Page 54 of A Chance to Believe

A quick glance at his watch and he shot her a smile. ‘An hour be all right? We could have a picnic meal in the lounge, seeing it’s only the two of us.’

It sounded nice. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d been alone, simply being together. ‘I’ll be there.’

They parted, him to the entrance near his office and her to the annex. It only took a few minutes to douse herself in the shower to get rid of the dust and sweat from the arena. She hesitated over clothes but decided a relaxing evening at home required comfort rather than style.

Black leggings and an oversized pale pink t-shirt were her favourites, even before her pregnancy made her skin sensitive. The knit fabric was cool and soft, the wide waistband on the leggings gentle on her expanding belly. Her damp hair she braided into a single fat plait, not worrying about straightening it. Shayne had said he liked her curls. Make-up was too much like hard work, and she rarely used it anyway unless she was working in that kind of environment. If she was going to live here, Shayne would see her at her worst.

He’d had a preview when they’d spent those two weeks together at her hotel, so it wouldn’t be a surprise. She’d never worn make-up in the morning when she headed out for a run, and he’d joined her most days.

Cassie stalled as she went to leave the room. Was she seriously considering taking up his offer? She was hoping for too much. The twins were thriving. If they survived, what did that mean about her curse? It was too hard to believe she could have it all, but maybe if she shared her history with Shayne, he would understand where she was coming from. It was long past time to be honest about everything.

It had really struck home when Shayne had looked so hurt at finding out his cousin knew more about her past than he did. He’d covered it quickly, but she’d seen the flash of pain darken the brilliance of his eyes. She’d been so busy protecting herself, she hadn’t been fair to him. Letting him into her pregnancy was one thing. Hiding her past when he’d exposed his own tragedies was selfish.

She huffed out a breath. It was fixable and she could do it over the meal. If he was hanging out at home, they would have time without the constant interruptions from Kimberley and the responsibilities of Maidens Hill.

The lounge was empty apart from Barney snoozing on the doggy mat in front of the fireplace. It had the advantage of being warm in winter and cool in summer. The tiles underneath would be cooler than the carpet. It was no wonder the smart old dog had made it his own. He opened one eye and the tip of his tail flicked once in acknowledgement of her presence before he fell back into whatever dog dreams he was enjoying. Even Barney was accepting her, and there was a warm place in her chest for that small blessing. She could be sure of his acceptance, a hint that he saw no threat in her or sensed any animosity from the people in his world.

She’d barely arranged herself on the fat couch facing the television when Shayne nudged past the half-open door with a fully laden tray. He placed it on the coffee table in front of her with a flourish. Two covered plates, cutlery, and a jug of orange juice and tall glasses with a handful of ice in each one. Her mouth watered at the thought of the icy, freshly squeezed juice. Parker always watered it down, so the acidity didn’t upset her sensitive stomach and added a touch of home-grown lemon juice, which gave it a refreshing bite.

As if he knew, Shayne filled the glasses and handed her one before planting himself beside her on the couch. ‘Have you been waiting long? I couldn’t find the juice. Parker put it in the cold room.’

‘Just arrived. Thanks for this.’

He wasn’t touching her, but he was close enough for her to notice the freshly showered scent of him, all leather and citrus. He’d trimmed his beard at some point, too, if the smoothness of his neck was any indication. He’d taken a leaf out of the comfort book and wore a body-hugging tee and soft, jersey-knit exercise shorts. His muscular legs were solid, with light hair, the skin slightly paler than his forearms, proof that he wore his jeans or moleskins working out in the paddocks. That hadn’t changed in the months since they’d met. The all over colour of his body and legs would come from his swimming, but the solid muscle would be from working. She’d seen how hard he worked and the long hours. Handling the sheep and other animals was a very physical job.

She took a hasty gulp of the drink and nearly choked, saving herself with a cough, holding the glass away from her body in case she spilled it.

Shayne took it from her, inserting his large hand behind her back and rubbing it in a circular motion that was remarkably soothing. ‘All good?’

Nodding, Cassie retrieved her drink. ‘Teach me to be greedy.’

‘Greedy isn’t always a bad thing.’

There was a gleam in his eye she recognised from their time together before he’d vanished back into his own world, leaving her behind. A pity she wasn’t allowed to act on the sizzle of attraction that was burning through her body. He was everything. His scent, his physical presence, his mind, even his sense of humour.

‘You had my number. Did you ever think about calling me?’

A flush of colour skimmed his cheekbones. ‘More times than I like to remember. I should have done it. It would have saved a lot of time.’

‘What would you have done?’

‘Come to see you. I thought you weren’t local. Had probably flown in from Sydney or Melbourne. It didn’t occur to me you were from Brisbane.’

‘Because I was staying in the hotel. Do you ever travel down south?’

‘To Sydney for the Royal Easter Show.’

‘Would you have contacted me if you were going?’

He leaned back, twisting his glass in his hand. ‘Probably not. I was convinced you were a city slicker, and I wasn’t going there again. Not after the last time. Especially in Sydney.’

‘That was where you met the other one who wanted you to live in the city?’

‘Pretty much. I wasn’t going to get burned again. No matter how much I … How much I was attracted.’

She wondered what he had stopped himself from saying. ‘It’s still the same. I might have been born in the country, but I haven’t lived there for a long time.’

‘Tell me.’

---