FIVE COUNTRIES AND two continents. That was if Jaye managed to get through customs.
He’d told Megan to go on ahead, through the ‘Nothing to Declare’ channel, and he’d catch up with her. After a long flight from Indonesia to Melbourne this was the last thing they needed.
She stopped, keeping him in view, as he talked with the customs officer at the desk. The conversation seemed to be friendly enough, but the man wasn’t letting Jaye go.
‘Just keep going, miss. Through the door over there.’ A woman officer was directing people through the doors once they’d been through Passport Control.
‘I’m waiting for my partner. They’ve stopped him and I don’t know why…’
‘I’ll go and see.’ The woman officer walked over to where Jaye was standing, and he spoke briefly to her. She nodded and walked back to Megan.
‘Everything’s okay, we just need a form filled out. Go and wait outside, he won’t be a minute.’
‘But…’ The woman ignored Megan’s protests, and smilingly shrugged when she asked what it was that required the filling out of a form, shepherding her towards the doors.
Okay. So she’d go through the doors but she wasn’t letting Jaye out of her sight. Megan stepped to one side, pressing her face against the full-height glass so that she could see him. But he was following the customs officer through a door into what must be an interview room.
She waited for ten minutes. Then ducked back inside and marched up to the woman she’d spoken to. ‘Please, can you tell me what’s going on? Is there something that I can help with?’
‘No. You should wait…’ At that moment the door that Jaye had disappeared through opened, and he emerged. Striding up to her, he put his arm around her shoulder, smiling at the woman officer and guiding Megan away.
‘What was that all about?’
Jaye walked through the doors and stopped suddenly. ‘This is the fifth country. And the second continent.’
‘I know.’ Jaye had been uncharacteristically tight-lipped about their accommodation for tonight. And Megan’s impatient hopes had been tempered by trust. Jaye would do the right thing, at the right time.
He took her bag from her hand and put it on the ground next to his. ‘I’d planned this differently, but I can’t wait…’
She knew, from the look in his eyes, what he was talking about. ‘I love it that you can’t wait. Neither can I.’
He dropped to one knee in front of her. ‘I’ll have your answer, then.’
‘I’ll have your question first.’ Megan smiled down at him, her heart thumping. She so wanted to hear the words.
‘Will you marry me, Megan?’
Just a few seconds, which would change her life for good. Megan was trembling, almost crying with happiness.
‘Yes, Jaye.’
‘You’re sure?’ He was teasing now, a broad smile on his face. ‘You don’t want to think about it? It’s a lot to take on. There’s a title, and a house…’
‘I’ll take you, Jaye. The rest is just incidental.’
He took her hand and kissed it. ‘I have a ring. It’s what all the form-filling was about…’
She could only see a blurred flash through her tears. But she felt the band slide onto her finger, like an absolute bond that could never be broken. When he got to his feet, kissing away her tears, she saw all the promise of the years ahead in his eyes.
‘You like it?’
She looked down at her hand. A pale blue sapphire, flanked on either side by two weighty diamonds. ‘It’s beautiful. Thank you, Jaye.’
He wound his arms around her shoulders and she clung to him. ‘I really wish you’d stop crying…’
‘Happiness, Jaye. You’re going to have to get used to it.’
‘I suppose I will. Because it’s my job to make you happy now, and I intend to do it well.’
Megan laughed against his chest. ‘Consider yourself employed. No trial period.’
He kissed her, and a loud whoop sounded from inside the airport building. When Megan looked round, she saw the two customs officers behind the glass, both waving and smiling.
‘They knew?’ She grinned up at Jaye.
‘I didn’t know myself until I was on my knees. I was going to wait until tonight to wine and dine you…’
‘This was so much better. No champagne or beautiful rooms. Just you.’
‘Really?’
Megan grinned. ‘I’ll take the champagne and the beautiful room later.’
He took her hand. ‘Coming right up, Milady.’
‘Oh, no. None of this “Milady” business. It doesn’t suit me.’
He chuckled, brushing another kiss onto her lips. ‘Too bad. You’re going to have to get used to it.’
* * * * *