Stranded: A Mountain Man Romance

by Piper Sullivan

  Lilah is safe. I brought her to your parents, saying that I had a family emergency.

  I’m returning to the States. My flight leaves tonight. I need to go home, and think through what I want to do with my life.

  Again, I’m sorry. But it’s the way it must be.

  Amber.

  I crumpled the note in my hand. Jesus, what was she doing? I didn’t think. I grabbed my keys, running back through the house.

  She hadn’t said when her flight was leaving. It would take me roughly half an hour to get to the airport. It was kind of surreal; I had only just come from there.

  I didn’t think as I drove. I just knew that I had to get to her. Before it was too late.

  I manoeuvred the car into the short-term parking bay, running to get to Departures. I scanned the flights board. There were two flights, leaving for the States that night. One was bound for New York. The other was San Francisco. That would be the one she would be getting on.

  I had time, the gates hadn’t closed, yet. But it would be dependent on whether she had gone through Customs already, or if she was still checking in. I got the name of the airline, running to the check in kiosks.

  There were people milling around everywhere, of course. My heart was in my mouth as I scanned the crowd. Was it too late? Had she already gone through Customs?

  And then, I saw her.

  She was wearing an old pair of jeans and a yellow sweater, her chestnut hair in a high pony tail. She was sitting in a chair, staring at the ground. I could see her boarding pass in her hand.

  My heart leapt. There she was.

  Amber

  I sat in the chair, thinking through what I was about to do.

  I had acted so impulsively, I still couldn’t believe that I was here. About to leave Australia and my life here behind. I had been so upset after leaving Finn in his office that day, but I still didn’t have an idea of what I was going to do. I was very confused. Then, I had done what I always did when I was upset and feeling confused. I called Cara.

  I just wanted to speak to her. I needed a friend. She had picked up immediately, overjoyed to hear from me. But she had known straight away that there was something wrong. I had tried to hedge around the issue, but she knew.

  “Come home,” she told me. “You sound really upset. Maybe being away from him will clear your mind, and you can decide what you want to do. You can stay with me, Amber, until you decide. You know you are always welcome.”

  I had been non-committal, and ended the call. But then, I had got online, searching flights. As luck would have it, there was one for San Francisco that night. I didn’t think. I booked it. I then had to arrange to get Lilah to her grandparents, and pack quickly. It had been such a whirlwind.

  I had cried when I had written the note for Finn.

  But I was also determined. He wanted a fake fiancée, to keep Lilah. He also wanted to have sex with me, when it suited him. But I was in love with him, and it simply hurt too much. I knew he was a mess after Erin’s death, and wasn’t sure if he was ready.

  But I couldn’t wait around for him to get his shit together. He might never. And in the meantime, I would be eating my heart out for him, and getting sadder because he could never commit to me.

  He had been right. Getting close had made things way too complicated.

  I should have known better.

  Not long, now. I had already checked in. I just had to walk through the Customs gates, and I would be on my way. Why wasn’t I doing it? Why was I sitting here, staring at the ground, boarding pass in hand?

  Then I looked up. Oh my God.

  It was Finn, staring at me. He had a wild look in his eyes, and he was breathing heavily, as if he had been running. He slowly walked up to me.

  “Amber,” he whispered. I stood up, as if in a dream.

  “Why are you here?” I whispered back.

  “Don’t leave me.” He looked at me, tears in his eyes. “I couldn’t bear it. I’ve been so stupid. I’ve only just realised that I’m in love with you.”

  “You love me?” I breathed.

  He nodded, slowly. “I’m an idiot. I should have known, before now. I think I’ve been fighting it. It was just so hard, to open my heart up again. After what happened with Erin.”

  He pulled me into his arms, caressing me. “I just know that I couldn’t bear to lose you. The thought of you getting on that plane, and flying out of my life, drove me crazy.”

  He tilted my face up to him, staring into my eyes. “I love you, body and soul, Amber.”

  “I love you, too,” I whispered. “It had just become too painful, once I realised. I couldn’t stay here, pretending to be your fiancée and fighting my feelings.”

  “You love me?” He looked at me, then grabbed me, twirling me around. “You love me!”

  He set me back down on the ground. He took my face in his hands, and kissed me, long and hard. I responded, ardently. We forgot where we were, for a moment. The sound of clapping brought us back to reality. We looked around, dazed. People were staring at us, smiling and grinning.

  “How romantic,” said a woman, to her companion. We smiled back, a bit sheepishly.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but the next thing I want to do with you shouldn’t be done in a crowded airport.”

  I took his hand, not fully believing what was happening.

  “Let’s go home,” he said.

  We turned the central heating on as soon as we got inside, and he poured us both a drink. He wouldn’t stop touching me, as if he couldn’t believe that I was actually here.

  “It’s fate,” he said. “If I had have been half an hour later, I would have missed you. You would have boarded that plane and be flying out of my life.” He shook his head. “Oh, Amber. I couldn’t have borne it.”

  “I think it is fate,” I said. “I had my boarding pass. There was no reason why I hadn’t walked through Customs. It was like I was waiting for you, without even knowing it.”

