Page 18 of Sharing Forever in Hope Creek (Hope Creek #2)
The wayward thought irritated him. This was the twenty-first century, not the dark ages, and there was no societal pressure to marry to make the baby legitimate.
This isn’t about societal pressure, his inner voice taunted, and this isn’t only about legitimising a child. This is about what I want. This is about wanting Callie in my future and by my side.
Shit.
He had to get a grip. He wasn’t some kid hankering after romantic fantasies of a happy ever after.
Swallowing hard, he lectured himself sternly.
He was unable to fathom why it was impossible for his logic to override these errant imaginings.
He was still only getting to know Callie and it was way too early to hear wedding bells.
He reminded himself that a child was better off being raised in a shared custody arrangement rather than in a toxic marriage. He wouldn’t do that to his child, to Callie, or to himself.
But there’s nothing you’ve seen in Callie that suggests it would be a toxic relationship. And … if you and Callie are as compatible out of bed as you are in bed …?
There was no question about their chemistry. Every time their eyes met, each time they touched, the sexual chemistry flared between them. Hell! Jack didn’t even need to see Callie walk into a room. She had a presence that called to him so he knew the moment she was there.
Every second they were within each other’s radius he was so aware of her.
Every time he saw her, he battled to remind himself of the reasons why they shouldn’t become lovers again straight away. He wasn’t sure how much longer either of them could resist the pull of attraction.
Time, he told himself firmly. Give it time.
His inner voice laughed at him. How things can change in a week!
He’d gone from a man who’d never seen marriage as part of his future to one who now admitted that all his protesting had been a smokescreen and that he’d craved a settled future and the stability of family since his childhood.
So much introspection in a week!
The music stopped and Jack gave himself a mental shake. He was here for Mitch today. He needed to stop thinking like a prospective groom and focus on being groomsman for one of his closest mates.
Tearing his gaze away from Callie, he watched as Stella hugged Jim, then Blue, before Jim gave her hand to Mitch.
‘Welcome, friends and family,’ Stacey began. ‘What a wonderful occasion this is as we witness the marriage between Stella and Mitchell—a couple who were always meant to be together. And how great to see that almost our entire community is here for this joyous celebration.’
‘I wouldn’t have missed it!’ someone called out from the back of the gathering. ‘Never thought I’d see Blue in a suit!’
‘You sure are a sight to behold, Blue,’ another person called out.
There was laughter from the locals and a few uncertain chuckles from the international guests who weren’t quite sure how to take the heckling from a guest. No doubt they would’ve expected this to be a very formal occasion, but that wasn’t quite how things happened at Hope Creek.
Despite having the ceremony interrupted before it had even begun, Stacey laughed along with everyone.
‘I met these two long before I was a celebrant. I had the privilege of being their teacher at high school. And, for those of you who met them later in life, let me tell you that they were inseparable best friends.’ Stacey continued, ‘Every time Mitchell was holidaying with his aunt, Liz would tell me that if Mitchell and Stella weren’t at the Richardsons, Stella was with him at the farm.
So it’s no surprise that we’re all together today because Stella and Mitchell have finally found their way back to each other and have returned home to Hope Creek, where they belong together. ’
There were a few claps and cheers from the gathering.
‘Before we begin the official part of the ceremony and hear the beautiful vows of commitment they have written for each other, I’d like you to know that Stella and Mitchell have chosen this exact spot to say their vows and make their commitment to each other because they believe that this gum tree represents the enduring rural landscape, and they believe that their love for each other will be as enduring as this land and as resilient as the life that inhabits it.
’ The celebrant said in a more serious tone, ‘We know that they have already had to weather firestorms in their lives and we have seen that they’ve not only survived, but they’ve been like some forms of banksia—regenerating after they’ve faced the fire and now they’re thriving. ’
Jack’s gaze met Callie’s and she smiled shyly at him. He smiled back at her, wondering whether their feelings for each other would grow to be strong enough to weather any firestorms that would come their way. Hopefully there wouldn’t be too many of those storms.
‘May the love Stella and Mitch feel for each other reach the great heights of this gum under which they stand,’ the celebrant continued, ‘and may it provide strong roots to keep them anchored to all that’s important in life and to each other.
Above all, we wish them a long and happy lifetime together, a relationship in which they will support each other and grow, and we also wish them the blessing of children. ’
‘Here! Here!’ was the rousing chorus before the official part of the ceremony commenced.
Jack had been to plenty of weddings before, but nothing as unique as this one. The love that flowed around the gathering was palpable.
It flowed between Stella and Mitch. It flowed between the community members who were gathered.
Even though he hadn’t known Callie long, there was a strong current that flowed between them every time their eyes met—an invisible bond between them that pulled them towards each other; and in less than six months’ time, they would share the bond of parenthood.
Everyone he’d spoken to referred to Hope Creek as a close community, and Jack felt the closeness first-hand. This would be a great place to bring up children and he understood Mitchell’s determination to bring his son, Kade, back to Australia from the US to be raised here.
While Stella and Mitch made their vows, Jack’s thoughts flew to the logistics of basing himself here.
While Callie continued to work in Melbourne, he could work out of the company’s office there.
When Callie decided she was ready to move back to Hope Creek, if they weren’t living together, he could live at the golf resort.
It wouldn’t be difficult to charter a flight from Lancaster to anywhere he needed to go for work.
But it’d probably be easier long term to shift the base of operation to Melbourne so he was only a few hours’ drive away from the main base of operations.
He’d have to think on that one and consider the disruption to his personnel, but Jack wanted to be wherever his child was growing up.
The truth was he also wanted to be with Callie.
Receiving the smile she sent him now, he was certain she felt the same way.
He looked over at where Kade sat in the front row, awaiting his cue to spring into action to fulfil his job as pageboy and deliver the wedding rings.
Mitch was doing a great job raising Kade.
Jack reassured himself that whether Callie delivered a son or a daughter, he’d forge a close relationship with their child. It was like Mitch had told him—his past didn’t need to determine his future.