Читать книгу What a Westmoreland Wants / Stand-In Bride's Seduction: What a Westmoreland Wants - Yvonne Lindsay, Brenda Jackson - Страница 14

“Wow, this car is gorgeous, but I thought a private car was coming for us.”

Callum looked over at Gemma and smiled as they walked toward the car parked in the hotel’s parking garage. “I decided to have my car brought to me instead.”

“This is your car?” Gemma studied the beautiful, shiny black two-seater sports car.

He chuckled as he opened the door for her. “Yes, this baby is mine.” And so are you, he wanted to say as he watched her slide her legs into the car, getting a glimpse of her beautiful calves and ankles. “I’ve had it now for a few years.”

She glanced up at him. “Weren’t you ever tempted to ship it to Denver? “

“No,” he said with a smile. “Can you imagine me driving something like this around Ramsey’s sheep farm?”

“No, I can’t,” she said, grinning when he got in on the other side and snapped his seat belt into place. “Is it fast?”

“Oh, yes. And you’ll see that it has a smooth ride.”

Callum knew she was sold on the car’s performance moments later when they hit the open highway and she settled back in her seat. He used to imagine things being just like this, with him driving this car around town with the woman he loved sitting in the passenger seat beside him.

He glanced over at her for a second and saw how closely she was paying attention to everything they passed, as if she didn’t want to miss anything. He drew in a deep breath, inhaling her scent right along with it, and felt desire settle into his bones. Nothing new there; he’d wanted Gemma since the first time he’d seen her and knew she would be his.

“This place is simply beautiful, Callum.”

He smiled, pleased that she thought so. “More so than Denver?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Hey, there’s no place like home. I love Denver.”

“I know.” Just as he knew it would be hard getting her to leave Denver to move to Sydney with him. He would have returned home long ago, but he’d been determined not to until he had her with him.

“We’re on our way to your parents’ home?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“Yes. They’re looking forward to meeting you.”

Surprise swept across her face. “Really? Why?”

He wished he could tell her the truth, but decided to say something else equally true. “You’re Ramsey’s sister. Your brother made an impression on them during the six months he lived here. They consider him like another son.”

“He adores them, as well. Your family is all he used to write us about while he was here. I was away at college and his letters used to be so full of adventure. I knew then that he’d made the right decision to turn over the running of the family’s real-estate firm to Dillon and pursue his dream of becoming a sheep rancher. Just as my father always wanted to do.”

He heard the touch of pain in her voice and sensed that mentioning her father had brought back painful memories. “You were close to him, weren’t you?”

When they came to a snag in traffic, he watched her moisten her lips before replying to his question. “Yes. I was definitely a daddy’s girl, but then so were Megan and Bailey. He was super. I can still recall that day Dillon and Ramsey showed up to break the news to us. They had been away at college, and when I saw them come in together I knew something was wrong. But I never imagined the news they were there to deliver.”

She paused a moment. “The pain wouldn’t have been so great had we not lost our parents and Uncle Adam and Aunt Clarisse at the same time. I’ll never forget how alone I felt, and how Dillon and Ramsey promised that, no matter what, they would keep us together. And they did. Because Dillon was the oldest, he became the head of the family and Ramsey, only seven months younger, became second in charge. Together they pulled off what some thought would be impossible.”

Callum recalled hearing the story a number of times from Ramsey. He had hesitated about going to Australia because he hadn’t wanted to leave everything on Dillon’s shoulders, so he’d waited until Bailey had finished high school and started college before taking off for Australia.

“I’m sure your parents would be proud of all of you,” he said.

She smiled. “Yes, I’m sure they would be, as well. Dillon and Ramsey did an awesome job and I know for sure we were a handful at times, some of us more than others.”

He knew she was thinking about her cousin, Bane, and all the trouble he used to get into. Now Brisbane Westmoreland was in the Navy with dreams of becoming a SEAL.

Callum checked his watch. “We won’t be long now. Knowing Mom, she’ll have a feast for lunch.”

A smile touched Gemma’s lips. “I’m looking forward to meeting your parents, especially your mother, the woman who captured your father’s heart.”

He returned her smile, while thinking that his mother was looking forward to meeting her—the woman who’d captured his.

Surprise swept across Gemma’s face when Callum brought his car to the marker denoting the entrance to his family’s ranch. She leaned forward in her seat to glance around through the car’s windows. She was spellbound, definitely at a loss for words. The ranch, the property it sat on and the land surrounding it were breathtaking.

The first thing she noticed was that this ranch was a larger version of her brother’s, but the layout was identical. “I gather that Ramsey’s design of the Shady Tree Ranch was based on this one,” she said.

Callum nodded. “Yes, he fell in love with this place and when he went back home he designed his ranch as a smaller replica of this one, down to every single detail, even to the placement of where the barns, shearing plants and lambing stations are located.”

