An Impossible Attraction

by Elsa Winckler

Even though she was trying not to cry, the tears simply streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the water from the shower. Giving up, Zoe leaned against the wall and sobbed on her arm. Loved her? He didn’t know what that meant, the idiot!

  Coming here and telling her he loved her when… She lifted her head and stared at the tiles for long minutes while the water still sprayed down on her. He told her he loved her. In so many words. He’d flown all the way from Mahé, had driven all the way from Cape Town to come and tell her that. She’d been so hurt about the way he’d stormed out of her life, so angry at him that she hadn’t really comprehended what he told her minutes ago.

  Slowly, she closed the tap, folded a towel around her and sat on the edge of the bath. Her brain cells were scrambling to make sense of what had happened.

  Dale loved her. At least that was what he’d said. Could she believe him? And how long would it last? Was it really possible to love someone for the rest of their life? And when he walked away eventually? What then?

  “Zoe, are you okay?” her mother asked from the other side of the door.

  “Come in, Mom, I’m fine,” Zoe said and her mother entered.

  “Dale has left,” her mother said. “What did he want to tell you?”

  Zoe swallowed and tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to spill over again. “As if you don’t know.” Zoe sniffled. “He says he loves me.”

  Her mother smiled and touched Zoe’s hair. “Of course he does, my sweet girl. What’s not to love about you? So why did you send him away?”

  Exasperated, Zoe tried to comb out her wet hair with her fingers. “At some point, he’ll leave, Mom. Isn’t that what men do? I know the heroes in your stories promise they’ll be around forever. But does it ever happen in real life? I mean, Dad left. And surely at some point he thought he loved you. What happened? Why do they leave?”

  Her mother sighed and sat on the toilet seat. “Zoe, my dear girl, life doesn’t come with any guarantees. And you can’t let what your dad did affect the rest of your life, all your decisions. He and I got married when we were very young. We grew apart. Unfortunately, it happens. But there are also many other examples where couples stay together.” She smiled. “Sometimes, like in my stories, men stay for the long haul.”

  “Not even Dad wanted to stay around me. Why would any other man want to?”

  Her mother took her hand. “Your dad left me, not you girls, surely you know that? He has his flaws, we all do. But he loves you very much, you must know that?”

  Zoe sniffled and tried a smile. “I know. And I know I probably have, okay make that definitely have, daddy issues. But I don’t want to sit around wondering when the guy will leave, so I do the leaving before he does. But this time…” The tears spilled over. “I didn’t even see it coming. I thought we had another few days…”

  “Dale is just your typical male, my dear. He probably had a huge fright when he realized how he felt about you. But give the poor guy a break. He flew back from Mahé and drove from Cape Town to come and tell you how he feels.” She combed Zoe’s wet hair back with her fingers. “How do you feel about him?”

  The tears fell down in earnest. “I love him,” she said trying to wipe them away. “I’ve only discovered that half an hour ago.”

  “Then what is the problem?” her mother called out and jumped up.

  “We come from such different worlds, Mom. He’ll get bored with me, or something. It can’t last,” Zoe whispered. “What if I get hurt?”

  “What if you don’t?” Her mother smiled. “Come on, enough of this crying. Tell you what. You and I are going out for a pizza, my treat, and tomorrow I’m driving you back to Cape Town. I have to be back here on Friday, but we can do something fun tomorrow night, what do you say? I’ll check, but I think Hannah is still in Mauritius, but we can get Caitlin and maybe ask Dana to join us. Now that Caitlin is married and not around so often, I so seldom see Dana and I miss her. During their high school years, she stayed with us most of the time, she’s like another daughter to me.”

  Dazed, Zoe nodded. Her mother in planning mode was quite scary. But at this point it was much easier to just agree with everything. She didn’t have the energy for anything else. And meeting up with Caitlin and Dana would be nice.

  “And you, my dear girl, can take time to listen to your heart. The heart always knows what is right.” She smiled.

  Zoe rolled her eyes and followed her mother out of the bathroom. “Another pin on your Pinterest board, Mom?”

