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.”