Beside the Brook (25 page)

“I know, Jamie. But I couldn’t-” she paused. “After everything that happened, it didn’t seem right.”

Jamie sighed and dropped the box into his jacket pocket. “Everything went wrong after Tyler died.” He took Kirsten’s fingers into his hand.

“Please Jamie, don’t.” She tried to pull her hand from his grasp but he held her fast. She couldn’t get past what Beth had told her about Jamie. How could he stand here and act like this when he had moved on with somebody else?

“Just shut up and listen,” Jamie said sternly. “I didn’t say it before and I should have. I let you go, Kirsten, without saying all the things I should have said. We both just let everything slip between our fingers and I was a coward. I was confused. Everything that happened seemed to bring some finality to the part of my life that belonged to Brook, and I wanted to put it all behind me. I let you become part of that chapter of my life. I didn’t mean to shut you out, Kirsten, and I’m sorry I didn’t realise what I was doing before you left. I thought I could move on with Sarah, but it’s not enough.”

Kirsten frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“God, you’re going to make me get down on my knees aren’t you?” Jamie smiled. “I don’t want this to be over, Kirsten. I want to make things right between us. I miss you.”

He pressed her fingers to his lips. “I love you and I need you with me.” He smiled before he added, “With us.”

Kirsten, despite Jamie’s confession was still confused. “Beth said you were with someone else. I don’t understand how you can say these things to me-”

Jamie’s laughter cut her off. “No, Beth didn’t say I was with someone else.” He looked down at her and waited for the penny to drop.

Kirsten thought back to the exact words Beth had spoken. “Oh.” Realisation dawned on her as she turned a bright shade of red.

“She really
is
quite fond of you.”

“You were there when she was talking to me?”

His face lit up into a cheeky smile. “Ah-huh.”

“You bastard.” Kirsten batted Jamie on the chest with her free hand, but the grin on her face said everything. Jamie clutched her other hand and pulled her to him. “You set this up and Beth was in on it?”

“Everyone was. We all miss you. Beth knows how I feel about you, and so does Sarah. But I don’t want you to think that’s why I’m here. I made this decision on my own.” Jamie smiled. “So, say something.”

“Well, you’ll have to repeat it now because all that time you were making that speech I was standing here thinking about you with someone else. What was it you wanted to tell me?”

Jamie groaned. “Jesus, Kirsty. You’re going to make me work for it aren’t you? I love you Kirsty.” As he whispered the last four words Kirsten’s heart pounded in her chest.

“I want us to try again.”

“Well,” she started with a teasing tone, “I might have to think about it for a while.”

Jamie bent his head and touched his lips softly to hers. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back with an urgency that sent a message clear enough for anyone to understand. “I love you too, Jamie.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Jamie murmured as they touched their foreheads together.

“On one condition.” Kirsten smiled.

“Oh?”

“Don’t ever buy me a green halter dress.”

Jamie chuckled. “I think I can handle that.”

Kirsten looked up into his face. She hadn’t realised until now just how much she had missed him; his big green eyes, his wayward smile, his tall lazy gait and soft touch.

“I have a condition too though.” Jamie smiled.

“And what is that?”

Jamie reached into his pocket and took the earrings out again. Kirsten smiled and took them from his fingers. The moment she opened the velvet box she knew he had made a

switch while it had been in his pocket. A beautiful emerald glinted up at her under the foyer lights, set on a gold ring between two perfect diamonds.

“Jamie!”

Jamie looked pleased with himself. “Can I assume that’s another yes?”

Kirsten’s face said it all. In a voice she could hardly hear herself she mumbled, “Yes.”

As Jamie took her into his arms she cried, giant tears of joy that ran down her face and onto his collar.

She could hardly believe Jamie was back in her arms. When he took the ring from its holder and slipped it on her finger she gazed up at him. He stared back at her, puzzled. “What are you crying for?”

She giggled as she wiped the two tracks from her cheeks. “It’s not the first time you’ve made me cry, Jamie Grainger.”

He smiled. “And it won’t be the last. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course.” She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on the end of his nose. Never in a million years could she have dreamed that something so magical would come from everything that had happened over the past few months. She knew Jamie was right. They were both headstrong and stubborn and would butt heads constantly. But they had their whole lives to work on it. Anything they faced in the future would surely be a walk in the park compared to recent events. Somewhere deep down Kirsten hoped that everything they had been through had been a test, a test they had passed.

Now they could move on together as different people, with their own future ahead of them. Their story would be told proudly, not forgotten, hidden, or whispered in secret like others before theirs had.

About The Author

Paulette was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. At the age of nine her parents moved to the Kenepuru Sound, where she attended a small rural school. There she met a teacher who awoke in her a passion for writing, which continued into her teenage years. Often she would write vivid imaginings of shipwrecks on deserted islands involving her classmates, to stave off the boredom of their regimented boarding school life. Her writing waned when adulthood struck, leading her back to Christchurch to start work. She quickly became absorbed in the computer industry, having been given a golden opportunity for on the job training with a local firm. At the age of twenty her career met a fork in the road and she became a solo mother, a move which quickly saw her on a fast track to becoming the independent woman she is now. Her husband Tony, whom she met at the age of twenty-four would argue this was not always a good thing!

Together they have four children, one grandchild, two dogs, one cat and a healthy mortgage. An opportunity to attend a university course on creative writing was waved under her nose several years after they were married and she went on to attend the extended course also, giving her desire to write a much needed thrust back on track. Her first novel, Riding The Hurricane, was released in July 2008. She is an active member of Writing.com, and an avid supporter of local short story competitions, although longer works have always been her passion.