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  “I think you’re happy down here now, though, aren’t you?”

  “I guess.” Thomas’s response wasn’t the response he’d hoped for.

  Luke tackled the first stumbling block. “You and your mother will be able to cope for a couple of weeks, won’t you?”

  “We’ve been fine for much longer.”

  Luke made a lightning decision. “Initially, I have to go to Dunedin.” He jumped to his feet and paced a little way across the reception area before turning back to Thomas. “I’ll be back for the open day.”

  Now he’d made this decision, it would probably work out better. He wouldn’t be leaving Shannon carrying the weight, and he’d fly straight to Melbourne from Queenstown. “Then I need to shoot over to Oz for a few days, but I’ll put some money on your phone so you can text or call me any time you need to.”

  Thomas’s surprised expression told Luke he’d done something right. “I’m not going to promise you an exact date when I’ll be back, but I won’t be any longer than two weeks. Okay?”

  A smile tugged at Luke’s lips at the attempted nonchalance of Thomas’s shrug.

  “Your mother has offered to mind Jake and Amy for me. I hope that’s not a problem for you?”

  “’Course not.” Thomas squirmed beneath Luke’s attentive stare.

  “There’s something else I want you to think about while I’m gone, Thomas. Something important.” He took a deep breath. “I want to ask your mother to marry me.”

  He rephrased the statement so the shocked boy in front of him could not misinterpret his intent. “I am going to ask her to marry me, when I’m back from Melbourne. I’m not expecting you to say anything now. I want you to think about us becoming family. That’s what I want, the five of us together, being a real family.”

  Luke took another circuit across the area before coming to a stop in front of Thomas. “I don’t know what your problem was the other night. I don’t know what you did or said to your mother, but I’m not going to allow it to happen again. Understand?”

  Thomas’s mouth was still hanging open, but his head bobbed up and down.

  “We’ll talk about this when I get back from Dunedin, so save up any comments or questions until then.” Luke leaned over and poked a finger at the boy’s chest. “But one disparaging remark to your mother, Thomas, and you’ll be hearing from me. I want to be very clear about that.”

  Again the head bounced up and down.

  “I aim to be your mother’s husband, Thomas. I know it might be too much to expect you to look upon me as a father, but I hope we can at least be friends.” He gripped the boy’s shoulder. “Think about this while I’m away. I’m sure you’ll have questions and I promise we will talk them through.”

  His fingers tightened on the scrawny shoulder. “Just be careful how you treat your mother, though. I’ll accept a lot, Thomas, but that will not include any sign of disrespect toward her.”

  Luke turned and walked out, not toward the house though. He needed space to blow off steam. Space to curse and swear at how inadequate he’d felt while talking with Thomas. Space to begin preparing for the battle in front of him.

  Thomas was not going to accept his mother’s marriage without a battle. And what petrified Luke was the certainty Shannon would refuse him if Thomas raised even the slightest objection. He swore as he smashed a fist into his palm. His life and happiness lay in the hands of a mixed-up teenage boy.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Luke yawned as he drove into the garage. Bugger. He hadn’t expected to be this late. Stopping to help at an accident just south of Clinton had added time to his journey.

  By the time the ambulance arrived and left, and police had taken statements, Luke regretted spending the day at the casino before heading home. But the cards were falling for him and he rationalized as long he was home prior to the Mud Run, Shannon would believe she could rely on him.

  He laid his head against the headrest and rubbed his gritty eyes, accepting he’d spent too long under artificial lighting over the last couple of days. But he was home now with enough of a kitty for his trip to Melbourne.

  A couple of his joints protested as he slid from the car. Damn these kinks. I need a decent workout. Guess I’ll probably get one tomorrow.

  He tiptoed inside, eager to see Shannon but guessing she would have given up waiting once she’d heard of his delay.

  Subdued lighting from the lounge drew his attention as he crept along the hallway to his room. Shannon lay curled up on the sofa fast asleep, the muted television flickering its way through some gory who-done-it.

