by Jennie Jones
She licked her lip. ‘The lot. I’ve sold him my half of the business.’
‘And what about your reputation?’
‘I’m going to build it again. Different this time, though. I’m going to go back to drawing the designs, like Sammy used to do. But I’m also going to start up another business. I was thinking of an online fashion house. That way — I could work from anywhere.’
‘Good for you, Kate. I told you I’d put my last dollar on you.’
‘Did you hear what I said?’ Kate asked. ‘Anywhere. I could from anywhere.’
‘Why would that be so important?’
She hung her head, staring down at the wooden planks of the walkway. ‘Because I love you so much my heart hurts without you for even six hours,’ she whispered. ‘I love you so much I couldn’t drive any further than Cooma. I sat in the car for over four hours, eating ice cream that is no way as good as Mrs Tam’s while hurting and hurting because I wasn’t with you.’ She looked up and down the street to the Christmas tree, all lit up. ‘Is that true love, Jamie?’
‘Well, darling Katie. It’s certainly looking that way.’
She turned to him and hooked her arms around his neck. ‘That’s what I thought too. That’s why I came back.’
‘I would have come after you,’ he whispered against her ear. ‘Another ten minutes and I’d have got in the ute and come after you.’
‘You’re so good to me.’
‘I am, aren’t I?’ he said with a slow comforting smile.
She clung on tighter still, her arms wound around his neck, her smile hurting. ‘So. Decision made. I love you.’
He bent his head and kissed her cheek. ‘I knew you did.’
‘Before I did?’
‘Yeah. You talk in your sleep. You say my name. You say it softly. And when you look at me, your eyes spill softness all over me.’
Jamie, Jamie. Hold me tight. Don’t let me go.
‘You say my name as though you’re trying to catch something through a flurrying wind,’ he said. ‘As though you want to hold on to that something.’
‘I never thought I’d find it, let alone catch it.’
‘I love you, Kate.’
‘I love you too, Jamie. I feel part of something bigger just standing next to you.’ She turned her head to look over her shoulder, down Main Street. ‘Look at this. It’s wonderful. It’s joyful, and I want to be townsperson number ninety. Do you think they’ll let me?’
‘They will if you start paying up your fifty cents a week.’
Kate smiled at him, love glowing within her.’ We can make this work, can’t we?’
He nodded. ‘Yes. We can.’
‘We can live here. We can travel together. I’ll go wherever you go.’
‘You can work from wherever we go. And I’ll be with you when you need to go to London, or Paris, or New York. And we’ll always call Silver Bells House home.’
‘Always,’ Kate affirmed. ‘I want to be at your side for the next sixty years. Until we find everything that makes us happy.’ Together. Whatever. Always together. ‘I want to live my life with you. Every second.’
He pulled her in so tight to his chest, Kate lost her breath and her heartbeat bumped with his.
‘Okay, Katie,’ he said softly. ‘Let’s go build our dream.’
Thanks for reading 12 Days at Silver Bells House. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you’d like to know more about me, my books, or to connect with me online, you can visit my webpage www.jenniejonesromance.com (link to: http://www.jenniejonesromance.com), follow me on twitter @JennieJRomance (link to: https://twitter.com/JennieJRomance), or like my Facebook page (link to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennie-Jones-Romance-Author/290261037740578?ref=hl).
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ISBN: 9780857992123
Title: 12 Days at Silver Bells House
Copyright ©2014 by Jennie Jones
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