‘That’s ’cause I’m so loveable.’ He smiled. ‘I’m sure she and I would’ve been great friends.’
Mallory’s eyes began to sting. ‘The thought that she won’t be here to see her grandchildren…’
‘Hey, hey, baby, don’t cry.’ He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, his own eyes becoming glassy. ‘We’ll make sure that our babies know all aboutallof their grandparents and how much they loved them even though they never met.’
Mallory sniffed and wiped her eyes. ‘Yes, we will.’
They sorted through several more boxes when Mallory came across some of Sam’s. ‘Hey, how did these get up here? I thought we had dealt with all your stuff?’
‘Ahem… I kinda sneaked a few things through the hatch that I brought back from Canada. I didn’t want you thinking I was taking over your lifecompletelywhen we got back from my mom’s.’
‘Hmm, very sneaky, Mr Canada. But seeing as I adore you I’ll let it go. And as a matter of fact, I don’t mind you taking over my life completely.’
‘Thanks Miss Yorksherrr.’ He rolled his ‘r’ in that way she loved.
‘That certainly was a memorable trip.’ Mallory paused, staring into space.
‘Which one?’
‘Canada… seeing your mom of course.’
Placing his hand at the back of her head, he pulled her face to his and kissed her deeply. ‘That’s because you agreed to marry me and made me the happiest man alive.’
‘You made me the happiest woman alive by surprising me like that.’
They snuggled together in the loft and reminisced about July 2014 and their life-changing trip.
*
July 2014
They were met at the airport by Renee, Sam’s mom. She was an elegant lady. Tall and slender with grey hair in a stylish bob, which she wore tucked behind her ears. She wore grey pants, a cream round-necked sweater, pale grey cardigan and a set of pearls with matching earrings. Her embrace had been warm and Mallory had liked her instantly. She had said how lovely it was to finally meet the wonderful woman who haddeservedto capture her son’s heart.
Sam’s family home was beautiful. Compared to the houses in the UK, it was more of a mansion. The double-fronted façade was so incredibly pretty with its carved portico and shutters. There was a huge apple tree at the front which, Mallory learned, Sam used to climb up if he was sneaking home after his curfew.
The back ‘yard’ as they called it was also tree-lined and larger than any garden Mallory had been in other than at hotels or stately homes. The furniture in the garden was a mix of white-painted wrought iron in the tree-lined seating area and huge modern-looking outdoor wicker sofas on the huge BBQ and patio area.
The inside of the home was very traditional but extremely classy, with its cream walls and antique dark oak furniture. It felt very homey indeed and Mallory was completely at ease despite this being her first time meeting his family.
They spent a wonderful two-week break at the Buchanan family home and Sam had shown her the delights of Kingston. It was a huge town with a mix of architectural style from modern grey concrete buildings to beautiful old stone churches, complete with pretty carvings and fenestrations. The streets were much wider than Mallory was used to and everything seemed to be on a grander scale.
They had met with Sam’s brother Ryan and his lovely, pregnant wife Cara who Mallory had hit it off with straight away. Ryan was a typical big brother; teasing Sam playfully at every given opportunity.
They spent a day at Fort Henry, where Sam had spent many of his school trips; they had braved the chilly waters of the beach at MacLachlan Woodworking Museum with its pretty old log house, before taking a romantic stroll to see the wildlife. It was wonderful. Mallory had felt like she was on her honeymoon.
On the morning of their last full day in Canada, Sam and Mallory lay snuggled together in his old room in his mahogany sleigh bed, surrounded by blue and white striped wallpaper and posters of his childhood sports star heroes,
‘I’ve booked a table for us all to dine atAqua Terratonight, baby; it’s a seafood restaurant with fantastic views. I hope that’s okay. Ryan and Cara are coming over too. I thought it’d be a nice way to spend our last night here.’
‘Ooh that sounds good; I remember walking past signs for that place when we were out in Kingston on Tuesday. It sounds lovely.’ Mallory squeezed her man lovingly.
‘We are booked to dine at 8 p.m. so we have all day to do as we please.’ Sam wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as Mallory grinned up at him.
‘Hmm, whatwillwe do, I wonder?’ she asked, kissing his chin lightly.
Sam growled his sexy growl and pulled the covers over their heads. Mallory let out a squeal of delight.
They spent the morning in bed, making love at their leisure. It was divine. In the afternoon, they had gone shopping and Mallory had bought a sexy midnight blue dress that clung to her curves in that sensuous way that Sam just adored. When they had returned home they had shared a luxurious shower, devouring each other’s bodies once again. Then it was time to get ready for dinner.
