‘We’d better make this quick, I’ve got a lot to prepare for when the guests come back to the restaurant to eat,’ Caroline said as Jonathan walked her the short distance from the main barn back to The Cider Kitchen.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,’ Jonathan said lightly. ‘Emma’s been working her socks off all day and Gino’s prepared more or less everything, so it’s just a question of getting things out on time and looking gorgeous while you’re doing it. Which you do, darling.’
‘How fucking patronising can you get?’ Caroline, stunned, stopped walking. ‘I’m not just a pretty face at the door, as you well know.’
‘Quite right,’ Jonathan said gently. He took Caroline’s hand, and with his other hand he rummaged in the inside pocket of his jacket. ‘And I’d like to make that official.’
Caroline tried to take a step back from Jonathan, but he was still holding her hand. ‘What are you doing? You’re not going to get on one knee, are you? I don’t think I can handle that right now.’
Jonathan, preoccupied with getting whatever it was out of his pocket, stopped and looked at her. ‘Just as well that’s not what I’m doing, then.’ Finally, he pulled out his hand. He was holding a thick, cream coloured envelope. Silently, he handed it over to Caroline.
‘What’s this?’
‘Open it,’ Jonathan said gently.
With trembling hands, Caroline slid a finger under the flap of the envelope and then pulled out a thick sheaf of documents. As she unfolded them and read, she gave a gasp.
‘Is this what I think it is?’
‘What do you think it is?’ Jonathan teased.
Caroline glanced from the papers up to Jonathan’s face, which was lit up with a broad smile. He looked as confident and self-assured as the first time she’d seen him, at the top of the aisle at Matthew and Anna’s wedding all those months ago. But he also looked calmer, older somehow.
‘This is the deed of sale for the restaurant,’ Caroline whispered. ‘For the business and the freehold – the building. Transferring ownership of the business, and the bricks and mortar, to me.’
Jonathan nodded. ‘It’s all yours now, Caroline; every last brick, tablecloth and wineglass. And The Cider Kitchen brand, too. It’s my gift to you. What I said earlier about it being your restaurant… it wasn’t a slip of the tongue. It really is yours now. If you want it.’
‘But… you can’t do that,’ Caroline stammered. ‘What about Matthew? What about the cider business?’
Jonathan cleared his throat. ‘We’re Dad’s joint beneficiaries,’ he said softly, ‘Although it’ll probably take months for all the paperwork to be sorted out, I’ve handed over what would have been my share of the cider farm from Dad back to Matthew in exchange for everything connected to The Cider Kitchen. And now I’m handing it to you. That makes Matthew the major shareholder in Carter’s Cider and gives him the autonomy he’s always wanted, and you get everything connected to The Cider Kitchen. Oh, don’t worry,’ he said quickly, seeing the alarm on Caroline’s face, ‘I’ve still got the minor stake in the cider farm and I’m keeping Orchard Cottage as part of the deal, too, so I won’t be out on the street.’
‘But it’s your birth right, too,’ Caroline replied, still stunned by what she was holding in her hand. ‘Why would you give that up?’
‘Because some things are more important,’ Jonathan said softly. ‘And, to me, you’re more important.’ He raised his hands to Caroline’s shoulders and regarded her intently. ‘I need you to know that I’m giving this to you with no strings. You can run things your way and I won’t be there, looking over your shoulder or questioning anything. It’s yours now, all of it. I don’t expect anything in return. Anything.’ He paused, waiting for Caroline to respond. When she seemed, for once, completely incapable of speech, he continued. ‘But, if you need me, if you want me to be there, then I would love to share it with you.’
‘Why?’ Caroline blurted out. ‘Why would you do this for me?’
Jonathan shook his head. ‘You are the most disagreeable, defensive, aggressively stubborn, bad tempered, irritating woman I have ever had the misfortune to meet,’ Jonathan said. ‘You argue with everything I say, you won’t take advice, you’ve single-mindedly ignored everything I’ve ever tried to do to make your life easier and I’ve got stitches in my arm from where I saved you from a drug dealer.’ He drew a deep breath. ‘But, in spite of all that, I’ve fallen in love with you. And I’m standing here wondering why the hell I’m bothering to tell you that because you’re more than likely going to chuck me out on my ear now I’ve insulted you so much.’
Caroline, still stunned, finally spoke. ‘I don’t argue with everything you say.’
‘That’s so you,’ Jonathan said. He looked around in mock astonishment. ‘I’m still here.’
