Christmas Eve
Pia
“Hi, honey, I’m home!”
Perhaps I should have stopped at a fast food restaurant on the outskirts of town to freshen up. Or pulled over to the side of the road and at last freshened up my make-up and re-brushed my ponytail had to be showing the evidence of a four-hour drive.
Instead, I’d come straight to Kade’s cottage. Unable to wait a second longer than necessary to feel him.
Not just his arms, but him.
I flung my bags across the floor, waiting for him to surprise me. Maybe the whole naked man or perhaps a romantic picnic in bed. Whatever he had planned, I was game.
Silence.
Really? The cottage wasn’t large enough for Kade to hide, and I’d texted from the turnoff to give him a five-minute warning.
For three days, I’d planned, discarded and re-planned the perfect entrance. White corporate shirt and severe black pencil skirt over the top of designer nude lace bra and undies. Stockings instead of pantyhose. The guys at the office stopped joking after Kade’s fourth bunch of flowers but no one expected me to go from cool and casual to strait-laced corporate.
“Job interview?” Coen asked. Damn, he was a loss to all women. At least he looked happy and luckily I’d never made a move that would have only ended up with us being awkward. “Never seen you out of jeans or trousers.”
“Nupe.”
“You know it’s Christmas and we’re heading off before lunch? No clients to dress up for?”
“I know.” In truth, it was all part of my plan. I wanted the contrast of business corporate against the farm girl image Kade would get to see later. I was even willing to go to extremes with pigtails and flannel shirt. But first, he had to strip the city chic from my body. One expensive piece of clothing at a time.
“Kade?” I called again, making my way to his bedroom, or could I be so bold as to call it our bedroom? “Are you here?”
“Babe!” Kade rushed in from his garden, holding a bunch of wilting flowers and a film of sweat across his chest. Naked down to his grey work shorts and steel-capped boots, this man had me ready before our first kiss. Before I had a chance to relieve him of the flowers, he’d tossed them across his dining table and swept me up into his arms. If I wanted proof of how not-fake our Christmas date was, he gave it to me in wandering hands, unabashed kisses and moans so loud they’d scare away the magpies. “Oh, babe, I’ve missed you.”
“Wait ‘til you see what I’ve got—” All plans to have him strip me melted as I stood back and dropped my skirt. Countless attempts had finally worked. One flick of the hook and tug at the seam and the zipper was putty in a single hand while my other tried to work the tiny blouse buttons. Stepping out of the skirt, my blouse now flapped freely, showing off the bra no other man had ever seen.
“Pia, oh, Pia, yes I want to but—” Kade started when a long-forgotten, unexpected, and unwelcome face appeared over Kade’s shoulder.
Filling the doorway with his body, freezing the moment with his words.
“Well, little Pia Morgan has certainly grown up.”
With an embarrassed and embarrassing squeal, I grabbed my skirt and raced to the safety of Kade’s bedroom. Why hadn’t he warned me?
Declan Reiss.
Every girl’s heart desire. Except mine.
I’d grabbed my clothes and run but not before he would have seen me. Seen the me that I wanted to give to Kade. Not to Declan. Never Declan.
“I told you this wasn’t a good time.” Kade’s laconic tone lacked even a hint of brotherly love.
“You screwing her? Don’t even lie to me.” Thuds against the walls didn’t make sense. I hadn’t seen Declan in years and had never dated or even kissed the guy. “This is totally screwed up.”
“It isn’t what you think.”
“So, little Pia Morgan rocks up at random houses to strip and fuck?”
“No, of course not.”
“So, where to I sign up? I always wanted to get a taste of her.”
Still hiding in the bedroom, the buttons harder to do up with my trembling fingers than they had been to undo, I could only assume it was Declan’s jaw that connected with Kade’s fist from the muffled moan. “Baby bro still hits like a girl.”
“Leave her out of it.”
