Page 91 of In Full Bloom

A sob bursts free from her, and she flings her arms around me. She clings to me until she manages to get her breathing under control. “Thank god, I didn’t want to lose you. Either of you.”

“Never again, Livvie. I’m home now.”

Another set of arms comes around us and squeezes us tight.

“Group hug,” Flynn says. Even his voice sounds a little choked up. “So glad you’re staying, Katie Kat.”

Eventually we break apart and take seats at the table while Olivia passes around a pitcher of Violet’s fruit punch.

“I haven’t told Sadie about Abi yet,” Dallas says, his hand finding mine on the table. “So if you could keep that to yourselves for now.”

Flynn and Olivia both nod, then Olivia hesitantly breaches the subject.

“Do you think she said she couldn’t work here because of you? She didn’t want to encroach on your turf?”

Dallas runs his hand through his hair. “Probably. I don’t really know. We’re going to have to talk through some things.”

“Would you be okay if I went through with the interview? And potentially offered her the job? Her work won’t really cross over with yours.” She traces a line through the condensation on her glass. She’s nervous. “She’s just the only decent applicant I’ve had and I desperately need help if I want the venue to operate this summer,” she blurts out, then falls back in her seat, like she’s preparing for us to rage at her.

I study her, then glance at Dallas. “I have no issues with it,” I say. Sadie deserves to know her mum, and I know Abi’s arrival won’t affect my relationship with Dallas, because he loves me,as much as I love him. “So long as you’re okay with it.” I squeeze Dallas’s hand. “And Sadie is number one.”

“Absolutely,” Olivia says. “Sadie’s always number one.”

Dallas chuckles. “Don’t let her hear you say that. That kid’s ego is big enough already. But yeah, I’m okay with it. I want to talk to her first though, if that’s alright.”

“Of course,” Olivia says, the tension draining from her. “And like I said, you won’t really have to work with her. Flynn can do any of the work needed at the venue if you’d prefer to keep your distance.”

“I feel like I’m the only one not getting a choice here,” Flynn grumbles, but there’s a small satisfied smile tugging at his mouth. I study him closer. Is he … blushing?

Olivia drags my attention away from Flynn when she continues the conversation. “We’ll see how it all plays out, but for now, is it safe to let Mum bring Sadie back inside? I’m pretty sure she’s going to run out of delay tactics in a moment.”

“I’ll go get them,” Flynn says, striding to the door. “Hey, Sadie! You ready to finish losing yet?”

“In your dreams,” she shouts back and a moment later races back through the door and takes up her hand of cards. Flynn grins, ruffles her hair and collapses into the seat opposite her, collecting his own cards.

Five minutes later, dinner is ready and Flynn has been annihilated in the most intense game of Go Fish I’ve ever seen.

After dinner, Dallas and I cross the paddock back to the little cottage, Sadie swinging on our hands between us. Neither of us could bear to leave her at Violet’s for the night.

We tuck Sadie into her bed and kiss her goodnight.

Then we crawl into Dallas’s bed and as he curls his strong, hot body around mine, pulling me in close he whispers into my ear. “Welcome home, Katie.”

EPILOGUE

KATIE

“Come on, wake up,”the little voice repeats close to my ear. The bed moves and a small weight lands on me. “Katie. It’s time to wake up.”

I groan and try to roll over, but there’s a solid wall of heat behind me.

“Morning, princess,” Dallas murmurs into my ear, brushing a kiss against my hair as Sadie climbs over us both.

“It’s today. Scout will be waiting for us.”

“Alright, I’m up,” I say. “Wouldn’t want to keep Scout waiting. Go get some breakfast and I’ll be right out.”

Sadie scrambles off the bed and disappears into the kitchen of the little farm cottage that’s now my home.

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