Читать книгу Christmas Brides And Babies Collection - Rebecca Winters - Страница 32

Back at the manse

WHEN THEY GOT back Maeve disappeared into the kitchen to make her brandy sauce. Most of the family were out in the back yard—apparently the Christmas lunch table was set out there again—and the little girls were engrossed in their new possessions.

Simon waylaid Rayne and steered him back out the door away from the family. ‘So what have you two decided?’

Rayne wasn’t sure he’d decided anything. Maeve had done all the planning and now it was up to him to keep his end of the bargain. ‘Maeve wants me to stay for the birth. I’ve said I will.’ Simon looked mildly pleased. ‘It’s the least I can do.’ There was that statement that had upset Maeve and it didn’t do anything positive to Simon’s frame of mind either if the frown across his friend’s brow was an indication. He had no idea why it kept popping out.

‘Is it that hard to commit to that? You slept with her.’ His friend was shaking his head.

He held up his hand. ‘Simon, I’m sorry. The last time I saw you it was an awful night. My world was about to implode. I didn’t intend to end up in bed with Maeve.’ He paused. Looked back in his mind and shook his head. ‘But you should have seen her. She was like some peach vision and she poleaxed me.’

Simon glanced sardonically at him. ‘And she dragged you off to bed?’

‘Nope.’ He had to smile at that memory. ‘I carried her.’ And she’d loved it.

Simon raised his brows. ‘Up two flights of stairs?’ Then he put his hand up. ‘Forget I asked that. Tara says the sparks from you two light up the room. I get that. I get being irresistibly drawn to someone. And I get that you don’t do commitment.’

Simon laughed dryly. ‘But I thought I didn’t do commitment until my Tara came along.’

Rayne looked at his friend’s face. Had never seen it so joyous. As if Simon had finally found his feet and the whole world. Rayne couldn’t imagine that. ‘I meant to say congratulations. Tara seems a wonderful woman.’

Simon’s smile grew. ‘She is. And she so tough and …’ He stopped, shook his head ruefully. ‘Nice diversion. But this is about you.’ Simon searched his face and he flinched a little under the scrutiny. ‘Are you in for the long haul?’

Freaking long haul. Geez. He didn’t know if he would last a week. ‘I’m in for the labour. I’m in for what I can do to help Maeve for the birth. But as soon as I cause problems in her life I’m out of here.’

‘And if you don’t cause problems in her life?’ The inference was he had already let her down, and he guessed he had.

‘I didn’t know she was pregnant.’ Thank God.

Simon shrugged. ‘Tara said you didn’t open the mail. And I know you wouldn’t answer my calls. Why?’

It was his turn to shrug but his bitterness swelled despite his effort to control it. ‘I didn’t want to bring her into that place. Either of you. I had to keep the good things pure. And when I got out, I didn’t want to read that she might refuse to see me. So I came here first.’

‘Have you read the letters now?’

‘Yes.’ Could feel the long stare from Simon. Those letters just reiterated how much he was capable of stuffing up other people’s lives.

Simon sighed long and heavily. ‘I love you, man. I’m even getting used to the idea that you will be in Maeve’s life now. In all our lives. But don’t stuff this up.’

So he’d read his mind? Rayne almost laughed, even though it was far from funny. ‘That’s the friend I remember.’

‘Yeah. Merry Christmas.’ Simon punched his shoulder. ‘Let’s go ask Louisa if you can stay. She’ll be over the moon. She likes you.’

‘I get the feeling your grandmother likes everyone.’

Simon laughed. ‘Pretty much.’

Maeve had already asked Louisa.

‘Of course he can stay,’ Louisa enthused. ‘So he’ll be with you when you have the baby.’ She sighed happily. ‘Things have a way of working out.’

Maeve grimaced on the inside. Things weren’t ‘working out’ yet.

There were a lot of things she and Rayne had to sort yet, not the least his attitude of It’s the least I can do. Grrr. But, she reminded herself, this morning she’d been on her own. And he was here!

