They made sure Rodger’s water bowl was full and then stepped out into the early evening air, ready to show the town they were an item again.
Ellie felt a little guilty when she entered the Memorial Hall – with Flynn at her side, his hand possessively holding hers – and immediately saw Whitney and Lauren in the foyer. Flynn was all hers again, but she couldn’t blame Lauren for crushing on him – the man was gorgeous inside and out. Ellie was coming back to town though, planning to get involved in the community, so she hoped Lauren and Whitney might one day soften towards her. With Rats and Flynn as best mates, they’d be seeing a fair bit of each other. Their kids would no doubt play together, they’d serve on school committees together, they’d …
Good God, her imagination was getting ahead of her. But after today’s events, it was hard not to get carried away. For the first time in a long time, the future looked rosy.
Flynn stopped at the ticket desk to pay for their seats. Joyce grinned at the sight before her, winked at Ellie and waved them on. Flynn looked confused, money half in and half out of his wallet.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Joyce said. ‘You two have done so much to get this happening, just sit back and enjoy.’
‘Thanks.’ Flynn slipped his wallet in his back pocket and Ellie fought the urge to slip her hand in too, to walk as they’d done in high school, with her nestled under his shoulder, not a care in the world. Instead, she gave his hand a squeeze.
He smiled back and her heart melted for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. She felt like a bundle of clichés: walking on air, somewhere near cloud nine, a dream come true.
‘I’m going to slip backstage and wish everyone luck.’ She went to remove her hand but Flynn clung on tight.
‘I’ll come with you.’
Not wanting to barge in on anyone semi-dressed, Ellie knocked on the dressing room door and waited. The door opened and Mrs Ellery poked her head through a tiny gap.
‘Oh, it’s you two,’ she said, suppressing a smirk. ‘Come on in.’
The actors all looked up as they entered, and Ellie couldn’t help but notice their eyes boggle as they realised it was her and Flynn. Everyone had no doubt heard about her departure – thank you, grapevine – but no one would have known about her rescue by a knight in a dusty, once-white ute. Luckily they all seemed ecstatic to have her back.
Lucy spoke up first. ‘Oh. My. God!’ She beamed at Flynn and Ellie’s joined hands and then met their eyes. ‘Is this what I think it is?’
‘Sure is, little sis.’ Flynn let go of Ellie’s hand long enough to hug Lucy. ‘Break a leg.’
Ellie gave her a quick hug too. ‘You’re going to be awesome.’
‘Thanks.’ Lucy looked to be tearing up. Ellie knew all too well the nerves that came before a production and she didn’t want to overwhelm Lucy before her big debut.
‘We better go and get our seats. We’ll see you after it’s finished, okay?’
Lucy nodded.
When Flynn and Ellie made their way back into the auditorium, the seats were filling up fast. It looked like the whole town had turned out, and there was still tomorrow’s matinee, and another two shows after that. They scanned the rows for two seats next to each other. They’d almost given up hope when a hand shot up and waved at them.
‘It’s Mum,’ said Flynn, sounding relaxed. Which was strange, because Karina waving them over had the opposite effect on Ellie.
She tightened her grip on Flynn’s hand, halting him. ‘I don’t know if I can face her yet. What’s she going to say?’
The last few conversations with Karina had been like an emotional rollercoaster. One minute she’d been loving and ready to welcome Ellie into the family, the next she was warning her off. Ellie could only imagine what Karina would say when Flynn informed her what he’d asked this afternoon.
If she’d marry him. And that she’d said yes. Unconditionally.
This time the wedding would be in Bali, with close family and friends. ‘You won’t be able to escape in another country,’ Flynn had joked. ‘I’ll be holding on to your passport.’
And Ellie never wanted to escape Flynn again. But she thought it would have been safer to have a wedding band on her finger before facing Karina.
‘Don’t be daft.’ Flynn tugged at Ellie’s hand. ‘Mum knows I went after you. She knows my heart, and she knows I know it too. She only wants what’s best for both of us. She loves you almost as much as I do, Ellie, she’s just scared.’
Knowing his words to be the truth, Ellie took a deep breath and ventured forward.
‘Evening Ellie.’ Karina’s voice was neither cold nor warm as she took her handbag off the seat. Ellie could have shot Flynn when he gestured that she sit first, next to his mother, but her imagination conjured up far worse things than what actually happened: Karina was kind and polite the whole night. Ellie knew she had a long way to go before she regained the woman’s trust, but she hoped in time Karina would see that Ellie loved her son more than anything.
Halfway through the performance, Ellie began to relax.
‘They’re doing so well,’ she whispered to Flynn as the cast launched into their final scene.
‘All thanks to you,’ Flynn replied.
She shook her head. ‘They did the hard work themselves.’
Silence reigned for a moment, before Flynn leaned close and asked, ‘Do you wish you were up there?’
She thought for a second, then shook her head. She could say with all honesty, ‘No. I love it, but I haven’t missed acting as much as I thought I would. Teaching and helping produce gave me a buzz. It’s something I think I’d like to get into.’
‘Really?’
Ellie nodded. ‘Do you think there’s room for a Drama school in Hope Junction?’
‘Are you kidding?’ Flynn motioned to the stage, grinning. ‘Now this lot have the bug, there’ll be no stopping them. You’ll be run off your feet.’
‘Good,’ Ellie said. ‘I like being busy.’
They both turned their attention back to the stage for the finale. Lucy shone as she sang a bittersweet number about unrequited love, while the rest of the cast gathered around her. Ellie thought how perfect the night had been, bar one thing. Mat wasn’t here to see her beloved theatrical society come back to life, or to know that she and Flynn were finally going to make a go of happily-ever-after. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly swiped it with the back of her hand, not wanting to divert attention from the action on stage.
The crowd stood and applause erupted as the play came to a close. Ellie breathed a sigh of relief, happy that no one would be looking at her. But of course, she was wrong. As she tried to join in the clapping, Flynn’s arm slipped around her back and drew her into his side. He kissed her cheek.
‘She’ll be looking down from above, babe,’ he said. ‘She’ll never leave us.’
Ellie leaned into him. Her luck had well and truly changed. This man was a rock and he was all hers. At last.
As Lucy kissed the male lead in the saucy conclusion, no doubt making Sam’s blood boil, Ellie’s lips met Flynn’s in a kiss that had nothing to do with endings, but instead promised beautiful new beginnings …
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Dedication
The Co-op, Hope Junction, Western
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
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