“Hard to do when you put her in the bloody middle of it. Do mum and dad know?”
“Of course not.”
“A happy Christmas surprise.”
“We are together.”
“For how long?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Of course, it is. Let me break it down for you. Did you start dating or screwing her before or after you got the email.”
“What email?” I’d replace my skirt with jeans left at Kade’s last weekend and while I didn’t want to come in between brothers, they were fighting about me. Talking about me. As if I was some prize in a competition decided by email. Entering the room, Declan took in my jeans and then glanced towards my bags still in the doorway.
Yes, Declan, I had spare clothes at Kade’s. Deal with it.
“You really are a little innocent, aren’t you,” Declan sneered. “Guess baby bro has got some real talking to do to catch you up to speed. Merry Christmas, Pia. If you want to trade up, I’ll have a spare seat next to me at Boxing Day and you can decide which one of us gets the prize after dessert.”
“Dec, what’s going on?” This couldn’t be about Declan walking in on me half naked—this whole jealousy act didn’t make sense. We’d never been anything other than friends and part of the same group. I’d never taken his flirting as something serious, how could I when he was sleeping with every girl in sight. I edged over to Kade and when his fingers found mine, his strength and warmth filled me with love and confidence.
This was real and Declan would find out eventually. Far better he find out today and here, than ruin Boxing Day lunch.
“Ask him.” I’d never seen Declan look at his brother with such raw contempt and anger before. They’d fought—like all brothers. But it had always been competitive or mucking around. Not like this.
“Kade?”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing.”
I pulled away, “Kade?” I rapidly looked between Declan and Kade. Kade just lied to me. Declan wouldn’t be acting like this over nothing.
“Declan?” If Kade wouldn’t, I needed Declan to fill in the blanks.
We stood, me waiting for someone to talk and the brothers filled with quiet rage.
“You are a slimy, two-faced piece of shit.” Declan sprung across the room and shoved Kade’s chest.
“Dec, don’t! Kade, no!” I tried to get in between them, catching Kade’s arm before it swung through towards his target.
Declan stumbled, not from being hit but with the anger and unsatisfied frustration. “She really doesn’t have a clue?” This to Kade whose face was as silent as his words.
“Darling Pia,” he spat. “If baby bro turns up with you on Boxing Day, it’s because he’s made the deal of the century. Screw you both. To hell and back.”
I didn’t know why I hadn’t heard Dec’s truck arrive, but the spinning wheels made no attempt to hide his angry departure.
Turning towards Kade, I wanted him to set my fears aside. A do-over of me arriving into his arms and kisses. To make me believe whatever was going on, it couldn’t threaten my new-found happiness.
I needed Kade to reassure me Declan had been a jealous fool, caught off-guard by seeing me almost naked in his brother’s cottage. Nothing about deals and me being caught in the middle of some family squabble.
“Kade, please. What do you need to tell me?”
When he still refused to talk, I pushed his face away, unable to look at him. It wasn’t enough, I needed space to think and to demand answers. I unwrapped his arms and took a seat on one of his uncomfortable, thirty-year-old dining chairs. Solid wood. It occurred to me the chairs would have made a great dent in the walls if thr
own. With vengeance and force. Whatever was going on, it hadn’t escalated that badly. Yet. Cuddling my knees to my chest, Kade tried to crouch down to hug me, but I refused to let him get close. I needed answers and after Declan’s outburst, I deserved them.
Happy Christmas to me? What a joke.
Infuriating tears wanted to make their mark down my face, the only explanation was that I’d allowed myself to be happy. I’d been happy for almost a week.
Damn him. I didn’t know whether I was damning Declan or Kade. Or both.
“Babe, there’s nothing to tell.” Unable to distract me with the passion from the weekend, Kade strode to the other side of the open plan living area. Wrenching open the fridge, finding nothing of interest before doing the same to the small pantry. Slamming the door shut with a force that proved his words were a lie.
