Clean Inspirational Romance: Escape to Paradise (Inspirational Happy Sweet First Love Second Chance Romance) (Contemporary New Adult Love Inspired Holiday Short Stories) (4 page)

Chapter 8

A picnic had been planned for the following day. Dan had taken a few days off work to spend time with Victoria and Katie before they flew back out to Georgia at the end of the week. Nick and Julie were joining them for the picnic as they headed up the steep winding road to the top of the Springbrook Mountains. Some of the most breathtaking country lay here sleepily nestled in the rugged hinterland of the Gold Coast.

As they climbed higher and higher through the bushy terrain full of tall, majestic gum trees, the valley below appeared to be swallowed up in a mist of low-lying clouds sweeping across the wilderness. A waterfall appeared out of nowhere, cascading over reddish boulders into a lake below.

“This is where we stop for a swim before we head up further to have our picnic at the top of the range,” said Natasha, as they pulled into the car park near the Twin Falls. “There are three rock pools at the bottom of this waterfall, and the water is as crisp as ice.”

“Well, that sounds refreshing on such a hot day, Tash,” Victoria said, longing to dip her toes in the water holes below. “But, I’ve noticed it’s much cooler up here in the mountains than down further. And I really love the smell of those gum trees.”

“Yes, that would be the perfume from the eucalyptus gums. Koalas just love eating those leaves. We might even see some on the way if we look up high into the trees.”

“Oh, I hope so,” squealed Katie. “I’ve brought my camera.”

As they trekked along the bush track to the rock pools, Katie became the avid photographer, snapping up photos of the scenery, the waterfall, and even arranging the group into pairs and singles to take a shot of their adventures to paste into her photo album when the photos were printed.

“Look, we’re at the rock pools,” Katie said, taking more shots. “And up there I see a koala.”

The water was refreshingly cool as they splashed around enjoying the icy bits that swirled around from time to time. An hour passed before they dragged themselves away from the delights of the rock pool. They headed once more up the steep mountain road, which became more narrow and winding. Treacherous cliffs fell to one side. They stopped to pull into a lookout from which they could see the entire Gold Coast spread out before them.

“This is magic,” said Julie, turning to Nick. “Thank you for bringing me up here, Nick. This is exactly what I need right now.”

It suddenly dawned on Victoria that Julie was raw with pain over the break-up of her relationship with her fiancé. She quietly slid up and put her hand into Julies, squeezing it gently. “It is beautiful, isn’t it? I wish I could stay in this moment forever.”

“I think we all do,” said Nick, putting his arm around his emotionally fragile sister. “You’ll be alright, Jules. Trust me everything gets better with time.”

“Yes,” said Victoria, giving Julie a much needed hug. “Things will get better.”

Finally they arrived at the picnic grounds high up on the peak of the ridge. From here there were many walking trails and an abundance of local wildlife, especially birds. It was just after noon when the sun is at its hottest that they sat down in the shade of an ancient tree to share the picnic spread before them.

Natasha and Victoria had prepared it all, and it was more like a banquet or a feast than a simple picnic. There were three cold roast chickens, a platter of leg ham, a platter of salami and various cheeses, a green salad with plenty of tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions, bowls of both green and black olives, a jar of preserved artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, French bread sticks and loads of cold bottles of spring water in the basket.

“Wow, it will take us the rest of the day to get through this,” said Nick, feasting his eyes on the culinary delights.

“You forget,” laughed Natasha, “we have hungry children and we brought all of them here today. And besides, we’ll have to walk lunch off with a bush walk.”

“Yes, well, regrettably I’ve never had children. I might have to adopt Katie here,” said Nick playfully.

Victoria almost choked on an olive.
Of course, he’s just joking.
She looked at Katie who was lapping up all of Nick’s attention.

“I would love that, Nick. Then you can teach me how to ride the big waves in Hawaai.”

Victoria was curious. “Have you been to Hawaai, Nick?”

“Of course he has, Mom,” Katie said. “Nick was a pro-surfer in his younger days and traveled the world surfing. If you’d come to more surf lessons you would have found all that out!”

Nick just shrugged and looked sheepish. “It’s something I don’t brag about. Katie found some old surfer magazines in the club and read the articles in there about me. So I had to tell her the stories. She forced me!” He laughed.

“That’s my headstrong Katie,” Victoria said. “So where else did you surf?”

“Well, actually, I did surf in Georgia, believe it or not. In a place called Sea Island.”

“Sea Island! That’s in Waycross. That’s where we live, Nick!”

“Well, maybe I should come over and visit you when you go back. We can all go surfing together.”

“Is surfing the only thing you have in mind, Nick? For us to do together?” Victoria said, feeling bold and cheeky.

Nick collapsed into laughter. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

Chapter 9

The picnic had been the most romantic time that Victoria had experienced with Nick up until now. It was mid-afternoon when they finally packed up the picnic blanket and set off onto one of the bush walking tracks around the mountain.

