by Emma Darcy
‘You work miracles,’ he said huskily.
Caitlin tried to catch her breath. ‘What’s this about the children we might have? I haven’t said anything on the matter at all.’
‘Sorry. A slip of the tongue.’
‘David, you haven’t told me you love me.’
‘Caitlin, I’m a seething inferno of love for you!’
‘We could run a procedural check to see how long you can last.’
His eyes blazed into hers. ‘It’s love. Definitely love. Nothing else. Forget biology. This is soul-sizzling love. This is mind-destroying love. It will last the rest of my life. You are the most wonderful, adorable, beautiful woman in the world. I’ll never forget this day and what you did for my mother, Caitlin. Never! It’s so...so...I love you.’
He kissed her again to express his feelings more adequately and eloquently. Caitlin had no difficulty in working out where this was leading to. She thought they should get married very soon.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE day after her first meeting with Mrs Hartley, Caitlin received a call from her own mother.
As it happened, David was in her apartment, discussing marriage plans. When Caitlin heard her mother’s voice, she had the satisfaction of knowing she could deliver one piece of happy news. Her mother, however, had more urgent matters on her mind.
‘Caitlin, I’ve got problems with your father again.’
‘What’s he done?’
‘He went up the street with twenty cents in his pocket, met a salesman he knew, and came home with a Ferrari. He expects me to pay for it.’
Caitlin burst out laughing.
‘Caitlin, this is not a laughing matter. A Ferrari is a very expensive car. And what’s the good of it? Your father is the slowest driver on the road. He never goes over sixty kilometres an hour. It’s ridiculous! Michelle says it’s ridiculous! Trevor says it’s ridiculous!’
‘Well, Dad bought the pick-up truck the year I was born. Maybe he needs a new vehicle. Perhaps with all that power under the bonnet he’ll be able to keep up with the flow of traffic better than he can now. What does Dad say?’
‘He’s very stubborn. He says he wants to drive me around in a Ferrari. He says I would look good in it, and he’d be proud of me.’
‘What’s wrong with that, Mum? If Dad wants to show you off, why not let him? It sounds great!’
‘Does it?’ she said uncertainly.
‘Absolutely. You would look good in a Ferrari. It would look really top class turning up at the wedding in a Ferrari.’
‘What wedding?’
‘My wedding. David and I are going to be married.’
‘When?’
‘About six months.’
‘Six months?’ David queried critically. ‘I was thinking of two.’
‘Be patient,’ Caitlin reproved him sternly. ‘I have to be satisfied that you’re sure about what you’re doing.’
She also wanted time to win Mrs Hartley’s trust and confidence. She hoped to coax David’s mother into meeting her parents, widening her world a little. It could not be done in days or weeks, but perhaps by the end of six months there could be many changes in perception.
‘Well,’ said her mother, stunned. She quickly recovered her voice. ‘Well, I must say I didn’t take to him at first, but he’s very handsome. And your father thought highly of him. Not that your father understands these matters. And David is certainly very capable at organising things well. I hope you’ll be very happy, Caitlin. As happy as your father and I.’
‘Thanks, Mum. Two Ferraris at the wedding would look good, you know.’
‘Yes. I think your father will have to have one, even if it does annoy Trevor and Michelle.’ Her mother’s voice fell to a doleful tone. ‘Michelle is pregnant again. You know how she gets once she’s pregnant.’
‘Congratulate them both for me. I’ll ring them, as well.’
‘She won’t be able to be your matron of honour at the wedding, Caitlin. I know you’ll be disappointed at that.’
‘What a shame!’ Caitlin said, and crossed her fingers. ‘David and I weren’t planning a big wedding anyway.’
‘We’re not?’ David asked, completely surprised.
‘No, we’re not,’ Caitlin said very definitely.
David’s mother might be persuaded to attend a small, intimate wedding. And from there...well, she could come to their country retreat for weekends and get introduced to the wonderful world of horses.
‘You are going to be a proper bride,’ her mother said anxiously.
‘Yes, Mum. Now why don’t you go and pay for Dad’s Ferrari? He’ll be so happy. Time is passing by. You might as well enjoy yourselves. Spend whatever you need on doing whatever you like.’
‘You’re right, Caitlin. It would make your father happy,’ she said decisively. ‘When will we be seeing you and David?’
‘After we buy the ring. I’ll let you know, Mum. Buying a ring is almost as difficult as buying a property.’
‘I know that, dear.’
‘Bye for now.’ She put down the phone.
‘An emerald, a sapphire or a diamond,’ David mused. ‘Emeralds match your eyes. Sapphires demonstrate your sparkle and fire. Diamonds are forever.’
Her eyes sparkled at him as they would forever. ‘You’ve been redeemed in my mother’s eyes. She thinks you are not totally bad.’
He laughed. ‘An improvement on the thoughts of the German delegation.’
Caitlin slid her hands around his neck and swayed her body close to his. ‘I used to think that loving you was like dancing with the devil.’
‘Let me waltz you off your feet, my love,’ he said, spinning her into the bedroom.
* * *
Some considerable time later, Caitlin finally got around to asking, ‘David, what are you going to do now you’re not running the business?’
‘Develop new designs. I’ve been thinking about it for some time. I enjoy the creative side, Caitlin.’
‘How am I going to help?’
‘Trying out the furniture for repetitive strain injury.’
‘Be serious.’
‘I feel we should let things develop spontaneously for a while. No more schedules. Be ourselves. Do as we please.’
‘We could take in a movie.’
‘Go to a theatre.’
‘Read a book.’
‘Make love in the afternoon.’
‘Now there’s a thought.’
‘Plan a wedding.’
‘Buy a dog.’
They talked and planned together for hours. Caitlin realised that their sharing together, so different from what it had been in the beginning, was now boundless. It would go on for the rest of their lives.
Caitlin rested her head on David’s chest, at ease with herself and him. She had found her soul-mate. The hours and days and weeks and months of loneliness were now over for her. David was her perfect partner in life.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-8441-8
Burning with Passion
Copyright © 1995 by Emma Darcy
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