The weeks began to fly by for Berry. The contractors finished up and so did the guys who redid the roof. The transformation of the old house was amazing and it was getting harder for Berry to remember what it used to look like—which wasn’t a bad thing. The only remnant of the past was the height chart on the wall between the lounge room and the kitchen. She had ummed and ahhed over the decision to keep it, worried that it could bring back memories which needed to be forgotten. But it hadn’t and Berry was glad that it was still in place. If she closed her eyes, all she could hear was laughter: hers, Mum’s and Jess’s as they marked off each other’s height. It was good and it made her happy.
One of the biggest changes for Berry was moving out of Cumquat Cottage and back to Stone Gully. She and Andrea had driven up to Bendigo and purchased the bare essentials for the house, including a bed, linen and most importantly a coffee maker. It had been a fun day and watching the deliveries roll up Stone Gully driveway was equally exciting. However, the whole idea of staying in the house by herself did worry her a little—which was ridiculous as she spent most days there on her own. Anyway, it was a small but persistent thought that she couldn’t seem to shake.
She had been a bit worried about staying that first night. Berry figured if she could get through that, then everything would be fine. She had, and it was.
As spring arrived, she sensed hopefulness in the air. But maybe this feeling had less to do with her mind or the change of season than it did with Nate Tarant.
Before she even realised it was happening, both she and Nate seemed to fall into a rhythm that gave way to a habit—and she knew just how hard they are to break. Nate would come over most days and help her paint. At first it was only when he could get away from work, but as the days progressed, he carved out a couple of hours around the middle of the day. His presence had become expected and Berry looked forward to each afternoon.
There was a tension between them that was punctuated with a little teasing, but still neither of them had acted upon it—it was as if they were dancing just out of each other’s grasp. Berry had been adamant when she arrived in Harlington that she had no intention of starting any sort of relationship, but now things seemed different and every time she looked at Nate she felt an invisible pull towards him. Putting aside her daydreams of what could be, Berry still had to work out what she was doing with her life. It was all very well to take three or so months to do up the house—none of which would have been possible without her uncle’s help—but at some stage she had to sit down and work out a path for her future. The question she had to figure out was if Nate was part of that.
Berry was standing in the orchard, admiring the budding blossoms on most of her plum trees. Some of the flowers were white while others were a delicate pink. According to the planting map she had found in her father’s papers, there appeared to be a variety of different trees, which included Satsuma plums and Golden Gage. Not sure about the difference between them all, Berry figured she’d work it out once they bore fruit.
There was a gentle cool breeze blowing through the orchard, causing the new blossoms to quiver as it passed over them. The sun hung high in the clear sky and Berry could almost catch the hint that spring was beginning to materialise.
‘Hey.’
She turned to see Nate striding towards her from up the hill. Damn it, she swore that her heart did a weird little tremble.
‘Hey yourself. What brings you here?’ she said with a grin.
He smiled in return, one of those ones that can melt a target at twenty paces.
Berry drew in a deep breath.
‘Well, I’ve been busy at the farm for the past few days and I wanted to make sure that you were okay.’
Berry gave a shrug. ‘I’m fine. How about you?’
‘Not bad,’ he said. He glanced around the orchard. ‘It’s a pretty spot.’
‘Yes, yes it is,’ Berry replied. ‘The orchard was planted about sixteen years ago. I remember as a little kid helping plant one of the trees over there with my mum.’ She tilted her chin in the direction of a row of trees to her right.
She prattled on about finding the map of the orchard’s layout in the box of her father’s papers, all the time trying to ignore the fact that Nate was standing only two steps away from her. His proximity was making it hard for her to concentrate.
‘Do you always do that when you’re nervous?’
Berry glanced up at him. ‘Do what?’
‘You talk faster,’ he asked.
‘No, I don’t,’ Berry said quickly before adding with laugh. ‘Well, maybe I do.’
He looked down at her with a hint of a smile. ‘Do I make you nervous?’
‘Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Listen, I should get back to the house,’ Berry said as she went to take a step away.
‘Stay … please.’
She halted in her tracks and turned to look at him. ‘Why?’
‘Because there’s something between us. I can feel it—can you?’ Nate spoke softly with an open, earnest look on his face.
‘I don’t know what you mean … I …’
‘Yes, you do.’
The heat rose in her cheeks. Half of her wanted to stay and the other half run away as fast as possible.
‘I like you, Berry, and I’m fairly sure you feel the same way,’ he said.
Berry was trying her best to avoid his gaze, knowing she could almost drown in those eyes. ‘Um, maybe we shouldn’t complicate things. I mean, I don’t even know how long I’ll be here,’ Berry said with a shrug and a half-apologetic smile. ‘It’s probably wiser if we leave things as they are.’
