had to focus. This was
Megan’s
day.

She gave herself a little shake as she shepherded her thoughts. Right. Most of the flowers were in vases or bottles. The cupcakes were in the bakery boxes, safe for now in her bedroom, where she’d also stowed the party prizes. The champagne was on ice in the laundry tub and the crate of hired glasses was ready to be unstacked and set out. It was time for the best part of any party preparation, the finishing touches.

With a little skip of excitement, she hurried around placing the flowers on windowsills and bookshelves, on the coffee table, the dining table, the TV stand. Then she bundled up the stems and leaves and stashed them in the rubbish bin.

She was washing her hands at the sink when her dog Jess began to bark and a knock sounded on her door. She knew this had to be a girlfriend arriving early, and yet she tensed instinctively as terrifying memories rushed back. Another Friday evening . . . preparing a surprise party for Josh when the police knocked on this very same door . . .

Her heart took a sickening lurch and she had to clutch at the edge of the sink.

‘Sally?’ a male voice called.

Well, at least he knew her name, so it wasn’t the police. And Jess’s bark sounded happy. In fact, the voice sounded like –

But it couldn’t be.

Hastily wiping her hands on her jeans, Sally forced herself to turn, to walk sedately across the kitchen and the living room. Bright sunlight hit the dusty grille on the flyscreen door, so she could only make out the outline of her caller. Tall, broad-shouldered. Disturbingly familiar.

She opened the door.

‘G’day.’

Luke was wearing a blue chambray shirt and cream moleskin trousers and a lopsided, shy, sweet smile.

Sally’s heart gave a foolish little swoon.

‘Hi.’ She wasn’t sure what else to say, had no idea why he’d come. Jess leapt through the doorway, madly wagging her tail and making excited yips of welcome, but Sally wasn’t inclined to invite an ex inside, so she stood holding the flyscreen door.

‘I was in town,’ Luke said, giving Jess’s ears a quick scruff and then straightening. ‘So, I thought I’d drop by.’

Why? Sally wanted to snap. Even if a guy didn’t know he’d shattered your heart, he wasn’t supposed to break up with you and then simply drop by.

The sun was beating down hard on their heads, making Sally squint. Luke dropped his gaze to his hands and she saw that he was holding some kind of wooden box.

‘I brought this for you,’ he said, holding the box out to her. ‘Just a little something I thought you’d – well, a kind of thank-you present for doing the story and for helping with the party and – and everything.’

For the second time in a matter of moments, Sally was tongue-tied.

Luke looked nervous. ‘I – uh – made it out of off-cuts of timber from Moonlight Plains. Cedar and kauri and a little silky oak. It might be useful for storing your jewellery or something.’

Her throat cramped on a sudden glut of tears. Luke was being thoughtful and sweet. He probably didn’t know it, but his handmade gift was almost exactly the same sort of thing Kitty’s Andy used to make for her.

Just a little something I thought you’d like.
Wasn’t that what Andy used to say?

But there was one major difference. Kitty and Andy had been married, while Sally and Luke had gone their separate ways. Did Luke know this was killing her? Every time she saw this box she would think of him and she’d probably be as emotional as Kitty had been about a few rocks and a pond of water.

‘Sally, are you okay? I’m sorry, I . . .’

Luke seemed as lost for words as she was. He was holding out the box, however, and she had to take it.

The soft honey tones of the timber glowed and it felt warm and silky-smooth beneath her fingers. When she opened the lid she caught the woodsy scent she’d admired so much when she’d first visited Moonlight Plains.

She felt her mouth pull out of shape as she struggled not to cry. ‘It’s lovely. Thanks.’

‘Sally, I was also hoping to speak to you.’

Oh, God, was she strong enough for a conversation?

‘Well . . . okay,’ she managed in a squeaky voice. ‘I guess – um – come in.’

She was shaking as she backed into the flat and Luke followed, bringing a faint hint of aftershave as he closed the screen door carefully behind him. It was cooler inside, but Sally still felt flushed and nervous. So nervous.

She pointed to the lounge chairs, but Luke didn’t seem to read this as an invitation to sit.

‘I wanted to – to find out how you are,’ he said, standing stiffly in the middle of her living room and filling it with his suntanned, outdoorsy maleness.

‘I’m fine.’ Although it depended on how you defined fine.

‘Congratulations on the story, by the way. It’s brilliant.’

‘Thanks.’

