They ate together on the couch, morning TV droning on in the background as they chatted lightly about nothing in particular. Muffin was gnawing on a bone she had kept in the fridge from Friday’s butcher trip.
Her phone vibrated across the table, Rob’s name beaming on its screen and making her heart swell. She excused herself, taking it to her room before answering him.
‘Hey, beautiful.’ That familiar wash of coming home at the sound of his voice, Rose gushed.
‘Hey, handsome.’ She replied, smiling like a loony, aware of how easily he could make her feel this way. Just a call and two little words.
‘Is it okay to head down and finally meet my future in-laws? You know, as the idiot who broke their daughter's heart instead of the Laird.’ He sounded more upbeat than this morning, his normal humour present in that sexy voice. Rose giggled.
‘Only if you’re prepared to be interrogated and made to explain yourself in detail. My mother isn’t the pushover that I am.’ She warned lightly, knowing that despite saying it jokingly, there was a little truth to it.
‘Don’t worry. I brushed up on my spy torture evasion techniques. I’m ready for it, baby. Damien is bringing me down in a few minutes. He popped by to say goodbye.’
‘Tell him I said goodbye too.’ She replied coquettishly with a smile on her lips.
‘Don’t make me hurt him.’ Rob threatened in humour, hinting that he had not forgotten Damien’s attempt on Rose at the dance.
‘Oh, weesht, you know it’s only ever been you.’ Rose sighed. ‘Hurry up and stop making me wait.’ She giggled girlishly.
‘You’re wish is my command, gorgeous, and it will always only ever be me, baby.’ He ended the call with a goodbye, and Rose rolled her eyes with a happy grin. Her heart was beating fast at the thought of him and her parents meeting again in this way, knowing the truth finally, but she was also just eager to see him again. She hated when they were apart, more so now than before, after losing him for so long.
Moments later, the car tyres on gravel alerted her to his arrival. With that surge of anticipation rising in her stomach, she rushed to the door to answer it as he chapped lightly, being pulled out the door slightly by him so he could kiss her without her parent’s keen eyes. He muttered huskily, leaning close to her ear and keeping his voice for her ears.
‘Best friend brought up to speed and dutifully warned off. He apologised profusely for trying to steal my girl and told me to man up and make my claim public.’ He smiled, brushing her temple with a kiss and winking at her amused expression. She shook her head as she brushed past, leading the way to where her parents were waiting, jumping slightly as his hand pinched her butt from behind. She glared at him and put distance between them as they met her parents in the lounge.
It was tense at first. Her mother grilled him unashamedly. Wanting to know what his intentions were with her daughter after Morag was stable enough to come out. Chiding him over the whole messy situation and the stupidity of thinking he could carry on a secret romance in a town as small as this.
Rob took it all on the chin like a trooper. He explained, he apologised, and he even asked for their forgiveness. Rose stayed tense and silent, perched on the arm of his chair, and bit her lip nervously. Feeling much like the teen who first brought a boy home.
Finally, they made their peace. Her father, the strong silent type, nodded and listened intently. It was excruciating for her to sit watching and listening, but Rob was used to difficult board meetings and awkward clientele. Smooth, confident, and calm. He never fluttered an eyelash, fully aware that this relationship depended on winning them over. Knowing that it mattered to Rose.
Finally satisfied and allowing Rose to let out her breath and relax, they all seemed to sigh and sit back a little.
‘Well, if you love her and the nonsense of hiding her is over, then I can only say we approve.’ Her mother injected and got to her feet, extending a palm to Rob, who obediently took it and stood up. Her mother hugged him and gave him a mock slap on his shoulder. ‘Don’t hurt my baby again, or you will see the lioness come out in me, and you won’t like it.’ She threatened, her little face full of raised eyebrow seriousness. Rose giggled, and Rob merely bowed his head to meet her small height.
‘I don’t intend to hurt her again or lose her so mama lion can retire.’ He grinned back and then was met with Rose’s father standing to give him a manly pat on the back.
‘Welcome to the family, son, my condolences on being lumbered with a Turner woman... They are very trying on your nerves but wholly worthwhile.’ He winked and gained his own slap on the shoulder from Rose’s mother.
‘We’re beyond worth it. You will never find any woman quite so special as us.’ She pouted. Rob turned, catching Rose’s eye with a heart-stopping smile.
‘I already know that.’ He moved forward towards her, catching her wrist and tugging her to his chest, kissing her cheek lightly and embarrassing her completely in front of her parents. Her mother made it worse by ‘ahhhhiiiing’ loudly, and then thankfully, they all sat down, only this time Rob pulled her onto his lap onto his chair and wouldn’t let her escape, her face instantly flushing with colour.
