He heard the touch of pain in her voice and sensed that mentioning her father had brought back painful memories. “You were close to him, weren’t you?”
When they came to a snag in traffic, he watched her moisten her lips before replying to his question. “Yes. I was definitely a daddy’s girl, but then so were Megan and Bailey. He was super. I can still recall that day Dillon and Ramsey showed up to break the news to us. They had been away at college, and when I saw them come in together I knew something was wrong. But I never imagined the news they were there to deliver.”
She paused a moment. “The pain wouldn’t have been so great had we not lost our parents and Uncle Adam and Aunt Clarisse at the same time. I’ll never forget how alone I felt, and how Dillon and Ramsey promised that, no matter what, they would keep us together. And they did. Because Dillon was the oldest, he became the head of the family and Ramsey, only seven months younger, became second in charge. Together they pulled off what some thought would be impossible.”
Callum recalled hearing the story a number of times from Ramsey. He had hesitated about going to Australia because he hadn’t wanted to leave everything on Dillon’s shoulders, so he’d waited until Bailey had finished high school and started college before taking off for Australia.
“I’m sure your parents would be proud of all of you,” he said.
She smiled. “Yes, I’m sure they would be, as well. Dillon and Ramsey did an awesome job and I know for sure we were a handful at times, some of us more than others.”
He knew she was thinking about her cousin, Bane, and all the trouble he used to get into. Now Brisbane Westmoreland was in the Navy with dreams of becoming a SEAL.
Callum checked his watch. “We won’t be long now. Knowing Mom, she’ll have a feast for lunch.”
A smile touched Gemma’s lips. “I’m looking forward to meeting your parents, especially your mother, the woman who captured your father’s heart.”
He returned her smile, while thinking that his mother was looking forward to meeting her—the woman who’d captured his.
Surprise swept across Gemma’s face when Callum brought his car to the marker denoting the entrance to his family’s ranch. She leaned forward in her seat to glance around through the car’s windows. She was spellbound, definitely at a loss for words. The ranch, the property it sat on and the land surrounding it were breathtaking.
The first thing she noticed was that this ranch was a larger version of her brother’s, but the layout was identical. “I gather that Ramsey’s design of the Shady Tree Ranch was based on this one,” she said.
Callum nodded. “Yes, he fell in love with this place and when he went back home he designed his ranch as a smaller replica of this one, down to every single detail, even to the placement of where the barns, shearing plants and lambing stations are located.”
“No wonder you weren’t in a hurry to return back here. Being at the Shady Tree Ranch was almost home away from home for you. There were so many things to remind you of this place. But then, on the other hand, if it had been me, seeing a smaller replica of my home would have made me homesick.”
He keyed in the code that would open the electronic gate while thinking that the reason he had remained in Denver after helping Ramsey set up his ranch, and the reason he’d never gotten homesick, were basically the same. Gemma. He hadn’t wanted to leave her behind and return to Australia, and he hadn’t, except for the occasional holiday visit. And he truly hadn’t missed home because, as he’d told Meredith, home is where the heart is and his heart had always been with Gemma, whether she knew it or not.
He put the car in gear and drove down the path leading to his parents’ ranch house. The same place where he’d lived all his life before moving into his own place at twenty-three, right out of college. But it hadn’t been unusual to sleep over while working the ranch with his father and brothers. He had many childhood memories of walks along this same path, then bicycle rides, motorcycle rides and finally rides behind the wheel of a car. It felt good to be home—even better that he hadn’t come alone.
He fully expected not only his parents to be waiting inside the huge ranch house, but his brothers and their wives, and his sister and brother-in-law as well. Everyone was eager to meet the woman whose pull had kept him working in North America as Ramsey’s ranch manager for three years. And everyone was sworn to secrecy, since they knew how important it was for him to win Gemma’s heart on his turf.
She was about to start getting to know the real Callum Austell. The man she truly belonged to.
When Callum brought the car to a stop in front of the sprawling home, the front door opened and a smiling older couple walked out. Gemma knew immediately that they were his parents. They were a beautiful couple. A perfect couple. Soul mates. Another thing she noted was that Callum had the older man’s height and green eyes and had the woman’s full lips, high cheekbones and dimpled smile.
And then, to Gemma’s surprise, following on the older couple’s heels were three men and three women. It was easy to see who in the group were Callum’s brothers and his sister. It was uncanny just how much they favored their parents.
“Seems like you’re going to get to meet everyone today, whether you’re ready to do so or not,” Callum said.
Gemma released a chuckle. “Hey, I have a big family, too. I remember how it was when I used to come home after being away at college. Everyone is glad to see you come home. Besides, you’re your parents’ baby.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Baby? At thirty-four, I don’t think so.”
“I do. Once a baby always a baby. Just ask Bailey.”
Just a look into his green eyes let her know he still wasn’t buying it. He smiled as he opened the door to get out and said, “Just get ready for the Austells.”
By the time Callum had rounded the car to open the door for her to get out, his parents, siblings and in-laws were there and she could tell that everyone was glad to see him. Moments later she stood, leaning against the side of his car, and watched all the bear hugs he was receiving, thinking there was nothing quite like returning home to a family who loved you.
“Mom, Dad, everyone, I would like you to meet Gemma Westmoreland.” He reached out his hand to her and she glanced over at him a second before moving away from the car to join him where he stood with his family.
“So you’re Gemma,” Le’Claire Austell said, smiling after giving Gemma a hug. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
Surprise lit up Gemma’s features. “You have?”
The woman smiled brightly. “Of course I have. Ramsey adores his siblings and would share tales with us about you, Megan, Bailey and your brothers, as well as all the other Westmorelands all the time. I think talking about all of you made missing you while he was here a little easier.”
Gemma nodded and then she was pulled into Callum’s dad’s arms for a hug and was introduced to everyone present. There was Callum’s oldest brother, Morris, and his wife, Annette, and his brother, Colin, and his wife, Mira. His only sister Le’Shaunda, whom everyone called Shaun, and her husband, Donnell.
“You’ll get to meet our three grands at dinner,” Callum’s mom was saying.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Gemma replied warmly.
While everyone began heading inside the house, Callum touched Gemma’s arm to hold her back. “Is something wrong?” He looked at her with concern in his green eyes. “I saw the way you looked at me when I called you over to meet everyone.”
Gemma quickly looked ahead at his family, who were disappearing into the house and then back at Callum. “You didn’t tell your family why I’m here.”
“I didn’t have to.