  He leaned over me on the sofa, kissing me passionately. It was like we needed to do it, to seal our connection. We had almost lost each other. It had been so close.

  We made love like we were drowning, and the other was the only thing saving us from going under. I never knew such passion could exist. When he was inside me, it was like coming home.

  A home I never wanted to leave.

  Afterwards, as we lay in each other’s arms, he sighed.

  “Amber, I need to say this.” He stroked my face. “I know what I want, now. It has never been clearer to me. But I don’t want to stop you from living your dreams. If you want to return to the States, and finish your studies, you should do it. I will provide you with the money you need.”

  I looked at him. “You would do that for me?”

  He nodded. “I would. We could relocate to the States, the three of us, while you do it.”

  My eyes shone with tears. “Finn, you have given me a gift. But let’s not decide, for now. There are law schools in Australia. That’s always an option.”

  He smiled, tenderly. “Either way, Amber my love, I want you to be my wife. For real, this time.”

  “Is that a proposal?” I smiled at him.

  “It is.” He got down on one knee, looking up at me. “Amber, will you be my wife?”

  “I will be your wife,” I answered, slowly. “Nothing would make me happier in this world.”

  He kissed me. “I think we should go shopping, tomorrow. For an engagement ring. A real one.”

  I smiled, looking down at my hand. “Oh, Finn, you don’t have to do that. I already have one.”

  “You do,” he agreed. “But that was given out of convenience. I didn’t even pick it. This time, I want us to go together, and we can choose a ring which we both love.”

  “Okay,” I said, smiling.

  I couldn’t believe it. My fake fiancée was now my real one. I couldn’t wait for our life to begin. With Finn, my one and only love, by my side. Fo
rever.

  The End

  Epilogue

  Cara

  I was shocked as I cleared Customs, walking into Arrivals at Melbourne Airport. There was a throng of people pressed against the gate, jostling signs and shouting. It really unnerved me.

  I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. It had been a long, long flight. Amber had told me, of course. But the information obviously hadn’t entered my brain. I had just crossed two time zones and I felt as if I was a zombie, like I had never slept and would never sleep again. I had never experienced jet lag this bad before.

  I scanned the faces in the crowd, confused. Then, I suddenly saw her.

  Amber. My closest friend, smiling brightly, jumping up and down. I steered my luggage trolley through the throng towards her.

  “Cara! You’re here!” Amber threw her arms around me, almost knocking me to the ground. “What was the delay? I’ve been waiting over an hour!”

  “Beats me,” I shrugged, returning the hug. “We didn’t take off on time from Singapore. That might be it.” I looked my best friend in the face. “That was brutal, Amber. The longest flight of my life.”

  Amber laughed. “I did try to tell you.” She paused, carefully looking at me. “You look beat. Do you want to have a coffee before we go, or do you want to get straight home? I imagine you just want to hit the sack.”

  “Coffee,” I declared. “I want to chat with you, alone, before I meet your beloved. It’s been so long.”

  We found a café in the airport, sipping our lattes as we watched the world go by.

  “So.” I stretched, feeling the caffeine hit my bloodstream, revitalising me. “Tell me everything! When is the wedding?”

  Amber gave me all the details, her face betraying her happiness. “I’m so glad you came. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my bridesmaid. And you will love Finn, and Lilah, of course. I can’t wait for you to meet them.”

  “Neither can I,” I said. “Wow! I can’t believe that you are about to get married. And to an Australian! What am I going to do, with my bestie living on the other side of the world?”

  Amber frowned. “I don’t want to think about it. I will miss you so much. But you’re here now, that’s all that matters.”

  Amber’s cell phone suddenly started vibrating on the table in front of us. She picked it up, mouthing to me that it was Finn. I zoned out while Amber took the call. It wasn’t just the long flight. My mind was in a whirlwind, thinking over all the problems I had left behind in San Francisco.

  My medical studies, which I didn’t think I could continue. I had hit a wall, unable to work the long hours of an intern and still work my part time waitressing job. I had felt I was on the verge of a collapse.

  Then Amber had called, begging me to come to Australia to be her bridesmaid. I had jumped at the opportunity. A break was definitely what I needed. I had to think long and hard about where my life was going.

  Amber ended the call, looking at me in surprise. “That was Finn,” she said. “He was calling about his best friend, Bryce. You know, the one I was telling you about? Turns out Bryce has landed himself in some hot water. One of his old girlfriends has suddenly died.”

  “Why has that landed him in hot water?” I asked. “Did he kill her?”

  Amber laughed. “No, of course not! Bryce is a pussy cat. He might think he’s the playboy of the Western world, but inside, he is a softie. No, it turns out the ex has a child. And the child is Bryce’s! He had no idea. He is absolutely shocked.”

  “What’s he going to do?” I sipped my latte.

  “He doesn’t really know.” Amber frowned. “But Finn thinks he will take his son in. What else can he do? But it’s a bit of a dilemma. He works from dawn to dusk, plus he’s just taken a secondment to work on the Gold Coast, in Queensland. He’s going to need some help.”