  But later that night she thought about her mother’s words again while staring at the ceiling.

  The message from her heart was very clear. Her heart wanted Dale. It had taken her a while to realize that, but the man had touched something in her the first time she’d seen him. Her soul had recognized him as the one long before she was able to connect all the dots.

  She loved him. She wanted him in her life. The question now was, how did she go about getting him back? How-to-get-rid-of-a-guy—now that strategy she had down pat. It was with the getting-him-to-stay part she’d always had difficulty with.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  By the time Dale got home, his head was reeling. But he still had the stupid grin on his face as he dropped his bag and sat on his bed. The smile that had started while Zoe’s mom was telling him what to do.

  He fell backwards. Why women had to make things so complicated he had no idea. He loved Zoe. He’d told her. But apparently that hadn’t been enough. Surely if he told a woman he loved her, she would know what he wanted?

  His phone rang. Without lifting his head, he answered. It was Don.

  “Hear your trip to Hermanus didn’t go so well,” Don said, not quite succeeding in hiding his laughter. He’d obviously heard about the whole thing from his mother-in-law.

  “Did you know?” Dale asked. “With Caitlin. Did you know to ask?”

  Don laughed. “It took me a heartbeat to know what I wanted. If it’s the right woman, you don’t want anything less. Hang on, Caitlin wants to talk to you too.”

  “I tried to tell you,” Caitlin scolded, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

  “Well, hell. I knew what I was going to do. But I didn’t know I had to spell out every single bloody thing.”

  “We women are strange that way. We need to know things. Exactly.” Caitlin giggled. “But you’ll learn. And Dale?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I didn’t mean it when I said I don’t like you. I do.”

  Still smiling, Dale put down the phone after Don had insisted on speaking to him again. He wanted to give him some more pointers, as he’d called it.

  Tomorrow was going to be a crazy day. There was still some groveling to be done among all the other things. But for now, he was happy to lie here knowing he had a chance to get the girl. The one who’d touched his soul.

  *

  Her mother and Dana chatted nonstop all the way from Hermanus. Zoe had opted to sit in the back of the car. The frantic workings in her brain had finally calmed down. She had to talk to Dale. He did say he loved her. She was hanging on to the thought for dear life. The how and the when weren’t quite clear at this point, but she’d figure it out.

  “Isn’t it a beautiful day?” Her mother sighed as they rounded the last corner over Sir Lowrys Pass. Stretched out before them was the breathtaking view of False Bay. Today, the sea was a deep, clear blue.

  “Beautiful.” She and Dana sighed.

  “So, Dana, have you heard from David Cavallo again?” Zoe’s mother asked.

  Dana gasped. “Why would you think that?” she asked, clearly flabbergasted.

  “Mother, really!” Zoe called out from behind. “Sorry, Dana, it’s because you’re like a sister to us. So, to Mom you’re another daughter, that’s why she feels entitled to interfere in your life.”

  Her mother gigged. “Dana is part of the family, she doesn’t mind. I saw the way he danced with you at Caitlin and Don’s wedding.” She wiggled her eyebrows.


  “He used to be a journalist. You know how I feel about those. And anyway, I… we…” Dana stuttered.

  Zoe groaned out loud. “Mother, seriously. Dana, just ignore her. I thought she’d stopped playing matchmaker after Caitlin got married. But no such luck. She’s busy with me as well.”

  Dana laughed and looked at Zoe’s mother. “Tell me?”

  “Please don’t get her going,” Zoe pleaded from behind them, but her mother just ignored her.

  “Dale told her he loved her. And she loves him.”

  Dana whipped around to face Zoe. “What? Does Caitlin know? When are you getting married? Why hasn’t anyone told me yet? When did this happen, for crying out loud!”

  “Zoe is still dissecting the whole thing to death,” Zoe’s mother teased.

  Dana touched her hand. “You scared?”

  “Petrified,” Zoe whispered.

  “So? What now?” Dana asked.

  “Still thinking about it,” Zoe said.

