Epilogue: My final Australian Tourism advertisement ;)

"Oh no! I'm not getting on that," Barbara told Tommy.

"It's perfectly safe," he replied calmly as he admired the fine lines of the classic wooden yacht moored at Airlie Beach Marina.

"It probably is but I don't know the first thing about sailing. I'd fall off and be eaten by a shark. Or maybe that's your plan?"

Tommy shook his head and laughed. "No, my plan was to sail around the Whitsundays for a week." He came up behind her and encircled her in his arms.

"No sweet-talking. This is well beyond...sweet...talking..." Barbara found it hard to resist him when he nuzzled her neck like he was now.

"Just us...no one around to bother us..." He traced a line of kisses up her neck. "Soft, white-sand beaches...we can go swimming...make love under the stars...be rocked to sleep by the gentle swaying of the boat."

"No...I like land...can't we find a resort?" She could feel her objections melting away with every kiss on her shoulder.

"Too many people," he murmured into her ear, "I want you alone."

"One night," she said firmly, "and if I hate it we come back. Deal?"

Tommy knew when to concede. "Deal."

They spent an hour receiving instructions from the charterer. Barbara regretted having given in to him but a small part of her was excited. She knew he could sail and the water looked calm enough. Below the deck there was a fully stocked galley trimmed in beautifully polished cedar. The table was a cosy nook and in the bow was a large double bunk with cool, white satin sheets. A single red rose lay in the centre. She had to admit it was romantic.

When she came back from inspecting the yacht Tommy went below and re-emerged in the boardshorts Barbara had bought him and a grey tee-shirt. "Go on, get changed," he said.

Barbara came back in lowcut but functional swimmers in a bold floral pattern. Tommy was disappointed. He had hoped for something more seductive. A bikini perhaps where he could tug at the sidestrings and have her naked in seconds. Behave! He swallowed his desires. "Let's go."

For Tommy the small yacht was easy to sail. Electronic gears raised and lowered the sandy, kevlar sails and there were alarms systems to monitor everything. The yacht even had an auto-pilot function and directions to the best anchorages. He used the engine and puttered slowly out of the marina and through the narrow channel at the entrance to the harbour. Barbara sat beside him in the cockpit gripping the railing for dear life. He smiled reassuringly and hoped that the week would go as he planned. He wanted her to relax and enjoy herself. As he raised the sails and turned off the engine the wind caught the canvas and the yacht lifted in the water. It was a joy to handle and Tommy soon tacked into the wind and set course for the islands.

Barbara liked the wind in her face. The yacht was smooth and cut through the gentle waves with ease. She was beginning to enjoy it but she was not going to tell Tommy. Instead she watched the islands appear. Most were large with high hills covered in lush bush. Shiny beaches lined the coves and inlets and large granite boulders formed little headlands against which the waves lapped gently. There was not a cloud in the azure sky and the dark water sparkled in the sunlight. She stood and carefully made her way to the bow. She was beginning to see why being barefoot was an advantage. The sun-bleached wood was slightly rough beneath her toes and she had to work to find her balance. She had seen people sit on the bow in magazines so she lowered herself carefully and allowed a leg to hang over each side while she held on to the silver railing that held her onboard. Salt spray splashed on her face and her hair streamed behind her in the breeze. She felt alive and free. She turned back and smiled lovingly at Tommy.

Tommy watched her and smiled. Unless something horrible happened they would have the yacht for the week. He steered a course for a beach at the back of Hook Island. In his email he had asked for directions to private, infrequently visited but beautiful beaches. The charterer had suggested this one would be perfect for their first stop. It would take nearly two hours to get there but he hoped it would be worth it. Now that he was out of the channel he flicked on the autopilot and went to Barbara. He sat behind her and rested his head on her shoulder. "Beautiful isn't it?"

"Hmmm. Oh Tommy I'm sorry I resisted. This is wonderful."

He was relieved. "We won't sail all the time," he said wickedly, "I have other plans too."

Barbara shivered in anticipation. "I think we can find plenty to keep us occupied."

"Oh definitely," he agreed as he nibbled seductively on her ear. He squeezed some sunscreen from a tube and began to massage it into the exposed skin of her back and shoulders. "We can go swimming or hiking, lay on the beach."

"Make love..."

Tommy kissed her. "Oh, yes, lots and lots of that please. Not yet though or we'll run aground!"

As they rounded the point of the island Tommy took active control of the yacht. He tacked into a long harbour and allowed the boat the slip down the long stretch of water. The channel was over a quarter of a mile wide and looked about a mile long. Tommy followed the red dots on the map and half way down the channel turned on the engine and steered into a narrow cove. Past the entrance it opened into a wide bay lined by a brilliant white beach. Barbara stood at the bow and gaped. At the end of the beach she could see a small waterfall tumble over the rocks. Palms and coconut trees lined the beach. It was an unspoilt paradise and it felt as if they were the first people to ever see it.

