‘You don’t have to leave. I’m staying right here in Dolphin Bay.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m going into business with Ben.’
She frowned. ‘Is it what you really want? You’re not compromising for my sake? Because if—’
‘It’s what I really want. I want you too. No more pretending to be “just friends” either. No more being jealous because we’re not certain of each other.’
‘Jealous? You?’
‘You turned me into a jealous guy when I saw you hugging and kissing Philippe.’
She shrugged in that Gallic way. ‘It’s just a French thing. The kissing. Nothing to be concerned about.’
‘I didn’t like it.’
‘So we’re both jealous. Do two people being jealous cancel out the jealousy?’
She was making light of it. But he knew how concerned she was about her jealousy causing problems.
‘I have a better idea,’ he said. ‘Love. Security. Commitment. Knowing the other person is always in your court. That could go a long way to cancelling out the jealousy.’
She went very still. He was aware of the sound of the waves. The thudding of his own heart. ‘I...I’m not sure what you’re getting at,’ she said.
He’d thought about this when he’d been swimming up and down in the surf. How he couldn’t bear to be without Lizzie in his life. How he could think of nothing better than making her and Amy his family. How what she needed had become what he needed. ‘A wedding ring firmly circling your finger is my idea of a jealousy buster,’ he said.
‘And a matching one circling yours is mine,’ she said. Her wonderful warm laugh rang out across the beach. ‘Did you just propose to me, Jesse Morgan?’
‘Did you just accept my proposal, Lizzie Morgan to-be?’
‘I did,’ she said, planting a kiss on his mouth. ‘And...and I couldn’t be happier.’
‘Me too,’ he said and kissed her back. His heart actually ached with joy.
She broke away from the kiss. ‘You realise there will be a lot of upset people in town when this news leaks out?’
‘Who? My family will be delighted.’
‘The punters who laid bets you’d never marry.’
‘Serves them right for giving you the wrong impression of me and making it so tough for me to win you.’
She smiled. ‘I’m glad you changed my mind about that. I love you, Jesse.’
‘I love you too,’ he said. ‘That makes three times we’ve said it.’
‘Shall we try for thirty times before the day is over?’
‘Why not?’ he said. ‘I’ll never tire of hearing those words from you.’
Two months later
AS A CHILD, Christmas had not been Lizzie’s favourite time of year—her family Christmas Days had always seen the sad cliché of every bitterness and conflict getting a good airing over the roast turkey and plum pudding.
As an adult, she had embraced Christmas as a joyous celebration, growing to love festive traditions whether celebrated in the winter of Europe or the Australian summer.
But this year’s Christmas was going to be the most magical and memorable of all—because this year Lizzie was celebrating Christmas as a bride.
On Christmas Eve—a perfect sunny south coast morning—Lizzie let Sandy fuss around fixing her hair, which had been braided into a thick plait interwoven with white ribbons and creamy frangipani flowers. In her ears were the exquisite diamond studs Jesse had given her as an early Christmas present.
The sisters were getting ready in a location van parked on the approach to Silver Gull beach. As the most significant moments of their courtship had taken place on beaches, she and Jesse had decided Silver Gull would be the perfect venue for their exchange of vows.
The location van had been Sandy’s idea; she was familiar with such luxuries from her days working on advertising shoots. Lizzie marvelled at the set-up—the interior was like a dressing room complete with mirrors and even a small bathroom. It was the ideal place to prepare for a wedding at a beach.
‘Now, let me check the dress,’ said Sandy, who was taking her duties as Lizzie’s bridesmaid very seriously.
Lizzie was so happy to be getting married to Jesse she hadn’t imagined she’d be plagued by any wedding day nerves. Not so. She wasn’t worried about the details of the ceremony; they had all been organised by Kate Lancaster, who had done such a marvellous job as wedding planner for Sandy and Ben’s wedding. Or about the reception—a small informal affair which was to be held back at Bay Bites. Lizzie’s team had all that under control.
No. Lizzie’s concern was that she wanted to look beautiful for Jesse.
She did a twirl as best she could in the confines of the van. ‘Do you think Jesse will like it?’ she asked Sandy, unable to suppress the tremor in her voice. She loved the ankle-length dress for its elegant simplicity: a V-neck tunic in soft off-white tulle lace layered over a silk under-dress and caught in with a flat bow in the small of her back.
‘Jesse won’t be able to keep his eyes off you,’ said Sandy. ‘I’ve never seen a lovelier bride, and I’m not saying that because you’re my baby sister. That dress is divine—simple, elegant, discreetly sexy. Just like you.’
Lizzie hugged her. ‘You’re okay about me marrying Jesse, aren’t you?’ she asked. ‘You warned me off him so many times. But he isn’t what people said, you know. He makes me happier than I ever could have imagined.’
She was taken aback by Sandy’s burst of laughter. ‘Ben and I couldn’t be more delighted you two are getting married. You and Jesse are perfect for each other. But you’re so stubborn you would have run the other way if I’d told you that. You had to find each other in your own way.’
Lizzie’s first reaction was to huff indignantly. But instead she smiled. ‘You did me a favour and I’m grateful.’ She paused. ‘Sisters married to brothers. It’s worked out so well for us, hasn’t it? Our guys from Dolphin Bay.’
‘Yes,’ said Sandy. Her hand went protectively to the slight swell of her belly. She and Ben were expecting a baby in six months’ time—an event anticipated with much joy by the Morgan clan. ‘We’re both getting our happily-ever-after endings.’
Then Sandy bustled Lizzie towards the door of the van. ‘Come on, bride, your gorgeous groom is waiting for you.’
Lizzie waited at the start of the ‘aisle’ formed by double rows of seashells that led to a white wooden wedding arch adorned with filmy white fabric and sprays of the small red flowers of the New South Wales Christmas bush. The aquamarine waters of the ocean with the white waves rolling in formed the most glorious backdrop for her wedding ceremony. When she drew in some deep calming breaths, the salt smell of the sea mingled with the sweet scent of the frangipani in her hair.
Both Sandy and Amy, her only attendants, had preceded her down the aisle. They both wore pretty knee-length dresses in a shade of palest coffee. Barista coffee, Lizzie had joked. They were all barefoot, with their toenails painted Christmas red in honour of the festive season.