  “Well, while you’re busy overthinking a simple thing, I booked us a table for tonight,” her mother said. “But it’s a surprise, I’m not telling you where. We’re going shopping this afternoon, my treat.”

  *

  “Nervous?” his mother asked and Dale shook his head.

  “No, I’m not.” He smiled.

  “Good, because I think they’ve arrived.”

  Dale froze. This was it. He was going to see Zoe in a few minutes and…

  “Go on, go get your woman,” Don teased and pushed him forward.

  *

  Dana had been telling her about a book she’d read and Zoe hadn’t taken notice of where they were going for dinner. It was only when her mother stopped the car that she looked through the window.

  She stared at the name of the restaurant.

  Rosa’s. Dale’s mother’s restaurant.

  “Mom,” she barely got out.

  Her throat was dry, her legs felt like lead. This was too soon. She hadn’t worked out quite what she wanted to say to Dale, how she was going to say it.

  There was no way she could face him now; she wasn’t ready.

  “Come on, sweetheart.” Her mom smiled and got out of the car.

  And then Dale came strolling out of the restaurant. He looked magnificent. In jeans and a dark blue shirt, he was drop-dead gorgeous and sexy as sin. Her poor heart skidded to a dead stop, did a backflip before it valiantly tried to work again so that she could breathe.

  He smiled at her mom and at Dana, opened Zoe’s door, and held out his hand.

  “Zoe,” he said, looking as if nothing could faze him.

  Dumbstruck, and without taking her eyes from his, Zoe took his hand. And she felt the slight tremor under his skin. Her shoulders relaxed. He was as unsure of what was happening as she. She smiled for the first time in days and stepped out of the car and into his arms.

  Dale cupped her face, his eyes nearly black with emotion.

  “Okay, we’ll see you inside,” her mother called out, but Zoe couldn’t look away, couldn’t respond to anything else at this moment.

  “I love you,” he said.

  “I know,” she said. “I love you.”

  A beautiful smile lit up his face. “I know. We have to go in but let me…” he whispered and kissed her.

  *

  Dale took his time and with his lips he tried to convey what he hadn’t succeeded in telling her yesterday—how deeply he loved her, how desperately he wanted her, how serious he was about making her his.

  Her eyes were bright, her smile brilliant when he lifted his head. For the first time, he noticed what she was wearing. He groaned out loud and grabbed her hand.

  “You are looking so sexy. How the hell am I supposed to keep my hands to myself for a whole evening?” He growled and turned her around so he could look his fill.

  *

  She was wearing a short, black lacy skirt with high-heeled boots that showed off her gorgeous legs. A soft pink top and a grey jacket rounded off the outfit. And from the look in his eyes, Dale clearly enjoyed the view.

  “You can thank my mother.” She giggled as he caught her in his arms.

  “Hey,” Don called from the door. “We want to start, come on!”

  “On our way!” Dale said but didn’t let her go.

  “Dale, let’s—”

  “I want to show you why I haven’t been sleeping lately,” he smiled and pulled the pair of panties he’d taken from her bathroom halfway from his pocket.

  “Dale!” She gasped and shoved it back. “Behave,” she scolded and kissed him.

  “I don’t want to,” he said petulantly and didn’t let go of her hand.

  She stood on her toes. “Bend down, I want to tell you something.”

  Dale bent his head.

  “I’m wearing a red pair. You can have them later,” she whispered and his head jerked back.

  He sucked in his breath and grabbed her elbow. “Let’s get this over with,” he whispered back. “I want to add that red one to my collection.”

  *

  The only people inside the restaurant were their families. Everyone except Hannah was there. A small sigh of regret escaped Zoe. It was obvious her mother and Dale’s mother had plotted the evening, but what exactly was going on here she didn’t know. She really wished Hannah was there, Zoe would’ve loved to share this magical night with her as well.

  “What’s going on here?” she asked Dale out of the corner of her mouth.

  “You’ll see.” He smiled and ushered her forward.