The magnitude of that overwhelmed her for a moment and she paused in the rhythmic stirring of thickening liquid in the bowl and just soaked that in. Rayne was here. And he was staying. At least until after the birth, and that was all she could ask for. Yet! She wondered if they would actually get much alone time.

Wondered if he was up for that. Wished she was skinny and gorgeous and could drag him off to bed. Or be carried there by her gorgeous sex object ‘partner’, round belly and all.

Partner. She’d always been uncomfortable with that sterile word. Not that Rayne was obviously sterile. And he wasn’t her boyfriend. He certainly wasn’t her lover.

‘You want me to do that?’ Louisa’s worried voice. Maeve jumped and stirred again in the nick of time before she made lumps in the sauce.

‘Wool-gathering.’ Louisa’s favourite saying and she’d picked it up. It described her state of mind perfectly. Little floating fibres of thought creating a mess of tangles in her brain. Mushing together to make a ball of confused emotions and wishes and fears and silly impossible dreams. Like the flotsam of leftover wool collected from the bushes where the sheep had walked past.

Well, Rayne was nobody’s sheep. He’d never been a part of the flock, had never followed the rules of society except when he’d taken his incredibly intelligent brain to med school at Simon’s insistence.

Men’s voices drifted their way.

And here they came. Simon and Rayne. Two men she loved. The thought froze the smile on her face. She really loved Rayne. Did she? Fancied him, oh, yeah. The guy could light her fire from fifty paces away. But love?

Maybe brotherly love. She looked at her brother, smiling at something Louisa had said. Nope. She didn’t feel the way she felt about Simon. And there was another bonus. She could stop fighting with Simon now that Rayne was back. Fait accompli.

Her mind eased back into the previous thought. The scary one. That she did really love Rayne. There was no ‘might’ about it. She really was in no better spot than she had been this morning because though Rayne was physically here she wasn’t stupid enough to think he was in love with her. And he could leave and have any woman he wanted any time he wanted.

The sauce was ready and she poured it into the jug. The beauty of this recipe, the reason she was the only one who made it in her family, was the secret ingredient that stopped the film forming on the top. So it didn’t grow a skin.

That was a joke. She needed the opposite. She needed to grow ten skins so she could quietly peel away a new layer of herself to show Rayne so that she didn’t dump it all on him at once. Because she knew it would require patience if she wanted to help him see he had a chance of a future he’d never dreamed about.

That he could be the kind of man any child would be proud to call his or her father. The kind of man any woman wanted to share her full life with—not just the bedroom.

What was with these pregnancy hormones? She needed to stop thinking about the bedroom. She ran her finger down the spoon handle on the way to the sink. Coated her finger in the rich golden sauce. Lifted it to her lips and closed her eyes. Mmm …

Rayne tried not to stare at Maeve as she parted her lips to admit a custard-covered fingertip. Watched her savour the thick swirl. Shut her eyes. Sigh blissfully as she put the spoon in the sink. Geez. Give a guy a break. If the day hadn’t been enough without the almost overwhelming urge to pick her up from amidst all these people and ravish a heavily pregnant woman.

Louisa was talking to him. ‘Sorry.’ He blinked and turned to the little woman and he had the idea she wasn’t blind to what had distracted him if the twinkle in her eyes was anything to go by.

‘I said if you would like to follow me I’ll show you your room. It’s small but I think you’ll like the position. And all the rooms open out onto a veranda and have their own chair and table setting outside the door.’ She bustled out of the kitchen and he followed.

‘That’s the bathroom. It’s shared with Maeve and Simon and Tara.’

He nodded and paid a bit more attention to the fact that this old country manse had to be at least a hundred years old. The ceilings were a good twelve feet high and the wood-panelled walls looked solid and well built.

Louisa gestured to a door. ‘Maeve said she didn’t mind there was a connecting door between the two. Do you?’ She twinkled up at him.

‘Um. No. That will be fine.’

‘I thought it might be. Especially as she’s getting near to her time and if she wanted to she could leave the door open between you.’

