Jonah waited, expecting someone to tell him it was a mistake. No one, not even Felix, seemed to think Kaylah joining him was a bad idea. Even his aunt and uncle were delighted and reminded them to bring their bathing suits. The February weather was gloriously warm, and they recommended swimming at the nearby beach.

The drive passed quickly as Kaylah happily chatted about her job and the latest ideas she had for women in their 50s and 60s. “So many of the clothing hacks are tailored to younger women who are slim and can get away with not wearing a bra. Your mum commented how she and her friends loved my ideas but wanted something they could wear.”

“I think my ears are bleeding from talking about my mum, her friends, and their bras,” he chuckled. He leaned back in his seat as Kaylah drove them in her convertible.

“Do you mind me driving?” she asked, as though reading his thoughts.

“Not at all. I sold my car and was going to use my dad’s. Yours is nicer,” he said with a grin.

“Tell me about the outfit that made you go viral?” He leaned back into his seat and felt his body sag into the leather. He was feeling relaxed and happy. He didn’t need someone to tell him it was because it was a beautiful day and he was spending time with someone he liked…a lot.

“My friend, Emily, had a work function but was on a tight budget. I found this pretty dress that was nice but not quite right. So I bought a second of the same dress, turned it upside down, sewed them together and with a little imagination, some accessories and ribbon, I created a new dress for her for under fifty dollars.”

“That sounds great, but how did it go viral?” He shifted in his seat so he could look at her.

“A bit of luck, really. She posted a picture of herself on social media and tagged the department store I’d bought the dresses from. The post was noticed by some savvy mums who loved the outfit, and of course the company. A few shares by them on Facebook resulted in the post being shared thousands of times.”

She looked at him. “When the media contacted Emily about the dress, she referred them to me. Your brother handled all the PR for me, and within two weeks, I had the job of a lifetime. It’s like a dream come true.” Her smile was wide. “I get paid to do something I’m not only good at, but also that I love. But without Felix, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“You did all the hard work,” he said with reassurance, reminding her she was talented, not her fiancé. “What you’ve achieved is incredible. You should be proud of what you have done.”

“If I hadn’t been fostered by Elaine, things might have turned out differently for me. I would’ve ended up on the streets. I was an angry, moody teen. No one wanted me. And could I blame them?” She shrugged. “I wasn’t lovable.”

“But you are now?”

“Loveable? Because I’m successful?”

“You’re twisting my words when I’m trying to compliment you. I was just trying to say something nice, that’s all.”

The skin around her jaw softened. “Sorry. Compliment accepted. Thank you.”

His phone pinged and he checked the message. “Aunty Sabina just let me know that Uncle Frank didn’t sleep well last night and suggested we have a swim and lunch before picking them up.” He turned to look at her. “Is that okay?”

The smile she gave him made him sigh. “It’s a glorious day, and I’m spending the day with a handsome guy who gives me compliments. What do you think?”

He knew she was teasing him. It came across in her voice, but having her see him as handsome, even if it was a jibe, made him wonder if he should avoid too much alone-time with her. He loved his family, she was kind to his parents, she was almost too good to be true.

He could see his heart breaking again, just like it had a year ago.

* * *

Last night Kaylah had questioned her decision to spend the day with Jonah. He had a temper, was moody and never seemed to have anything nice to say to her.

Apart from following her on social media, he’d never really made time to get to know her.

Felix had dismissed her concerns, suggesting she was reading too much into it. “He’s a good guy,” he’d say.

Jonah hadn’t attended their engagement party and his congratulations message to her had been so curt she’d wondered if he was even happy to welcome her to the family.

At least he was being nice to her on the drive, she thought with relief. He’d been asking questions about her that made her think he was genuinely interested in her, and perhaps this was his way of getting to know her. He was a self-confessed IT-geek and obviously wasn’t as charismatic as his brother. Her heart sank at the realisation that she’d been quick to judge him.

She stole a quick look at him. The two brothers had a family resemblance but Jonah was different than Felix. His manner was more relaxed and he didn’t seem to mind living in the shadow of Felix’s loud personality. Jonah was comfortable in who he was. She liked that. She liked two brothers who were different but each loved and respected the other, and she felt her heart glow with excitement and warmth that in a few days she would be officially part of this caring family.

