“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, D, we’re partners.” He smiles at me.
I am the luckiest guy in the world to have met such a brilliantly emotionally intelligent man like him. “I guess sometimes I’m waiting for the other shoe to fall because I’ve never been this happy before. You make me so happy. No one has ever made me feel this way, and I’m so scared it could all disappear.”
Charlie takes my hands in his and kisses them lightly. “I understand. But I’m not your parents. I choose you. You’re stuck with me because I love fiercely and maybe a little possessively, but I will never for one moment make you second-guess my feelings toward you.”
He’s right. He’s been honest with me. Yes, we had a small blip, but in the long term, that was nothing. From the moment we got together he laid out his intentions for me, it’s my own insecurities that keep getting in the way. Maybe I should go to a therapist and work out my family trauma.
“I’m the luckiest guy.” I lean over and kiss him. I’m not letting my insecurity get the best of me anymore. Life is short, grab love by the reins and enjoy.
“That was a long ass flight,” Charlie grumbles as he stretches out his large frame from the chair as we land in Mudgee after changing in Sydney. He was very excited to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as we came into land. Now we are landing out west in the bush, and I’ve warned him to be careful where he puts his feet because of the critters. I think the whole town has come out to greet us at the airport. There are Dirty Texas signs welcoming them to town. Not that there is much to the airport, it’s not much bigger than a tin shed.
“That’s so cute.” Charlie smiles, noticing the fans.
“The boys are well-loved everywhere they go,” I say, grabbing all my things to get off the plane.
“I can see. My sister was or is a huge Dirty Texas fan. I hadn’t told her Jackson’s brother was Finn. I was waiting to surprise her when I got home from deployment and bring her to LA one weekend, where she could meet them, but well, that didn’t happen.” His brows pull together, remembering the reason why. “She got a shock at the hospital when he walked in to see me after seeing Jackson, that was worth being blown up for.”
“Charlie,” I gasp, hitting him, which makes him laugh.
He grabs my hand and pulls me to him, his hand cupping my face. “I make jokes about that day because I won’t let it define me.” He kisses me softly.
“Fine, but I’ll cut a bitch iftheyjoke about it,” I tell him.
“It’s hot when you get all protective over me.” He kisses me again.
“Would you two stop it?” Jackson moans.
“I’ll kiss my man any damn time I like,” Charlie warns his bestie. Jackson raises a brow as a huge smile beams across his face.
“That turn you on, D?” Jackson smirks.
“Damn right it does.”
Jackson shakes his head and walks off the plane as we follow, leaving the families to round up their kids. We head straight to our blackout vans and into the air conditioning. Even though we are heading into winter, it’s still hot, and then we head off toward Stacey’s family’s farm.
“It looks dry,” Charlie remarks as we drive along the highway through the bush to the farm.
“Yeah, we are in a drought right now. They say it should break at the end of the year, they are predicting a wet summer. The farmers are doing it tough,” I explain to him.
“It’s so different from home,” he muses, looking out the window.
“Oh my god, there are kangaroos,” Jackson yells, pointing them out.
“They are everywhere here, you’ll see heaps,” I advise them, which makes them happy.
It’s not long till we are turning into the long driveway of Stacey’s family’s farm.
“Oscar’s been living out here this entire time?” Jackson asks, staring at the starkness of the area.
“From what Stacey has said, he loves it. He’s turned into a true farmer, looking after his bees and chickens.”
Jackson looks at me as if I’m talking Japanese. “Oscar?”
“He’s in full-on dad mode with those kids Stacey said.” Which I think is the cutest and noblest thing the man could do for his lady love. Oscar’s really stepped up to the plate when it comes to Stacey and those kids. He may be the one who was the most commitment-phobic of all the guys, but he’s torn up thatplaybook and is one hundred percent delving into his new life. And there he is with little Lockie on his hip with his arm around Stacey and the kids, waving at us as we arrive along the dusty path to them.
“Whose kid is that?” Jackson asks.