“Don’t forget to bring your knapsacks with plenty of water bottles,” cautioned Dan. “It gets very hot walking these trails.”

At last they were moving along the walking trail, excited to see the sights along the way. They had all voted on doing the four kilometer walk which would take approximately two hours. The first part of this circuit wound through a eucalyptus forest full of local wildflowers and natural flora and fauna. Katie was busy taking photos as they descended further and further into a gorge.

“Look, I can see the falls from here!” Katie shouted down the trail. “And I can see some more koalas.”

“Careful you don’t slip!” Victoria yelled back. “Keep your eyes on the track Katie. The last thing I want is for you to slip and hurt yourself.”

The trail was becoming hazardous in places, with paths that edged right onto a steep descent into the gorge below.

After an hour of walking they all stopped for a drink and a quick five minute rest sitting down to admire the view. The wilderness surrounded them on all sides stretching for miles and miles into the horizon. In some places, away from the track, the bush appeared to be so dense that it sent shivers down Victoria's spine The thought of ever being lost out there was terrifying.

“Stay on the trail at all times,” said Dan, as if reading everyone’s mind. “If you take a wrong turn, you may never find your way back.”

“Yes, that looks so scary out there,” said Katie shuddering.

It was close to four o’clock in the afternoon when the group restarted their walk, eager to get back to the safety and security of the picnic area. Up ahead there was a suspension bridge which would take them to their final destination.

“At last,” said Victoria, feeling desperately in need of another rest. She checked her watch. “We’re almost there and it’s nearly five o’clock. We timed that well.”

Nick walked up alongside her as they arrived back at the picnic grounds with Julie trailing behind them. She was looking a lot happier than she had been since she had arrived in Paradise. Nick inched in closer to Victoria, close enough to whisper in her ear, “This has been a fantastic and magical day, Victoria. One I will never forget.”

“Me either,” she said, gazing up into the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen.

Then suddenly she heard Natasha scream, “Where’s Katie?”

***

Miranda sobbed in large, racking, uncontrollable sounds. “But she was there one minute, Mom, and then I thought she went to join you! She said she saw a large dragon lizard and she wanted to take a photo of it. The last time I saw her was before the suspension bridge.”

“It’s okay,” Natasha was saying. “It’s not your fault, Miranda. We just need to know where to look for her, that’s all.”

Dan came over to comfort the now-hysterical Miranda, while Victoria stood there numb with fear, trying to process what had just happened.
Katie’s not here. She’s lost! Oh, my God, my God, please God help me find my daughter! I can’t lose her too! Please God!

Nick put his arms around her as tears flowed like rivers silently down her face. She couldn’t speak. It was as if she was paralyzed in her body and would never be able to speak again!
Katie, my Katie! Where are you? Oh, God, help me!

“Don’t worry, Victoria, if it’s the last thing I do, I will find Katie. I know this terrain. And I need to get going before it gets dark.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Nick!” Dan said forcefully. “We don’t need two people lost!”

“I’ve got a two way radio phone in my car. I’ll call for help, and take that with me while I go look for Katie. You’re not stopping me, Nick. But what you can all do to help me is pack a knapsack with food, medical supplies and more water because who knows when I’ll find her…but by God, I will find her. And no one can stop me!”

Nick was as good as his word. He immediately radioed for help talking to whoever responded to him and telling them the situation and where they were and to get help as soon as possible. Dusk was falling, and as the sun began to sink far below the horizon, Nick set off to look for Katie. Despair was beginning to create panic in Victoria’s heart as soon as she lost sight of Nick heading back into the wilderness.
Please God, keep them both safe!

“I think we should all pray,” said Dan, holding a terrified Miranda on his knee. “That’s all we can really do right now. Other than that we’ll just have to be patient, and wait for some rangers, or searchers, or the police to arrive.”

Victoria had never prayed so hard in all her life. All she wanted more than anything was to see Katie and Nick again. And soon.
Surely, God, I can’t lose both of them, surely!
Natasha had given Victoria a good shot of brandy to calm her nerves. The elixir made her feel a little calmer and she began to hope that Katie would magically appear out of the wilderness with Nick and that they could all go home together.

By eight p.m. it was deathly dark, and there was still no sign of Katie or Nick. Then suddenly, a huge beam of light flooded into the car park. Help had finally arrived. A half dozen four-wheeled trucks appeared out of nowhere, followed by two police vehicles.

“Folks, we’re here to look for that missing girl. Now we need some more information.” It was the police sergeant from Nerang, which was the nearest police station to Springbrook.

Once again, Miranda retold the story of where she had last seen Katie, and what she had been doing. “She just wanted a photo of that lizard, that’s all,” wailed Miranda. “It’s all my fault. I should have stayed with her!”

“It’s not your fault at all,” said the kind policeman in charge of the search. “Don’t worry, we’ve got the best experienced trackers here, and the area around the suspension bridge is not too far from here. We’ll keep trying our two way radio to talk to your guy out there. But so far we haven’t been able to contact him. Sometimes the mountains can block the signals from getting through, but rest assured, we won’t give up trying to contact him.”