Cranking up the volume on the radio, she sang happily, not caring that her voice wasn’t great. It was a perfect summer’s day and she was enjoying some time away from the pressures of the wedding. Not that she really cared about the serviette colours or which songs the band would play.

The focus for her was family.

Had it been left to her, the wedding would’ve been a simple affair with a church wedding and an afternoon tea in the Randall’s garden. But she’d been too ashamed to admit she’d never been to church and had never had any religion in her childhood. The shame of setting foot in a church for the first time on her wedding day was more than she would admit to. And it was likely disrespectful as well. Hence, she’d been all too happy to allow Eleanor to organise a tasteful wedding at a reception centre.

She may not be in love with Felix, but she loved him enough to ensure the wedding would be special for him and his family.

“I hate this song,” he muttered.

“Really? I love it,” she said, bouncing in her seat in time to the beat. “And what music do you like?”

“Rock. This pop music is not for me. I want drums, guitar, and some rhythm, not this boppy stuff.”

“Can I tempt you with The Beatles?”

“You serious?” He sat straighter in his seat and he smiled with anticipation.

“Sure.” She fiddled with the dials and soon enough John Lennon’s voice was coming through the speakers.

“Much better, thank you. I didn’t expect you’d listen to The Beatles.”

“I like a range of music but anything I can sing along with is my favourite.” She paused. “I know I’m not the best singer, but since this is my car, you’ll have to put up with my voice.”

“Since I can’t hold a note, I’ll happily sing along with you, off key.”

Their shared laughter lifted her heart and made her see him differently. She liked this relaxed, happy side of him that Felix had told her about, but she’d never had the chance to see. . .till now.

She’d volunteered to come along with him today because she wanted to get away from the fussing of the wedding. A drive sounded like a good idea, even if it was with Jonah the Cranky-Puss. But with his cheeky grin and laid-back manner, she was finding it hard to equate the guy seated next to her with the guy who hadn’t been so welcoming to her over the past year. He may have been living in a different country but he hadn’t tried to get to know her. Not even sending her a Merry Christmas message.

She decided in that moment to focus on developing a good relationship with Jonah. She had one with everyone else in the Randall family, so why not with him?

Soon enough they reached the beach and she easily found a parking spot. “Not busy today,” she looked around. “Looks like it’s mainly the locals around.”

He rolled his head, stretching out the kinks. “It’s a weekday, and most people come here over the weekend.”

“Of course,” she grinned.

He pointed to the gentle waves and the bluer-than-blue water. “Swim first?”

“Sure.” She was hot in her denim jacket and was ready to cool off in the water.

They took what they needed from the car, and made their way to the beach. On the sand, they spread out their towels and sat in the sun. “What a day,” she sighed looking at the waves, feeling the warmth of the sun’s rays caress her skin.

“I brought a boogie board for you,” he said pointing to the large bag. “Do you want to use it?”

“I’d love that, thank you,” she said, undressing. She’d worn her black bikini under her clothes and within seconds was ready to hit the waves. The beach was part of the bay, not an ocean beach. But despite the waves being small, they looked inviting, and the sparkle of the water tempted her to jump in.

She caught him looking at her, but he quickly turned his head as if embarrassed. “Something wrong?”

A puzzled look crossed his eyes. “No, nothing.”

He fiddled with the bag, handed her a board and then undressed before grabbing the second board for himself.

She swallowed her tongue and tried not to ogle. It was wrong, and she was sure checking out your brother-in-law-to-be was a definite no-no.

Unlike Felix, who waxed his chest and arms because he preferred a hairless appearance, Jonah had that more masculine, rough look that she didn’t realise she preferred till now.

Felix was very much into body image and had more beauty products than she did. He was handsome, and he knew it. It had never bothered her that Felix manscaped and spent more time on grooming than she. Hiding behind a pair of shades, she looked at the smattering of chest hair Jonah had. Like his brother, he had rock hard abs, but they looked like they were from outdoor exercise rather than from working out in a gym.

His skin was toned from the sun, rather than a chemical spray, and she had to refrain from wanting to reach out and run her fingers down the valleys and slopes on his belly.

Crap. There was something wrong with her. Lack of sleep. Too much chocolate? Whatever it was, she had to stop comparing the brothers and remind herself she was marrying Felix, the guy who’d looked after and cared for her.

Jonah held out his hand to her, pulling her to a standing position. “Ready?”

