perfect romantic scenario in which he could reveal how he felt about Cora, hopefully with a positive response.
Emphasis on the hopefully. Because romantic gestures weren’t Trent’s forte. He was a simple guy—a steak and two veg guy, a small town, enjoy a few beers and watch the stars kinda guy. Maybe Cora was used to private limos and champagne dinners and little blue boxes.
But to Trent that wasn’t love.
Love? You’re jumping straight to love with a woman you’ve known only a month?
But this month hadn’t been any ordinary month. They’d lived together, played house, and gotten to know each other in ways he’d never known another person. They’d shared their dreams. Shared secrets about themselves.
It was like cramming a whole year of a relationship into thirty days.
He walked out onto the back deck and stepped down onto the grass of Liv’s backyard. A red and white checked picnic blanket was sprawled out, with a basket of food from all the best local vendors—bread from the Wattle & Oat bakery, wine from T’Gallant, fruit from the local market, and his mum’s town-famous lamingtons.
“You beauty!” Joe the cockatoo arrived with a squawk and a flap of his wings, settling down next to the blanket and doing his little waddle across to where the cheese sat.
Trent clapped his hands. “This isn’t for you. I’ve got something very special planned here and I don’t want your grubby little claws messing it up.”
The cockatoo craned his head up as if to say, Who, me? I wouldn’t do that.
“Yeah right, I know better than to trust a scavenger.” Trent tried to shoo the bird away, but Joe would not be so easily scared from the feast of all feasts. “Come on, this is a special night. I don’t want you messing it up.”
“Arrrk! Bugger off.” Joe bobbed his head.
“No, you bugger off.” Trent crouched down to meet the bird at eye level. “Seriously, mate. Do me a favor, okay?”
Joe cocked his head. “Pretty boy.”
“I’ve got a special lady staying tonight, and I want it to be romantic.” Trent reached for a cracker and snapped it in half, the bird’s beady black eyes laser locked on the tasty morsel. “I’m going to pour her a drink, feed her some delicious food, and ask her…”
His gaze flicked to the back door, catching movement inside the house. A glimpse of Cora’s long legs and wild hair could be seen as she dropped her bag and keys onto the dining table.
“I’m going to ask her to give us a chance.” Trent sucked in a breath and gave the cracker to the bird, who munched happily, sending a shower of cracker crumbs all over the blanket. Sighing, Trent gave him the other half and brushed the mess away. “So give me some space, all right? This is a big deal.”
Understatement of the century. Trent never thought he’d be in this position again, liking someone enough to put himself in the firing line. Sure, there’d been other women he’d crushed on and dated briefly—but none of those times had felt real. They were pleasing distractions. Enjoyable detours from adult life. Not something that would stop him in his tracks and make him question everything he thought he wanted.
But Cora did.
And tonight he was going to ask her to give them a chance. “Got any advice, old bird?”
Joe the cockatoo stomped around, swinging his head from side to side. The crest fanned out, showing off brilliant gold feathers.
“I don’t know what that means, but I’ll take it as a sign of encouragement.” He laughed. “You’d like it if she stayed, wouldn’t you, buddy? Yeah, me too. It’s unexpected, but she makes me…”
The back door swung open, and Cora emerged, a floor-length cotton dress in yellow and white swirling around her feet. Her fluffy cloud of hair bounced around her shoulders as she walked, and the smile on her lips was brighter than the most brilliantly polished diamond.
For a moment Trent wondered if his heart had stopped. “She makes me wild.”
“Bloody oath!” Joe bobbed up and down as Cora came closer.
“What are you two whispering about?” she asked, her gaze swinging from bird to man and back again. Trent gave a cavalier shrug, belying the anxious knotted sensation in his stomach. “I don’t know which one of you is more trouble.”
She walked straight over to Trent and slipped her arms around his neck, rising up on her toes and kissing him. His muscles automatically tightened, sealing her body to his, telling her what he