by Alexa Rivers
“That’s right.”
They worked in tandem for the next couple of hours, putting lunch together bit by bit, exchanging sarcastic comments as they went. The mood slowly improved, though to be fair, it couldn’t have gotten worse than sobbing alone in her ex’s spare bedroom on Christmas day.
But then someone knocked on the door, and her stomach plummeted like she’d dropped twenty vertical meters.
“Come in,” Davy yelled. “It’s open.”
Evie heard the swish of the door over carpet and a woman’s voice with a thick Irish accent called, “Too busy to greet your Mam, are you, boy?”
“I’m taking care of the holiday meal you’re about to enjoy,” he said.
“Cheeky boy. I didn’t raise you to give me lip.” Mrs. O’Connor came around the corner. She had a rigid bearing with good posture and hair that matched her son’s, topping out no more than an inch above five feet. Freckles dusted her face, making her cheeks look almost tan, and blue eyes beamed like lasers from beneath hooded lids.
“Oh.” She came to a stop, her gaze settling on Evie. “And who might you be?”
Evie immediately rethought her plans to stay for the meal. She didn’t belong here. “I’m just le—”
“Evelyn,” Davy interrupted, when she’d been about to politely excuse herself. “This is my Mam and Paps.” A gray-haired gentleman with bushy brows followed Davy’s mother into the room. Behind him came a lanky redhead and a petite Japanese woman with a toddler clinging to her leg. “I think you know Angus,” he continued.
“From a very long time ago. He probably doesn’t remember me.”
Angus’s eyes widened in surprise, but he shook his head. “I remember you, Evie. You’re kind of hard to forget.” He took the Japanese woman’s hand. She smiled warmly, her dark eyes twinkling and thin lips curving into a smile. “This is my partner, Mariko, and our son Reo.”
“Lovely to meet you,” Evie said, and then the entire O’Connor clan watched her curiously, as if waiting for an explanation for her presence. She gave them one. “My car broke down and the mechanic isn’t open until tomorrow, so I’m stuck here. Davy and I know each other from school. He let me crash in his spare bedroom. I should say, one of his many spare bedrooms. This place is massive.”
Davy’s father glanced between the two of them, taking in the food stains on their clothing, and the tension in the air. He raised an eyebrow. “A pleasure to meet you, Evelyn.” His accent was less pronounced than his wife’s. “Call me Hugh. My wife is Eileen.”
“Merry Christmas, Hugh.” She turned to Davy. “Are you okay to finish lunch?”
He nodded.
Evie smiled at everyone. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go clean myself up.”
Chapter 7
“She just happened to break down outside your place, eh?” Angus asked the minute Evelyn left the room.
Davy didn’t appreciate his tone. “She did,” he said, warning his brother off with a look. The last thing he needed was for their mother to get ideas.
Angus’s grin widened. His baby brother had never been able to take a hint. “If I remember correctly—and I usually do—you and Evie dated during high school. Odd that her car would break down outside your bar, of all places. What do you suppose she was doing here?”
Davy shrugged. “Didn’t ask. It’s none of my business. Wipe that smirk off your face, kid. Evelyn and I went out a handful of times nine years ago, it means nothing that she’s here now. It’s a small town, that’s all.”
“You dated that girl?” Eileen asked, overhearing. Her brow crinkled in disbelief. “And I didn’t know about it?”
Davy crossed his arms. Angus had done it now. “I don’t bring every girl I date home to meet you, Mam.”
“Perhaps not, but I’d have thought you’d bring home one as pretty and polite as that,” she said tartly.
Yeah, well, he would’ve, if she’d been inclined to agree.
“Lay off, Eileen,” Hugh said. “Give the boy a break. I’m sure you didn’t tell Colleen and Willy everything we got up to when we were young.”
She blushed, and Angus and Davy stuck their fingers in their ears at the same time.
“We don’t need to hear this,” Angus said. “Our ears are delicate.”
