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When they were both in their underwear, he took her hand and led her across the smooth dirt path, stopping at a semi-circle worn into the edge of the bluff. “Do you trust me?”
She thought of Heath, telling her she could trust Lachie with her life. She thought of how Lachlan had talked her down on the plane. “Yeah.”
“Are you ready?”
“To swim?”
“No, Ladybug. To leap.” He released her hand. “It’s your choice. But I promise it’s deep. No rocks, no snags.”
She hesitated, but as he bent his knees, readying himself, she snatched his hand in hers. When he made the jump, out away from the cliff, and toward the pool below, she was right there with him.
12
ALL THE TENDER SWEETNESS
Lachlan dropped a whisper of a kiss on Carissa’s temple—light enough not to wake her, because he knew how dangerous that could be, but noticeable enough to make her let out a contented sigh. Her golden hair was spread like a halo around her head, and Pickle was curled on the pillow beside her, purring. He ran a hand over the cat’s back, and she rumbled even more loudly.
The night they’d swam in the river, she’d asked him to carry her upstairs “one more time” and he’d been happy to oblige. After he’d thrown her down on the bed, she’d asked him to stay, and he had. And he’d kept staying. They’d shared the bed in Carissa’s room every night since, and given Pickle the run of both their rooms. But she always ended up on their bed—usually on the pillow between them, or else sitting on Carissa’s chest. He decided it was a sign after all, and he’d started making plans.
Today though, the community picnic and Heath’s plan were the priority, and as tempted as he was to crawl back into bed and kiss Carissa awake, he had things to do.
He went through the bathroom to his room, got dressed in the shirt he’d saved specifically for the day, and then went downstairs to meet Heath.
He found him in the kitchen looking, not exactly ill, but not himself, either.
“Morning.” The bloke was always on the quiet side—in contrast to Lena who was chatty as hell—but he was damn near silent as he cooked scrambled eggs.
“Where’s Lena?”
“I’m right here!” Her voice was sing-songy as she came in the front door, Copper dashing ahead of her, wiggling and dancing at Heath’s feet, obviously fully aware that what Heath was making was for him.
Lena went to Heath and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “How soon do you have to leave?”
“Now.” He scraped the eggs into a food bowl and set it on the floor for Copper. Then he fished something out of his pocket and handed it to Lena. “This is for Copper. For today.”
Lena looked confused at the jumble of red and green material in her hands.
“It’s a new collar. For Christmas. But I thought you’d want to show it off today.”
“Awwww.” Lena beamed at Heath, and if she noticed he was at all ‘off,’ she hid it well. “This is so sweet.”
“Put it on!” Carissa came into the kitchen, in the same short skirt she’d worn the night of the gingerbread house decorating contest, but paired with a T-shirt that readJolly AF. He liked to think that he’d influence her Christmas shirt game. “So Heath can see it before they go.”
“Oh! Right!” Lena knelt and swapped the new collar out for Copper’s old one. It had a huge bow, which Lachlan—and Carissa—happened to know hid the key component of Heath’s plan. He still couldn’t believe his mate had decided on something so public for the proposal he had planned.
When Lena stood up, she threw her arms around Heath, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I love it, Grinch Guy. Thank you!”
Heath just nodded.
“We’d better hit the road.” Lachlan knew they didn’t really have to worry about being late—lunch wouldn’t really get started until around eleven—but Lachlan was worried if they stayed any longer, Lena would realise something was going on with Heath.
“All right! Carissa and Copper and I will see you two later!”
With that promise, he and Heath went out to his ute.
“Nice shirt, mate.” Heath pointed at Lachlan’s shirt—which had a picture of a snowman on it, above which it readStay Frosty. He figured all the RSL blokes at the barbecue they’d be manning would get the real, military meaning, and everyone else would think it was a good joke on one of the hottest and most humid days of the summer so far.
“You’ve got everything ready?” From what Lachlan could gather, which wasn’t much from his silent and taciturn friend, the idea was to create a repeat of Lena’s first Christmas Eve picnic, minus last year’s dog-related emergency. Just like last year, Heath and Lachlan would be working at the RSL barbecue. Lena and Copper, with the addition of Carissa, would be enjoying the booths and activities until it was time for Heath’s surprise. Lachlan would help him get ready, and Carissa would get Lena to the meeting spot Heath had arranged.