Tommy stopped the engine and guided the yacht into the beach. He anchored in waist deep water, happy that he had left sufficient draft. He could see the sandy bottom and schools of small fish swimming off in fright. "Our home for tonight," he declared.

"Oh Tommy! I have no words. It's wonderful."

"Just like you," he said before he kissed her, "do you want to go exploring?"

Tommy stripped off his shirt then hopped into the clear water. "Argh!"

"What's wrong?" Barbara's first thought was a shark.

"The water is stinging my cuts but salt water is a good healer. It'll do me good."

Barbara sat on the edge and allowed him to lift her down. The water was refreshing but much warmer than she had thought. They waded to shore then paused to cuddle and share a loving kiss before they wandered hand-in-hand down the beach.

"Let's look at that waterfall," Barbara suggested as she broke away from him and began to run along the beach. Tommy chased her, caught her and tackled her gently onto the beach. The sand was as fine as talcum and clung softly to their wet bodies. Tommy rolled them onto the wet sand and let the water wash over them as he passionately kissed her.

Just when Barbara thought they were about to make love right there Tommy stood and helped her to her feet. She was disappointed. As they walked silently down the the end of the beach Tommy seemed pre-occupied. The waterfall tumbled into a pool of crystal clear water that came up to their knees. It was cooler than the sea but still pleasant. Tommy slipped under the water and swam over to the waterfall. "Come on, it's great."

Barbara was not the proficient swimmer Tommy appeared to be. She carefully breaststroked her way to him. He pulled them back under the waterfall. The drops were heavy as they crashed into her shoulders and head but behind the cascade it was private and peaceful. Tommy held her to him and began to kiss her neck. He slipped the shoulder straps of her swimmers down so that he could kiss the bare skin of her shoulders and back. Before long they had shed their clothes and had begun to make love. Tommy fumbled in the pocket of his boardies and groaned in frustration. "Sorry. I thought I was prepared."

"It doesn't matter Tommy. I'm beyond wanting barriers between us."

Tommy looked directly into her eyes. "You know I'll always look after you."

"I know and it's not a trap Tommy, I'd never do that."

Tommy kissed her tenderly then lifted her up onto the low ledge. "You know I want five children," he teased, "so the sooner we start..."

Barbara stopped him with a kiss as she pulled him down to her. "Two maximum. Oh Tommy!"

"I wish we could stay like this forever," he said as they lay together, exhausted by their afternoon of tender love.

"Me too," she agreed dreamily as she nestled into him, "real life is a drag."

The light started to fade and Tommy sat up sensing a storm. "What is it?" Barbara asked.

Tommy looked up at the sky then remembered the weather warnings. "It's a solar eclipse," he replied, "I forgot about it. Perfect timing." He twisted so that she was looking at him. "We can stay like this forever you know. Would you ever consider giving up the force?"

"What are you asking Tommy?" Barbara swallowed hard. Is this a proposal?

"I can't bare the thought that we might have another situation like last week. I don't want you in danger. I'm selfish I know but I'm asking you to leave the force so that I never have to go through that again."

Barbara bristled. "And what about you? I suppose it is fine for me to sit somewhere and worry about you?"

"I should have told you earlier," he admitted, "I tried but I couldn't find the right moment. I've already told Hillier I intend to resign when I get back."

"I see. Are you moving back to Cornwall?" She asked warily as she sat up and searched for her clothes. This conversation was not going the way she had first thought.

"That depends," Tommy said not realising that Barbara was becoming annoyed. "I want to spend more time there but London is your home so I don't expect you to give up your career and your home. We can live wherever you prefer Barbara as long as we're together. I never want to be apart from you again."

The confusion returned and Barbara lay back in his arms. "What are you asking me Tommy?"

Tommy smiled broadly and leant up on his elbow so that he could look her in the eyes. "Barbara, I'm asking you to give up your career and spend the rest of your life with me. Will you make me the happiest man in the world by marrying me?"

"You could have said that first."

He shrugged and grinned at her. "Sorry. So?"

"I was thinking about how to ask you to give up the force. I want us to be together Tommy but you deserve better."

"No one is better. I love you Barbara. I want us to marry and have children - five didn't I say? I want to be able to wander the world and make love to you on every isolated beach we find."

"Life will never be this simple Tommy."

"Do you love me?"

"Of course I do. I have for years. More than you can imagine."

"Then you have no choice do you? You have to marry me and just ride with it all. Besides we might have already created number one son so maybe I have trapped you."

Barbara knew she wanted it and she knew her objections did not overcome her desire to be with him. "You don't have to trap me. Yes, I'll marry you but if I don't make you happy you have to promise to tell me. I'd rather live without you than make you miserable."

"And that's exactly why I will never be unhappy." Tommy kissed her passionately. "Now about those five children..."

She smiled at him as the sun again burst through the canopy above their heads. "Three, I'll consider three." Their laughter dissolved into a fiery kiss.