The Marry-Me Wish (14 page)

‘Imagine entertaining in the glorious drawing room behind me,' the auctioneer continued. ‘Looking out on this fabulous vista.'

David snorted, closing his eyes.

Impossible not to think of Anne. The way her eyes had danced with mischief when she'd been telling him the plans those landscape architects had had in mind for his garden.

‘
Spheres
,' she'd said, amusement vying with primness.

‘
Balls
,' he had countered.

He'd made her laugh and the sound had repaired a thread of connection between them.

The auctioneer had finally finished hyping up the crowd. ‘Who wants to start the bidding?' he called.

David crossed the room to sit on the edge of his bed. He took a deep breath in through his nose but that was a mistake. Despite her absence and changing the linen more than once, he was sure he could still catch a hint of Anne's scent here. Not perfume. The scent of Anne. The one he'd filled his senses with that day on the beach when he'd kissed her for the first time in so long. He remembered the feeling of being poised on the edge of a cliff. In danger of falling into a crevasse he'd only just clawed his way clear of. He remembered feeling relieved when Anne had backed away.

Had he really thought he was still in control? That he could save himself from the kind of pain he was feeling now? He should have known he was lost when he'd gone home that day and thought she'd left. The flash of fear should have stopped him in his tracks but, no, he'd hurtled headlong into her arms pretty much, hadn't he?

Well, he had when he'd seen the way she'd looked at him when he'd told her about the pond. The way she had offered to help him retrieve something he'd lost long ago but still cared about.

He would have sworn he'd been able to see love in that look.

The kind of love he'd ached for.

But it had been doomed to failure. He should have known that. He did know it. Even if he gave up the dream of ever having a family, he would have to play second fiddle to Anne's career. There would be time after time when some emergency would take prece
dence. Like young Daniel that day, who'd fortunately come through the crisis and was apparently happily recuperating in the children's ward now.

He might have thought he was willing to accept whatever crumbs of time were available with the juggling of two high-powered careers but it would be unfair on both of them to try. It was way too obvious where it would lead eventually. There would be resentment and guilt to begin with. And then they would drift apart, intent on their own paths through life. Without a family, the kind of glue that would make compromise a necessity would be missing.

Maybe he could make it work if he wanted it badly enough but Anne would have to want it just as much. Maybe he was just as much of an all-or-nothing personality as she was. But the ‘all' he wanted was in his relationship. An equal commitment. To love and be loved in equal measure.

Was it really too much to ask?

Judging by the way Anne seemed to have been avoiding him ever since Mac's accident, apparently so.

 

The bidding from the crowd outside was heating up. Jumping higher in increments at such a speed David hadn't noticing it passing the reserve he'd set before the auction had commenced.

‘Folks…we
are on
the market,' the auctioneer boomed. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, who is going to be the lucky family to enjoy this paradise with its country charm in the middle of city convenience? Who will have the pleasure of raising their children here? Or
taking their grandchildren for a stroll to feed the fish in that fabulous pond?'

This shouldn't be happening. David shoved his fingers through his hair and then buried his face in his hands with a groan. He was cutting himself off from Anne. From their past. From his own childhood, even. He had no one to blame but himself. He was as selfish as he'd once accused Anne of being. Just as black and white. He'd told her she was incapable of compromise but had he ever actually tried to set a real example?

‘
Sold!
' boomed a triumphant sound through the speaker system set up on the lawn. The sound of a gavel hitting the podium punctuated the finale.

Oh…God!

David's head snapped up. What had he done?

What had he been
thinking
?

‘
No!
' the word was uttered aloud and it was final. David got to his feet and strode out of the room.

 

‘I'm not going to sell,' David told the startled group of real-estate personnel gathering in his hallway.

‘But you already
have
,' the auctioneer insisted. ‘It's a legal process, Dr Earnshaw. We have the new owner in the dining room, waiting to sign the contract.'

‘I won't sign,' David said stubbornly.

‘But why not?' The atmosphere of triumph around him was ebbing. Becoming alarmed. ‘The price was more than any of us hoped for.'

‘I've changed my mind,' David told him. ‘Some things are far more important than money.'

‘What kind of things?'

David's head turned at the sound of a feminine voice he knew so well.

‘
Annie
…what are you doing here?'

‘I came to watch the auction.' She edged through a gap in the group. ‘It was a great price. Aren't you happy?'

‘No.' David took a step closer to her. ‘I'm not selling. This place represents my past. I want it to be part of my future as well.' He turned to glare at the auctioneer. ‘You can say all you want about this being such a family home. About swings for children under the elm tree or grandchildren feeding the fish, but you know what?'

‘What?' The auctioneer was eyeing him warily.

‘It's not the number of people that make a family. It's about what holds them together. It's about
love
.'