She suggested they all go out for lunch before her parent’s departure, the confines of the small cottage and tense last hour suffocating her. She needed breathing space and a new setting. She also didn’t like how her parents watched Rob snuggle her into his lap, completely unaffected because they were not his parents. Not that she thought he would be embarrassed, even in front of Hamish, he didn’t seem to be the kind of man who was phased that way; but to her, Rose would always be her parent’s little girl, and she didn’t like to shatter their illusion.
Her parents loved this idea of a final outing, and on Rob’s suggestion chose a nice garden center a couple mile away. It was all arranged. They would go in their own car, easier that way to leave from the lunch and go check out of their boarding house before the trip home. Rose would come with Rob, him back at the wheel of his purring beast. Thankfully, and some alone time once more. She needed that right now, more than ever.
Less than half an hour later and snugly buckled in his passenger seat he reversed out, letting her parents manoeuvre and turn out of the car park first; they turned around the small space and headed out down the long gravel road. Looking back as they headed out Rob unclipped his belt, pulling the handbrake on. Rose frowned, confused at what he was doing.
‘I’ve been dying to do this for almost two hours.’ He dived across, pulling her forward and kissing her passionately up against her seat. Straining across the gear stick in an awkward manner with his hand cupping her jaw, while the other leant on the back of her head rest, holding on so he could pull his weight towards her. Her hands came up to cradle his face and lose herself in a kiss that had become a necessity to her. The familiar surge of heat rising inside her erotically and pulled away, breathing heavily.
‘Stop that, or I’ll never make it through lunch, Mr Munro.’ She laughed, gently shoving him away as he playfully tried to catch the side of her face with his mouth.
‘If only your parents knew what kind of things their little angel got up to in my bed!’ He grinned, sitting back and putting his belt back on, Rose tamed her hair and tried to calm the blush that had developed across her cheeks with that heated encounter.
‘They would never believe you. I’m too innocent and pure!’ She blinked into the mirror on the sun visor, casting him a sweet look.
He had expertly swung the car round the gravel park tightly and was now following in pursuit of her parents, gaining on their little green car up ahead on the straight main road. He looked across at her, smiling.
‘You are you know?’
She cocked her head quizzically, showing a doubtful expression but he looked serious.
‘No, I’m not.’ She giggled and carried on fluffing her hair before closing the visor and nestling back in her moulded seat.
‘You have this innocence about you. Naivety... It makes you vulnerable and childlike sometimes... Pure!’ He was eyeing her speculatively, all serious and thoughtful.
‘I’m not sure that’s a compliment.’ She laughed but his face stayed steady.
‘Trust me, it’s one of the many reasons I go crazy over you. Angelic, beautiful, gentle girl in floaty feminine dresses...Smelling like cakes and berries... Always smiling and gracefully unaware of how stunning you are. Brings out the protector in me! But once you’re in my bed a wild little hellcat! That Penelope you keep hidden deep down sure shows up then, with a fiery little mix of irresistible and sexy... You know that, right?’
‘Not really.’ She shrugged, still giggling at his description and feeling a little smug at how he saw her. Warm inside and a little gooey.
‘Well, you are! Sometimes you remind me of Abby... A petulant kid with big Bambi eyes and the ability to wrap me around your little finger. But other times you’re more capable, stronger and more stubborn. Iron-willed and able to do just fine on your own; you made it abundantly clear that you didn’t need me, and it hurt like hell. Sometimes you make me want to throw you over my shoulder and drag you to
bed. Sometimes I just want to throttle you.’
‘Charming! .... I did need you, though. I just wasn’t going to let you know that while you were the reason I was heartbroken.’ She smiled softly this time, sliding a hand to his thigh and giving him a soft, reassuring squeeze. Their eyes met briefly, so full of unspoken messages.
He had overtaken her parents to lead the way to their destination, still glancing at her as she watched his face. He glanced into his mirrors and checked the road expertly between every longing look at her.
‘I won’t ever break your heart again, I want you to need me as much as I need you. I want to know that you can’t function without me... I sure as hell can’t function without you.’ He winked, lightening the heavy tone of their conversation a little.
‘Sounds like your smitten if you ask me Mr Munro.’ She teased, following suit.
‘You don’t know the half of it!’ Something in the serious tone of his voice and the glint of honesty in his eye sent a shiver down her spine. ‘I wouldn’t have just let you go, Rose. If we hadn’t...? I didn’t see a future without you in it! Even when you told me to stay away. I always knew that no matter what I would try and get you back... No matter how long it took... I knew from the first second there was never going to be anyone else for me. I didn’t just fall for you, I completely crashed head first with no hope of recovery.’
Her eyes started to well up with emotion, her smile hard to maintain with the urge to cry at just how sweet he could be, just how much he could tug her heart. He reached out, touching her face gently with the backs of his fingers; his eyes warm as he focused on her emotions bubbling forth. His eyes glancing back and forth to the road and on her sporadically.