  The next moment she was swept up in Dale’s mother’s arms. “Zoe, I am so glad our Dale picked you.” She sighed and cupped Zoe’s face. “He’s waited a long time for his soul mate,” she whispered.

  Zoe’s eyes met Dale’s over his mother’s shoulder. Her soul mate. Of course. That was the word.

  “Zoe.” Dale’s dad smiled and kissed her forehead. “Welcome to the family.”

  “Well, come on, everybody. The smells from the kitchen are driving me crazy,” Zoe’s mother called out and took a chair.

  Everyone else found a seat. Dale moved his close to Zoe’s. She stole a glance at him. The glint in his eyes left her short of breath. He took her hand in his.

  “We have bubbly—” Dale’s dad began, but his wife interrupted him.

  “That’s only after—” She stopped speaking and looked at Dale.

  “Am I on time?” Hannah called from behind her.

  Zoe turned around. “Hannah?” she asked in amazement when her sister entered the restaurant, her suitcase trailing behind her.

  “It helps if your brother-in-law has a plane.” Hannah smiled.

  Zoe jumped up and hugged her fiercely. “I so wished for you to be here and here you are. I’m so happy.”

  Dale bent forward and kissed Hannah. “I’m so glad you could come.”

  “There is no way I’d miss my sister’s—”

  “Hannah, come and sit, we haven’t started yet,” their mother interrupted Hannah and pointed to the chair next to Darryn.

  Hannah hesitated for a second before she walked around the table. Zoe looked at Darryn. If he said anything nasty to her sister, she was going to kick him. But Darryn got up and bent over to kiss Hannah.

  “Hi,” he said and pulled out the chair for her. Hannah smiled at Zoe across the table and Zoe relaxed. She was thrilled that Hannah was here, but she knew how hard it was for her to be around Darryn. But it seemed as if she’d be okay.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Pleased that everyone who mattered in her life was gathered around her, Zoe leaned back in her chair. And saw that Dale was standing. Everyone else looked at her. Her breath caught in her throat. What in the world…

  “If I can have everyone’s attention…” Dale began and waited for everyone to stop talking.

  He turned to look at Zoe. “It was right here in my mother’s restaurant that I saw this woman for the first time,” he said and laid his hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “A
nd although I didn’t realize it at the time, I fell for her right there and then. It has taken me all these months to realize the reason why I can’t sleep, can’t focus on my work, forced her to do the interior decorating in our new hotel, jumped on a plane when I heard she was hurt, freaked out when I realized how much she’s taken over my world, was because I love her.”

  While everyone laughed, Dale went down on one knee, and Zoe tried to gulp back the tears clogging up her throat.

  “Zoe, I love you, and the part that I left out yesterday, the part that I thought was obvious but according to our mothers and Caitlin isn’t, is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’ve touched my soul, and I cannot imagine a day without you in it. Will you marry me?” With a grin, he flicked open the small box in his hand.

  Zoe didn’t look at the box, she stared into Dale’s eyes. And it was there she saw what she’d been looking for so long—this guy was going to stay.

  “Well, say something and put the poor sod out of his misery,” Don hollered, and everyone laughed.

  Zoe fell forward into Dale’s arms and he lifted her up, laughing.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Of course, it’s yes, you idiot!” She laughed. “I was going to find you tomorrow to tell you that I only really registered what you said yesterday much later.”

  “You mean to tell me I could have had you without this circus?” Dale teased.

  “Yes.” She smiled. “But this is a wonderful bonus.”

  Dale bent down and kissed her.

  “Your ring!” Dana cried out.

  Dale lifted his head and laughed again. He took out the ring, for the first time looking a little bit uncertain. “If you don’t like it, we can take it back.”

  The lump in her throat was the size of a golf ball and she couldn’t talk. And those silly tears spilled over again. Dale took her hand and slid the ring over her finger. She sighed. He knew her so well. She wouldn’t have chosen anything else. The ring was a beautiful vintage one in rose gold, covered in dozens of tiny diamonds.

  He wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “If you don’t like it—”