‘I don’t care why.’ He cupped her cheek in his hand. ‘But now that I’ve remembered, I can’t do that. Please don’t be safe from me. I want to live my life with you.’

She narrowed her eyes at him, but inside her heart had begun to bounce around, chirping and singing like a desert cricket. ‘I love you, Zac. But I’ve got to be a bit cautious after everything.’

He stopped. Looked at her.

‘The fact that we come from different worlds has been a major factor. What’s the plan? Where will we live? Part-time together, part-time long distance? Do we both travel to work in places like Weipa and have adventures?’

‘I had that prepared in Uluru. We’ll have a long engagement and we’ll try it all. I know you belong here.’

She could see the truth in his words: he had thought about it. Maybe more than she had until this moment. Then it was true. They could and would do this and this would work, because he was her destiny. But he’d put her through hell and she couldn’t help giving a little back.

‘I’ll think about it.’

‘Good. Think about it.’ He raised his brows and pulled her closer until she leaned across the table towards him. ‘You have ten seconds.’ Then he swooped in and kissed her. He pulled back and touched her cheek with one gentle finger. ‘You have such strength and love and –’ he waggled his brows – ‘and humour, because that’s a joke, right?’ He didn’t look too worried.

She smiled at him and nodded.

‘Thank you.’ His smile back nearly blinded her. ‘You help me appreciate things I forgot to appreciate years ago. But most of all, I need you because I love you.’

Did she love him? This big, beautiful, high-maintenance man of hers? Hell yeah. But she was soaking in this outpouring of declarations. She had almost given up – she actually had given up yesterday – and she did need the reassurance.

The repetition.

The comfort.

‘Marry me,’ he said, and pulled his wallet from his pocket. ‘See what I found and didn’t know why I had it.’

Now we’re talking. ‘You almost asked me once before.’ She smiled and he reached over and took her hand, lifted it to his mouth and kissed her fingers. Then he slid the gorgeous pink diamond ring onto her finger.

‘I’m not waiting to do this. Be my wife.’

She stared with blurred eyes at the beautiful engagement ring. Then she leaned over and met him above the middle of the table and kissed his waiting mouth. ‘Yes.’

‘Let me show you how much I love you.’ He looked around at the other diners and smiled. ‘But not here.’

‘Yeah. Get a room,’ one of the older men said teasingly, and the people around them laughed. Some applauded.