‘Rob, I feel the same.’ She sniffed back a tear, catching his fingers on her face and rubbing her cheek against them soothingly. She loved to feel his hands on her face.
‘I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life. This isn’t just some passing fad or casual romance.’
‘What? You love me even more than your car?’ She winked in jest, blinking back the tears. ‘It isn’t for me either, Rob. I knew you had me under a spell from that first week, and I had no defence against you.’ She was looking away again, shyly, now dabbing her eyes with her sleeve.
‘I’ll marry you, Rose, when we’re ready. When I’ve fixed this mess that I created.’
She turned back to him quickly. Mildly shocked but in a good way and caught his eye. Both smiled in unison as he reached out, gently squeezing her knee before changing gear. The warmth of emotion and happiness tingling through her, making her feel like she was walking on clouds.
She would marry him too; there was nothing more that she could ever want than that. There was no thinking about it, no hesitation.
‘Mrs Rose Munro does have a nice kind of sound to it.’ She smiled at him and was rewarded with the biggest grin back at her, those grey eyes, pale and seductive.
The garden center was not far, and they soon pulled into the car park with her parents close behind.
It was a quaint little white farm house with shiny large conservatories added on the front and side of the main door, creating a shop and cafe. It had a whimsical old-world quality and was utterly adorable. The grounds to the left were full of huge plastic and sheet greenhouses and signs for several types of plants leading down winding flower-edged paths.
He casually draped his arm around her as he walked, their bodies side by side and him leading the way into the warm sunny tea room. An easy fluid movement that made her feel light and happy. She was liking this new dimension to what they had. Being in public and being treated like his girlfriend was an improvement and she felt pride as some young women at a nearby table glanced his way appreciatively. One nudging the other to point out the hunk who had just sauntered in. Not that she could blame them, he really was eye candy even dressed in casual clothes and trainers.
Warm and inviting and already half full for the time of day. It smelled of freshly baked cakes and homemade soup. The tables layered with cloth and lace coverings and bunches of fresh flowers in assorted little glass vases on each table.
* * *
An hour later, stuffed and still sitting lazily around their little pretty white table, empty sandwich plates and soup bowls littering the surface, they finished their hot drinks. Both women sore from laughing, the men keeping them amused and in hysterics for most of the meal.
Rose could tell her father and Rob liked one other a heck of a lot. The easy jocularity and pet names that had developed over the food. Her father now calling him ‘Robster’ and Rob jokingly referring to him as ‘The old man’ and ‘Dad-in-law’. It was easy and unforced.
Rose had felt a huge warmth enveloping her through the meal and catching her mother’s warm look only made her feel better. He had won them over, well and truly. Of course, it had helped that he had literally doted on her in front of them, pulling her chair out for her to sit and handing her napkins to cover her lap when food was served. Reaching over and taking her hand every time, he pushed his cup aside, playing with her fingers absentmindedly and drawing them to his mouth gently anytime he thought her parents were not looking. Feeding her some of his food automatically when it arrived so she could try it and throwing her small smiles and winks throughout the lunch. Such a natural unforced behaviour for him. Ever attentive, the way he always was when he had her alone, but her mother’s keen eye had taken note. Rose aware of the ever-watching eyes and satisfied smiles.
All too soon they were saying their goodbyes at the car. Her mother embracing her and imparting whispered words of love and advice on handling her new man.
‘Don’t let him forget what he has! Never be taken for granted; if he does, remind him of your worth with a swift kick out the door.’ She winked, turning to kiss him on the cheek. ‘And to you, Rob...Never stop treating her like a princess, even when she isn’t wearing her crown.’
Rob kissed her mum on the cheek, agreeing that he would always treat her like his queen. Her father squeezed her tight and planted a kiss on top of her head, agreeing with what her mother said.
‘She will always be our princess, couldn’t be happier to be handing her off to a man who recognises that.’ He winked knowingly and patted Rob warmly on the shoulder. They agreed to not wait so long next time and finally left the two lovebirds alone to watch them drive off. Waving until they were out of sight.
Although she had loved having them here, the relief at them leaving was evident. She could relax again; she could be alone with her tall, muscular hunk and free to let his hands wander without parental watchful eyes. He had behaved so gentlemanly in front of her parents, and she knew how much self-control it must have taken.
Without warning he scooped her up over his shoulder, causing her to let out a squeal and headed briskly across the car park to his car, keys already out and remote unlocking at a distance.
‘Rob?!?!’ She squealed in protest, squirming on his shoulder and trying to get free, sure every eye in the café was now focused on the car park.
‘I told you, didn’t I? The urge to throw you over my shoulder and drag you to bed... It’s not my fault!’