Mariko heaved Reo up and settled him on her slim hip. “Angus, why don’t you help Davy bring lunch over? We’ll set up the table.” While the O’Connors spoke with varying degrees of the Irish accent, Mariko’s sweet voice tripped over L’s.
“Excellent plan, Mariko,” Hugh agreed, ushering his sons into action.
Angus joined Davy in the kitchen area and they loaded the turkey, ham, and vegetables onto serving dishes and carried them to the table. When they returned to assemble the drinks and condiments, Angus peeked at their family to make sure they were occupied, then sauntered closer to Davy and murmured under his breath, “So, what’s really going on with Evie? The truth, brother.”
Davy looked upward as if considering how much to share. “The truth is…” He took a deep breath, then released it slowly. “Exactly what she said. There’s nothing to know.”
Angus chuckled. “You bastard. You really had me going.”
“You should have known better, kid. What happened between us at school is ancient history. Let sleeping dogs lie.”
“It’s a pity,” he replied. “She’s a looker, and from what I remember, a real good sort, too.”
“Forget it.”
At the dining table, Mariko and Eileen laid out dinner plates, glasses, and cutlery while Hugh kept Reo busy with a toy tanker truck. Evelyn edged in, looking unsure of herself, and started chatting quietly to Hugh as he and the boy played.
“Lunch is ready,” Davy announced, capturing everyone’s attention. His family hastened to their seats, Mariko balancing her son on her knee. They left two chairs free, beside each other. One for Davy and one for Evelyn. Not subtle in the slightest. He met Evelyn’s gaze and she gave him a wry smile, aware of the maneuver to force them together. She didn’t seem surprised, either. Then again, she probably encountered this type of behavior all the time. Who wouldn’t want a vibrant, vivacious woman to be part of their family, even if she were something of a loose unit?
She slid into the empty seat beside Eileen, glanced at the cutlery and hesitated, as if unsure of the proper protocol for a Christmas meal.
Davy came to her rescue. “Mam, would you like to say grace?”
Eileen pressed her palms together, bowed her head, and murmured, “Bless us, O Lord, and these, thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
Davy stole a look at Evelyn and noticed she’d bowed her head, too, muttering a furtive “Amen” afterward. He added his own voice to the chorus. “Amen. Dig in, everybody.” He served himself a generous portion of everything. “Isn’t this better than hiding out in the spare room?” he asked under his breath.
“I’m reserving judgment,” she said. “Until after dessert.”
“Good call.”
“Evelyn,” his mother said. “Tell me, what do you do?”
Davy thought the question may unsettle her, considering she was notoriously fickle when it came to employment, but she remained unruffled. “I’m between jobs at the moment. A friend in Timaru has offered me work at her orchard until I find something new.”
“What kind of work are you looking for?” Hugh asked, splashing his turkey with sauce.
“I’ve worked in a wide range of fields. I have no qualifications, but I’ll give almost anything a shot, and that seems to go a long way.”
“Damned right, it does,” Hugh agreed. “Too many young people these days are allergic to honest hard work. Would you like me to ask around? It’s busy season on the farms, and one of my friends may need an extra worker.”
“Thank you, that’s very kind, but I might only be staying in the area temporarily. I’m not sure where I’m headed next.”
Eileen frowned,
and caught her husband’s eye, her matchmaking temporarily thwarted. “Is Itirangi not home for you? I thought Angus said you grew up here.”
Evelyn shoveled parsnip into her mouth, delaying her response. “I grew up here, but now I’m a nomad, really.”
Eileen brightened again. “If you don’t have roots elsewhere, why not take a job here for a while? Especially if there’s a shortage of farmhands.”
“Mam,” Davy warned, concerned his houseguest would burst into tears again if pushed.
“No, it’s all right.” Evelyn flapped a hand in his direction. “The truth is, my mum passed away last year, and I have so many memories of her here that I’m not sure if I’m ready to be back yet.”
Well that stopped his determined mother in her tracks. Because, really, how could anyone argue with grief? He felt a stab of admiration for Evelyn and her evasive tactics. The woman was cleverer than anyone gave her credit for. While it was true that her mum had died here last year, she’d wanted nothing to do with Itirangi for much longer than that.
