The shop has been frantic since being rebuilt, and thank goodness I’m finally allowed to remove the moonboot and wear normal shoes again. I’d like a dollar for every time someone’s stared at my mangled calf. Most with curiosity and sympathy. I know it’s a normal thing but it’s very difficult to hide it all the time. I wear trousers or maxi dresses whenever I can to avoid the stares. I’ve never been really vain, despite my profession, but having a huge hole in your calf is something to get used to. I’m getting there but even I have bad days where I think everyone’s looking at me...for the wrong reasons.

Gone are my stiletto heels and short skirts; now its low heels and long skirts to cover my scars and the missing muscle.

I keep telling myself how much worse it could have been. I could be missing my whole leg, or an arm, or even have lost my life. I’m grateful to the doctors who saved my leg, even if it is a mess. They did the best job they could do under the circumstances. They advised me that cosmetic surgery can be done on the scars, the muscle can be rebuilt or an implant made to fill the gaping hole. There are options and I’m happy about that. Right now I just want to get back to being me again, not the model who nearly lost her leg to a shark attack. The local freak show.

Since the incident at the farm it’s been quiet and we’ve all settled into a routine. Micah still lives with us, though he never formally asked to, but I’m grateful for his presence. There are a lot of nights where Dalton has to be at the farm but I haven’t stayed over with him as yet. He comes in every weekend to drop Milly to his parents, do the shopping and if he has nothing pressing at the farm he will stay the night. I’m becoming accustomed to his large strong arms around me in bed. I feel protected from the world when he wraps his arms over me. Me. A person who’s always stood on her own two feet and taken on the world, now loving the feel of a man against me as I sleep. I know that the longer it goes on the more I’m enjoying it. So much so that when he’s not with me, I have trouble sleeping. The possibility of us spending the rest of our lives together in the same bed crosses my mind and I wonder if Dalton’s feeling the same. We haven’t really discussed our feelings for each other but I know that sometime soon we’ll need to have that conversation and get it sorted. Not quite sure about what I’m going to say though. Do I tell him that I’m falling head over heels in love with him...again? Do I just say that he means a lot to me and leave it at that? I ponder these questions as I shower and wait for the guys to get home. My heart rate speeds up in anticipation and a smile appears on my lips at the thought of a night with Dalton wrapped around me.

I hear the front door open and the alarm being turned off. I hope that’s him. Wrapping myself in a large towel I walk out to find Micah staring at me, his eyes fixated on the water beading on my upper chest.

“Sorry Micah. I thought you were Dalton.”

Without removing his eyes, he says, “Do you always greet him wet and naked with a towel around you? Cause if I were him, I’d be breaking the speed limit to get home to that.”

“He hum!” we hear from behind us.

Micah finally lifts his eyes to look over my shoulder at Sarah. I turn to see her cross her arms over her chest and raise one eyebrow in question.

“How come you never greet me at the door dressed like this???” Micah asks, as he takes a step past me to kiss Sarah on the cheek.

“What would happen if I did?“  She asks, cheekily.

“Oh geez Hun, you’d be flat on your back in seconds. We’d be giving the neighbours something to talk about for sure!”

Shaking her head and trying to hide a smile, she replies, “Exactly.” As she steps back into her room he follows and as the door closes I hear Micah ask, “Could we do it just once? I’d love to come home to you wet and naked.”

I hear Sarah tell him he’s a pervert and the door closes. Smiling to myself about their light hearted banter I go back into my room and get dressed.

Dalton doesn’t arrive till after dinner after he was delayed at the farm. One of the machines broke down and he had to fix it.

“Hey Baby.” I hear as I open the door and he leans in for a kiss. As our lips connect I can’t think of a single thing that I’d rather be doing. His kisses make everything right with the world. I prolong the kiss until we both need to come up for air. Lowering his forehead to mine, he drags in some deep breaths as we lock eyes.

“What was that for?” he asks with a smirk. “I’m not complaining mind you, but that was unexpected.”

“Just glad you’re here”

“I’ll have to be late more often then.”

We decide on a movie night as the weather is cooling and the wood fire burns brightly in the corner. The house is warm and snug as we listen to the wind picking up outside. Winter will be here shortly, bringing with it icy winds and rain. Anybody who lives on the southern coast of Australia knows how cold the wind can be, coming straight off the Antarctic. The best place is inside with a roaring fire.

Watching some Romcom, I feel Dalton drifting off to sleep behind me as we lay on the sofa together. His breathing evens out and I smile as he loosens his hold on me. He works too hard. That farm is too big for just him to look after. When his father had it he had Dalton to help him and even though his dad comes out often he’s getting too old to be doing any of the heavy work. I know Dalton’s exhausted and I should leave him be but I need to touch him. Slowly turning over so as not to wake him I look at his face as it relaxes in sleep. He looks ten years younger, his constant frown lines not evident as he snores softly. I hesitantly reach out to run my finger across his forehead, watching the lines fade at my touch. I continue on down the side of his cheek, feeling the stubble that’s appeared since he shaved this morning.

“You keep doing that and see what happens Babe.” He says groggily as my finger traces the outline of his soft full lips.

“Go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you. I won’t do it anymore.” I tell him, leaning in to kiss him gently with a small smile.

He’s instantly awake, rolling me under him as he leans up on his hands to take his weight. He looks down at me with an intensity I havens seen before and I can see he’s wide awake now.

“What? Do I have some food on my face?” I ask lifting my hand to wipe over my chin. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

A small growl escapes his lips as he leans down and kisses me, his lips sliding sweetly over mine. I reach my arm up to wrap it around his neck, pulling him closer.

The kiss deepens and I’m not sure if it was him or me who did it. Maybe it was both of us simultaneously. His tongue pushes into my mouth and I open my lips to allow it entrance. His hand reaches up to palm my breast through my clothes as he leans back and draws in a long ragged breath.

“I love you” he says looking down at me, his eyes roaming over my face as my eyes fill with tears. “Always have, always will.”

“I love you too. I thought I’d left you behind years ago but I never stopped thinking about you, wondering what you were doing, if you were still here, if you were happy.” I tell him softly as I reach up to cup his cheek. He leans his head into it and closes his eyes for a moment.

“Marry me.” He says opening his eyes, locking with mine.

I look up in disbelief. “What? Are you sure?”

I can see a look of confusion cover his face as he instantly replaces it with a determined expression.

“Definitely sure. Never been surer of anything in my life.”

“We haven’t really talked about the future. This is kind of unexpected.” I say, stalling for time.

His patience is wearing thin as he waits for an answer, so I quickly tell him, “Yes”. The kiss that follows swallows my answer, replacing it with soft groans of desire from us both.

Getting up from the couch, he picks me up and pulls me against his chest, his lips finding mine and they don’t let go till we reach the bedroom and he places me gently on the bed. Lowering himself over me I kiss him with everything I have. It’s a promise of love for today, tomorrow and the rest of our lives. We don’t hold back as we reach out to dispense with our clothes, our need increasing with each item removed. By the time we’re naked I’m desperate to have him make love to me as only he can. The night passes in a blur of passion, wanton desire in each touch, each kiss, each thrust.