Chapter 6

As they pulled up to her destination, she thanked the driver and made her way down the cobblestone path toward the courtyard nestled behind the main building. As she rounded the corner, she noticed that the trail had been lined with pillar candles clustered in various sizes. Some in lanterns, others not. Her eyes followed the path before her, and she stopped in her tracks when she saw him, back toward her looking out over the orchard.

It was the boots she noticed first. The Craftsman's that would have been in the shoebox containing the book and note that led her here. She remembered looking at his tattered old boots when they took that day trip to Inverness all those years ago. He complained he could never get a pair to last, and she told him when they visited Australia, she'd buy some for him, and he'd never complain about a set of boots not lasting again.

He must have sensed that she'd stopped moving because as her gaze roamed up his body, he turned to face her, their eyes meeting under the flickering light from the candles.

She was immediately transported back to their slow dance by the firelight outside his brother's wedding reception. The warm glow on his face and the reflection of the flames in his crystal blue eyes flooded her with nostalgia. Her heart ached at the memory. The way he kissed her softly for the first time, after promising her another adventure.

There was a time she believed they were destined for adventures together for the rest of their lives. She fought to hold back the tears that threatened to fall as she forced herself to smile. She'd spent the last five years thinking about what she would say if she ever found herself in front of him again. All the ways she would apologise for letting her fear win. Now, as she found herself face to face with the only man she had ever loved, it felt like she was drowning.

Callum could hear the click of her boots against the cobblestone path. His breathing getting heavier with every step she took toward him. He noticed she had stopped moving; she must have rounded the corner. Stopped, but not retreating. That was positive, he thought.

After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly dared to turn around and face her. She was as breathtaking as the first time he saw her, perhaps more so. He tried to suppress the urge he had to beam at her when he realised what she had done.

She wore the black lace top, with his leather jacket over the top. The first time he saw her, she was wearing a shade of pastel pink, which made her look pretty as a picture. It complimented her pale complexion and highlighted her fair features.

But he would never forget the first time he saw her in black. His mind drifted back to the night at the theatre. She met him there, which he didn't like. As a gentleman, he would have preferred to pick her up, but she insisted. He was waiting in the foyer with Peter when she walked in. He remembered the look Peter shot him when he noticed her come in first... A look that said in no uncertain terms, "You're in trouble...."

She wore a plain black dress with a high neckline that hugged her figure exquisitely. She looked shy and self-conscious as she quickly made her way to him. He noticed for the first time what all those colours had been doing to her. He'd always thought her eyes were blue, but when she wore black, and there was no colour to detract from them, he realised they weren't blue at all. They were far more complex; they held a blue pattern that wove between the moss green primary colour, surrounded with an emerald ring. He made her promise to wear black more often.

He was flooded with relief that she came, which was immediately replaced by nerves. She smiled at him, which put him at ease, he tried his best to return her smile, but in truth, the reunion was far more bittersweet than he had anticipated.