His mouth tightened and he squared his shoulders as if whatever he had to say next was even more difficult than this initial awkwardness.

Anxiously, Sally gripped the box, clutching it tightly against her stomach.

Luke’s green eyes flashed as he caught her gaze and held it. ‘So, I’d like to know how you
really
are, Sal. Honestly. I need more than fine.’

She opened her mouth, and then quickly shut it. She couldn’t lie, but she wasn’t brave enough to tell Luke that these past few weeks had been miserable. It was a different kind of misery from the shocked grief that had followed Josh’s death, but in its own way just as painful.

She needed to find exactly the right thing to say, the right words for both of them. She’d stuffed Luke around, playing the widow card, and if this was any kind of last chance she needed to get it right.

‘In case you were wondering,’ Luke said, sensing her reluctance, ‘I’ve found it pretty damn hard since we split.’ Then before she could react, he hurried on. ‘So here’s the thing. I want to scrap what I told you at Moonlight Plains. I still want you, Sal. I know you’re not ready. I know you’re still grieving, but I’m not prepared to walk away from what we had.’

Sally gasped. She couldn’t believe Luke was offering her another chance; a very real chance for happiness.

‘I’m not,’ she said.

He frowned. ‘Excuse me?’

‘I’m not still grieving.’ And before she lost her nerve, she launched into the speech she’d been practising in her head, hoping against hope. ‘I’ll never forget Josh, but I know I can’t bring him back, and I want to focus on the future now.’

Luke’s smile flickered briefly. ‘When you say the future, do you mean
our
future?’

‘Yes.’ Most definitely. Absolutely. No doubt about it.

Time was measured by the thump of Sally’s heartbeats as she and Luke stared at each other. It felt like an age before they moved, but when they did, they moved towards each other, and everything that had been difficult became wonderfully simple.

Luke took the box from her hand and dropped it onto a lounge chair and drew her close.

It was so good to feel his arms around her, strong and certain. Until this point, she’d felt lost in a maze, desperately trying to find her way out, but at last she had finally,
finally
opened the right door. She was home, safe.

Their kiss was quite possibly the sweetest kiss ever, and Sally could feel all her tension dissolving as happiness flowed into her, filling her from her toes up.

It was ages later when they found themselves on the sofa, touching close, but needing to talk.

Luke took Sally’s hand in his and turned it over to expose her wrist, which looked pale and fragile compared with the hugeness of his.

‘I’ll play this any way you want,’ he said. ‘We can keep it casual.’

‘No,’ Sally said, emphatically shaking her head.

His eyes were intense now, demanding total honesty. ‘You want to play for keeps?’

‘I do.’ She smiled, so happy to know for certain. ‘I love you, Luke, and I’ve been so miserable without you.’

‘Sal, you’ve no idea what this means.’

This time she was the one who started their kiss, but when Luke scooped her into his lap, things rapidly turned steamy.

Until a car door slammed outside.
Oh my God, the party
. How could she have forgotten?

‘Sorry,’ she muttered scrambling to her feet and smoothing down her T-shirt. ‘I somehow forgot to mention that I’m actually about to throw a party.’ She waved her hand at all the flowers. ‘It’s a bridal shower for Megan. And at least a dozen women are about to land on my doorstep.’

Luke sent a glance out her window. ‘I think they’re already here.’

‘Yoo-hoo, Sally!’ called Jane’s voice.

Sally knew her face was bright red as she rushed once again to the door. Jane, Dimity and Megan were all there on her doorstep, a trio of young women in summery dresses as pretty as the cupcakes she’d ordered.

The trio spied Luke standing a few feet behind her, tucking in his shirt, and in unison their eyes widened and their mouths gaped.

Sally’s blush deepened as she went through the introductions, followed by explanations that Luke had just dropped by unexpectedly, and then she realised that Megan was glaring at them. Her friend still hadn’t forgiven Luke for breaking up with Sally.

‘It’s okay,’ Sally muttered to Megan out of the side of her mouth.

Megan raised a doubtful eyebrow.

‘Truly,’ Sally whispered. ‘We’re fine.’

‘You mean –’ Megan gasped. ‘Fine as in okay and back to normal? Or fine as in absolutely fabulous?’

Grinning, Sally slipped an arm around Luke. ‘We’re absolutely fabulous.’

Megan squealed. ‘So you’re not – don’t tell me – engaged?’

Whoops
. Sally shot a quick glance to Luke and saw that he was grinning as broadly as she was.