Before the silence became awkward, she asked, “What was it like growing up in Ireland?”
And just like that, the conversation restarted. Davy stifled a laugh. She’d accidentally hit upon Eileen’s favorite topic: the homeland.
Davy rocked his chair onto its rear legs, sighing with satisfaction. His belly was warm and full, he had his family around him, and it was Christmas. What could be better?
A sultry laugh sounded to his right. Evelyn. His family had taken to her, and watching her interact with them reminded him of a maestro conducting an orchestra. She ensured everyone was included in the conversation, redirected questions she didn’t want to answer, and coaxed little Reo out of his shell until he demanded to sit on her lap rather than Mariko’s.
She was in her element. Once she’d overcome her initial misgivings about intruding on their Christmas, she’d become the focal point of the dinner table, which was quite a feat considering she was the outsider.
In short, his family loved her. A fact that both gratified and terrified him. Once upon a time, he’d been nuts about her and had felt certain she’d fit in with his family, if only she’d give them a chance. It was nice to know he’d been right.
But.
Remember how that had ended? He’d fallen for her hard, and as soon as he’d started making plans for the future, she’d ditched him and never looked back. Sighing, he flicked a crumb from his lap, and as he moved, Reo grabbed his hand to study the digital watch around his wrist.
“Hey, buddy, let Uncle Davy eat,” Evelyn said, gently dislodging him.
Davy caught his mum’s eye across the table, and what he saw there spelled trouble. She’d been watching Evelyn with Reo as though she’d never seen anything like it.
“Do you have any nieces or nephews?” she asked.
“Nope,” Evelyn replied. “I’m an only child.”
“I’d never have guessed,” Hugh said. “You seem so comfortable with Reo.”
“I spent some time as a live-in nanny in Invercargill.” She chuckled. “Talk about a steep learning curve. But I love kids, so it worked out great. I would have stayed in that position for longer, but the family moved to Australia and I didn’t fancy making the move with them. I love Oz, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”
Her itchy feet had limits. Interesting.
Eileen had stars in her eyes. “I love children, too,” she exclaimed. “I always wanted a whole bevy of grandkids. Reo is a good start, but I wouldn’t mind another three or four to spoil. It’s so nice to meet a young woman who likes children. They all seem to be focused on their careers these days.”
“I see no reason why we can’t have both,” Evelyn said, earning Eileen’s eternal devotion. Something bumped Davy’s foot beneath the table. Glancing up, he saw Angus waggle his eyebrows.
“You must get lonely in this big, empty apartment all by yourself,” Angus said, scratching his chin as though the thought had just occurred to him. “Surely it gets too quiet sometimes.”
Uh-oh, he was in trouble now.
“I manage,” he said through gritted teeth. The traitorous backstabber. “I like the peace and quiet. I see enough of people during the day. I need to recharge at night.”
“Nonsense,” Angus continued, ignoring the warning in his eyes. “You could have another five people here and hardly notice them.”
“You could,” Mariko agreed, not seeming to detect the undercurrent of the conversation. “It’s such a large space for one person. I worry about you here by yourself. Why don’t you get a roommate?”
“That’s a nice idea,” Davy said, “but I don’t need a roommate. Trust me, I’m happy having the place to myself.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Evelyn interjected. “If he had a roommate, he couldn’t walk around in the nude. He forgot I was here this morning and wandered in, naked as the day he was born. I was doing yoga. He nearly frightened me out of my wits.”
Silence met her statement. Then Eileen’s lips twisted disapprovingly and Angus howled with laughter, slapping his thigh and hooting. “Oh, brother. That’s too rich! What a way to dent a guy’s ego. I hope you screamed.”
“I don’t think I did,” she said thoughtfully. “But I can’t remember for sure.”
“You didn’t.” Davy’s fists clenched in his lap hard enough that his nails bit into his palms. “I’d remember if you had.” Shoving the chair back, he stood. “If you’re all done laughing at my expense, I’m going to start cleaning up.” Piling empty bowls on top of each other, he lugged them to the kitchen sink, stacked them inside, and ran some soapy water. His mother followed with the turkey and ham, and began packing leftovers into containers to store in the fridge.
