Life didn’t always work out as you planned. Zoe knew that before she left Conwenna Cove to travel with Nate. Plans, hopes and dreams were things you wanted to happen, things you strove for, but nothing was guaranteed. Leaving with Nate had been a risk in that she didn’t know how things would develop between them, and she had left her diner in Paula’s care. However, the diner had thrived and Paula had done as she’d promised, keeping in touch with regular updates, and even videos and photographs.
Zoe had enjoyed a wonderful few months travelling with Nate. They’d been to Australia, Hawaii and San Francisco, travelling where their mood had taken them, using the open tickets that Nate had bought. It had been magical and they’d laughed a lot, kissed even more and got to know each other very well.
But about nine weeks into the trip, Zoe had started to feel unwell. She’d been queasy and tired and had assumed she’d picked up a bug at one of their stops. When she hadn’t improved, Nate had insisted on taking her to see a doctor and what they’d found out had floored them both.
So they’d decided to return to Conwenna Cove earlier than planned. It was, they thought, the best course of action considering the circumstances, and it would be better for Zoe to be at home so she could rest.
‘Shall we do this?’ Nate asked, as he held out his hand.
‘Best way to see in the new year if we can’t do it in New York, Paris or Sydney.’
‘Not this time, perhaps, but we’ll have other chances…’
Zoe nodded, grateful for Nate’s warmth and his reassuring presence. Even after fourteen weeks of being constantly together, they hadn’t grown tired of each other and were closer than ever. Zoe loved him, she had no doubt in her mind now, and with every day that he cared for her, loved her and treated her so well, her defences lowered a bit more. She knew it would take a while longer for them to completely disappear, as she’d taken a long time building them, but she was convinced that Nate would soon clear them away for ever.
They stood outside the cafe and peered through the glass. Only four months ago, they’d been right there, wondering what their future held.
Now they knew.
‘Let’s go in.’
Nate pushed open the door and the warmth from inside enveloped them.
‘Nate! Zoe!’ Paula squealed as she rushed towards them and hugged them both in turn. ‘I’m so happy you’re home!’
‘Good to see you both.’ Richard smiled at them from under a golden party crown. ‘Can I get you a drink?’
‘Please,’ Nate said.
Richard went to the counter where Kevin and June were serving drinks and returned with two flutes of champagne.
‘Nate!’ June spotted them and hurried over, hugging them with as much gusto as Paula had. ‘Oh, my darling, I had no idea you were coming home yet!’
‘Well, we thought we’d come back and surprise you all, seeing as how… well, we wanted to come home.’
‘We were ready,’ Zoe added, squeezing his hand.
‘Did you know they were coming back?’ June asked Paula.
‘Only yesterday. They let me know because of the cottage and the diner, but they asked me to keep it quiet so they could surprise everyone.’
‘We weren’t certain until last weekend, anyway,’ Nate explained, ‘and we thought it would be a nice surprise.’
‘Well, that it is!’ June clinked her glass against theirs. ‘And just in time to see in the new year.’
An hour later, after many hugs and well wishes from friends and family, Nate and Zoe accompanied everyone who’d been at the cafe down to the beach. They took several coolers filled with bottles of champagne, plastic flutes, battery-powered lanterns and plenty of blankets.
On the way there, they stopped at the new bench on the cliff top. It was in the exact spot where Zoe had sat with Raven and where she’d sat that day when she’d watched Nate surfing and worried that he’d hurt himself when he’d fallen off his board. So much had happened since then and her life was very different now. On the back of the bench was a brass plaque. Zoe leant closer and read the inscription:
This bench is dedicated to the rescue greyhounds of Conwenna Cove.
You leave your pawprints on our hearts.
Zoe ran her finger over the words and whispered, ‘Love you, Raven.’
‘You all right, Zoe?’ Nate asked, his arm around her waist.
‘I am and this is wonderful. Did you arrange it?’
‘What Zoe wants, Zoe gets.’ He smiled. ‘You said that a bench would be a good idea to remember all the greyhounds that have passed through Conwenna, so I asked Neil to take care of it while we were away. We can come and sit here anytime we like.’
‘Thank you. You really understand me, don’t you?’
Down on the beach, Kevin counted down to midnight using his mobile phone and all the locals cheered.
When everyone had hugged and clinked plastic flutes and celebrations were well under way, Nate took Zoe’s hand and led her away from the others, to a quieter spot on the sand.
‘I’m sorry we had to cut our travels short,’ Zoe said, as she gazed into his eyes, their depths illuminated by the moonlight.
‘I’m not.’
‘Honestly?’
‘I had a great time, Zoe, but only because I was with you.’
‘But don’t you wish you were still out there, seeing all the wonderful sites the world has to offer.’
‘I can see everything I’ve ever wanted right here in front of me. Besides… who are we to deny our destiny.’
Zoe giggled. ‘Our destiny?’
‘Well, it could be the champagne but I’m feeling pretty happy about what life has thrown our way.’
‘Me, too. And I didn’t have any champagne.’
Nate wrapped his arms around her and they looked out at the water where the surface sparkled like diamonds as the moonlight caressed the surface.
‘When shall we tell them?’ Zoe asked.
‘When we’re ready.’
‘Well, we know everything’s okay after the tests, so how about now?’
Nate released her, then cradled her face in his hands.
‘Are you sure? There’s no going back once they know.’
‘No going back now, Nate. Only forwards.’
He kissed her gently and she melted against him, her love for him tingling in every part of her body and wrapping itself around the two tiny babies that lay nestled inside her womb.
Nothing was certain in life and their contraceptive method hadn’t been, either. But Zoe didn’t mind and neither did Nate. In fact, once they’d got over the initial shock at the hospital in San Francisco where Zoe had been examined, suspecting she’d contracted a virus or something equally nasty, they’d been unable to conceal their delight. This was meant to be, Nate had told Zoe, and she’d agreed.
‘Before we tell them, Zoe, I wanted to let you know what I’ve been thinking. Even if we don’t go abroad for a few years, we can still use the campervan to travel around the country. It was, after all, something I aimed to do with my dad, so I’d love to do that with you and our twins.’
‘There’s certainly plenty of room for car seats and changing bags.’
‘And possibly even a rescue greyhound.’
‘Why not two? I hear they’re great with children.’
‘Sounds perfect.’
‘Let’s go and share our happy news.’
‘Come on then, but I’m warning you, Mum will be way too excited.’
‘I’m banking on it!’
She held Nate’s hand and they walked towards the people they cared about, the people who’d been there for them over the years, and those who would be there for them in the future. Conwenna Cove was a community, a sanctuary, a home.
And Zoe was a part of it.
In fact, she knew for certain now that her heart would belong for ever with Nate and their family, and for ever at Conwenna Cove.