The night was closing in, throwing ghostly shadows over the camp site. Dan laid out the picnic blanket for the children to sleep on as midnight approached, but all that the children wanted to do was whisper and wait. Victoria needed another shot of brandy to calm her nerves which were in danger of completely breaking.

“It’s alright,” Julie said, comforting her. “I know my brother, Nick. And he won’t come back until he finds her.”

Victoria sobbed for the first time as she lay cradled in Julie’s arms. Natasha managed to heat some water up on the barbeques and make everyone a hot cup of strong, black tea. The night seemed hopelessly endless.

Chapter 10

“Cooee, cooee,” came the sound of the searchers as their voices echoed through the wilderness.

“Surely, Nick and Katie can hear them,” sobbed Victoria as the morning sun began to climb up out of the east and high up into the lightening sky. “It’s morning already, and there’s still no sign of either of them.”

“Let’s begin this day with a prayer, and then some breakfast. We have plenty of French sticks and salami left over from yesterday, and Natasha just found a tin of coffee and condensed milk in our old camping bag,” said Dan trying to bring about some sense of routine and normality. “We really do need to keep our strength up, so please everyone, try to eat something.”

The children were delighted to have something as substantial  as salami for breakfast, but an overwhelming sense of sadness and anxiety still hung over the campsite like a thick, suffocating blanket. However, the sound of the searchers gave everyone hope that soon Katie would be found and that Nick hadn’t got lost in the process of looking for her.

Victoria had almost finished her second cup of strong coffee when she saw Nick suddenly emerge from the beginning of the bush track. And in his arms with a huge smile of relief on her face, was Katie! For a minute Victoria thought that the early morning mist was playing tricks on her mind, until she heard Katie’s voice scream out, “Mom!”

“Oh, God, thank you!” she screamed, running towards Nick and Katie with outstretched arms. “Thank God, you’re safe and alive!”

Trailing behind Nick the searchers slowly began to trickle back into the picnic area.

“Looks like you didn’t really need us, Ma’am,” the Police Sergeant in charge of the operation informed Victoria. “This man here had it all figured out. He’s a real hero. Not only did he find her last night, but he had the sense to stay put with her until daylight. He knew we’d come and help if he needed us, but he would have made it back without us anyway. He really is a true hero!”

Victoria couldn’t thank the searchers enough. Even though it was Nick that had found and rescued Katie, knowing that there were others out there searching had helped ease her mind a little. As the searchers headed off home, Victoria bundled up her daughter in her arms wanting to feel the reality of her whole being, and that she was back safe and sound, and not just a dream.

“Oh, Katie, I was so worried!” was all she could manage to say.

“It’s okay, Mom. I knew I was lost so I just stayed where I was until someone came along. I knew Nick or someone would come back looking for me. I just took a wrong turn at the suspension bridge. But I got a good shot of that lizard!”

“Weren’t you frightened?” Victoria asked, surprised at her daughter’s tenacity.

“Yeah, sometimes, but I just looked out at the moon and I felt God out there saying it would be alright. So I just waited and then Nick found me.”

Victoria looked at Nick with gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you so much Nick. I will forever be indebted to you for saving Katie. I think you taught her a lot more about life than just surfing at that club of yours.”

“Well, we do try to teach kids about having faith in the most difficult situations, so I guess Katie was just a good student. I think she saved herself. If she had lost faith and panicked she could have walked her way further into that bushland, and who knows where she would have ended up.”

Nick put an embracing arm around both Victoria and Katie as they sat huddled together in complete silence. Time stood still as Victoria felt Nick’s strong arm around her providing her with comfort and a kind of caring and love that she hadn’t felt since Tom died.

“Well, I think we should pack it up and head home,” said Dan, as Natasha finished putting away the last of the breakfast plates into the boot of the car. “We all need some sleep, and a good rest today.”

Julie offered to drive Nick’s car back so that Victoria, Nick and Kate could ride together and get some much needed rest on the way down. It was almost mid-day when they pulled up at Nick’s house. It was a large restored old Queenslander home with verandahs all round and a day bed downstairs overlooking the ocean from the back of the house. There was nothing more that Victoria needed than to be with Nick and Katie for the rest of the day and arriving at his house seemed as natural as coming home.

“Remember when you asked me just the other day about what more I wanted than us surfing together, Vicky?” Nick asked as they lay on the day bed overlooking the surf, both of them feeling glad and relieved that Katie was alive. “All I want is for us to be together. I want a future with you, and I want to adopt Katie as my daughter, but more than that I want you as my wife.”

Victoria couldn’t believe what she was hearing. And as she whispered,
yes, yes, yes,
Nick almost drowned out the sound of her voice as he placed his lips on hers and delivered to her the most passionate kiss she had ever known.

THE END