It was a good idea. That look of nervous anticipation he’d seen in Maeve’s eyes this morning, he didn’t like to call it fear, did need addressing. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her without clothes. He brought his mind sternly back to the present.

If he could help by being close then that would give him purpose as he tried to come to grips with becoming an unexpected part of a large, noisy, hugging family—all that contact took a bit of getting used to.

He still couldn’t believe they weren’t all wishing him back to prison away from Maeve. But he knew for a fact Maeve was glad to see him. Maybe too glad, considering the prize she’d won.

Louisa opened the door next to Maeve’s and, sure enough, it was a small room, but it did have a double bed against the wall and a chest of drawers. All he needed. ‘Thanks, Louisa. It’s great. Can I fix you up for it?’

‘Lordy, no. I don’t need money. I’m well looked after. But you may end up working every now and then for Angus at the hospital if he gets stuck. Everyone helps everyone in Lyrebird Lake.’

Well, not where he’d come from. He felt like he’d fallen into some religious sect and they were going to ask for his soul soon, except he knew that Simon was regular. And Maeve. And this sweet, generous older lady was obviously sincere. So it looked like he had a casual job as well as a place to lay his head. Though he couldn’t see him being needed much at the hospital. ‘Maybe I can help around the house. Or the garden? I wouldn’t say no to be able to burn off some energy.’

She looked at him, a good once-over that had him wishing he’d tucked his shirt in and shaved, but she nodded. ‘I have a pile of wood I need chopped before winter. The axe is in the wee shed under the tank stand. It’s a bit early in the year but whenever you feel the need you just go right ahead and chop.’

He grinned. Couldn’t help himself. Of all the things he’d thought might happen as he’d driven through the night to get here, getting a job as a woodcutter hadn’t figured in the speculations.

He followed her out. ‘Have I got time to nip back to the pub and let them know I won’t be staying?’

‘Have you left anything there?’

‘No.’ You didn’t leave things in pub accommodation. Or maybe you did in Lyrebird Lake. Who knew?

‘Well, that’s fine. Denny Webb will be over visiting his wife at the hospital. Angus will pass the message on to the ward sister.’

Louisa waved to his car out in the street. ‘You could bring your things in and then wash in the bathroom if you want.’ She had noticed the bristles. ‘And we’ll see you back in a few minutes because it’s nearly time for Christmas lunch.’

Obediently Rayne walked out to his car and brought in his overnight bag. The rest of his stuff—one small suitcase—was under the tarpaulin in the back of the truck. Not that he had much. He’d pretty well given everything else away. Had never been one for possessions. Wasn’t quite sure what had influenced him to buy the old Chev. He’d passed it in a car yard on his way in from the airport and it had reminded him of his mother in happier times.

After his sleep in the motel for eight hours he’d walked back to the car yard an hour before closing time. Had told the guy if he could arrange a full mechanical check by a third party, transfers and insurance and tank of petrol in the time they had left, he’d pay the full price.

By the time he’d had a feed and returned, his car was waiting for him. So he did have one possession.

And an exit strategy. Both good things.

Walking back through the kitchen and outside, it seemed that Christmas lunch would be even noisier than breakfast.

Simon offered him a beer before they all sat down and, to hell with it, he took the glass and it was icy cold, and even though they were in the shade from the trees, it was pretty warm outside.

It was Christmas in Queensland and the beer tasted like Australia. Strong and dry and producing a sigh of momentary content. He noted some corny Christmas music on the CD player and Maeve was holding one hand over her left ear, pleading for it to stop. Tara was laughing and Louisa looked offended.

He leaned towards her. ‘So you don’t like carols?’

‘Not twenty-four seven for the last month,’ she whispered. ‘Save me.’

He laughed. And gave her a quick squeeze as she went past with another jug of sauce to put on the end of the table. She glanced back and she looked at him like he’d given her a present. Be careful there, he thought to himself. Expectations and what he could actually deliver could differ.

