Page 40 of Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat
The instant flare of desire in Tom’s eyes told her all she needed to know. With a huge contented smile she led him back to the bedroom.
This was all he needed from life. Tom drank in the sight of Fee, in sleep as warm and soft as she was cool and controlled when awake. Before drifting off in his arms she’d admitted that before coming to Black Cherry she relied on sleeping tablets to get through the night but didn’t need them any more. He’d agreed with her theory about the improvement being caused by the fresh, clean air andrelaxed lifestyle here while silently hoping he had more than a little to do with her recovery.
An unwanted memory of yesterday’s horror slammed through him and Tom struggled to keep breathing. He could have so easily lost her. From experience he knew it didn’t take long.
‘I’m fine,’ Fee whispered. ‘You’re worrying again, aren’t you?’
Maybe one day he’d be able to put intowords the awful sense of helplessness he’d experienced when he lost Gina. He’d never wanted to feel that way again but came close to it yesterday.
‘Sorry,’ Tom apologised. He tucked the duvet in around them and rested his head next to hers on the pillow.
‘What time are we supposed to meet your father?’
He glanced over at the clock and groaned. ‘He said around ten and it’snine-thirty already. I’ll give him a heads-up on the radio to let him know we’ll be late.’
‘I’d better go back to my cabin to shower and change. I’ll be as fast as I can.’ Fee got up and pulled on her abandoned clothes.
‘We’ll grab something to eat at the cafe on our way. Pop won’t mind.’
‘See you soon.’ She laughed and ran off out of the bedroom.
For a few secondshe didn’t move. He’d always been a man to plan things out but since the day Fee breezed into his life she’d turned everything upside down. Not having a clue where they were headed disturbed him. Her contrasting philosophy, honed by an unsettled childhood and years of having to be adaptable in her job, was to take things as they came. Tom sighed and hoped he could work out a way to keep Fee aroundfor a very long time.Like forever. How she’d take that idea he didn’t know but he guessed he’d find out.
