Page 52

Turning, Sam shook the blanket open and lay it over the grass near the edge of the meadow. They lay down and stared up at the sky, Sam taking Hazel’s hand in his. They lay in silence for a few minutes. Clouds floated by, as if they were taking a lazy stroll through the golden tinged blue of the sky. Hazel sat up and looked out at the sea of bluebells, still not quite believing the scene before her was real. It was like something out of a movie.

“Hazel,” Sam began softly.

She turned to face him, her lips curled into a smile.

Sam’s face stiffened a little. “I think we should talk. I really like you, and I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a while.”

Hazel felt a shiver down her spine as her heart began to pound. Was this it? The conversation?

“I haven’t done this before,” Sam trailed off. “I want to take things to the next step.” He dragged his hand down his face as he sighed deeply. “This sounds so juvenile.” He shook his head. “I want to know if you’ve made up your mind about what you’re going to do.”

Hazel smiled at him as she took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers together. “I’m staying,” she said simply.

The elation on his face was instantaneous. Sam cradled her cheeks in his hands and crushed his lips to hers. Pulling away slightly, his rested he forehead against hers.

“I decided yesterday. I was actually going to bring it up today, but you beat me to it,” Hazel professed as he pulled her into his lap. She was still facing him, so he peppered her face with light kisses.

“Well, now that’s settled, I wanted to ask if you’d officially be my girlfriend?” His golden skin turned crimson as he cleared his throat. “So juvenile,” he muttered.

Hazel chuckled. “I’d love to officially be your girlfriend.”

Sam kissed her again and pulled her with him as he lay back on the blanket. Hazel’s fingers traced his jawline, the stubble from his unshaven face prickly. Sam’s emerald green eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun as he pulled her closer for a kiss.

And it was there, in that moment, pressed together in a meadow of wild bluebells, that Hazel was sure.

It was love.

Sam was lying on his back, Hazel’s arm and chest draped over him. He turned his head to face her. Her cornflower eyes were the same shade as the bluebells. Almost purple, they looked like glittering jewels in the afternoon sun. Sam traced his thumb gently across her forearm, trying to soak up as much of the moment as he could. They’d need to head back soon, before the sun sank behind the hinterland. He didn’t want to have to carry her home in the dark.

“I just realised something,” she said, her voice like velvet.

“Hmm?” Sam continued to gaze into her eyes, forever perplexed by the colour.

“I love you.” A shy smile formed on her face.

Sam guided her hand up to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss on the back of it.

“Hazel,” he said, his voice huskier than usual. “I’ve been waiting so long to hear you say that.”

She grinned. Her smile was so wide, she felt like a fool.

“I love you too.”

She didn’t know her smile could go any wider, but it managed to. He loves me. Her heart felt swollen. This was the most magical moment of her entire life. “I’ve never been in love before,” she admitted.

“Neither have I,” Sam professed back. “But I like how it feels.”

The last of the sun was fast disappearing. Only the glow remained, illuminating the curve of the mountains in the distance.

“We’d better get back.” Sam sat up. He quickly gathered the blanket as Hazel smoothed down her dress. They ran down the hill and through the paddock, laughing together as dusk crept over them.

The following day, Sam found himself humming as he pottered around the house. Usually, housework filled him with dread, but today it seemed to have the opposite effect. The bathrooms were sparkling, and the rest of the house looked like it belonged in a magazine. He had even fluffed the pillows on the couch.

Sam checked the time on his phone. He was meeting up for a beer with his friend Ben, who lived a few towns away, and while he had a little time to spare, he supposed he should start getting ready.

The sun was out in full force, shining through his bedroom window and into the ensuite. He hopped in the shower and turned the water on. Sam spent a few moments under the cool stream, letting the water fall over his body. His mind returned to the previous afternoon. It had been perfect. There was no other word for it.

The sun had set behind them as they lay in the field of flowers, kissing and talking. When he was with her, everything else faded away. It was just the two of them. He was in her orbit, like she’d hung the moon and stars.