Our Kind of Love

by Victoria Purman

  ‘Is it normal for him to want to feed every two hours? He’s so hungry all the time.’

  ‘Perfectly normal. He’s putting on weight, he’s sleeping. He’s doing everything a baby should. And you’re doing everything a new mum should be doing. You’re doing brilliantly, Sarah.’

  Sarah shot Anna a teary-eyed look of relief. ‘Thanks, Anna. It’s all a bit overwhelming, really.’

  Anna reached out her arms and snatched him for a cuddle. She held Max in front of her, laid him on her legs and bent down to give him a big, fat raspberry on his tummy. Max laughed and giggled some more and opened his big blue eyes even bigger.

  ‘He loves that,’ Anna sighed, ‘Look at him.’

  Sarah laughed as she stood up and hefted her enormous baby bag over her shoulder. ‘He’s the best thing to ever happen to me. Besides his father, of course.’

  Anna stood, cradling Max in the crook of her arm and followed Sarah out the door to the reception area. ‘You are both very lucky to have this beautiful little—’

  Anna stopped. Sarah turned to see what had happened. Grace popped her head up from the reception area and both of them exchanged uncertain glances.

  ‘—man.’

  It was Joe. All man, all handsome, all denim jeans and T-shirt. All grinning. All quirking that one delectable eyebrow into his sandy blond hairline.

  ‘Good morning,’ Anna said and hoped like hell she still sounded like a doctor instead of someone who remembered seeing him naked. ‘I won’t be a minute.’ Anna dug down deep and found her professional cool. ‘Lovely to see you, Sarah. And you too, Max.’

  Anna must have clutched the baby tighter without realising it or he’d picked up on the nervous tension that had shuddered up her toes and into her hairline, because he began to whimper. Sarah gave Anna an understanding smile and took her son from Anna’s arms.

  ‘Sometimes bubs just want their mums, don’t they?’

  ‘I’ll see you soon for his next vaccinations.’

  ‘See you, Sarah,’ Grace called from the desk. When the front door to the surgery had closed with a squeak, Grace handed Anna a new file. On the back flap of the folder, she could clearly see the name: ‘Holmes, John’.

  She turned to Joe again and tried not to let the tremble in her chest come out in her voice. ‘Mr Holmes?’

  The grin on Joe’s face had her toes tingling and suddenly feeling too big for her high heels. She nodded her head to indicate Joe should follow her and she gave Grace a quick glance.

  ‘Isn’t he …?’ Her sister looked totally confused.

  As soon as Joe entered her consulting room, Anna closed the door and leaned back against it, clutching the patient folder in front of her. He hadn’t sat down on the chair by her desk as her other patients always did. He was one foot in front of her and getting closer.

  She planted one flat palm on his stomach. The hard muscle underneath sent her pulse soaring. Her hand didn’t seem to be much of a shield because he didn’t budge. In fact, her touch seemed to have the opposite effect.

  ‘Hello, Dr Morelli.’

  She took a long glance at the file in her hand. ‘John Holmes?’

  ‘It’s my spy name.’

  ‘So Mr Holmes, what seems to be the problem? Not enough blood supply in your body to sustain an erection?’

  Joe smiled and wham. ‘I’ve never had complaints on that score. Unless you have one?’

  ‘No.’ Anna trembled at the memory.

  ‘Good to know. But I do need some medical advice.’ He reached out and leaned his hands on the door, on either side of her shoulders. His head dipped and his lips were a whisper away. God, he smelled good. Like soap and, strangely, like Middle Point.

  ‘Would you like to take a seat and tell me all about it?’

  Joe shook his head. ‘I can do it standing up.’

  Anna remembered. ‘Do tell.’

  ‘I have an ache right here.’ Joe pressed against himself against her. He was hard as a rock. ‘And it won’t go away.’

  ‘Really?’ Anna murmured. She liked his closeness, the way he seemed to be all around her, even if her neck did ache from craning her neck up to look at his face. And although it sounded serious downstairs, she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from his lips. His full bottom lip, moist and full. The top half in shadow and teasing her with the way it moved when he spoke.

  ‘That sounds serious. We may need to amputate.’

  ‘God, I hope not. It’s still quite useful, you know.’