‘Of course it is.' An agent exchanged a meaningful look with the auctioneer and stepped forward. She had a sheaf of papers in her hand. Probably the sale-and-purchase agreement David was expected to sign. ‘The new owners will love this property, I promise you.'

David ignored her. He turned back to Anne.

‘I told you we were chasing the sun,' he said. ‘And we got burned. I was going about it all wrong. You don't need to chase it. You just need to find a space where you can feel the warmth and see the light. I thought I had to shut myself away to keep safe but who wants to live in the dark?'

‘Not me,' Anne said obligingly. The people around them were looking bemused but they shook their heads in agreement as well.

‘I love you, Annie,' David said. ‘I don't want to live
without you. I don't care how big our family is. It's
you
I need.' He held out his hand. ‘You're my sun. My warmth. My light.'

‘Oh…David…' Anne had tears on her cheeks. ‘That's all I ever needed to hear you say. I love you, too.'

‘We'll work it out,' David promised, holding her close and kissing her.

‘Of course you will,' said the auctioneer with a curiously gruff voice.

‘We will,' Anne told him.

‘I just need to sort out this mess first,' David groaned.

‘What mess?'

‘I'll have to find the person who thinks they're buying our home. I need to explain why they can't.'

‘You just did.'

David blinked. He frowned at the auctioneer, who'd just spoken, and then looked to Anne's face smiling up at him. He was vaguely aware that everyone around them was also smiling. Grinning, even.

‘You?' He blinked again. ‘
You
bought it?'

Anne nodded.

‘Why?'

‘It's a family home and…I want a family, David. With you.'

‘But…'

‘I was wrong. I thought I knew what I wanted but there I was, finally staring at what I thought was what I wanted, and it didn't look right. It looked empty. Like it was missing something really, really important.'

‘Warmth?' David suggested softly. ‘Light?'

‘Heart,' Anne answered, standing on tiptoe to kiss
David again. ‘My heart. And you know why it wasn't there?'

‘No. Why?'

‘Because you have it.'

‘And you have mine.' David managed to tear his gaze away from her for long enough to give their audience a firm stare. ‘Would you all mind going away?' he asked politely. ‘A man could do with a little privacy when he's about to propose.'

 

Anne watched everybody walking out of the hallway. She saw the auctioneer pull an enormous white handkerchief from his pocket and blow his nose with gusto.

She knew how he felt. Happy endings tended to have the same effect on her.

Except this wasn't an ending.

It was a beginning. For both of them. No, for all of them. Anne caught her breath. Should she tell David now that his dream of a family of his own was much closer than he could imagine?

He was about to propose. Too impatient to wait for everyone to clear the hallway completely, he had taken her hands and pulled her through the nearest doorway, which led into the biggest living area. He was looking down at her with such love in his face that Anne was lost. All she could do was bask in that love and wait for the chance to say ‘yes'.

That she would marry him. Live with him and love him for the rest of her life.

There would be plenty of time to share the news of the baby. To make plans that would make it work for them all.

She'd been right after all. This
was
her time. Her chance to do exactly what she wanted most in her life.

‘
Yes
,' she whispered.

‘Oi!' David's tone was stern. ‘I haven't asked yet.'

Anne smiled. ‘Are you going to do the down-on-one-knee thing?'

‘Good grief! Do you want me to?'

Her smile widened. ‘Someone might appreciate it.'

David took his eyes off her for the first time since he'd brought her in here. He turned his head and realised where they were. Right in front of all the windows and French doors that led to the terrace and the lawn beyond. Some of the crowd had gone but there were still a lot of people out there and someone must have told them what was going on because they were all standing there quietly.

Watching. And smiling.

David grinned and went down on one knee. ‘I love you, Anne Bennett,' he said. ‘Will you marry me? Please?'

‘Yes,' Anne said. And then, more loudly, in case her soft response hadn't been heard through the open doors, ‘
Yes
.'

The auctioneer blew his nose again. And then everyone started clapping.

S
HE
was the happiest woman in the world.

Jean MacCulloch paused for a moment longer in the bathroom, dampening her hand to smooth the grey corrugations of her newly permed hair. Then she pushed her wire-rimmed spectacles more firmly onto the bridge of her nose and went back outside to join her family.

Her
family now. All of it.

She stopped on the terrace of this wonderful old house to admire the garden and soak in the party atmosphere. There were balloons everywhere. Rainbows of colour attached to tree branches and joined by twisted streamers. The shiny new red swing and slide set that was Emily Earnshaw's first birthday present was also adorned with decorations. Not that wee Emily was getting a chance to sit in the soft bucket seat of the swing because her cousins were making the most of their ten-month superiority in age.

‘Me!' Angus was shouting. ‘Me now!'

‘No!' It was Amy's new favourite word. She was gripping the sides of the swing seat, resisting her mother's attempt at prying those little fingers loose. ‘No!'

‘One more swing,' Julia relented. ‘But then it's definitely Angus's turn.'

