To Have A Heart (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 7)

“You can decide how many children we should have.”

He pressed a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“Callum.”

“You can decide if we settle permanently in Cornwall.”

Mallory cupped his cheeks in her palms and pressed a kiss to his lips mainly to silence him. She carefully ignored the carriage that had rumbled to a stop beside them.

Will jumped down and opened the door to allow Sir Hugo to get out if he wished. Together, the men waited for Callum and Mallory to join them.

Mallory didn’t even glance at them. Instead, she stared steadily into Callum’s eyes.

“Do you know what I truly want?” she whispered.

“What?” he asked, prepared to agree to anything as long as Mallory gave him some hint of hope.

“You. That’s all. The only thing I want is to spend my life with you. I don’t care where we live if I am honest. If you want to live in Leicestershire we can move. If you want to live in Cornwall, then I am happy to live there although I confess that I know nothing about the county. I don’t care what time of year we marry, or where. I don’t even mind how many children we are blessed with. If we can spend our lives together, I know I am going to be as happy as I could ever be. I have everything I have ever wished for in life if I am with you.”

Callum gathered her into a tight hug, for once too choked to be able to speak.

“Come on, mate. It is time we left,” Will urged gently. “Sir Hugo is going to ride on the driver’s seat with me so he can keep watch. You need to rest for a while.”

Mallory realised then that Callum was sitting on a cold cobbled floor and was starting to feel icy. Easing off his lap, she reluctantly stood up and held a hand out to him.

“Ready?” she asked quietly.

Callum winced when he tried to stand up only for his aching body to protest.

“Need a hand?” Will asked suddenly.

Before Callum could reply, Will rammed a shoulder under his arm and hauled Callum to his feet.

“Let’s get you inside,” he said before physically carrying Callum into the carriage.

“Do you think he will be all right?” Mallory asked of Sir Hugo who was holding the door open.

“I think he will be fine now,” Sir Hugo mused with a smile.

Mallory watched Callum climb into the carriage and quickly clambered in behind him. Once settled, Will slammed the door closed and helped Sir Hugo onto the seat beside him. When they were both covered with a blanket, he flicked the horses into a steady walk and guided the carriage out of the village.

Inside the vehicle, Callum moved until he was sitting beside Mallory. Propping his shoulders against the wall, he sat sideways on the seat and rested his long leg against the back of the seat while bracing himself by resting one booted foot on the floor. He then gathered Mallory closer and urged her to lie against his chest.

Together, they simple cuddled closer and enjoyed the peace within the carriage as they made their way through the winding country lanes toward Cornwall. They were quiet for such a long time that Mallory began to wonder if Callum had fallen asleep. She knew he must be exhausted after everything he had been through over the last couple of days, and so didn’t disturb him. Instead, she allowed her thoughts to wander over what had happened and, more importantly, what she wanted to happen now.

“Penny for them,” he murmured so suddenly that he made her jump.

“I was just thinking over everything we spoke about on the street just now.”

“Do you regret it?” he asked.

“No. I meant every word,” she announced suddenly. “I think I forgot something, though.”

“Oh?”

It was difficult to see him in the darkness of the carriage, but Mallory had memorised his wonderful face. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his chiselled lips. Rather than ease away again, she hovered before him, and deepened the kiss the exact same way he had in the barn just a few days before. When she did ease away, Callum tightened his arms around her.

“What did you forget?” he murmured.