‘I told you. I love you. I want to help, even if you only want me as a friend now.’
‘I . . . It’s just . . .’
Will touched her hand. ‘It’s okay, Ginny. I get it. I messed up, and I hurt you.’
She huffed out a breath, then nodded. ‘I accept your apology. We’ve moved on from that, right? In fact, I’ve moved on from a lot. I don’t want to live a life where my past gets to control me. So I made the decision to wipe the slate clean and just focus on what I have here and now and what I can build for a better future.’
‘I made that decision too.’
Ginny smiled, staring down at their linked fingers. ‘It’s refreshing, isn’t it?’
‘Oh yeah.’
‘You know, for a moment, I thought you would leave Port Berry.’
Will grinned. ‘What, because you tried to run me out of town?’
Ginny dropped her gaze. ‘Yeah, sorry about that. I shouldn’t have—’
‘It’s done. We’ve moved on, remember?’
She shot her head up to meet the warmth in his eyes. ‘Yes.’ She turned to the large empty room. ‘So, this is the main bedroom. I . . . Would . . . I . . .’
His brow lifted as he shook his head. ‘Spit it out, love. You’re killing me here.’
‘It’s just, well, I had this other dream where we lived happily ever after.’
‘You and me?’
Ginny nodded, all the while thinking she was making a right pig’s ear of explaining her feelings. ‘I just . . .’ She lowered her head, and the next thing she knew, Will had dipped to peer up at her.
‘Talk to me, love.’
‘I’m a little scared, Will.’
‘Of?’
‘How vulnerable I feel.’
He lifted her chin. ‘I feel it too.’
‘I don’t want the past to guide me, but it’s hard to shake off the trauma. With my mum, all I wanted was for her to love me, and I don’t want to feel that way again. I don’t want to have to fight for something that should be given freely, and when I look at you, I worry I might spend the rest of my life needing your love and suffering for that want.’
Will sighed quietly. ‘I’m with you all the way with that, because I always craved the love of a family as well, but I need you to know that you won’t ever have to fight for my love. It’s yours. I’m yours. I want to walk this journey with you, Ginny.’ He raised their joined hands. ‘I came here searching for a home and I found you.’
Water filled her eyes as she took a steady breath. The last thing she wanted was to cry, but his words were meaningful and wrapped around her like a comfort blanket.
His fingertip met the escaped tear rolling down her cheek. ‘Hey, it’s okay,’ he whispered.
‘I always believed you existed.’ She blinked away the dampness and sniffed. ‘You helped get me through some tough times.’
Will bent to kiss her cheek. ‘We’re a team, you and me, and even though we’re at the start of our journey, I can tell we’re going to have a long and happy one.’ He pulled back and grinned. ‘Just like the Henshaws.’
Ginny giggled at the thought. ‘I blimming love that place.’
‘Well, I would take you back there, but I can’t find the website.’
‘Oh, they must have one.’ She pulled out her phone from her dungarees. ‘Look.’ Humming quietly while flicking through her search, she came to realize he was right. ‘But I’m sure . . .’
