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After they finished their dirty shower and got dressed, Ollie took Mia to the lounge room to meet the members of the Bennett family she didn’t already know, and get reacquainted with the ones she did.
“This is Lucy,” Oliver said, introducing the blonde sitting on a cushion on the floor by Toby’s feet.
The woman had severe burn scars on the right side of her face and neck, but her intelligent gaze and bright smile went a long way to disarming any unease Mia might have otherwise felt at the sight of the ruined flesh. And it was hard to tell with her curled up on the floor, but Lucy looked to be of a similar height and size as Mia. She wore a simple silver chain around her neck with a heart-shaped pendant on it, and an engagement ring on her left hand.
The woman was obviously Toby’s submissive, but judging by the way he was lovingly stroking her hair and staring at her as though she’d hung the stars in the sky, Lucy had the giant man wrapped completely around her little finger.
They were getting married the following weekend, and Toby had asked if he could use the gardenia blooms from her mother’s garden in the bouquets. Gardenias were Lucy’s favourite and Someday had an overabundance of them on the property.
They also invited her to the wedding, insisted on it, in fact. She didn’t miss the smug “I told you so” grin Oliver threw at her when she accepted the invitation, and maybe—maybe—he was right. Maybe her fear of being unwelcome was all in her head. But then, the Bennetts had always accepted her without question. Had always made her feel like one of their own.
Even Charlie.
Who was still a smart-arse, by the way, but at least he’d lost his immature edge. Perhaps fatherhood had done that to him, mellowed him somewhat, because his daughters were absolutely lovely, and Mia could hardly believe they were only just turning fourteen.
“Are you sure they’re yours?” she teased.
“Fuck off, Caldwell.”
“Actually, Charlie, Mia could use your advice.” She shot daggers at Ollie for bringing up the house but he didn’t seem to care. As he proved when he continued, “She wants to turn Someday into a veteran’s retreat, but the old house needs a lot of work. Do you reckon you could take a look while you’re here?”
To Mia’s surprise, he said, “Sure. I’ll pop over after I take the girls out for milkshakes.”
“You will?” she said, still a little confused by how easy that had been. How Charlie hadn’t insisted on something embarrassing as recompense for his time and effort.
“Yeah. Happy to, if you that’s what you want.”
“Um, okay,” she said, a tiny frown pinching her brows together, her brain still not quite willing to believe him. “Thanks.”
“A veteran’s retreat is an interesting idea,” Lucy said. “Do you know what sort of activities you want to offer yet?”
“I want to take advantage of some of the lesser known tourist traps, like the rainforest walks and trips to some of the smaller beaches along the coast, but also offer all the usual stuff too. Camping, day-trips to the waterfalls, rock-climbing—”
“Lucy’s a rock climber,” one of the twins said.
“Really? Where do you climb?”
“The last few years I’ve been a gym climber only, butsomeone,”—she poked Toby’s knee—“won’t even let me do that anymore.”
Toby made a growling sound. “Baby, you’re pregnant.”
“Barely,” Lucy grumbled.
“Do we really need to have this conversation again?”
Lucy pursed her lips then shook her head. “No, Master.”
“Good, then stop sulking. It doesn’t become you,” Toby said, his deep voice vibrating with command.
“Yeah well I’d say being a bossy prick doesn’t become you, either,” Lucy said, “but you know I’d be lying.”
“Cheeky.” Toby chuckled and bent his head down to kiss her in what could have easily turned into an x-rated display of public affection, had it not been for the teenage girls making gagging noises.
“Eww,” the twins complained. “Dad, they’re kissing again.”
Oliver slung his arms around their shoulders. “You won’t mind so much one day, my loves.”
Both girls turned to him and scoffed. “Yeeeah, we’ll stick with milkshakes thanks.”