  “I’m sure he’ll work it out,” I said.

  Amber sat up straighter, looking at me intensely. “You should do it, Cara! Become his nanny.”

  “What?” I looked at Amber as if she had just lost her mind. “What are you talking about? I live in the States! I’m just here visiting for your wedding.”

  Amber looked excited. “No, but it’s perfect! You said you’re exhausted, not knowing where you’re going with your medical studies. This way, you would have time to think, while earning money. And we would be in the same country!”

  I shook my head. “Amber, I don’t think so. I don’t know the first thing about nannying, for a start. And you’re jumping the gun a bit, aren’t you? You don’t even know what this Bryce character is intending to do with this long-lost child. And he mightn’t approve of me as a nanny, anyway.”

  Amber smiled. “I can talk him around, and so can Finn. Cara, just think about it, will you?”

  I finished my latte, looking at Amber. “I’ll think about it. But not now. Can we please go to your beautiful mansion, so I can get some sleep?”

  Amber laughed. “Of course. Let’s go, sleepyhead.”

  On the car trip through Melbourne, I went over what Amber had said. It seemed unlikely, anyway. I might not even get along with this Bryce. But if I did, it could be a good opportunity to clear my mind. See what I really wanted to do with my life.

  Things weren’t going well in California. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had slept properly. It was becoming a real issue.

  I toyed with the idea, a little. Then I abruptly fell asleep, pressed up against the glass of the passenger side window.

  Hope you enjoyed Finn & Amber's story dear reader. If you would like to read another Australian Romance, Bianca & Zane's story is also included in this book. Check out the Table of Contents for Nanny's Halloween Down Under

  Baby Score

  Chapter 1

  Raedene

  All it took was one eventful and memorable night and here I was, a mother with a four-year-old toddler who refused to speak like other children his age and who believed that he had another family. He compared everything I did to his imaginary mother; from the food I gave him to the clothes I dressed him in. He couldn’t get himself to even call me mom. But here, where Braden lay sleeping, he looked like a real angel. I just wish I knew why he was so different from other children. Everything went for a loop after his second birthday. Initially I assumed it was the terrible-two phase all experts refer to when it came to toddler behaviour, but two years later I wasn’t all that sure. He became progressively worse as he got older and I had no idea how to help him. Every day he would talk about his other mother, the one who died a horrible death after being attacked by white tigers, and his little sister who fell into the ice. And if I dared tell him that it’s his imagination he would throw the worst temper tantrums ever. He believed everything his mind conjured up, it was so real for him that he would spend hours crying about his dead mother and how he couldn’t help his little sister.

  “Is he sleeping?” Damien whispered from the doorway.

  If it wasn’t for my brother I would be so lost, but I had to start accepting the fact that Damien would soon move away to start his own family.

  “Yeah finally, I just wish I knew what triggered him to behave this way,” I said softly while I brushed the brown curls away from Braden’s forehead.

  “Maybe you should consider taking him to a paediatrician or a child psychologist,” Damien suggested.

  “And tell them that my child believes I’m not his mother?” I piped up and laughed softly, “I mean really, white tigers? Just today he told me how he used to walk in knee deep snow to go collect fire wood for his family, I honestly have no idea where all this comes from.”

  Damien came to stand next to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, “You’re going to have to get some expert advice Rae, otherwise you’ll never figure it out. This behaviour is not normal.”

  No shit Sherlock, of course it’s not normal, “I’ll make an appointment to get him assessed, but I’m just so scared they find something horribly wrong with him.”


  I swallowed at the lump in my throat, choking back the tears of defeat. What if my son was odd, what if he was diagnosed with some mental disorder that required permanent care that would eventually result in him never having a normal childhood? The questions were endless. I spent many nights researching all possibilities, from past life experiences to Autism and Schizophrenia, but all that resulted in, was me going more insane every day.

  “It will only help you Rae and once you know what’s going on, you will be better equipped to deal with these challenges. You should also consider getting in touch with Caleb; he has the right to know.”

  “Caleb? Why would I do that?” I asked shocked, I never told anyone that Caleb was Braden’s father.

  “I wasn’t born yesterday. You two were close, hell, you were almost inseparable. And when you came with the news about your pregnancy, I knew straight away.”

  Wow, and he kept quiet all this time? “Why did you never say anything?”

  “I figured you’ll talk when the time was right, which never happened. But still, you need to get in touch with him.”

  Maybe my brother was right, Caleb had the right to know, but how on earth was I going to find him? The last I heard he was in the military, who knows where he was now. And if I did find him what do I tell him? Oh by the way, you left and I was pregnant. Congratulations you’re a dad.

  “I wouldn’t even know where to find him Damien, it’s been five years. The day he left, he left for good,” I said and pushed myself up off the floor and walked out of Braden’s room pulling the door closed behind me.

  “I have his number; maybe you should just give him a call, test the waters and see how he is. In a week I’m leaving and if you ask me you are going to need all support you can get. Doing this on your own will be no easy task,” he said and hugged me tight.