‘Yes,’ Caroline said. She took a step towards him. ‘You are.’ Reaching up to touch his cheek, she shivered as he pressed his face to her hand like a cat. An alley cat; an unneutered tom who needed to claim droit de seigneur over every female who crossed his path. But was that really true anymore? From day one, she’d kept him at arms’ length, emotionally if not physically. She’d been so wary of his reputation, so determined to make sure she didn’t just end up as another notch on his bedpost that she’d been almost cruel in her quest to stay aloof. And really, what had he done to justify that?
‘You’ve saved my skin on so many occasions,’ she said softly. ‘Are you prepared to keep doing that?’
‘In a heartbeat,’ Jonathan whispered.
‘I’m not sure,’ Caroline said wryly. ‘I’ve never liked having my space invaded, and you’re like wood smoke; I can smell you even when you’re not there, I’m aware of your presence hours after you’ve left. I don’t think you ever truly leave me, Jonathan. But, I love you too. Much against my better judgement, and because, after all this time, I can’t not.’
He smiled. ‘I know.’ Reaching up for the hand that was still resting on his cheek, he clasped it in his. ‘I knew quite a while ago, but I thought I’d let you work it out for yourself.’
‘Do you ever stop being insufferably smug about everything?’ Caroline asked, her hand starting to tingle from Jonathan’s warmth and nearness.
‘Not really,’ admitted Jonathan. ‘But this time, Caroline, I need you to know that I’m absolutely serious.’ Drawing her closer, he leaned into her, until his lips were a breath apart from her own. Before Caroline could draw breath to object, Jonathan’s lips had met hers in a kiss so sweet, so gentle, so tentative, that for a moment she didn’t, couldn’t believe that it was him.
‘Marry me, Jonathan,’ Caroline breathed when they broke apart. ‘Not in a year, not in a month, but next week. Marry me, love me, and share this place with me. Please.’
Jonathan smiled. ‘Are you begging me, Caroline Hemingway?’
‘As close as I’ll ever get to it,’ Caroline replied. ‘And I’m not going to repeat it, so you’d better answer.’
‘Then let me do the asking,’ Jonathan said, even though he’d sworn he wouldn’t. ‘Believe it or not, I’m an old fashioned boy at heart.’ He looked her in the eyes. ‘I love you. Will you be my wife?’
Caroline, who up until now had been doing a passable impression of keeping her emotions together, whispered ‘Yes. Yes, I will. For always.’
Grinning broadly, Jonathan’s arms slid around her. ‘I knew you would,’ he replied. And before Caroline could protest, he kissed her again. Drawing her closer to him as the kiss deepened, both of them jumped as Jonathan’s phone started to ring. ‘Oh, go away,’ Jonathan muttered as his lips parted from Caroline’s momentarily.
‘You really should answer that,’ Caroline said wryly, remembering Halloween night when they’d been interrupted by a call from Jonathan’s date. ‘It might actually be important tonight.’
‘Really?’ Jonathan grinned into the kiss. The phone continued to ring. ‘Oh, all right then.’ He rummaged in his jacket pocket and answered the call. ‘Hello?’ Listening intently, a huge grin lifted his features. ‘That’s great news. OK, darling, thanks for letting me know. Wish them both the best of luck when you speak to them later. Oh, and darling,’ Jonathan paused, glancing at Caroline. ‘You were right. You’d better buy a new dress. Yes, that’s right. I’ll see you in a bit. Bye.’
‘Who was that?’ Caroline asked.
Jonathan slipped his phone away and took Caroline’s hand as they walked up the path to the restaurant. ‘It was Merry,’ he said. ‘Anna’s gone into labour so she and Matthew won’t be making it to the celebration dinner after all. They’re on their way to St Michael’s Maternity Hospital as we speak.’
Caroline’s stomach fluttered. ‘I thought she wasn’t booked in for the C-section until next week?’
‘Well, this one’s going to be a little early, it seems,’ Jonathan said. ‘But I’m sure they’ll be fine. Oh, and Merry sends her congratulations,’ he paused. ‘She’s thrilled that you’re going to be her new aunt as well as her boss.’
‘She’d better not expect any special treatment in this place,’ Caroline said, opening the door to The Cider Kitchen. ‘Business before pleasure and all that.’
‘So long as you’re going to break that rule for me, now,’ Jonathan said softly as they both crossed the threshold. ‘After all, we’ve waited long enough.’