  As much as he wanted to rush forward and drag her into his arms, he stood leaning against the doorjamb feasting his eyes. A smile tugged at his lips as he repeated the emotion in his mind as he’d pulled into the garage. I’m home. Straightening from his leaning post, his tiredness vanished. I’m home.

  Never before had he experienced the enormity the realization of home inspired. Breath sucked from his lungs. He’d never had a home since childhood. He tugged at one of his dreads which had escaped its band. All the places I’ve lain my head at night, stored my gear until I needed it again—they were never home. Not like this is.

  His gaze shot back to the figure on the sofa. He dropped his bag and took an involuntary step forward. The sound or his movement alerted Shannon. His chest swelled as her eyes opened and a welcoming smile crossed her face.

  Somehow he found himself sitting on the sofa beside her as she shimmied over to give him room.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself.” His voice sounded odd to his ears. “You shouldn’t have waited up.”

  “I wanted to.”

  His finger traced a path along her jaw. She always felt incredible when he touched her, but now, watching her awaken, watching desire soften her lips and bring a rosy flush to her cheeks, his heartbeat raced. “I’m glad you did.”

  He leaned over, aware of her arms uncurling from around her own body and reaching for him. Her eyes closed and a soft mewing sound escaped as he nibbled at her lips before what little control he had slipped. He took her offered lips in a long, lingering kiss. The eager parting of her lips beneath his pushed him further toward the inevitable.

  Although desperate to shut out everything but the here and now, reality reared its head and he managed to break away. “The kids?”

  Shannon’s sultry look from half-closed eyes stole his breath. “They’re all asleep.”

  Luke froze. He stared at her, uncertain. Blood had long since traveled south but he daren’t misunderstand.

  A smooth hand ran down the side of his face. “They’re fast asleep.”

  Luke’s heart hammered inside his chest. The thumping in his ears was deafening. Is she…?

  “They won’t wake up before morning.”

  Shannon’s hand had dropped from his face onto his thigh.

  Somehow Luke managed the words, although his tongue appeared to have swollen twice its normal size. “You’re sure about that?” They were no longer talking about the kids’ sleeping habits.

  “I’m sure.”

  Luke closed his eyes and threw back his head as Shannon’s hand inched higher. His breathing became erratic. As Shannon’s hand reached its objective and began squeezing along the hard ridge, his ability to breathe deserted him.

  Sucking in an unsteady breath he stared into Shannon’s shining eyes, intrigued as a flush rose and colored her skin. Even as her hand continued to drive rational thought from his head, he hesitated. The slow smile curling around lips swollen from his kisses broke his immobility.

  Regaining his feet, he slipped his arms underneath her. With her secure against him he headed for his bedroom. Shannon’s soft murmurings as she clung, nuzzling at his neck before flicking her tongue into his ear sent his feet into a gallop. Forgetting everything but the precious bundle in his arms he nudged the door shut behind them and lowered Shannon to the floor.

  “I’ve missed you,” he murmured as he began wor
king on the buttons of her shirt. His heart pounded. His hands trembled. He’d hoped, he’d dreamed, but not in a million years had he expected it to happen tonight. He felt like a teenager again, so damned eager but worried, too.

  Oh God, he prayed, don’t let this be over in seconds. Luke grimaced as a knowing smile appeared on Shannon’s face.

  “Relax, it’s fine,” she murmured as she pulled at his shirt. “We have all night.”

  Luke’s hands stilled as they were about to cup her naked breasts. He grasped her shoulders instead.

  “I don’t just want all night, Shannon. I want the rest of our lives.” He swallowed, and then swallowed again, as something stuck in his first attempt.

  He looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you, Shannon. I want to take you to bed every night and wake up beside you every morning for the rest of our lives.”

  Luke doubted he would ever forget how her eyes widened, her lips parted, and a little sigh breathed from her mouth. Her blossoming smile was emblazoned into his heart forever.

  “I love you so much. You’ve become my life, Shannon. I don’t know how I’ve existed all these years without you.”