Nate smiled gently. ‘That aside, you feel the same way I do?’
Berry raised her head and looked back at him. ‘Yes … but as I said I’d better go back to the house.’
She had walked about three steps past Nate when he reached out and gently grabbed her wrist. The warmth of his fingers seemed to burn into her flesh. One moment melted into another as they stood in the flowering orchard.
‘Stay,’ he repeated softly. ‘Please.’
They were the same words he had said minutes before, but this time they carried a longing she hadn’t heard before in his voice. She could have easily pulled her hand away and kept walking but she didn’t—she couldn’t.
Nate tugged her wrist and she spun around into his waiting arms. He drew her closer and searched her face, giving her one last chance to break away. But in that moment, there was nowhere else Berry wanted to be.
Slowly he inched closer until his lips touched hers.
Their first kiss was slow and hesitant, as if Nate were giving them both a chance to stop. But after so many weeks of tiptoeing around each other, that was the last thing on Berry’s mind. Her arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer to her, close enough for her to feel the firm planes of his body.
Nate’s hand trailed up her back and cradled the nape of her neck as the kiss deepened. Berry was acutely aware of the sensation of being both on the brink of jeopardy and utterly safe as he held her in his arms. The pressure of his lips and the scent of his watery aftershave spun her into a seductive trance that she hoped wouldn’t end. She ran her hand up his arm, to his hard bicep and then over his shoulder. As the heat began to unfurl within her, the knowledge that she wanted him, that she needed him, hit her. Perhaps it was the whole delayed pleasure thing but all Berry knew was that she wanted more.
The tip of her tongue ran across Nate’s lip and caused something that sounded like a soft growl from the back of his throat. He lifted her up and Berry instinctively wound her legs around him as they continued to kiss. She wasn’t sure where he intended to take her but at that moment she didn’t give a damn.
They clung together as a breeze danced through the orchard, taking handfuls of blossoms as it went. The petals in the wind may have been a pretty sight, but all Berry was aware of was Nate. It was a perfect moment and one she intended to treasure—but all good things come to an end, especially when you don’t want them to. Unfortunately, Berry could vaguely make out a voice in the distance calling her name. At first she did her best to ignore it, but the voice was persistent and appeared to be getting closer.
A sigh escaped her mouth as she and Nate broke apart and he lowered her to the ground. He gave her a wink and they stood side by side as someone entered the orchard.
‘Miss McCalister! Oh, there you are. I tried at the house but I thought I’d look around. I didn’t want to miss you.’
Berry let out a groan and screwed up her face as she glanced at Nate. ‘Well, that’s all we need,’ she muttered. ‘Laurie Worth. Worst timing ever.’
‘Yep, I never liked that guy,’ Nate whispered back as he reached over and smoothed out a lock of her hair.
It was a small gesture but it made her smile. The feeling was short lived, though, as Laurie Worth hurried up to her.
‘Miss McCalister, I really need to have a word with you,’ he said as he looked pointedly at Nate. ‘In private.’
Berry shook her head. ‘No, we’re right. What do you want, Mr Worth?’
‘Well, I have a business proposition for you. I really think it’s best if we talk alone,’ he said quickly.
‘Like I said, we’re right,’ Berry answered as she squared her shoulders and stood her ground. ‘Whatever you’ve got to say, you can say it in front of Nate.’
He was silent for a second before giving Nate another look that couldn’t be called pleasant on any level. ‘Oh, I see how it is.’
‘I’m not sure what you’re implying, but did you have something to say to me or not?’ Berry said.
‘I want to renew my offer for Stone Gully Farm. I know that you said you’re not selling, but I’ve generally found that everything has a price—I’m sure this won’t be the exception.’
Berry gave Nate a sideways glance before continuing. ‘I promise you that we’ve made our minds up. There’s no way we’re selling at present. I’m sorry you wasted your time coming all the way out here.’
‘I don’t think you understand. I’m willing to give you a substantial price for the property,’ Worth said. ‘You won’t get a better offer.’
Berry took a deep breath. ‘No, I don’t think that you’re listening to me. My family and I have decided not to sell, and that’s the end of it. You badgering me won’t change my answer.’
Worth appeared taken aback for a moment but he recovered quickly. ‘Right—I’m stupid, I should have seen this coming. It just goes to prove that sometimes you really should believe the rumours.’
‘Mr Worth, I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Berry said as she took Nate’s hand and started walking away. ‘Please excuse us, we have work to do.’
‘Just so you know—at least I was up-front about wanting to buy this place and give you a fair price. Whereas he—’ Worth said as he pointed to Nate ‘—he’s just trying to romance the place from under you.’
Berry stared at him coldly. ‘I think you’d better leave—we’re done here.’