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Authors: Emily Forbes
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mention some fresh air after all those women.’
‘You were rather outnumbered, weren’t you?’ Ali laughed, her spirits buoyed by the thought of having Quinn to herself for the short walk.
Quinn helped her into her coat. As he lifted her hair from her collar his fingers brushed the back of her neck and Ali thought she might melt at his feet as heat flooded her belly and her limbs. He opened the front door and Ali felt a burst of cool air on her face. The sunwas low in the sky now and the temperature was dropping rapidly, but at least the cold, fresh air did wonders for her racing pulse and flaming cheeks.
They turned the corner into the main street of Stirling. The streetlights were on and the shop windows were lit but the pavements were virtually empty. Most other people were inside in the warmth. The pub was busy, though, packed with diners and people enjoying an evening drink in the bars.
‘Do you know what I’d really like to do?’ Quinn said as they stepped into the pool of light being cast from the hotel onto the dark pavement. ‘I’d like to finish that drink we never managed to have.’
‘Now?’ Ali asked.
‘Why not? It’s my birthday, I should get to celebrate in the way I choose, don’t you think?’ He smiled at her and she felt the heat return to her cheeks under the intensity of his blue eyes. ‘Would you care to join me?’
He crooked his elbow and gave her a look as though almost daring her to accept.
Ali tucked her hand through his elbow. ‘It would be my pleasure.’ He didn’t need to ask her twice.
He ordered their drinks, a Scotch for him, red wine for her, and then found them a seat. The room was warm, an open fire glowing in the fireplace, and was almost full, the press of bodies adding to the heat. Ali shrugged out of her coat. She was wearing a red wrap dress, which matched her lipstick and hugged her curves, and her favourite long black boots.
‘That dress looks amazing on you.’
Ali noted the appreciation in his azure eyes. Shewas glad she’d removed her coat as the warm glow was back and heat flooded through her. Perhaps he did like women with curves.
‘It’s the same one I had on earlier.’ She smiled as she teased him.
‘I know. Don’t think I didn’t notice but I didn’t have a chance to say anything earlier.’ Quinn relaxed back into the armchair. Somehow he’d managed to find them a secluded corner. ‘This is exactly what I wished for when I cut the cake, to have some time with you.’
‘Really?’ Of all the things he could have,
should have
wished for, this was what he’d wanted?
‘I know you think I should have wished for a miracle but Julianne isn’t going to get better. If I only get one wish a year I wanted there to be a slight chance it might come true.’
She was surprised by his wish but also secretly pleased. ‘Maybe you should have been a bit more ambitious with your wish, you’ve got another three hundred and sixty-four days before you get another one,’ she replied.
‘I’m a simple man.’
‘Is that why you joined the army?’ she asked.
Quinn laughed and Ali felt it vibrate through her, adding to her already inflated bubble of happiness.
‘No. The defence force offered the best solution to the predicament Julieanne and I found ourselves in. When we found out she was pregnant I applied for a scholarship. It was the only way I could think of that I’d be able to afford to finish my degree and support a family. But it turned out to be both a blessing and a curse.’
‘How so?’
‘I was putting in eighty-hour weeks for the last few years of my study, you know how it is, and after I graduated from uni I had to complete my military training. I was committed to the army and had to go where I was sent. I was sent on disaster relief missions throughout Australia and posted overseas while Julieanne stayed behind in Brisbane.’
‘So what happened? How did Julieanne end up here?’
‘She’s from Adelaide. We met when I
‘You were rather outnumbered, weren’t you?’ Ali laughed, her spirits buoyed by the thought of having Quinn to herself for the short walk.
Quinn helped her into her coat. As he lifted her hair from her collar his fingers brushed the back of her neck and Ali thought she might melt at his feet as heat flooded her belly and her limbs. He opened the front door and Ali felt a burst of cool air on her face. The sunwas low in the sky now and the temperature was dropping rapidly, but at least the cold, fresh air did wonders for her racing pulse and flaming cheeks.
They turned the corner into the main street of Stirling. The streetlights were on and the shop windows were lit but the pavements were virtually empty. Most other people were inside in the warmth. The pub was busy, though, packed with diners and people enjoying an evening drink in the bars.
‘Do you know what I’d really like to do?’ Quinn said as they stepped into the pool of light being cast from the hotel onto the dark pavement. ‘I’d like to finish that drink we never managed to have.’
‘Now?’ Ali asked.
‘Why not? It’s my birthday, I should get to celebrate in the way I choose, don’t you think?’ He smiled at her and she felt the heat return to her cheeks under the intensity of his blue eyes. ‘Would you care to join me?’
He crooked his elbow and gave her a look as though almost daring her to accept.
Ali tucked her hand through his elbow. ‘It would be my pleasure.’ He didn’t need to ask her twice.
He ordered their drinks, a Scotch for him, red wine for her, and then found them a seat. The room was warm, an open fire glowing in the fireplace, and was almost full, the press of bodies adding to the heat. Ali shrugged out of her coat. She was wearing a red wrap dress, which matched her lipstick and hugged her curves, and her favourite long black boots.
‘That dress looks amazing on you.’
Ali noted the appreciation in his azure eyes. Shewas glad she’d removed her coat as the warm glow was back and heat flooded through her. Perhaps he did like women with curves.
‘It’s the same one I had on earlier.’ She smiled as she teased him.
‘I know. Don’t think I didn’t notice but I didn’t have a chance to say anything earlier.’ Quinn relaxed back into the armchair. Somehow he’d managed to find them a secluded corner. ‘This is exactly what I wished for when I cut the cake, to have some time with you.’
‘Really?’ Of all the things he could have,
should have
wished for, this was what he’d wanted?
‘I know you think I should have wished for a miracle but Julianne isn’t going to get better. If I only get one wish a year I wanted there to be a slight chance it might come true.’
She was surprised by his wish but also secretly pleased. ‘Maybe you should have been a bit more ambitious with your wish, you’ve got another three hundred and sixty-four days before you get another one,’ she replied.
‘I’m a simple man.’
‘Is that why you joined the army?’ she asked.
Quinn laughed and Ali felt it vibrate through her, adding to her already inflated bubble of happiness.
‘No. The defence force offered the best solution to the predicament Julieanne and I found ourselves in. When we found out she was pregnant I applied for a scholarship. It was the only way I could think of that I’d be able to afford to finish my degree and support a family. But it turned out to be both a blessing and a curse.’
‘How so?’
‘I was putting in eighty-hour weeks for the last few years of my study, you know how it is, and after I graduated from uni I had to complete my military training. I was committed to the army and had to go where I was sent. I was sent on disaster relief missions throughout Australia and posted overseas while Julieanne stayed behind in Brisbane.’
‘So what happened? How did Julieanne end up here?’
‘She’s from Adelaide. We met when I
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