A Dog and a Diamond (18 page)

“And did you tell her that?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Not in so many words, but I asked her to move in with me; if that didn't make my feelings pretty damn obvious, I don't know what will.”

“Callum, Callum, Callum.” She sighed. “Women need to hear the words. And from what you've just told me, she probably thought your invitation to move in was a reaction to her break-in. Women don't want...”

And suddenly something clicked into place inside his head.

He didn't know about women, but he knew about Chelsea! Hadn't she told him about the burden she'd been for most of her childhood? His heart had broken every time she let down her guard long enough to talk about her past, about how it felt to be passed from one unwilling family member to the next. Yet he'd gone and made her feel the way she never wanted to feel again—asking her to move in with him in a way that made it feel like a reaction to the break-in. Yes, the burglary had instigated his question, but the moment he'd asked her to share his home, he'd known he wanted to share everything with her. His home, his life, their pets and one day children. He loved her—with absolutely everything he had to give—and deep down, he thought she loved him too.

He didn't blame her for saying no to the way he'd asked, but why-oh-why had he ever taken no for an answer? He didn't accept no easily where the distillery was concerned, and Chelsea meant even more to him than it did. He should have made her listen. He should have made her see the truth.

An idea started to take form inside his head.

As if his mom could read his mind, a warm, encouraging smile spread across her face. “Why the hell are you still sitting here pining for her like a wounded teenager? Grow some balls, go be a man and tell that girl how you feel.”

“I will,” he promised, “but first I have to arrange a few things.” This time when he asked her to be with him, he was going to give her an offer too good to refuse. And he was going to make exactly what he wanted clear, and what he wanted was Chelsea.

He reached across the table, picked up his cell and phoned his sister. “I'm sorry about today,” he said the moment Sophie answered the phone; he continued on before she had a chance to accept his apology. “But I need your help. You know that guy who makes the jigsaw puzzles? How long does it take for him to design and make them?”

Chapter Fifteen

A
s Chelsea headed for the front door, Muffin ran ahead and started barking like a crazy dog. Since she'd been taking him with her everywhere, he'd become almost uncontrollably excitable whenever she prepared to leave the house. She chuckled at his antics, thankful she still had him for company.

“Settle down,” she said as she opened the door.

Standing on her porch, his hand raised as if he'd been about to ring the bell, was the reason for Muffin's noise. The reason for her melancholy. The dog leaped at Callum as if it had been years rather than days since they'd seen each other and Chelsea's heart leaped into her throat. She felt a tad put out that Muffin was no longer content with just her company, but seemed to have missed Callum as much as she had.

“Hey, buddy,” he said, dropping to his haunches to give the dog the attention it craved.

Chelsea took the opportunity to pull herself together, to try to slow the erratic racing of her heart and, if she were honest, to soak up his gorgeousness just a little. She'd thought she would never see that beautiful face and body again and now here he was, standing on her porch on Christmas Eve, and well, she couldn't waste the opportunity.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, self-protection kicking in. Perhaps he'd left something here. Although she was pretty certain if he had, she'd have seen it by now.

Callum straightened and it was then that she noticed the small gift-wrapped box in his hands. “I got this for you.” He held it out to her but she didn't take it.

“Why?” she asked, glaring at it like it were a bomb about to explode. What was he playing at? If this was some kind of let's-still-be-friends gift, he could shove it where the sun didn't shine. Then again, what if it was some kind of attempt at making amends? What if he were here to ask her out again? Her heart kicked a little at this thought.

“You'll see when you open it.
Please
, open it.”

“I'm on my way out. To Portland. To go stay with Rosie.” She didn't know why she was telling him all this; after all, she didn't owe him an itinerary, but she felt the need to fill the space between them with words.

“Please,” he said again, and something in his eyes made her heart slow a little. “It won't take long.”

Against her better judgment, she stepped aside and gestured for him to come on in. She took the box, dumped her luggage, then marched into the kitchen and laid his gift on the counter. Her fingers shook as she opened it, and the way he stood there watching only made her more nervous. Beneath the wrapping was a plain brown box. Curious, she lifted the lid to discover it was filled with puzzle pieces.

She glanced over at Callum and he nodded at the box. “Would you do it for me?”

