Her papa had been right about her mother’s little sister and her husband. She was so sorry now she’d made things so difficult for them over the years. But she’d spent the last year trying to make amends, and was so glad she had. Even to the point that when Chandra had asked her to be his Maid of Honour and to wear the traditional sari—something she’d never done before, not even for their wedding—she’d called Ameera and asked if she would mind if she came down and bought a sari in her sari shop.
Flynn and Nat and Carter and Aaron had travelled down to Melbourne with her to meet up with her aunt and she’d learned things about her heritage that day she’d never bothered to learn before as her aunt shared memories and stories about the saris she sold and the reasons for some of the designs on them. Nat had been so blown away, she’d decided she had to buy a sari for the wedding as well, and they’d laughed as they’d tried on one after another and Ameera had shown them how to wear them and keep them from falling off. They’d finished off the day by going out to her Taauu Sashi’s restaurant for dinner—the first time Carter had ever eaten Indian food and it had been such a delight to see him in the kitchen with her uncle, learning about the Tandoori oven and the special spices they used.
She looked around to see Ameera and Sashi on the other side of the aisle, beaming at the happy couple. They’d come up here days ago to put on a traditional feast for everyone to start the wedding weekend and were staying in the newly rebuilt cottage. They’d taken over Barb’s kitchen to prepare the feast on the condition that Sashi taught them all how to make korma and chicken tikka and pakora and lamb saag with naan and saffron rice. The feast had been a long, loud and happy affair and Barb announced afterwards, when the henna artists her aunt had engaged were painting the henna designs on all their hands and feet, that she was determined to add some of the dishes to her menu. Taauu Sashi had said he was happy to come up at any time to give her more lessons.
She smiled across at Ameera who waved back and then turned to speak with Diarmuid before he headed up to the stage to play the wedding song for the happy couple.
Her father laughed and kissed her aunt on the cheek and then ran up on stage and began to play.
It filled her heart with so much joy. She didn’t know why she’d denied this from her life for so long. It felt right to finally be embracing her heritage, and imagined for a moment that her mother was here with them, looking on, happy and at peace that some of her family were together and happy once more.
She just hoped that in the future, Chandra could build a bridge with his family too. After the divorce had gone through, Chandra had come out to them, telling them he was marrying the man he loved. It hadn’t gone well. He’d been so brave, braver than she thought he could be—he later said he’d been inspired by her and Flynn—but their rejection had hurt him so badly. She hoped that they’d come around. They loved their son. She knew they did. She just hoped it would eventually prove to be enough.
The one good thing though is that it inspired an entire change in him, to the point that he and Vivaan had moved up here to start a new business together and were now renting rooms in her newly rebuilt practice to run their massage and yoga studio from. Her little GP practice was expanding and she couldn’t be prouder or more pleased.
‘You look sad.’
She glanced up at Flynn. ‘I’m not. I just wish Chandra didn’t have to lose so much to embrace this happiness.’
‘It’s shit.’ His gaze moved to Aaron, Tilly and Carter standing just off to the side, giggling as they held the baskets of flowers her aunt had given them to circulate among the guests for throwing. ‘I don’t know how anyone could deny their children the thing that made them happiest.’
‘Neither do I.’
She turned in his arms and they shared a kiss and then laughed as petals rained down over them. They turned to see the kids rushing past them, throwing rose petals madly at everyone and on the path in front of Chandra and Vivaan as they made their way down the aisle to be congratulated by all the people who had come to wish them well and start their wedding dance.
‘Oh, I didn’t get to hug and congratulate them.’
‘You can do that later,’ Flynn said, his voice a deep murmur in her ear.
‘They look so happy.’
‘Not as happy as us.’
‘Nobody could be as happy as us.’ She pulled him to her and they kissed again, forgetting for a time where they were.
Flowers hit Flynn in the side of the head and he pulled away, turning to growl at Reid as he said, ‘Steady on, you two. You’d think you were newlyweds.’
‘Reid,’ Nat said, smacking his arm lightly as she walked up to join them. ‘They are newlyweds.’ She glowed, looking gorgeous in the turquoise blue sari with blue, gold and silver threading. ‘Leave them alone and come dance with me.’
Reid’s eyes glowed as he watched his wife walk in front of him, the sari swaying around her, and followed her like a besotted puppy to the dance floor. ‘They’ll be kissing soon too if I know Reid, so I don’t know what he was having a go about us for,’ Flynn said. ‘Mac doesn’t look happy. Should I go stop Mum?’
Barb was pulling Mac onto the dance floor beside the happy couple. He was still a little sluggish in his movements, his recovery from the head injury and subsequent surgery having taken longer than anyone liked, especially him. Mac had pulled away from all of them after his injury, especially Barb. But Barb hadn’t let him pull too far away, as evidenced by her determination to get him up and dancing now. ‘No, let her be. It’s good for Mac to get up and be involved. Dancing a bit won’t hurt him.’