  Joe leaned in and pressed his soft lips to Anna’s mouth and she wondered if the sound of her knees knocking could be heard through the closed door to her surgery and in the reception area. She kissed him back with just enough enthusiasm to let him know she appreciated it, but not enough to deepen it. She was, after all, still at work.

  ‘Is there actually anything at all wrong, Joe? Or did you just happen to be driving by, an hour and a half from Middle Point?’

  ‘Thought you might be missing something.’ Joe took a step back and Anna watched as he fished in his pocket. He produced his wallet and for half a second Anna wondered if he was going to pull a condom out of it. He carefully reached inside the small flap and withdrew her necklace, like a snake charmer might summon his creature from its ceramic pot.

  ‘Oh God.’ Anna slipped the folder under one arm and held out her cupped hands. She sighed deeply as the gold chain pooled there. ‘Thank you so much.’

  ‘It was on the floor.’ His eyebrow danced and Anna felt a blush glow in her cheeks. ‘In my bedroom.’

  ‘Thank you so much for bringing it back to me. This is …’ She was happy, relieved and speechless.

  ‘Every time I’ve seen you, you’ve been wearing it. And twisting it around in your fingers. It looks like something special.’

  Anna swept by him and walked, dazed, to her desk. She flopped down onto her chair.

  ‘It is special. My Nonna – on my dad’s side – gave it to me for my First Communion.’

  ‘Is that some churchy thing?’

  ‘A big churchy thing. I haven’t taken it off since I was eleven years old.’

  Joe could see happy tears in Anna’s eyes and felt like a superhero. He sauntered across the room and perched himself on the edge of her desk.

  ‘And how many years is that exactly?’

  ‘Twenty-four years. It’s twenty-four years since she gave it to me and twenty-four years since she died. You see, it was hers. Not the chain, but the St Christopher’s medal. I was the first grandchild and I was named after her.’

  He could see by her expression how important it was to her, this link to her family. ‘Now I’m really glad I didn’t trade it for cash at the pawn shop I passed on the way here.’

  Anna smiled and sniffed, then wiped the tears from her eyes. ‘Thank you, Joe. I’m so relieved. I thought it might have been washed out to sea and been eaten by a fish.’

  ‘Here it is, safe and sound.’

  ‘I don’t know how to thank you.’

  Joe leaned forward. ‘I do.’

  ‘I’m sure you do.’

  ‘Tell me, Dr Morelli. You stopped thinking so much?’

  Anna gulped. All she’d done since that weekend down at Middle Point was think. About Joe. How she felt when she was with him. ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Decided anything?’

  ‘Not sure.’ Anna’s fist was clutched tight and pressed against her heart.

  ‘Here’s a question for you then. Do you believe in signs?’

  ‘I was raised a Catholic and I’m Italian. What do you think?’

  ‘I think it’s a sign, your necklace. I think it’s the universe telling me that we should spend some more time together. What are you doing tonight? I’m up here for the whole weekend.’

  Anna stared at him for a moment, like she was trying to remember which day it was. Let go. Stop thinking so much. ‘Tonight’s good.’

  Then Anna slapped a palm against her forehead. ‘Damn it. I have an engagement p
arty tonight.’

  ‘Okay, Joe said.

  Anna stopped, stared at him for a long minute.

  ‘You don’t happen to have a suit with you, do you?’

  Joe looked down at his jeans and T-shirt. He did have some rather nice numbers, including a decent black tux that he’d worn to the Walkley Awards three years ago, but they were still in his wardrobe in Sydney.

  ‘Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Right under this T-shirt.’ Joe didn’t break eye contact with her but reached a hand down and tugged up the soft cotton.

  Anna swallowed and wondered if she had any valium in her top drawer.

  He’d revealed just enough tanned skin and hard muscle to send her pulse soaring and create a desert in her mouth. The wide elastic waistband of his boxers lay flat against his stomach, right about the exact spot where she’d licked a trail the weekend before. Her eyes grazed the pleasure zone before slowly coming up to meet his.

  ‘What I have in mind doesn’t need clothes, Dr Morelli.’

  ‘I was just wondering if you’d like to come to the party with me. No pressure and only if you want to. It’s a family thing. I barely know the family but it’s what we do. Italians. We go to family celebrations and we … celebrate. I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to break the news to the community that Alex and I are finito. And what better way to do it than with you on my arm?’