“Really, how about you call you brother and tell him that his rage was a misunderstanding and we can all share a bottle of wine and chat about old times.”
“Pia, don’t.” His voice cool and detached. The opposite of his brother and not in any way reassuring.
“Pia, don’t what?” I cried. “I’m tired. Driving out of Sydney on Christmas Eve is impossible, but I did it to be with you. I wanted to spend today and tonight with you, but I need to know what’s going on. Why did Declan say those things?”
“I’m sorry. He had no right to throw that shit at you.”
“Then explain what the shit is, so next time I know what I have to duck.”
I watched, too scared to move or breathe as Kade retrieved his laptop from the other room and set it up on the table in front of me. He refused to meet my gaze until ready to spin the screen around.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
I didn’t understand until getting half-way through the email Declan must have wanted me to read. No wonder Dec reacted so passionately, I understood.
Shit.
Double shit.
I understood everything.
“You used me.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Dear sons,
Being a third generation farmer comes with responsibilities. We’ve survived floods and droughts. Fluctuations in the exchange rate that made our crops worthless only to soar the next year. As small farms have come onto the market, we’ve consolidated; thinking that greater land holdings would make our legacy more sustainable.
Not our legacy, but yours.
We haven’t been able to control the weather, or markets or government regulation.
But we’ve adjusted and the farm has thrived.
As farmers go, at 60 we are still young, but we want to travel. Enjoy the world and each other while we are still healthy enough to do so.
But we are shackled by our legacy.
Declan, we love you. Our first-born son and always destined to be a farmer. But, son, you’ve slept with or alienated almost every female within a hundred miles. No judgement, although your mother is blushing. But fourth generation has a responsibility to settle down, marry and raise the next generation of farmers.
Declan, we love you but think that the farm is a burden you shouldn’t have to carry. Not without the support of a wife who understands and loves the land as much as you do.
Kade. Our very own business entrepreneur. You always felt overlooked, but that’s not true. We never had to steer you in a direction because you were born knowing what you wanted. Yes, you wanted the farm, but you understood Declan’s claim. So you went off to conquer the world, and we couldn’t be more proud.
I stopped reading, going back to re-read the beginning more slowly. Word by careful word. The second time catching nuances missed during the first.
“Finished?”
“Not even close.” I fought for each breath, not that oxygen could glue my self-respect and heart back together.
One year. You both have one year. Whomever marries first will get the farm. Have your honeymoon and come back to a lifetime of joy and hard work. We’ll walk away and start the next phase of our life.
Yes, Declan, we know you always expected the farm to be handed to you, but we also had expectations.
We aren’t choosing favorites, whoever doesn’t get the farm will get the equivalent value in cash. Buy another farm, or a property on the coast. Travel the world and enjoy your life free from the shackles of responsibility. Whatever it takes for you to be happy.
One year. Either one of you is married or we’ll have sold the farm to the highest bidder and then we can all walk away and start anew.
Love to you both, see you on Boxing Day.
Dad and mum.
Wow. And not in a good way. But before I had a chance to speak, Kade’s phone rang and Declan’s face appeared.
“Don’t ignore it on my behalf,” I spat. What a bloody fool I’d been, thinking this could be a chance to be happy.
I didn’t expect Kade to hit the speaker. “What the hell do you want?”
“Other than to tie you up at the stables and flog you until you admit what you’ve done.”
“I’ve always loved Pia, ask mum. She’s known since high school.” Kade looked to me but with another lie? “Babe, its true but I didn’t want to tell you like this.”
“You think you’re the only one? Dad’s been waiting for me to get my shit together and bring her home. After those two emails, he sent me a third, suggesting I take this as the opportunity to stop sleeping with women who will never mean a thing. He know there’s only ever been Pia.”
“Dec, I’m sorry. I’ve never thought of you like that. Friends, yes, but nothing more.” I leaned across, grabbing the phone. “And in any case, even if you liked me, you hid it behind sleeping with all my friends and every other female who said ‘yes’.”