Angus came up and stood beside him. Raised his glass. ‘Lemonade. I’m on call.’ He grimaced. ‘But cheers. I hear you’re staying.’

‘Cheers.’ He lifted his beer. ‘Staying until after the baby at least.’

‘Good.’

That was unexpected approval. ‘Thank you.’

‘It’s for Maeve. And Simon. But I’m guessing it’s not all easy on your side either. Not easy to get used to all this when you didn’t expect it.’

Rayne glanced around. ‘It’s taking some.’

Angus nodded. ‘Just chill. This place is good at helping the chill factor. Maeve has a lot of support so you won’t be doing it on your own. And Tara is a good midwife.’

Change of subject. Great. ‘Which reminds me. Congratulations on your new daughter-in-law-to-be. I haven’t seen Simon look this happy, ever.’

Angus nodded. Glanced at his son, who had Tara’s hand clasped firmly in his. Tara was laughing up at him. ‘Best Christmas present I could wish for.’ Then he glanced at his own wife and daughters. ‘Finding the right woman is hard but incredibly worth it.’

‘Okay, everyone,’ the woman he was regarding said. ‘Sit.’ He inclined his head at her, gave Rayne a faint smile, and moved away to hold Louisa’s chair, and then his wife’s. He sat at the head of the table and Louisa sat on his left, with Mia on his right.

Simon sat at the other end with Tara next to him and Maeve on the other side. Rayne was in the middle opposite the two little girls, who were giggling at something Simon had said.

After this morning, he wasn’t surprised when the elder of the two girls said grace, and for a fleeting moment he wondered with an inner smile whether, if he had a daughter, he would ever hear her piping little voice bless this table at Christmas. His throat thickened and he drew a quiet breath, and in a reflex he couldn’t control he blocked it all out. Blocked out the tinny Christmas music, the laughing people, the beautiful woman expecting his baby beside him.

Maeve felt the distance grow between her and Rayne and wanted to cry. There had been moments there when he’d seemed to be settling into the day better than she’d expected. Especially when she’d noted his obvious rapport with Louisa, but, then, who didn’t feel that? Louisa was a saint. Even when she’d first arrived and been at her most prickly and morose, Louisa’s gentle, good-natured kindness had won her round before she’d known it.

She’d seen him talking to Angus. Well, since she’d arrived she’d decided Angus was a man’s man, so that wasn’t surprising. Rayne hadn’t really spoken to the girls or Mia since they’d been introduced, but in fairness he hadn’t had much chance. She couldn’t help hoping he would exhibit some signs he was good with children. The guy was a paediatrician, for goodness’ sake. And soon to be a father.

Tara leaned across the table and distracted her by offering the end of a Christmas cracker to pull. ‘I’m not sure how many of these I’m supposed to pull,’ she said in a quiet aside. ‘I just did it with Simon and of course he won. And with Amber and she won. But I want a hat.’

Maeve smiled. ‘You can pull any bon-bon offered. It’s the bon-bon owner’s choice who they want to pull them with. So take any you can.’ Maeve had pulled a lot of bonbons in her time. The two young women had tested their strength against each other, and Tara had been a little more competitive than Maeve had expected, and that made her smile.

Maeve pulled harder and the bon-bon banged and split in half. Tara got the bigger half and the hat and prize. This time Tara crowed as she won. Simon clapped. He didn’t miss much where Tara was concerned, Maeve thought with a pang. She glanced at Rayne. He was watching but his face was impassive and she got the feeling he wasn’t really there.

Not so flattering when she was sitting beside him. ‘Would you like to pull a bonbon with me?’ Darn, did she have to sound so needy?

He blinked. ‘Sorry?’

‘A Christmas cracker.’ She waved the one that was on her plate. ‘See who wins.’

‘Oh. Right. Sure.’

Such enthusiasm, she thought, and realised she was becoming a crotchety old woman by waiting for Rayne to behave like her fantasies.

‘It’s okay. Don’t worry. I’ll pull it with Tara. She loves them.’ She meant it. No problem. Then he surprised her.

