A few hours later she had showered, dressed and packed a few of her things. She had called Kathleen and given her instructions as to what needed to be done in her absence, and assured the older woman that she would be back in a week or so.
Gemma decided not to call Callum to tell him she was leaving. He would wonder why she was taking off all of a sudden. She would think of an excuse to give him when she got home to Denver. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She had let the one thing happen to her that she’d always sworn would never happen.
She had fallen in love with a man who didn’t love her.
Callum stood on the porch of the cabin and glanced all around. Nothing, he thought, was more beautiful than the Australian outback. He could recall the first time he’d come to this cabin as a child with his brothers, father and grandfather.
His thoughts drifted to Gemma. He knew for certain that she was his soul mate. The last month had been idyllic. Waking up with her in his arms every morning, making love with her each night, was as perfect as perfect could get. And he was waiting patiently for her to realize that she loved him, too.
It would be then that they would talk about it and he would tell her that he loved her as well, that he’d known for a while that she was the one, but had wanted her to come to that realization on her own.
Callum took a sip of his coffee. He had a feeling she was beginning to realize it. More than once over the past week he’d caught her staring at him with an odd look on her face, as if she was trying to figure out something. And at night when she gave herself to him, it was as if he would forever be the only man in her life. Just as, when he made love to her, he wanted her to believe that she would forever be the only woman in his.
“Callum. You got a call. It’s Mom.”
Morris’s voice intruded on his thoughts and he reentered the cabin and picked up the phone. “Yes, Mom?”
“Callum, it’s Gemma.”
His heart nearly stopped beating. He knew the ladies had a shopping trip planned for tomorrow. “What’s wrong with Gemma? What happened?”
“I’m not sure. She called and asked me to take her to the airport.”
“Airport?”
“Yes. She said she had to return home for a while, and I could tell she’d been crying.”
He rubbed his forehead. That didn’t make any sense. He’d just spoken to her that morning and she was fine. She had two pregnant sisters-in-law and he hoped nothing had happened. “Did she say why she was leaving, Mom? Did she mention anything about a family crisis?”
“No, in fact I asked and she said it had nothing to do with her family.”
Callum pulled in a deep breath, not understanding any of this.
“Have you told her yet that you’re in love with her, Callum?”
“No. I didn’t want to rush her and was giving us time to develop a relationship before doing that. I wanted her to see from my actions that I loved her and get her to admit to herself that she loved me, too.”
“Now I understand completely,” Le’Claire said softly.
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Then how about explaining things to me because I’m confused.”
He heard his mother’s soft chuckle. “You’re a man, so you would be. I think the reason Gemma left is because she realizes that she loves you. She’s running away.”
Callum was even more confused. “Why would she do something like that?”
“Because if she loves you and you don’t love her back then—”
“But I do love her back.”
“But she doesn’t know that. And if you explained about waiting for a soul mate the way you explained it to me, she’s probably thinking it’s not her.”
The moment his mother’s words hit home, Callum threw his head back in frustration and groaned. “I think you’re right, Mom.”
“I think I’m right, too. So what are you going to do?”
A smile cascaded across Callum’s lips. “I'm going after my woman.”
Fourteen
Ramsey Westmoreland had been in the south pasture most of the day, but when he got home he’d heard from Chloe that Gemma was back. She’d called for Megan to pick her up at the airport. And according to what Megan had shared with Chloe, Gemma looked like she’d cried during the entire eighteen-hour flight.