“Sure,” she said, walking beside him to the water. The cool water splashed on her toes and she took a moment to take in a few breaths of warm, salty air, before walking into the deliciously cold water.

Ignoring the way his board shorts sat snugly on his hips and his contoured flat belly, she instead focussed on the waves and the simple joy of swimming at a beach.

An hour passed quickly as they paddled on their boards and caught the waves in to shore. Something so much fun, and something she realised she’d never done with Felix. She made a mental note to find time to surf with him, too.

“Do you want a break?” he asked.

“Thanks, I could use a drink,” she said.

“Mum and I packed water and snacks for us,” he said pointing to his knapsack next to the towels.

“That was so thoughtful of you both. I’m so lucky Eleanor will be my mother-in-law,” she said placing her hands over her chest. She’d be the mother she never had. It was one of the reasons she’d been happy to let her handle the wedding details. They weren’t important to her, but they were important to Eleanor. The joy in Eleanor’s eyes when she’d given her full direction in organising the wedding had meant so much to her, and she knew she’d made the right decision. Eleanor was a planner and thrived on designing the table centrepieces and ensuring they coordinated with the men’s boutonnieres. Kaylah didn’t care much about it. The wedding wasn’t about the day itself and how many candied almonds there were in the bonbonnieres. It was about creating a family unit.

Seated on their towels, he opened the bag, and using his boogie as a table, spread out the fare for them to enjoy. “Cut fruit, crackers, olive dip and cheese,” he pointed to the array of small containers.

“You packed this for us?” she asked, surprised he went to so much effort for her, especially since he seemed so apathetic around her.

He nodded but didn’t say anything.

With his hat shading his face and his sunglasses protecting his eyes, she was unable to read his reaction. Dismissing any worry, she covered her wet hair with a large 70s style sun hat and nibbled on a piece of watermelon, cold and refreshing.

“It’s perfect and nicely chilled,” she said before scooping some dip on a cracker and popping it into her mouth. “I didn’t realise how hungry I would be after all that surfing and swimming,” she added brightly.

“You’re welcome,” he said with a tilt of his head.

They didn’t talk much while eating, and before long all the containers were empty.

“Thank you again. I really enjoyed that, and it was very thoughtful of you.”

“It’s fine,” he said, seemingly embarrassed.

She made a note not to gush so much around him. Obviously, he didn’t like praise, a contrast to his brother.

He looked at his waterproof watch. “Perhaps we should get going. I’d like to collect my aunt and uncle and head back to Melbourne. You must have a lot to do.”

“To be honest, your mum has done almost everything,” she confessed. “I’m very grateful for her help and I know she loves it, but there isn’t much for me to do. “Tomorrow Felix and I are picking up the bonbonniere.”

The skin between his eyebrows creased. “Should I know what that is?”

She gave his arm a playful punch and ignored the rock hard feel of his muscles. “They’re the gifts we’re giving to the guests.”

“Of course,” he said with a wink. “Did you choose something traditional or unique?”

“I’ve gone traditional. I sourced these gorgeous paper boxes and we’re adding iced almonds and chocolates to them,” she said with pride. It was one of the few details she’d managed. She loved the tiny boxes with their pretty cut out designs. “I found a company that employs people with disabilities and they have a range of amazing paper products. I’m getting the boxes from them. In fact, after the wedding, I’ll be promoting them on social media. I’d love for the company to be more widely known.”

“Will PricePoint have an issue with you promoting another company?” he asked in a serious tone. “How does working for yourself impact your job?”

“Both are good questions.” She did a mock two-finger salute and clicked her tongue. “It was one of the areas that I needed to have addressed before I started working there. Felix, as usual, negotiated this for me and it’s in my contract. I can only promote products they don’t sell. I can’t promote candles or bath towels or clothes. But these boxes are unique so it’s okay. I do, however, check with my manager because I don’t want to do anything to jeopardise my job.”

“Felix is your biggest fan,” he said.

“Yep, he’s very supportive of my career. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him. I’m so grateful to him.”

“But you love him, right. You’re not just marrying him because he got you a job,” he said. The words were said lightly but the tightness around his jaw told her that he would do anything to protect his brother. When it was the right time, she’d tell him the truth, but now was not that time. “Of course I do,” she said. Felix was a wonderful boyfriend and now fiancé. She may not be in love with him, but that was between Felix and herself. “That’s a strange thing to say.”