  Joe smiled, shook his head. ‘You are a piece of work, Dr Morelli. First you use me for sex. And now you want to use me as some cheap but extremely good-looking piece of eye candy?’

  ‘You up for it, Mr Holmes?’

  Joe stood, walked to her chair and grabbed each armrest. ‘Let’s go shopping. Said no straight man, ever.’

  CHAPTER

  33

  At exactly 7.30 p.m. that night, Anna and Joe made an entrance at the Bianchi Reception Centre that would set tongues wagging for months. It wasn’t simply that Dr Anna Morelli had arrived at the engagement party of Mirella Morelli (a cousin and a tongue twister in one petite package) and Leonardo Stefani (her bodybuilder policeman fiancé) without her husband. It was that she turned up with someone who looked like James Bond. Every man in the room wanted his suit. Every woman in the room wanted him out of it.

  It was no surprise, really. Anna knew he looked absolutely shaggable; the three-day growth on his jaw was ruggedly handsome and his blue eyes shone down at her like two stars. All this, and she hadn’t even had a drink yet. How was she going to survive the night without tearing the clothes from his body? The very clothes they’d chosen just that afternoon. As soon as they’d entered the stylish men’s boutique on a major shopping strip on the east side of the city, Joe had walked over to the counter and said to the salesman, ‘I’ll have the dark navy one in the window.’ It was very nice indeed; a slim-cut suit with narrow lapels and Anna had convinced him a crisp white shirt would be the best match. When she’d chosen a stylish silver tie, Joe had put it right back on the shelf. She was glad he had.

  Anna looked him up and down again. The first couple of buttons on his shirt were undone, revealing a sexy sliver of skin and she fought hard against the temptation to slip her fingers inside. Maybe later.

  ‘You look incredible,’ Joe said, taking in every inch of her little navy sleeveless dress, but particularly her legs.

  ‘So do you, Mr Blake. Nice suit.’

  ‘Why thanks.’ Joe reached for her hand and kissed the back of it. But he didn’t let go, instead bringing it closer to his eyes. ‘What happened to the rock?’

  Anna straightened her shoulders, glanced at her empty ring finger. ‘It’s at home. In the bottom drawer.’

  Joe’s smile said he understood. He slipped an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, ‘Shall we?’

  As they crossed the room to their table, conversations stilled, jaws dropped and even the piped music seemed to stop. And Anna loved every single second. Her appearance with a new man on her arm meant she could avoid steps one through to six in the gossiping conversations about what had happened to her marriage.

  1. Dr Anna is separated?

  2. Her husband was doing what?

  3. He’s a devil.

  4. Poor Dr Anna.

  5. Poor old childless Dr Anna.

  6. Can I introduce you to my nephew?

  Joe on her arm meant she could leap right ahead, fast forward to number seven which was:

  7. Who’s the new man?

  Of course, Anna knew there would be a number eight (are they getting married?) and number nine (she’d better hurry up and have babies!) but she didn’t care what they thought anymore.

  Her invitation to Joe had been casual, almost flippant. An afterthought. She’d got a little carried away pondering how good he’d look in a suit. But walking into the crowded room, past people she’d known her whole life, most of whom had been guests at her own wedding, she realised how important this really was to her. It had been so sweet of him to agree to come. And she hadn’t exactly agreed to sleep with him in return, but maybe it had been implied when she’d swished aside the change room curtain in the men’s boutique and kissed him like she wanted to have sex with him right then and there. She kind of did.

  There was a jab in her ribs. Grace was at her side with a sharp look from Anna to Joe and back to Anna, suspicious eyes and a question on her lips.

  ‘Anna. Isn’t that … aren’t you …?’

  Anna gripped Grace’s forearm and pulled her close. ‘Grace, listen up. This is not John Holmes. His name is Joe Blake and, yes, he’s from Middle Point. He’s my arm candy tonight so I don’t get hounded to death by everyone when they find out I’m getting a divorce.’

  Joe held out a hand. ‘Hello Grace. Height really doesn’t run in your family, does it?’

  Grace shook his hand and Anna realised her little sister seemed totally unaffected by the suit, the jaw, the eyes or the man.

