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Carts stilled.She felt thethud, thudof his heart against her chest.He buried his face in her neck and hauled in a shuddering breath.
Oh god, had she done it again?Got too enthusiastic?Said too much?
She tried to unwind her arms from around his neck and disentangle herself from his embrace.In response, he held her tighter, so her words when they came were muffled against his neck.“Maybe it’s a bit too early to—”
“No!”Almost fiercely, he pulled back.Dark eyes held hers with vivid intensity before he gently sandwiched her cheeks with his palms.“Don’t take it back.”
Her heart stumbled, then started beating at double the rate.
“I love you too.I’ve been holding back saying it but every time I see you, touch you, kiss you, the words just want to come out.I know we’ve only known each other a few weeks, I know it’s early days, I know all that.I know we’ve both been burnt by relationships, but this feels so right.Itisright.You and me, Judith.We’reright for each other.I’ve known it from the first moment I saw you.”
“Ohhhhhhhhh!”Now the tears welled over.
“I love you so much,” he said.And then he kissed her mouth, tender at first, then bolder.Strong arms pulled her close, and his body pressed hard against hers, and the knowledge of his desire for her all came together, and a little sob of relief welled up in her chest.
After they’d kissed some more, he wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I hope these are happy.”He dipped his finger along her lashes and caught one.She nodded and he said, “They’re precious, like all of you.”
She laughed shakily.“I imagined I’d lost you.Like those movies that look like they’re going to end happily and then, suddenly one of them gets a terminal illness, or a tram runs them over or, or a meteorite crashes out of the sky, or…”
“Hey,” he said.“I’m here, holding you tight, and loving you with every intact piece of me.See?”He waved a hand at the star-spangled sky.“No meteorite in sight.And outside of Adelaide and Melbourne, I think we’re pretty safe from a tram incident.”
Another shaky laugh as she burrowed back into him and they stood swaying together for a blissful moment as the news that HE LOVED HER AND SHE LOVED HIM sank deep inside her.
“I’m sorry,” she sniffed.
“For what?”
“Crying.It’s been a very intense week.”A hiccup.
“I know,” Carts replied.“Probably the most intense week of my life.And the best.”They kissed some more, murmuring words of endearment.
Finally, Carts said, “Maybe we shouldn’t stay out here, I think it’s going to rain.Can I tempt you into my humble abode?”
“Said the spider to the fly.”
He picked up his briefcase and they fell into step.“I’ve explored the outside,” Judith said.“I found your lawnmower, and looked in the window.Your kitchen is very neat, and…”
“And?”He wrinkled his brow at her as he pulled out his keys.
“Empty.”
He threw back his head and laughed.“I could probably locate a tin of baked beans.”
“That sounds gourmet.”
In the hallway, Carts hung her coat on a peg and led her past the living room.She spied the sofa with its carefully arranged cushions, a television, a coffee table, a turntable and a bookshelf full of all his LPs.She noticed a pot plant that was bright green and healthy looking.Carts saw where her eyes had travelled and said, “Plastic.Sorry.”
In the kitchen he brought out glasses and a bottle of wine and opened the cupboard.As they shared the tin of baked beans (he hadn’t been kidding, it was either that or a tin of spaghetti), Carts told her what had eventuated at work.
“So, you’ve effectively got a promotion.”
“I’m only acting in the position.But, hey, I didn’t even think Clive knew who I was… but there you are.Karma works, just like Fern says.”
They drank the wine.Passed the tin of baked beans to each other.Cold baked beans were delicious when you were sharing them with the man you loved, Judith decided.Though she hoped there was a loaf of bread in the freezer because if she was going to stay the night, she’d needsomethingfor breakfast.
As if he read her mind, Carts said, “I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching.And I have to say I’m kind of ashamed that I can barely cook past boiling an egg and heating up takeaway food.”