“Well, what I thought and wanted doesn’t matter now, does it? Baby bro got there first. Congrats. You’ll spend many a happy year living on my farm, reaping the rewards of my hard work. Doesn’t matter how I feel about you or the farm. Baby bro gets it all. Doesn’t matter I’ve worked seven days a week since I could walk. He can come in and sweep it away all by putting a ring on your finger.”
“I don’t want the farm.” Kade tried to say before the line died.
“Pia, please listen.”
Instead of making love to the man I had already admitted to myself as loving, I remained frozen in place. My ass numb from the hard, wooden chair and knees still locked to my chest.
Words flowed into other words. Nothing made sense.
“Always loved you.” Maybe, but he went online for a reason.
“We stopped being a fake date the moment you walked into the café and asked about the poached eggs. Even before then, after the first time you walked in, I was going to cancel my online date and track you down.” Perhaps, but he’d never be able to prove it.
“I’ve never brought another woman back to this cottage.” Again, impossible to prove but maybe it was a ploy to prove to his parents and Declan he was serious about making a play for the farm.
Through me.
Using me to get his family’s farm.
Declan’s farm.
My love was the price of a piece of land. My love was the cost of two brothers.
Stretching out, I wriggled my toes until they got back enough feeling to stand and tried to relax my shoulders. No point. I wanted to leave, pretend this last week never happened.
But what if there was a small chance Kade was telling the truth? That what we had was real and not because of—I swallowed the thought.
“I’ll make us some lunch.” I refused his arms, pushing him out of the kitchen and opening a cupboard door between us. “Go and do farmer stuff. Or call your brother and make peace.”
“He doesn’t want peace. He wants the farm and he can have it. I’ve never wanted it.”
“The letter—”
“If you’ll listen to me for a second.”
“Really! I was pleading for you to talk to me while Declan was here. Why did I even have to he
ar that there was a deal from him? Why couldn’t you have told me last week?”
“Tell you what?”
“Being with me could get you the farm.”
“No!” This time a chair did bounce off the wall, leaving a hole as a reminder. “The truth is, I’ve never expected it and never wanted the responsibility. Can you imagine taking over this place and then having to wait until dad dies before I can make decision? Since the moment I was born, Declan was the heir and I was the spare. Only needed if some father or scorned husband ran Dec out of town.”
“Go.” He needed to leave before I did. Only I wouldn’t be coming back.
“Pia, please.” Kade was still shaking but his momentary rage had subsided.
“Just go. I need time to think.”
“Pia, this doesn’t have to change Christmas.”
I bit my lip to stop from crying. “How can it not? I thought we were real.”
“We were never supposed to be real, remember?” His frustration showing with the bitter reminder. My heart recoiled as a barrier tried too late to protect it. The Kade I grew up with would never be so cruel, and the man who became my lover would never lie. But neither were the son wanting to steal his brother’s legacy, and my heart be damned.
“I thought—”
“You were looking for a date to get your parents off your back. Nothing’s changed. We can still go to Christmas lunch and once you understand—”
Was he delusional? How could he be so blasé about Declan, the email, the ultimatum. “Everything’s changed,” I tried to explain, desperate for him to say the magic words which would make everything better. “You, me. I thought we were real.”
“Babe, please. Calm down and you’ll see how silly this is.”
Really? In what world had a woman ever calmed down because a man told her she should? And if he wanted silly, I could create a portfolio of ads leaving clients laughing in the aisles. Instead, I needed time. Time to think, to feel, to get over myself—or get over Kade.
My parents thought I was driving down from Sydney on Christmas morning. I’d made a big deal about staying back to clear my desk and have a couple of office drinks. If I turned up unannounced and alone, they’d insist on answers to questions I lacked the strength to face. Not yet.
Her Christmas Romance Surprise Page 6
