She shrugged. ‘Only because he knew you wouldn’t believe the truth. You were still so hung up on what happened between you eight years ago. If he’d just come right out and told you he loves you, you would have freaked out and run away again. And it’s not like you haven’t been lying to him too, with all that “we’re just friends” nonsense.’ Gus stared at her, one eyebrow cocked in a way that said, You know I’m right.
The funny thing was, Scotty had said almost the exact same thing to her last night.
‘It’s not that simple,’ Claire said sadly. ‘You wouldn’t understand.’
‘What don’t I understand?’ Gus said, rolling her eyes. ‘Scotty loves you. You love Scotty. Don’t’ – she held up her hand as Claire opened her mouth to protest – ‘try to deny it. It’s the most obvious thing ever. A whole bunch of bizarre stuff happened, because the two of you are idiots who won’t just admit how you feel, but that’s over now. It is that simple, Claire.’ Gus leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. ‘It’s the simplest thing in the world.’
Claire looked to Vanessa, silently pleading for backup. But her aunt’s expression was apologetic: she was with Gus on this one.
‘He broke my trust,’ Claire said, her head swivelling between the two of them. ‘Don’t you see that? What does Cosmo have to say about betrayal, Gus?’
‘Yeah, he did,’ she replied. ‘And I don’t need Cosmo to know that if he hadn’t, you never would have admitted to yourself that you’re crazy about him. The question is what are you going to do about it?’
Claire paused, trying to untangle her knotty thoughts. She had to admit that Gus was right in one sense: Claire hadn’t exactly been upfront with Scotty about the way she felt or even why she had come back to Bindallarah in the first place. He had made some big mistakes, but Claire knew she was far from blameless. She may not have duped an entire town into believing she was marrying the love of her life in a romantic Christmas Eve ceremony – but she had convinced the people of Bindy that Claire Thorne and Scotty Shannon were ancient history and that simply wasn’t true.
She’d had good reasons for keeping her cards close to her chest, she reasoned. She was only looking out for Scotty, trying not to burden him with her baggage, while at the same time trying to stop him from making a huge mistake. His happiness meant more to her than her own. All she wanted – all she’d ever wanted – was what was best for him. And . . .
And he wanted the same for her.
She knew that she would be happy with Scotty – had known it all along – but didn’t think he wanted her any more. He said she was the only thing that would make him happy, but he’d been afraid to say so because he didn’t think she wanted him.
Oh my God.
They wanted the same thing. The exact same thing.
Each other.
It was so clear, but she’d missed all the signs. Scotty had known all along: Claire had needed to see what she stood to lose before the pieces of the puzzle could fit together. He had hurt her and he had embarrassed her but, damn him, he was right.
And Gus was right, too. It was simple. If she loved Scotty, she should be with him. Maybe she didn’t have to lose him. Maybe it really was the simplest thing in the world.
Claire wiped her mouth with her napkin, pushed back her chair and stood up. What was she going to do about it? She would show Gus and Vanessa exactly what she was going to do about it.
‘I’m going to get my man.’
Gus squealed like the proverbial stuck pig. ‘I knew it!’
An elated smile lit Vanessa’s face, but as Claire watched, her aunt quickly rearranged her features into an expression of familial concern. ‘Sweetheart, are you certain?’ Vanessa said. ‘Everything you’ve just said makes a lot of sense.’
‘Screw sense, Aunty Vee,’ Claire replied. ‘I’ve been sensible all my life and it’s got me absolutely nowhere. It’s time to embrace the crazy.’
Claire watched Bindallarah recede into the distance in her rear-view mirror as she pressed the accelerator flat to the floor and headed for Thorne Hill. The back seat of her hatchback was littered with clothes and shoes. She hadn’t even bothered to pack them into her suitcase; she’d just tossed them into the car and hit the road. One way or another, she wasn’t planning on sleeping in Vanessa’s spare bed tonight.
The sea breeze reached in through the open window and tousled her curls. The car’s interior was stifling and she was desperate to cool it down while she waited for the air conditioning to do its job. Now the salty-sweet Bindallarah air drifted in as if to underscore the choice she’d made.
Scotty had wanted her to make a decision and finally she had. He was stuck with her, now and forever.
If he’ll still have me.
Who knew Gus was so wise, with her magazine psychology and her black-and-white view of life? There was, of course, nothing remotely simple about any of this – and yet the answer was as clear as the cloudless Christmas Day sky. Her cousin made her think of Scotty at that age. He’d been the same: so decisive, so sure he had all the answers.
Claire watched as the needle on the speedometer crept past 110 kilometres per hour. She knew it was reckless, but she felt consumed by the need to get to Scotty as quickly as possible, to make sure he still existed, that he was still hers. She wasn’t sure whether he would even be at Thorne Hill – perhaps he’d be spending Christmas with his family at Cape Ashe. But she had to start somewhere, and if he wasn’t
