Raising her face tothe heavens, she allowed the rain to wash away the tears, beforethe anguished sobs tore from her throat and she sank to her kneeson the wet sand, her head bowed. I had afuture in my hands and I threw it away. The only man who has ever loved meunconditionally. And I turned on him. Accused him of orchestratingsomething he was incapable of doing. For what? For a piece ofland. He can haveit. Do what he wants with it.
What she wouldn’t give to turnback the clock.
A large German shepherd appearedthrough the storm, racing along the beach, and sat down beside her,panting. His large pink tongue lolled out from the exertion. Hugebrown eyes, bright and hopeful, searched her face. His coat wassaturated, and the long hair clung to his body, highlighting apowerful chest and long black muzzle. She should be afraid of anunknown dog, especially one with huge teeth and paws the size ofsaucers. But this one appeared to be the neighbour’s dog she hadencountered from time to time on the beach. He sat patiently, hishead cocked to one side, as if waiting for her command, or a ballto chase. She reached out tentatively to stroke his head and heleant into her touch. He edged closer and placed both front paws onher knees and dropped down, anchoring her to the sand.
“What are you doingout here alone …” Chloe leaned forwards and turned the tag on hiscollar to identify him. “… Bronson.” His ears pricked up at hisname. “Someone will be worried about you.”
As if to answer, Bronson turnedhis huge regal head and licked her cheek, and she pulled back,smiling. “You’re very friendly.” She laid her forehead against hiswet one. The smell of salt, seaweed and wet dog permeated hernostrils. The rain continued to fall, harder than ever, but neitherChloe nor Bronson seemed at all perturbed.
In the distance, a male figuremade his way over the sand. Through the rain, Chloe could just makeout a large golfing umbrella bent down into the wind, and a pair oflong masculine legs beneath. “Hey boy, I think your master iscoming to get you.”
A high-pitched whistlepierced the air. Bronson jumped up and took off in the oppositedirection, away from the approaching figure, down the beach. Chloeglanced over her shoulder, watching her companion leave with atouch of sadness. I always wanted adog. Heck, I didn’t even have a goldfishgrowing up. The raindrops stopped falling,and she realised the man with the umbrella was standing aboveher.
“I see you found a newfriend. Did I frighten him away?”
“Todd?” She blinkedand for a moment imagined she had conjured him up. The words stuckin her throat. “I thought you’d gone to Sydney.”
“Twenty missed calls.Twenty, Chloe. But no messages. How could I leave with that hangingover my head?” Todd reached out his hand to help her to her feet.“It must have been important.”
“It is important.” Sherose to her feet to stand before him. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry. Thatwas it? You couldn’t leave that message on voicemail?”
“No, there’s more. Ishould never have believed you had anythng to do with burning downmy house. It was wrong of me to even think that of you for asecond. But once the words were out I couldn’t take them back. I amso sorry, please believe that.”
”I’d like to believeyou.”
“Then please accept myapology. I am truly sorry I said those hurtful things to you. Iknow you didn’t have anything to do with it. This whole situationhas made me crazy.”
Todd’s expression wasunreadable.
“I want to believeyou.” He paused to let the words sink in.
“Then please do. I’vehad time to think. To realise how much time I’ve wasted, beingoblivious to what was right in front of me. I plead temporaryinsanity.”
“I’ll acknowledge yourtemporary insanity plea. Apology accepted.”
“And there’s one morething.” Chloe took a deep breath. Her teeth caught her bottom lip,anxious all of a sudden.
“What’sthat?”
“I wanted to tell yousomething else … in person.”
“If you’re going totell me you want to go back to Paris because we had anotherargument …” Todd took a step back.
“I loveyou.”
Chloe looked into hiseyes, and she witnessed the moment they softened, the moment thewords took hold of his heart, the moment his brain processed thisnew and powerful information. His smile lit up the darkening sky,and he pulled her to him with his free hand. His lips sought hersin a kiss that engulfed her, drew her breath away, and cushionedher heart. Strong arms held her, wrapped themselves around hertenderly, protectively.She no longer had to deal with lifealone.
I am home.
Todd reluctantlypulled away from her mouth and searched her face, took in everyfreckle, absorbed every inch of her tear-stained cheeks.At last. He had waitedfor the day she could finally admit she loved him. He pushed a wetstrand of hair away from her lips, his gaze lingering on them as ahungry man might view his last meal, and finally dragged his eyesup to take a good long look into her sparkling sea-green ones.“About time, young lady.”
He handed her the umbrella anddropped to one knee on the wet sand. He pulled a soft black velvetdrawstring bag from his pocket and extracted a square cut diamondring. He held it between his thumb and forefinger, offering it toher.
“Chloe Armstrong, Ilove you. I have waited for you my whole life. I can’t imagineanother person I would want to share my life, or my heart with. Tomark this momentous occasion of you finally declaring your love,would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
“How long have youbeen carrying that around in your pocket? Very sure of yourself,aren’t you?” Chloe’s eyes filled with happy tears.
“I have had this ringfor a while. I told you failure is not in my vocabulary. I took itout of the box because a small square box is extremely hard toconceal. Plus it was ruining the line of my suit.”
Chloe’s tips twitchedup in a smile. So typical,Todd.
“I have been waitingon
