Time to Trust

  'It's enough that you do,' he said, smiling down at her upturned face. 'When Matthew came running in to tell me there was a man tramping all over Kate's garden, I saw red! I couldn't get over here fast enough.'

  Kate chuckled. 'Oh dear, I hope you didn't frighten the poor fellow!'

  'I think I must have. He was very happy to leave!' Gerard slipped his arms around her slender waist. 'I love you so much, Kate darling, that it terrifies me to think I almost lost you.' His eyes darkened. 'Was I so very cruel to you?'

  'You were harder on yourself,' she said with her usual honesty, and snuggled against him. 'What if I hadn't driven up for Christmas?'

  'You said you would!'

  'But what if I hadn't,' Kate teased. 'Would I have lost out on your proposal?'

  His eyes gleamed down at her. 'Not a chance! And I'll tell you something else,' he growled. 'I wouldn't have taken no for an answer!' He kissed her hard, leaving her breathless. 'But I wanted to propose here instead of Brisbane,' he said, leading her on to the front porch. Under the moonlight, silvery sands gave way to foam-charged surf while stars danced daintily across heaven's velvet carpet. This was their Bargara, their beautiful Bargara by the sea.

  He took her hand. 'Shall we go and tell Matthew?'

  The stars were reflected in her eyes when she answered joyfully, 'Yes!'

  When Matthew was told that his daddy was going to marry Kate he had but one urgent question. 'Does that mean you're going to be my mummy}'

  'That's what it means, old son,' Kate assured him, ruffling his hair and hugging him. When she released him he did a series of cartwheels across the room. It was a fitting response. Kate knew it was his way of welcoming her into the family.

  When Mrs Abbott was told, Kate thought she would be surprised, but she wasn't. 'I've been waiting for this to happen ever since Gerard called you "a little hothead!" ' She looked smilingly at Gerard. 'Do you think you'll be able to tame her?'

  Gerard chuckled and ran his hand lovingly through Kate's copper-coloured curls. 'Why tamper with perfection?' he said as she raised her eyes to meet his, their absorption in each other complete, their love shining from their eyes.

  Mrs Abbott wisely left the room, but Matthew remained. He stood looking at his father and Kate for a long time. He liked the way they were kissing each other. It made him feel all warm and happy inside. He wanted to jump and shout and do all sorts of crazy things, but most of all he wanted to tell them how much he loved them.

  Kate and Gerard turned to him and they saw how happy he was feeling. They knelt and stretched out their arms and Matthew raced into them. Their arms closed around him in a tender circle of love. He tried to say how much he loved them, but there was this big lump in his throat and he found he couldn't utter a single word.

  To his amazement he saw that his daddy and Kate had tears in their eyes and that they couldn't speak either. The tears didn't worry him, they were happy tears, not sad tears at all. When he felt their arms tightening around him he hugged them back with all his might and he knew this was enough!