“I like your Evelyn,” she murmured, low enough not to be overheard. “She’s delightful. You should hold onto her.”
“She’s not my Evelyn,” he groaned, exasperated. “She’s just passing through. We barely know each other anymore, and she’s not even the tiniest bit interested in me.”
She tilted her head and quirked a brow, clearly not believing him. “Take it from an old woman with years of wisdom, you could win that girl over if you really wanted to. I’ve been watching the two of you all night. You looking at her, her looking at you, both of you pretending not to. Don’t dismiss it out of hand, that’s all I’m asking. I can wait another few years for a grandbaby.”
He nodded noncommittally. “I’ll think about it.”
But her offhand comment had intrigued him more than he cared to admit. Was Evelyn really interested in him? Despite the flare of attraction he’d seen earlier, he wouldn’t have thought so. Now, he wondered. Damned if he didn’t want to know.
Chapter 8
While the O’Connors said their goodbyes, Evie snuck back to the spare bedroom and closed the door with a soft click. Stretching out on the bed, she rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.
Thank God for the quiet. She enjoyed being around people, but she’d been through the emotional equivalent of a spin cycle, and she was wrung out.
Davy knocked on the door.
Davy.
Another reason for the turbulent confusion turning her world topsy-turvy. She’d never have guessed his family would embrace her as they had—eager to welcome her into the fold. Or perhaps she’d secretly been afraid they would, making it even more difficult to leave. Perhaps that was why she’d really refused to meet them. She didn’t know anymore.
“What is it?” she asked.
He peered around the corner and smiled, brackets forming around his mouth. “I’m heading down to the school for a friendly game of rugby with the boys. Are you up to joining me, or do you need a little time?”
“Ugh, I don’t know.” The idea of getting outside and enjoying the sun appealed, but showing up to a social event with Davy would raise questions she didn’t want raised, and what’s more, she hadn’t thrown a rugby ball in her life. Not that she’d admit as much to him. He’
d been a member of the local team since primary school, and frankly, her inexperience was downright unpatriotic.
She’d watched games aplenty. A girl couldn’t get by in New Zealand without watching the odd All Blacks game, especially if she frequented bars or worked in hospitality, but she’d moved around so much that joining a sports team had seemed like a waste of time. After a while, it simply became too embarrassing to admit she couldn’t play. Better to pretend disinterest.
“There’s not much I can do with that answer,” he said. “Why don’t you come along and you can lie in the sun if you don’t want to take part?”
She supposed that sounded okay. “You’ve convinced me. Give me five minutes.”
“How about two?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t push your luck, Irishman.” Just to be contrary, she took her time getting ready, changing into leggings and a soft jersey because the summer air was beginning to cool. She redid her mascara and added a layer of fiery red lipstick. A touch of body shimmer lotion on her cheekbones and cleavage, and she was done.
They drove to the sports field in Davy’s station wagon, with Evie in the passenger seat. “So, who will be at this rugby game?” she asked.
“The usual suspects. Gareth, Justin, Cooper, Ramsay, Blake, Hemi, maybe a few others.”
Evie winced. With Gareth, Cooper and Justin present, there were more than fifty-fifty odds her friends would find out she’d spent Christmas day with Davy—and also that she’d been in town and not let them know. Less than ideal. While she hadn’t been in the mood to be with people until Davy talked her around, she’d never want to hurt their feelings.
They arrived, and parked on the gravel area beside the field. Pine trees ringed the grass, with the exception of the side nearest to the makeshift parking lot and a small, weathered clubroom was to the right of the playing field. Evie caught sight of a woman with a mass of ginger hair standing with the group of men near the clubhouse. Her pulse flew into overdrive and she ducked behind the dashboard. Emily. Damn. Evie liked Emily—she was impossible to dislike—but if Emily was here with Justin, then the chances were that the other men had brought their girlfriends, too.