  ‘I’ve got news for you, Anna,’ Grace warned in a whisper. ‘You are still going to get hounded. Judging by the way Dad looks like he’s about to have a heart attack and Mum might be about to stab you with a fork, I’m guessing you didn’t tell them about bringing him tonight.’

  From across the room, Anna’s parents shocked glances settled on their eldest daughter like a drone strike.

  ‘Merda,’ Anna whispered into Joe’s shoulder. Her brought his hand to rest on the small of her back and the gesture floored her. ‘Joe, be prepared. I didn’t tell my parents about you.’

  He took her gently by the shoulders and searched for her eyes. ‘Let go, Anna. You have nothing to be ashamed of.’

  Anna found her St Christopher medal. ‘Just let me the do the talking, okay?’

  He followed Anna’s lead and they walked across the shining parquetry dance floor to the other side of the reception room. Joe had never seen anything like it. There were great, long swathes of sheer white material strung across the ceiling and inside each row were hundreds of fairy lights, which twinkled like pretend stars on the low ceiling of the community clubroom. There was almost as much sparkle coming from the sequinned outfits, tailor-made suits and jewels of the guests. Everyone had put on their best impressions; they all looked like they were worth a million bucks. What had Anna called it? La belly figura?

  He felt eyes on him but he shrugged it off. He wasn’t unused to being stared at or set apart. Asking questions when people didn’t want you around kind of meant you were used to it. Instead of meeting their curious inspection, he flicked his eyes up to the party lights and tried not to smirk when he spotted the mirror ball hanging amongst the fabric, already shining and twinkling in the party lights. And then, he noticed the head table set up on the low stage at the front of the cavernous room, and behind it a huge video screen, bigger than a sports bar TV, relaying shots of people arriving at the main doors from the car park. It wasn’t like any red carpet he’d ever seen, but it may as well have been one.

  And, he realised, it meant that every person in the whole room would have seen
Dr Anna Morelli, the good girl oldest daughter, who they all believed was still married, arriving with a man who clearly wasn’t her husband. A handsome stranger. That idea made him smile. And if that’s what he was, he could play the part. He would do it for Anna and not ask for anything in return. Well, maybe just one thing.

  ‘Ma, Dad, Nonna.’

  Anna had looped her arm through his and he could feel her stiffen. He quickly put away the smirk, summoned the most polite smile he could muster and bestowed it generously on the Morellis and the dignified older lady in black sitting with them.

  ‘I’d like you to meet Joseph Blake. He’s a new friend. I met him at Middle Point. You know the woman Dan is seeing? Joseph is her brother.’

  Mr Morelli stood slowly and held out a hand. If there was a friendly face somewhere there, he didn’t bring it out for Joe. ‘Hello,’ he almost grunted.

  ‘Very nice to meet you, Mr Morelli.’ Joe shook hands firmly. ‘And Mrs Morelli, I’m delighted.’ Anna’s mother reached up and Joe leaned over to shake her hand, too.

  ‘Hello, Joseph,’ she said. And then ignored him completely to interrogate her oldest daughter.

  ‘Anna,’ her mother shot out in a fierce whisper. ‘What’s going on? What are you doing? These people don’t even know about the—’

  ‘Yes, Ma, the divorce. Exactly. I thought I’d distract them so they didn’t fret all night and try to set me up with their horrible sons.’

  ‘Anna, what were you thinking? This is childish. And who is this man?’

  ‘Mrs Morelli, I’m simply a friend and happy to do a favour for your lovely daughter tonight.’

  ‘Ma, all you need to say is that Alex and I are getting a divorce and that I’ve decided to bring along a friend who’s visiting Adelaide. That’s it. That’s all they need to know. This is my life and I don’t owe anyone any more explanation than that.’

  Mrs Morelli didn’t look convinced. Joe understood that it wasn’t just Anna who’d have to answer questions all night about who he was. Her whole family would too. And that was something totally unfamiliar to him, this over-protective family cocoon that Anna was spun into. Since almost the day he was born, he’d never had to account for his actions to a father and, since his early twenties, he hadn’t had a mother or grandmother, either, to answer to. So this over-protective thing he saw happening right in front of his eyes? He couldn’t decide whether it was cloying or comforting. What he did know was that he was proud of Anna for sticking to her guns, for standing up for herself.