‘And then I did lose you, and it hurt more than I could imagine because you chose to leave me.’
‘I’m sorry.’
He pulled her into his arms, and the pieces of her heart stirred.
‘For everything. I can’t imagine ever hurting you like that again.’ He drew back. ‘I’m not going to leave, Callie. I will never leave you.’
‘Why should I believe you?’ She whispered the words that whirled around in her mind, keeping her from accepting what he was saying.
‘Because this week has been the worst of my life.’ He gently brushed a piece of hair from her face. ‘And it’s made me realise that I want to give you the family you want. I want to create a legacy with you.’ He tipped her chin up so that she could look at him. ‘Believe me, because I’m telling you I won’t leave you. Trust me.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I love you, Callie. And if you still love me let me prove to you for the rest of my life that I will stay with you. That I will fight for you. For us.’
And with those words—the words she’d dreamed about hearing from him—her broken heart healed and filled.
‘I still love you.’
He smiled tenderly at her. ‘I hoped you would.’
‘So much that it scares me.’
She looked at him, and the agreement in his eyes comforted her.
‘I am, too. So let’s be scared together.’
He got down on one knee and Callie’s heart pounded and melted at the same time. Suddenly she became aware that the sun had set and that their only source of light now came from candles and lanterns, all over the top of the mountain. And then she saw the ring—a large diamond sparkling brightly up at her surrounded by what seemed like a thousand smaller ones—and she realised Blake was offering her the biggest assurance he could that he was staying.
‘Will you marry me, Callie McKenzie?’
‘You want to marry me?’
‘I really, really do.’
She laughed, and nodded, and was swept up into his arms before she had a chance to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Her hand shook as he slid the ring on her finger, and then he kissed her, and any remnants of fear she’d had disappeared. The kiss was filled with all the longing they’d felt for one another since they’d been apart, with the joy of their future together, with the heat of their passion. And when they finally drew apart they were both breathing heavily.
‘We’re engaged,’ she said when she’d recovered, and she looked at the ring on her finger.
‘We are.’ He smiled and drew her back against him. ‘I’m thinking we should get married at the hotel. A rooftop sunset wedding could be pretty amazing.’
‘I think that would be perfect.’ And then she realised she hadn’t even asked him about the deal. ‘Did we get an investor?’
‘We did. Marco signed the papers a few hours ago. He’s going to be a silent investor. Although he did say he will still actively try to poach you.’ He waited as she laughed, and then said, ‘I have so many plans for the hotels. I can’t wait to do it all with you.’
‘So I’m going to help with the Owen legacy, huh?’ She smiled and drew his hands tighter around her waist as they looked down at Cape Town at night.
‘Yeah. Which means it’s probably only fair that I help you with your legacy.’ He looked down at her with a glint of amusement in his eyes. ‘Family, right? I think the best way for me to show my commitment to you is if we start on that as soon as possible.’
Her laughter rang out on the top of Table Mountain, and for the first time since her parents had died Callie finally felt whole.
‘ARE YOU READY for that?’
Blake gestured towards the chubby toddler who was steadily making his way over the grass in their backyard to his father, knocking down every toy they’d put out for him. He gave a happy gurgle when Connor picked him up and spun him around, and Callie smiled when she saw the absolute love in her brother’s eyes as he did so.
‘I keep thinking about a little girl with your eyes, or a boy with your hair. And every time I do I fall in love with the little person in my imagination.’ Callie snuggled closer to her husband—she would never tire of the thrill that went through her when she thought that Blake was her husband—and kicked at the ground so that the swing seat they were sitting on would move.
She couldn’t quite believe they were already celebrating her nephew’s first birthday. Tyler was such a little ball of happiness, with his father’s steady presence and his mother’s zest for life, that it made her excited to see what combination her own child would be.
She resisted the urge to rub her stomach and imagined how happy her parents would have been if they’d been there. They would have loved enjoying their grandson in their home—the home that she and Blake now shared and had gladly offered to host Tyler’s birthday at—and feeling the comfort of family. Connor and Elizabeth hadn’t wanted a big party for their son when he wouldn’t remember it, so instead they’d just organised a day when the McKenzies and the Owens—she and her brother had married within a few months of each other—could spend time together.
Callie couldn’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate. Or to share her very exciting news.
‘What if they have your eyes or hair?’ Blake said, distracting her from her thoughts.
He pulled her in and she felt the warmth right down to her toes, before it quickly turned into a sizzle the moment he began to run his fingers up and down her bare arm.
‘I suppose we’ll have to accept them as they are. It won’t be their fault after all.’ She gave a dramatic sigh, and smiled when Blake laughed.
She loved seeing him like this—relaxed, happy, content. He had become a part of their family so smoothly she sometimes felt that he had always been a part of it. And she wondered where the man who had feared family so much had disappeared to.
‘Look how beautiful it is,’ Blake said, and gestured to the mountain and the ocean they could see from the swing seat. She smiled when she saw the peace settle over him, the way it always did when he looked out onto that view.
‘Are you ready for it?’ she asked quietly, not wanting to be overheard by her brother and sister-in-law.
‘What?’ He followed her eyes with his as she looked at her nephew, and then settled them back on her. ‘I was ready the moment I met you. And then again when you told me you’d marry me. I believe I was willing to start right at that moment.’
She laughed. ‘You were. But there were a few things we needed to sort out first.’
He rolled his eyes—a clear