“No wonder you weren’t in a hurry to return back here. Being at the Shady Tree Ranch was almost home away from home for you. There were so many things to remind you of this place. But then, on the other hand, if it had been me, seeing a smaller replica of my home would have made me homesick.”

He keyed in the code that would open the electronic gate while thinking that the reason he had remained in Denver after helping Ramsey set up his ranch, and the reason he’d never gotten homesick, were basically the same. Gemma. He hadn’t wanted to leave her behind and return to Australia, and he hadn’t, except for the occasional holiday visit. And he truly hadn’t missed home because, as he’d told Meredith, home is where the heart is and his heart had always been with Gemma, whether she knew it or not.

He put the car in gear and drove down the path leading to his parents’ ranch house. The same place where he’d lived all his life before moving into his own place at twenty-three, right out of college. But it hadn’t been unusual to sleep over while working the ranch with his father and brothers. He had many childhood memories of walks along this same path, then bicycle rides, motorcycle rides and finally rides behind the wheel of a car. It felt good to be home—even better that he hadn’t come alone.

He fully expected not only his parents to be waiting inside the huge ranch house, but his brothers and their wives, and his sister and brother-in-law as well. Everyone was eager to meet the woman whose pull had kept him working in North America as Ramsey’s ranch manager for three years. And everyone was sworn to secrecy, since they knew how important it was for him to win Gemma’s heart on his turf.

She was about to start getting to know the real Callum Austell. The man she truly belonged to.

When Callum brought the car to a stop in front of the sprawling home, the front door opened and a smiling older couple walked out. Gemma knew immediately that they were his parents. They were a beautiful couple. A perfect couple. Soul mates. Another thing she noted was that Callum had the older man’s height and green eyes and had the woman’s full lips, high cheekbones and dimpled smile.

And then, to Gemma’s surprise, following on the older couple’s heels were three men and three women. It was easy to see who in the group were Callum’s brothers and his sister. It was uncanny just how much they favored their parents.

“Seems like you’re going to get to meet everyone today, whether you’re ready to do so or not,” Callum said.

Gemma released a chuckle. “Hey, I have a big family, too. I remember how it was when I used to come home after being away at college. Everyone is glad to see you come home. Besides, you’re your parents’ baby.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Baby? At thirty-four, I don’t think so.”

“I do. Once a baby always a baby. Just ask Bailey.”

Just a look into his green eyes let her know he still wasn’t buying it. He smiled as he opened the door to get out and said, “Just get ready for the Austells.”

By the time Callum had rounded the car to open the door for her to get out, his parents, siblings and in-laws were there and she could tell that everyone was glad to see him. Moments later she stood, leaning against the side of his car, and watched all the bear hugs he was receiving, thinking there was nothing quite like returning home to a family who loved you.

“Mom, Dad, everyone, I would like you to meet Gemma Westmoreland.” He reached out his hand to her and she glanced over at him a second before moving away from the car to join him where he stood with his family.

“So you’re Gemma,” Le’Claire Austell said, smiling after giving Gemma a hug. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

Surprise lit up Gemma’s features. “You have?”

The woman smiled brightly. “Of course I have. Ramsey adores his siblings and would share tales with us about you, Megan, Bailey and your brothers, as well as all the other Westmorelands all the time. I think talking about all of you made missing you while he was here a little easier.”

Gemma nodded and then she was pulled into Callum’s dad’s arms for a hug and was introduced to everyone present. There was Callum’s oldest brother, Morris, and his wife, Annette, and his brother, Colin, and his wife, Mira. His only sister Le’Shaunda, whom everyone called Shaun, and her husband, Donnell.

“You’ll get to meet our three grands at dinner,” Callum’s mom was saying.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Gemma replied warmly.

While everyone began heading inside the house, Callum touched Gemma’s arm to hold her back. “Is something wrong?” He looked at her with concern in his green eyes. “I saw the way you looked at me when I called you over to meet everyone.”

Gemma quickly looked ahead at his family, who were disappearing into the house and then back at Callum. “You didn’t tell your family why I’m here.”

“I didn’t have to. They know why you’re here.” He studied her features for a moment. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Gemma Westmoreland? What’s bothering you? “

She shrugged, suddenly feeling silly for even bringing it up. “Nothing. I just remember what you insinuated with Meredith and hoped you weren’t going to give your family the same impression.”

“That you and I have something going on?”

“Yes.”

He watched her for a moment and then touched her arm gently. “Hey, relax. My family knows the real deal between us, trust me. I thought you understood why I pulled that stunt with Meredith.”

“I do. Look, let’s forget I brought it up. It’s just that your family is so nice.”

