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His lips brushed the side of her ear. ‘I absolutely agree.’ He looked at the three large suitcases at the doorway. ‘Now, are you going to help me get those cases home?’
EPILOGUE
One year later
THE BRIDE’S THREE-QUARTER-LENGTH dress rippled in the breeze as she walked towards him clutching orange gerberas in one hand and Mac’s lead in the other.
It felt as if the whole island had turned up for this event. The local hotel had hired three separate marquees to keep up with the numbers but whilst the sun was shining they’d decided to get married outside so everyone could see.
Rhuaridh’s heart swelled in his chest. Kristie’s hair wasn’t quite so blonde now, her skin not quite so tanned, but he’d never seen anything more beautiful than his bride. Her grin was plastered from one side of her face to the other.
He leaned over, winking at Gerry, who sat on a chair nearby holding a camera, capturing the ceremony for them, then turned back and held out his hands towards his bride’s. ‘Now, no fancy moves, no running out on me.’
Her eyes sparkled. ‘We’re on an island. There’s nowhere to go and...’ she winked ‘... I’m not that good a swimmer. I guess you’ll have to keep me.’
He slid his arms around her waist. ‘Oh, I think I can do that.’
He bent towards her as Gerry shouted, ‘Hey! Wait up! It’s too early for a kiss.’
The celebrant laughed as Kristie slid her hands around his neck. ‘What do you think?’ she whispered, her lips brushing against his skin and her blue eyes continuing to sparkle.
Mac let out an approving bark and the whole congregation laughed too.
‘Oh, it’s never too early for a kiss,’ said Rhuaridh, as he tipped his bride back and kissed her while the whole island watched.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Scarlet Wilson
Island Doctor to Royal Bride?
Locked Down with the Army Doc
Resisting the Single Dad
A Family Made at Christmas
All available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Mending the Single Dad’s Heart by Susanne Hampton.
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Mending the Single Dad’s Heart
by Susanne Hampton
CHAPTER ONE
DR JESSICA AYERS paused for a moment to secure the weighty oversized handbag slipping from her shoulder. She needed to gain some level of composure before she stepped from the thirty-six-seat twin-propeller plane that had just endured a somewhat bumpy landing at Armidale Airport. The landing, however, was the least of her concerns, since ‘bumpy’ was on a par with the rest of her life anyway.
Drawing a deep breath to fill her lungs, she attempted to quell the rising anxiety she always felt when she arrived in unfamiliar surroundings. Constantly moving to new places was by her own design, but it still unnerved her a little and gave her an overwhelming sense of déjà-vu. One that she feared would never end. Another town. Another short-lived new beginning. In six weeks she would move on again.
Her willingness to fill in for local paediatricians on leave across the country allowed Jessica to move regularly around Australia. There was never time to plant roots or get comfortable. And that was how she wanted it to be, because neither were in her plans. Not any more. The idea of long-term in any part of her life was gone. Badly hurt, and carrying a level of shame for loving the wrong man, Jessica had decided there was no such thing as a happily-ever-after for her. She was now a rolling stone. Gathering no moss and with no ties to anyone.
And falling in love again was definitely not going to happen. It only brought heartache. And Jessica didn’t want any part of that. Not ever again.
She doubted she was strong enough to survive another disappointment, unlike her best friend, Cassey, who seemed to rush back onto the online dating scene after each failed relationship. And there had been many. Jessica wasn’t sure if that had compounded her opinion about men and love but it didn’t matter. She was over it all. She knew for certain there was no good man in her future, only heartache waiting to happen if she travelled that road again.
Jessica was not an optimist like Cassey.
She glanced up into th
e overcast sky. It was close to five o’clock on a June afternoon, it was blowing a gale and the cloud-covered sun was beginning to bid farewell to the cold winter day. She held onto the rain-dampened handrail with her woollen glove and quickly realised that was not the best idea. Now her glove was wet. With a sigh, she took the seven steps down to the ground, collecting more droplets of water as she held on tightly. The wind pushed and pulled at her and she struggled to keep her steps in line as she slipped off one soggy and one dry glove and made her way over to the pile of small carry-ons assembled under the wing of the plane. Space restrictions in the tiny overhead lockers meant none of the bags had been allowed in the cabin. Jessica’s was easily recognisable from the pool of small black bags and quickly she reached down and wrapped her now bare and cold fingers around the handle of the compact silver hard case that matched her other luggage. She had always liked the things she could control in her life as it helped to have a sense of order. It was a trait passed down from her father, a military man. It was a pity that was not how she lived any more. Nothing much in her personal life bore much semblance to order.
She attempted to brush away the thick wisps of her hair blowing haphazardly across her face, almost obstructing her view as she walked across the windy tarmac. Still deep in thought, Jessica put one foot in front of the other as she fought hard not to be blown away by the fierce breeze that had made their landing jerky. Her jacket had blown open and the wind cut through her thin sweater as she avoided the puddles of water. Armidale’s chill was nothing like the muggy Sydney weather she had left behind.
Silently she questioned with each of her considered steps what she was doing. Not the last hour, taking the flight, nor last month, accepting another temporary Paediatric Consultant position, ironically covering the resident paediatrician’s honeymoon, at Armidale Regional Memorial Hospital. No, instead Jessica wondered what she was doing with her life. Her lips wilted at the corners the way they always did when she allowed disappointment in herself to creep back. But a moment’s pity was all she would allow. She couldn’t afford to fall in a heap because there was no one to pick her up.