Emily's parents were smiling at Julia losing the battle temporarily. Anne was busy arranging a party picnic afternoon tea on the child-sized table and chairs that had been set up on the lawn. Pretty cup cakes with pastel icing and marshmallow butterflies on top. Gingerbread people with bright candy-covered chocolate buttons. Platters of fresh fruit pieces and plastic tumblers of juice. There was a cake, too, of course. Pink and white with pretty pink bows and icing flowers and a single candle.

David was holding his tiny daughter who looked every inch the birthday princess in a ruffled pink dress with white socks and sandals and a soft pink headband with a bow to hold back golden curls that were just getting long enough to get in her eyes.

‘What do you think, Emily?' he asked, lifting the little girl so that she was in the air looking down at her father. ‘Is Amy being a wee bit naughty?'

Emily gurgled with laughter and waved chubby fists.

‘Mac!' Julia was trying not to laugh as Amy thwarted new efforts to unclamp her fingers. ‘Do something…'

But Mac had spotted his mother and was almost at the terrace steps. ‘You all right, Mum?'

‘Never better, lad,' Jean assured him. She met him at the bottom of the steps.

‘Not too much for you? All these noisy little people?'

Jean smiled. ‘It doesn't seem that long ago that you were one of them, Alan MacCulloch. And look at you now.' She had to look a long way up. ‘I do wish you'd stop growing.'

Mac laughed and drew her towards the swing. Jean walked slowly. Not because she didn't have more than enough energy but because she wanted to make this moment last a little longer.

‘Do you remember when I came to visit with Doreen when you and Julia were first married?'

‘Aye. Of course I do.'

‘I was so happy for you both but Doreen was trying to spoil it for me. Lording it over me, she was, all the way back to Glasgow, and you know what a long trip
that
is.'

‘I certainly do.' Mac was frowning. ‘What was Doreen doing to spoil things?'

‘Oh, you know, going on and on about how wonderful her Lachlan's family was. Saying that, of course, Julia was a wonderful lassie but wasn't it the greatest shame that you'd never have any bairns? That I'd never be a grandmother?' Doreen clicked her tongue. ‘If only I'd known then what Anne had offered as your wedding gift.'

‘We didn't tell you because it took us a long time to decide to accept it. It was all too amazing, really.'

‘Aye,' Jean said softly. ‘So it was. And now I
am
a grandmother. To the bonniest wee bairns in the world.'

‘I'll bet that put Doreen's nose out of joint.'

‘Aye. And then I told her that I was going to come out here to live.'

‘What did she say to that?'

‘That I needed my head read. That I was too old to be helping to raise babies and being an adopted grandmother to your wee ones' cousin was just plain daft.'

‘You don't mind, though, do you? You're the closest thing to a gran that wee Emily is ever going to have.'

‘I'm thrilled, lad. You're all like one family, anyway, what with Julia looking after all the babies on the days that Anne and David are both working.'

‘Dadda!' Angus had forgotten he was waiting his turn for the swing. ‘Pick me up, Dadda.'

‘No,' Amy cried. ‘Me!' She gave up the battle to stay in the seat and lifted both arms so that Julia could lift her out. Then she toddled as fast as she could towards Mac, leaving Julia shaking her head.

David had put Emily down. She was standing in front of him and he was holding both her hands. Tentatively, the birthday girl stepped towards her mother who had finished setting out the picnic and was kneeling on the grass, her arms outstretched.

‘Look at you.' Anne beamed. ‘
Clever
girl, Em.'

Mac had a toddler attached to each leg and was moving, with difficulty, towards Anne and the table.

‘Food, guys,' he told his children. ‘Look…cake!'

Julia caught up with Jean and they both followed, smiling.

David let go of one of Emily's hands when she was close to her mother. Then he let go of the other one. For three whole steps Emily managed to stay upright and then Anne caught her. She cuddled and kissed her daughter but was looking up at her husband to share the joy of the moment.

‘Time to light the candle,' David said. ‘I reckon we can all make a wish.'

‘I don't have anything to wish
for
,' Anne said. I'm the happiest woman on earth.'

Julia was watching Mac as he gave up and sat down on the lawn to let the twins clamber on top of him.

‘No,' she said quietly. ‘I think I am.'

‘Nonsense,' Jean said firmly. ‘
I
am.' She gazed around at her newly extended family. ‘Look at you all.' She beamed. ‘And here I am instead of being thousands of miles away. No one could be happier than me.'

But no-one seemed to be listening. Mac had a small child under each arm and he was looking up at Julia, sharing a smile that excluded everyone else.

Anne and David were smiling at each other, too, over the blonde curls of their daughter.

Secret smiles. Full of the kind of love that could make anyone feel like the happiest person in existence.

Jean's nod was satisfied. She was getting to share it all and she knew she was right.

She was definitely the happiest woman in the world.