Sweet as Honey (The Seven Sisters) - By Caitlyn Robertson Page 0,12

be for him.

“Right.” Jude got off the table and extended his hand to Belle to help her off. “Let’s get going.”

They all stood and spilled outside into the sunny courtyard. The bookshop had closed and the Italian restaurant in the corner was getting ready to open for the evening. The smell of jasmine hung in the air, the last remnant of summer.

Honey hugged the twins, kissed the air by Daisy’s cheek, then threw her arms around Koru, who squeezed her tightly and held her for a brief moment, the only sign she’d had of any emotion beneath his carefully cultivated nonchalant façade. Then they all walked away toward the main road, heading for their cars.

Honey cast a brief glance back over her shoulder. Her father stood in the doorway to the café, a tea towel in his hands, and he gave her a wave when he saw her look around. She waved back, swallowing against the emotion that fluttered in her stomach. Above his head, the sign glinted gold again in the sun, and she made herself take a steadying breath. Yes, he was alone, but they’d made it through the day, and he was going to be all right. He’d go home and Lily would make him dinner, and then when she got in later that night, they’d sit on the deck and have a glass of wine together, and talk a little about memories they had when they were all young. And maybe she’d cry a little, but that was okay. Everything was going to be fine.

Dex squeezed her hand, and she looked up at him. He winked at her before waving goodbye to the others and leading her up the road toward the house he currently shared with Jude in Kerikeri. “I’ll get changed and then we can head to the restaurant. You ready for something to eat?”

“Starving,” she agreed.

“Everything all right?”

She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “Everything’s fine.” And she meant it.

***

Dex had suggested going to the cinema in the hope that it might take Honey’s mind off the day, but he’d worried she would find it difficult to forget her mother’s anniversary, and might even grow upset at times. She didn’t seem particularly emotional, though, and appeared happy enough through dinner, polishing off her rack of lamb and mashed potatoes, followed in her case with chocolate torte and his with another latte. Then they watched the movie, holding hands, and she didn’t object when he snatched the occasional kiss.

Afterward, he took her home. Unusually, the large drive in front of the house held only Cam and Lily’s cars—clearly nobody else had made it home yet. Dex parked and they got out, and without speaking began their favourite walk down to where the river tumbled over the rocks, heading for Rainbow Falls a few miles further downstream.

The sun had set but the moon was nearly full, marbling the rocks white, highlighting the ripples in the river with silver.

He turned her into his arms and kissed her. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good.” She smiled up at him. Her big brown eyes seemed almost black in the moonlight, large in her pale face. She looked ethereal, and suddenly very fragile and vulnerable, and his heart went out to her. Usually this was the time when he started nuzzling her neck and pressing himself up against her, kissing her until they broke away breathless and groaning, but tonight he drew her close to him and rested his cheek on the top of her head, looking up at the moon.

“Dex…”

He kissed her hair. “Yes?”

“Is something bothering you?”

He thought about the letter, the words that circled in his head like flies around rotting meat. “No.”

She drew back. “Are you…” She bit her lip. “Are you having second thoughts? Only I’d rather you tell me now than wait until the last minute…”

Alarm shot through him. “No! God no.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Of course not. I love you. I want to marry you. And I’m desperate to get you in the sack.”

That made her laugh. “I’m glad.”

“Jeez, don’t ever think that, Honey. Don’t worry about me. It’s a busy week for both of us. Everyone gets nervous before the big day. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want it to happen.”

“I guess.” She looked doubtful.

He felt guilty. His fears had manifested as misgivings, and he hated her thinking he’d changed his mind.

He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. “You know the first thing I’m going