*
When I arrive at Kingi’s house, he’s obviously seen Dennis pull up because he’s standing there, waiting. He holds out a hand. Dangling from his forefinger is a key with a white ribbon tied to it. He smiles. “I’m hoping to tempt you.”
I take it from him. Then I burst into tears.
“Shit,” he says. “That wasn’t what was supposed to happen.”
“Sorry,” I squeak. “It’s been a bit of a tough few hours.”
“Aw. Come and tell me all about it.”
He takes my hand and leads me through the house, and we cuddle up on the sofa. I tell him everything, about Dad and Mark and the business, and about Tamati and Ria. He tells me about his Dad and the fact that he’s probably going to move out of the house and start divorce proceedings.
“Everything’s changing,” I murmur, resting my cheek on his shoulder. It’s growing dark outside, the sun about to disappear below the horizon. The sky is the color of an eggplant, with a touch of orange where the last piece of sunlight remains.
“Yeah.” He kisses the top of my head. “But it’s not all bad.”
I lift my face to his, and we exchange a long kiss.
“Oh, I had an idea,” I say when he eventually lifts his head. “I was thinking about the gardening business, and about the Foundation. And I thought that if you wanted, you could always ask any of the youngsters if they were interested in gardening and plants, and if they were, we could run some kind of apprenticeship. We could train them in the basics and offer them a certificate at the end, and maybe give some of them a job, if we start growing enough.”
“That’s a fantastic idea. I was thinking about working with local businesses like garage workshops or electricians to offer the kids different pathways to jobs. Schools tend to drive kids toward university because they need to make their quotas, but university isn’t for everyone, and too many kids are leaving uni with degrees and heaps of debt, and they still can’t find jobs. So yes. Some kind of gardening apprenticeship would be a great idea.”
He kisses me again, then lifts his head and strokes my cheek. “Are you okay about seeing Tamati today?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I was kind of upset with Ria, that she thought that bringing him into the house was okay.”
“It was a tad insensitive. What are you going to do?”
I pick up the key where it’s resting on the sofa beside me and study it. Then I look up at him. “I thought… that I might move in with you. I don’t want you to think this is the only reason… I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and—”
“I don’t care.” He shrugs, his whole face alight with pleasure. “I don’t mind what the motivation was. I just want you here.”
“Maybe we should trial it for a week or something,” I say hesitantly, “and if you think it isn’t working, we can reassess and talk about it…”
He just laughs. “Whatever.” Then he takes my face in his hands. “I adore you, Chessie Ross. Right here, right now, I absolutely adore you. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. You make me feel complete. I want you… I need you… and the thought of being able to wake up next to you every morning and go to bed with you at night fills me with joy.”
He presses his lips to mine, and kisses me, and kisses me, and kisses me, until I’m breathless and laughing. And then he wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly, while the last touch of color fades from the sky, the stars begin to twinkle, and the moon rises over us, casting us in her silvery glow.
Epilogue
December 8th
Kingi
It’s a beautiful early summer’s day, and as we approach the roundabout to take the turning toward Waitangi, the Bay of Islands lies spread out before us, breathtakingly beautiful.
Orson is driving, I’m in the passenger seat, and Chessie and Scarlett are sitting in the back, chatting. It’s Chessie’s birthday today, and the four of us have taken some time off work to go on a weekend break together to celebrate. We’re staying in a gorgeous exclusive resort outside the small town of Kerikeri, just twenty minutes away, and today we’ve told the girls that we’re taking them to the Waitangi Treaty House.
We’re not, though. And Orson and I are both kinda nervous about it.
I glance at him, and he meets my gaze before blowing out a breath and returning his eyes to the road. I chuckle, although nerves bubble in my stomach, too. This is a bit of a risk, but we’re hoping it’ll pan out well.
“Whoa,” Scarlett says, “you just missed the turning!” She gestures as Orson drives past the turnoff for the Treaty House.
“Actually,” he replies, “we’re going somewhere different today. We have a surprise planned for you.”
I look over my shoulder. The girls exchange a glance, clearly puzzled as they both realize the other knows nothing about this. “What’s this about?” Chessie asks, looking back at me.