All for Love: What a Westmoreland Wants

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.”

Chapter 6

The moment Gemma snapped her seat belt in place, a bright smile curved her lips. “Your family is simply wonderful, Callum, and I especially like your mom. She’s super.”

“Yes, she is,” Callum agreed as he started the car’s engine to leave his parents’ home.

“And your dad adores her.”

Callum chuckled. “You can tell?”

“How could I not? I think it’s wonderful.”

She was quiet for a moment. “I recall my parents being that way, having a close relationship and all. As I got older, although I missed them both, I couldn’t imagine one living without the other, so I figured that if they had to die, I was glad they at least went together,” she said.

Gemma forced back the sadness that wanted to cloud what had been a great day. She glanced over at Callum. “And I love your parents’ home. It’s beautiful. Your mother mentioned that she did all the decorating.”

“She did.”

“Then why didn’t you get her to decorate yours?”

“Mine?”

“Yes, the one you’ve hired me to do. I’m grateful that you thought of me, mind you, but your mother could have done it.”

“Yes, she could have, but she doesn’t have the time. Taking care of my dad is a full-time job. She spoils him rotten.”

Gemma laughed. “Appears he likes spoiling her as well.”

She had enjoyed watching the older couple displaying such a warm, loving attitude toward each other. It was obvious that their children were used to seeing them that way. Gemma also thought Callum’s three nephews were little cuties.

“Is it far to the condo where you live?” she asked him, settling back against the car seat. When they walked out of Callum’s parents’ house, she noted that the evening temperature had dropped and it was cool. It reminded her of Denver just weeks before the first snowfall in late September. She then remembered that Australia’s seasons were opposite the ones in North America.

“No, we’ll be there in around twenty minutes. Are you tired?”

“Umm. Jet lag I think.”

“Probably is. Go ahead and rest your eyes for a while.”

Gemma took him up on his offer and closed her eyes for a moment. Callum was right, the reason she wanted to rest had to do with jet lag. She would probably feel this way until she adjusted to the change in time zone.

She tried to clear her mind of any thoughts, but found it impossible to do when she was drawn back to the time she had spent at Callum’s parents’ home. What she’d told him was true. She had enjoyed herself and thought his family was wonderful. They reminded her of her siblings.

She was close to her siblings and cousins, and they teased each other a lot. She’d picked up on the love between Callum and his siblings. He was the youngest and it was obvious that they cared deeply about him and were protective of him.

More than once, while talking to Callum’s mom, she had felt his eyes on her and had glanced across the room to have her gaze snagged by his. Had she imagined it or had she seen male interest lurking in their green depths?

There had been times when the perfection of Callum’s features had nearly stopped her in her tracks and she found herself at several standstills today. Both of his brothers were handsome, but in her book, Callum was gorgeous, and was even more so for some reason today. She could understand the likes of Meredith trying to come on to him. Back in Denver on the ranch, he exuded the air of a hardworking roughneck, but here in Sydney, dressed in a pair of slacks and a dress shirt and driving a sports car, he passed the test as the hot, sexy and sophisticated man that he was. If only all those women back in Denver could see him now.

She slowly opened her eyes and studied his profile over semi-lowered lashes as he drove the car. Sitting in a perfect posture, he radiated the kind of a strength most men couldn’t fabricate, even on their best days. His hair appeared chestnut in color in the evening light and hung around his shoulders in fluid waves.

There was something about him that infused a degree of warmth all through her. Why hadn’t she felt it before? Maybe she had, but had forced herself to ignore it. And then there was the difference in their ages. He was ten years her senior. The thought of dating a man in close proximity to her age was bad enough; to consider one older, she’d thought, would be asking for trouble, definitely way out of her league.

Her gaze moved to his hands. She recalled on more than one occasion seeing those hands that were now gripping the steering wheel handle the sheep on her brother’s ranch. There was an innate strength about them that extended all the way to his clean and short fingernails.

According to Megan, you could tell a lot about a man by his hands. That might be true, but Gemma didn’t have a clue what she should be looking for. It was at times like this that her innocence bothered her. For once—maybe twice—she wouldn’t mind knowing how it felt to get lost in the depth of a male’s embrace, kissed by him in a way that could curl her toes and shoot sparks of pleasure all threw her. She wanted to be made love to by a man who knew what he was doing. A man who would make her first time special, something she would remember for the rest of her life and not forget when the encounter was over.