‘Okay. Here goes. Big risk time. I want you to move in and make Bramble Cottage your home. When baby bean arrives, I want it to be her home too and I want to help you with her. I really hope you’ll say yes and help turn this place into the family home it should be. However, I can’t be certain that you feel the same way about me as I do about you. You said no once before, but I know why. I guess I said no to you too in Stardust too so we’re equal in the rejection stakes.’ He reached into his pocket again. ‘I love you, Elise, and I want to be with you, but I love our friendship too and, if that’s where you want the relationship to stay, I completely understand. I hope you’ll accept the keyring and everything that means, and I’d like you to pick one more charm to add to it.’ He opened his palm and arranged two more charms on it. ‘The hands shaking are for friendship or you can go for broke and have my heart. Or you can tell me I’ve completely overstepped the mark and I can shove my keyring where the sun doesn’t shine.’
I wiped my wet cheeks and slowly reached out my hand. ‘If you’re absolutely sure, I’d like to accept these.’ I picked the keyring and key off his knee. ‘That cottage I saw before the wedding was perfect, but I couldn’t bring myself to say yes to it when all I could picture was bean and me living here with you and Bonnie. I’d love to move in.’
Stevie grinned, dimples flashing. ‘That’s a relief. I wasn’t completely off the mark.’
‘No, you weren’t. As for the extra charm, I’d like to go for this one please.’ I reached forward and picked up the hands shaking.
Stevie’s dimples disappeared as he lowered his eyes to see the heart left in his palm. ‘Oh well. It was worth a try.’ He curled his hand into a loose fist and smiled weakly at me.
‘Not so fast on jumping to conclusions,’ I said, placing my hand over his fist. ‘I’ve picked the friendship charm because I personally believe that a strong friendship is the basis for all successful relationships. I know it may not have ended well, but my marriage to Gary worked for a long time because we were best friends and my brief encounter with Daniel didn’t work because we weren’t. You and I have a great friendship, which is why our relationship is going to work. At the risk of being labelled greedy, I’d like this too.’ I unfurled his fist and took hold of the silver heart. ‘And I give you mine in return. But I have to be absolutely sure you know what you’re doing. I’m carrying Daniel’s baby. That’s a huge ask. Have you really thought it through?’
Stevie reached out and tenderly stroked my cheek. ‘I’ve done nothing but think about it since I found you at Lighthouse Cove with your first scan picture and you said you’d have chosen me if things had been different. That one comment gave me so much hope. I know I ran away like a startled rabbit, but it was only because I knew that, if I stayed any longer, I’d blurt out how I felt and I wasn’t sure the timing was right for you to hear it. I want to be with you and I don’t see your pregnancy as a problem. For me, that baby girl is an added bonus. Not only would I get to spend the rest of my life with the woman I love, but I get a baby daughter too. It doesn’t get much better than that. So stop worrying that it’s a huge burden, will you? Because you couldn’t be further from the truth. Do you believe me?’
I nodded as another tear slipped down my cheek and Stevie wiped it gently.
‘Are you sure I haven’t pushed you into this?’ he asked. ‘Was the keyring too much? Clare said suggesting you move in here might scare you off but it was killing me viewing those houses with you when all I could do was picture you and baby bean here with Bonnie and me. I wondered if I should have just asked you on a date again, but I didn’t think we had the luxury of time. You needed somewhere to live before the birth and I just thought why not let it be here?’
‘Back up a minute,’ I said. ‘You mentioned Clare…?’
Stevie wrinkled his nose. ‘I wasn’t meant to say anything. Please don’t be mad at her. All she did was give me a little hope at the wedding that you might feel the same way as me. When I got your text on Christmas Eve, I dared to believe that maybe she was right. Then she called me and pretty much ordered me to grow some and jump you. I decided to go for the gentler approach.’
I laughed. ‘She is right. I love you too, Stevie. So much that it hurts. I really do want to move in and I really do want to be with you. Now can we stop talking because there’s something I’ve been dying to do?’
‘What’s that?’
I leaned forward and wrapped my arms round his neck. ‘This.’
For the third time, our lips met and this time neither of us needed to pull away. I closed my eyes as I melted into the most amazing kiss of my lifetime. Soft, sensuous, and absolutely perfect. Last year had been about getting over Gary and finding myself. With my re-found interest in writing, standing up to Gary’s mother and standing up to mine too, I’d finally achieved that. This year was about starting over with Stevie and I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be or anyone I’d rather be with. Happy New Year? Yes, and Happy New Life too.