  His gaze dropped to her bare breasts but he forced himself to refocus on her face. “Now I’ve found you, I feel I’ve been waiting for you all my life.”

  Shannon hadn’t said anything aloud but her physical response was enough for now. Her lips opening as she closed what little gap laid between them told him. Her sigh of intense pleasure as he took control of their kiss told him. Her hands opening his shirt so she could rub her bare breasts against his chest told him.

  He’d found something special. He’d found his soul mate.

  And he proceeded to show her just how in tune they would become.

  ****

  Dawn lightened the sky when Shannon stirred. Seeing the light, her bouncing up woke Luke. “I need to get back to my own bed before the kids wake up.”

  Luke’s hand stayed her attempt to leave. “I want them to know things are changing around here.”

  Despite the heat rushing through Shannon’s body, she shivered—not from the dawn chill but from the myriad of emotions in evidence in the last few hours. Things had changed all right. The tangled mess of bedding said it all.

  Luke’s hand leisurely reaching up to her shoulder and urging her down so she lay half on top of him suggested an intimacy she wasn’t quite sure she felt comfortable with yet. “The children—”

  “Forget the children,” Luke ordered, as he lifted and positioned her astride him. His loving expression drove their children from her mind.

  Later she tried again. “I do need to go.”

  Luke glanced at the clock beside the bed. “Now I know why it’s best to have a few years together before children arrive to mess up a bloke’s sex life.”

  He swung out of bed and headed for the bathroom, seemingly unaware of his nakedness and Shannon’s gaze following him. He paused at the door and glanced over his shoulder. “You okay?”

  She clutched the sheet high under her chin. Heat rushed from the tip of Shannon’s toes to the top of her head. “Better than okay.”

  She smiled at the satisfied expression on Luke’s face and hugged herself tight. I am so much better than okay. I’m fantastic.

  Leaping out of bed she threw on her outer clothes and sped down the hallway to her own bedroom clutching her undies against her chest. Luckily the children’s room remained quiet and there was no sound from Thomas. Bathing and dressing in double quick-time, Luke still beat her into the kitchen.

  “I forgot to wish you good morning.” Luke caught her and kissed her soundly. So soundly she ached to return to his bedroom. His groan suggested a similar thought crossing his mind.

  “Why didn’t I come home a day earlier?” he moaned into her hair. “The kids would have been at school for the day.”

  Shannon pushed against his chest as Jake and Amy could be heard arguing down the hallway. “Yesterday was the busiest day you could imagine.” She grinned at him as she put bread into the toaster. “If you’d have been home, you’d have been working, too.”

  Luke had the decency to look a little sheepish. “Have we got everything organized?”

  “I hope so, or as organized as I can manage anyway.”

  Luke gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry I left you carrying the can.”

  “You had something you needed to do.” She took a deep breath. “How did that work out for you?”

  “Not bad, at least I have a stake for Melbourne.”

  Shannon’s chest tightened. “When will you leave?”

  “I booked for Monday.” Luke shrugged.

  “I don’t understand anything about poker.” She bit her lip. “How will you know how much—?”

  “Stop worrying.” He hummed under his breath as he took some bacon from the fridge.

  Her stillness alerted him. “What’s wrong?” He dropped the bacon onto the bench and took a step toward her, a worried frown growing.

  Shannon grimaced. It’s not my place. Even after last night I have no right.

  “Talk to me, Shannon.”

  Shannon took a deep breath. “You seem relaxed.” She couldn’t help her tone becoming slightly accusing as she mumbled, “Even blasé?”

  “I promise I’m not being blasé. I just don’t want you to worry about money ever again. No matter what happens in Melbourne, we’re comfortably afloat. I have stock Emma is preparing to sell if necessary. If I come home with nothing, our finances are adequate to cover our expenses for the next few months.”

  Shannon’s legs turned to cooked spaghetti and she clutched the table to hold herself upright. Our finances? Our expenses? He’s already sharing so much more than his body.

