As soon as she arrived at the airport Erin sent Jamie a message letting him know she was on her way home. They’d talked on the phone every day, but she’d still missed him. The closer she got to Tuendoc the less she could blame the airline food on her churning stomach. It was excitement, pure and simple. She couldn’t wait to see Jamie again.
As she pulled into Gran’s driveway she smiled as she saw all the lights were on inside the house. He was already walking down the steps as she opened her car door, and she was in his arms before she’d had a chance to close it. He held her against him tightly and kissed her long and deep. Erin ran her hands through his hair, dragging him closer, and they were both breathing heavily when they finally pulled apart.
‘I missed you,’ he groaned, rubbing a thumb against the side of her face gently. The look in his eye made Erin’s heart race even faster.
‘I missed you too. I couldn’t wait to get home.’
‘I like the sound of that,’ he said, smiling.
Erin smiled back. It was true, ever since she’d come back to care for Gran this place had felt more like home than anywhere she’d ever lived. She didn’t want to ruin the moment by worrying about all the messy details making that happen would entail, so she pushed it away and simply enjoyed being back in Jamie’s arms once more.
Inside the house, Erin couldn’t help gasping in delight as she surveyed his afternoon’s handiwork. Candles lit a beautifully set table for two, complete with a vase of roses in the middle and Gran’s best china. ‘Wow, you sure know how to impress a girl,’ she murmured as he pulled out her seat and settled her at the table.
He came back carrying a tray from the oven and Erin bit back her smile as he placed a piece of steak and some barbecued vegetables on her fine bone china dinner plate. ‘I only know how to cook on the barbie,’ he said.
‘It’s perfect. I’ve been dreaming of Tallowood-fattened beef the whole time I’ve been gone,’ she said.
‘I hope that’s not all you’ve been dreaming about,’ he grinned, taking his own seat across from her.
‘No,’ she said, slicing into the tender steak. ‘That’s pretty much it.’
‘Well, in that case,’ he said, reaching across to take her plate away.
‘Okay, okay, I may have also dreamed of you a few times.’
‘That’s much better,’ he said, smiling as he put her plate back down.
‘But I dreamed of steak more,’ she added, laughing and closing her eyes as she savoured the taste of the steak.
‘You better eat fast, woman,’ said Jamie, looking at her in a way that made her heart quicken.
Suddenly she wasn’t hungry any more, at least not for the meal on her plate. ‘I’m done,’ she said, pushing her plate away.
The words had barely left her mouth before Jamie was at her side, swooping her into his arms like some romantic hero from a novel. Then, ignoring her squeal of surprise and warning that he’d do himself an injury, he carried her into her bedroom for a proper welcome home.