The kids ran up just then and joined Barb and Mac, so he had no choice but to stay. He even smiled as Carter chatted to him, his little face so animated. That smile gave her hope that Mac was finally on the mend. You didn’t smile like that unless there was happiness somewhere inside. She’d just have to find a way to help him bring it out.
‘Do you want to dance?’ he asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
‘No. I just want to watch for a little while.’
‘Okay.’
She swayed in Flynn’s arms, her gaze darting from the happy couple to her aunt and uncle, then others as they joined in the dancing. Nat and her aunt looked like princesses in their saris.
She looked down at her own sari, the vibrant gold and spring green making her skin glow in a way she’d never noticed before, the exotic designs of the henna on her hands and feet, the tinkle of the jewellery she wore at her ears and throat and wrists. It was beautiful. She felt like a princess too.
‘Do you think it would be all right if we slipped away?’ Flynn said as his hands touched the bared skin under the gauzy material that was wrapped around her and draped over her shoulder. ‘We’ve barely had a moment alone this last week and while everyone’s occupied, it seems like as good a time as any.’
‘Where do you want to go?’ There were people everywhere, so a private place would be hard to find. Although, she’d still never had an interlude with him in the barn. Maybe …
‘The builders won’t be at the new house. We could sneak in there and have a few moments to ourselves.’
She nodded at him and they ran up the path and across the road towards the top paddock, overlooking the dam that had always been her favourite place to come. It was why Flynn decided to build their new house there. It was nestled on the lower slope closer to the bush so as to be protected from the wind and it was a little late getting finished because they prioritised rebuilding her clinic in Wilson’s Bend, making it bigger and better to include the yoga and massage studio that Vivaan and Chandra were running, not to mention the photography studio for Chandra. They were even living there and had started up a scotch club with the B&B boys down the road. They’d settled right in. She couldn’t wait to do the same in her own house. Barb was great as a housemate and all, but it would be lovely to finally have some space with the boys to themselves.
They ran up the front steps o
f their house—a mix of modern and traditional that suited them both—the scent of new wood and stone and plaster and paint surrounding her.
Flynn swung her into his arms making her shriek and laugh. ‘What are you doing, you big idiot?’
‘I’m carrying you over the threshold into our new home.’
‘But I’m too heavy.’
‘You’re perfect for me, Mrs Doctor Findlay Brennan.’ He pushed open the door and carried her inside then headed straight to the stairs.
‘Where are you going?’ she asked, knowing that there was nothing upstairs yet—their furniture wasn’t arriving until next week.
‘I have a surprise for you,’ he said as he carried her into the room that would be their bedroom, one that had floor to ceiling windows looking out over the paddock and the hills and the expanse of sky above.
She gasped. Inside there were lights strung around the room, twinkling in the twilit dark. There was a thick carpet on the floor with soft blankets laid over the top and jewel toned pillows making an inviting space she wanted to nestle in. ‘When did you do this?’
‘Today. Your aunt and uncle helped me.’ He tapped the henna on her hands. ‘Your aunt said that a newlywed wife was to be treated like a princess and to do no work until all the henna has washed off her hands and feet. She said most wives did everything they could to make that period last as long as possible, but given we didn’t get to have a proper wedding night because of Sally Lion’s baby arriving early, I thought maybe this could be one for us as well. Also, I just want to make certain you were made to feel like the goddess you are.’
‘Flynn.’ Her skin heated at the look in his eyes, but then he glanced away, a little chagrined.
‘Do you want some sparkling? I’ve also got nibbles—’
She stopped his words by kissing him. ‘I just want you.’
He laid her down on the pillows, coming down next to her and slowly, so slowly, peeled away her sari and then his clothes and with hands and lips and body, loved her until she was panting and sated and not sure how he made her love him more each day.
‘I love you more each day too,’ he said. ‘I never thought I’d be happy like this again. You are my miracle. My saviour.’
‘I think we saved each other.’
‘I think we did.’ His lips twitched into that crooked grin she found so sexy as she ran her hands over his back. ‘How about we save each other some more?’
‘I thought you’d never ask, Mr Findlay.’
They laughed and then they were kissing and it was everything she’d ever wanted and more.
Thanks for reading Blazing Fear, Book 2 in the CoalCliff Stud Series. I hope you enjoyed it. Keep your eye out for the next book in this series.
If you liked this book, check out the first in this series, Climbing Fear: Book 1 of the CoalCliff Stud Series or my other romantic suspense title, Dangerous Echoes: Book 1 of the Echo Springs Series. Or if you like your suspense mixed with the paranormal, then you should try my four book Pack Bound series: Pack Bound, Moon Bound, Shifter Bound and Wolf Bound—available now.
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ISBN: 9781489279538
Title: Blazing Fear
Copyright © 2019 by LEISL LEIGHTON
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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