“You’re very happy together, but you always talk about him getting you the job and giving you a family.” He cleared his throat. “I’m not an expert on marriage but you two don’t seem to be. . .um, I don’t know how to say this delicately and without offending you but,” he cleared his throat again, “most couples seem to be all over each other, especially as you’ve been together under a year. Even at the family dinner a year ago and last night, you two acted more like best friends rather than lovers.” He scratched his head in obvious embarrassment. “I don’t know, maybe you two were just being polite in front of the family.”

God, he was so observant. No one else had hinted or said anything, yet Jonah, who’d been back in the country for less than one day, had observed so much.

He was right. She really liked Felix and was looking forward to them being married. He was a considerate lover and the sex was good, but there was no spark. They both knew it, but it suited them because they were each making allowances to get what they wanted out of their marriage.

Her focus shifted from him to the waves, and she watched them roll and hit the sand. The continual motion soothed her as she sought the right words to reassure Jonah. She wasn’t worried about him confronting Felix, because they were close and she was sure he’d tell him the truth. She wondered if he had done so already.

“I don’t have to tell you that Felix has had enough girlfriends to know what he’s doing. He knows what I’m like and doesn’t put pressure on me.” Thanks to her crappy family life, she found it hard to trust. For her, making love was about trust and giving yourself openly and honestly to your lover. It had taken time for her to relax with Felix, and she was grateful that he was understanding. But she didn’t need to confess to Jonah about her insecurities; that was between her and Felix.

“Okay,” he said, but didn’t sound convinced.

“When I offered to join you today, I didn’t think we’d be having such an intimate discussion.” She felt her cheeks warm, and it had nothing to do with the hot sun. Perhaps spending so much time with him wasn’t right. She’d been expecting to be with him for an hour or so, but their time together had been extended.

He seemed genuinely interested in her work and relationship with his brother. This wasn’t what she’d been envisaging when she’d offered to join him.

And worse, she’d been checking him out. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

He would soon be her brother-in-law and she just needed to be friends with him. Admiring his rock-hard abs, lean hips and long, strong legs made her feel ashamed. She didn’t want to come between the brothers. And she would never do anything to compromise their relationship.

They weren’t close just because they were brothers; they were close because they genuinely liked each other, speaking to each other regularly and helping each other out. She’d heard this repeatedly, not just from Felix, but also from his parents and other members of the family.

It was why she’d only spoken privately to Felix when Jonah hadn’t attended their engagement party. Felix had dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. “If he’s not coming, there’s a good reason for it,” he’d said. He was upset not to see his brother, but the unconditional love she saw between them made her heart ache in varying ways. She’d never had this in her own family but at least she’d have it once she was married. She’d just moved on; it was her nature and the way she managed issues in her life. She didn’t dwell. She just kept going. She accredited her success to her driven and hard-working attitude. Moping and complaining about the past was not for her. She wanted the best for herself and her marriage.

The sun had warmed her skin and dried her bikini, while she’d been reflecting on Felix and Jonah. Shaking her head and pushing away any thoughts that shouldn’t be there, she quickly dressed. “I’m ready,” she announced.

He stuffed the boogie boards in the bags.“PricePoint must love you promoting their products.”

“Of course. That was one of the selling points of Felix’s spiel. He focussed on the increased revenue and sales they would get,” she explained. “Over Christmas, they sold out of the stacking tree in every store across Australia.”

“A stacking tree? Should I know what that is?”

“Wooden pieces about this long.” Her hands were a foot apart. “I made two different types of wooden trees. One for people who love crafts and the other, an easier one that children or busy people could create. Using fake snow, dollhouse furniture, and twinkle lights, people could create gorgeous dioramas in a box.”

“I saw that online.” He snapped his fingers. “That was very clever. And the wreathes were clever, too.”

His compliment warmed her heart. He had been noticing what she’d been doing, despite living overseas. “Yes, pool noodles and coloured baubles. But you can also use flowers and foliage.” The ‘Jonah of the past year’ who’d never emailed or messaged her was very different from the Jonah who was interested in her work and asking questions. He was nice, really nice. And she was enjoying spending time with him.

She hated that she’d been judgemental not just about but towards him and decided to get to know him better. She reflected on being a kinder person as they walked across the hot sand to their car. After cleaning their feet, Kayla opened the car roof and then she drove them to the retirement home.