“Now?” This visit was getting weirder by the second.

He nodded. “It's important, please.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and felt her resolve wavering. There weren't that many pieces so it wouldn't take her long to do, and she wouldn't be that late getting to Portland. Call her a sucker for punishment but a few moments with Callum could be her Christmas present to herself. Yep, she was a sad case if ever there was one.

“Okay.” She opened her eyes again. “But where's the image?”

“There isn't one. But a puzzle pro like yourself should be able to handle it, right?”

Never one to resist a challenge like that, she began to sort the outer pieces—all those with straight edges. In spite of the company, the buzz of doing a puzzle kicked through her veins and she had to admit she was curious about what she'd find when she'd put it all together.

“Are you going to help?” she asked, when she'd completed the border and Callum hadn't moved an inch.

He shook his head. “I'll leave this to the experts. In fact, why don't I take Muffin outside for a bit of exercise while you do it?”

Chelsea frowned, totally perplexed by his odd behavior. “Okay, whatever.” This situation was so bizarre that she'd welcome a few moments' reprieve from his intoxicating proximity.

You could have just told him to take a hike
, said a voice in her head. She ignored it because, however needy and desperate it made her, she'd been happy to see him. Hope that maybe they could pick off where they'd left off, but take things slower this time, filled her heart.

Callum grabbed Muffin's lead and promised to be back soon. Chelsea sent a quick message to Rosie saying she'd been delayed and then returned to the puzzle, which was starting to take form and appeared to be mostly some kind of writing. Like a newspaper's masthead. The word
missing
appeared. Then
my
. As the puzzle neared completion, Chelsea's fingers began to shake again—the words had to mean something, there had to be a message. Frantically she fit one piece after another so that within a few more moments she could read it.

Every cell in her body froze as she eyed the words on the counter in front of her:
You're the missing piece of my puzzle.

There were footsteps behind her and she turned to see Muffin and Callum had returned. He dropped to one knee and she sucked in a breath, her hand rushing to cover her mouth.

“You're the missing piece of me,” he said, his eyes and tone earnest as he repeated the sentiment on the puzzle. “Please, marry me, and make me whole.”

Chelsea's head spun as his words ricocheted around it.

“Marry you?” she finally managed to whisper. Was this some kind of dream?

He nodded. “I know you think I asked you to move in with me because of the break-in, and there might be a smidgen of truth in that, but the rest of the truth is that in a few short weeks you've become as much a part of me as breathing is. I can no more live without you than I can without my lungs.”

She grabbed hold of the countertop, feeling as if she might faint at any moment.

“Until you came along,” he said, “I didn't realize that I wanted more out of life. I thought a good career and a relationship based on a solid friendship was all I needed, but you've shown me how much more life has to offer if you open up your heart. I've only ever proposed to two women in my life—the first time was for all the wrong reasons, but this time I'm asking because I truly mean it. I want you to be my wife more than anything.”

“Those are beautiful words,” she whispered, her voice shaking like a leaf on a stormy day. “You're quite the romantic, you know.”

Of course, she couldn't bring herself to believe him. She must have fallen asleep while packing. This Callum standing in front of her, offering himself as her husband, had to be a figment of her imagination.

“Trust me, I wasn't the slightest bit romantic until you,” said the illusion. “You've brought out a lot of things in me. Hell, because of you, I even got a cat.”

Muffin's ears perked up at the word
cat
—who said dog's weren't smart?—but Chelsea shook her head. Yep—he was speaking gobbledygook—this was a dream indeed. Still, she persisted in talking to him. “You've lost me. You got a cat? What's that got to do with me?”

He sighed and shifted as if it was getting uncomfortable down there on one knee. “It's a long story. I was lonely without you, so I went to get a dog and ended up with a big, ginger, tomcat named Bourbon, so I think it's only fair that you become co-owner. A single man with a cat gives off the wrong kind of vibe, but a couple with a cat, that's perfect acceptable. Anyway I'm sure you'll love him.”

She blinked, struggling to keep up, and Callum smiled up at her. “So what do you say? Will you marry me? Because my knee's going numb down here and if you're going to break my heart by saying no, then you may as well get it over with.”

