Scotty had told Claire not to come to his wedding because he couldn’t bear to have her watch him marry Nina knowing he had already been disloyal. Claire would never forgive him, because it was unforgivable.
And if she left his life again – left for good this time – he would never forgive himself.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Saturday morning dawned overcast, hot and humid. The air was heavy and stifling, and there was the occasional ominous rumble of thunder in the distance. Claire was glad. The black clouds were the perfect complement to her dark mood; the tumultuous atmosphere matched the turmoil in her head. And at least she could blame the uncomfortable conditions for the violet circles around her eyes, instead of admitting the real reason she hadn’t slept a wink last night.
She curled up in the worn armchair on Vanessa’s back patio, cradling a mug of tea and listening to the intensifying wind tossing the branches of the fig trees. Just as she’d done all night long, Claire replayed the events of the previous evening in her mind. The race to save Autumn. Begging Scotty to call off the wedding. Assuring him she wasn’t acting out of some twisted desire to win him back. The way he walked away from her without a backward glance.
The way he kissed me.
She shook her head to dislodge the memory. She hadn’t been kissed like that in a very long time. Claire couldn’t recall the last time she had felt her body respond to a man the way she had answered Scotty last night. There had been others in the eight years since she’d last been with him – it wasn’t like she’d lived the life of a nun – but none of them came close to matching the physical connection she and Scotty had always shared. It was as though Scotty had staked a claim the first time he kissed her, and her body wouldn’t let him relinquish it no matter how forcefully her brain insisted she move on.
Claire was shocked by how intensely, how viscerally, she had craved him as they kissed. If she hadn’t come to her senses and pushed him away, she didn’t know how far she would have taken it. She knew, though, that she wanted to take it all the way.
But none of it mattered now. It had been a moment of madness, lust clouding her better judgement. It meant nothing and thinking about it was pointless. Claire had asked him to reconsider marrying Nina. She had appealed to his logic – to the scientist in him. But Scotty had made it perfectly, painfully clear that the wedding was happening. That was that. End of story.
Unless . . . Claire wondered if Scotty would tell Nina about the kiss. Surely he wouldn’t want to start their married life carrying a secret like that. Scotty was nothing if not honest. And if he did tell her, what then? Claire didn’t know Nina well enough to discern whether she was the forgiving type. Discovering that your fiancé had kissed another woman a week before your wedding seemed like it would be a deal-breaker – but Claire had learned the hard way that apparently nothing was what it seemed when it came to Scotty and Nina.
I have to tell her.
An image flashed before Claire’s eyes. Storming into the ceremony on Christmas Eve, just as the officiant asked if anyone knew of any reason why Scotty and Nina couldn’t be married. Pointing at Scotty and declaring, ‘He kissed me!’ Watching as it all imploded.
Claire chuckled in spite of her disquietude. It was too melodramatic for words. Sure, it would probably do the trick, but she wouldn’t do it. She came to Bindallarah to try to reason with Scotty, to make him see sense, not to destroy his wedding like some cartoon villain. Simply sabotaging the event would be easy – she would only need to cancel the celebrant or hide Nina’s car keys on the day. It wasn’t just about ensuring Scotty didn’t tie the knot on Christmas Eve. It was about understanding why he wanted to get married so quickly – and convincing him to ask himself that question, too.
So, no. Nina didn’t need to hear that particular news update from her. Scotty may have betrayed Nina’s trust, but Claire couldn’t betray his.
Could she?
There was a ruckus from within the house and Gus suddenly appeared on the patio, looking as gleeful as if Christmas had come a week early.
‘Are you serious?’ she said in a loud stage whisper, her eyes shining.
Claire frowned. ‘Good morning to you too?’
‘Scotty Shannon’s car is out the front,’ her cousin said. ‘Is he here? Did you guys do it?’
‘Sshhh,’ Claire hissed. Gus’s ‘whisper’ was louder than most people yelled. Claire didn’t need any sharp-eared neighbours getting hold of that particular rumour. ‘Scotty isn’t here. And no, we didn’t “do it”.’
Well, not quite.
Gus crossed her arms and glared expectantly.
‘There was an emergency up at Cape Ashe last night. I treated one of the horses and then I drove Scotty’s car back to town. That’s it.’
‘I don’t believe you. Why are you sitting out here looking all broody and lovelorn? What aren’t you telling me?’ Gus demanded, narrowing her eyes.
‘I didn’t sleep well. It was a stressful night. Because of the horse,’ Claire clarified in response to her cousin’s knowing smile. ‘That’s all.’
‘Hmm,’ Gus said, clearly unconvinced. ‘What about your date, then? Did you do it with Jared?’
‘Gus! Jared is just a friend. It wasn’t a date. I didn’t do it with anyone, okay?’
Claire had almost forgotten about Jared. He’d been understanding