  “I don’t want you to stress about my poker playing, Shannon.”

  Tears choked Shannon. I don’t care about his gambling. “I trust you, Luke. I don’t expect you to change your life.”

  “Hey.” He circled the table and drew her into his arms. “I’m given you that right.” His sincere expression brought tears to her eyes. “And I expect you to exercise it. Anything about me to cause concern, I want to know about it.”

  He lifted her chin and looked deep into her eyes. “I can’t promise to change, but I sure intend to do everything in my power to ensure you’re happy.”

  “Thank you Luke.” She touched his cheek. “I’m just being silly. I hope you don’t have to start selling off any of your assets.”

  “When I’m home again, you, me, and Emma will sit down and go through my investments.”

  Shannon’s mouth dropped open.

  “I want you to know where we stand financially.” He flipped cooked bacon onto a dish and threw more into the pan. “I’m not having you worry yourself silly about money ever again.”

  Shannon groped for a chair. Eric had insisted she needn’t worry herself with their finances. I’ll take care of that boring stuff, he’d said.

  “You don’t need to do that, Luke.” Her voice squeaked like a rusty nail being yanked from hundred-year-old wood. “I don’t expect—”

  “I know, but you expect too little, Shannon.”

  He grimaced. “Now, I haven’t asked how you got on coping with Jake and Amy. Did they behave themselves for you?”

  Shannon appreciated his attempt to normalize the conversation. His earlier words had floored her. “They were little angels.”

  As she got up and reloaded the toaster, she struggled to refocus after the shock of his intention to reveal his finances. “They are such lovely children, Luke. They’re a real credit to you.”

  “A credit to their parents, you mean.”

  Shannon caught the gruffness in his tone and smiled. “Their parents died a year ago, and they’re still doing great. That must be someone else’s influence.”

  Luke gave an uncomfortable shrug.

  He doesn’t see how great he is with those kids.

  “How’s Thomas been?”

  “Thomas
has been…” She needed time to think before completing the sentence. Time in which Luke’s knuckles whitened. “Thomas has been uncharacteristically compliant.” She sent a smile across to Luke. “In fact, he’s been so mellow, I’ve been wondering if he’s coming down with something.”

  She glanced at her watch. “Speaking of Thomas, I’d better see that he’s up. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

  ****

  Shannon collapsed onto a deck chair next to Debra McEwan. The other woman laughed. “You look absolutely knackered.”

  “I feel it, too,” Shannon agreed as the reception shed threw long shadows across the paddock in front of them. “But it’s a great feeling. I think we can say today’s been a success.”

  “I agree. I thought Mother and Jase were crazy when they talked about this mud run idea. But now I have a feeling it might turn into an annual occurrence. With this sort of response it could be a first-rate PR event, too.”

  Debra surveyed the slowly emptying car park. “It’s been an ideal introduction to Luke’s park, too. I heard quite a bit of interest as I wandered around.”

  “Oh, I hope so.” Shannon wrung her hands together. “Luke’s worked so hard, poured so much money into this. He’s desperate for it to be a success.”

  “Jase will help. Between them they’ll come up with some workable strategies to increase the turnover, I’m sure.”

  Shannon glanced at Debra. Is she suggesting the resort might actively help?

  “It’s only practical for tourist-based industries in the same area to support each other.” Debra’s gaze had wandered. “They’re quite a pair, aren’t they?”

  Shannon followed her gaze. Luke and Jase were manning two barbeques, cooking sausages for the milling crowd yet to leave. Both were virtually unrecognizable in their muddied clothes. They’d teamed up for the run and issued challenges to any who were brave enough to accept them.

  Shannon sighed as she relaxed lower into the chair. “It’s been an amazing day.”

  Remembering an earlier conversation Shannon chided Debra. “Hey, didn’t you tell me you wouldn’t be anywhere near this event. You were going to have urgent meetings in Wellington today. Weren’t you scared Jase would talk you into competing?”