She blinked again. “Oh my God, you're serious?” So much for taking things slower. She could never in her wildest imaginings have come up with this.

He turned and gestured to Muffin's collar. “I wouldn't have bought this if I wasn't.”

Following his hand, Chelsea's eyes caught on something glistening on the dog's collar. Her jaw dropped as she peered closer to see a beautiful diamond ring dangling next to his dog tag. It was a white-gold setting with a large square-cut diamond, surrounded by lots of smaller ones. Muffin looked proud to have been charged with its care. She'd never seen anything as stunning. Her ring finger twitched.

“I took Muffin outside and we had a man-to-man chat,” Callum explained. “He wants you to know you'll make us both very happy if you just say yes. I love you, Chelsea. I think I started falling in love with you that day you walked into the distillery and tried to break my heart.”

A half laugh, half sob escaped her mouth at the absurdity of his words. “Say it again,” she asked, wanting to be sure her ears weren't playing evil tricks.

His lips curled into a slow, sexy smile. “What? That I love you?”

“Yes, that.” A tear slid down her cheek—no one had ever said they loved her before, not in a way that made her believe it anyway. And the most wonderful thing of all was that she felt exactly the same way.

“Oh, Callum.” Her words choked, she rushed forward and dropped to her knees in front of him. “Yes, I'll marry you. I love you too. I've missed you so much. I didn't think—”

* * *

Callum's need to kiss her overcame the need to hear the rest of her sentence. Nothing else mattered except the fact she loved him too and soon she'd be wearing his ring. He cupped her face in his hands and drew his lips to hers, never ever wanting to let her go again. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind but they'd held the best moments of his life and it was all because of her.

He couldn't wait to make more memories and a whole host of plans for the future, but right now having her in his arms was enough.

After what might have been one of the longest lip-locks in history, Muffin's bark broke them apart. Laughing, they looked sideways to see the dog watching them, his head cocked to one side like a confused puppy.

Callum reached over and ruffled Muffin's fur, then he unclipped his collar and removed the ring he'd spent hours choosing today while Sophie's acquaintance had done a rush job on the puzzle for him.

“I hope you like it,” he said as he lifted her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. It sparkled as they both gazed down at it.

“Like it?” She wiggled her fingers and giggled. “I love it. You have very good taste, you know that?”

“Of course I do. I chose you, didn't I?”

“Yes, you did,” she whispered, and then she said, “Can you pinch me?”

He frowned. “What for?”

“So I can know this is real.”

“It's real, sweetheart. Nothing has ever been as real as this, so how about I just kiss you again instead?”

And he did.

Epilogue

C
helsea stared at the little
white stick in her hand, almost unable to believe the two blue lines looking up
at her.
Pregnant.
The last few days she'd noticed
changes in her body but didn't dare hope too much that this was what they meant,
so she'd kept her suspicions to herself until she could get into town to buy a
test kit.

She and Callum were getting married in spring—they were going
to be the first couple to use the distillery grounds as a venue, Lachlan had
planned an amazing menu to showcase the new restaurant, and she'd picked out the
most beautiful dress imaginable. It was ice-pink and far more girly and
princess-like than she'd ever thought she'd choose, but Callum brought out the
feminine side of her and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he
saw her. Then, in private, later in the evening, he would slowly peel it off
and...

Her cheeks heating at this thought, Chelsea glanced in the
bathroom mirror and palmed her hands against her flat stomach, something glowing
inside her at the thought of the tiny life beneath them. A life that she and
Callum had created out of their love. She never thought she could be so lucky.
So blessed.

Would she be showing by the wedding? Would the dressmaker have
to alter her dress? Whatever. She didn't care. This was wonderful news and she
racked her mind for the perfect way to break the news to Callum. Maybe she could
have a personalized jigsaw puzzle made like he'd done when he'd proposed,
although that would take time and she knew she wouldn't be able to keep this
secret long enough. Right now, she felt like going outside, spreading her arms
wide and shouting her news to the whole world.

While they hadn't been trying for this baby, they hadn't
exactly been not trying for it either and they both wanted children. In the past
few months, she'd fallen in love with the McKinnels almost as much as she had
with Callum.
Almost.
Sophie and Annabel were going
to be her bridesmaids alongside Rosie who had yet to meet the McKinnels but was
coming for the wedding. All Callum's brothers were going to be groomsmen.

