on Sydney Harbour except this one had added sparkle. Lifting her hand, she watched the sun catch on the square-cut diamond ring on her left hand. The gold band shined where it curved around her finger. She couldn’t believe Wade had not only found the perfect ring, but also the right size.
“You know if you keep flashing that around you’re going to blind people.” Wade’s laughing words floated over the deck from where he stood behind the wheel.
“I’m not the one who bought such a large diamond.” She grinned at him.
“I can take it back and swap it for a smaller one,” he offered.
“Don’t you dare!” She whipped her hand behind her back.
He laughed out right now, the deep rumbling kind that came from the bottom of his belly. Or perhaps even his soul. He’d laughed so much more over the last twelve months. Emily didn’t need Vee to tell her how much happier he was now that she’d come into his life. She’d seen it herself, the slow but steady crawl from the shell he’d surround himself with after his parents death. It was as though he’d been going through the motions, not really living until she’d given him a reason to.
She had another surprise for him later. One neither of them had expected this soon, but one Em knew he’d be thrilled with. Her house had sold two days ago and she’d promised him once that happened she’d move in with him. Only now she had one more reason to completely join their lives. Without thought, her hand drifted over her flat stomach. It wouldn’t stay that way for long. And if her calculations were right, that bout of flu last October meant they were well on their way to being connected for the rest of their lives.
“When are you going to tell me?” Wade’s question had her jerking around to face him.
“Tell you what?” Surely he hadn’t guessed? She hadn’t known until last week when she’d gone in for her annual check up.
“How far, Emily?” He walked towards her, his stride sure, purposeful. “I’m guessing three months.”
“How–”
“You forget I know your body better than my own. After you were so sick last spring, you lost all that weight, but your breast got bigger. And there’s a slight swelling here in the last few weeks.” Wade crouched down beside her and put his palm on her stomach where hers had so recently been. “And there’s been a few other indicators I could point out.”
Emily pouted. Yet again he’d read her like a book. Wait, if he’d suspected for so long… “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I just did.”
“No, before now.”
“What was I supposed to say? Em, I think you’re pregnant?”
“Yes!” She scrambled round to sit on her knees. “I had no idea until the doctor came in with the little stick she used to check my wee last week. No clue!”
“But you’re happy, right?” Worry wrinkles formed between his eyebrows.
Emily launched herself at him, her arms squeezing tight around his neck. “Yes. God, yes. It’s earlier than we planned, but I’m so excited I don’t know how I’ve managed to keep from blurting it out.”
Wade stood with her in his arms and spun them around. Dizzy with delight, Em threw her head back and laughed. When he stopped spinning, he cradled the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his. For long moments they lost themselves. It was always the same. Whenever Wade kissed her, Emily’s mind became a blank slate with only need for him etched on it. The boat rocked beneath their feet and they broke apart just as someone on a passing yacht yelled out “get a room”.
Grinning Wade said, “Happy New Year, Emily.”
“You’re a bit late.”
“Actually…” He glanced at his watch. “Nope, three o’clock, so it’s midnight in Halifax.”
Emily dropped her forehead to Wade’s chest and laughed until tears streamed down her face. The man was insane. Every hour, on the hour, from nine p.m. New Year’s Eve, ‘til ten p.m. New Year’s Day he had a country
“You know if you keep flashing that around you’re going to blind people.” Wade’s laughing words floated over the deck from where he stood behind the wheel.
“I’m not the one who bought such a large diamond.” She grinned at him.
“I can take it back and swap it for a smaller one,” he offered.
“Don’t you dare!” She whipped her hand behind her back.
He laughed out right now, the deep rumbling kind that came from the bottom of his belly. Or perhaps even his soul. He’d laughed so much more over the last twelve months. Emily didn’t need Vee to tell her how much happier he was now that she’d come into his life. She’d seen it herself, the slow but steady crawl from the shell he’d surround himself with after his parents death. It was as though he’d been going through the motions, not really living until she’d given him a reason to.
She had another surprise for him later. One neither of them had expected this soon, but one Em knew he’d be thrilled with. Her house had sold two days ago and she’d promised him once that happened she’d move in with him. Only now she had one more reason to completely join their lives. Without thought, her hand drifted over her flat stomach. It wouldn’t stay that way for long. And if her calculations were right, that bout of flu last October meant they were well on their way to being connected for the rest of their lives.
“When are you going to tell me?” Wade’s question had her jerking around to face him.
“Tell you what?” Surely he hadn’t guessed? She hadn’t known until last week when she’d gone in for her annual check up.
“How far, Emily?” He walked towards her, his stride sure, purposeful. “I’m guessing three months.”
“How–”
“You forget I know your body better than my own. After you were so sick last spring, you lost all that weight, but your breast got bigger. And there’s a slight swelling here in the last few weeks.” Wade crouched down beside her and put his palm on her stomach where hers had so recently been. “And there’s been a few other indicators I could point out.”
Emily pouted. Yet again he’d read her like a book. Wait, if he’d suspected for so long… “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I just did.”
“No, before now.”
“What was I supposed to say? Em, I think you’re pregnant?”
“Yes!” She scrambled round to sit on her knees. “I had no idea until the doctor came in with the little stick she used to check my wee last week. No clue!”
“But you’re happy, right?” Worry wrinkles formed between his eyebrows.
Emily launched herself at him, her arms squeezing tight around his neck. “Yes. God, yes. It’s earlier than we planned, but I’m so excited I don’t know how I’ve managed to keep from blurting it out.”
Wade stood with her in his arms and spun them around. Dizzy with delight, Em threw her head back and laughed. When he stopped spinning, he cradled the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his. For long moments they lost themselves. It was always the same. Whenever Wade kissed her, Emily’s mind became a blank slate with only need for him etched on it. The boat rocked beneath their feet and they broke apart just as someone on a passing yacht yelled out “get a room”.
Grinning Wade said, “Happy New Year, Emily.”
“You’re a bit late.”
“Actually…” He glanced at his watch. “Nope, three o’clock, so it’s midnight in Halifax.”
Emily dropped her forehead to Wade’s chest and laughed until tears streamed down her face. The man was insane. Every hour, on the hour, from nine p.m. New Year’s Eve, ‘til ten p.m. New Year’s Day he had a country
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