‘Oi. I love them, too.’

That was the last thing Maeve had expected him to say. ‘You love bon-bons?’

‘Yeah. Why not?’ His eyes crinkled and she sighed with relief that he was back with her. ‘Not like I had that many family lunches over the years. That Christmas at your place was the first. You made me coconut ice.’

He remembered. The thought expanded in ridiculous warmth. ‘I made everyone coconut ice at Christmas. For years. But it’s very cool that you remembered.’

He held his hand out for the end of her Christmas cracker and she waved it around at him. ‘I want to win.’

They pulled it and Rayne won. ‘Oops,’ he said. ‘Try mine.’ They realigned themselves to pull again and she could tell he tried hard to let her win but the cracker broke the larger end on his side. He got the prizes. Life sucked when you couldn’t even win in a cracker-pull.

‘Can I give it to you?’

‘Not the same.’ Shook her head. Pretended to be miffed.

He raised his brows. ‘But I can’t wear two hats.’

Then she said, ‘Men just don’t understand women.’

Rayne looked at the woman beside him, ‘I’m hearing you.’ He held out the folded hat. She took it reluctantly, opened it out and put it on. He’d given her the red one to match her dress and she looked amazing in a stupid little paper hat. How did she do that? He felt like an idiot in his.

He decided to eat. It seemed they were last to reach for the food again but, then, they’d made inroads into the basket Louisa had sent with them to the lake. He was starting to feel sleepy and he wasn’t sure if it was the fact he’d driven all night, though he’d slept most of yesterday after the flight. Or maybe Louisa’s rum balls were catching up with him. He stifled a yawn.

‘I’m a bitch.’

The piece of roast turkey that was on the way to his mouth halted in mid-air. ‘Sorry?’

‘You’re tired. I’d forgotten you haven’t slept.’

He had to smile at her mood swings. The idea that life would not be boring around Maeve returned with full force.

They ate companionably for a while, he answered a question from Louisa on how the drive had been and gradually relaxed a little more with the company. ‘I’ll snooze later. Isn’t that what everyone does after Christmas lunch? Wash up and then lie around groaning and doze off until teatime?’

‘You’re eating off a paper plate. The washing up’s been done.’ She smiled at him and his belly kicked because he was damned if there wasn’t a hint of promise in that smile. More than a hint.

She bent her head and spoke softly into his ear. ‘Not everyone sleeps.’

Geez. He wasn’t making love with Maeve when Simon’s room was two doors down. Imagine if she went into labour and everybody knew he’d been the one responsible for the induction. His neck felt hot and he couldn’t look at anyone at the table.

‘Rayne?’ She laid her hand on his leg and it was all he could do not to flinch. Since when had he ever been at this much of a loss? The problem was his libido was jumping up and down like a charged icon on a computer.

She yawned ostentatiously and stood up. ‘Happy Christmas, everyone. I think I’ll go put my feet up.’

‘Bye, Maeve.’ From Simon and the girls.

‘Don’t go into labour, Maeve. I’m too full,’ Tara said.

She turned back to Rayne. ‘You coming? I think we need to talk some more.’

His ears felt hot. He needed to get himself back on an even footing here. It seemed she’d turned into a militant dominatrix and while the idea of submitting to sex wasn’t too abhorrent, it didn’t fit with the very late pregnancy visual effect. And he wasn’t enamoured by the smothered smiles of his lunch companions.

‘Sure. I’ll just help Louisa clear the table first.’

She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Fine.’

Hell. She’d said, ‘Fine.’ Which meant she was emotional and he might just have heard a tiny wobble in the word, which meant maybe he should go and comfort her.

Louisa shooed him away. ‘You cleared at breakfast. Off you go and help that girl put her feet up.’

He caught Simon’s perplexed glance at his grandmother and then at him. They both shrugged. How did you help someone put their feet up? Either way, he’d had his marching orders from two women. Maybe he should get his own place or they’d have him emasculated before New Year.

He stood up. Gave Simon a mocking smile and walked after Maeve.