Finally Chelsea was part of a big, happy family—the kind of
family she'd always fantasized about—and the news that she'd soon be adding to
the McKinnel clan filled her with warm fuzzy glee.

A bark coming from the living room interrupted her happy
thoughts, so she put the pregnancy test down on the vanity and went out to
investigate. Sure enough, she found Muffin beside the coffee table, nose to the
ground trying to entice Bourbon, who was hiding under there, out to play. The
cat made low mewling noises and occasionally stretched out his paw, claws
readied, and took a swipe at Muffin.

“Leave Bourbon alone,” Chelsea warned, stooping to take hold of
Muffin's collar and encourage him to back up. The poor dog only wanted to play
and had been trying to win Bourbon's affections since he and Chelsea had moved
into Callum's cottage a couple of months ago, but she feared Muffin was fighting
a lost cause. Whenever he got within an inch of the cat, Bourbon narrowed his
eyes and looked as if he wanted to scratch the dog's eyes right out. It was
surprising there hadn't been any blood spilled yet, but they had the local vet
on speed dial just in case.

As she was trying to separate the animals, the front door
opened and Callum strode in, sleeves pushed up to the elbows just the way she
liked them. “Hey, gorgeous,” he said.

“I didn't expect you home this early.” Her heart leaped into
her throat at the thought of him going into the bathroom and seeing the test.
She wanted to tell him. She wanted to see the look on his face when he found out
he was going to be a dad.

“Sorry, did I interrupt your studying? This is just a quick
visit. Truth is, I couldn't wait till tonight to do this.” With those words, he
crossed the room and pulled her up into his arms. She let go of Muffin's collar
and, as Callum kissed her, the dog returned to his pursuit of the cat.

“These two fighting like cats and dogs again?” Callum asked
when he finally tore his mouth from hers.

She rolled her eyes at his lame humor, but couldn't help
smiling. He could tell the world's most awful joke and she'd still laugh her
head off.

“They'll get used to each other eventually,” he said, “and I
suppose it's good practice for when we have kids. My brothers and I used to
bicker so much I'm quite surprised we didn't kill each other.”

“About kids,” Chelsea began, thinking that now was as good a
time as ever. She mightn't have come up with some dramatic, exciting way to tell
him, but then again, this news was dramatic and exciting enough in itself.

“Yes?” He stared down at her. “What about them?”

She placed a hand on her stomach again and smiled. “In two
years' time Muffin isn't the only problem Bourbon is going to have—he'll also
have a toddler trying to chase his tail.”

It took a moment for Callum to register what she meant. She
watched, amused, as his expression changed in slow motion from confusion to one
of absolute joy. Then he grabbed hold of her again and met her gaze. “Are you
saying what I think you're saying?”

She nodded. “I'm pregnant. The evidence is in the bathroom if
you don't believe me.”

In reply, he leaned forward and kissed her again. There was
just as much heat, just as much passion, as before, but there was also something
else in it. Something Chelsea couldn't describe but liked very much indeed.

“Mom is going to be over the moon,” he said, pulling back.

“What about you?” she asked. “Are you...over the moon?”

“Sweetheart, my darling...” He cupped her face in both his
hands. “I'm so high I've gone way past the moon. This is the best news I've
heard all... Ever. We're going to be parents.”

“We are.”

“You know, I've heard a rumor that a woman's sex drive
increases when she's pregnant,” Callum said, his expression suddenly serious. “I
wonder if this is true?”

Chelsea rubbed her lips together and wriggled her eyebrows at
him. “Hmm...perhaps that accounts for why I suddenly have an urge to strip you
of all your clothes and have my wicked way.”

Callum grinned and held his hands out in surrender. “Who am I
to stand in the way of a pregnant woman's needs? I'm all yours, baby.”

Never had any words been sweeter. “And I'm all yours too.”
Chelsea reached up and sealed this promise with a kiss.

* * * * *

Watch for Rachael Johns's next book in the
McKINNELS OF JEWELL ROCK
series coming in soon from Harlequin
Special Edition!

Keep reading for an excerpt from
ALWAYS THE BEST MAN
by
Michelle Major.

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