He chuckled and pulled her to him. “We’re Aussies, eight originals and one convert. We can’t help but be nice.”

She tossed him a grin before easing away. “So you say.” She then looked over at the car as she headed up the steps to the house. “Do you need help getting our luggage?”

“No. We aren’t staying here.”

She turned around so quickly she missed her step and he caught her before she tumbled. “Be careful, Gemma.”

She shook her head, trying to ignore how close they were standing and why she suddenly felt all kinds of sensations flooding her insides. “I’m okay. But why did you say we’re not staying here?”

“Because we’re not.”

She went completely still. “But—but you said we were staying at your home.”

He caught her chin in his fingers and met her gaze. “We are. This is not my home. This is my parents’ home.”

She swallowed, confused. “I thought your home is what I’m decorating. Isn’t it empty?”

“That house is, but I also own a condo on the beach. That’s where we’re staying while we’re here. Do you have a problem with that, Gemma?”

Gemma forced herself to breathe when it became clear that she and Callum would be sharing living space while she was here. Why did the thought of that bother her?

She had to admit for the first time she was noticing things about him she’d never noticed before. And she was experiencing things around him that she hadn’t experienced before. Like the way she was swept up in heated desire and the sensuous tickling in the pit of her stomach whenever he was within a few feet of her, like now …

“Gemma?”

She swallowed again as she met his gaze and the green eyes were holding hers with an intensity that she wasn’t used to. She gave her head a mental shake. His family had to be wondering why they were still outside. She had to get real. She was here to do a job and she would do it without having these crazy thoughts that Callum was after her body, just because she’d begun having crazy fantasies about him.

“No, I don’t have a problem with that.” She pulled away from him and smiled. “Come on, your parents are probably wondering why we’re still out here,” she said, moving ahead and making an attempt to walk up the steps again.

She succeeded and kept walking toward the door, fully aware that he was watching every step she took.

Callum glanced around his parents’ kitchen and drew in a deep breath. So far, things were going just as he’d hoped. From the masked smiles and nods he’d gotten from his family, he knew they agreed with his assessment of Gemma—that she was a precious gem. Even his three nephews, ages six, eight and ten, who were usually shy with strangers, had warmed up to her.

He knew that, for a brief moment, she had been confused as to why his family had taken so readily to her. What he’d told her hadn’t been a lie. They knew the reason she was here and decorating that house he had built was only part of it. In fact, a minor part.

“When are you getting a haircut?”

Callum turned and smiled at his father. “I could ask you the same thing.” Todd Austell’s hair was just as long as his son’s and Callum couldn’t remember him ever getting his hair cut. In fact, it appeared longer now than the last time he’d seen it.

“Don’t hold your breath for that to happen,” his father said with joking amusement in his green gaze. “I love my golden locks. The only thing I love more is your mother.”

Callum leaned against the kitchen counter. His mother, sister and sisters-in-law had Gemma in a corner and from their expressions he knew they were making his woman feel right at home. His brother and brothers-in-law were outside manning the grills, and his nephews were somewhere playing ball. His parents had decided to have a family cookout to welcome him and Gemma home.

“Gemma is a nice girl, Callum. Le’Claire and Shaun like her.”

He could tell. He glanced up at his father. “And you?”

A smile crossed Todd Austell’s lips. “I like her.”

As if she felt Callum’s gaze, she glanced over in his direction and smiled. His muscles tightened in desire for her.

“Dad?”

“Yes?”

“After you met Mom and knew she was the woman for you, how long did it take you to convince her of it?”

“Too long.”

Callum chuckled. “How long was too long?”

“A few months. Remember, I had an engagement to break off and then your mother assumed that flying was her life. I had to convince her that she was sorely mistaken about that, and that I was her life.”

Callum shook his head. His father was something else. Callum’s was one of the wealthiest families in Sydney; the Austells had made their millions not only in sheep farming but also in the hotel industry. The hotel where he and Gemma had stayed last night was part of just one of several hotel chains that Colin was in charge of. Morris was vice president of the sheep-farm operation.

When Callum was home, he worked wherever he was needed, but he enjoyed sheep farming more. In fact, he was CEO of his own ranching firm, which operated several sheep ranches in Australia. Each was run by an efficient staff. He also owned a vast amount of land in Australia. He’d never been one to flaunt his wealth, although in his younger days he’d been well aware money was what had driven a lot of women to him. He had frustrated a number of them by being an elusive catch.

He glanced again at the group of women together and then at his father. “I guess it worked.”

The older man lifted a brow. “What worked?”

“You were able to convince Mom that you were her life.”

A deep smile touched his father’s lips. “Four kids and three grandsons later, what can I say?”

A smile just as deep touched Callum’s lips. “You can say that in the end Mom became your life as well. Because I think it’s obvious that she has.”