Cupcakes and Killer Heels

by Heidi Rice

  ‘And that would be when?’ Ruby prompted.

  ‘A few years ago.’ He slammed the car’s back door.

  Ruby waited for him to say more. But he skirted the car in silence.

  This was getting ridiculous. She’d dozed on and off throughout the journey, noticing each time she woke up that Cal seemed more and more tense and less and less talkative. She’d decided not to hold it against him, guessing he had to be as exhausted as she was after their all-nighter—and he’d had to do all the driving, because he was a tad precious about his new car. But honestly, what was the big secret?

  ‘Are Maddy and her family part of a witness protection programme?’ she asked, smiling sweetly as she held out her hand for her luggage. ‘Because getting you to talk about them is harder than cracking the Enigma code.’

  ‘Ha, ha,’ he said, but still didn’t elaborate.

  Instead of handing Ruby her bag, he tucked it under his arm, held his own and placed his free palm on the small of her back.

  ‘I’ve got them,’ he said, directing her towards the front door. ‘Believe me, you’re going to need both hands when you meet Maddy,’ he added cryptically.

  Ruby had only a moment to debate that before a slim young woman wearing a pair of denim cut-offs and a worn T-shirt burst through the front door. ‘Cal, you made it.’ Flinging her arms round Cal’s neck, she bounced up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. ‘At last.’

  ‘Hello, Maddy,’ he said as she bounced back down and turned to Ruby. ‘This is Ruby.’

  ‘Ruby! This is fantastic,’ she declared, grasping Ruby’s hand in both of hers. ‘It’s great to meet you.’

  The woman’s eyes, the same striking emerald shade as Cal’s, warmed with excitement and avid curiosity. ‘I hope you didn’t mind me strong-arming Cal into visiting. It’s just Mia’s really attached to him. And it’s her birthday tomorrow.’

  ‘That’s absolutely fine,’ Ruby said, feeling uncomfortable at Maddy’s enthusiasm. It hadn’t really occurred to her that they’d be deceiving Cal’s sister by pretending to be a couple. The woman had greeted her as if she were someone significant, when she knew she wasn’t.

  ‘Where is Mia?’ Cal asked.

  ‘She crashed out about an hour ago. Thank goodness,’ Maddy said as she led them into the house. ‘When she heard you were definitely coming for her birthday she went into hyper-drive.’ Maddy beamed at them both as she pushed open a door into a huge kitchen-dining room, which had a picture window that looked out onto the cliffs and bathed the room in natural light. ‘Having her favourite uncle visit and a birthday party all in the same weekend is basically the definition of too much of a good thing for a three-year-old.’

  ‘I’m her only uncle,’ Cal remarked.

  ‘Rye’s checking on Mia,’ Maddy said, ignoring the blunt comment. ‘But I hope you haven’t had supper yet. We held dinner for you.’

  ‘No, we haven’t,’ Ruby answered when Cal remained silent. ‘I know you weren’t expecting me. I hope I’m not imposing.’

  ‘Don’t be silly. It’s wonderful to have you here.’ She waved the comment away. ‘And I adore cooking. I’m sure Cal’s told you I always make enough to feed a team of starving rugby players.’ Crossing to the stove, she whipped a tray of flaky pastries out of the traditional Aga cooker.

  The delicious scent of butter and spices and freshly cooked salmon had Ruby’s stomach growling.

  ‘That smells terrific,’ she said, deciding not to divulge that Cal had mentioned virtually nothing about Maddy—except that she was deeply in love with her husband and her parents’ disastrous marriage had been tough on her. Knowing something so personal about the woman and very little else made Ruby feel like even more of a fraud.

  As Maddy arranged the pastries onto a plate and placed them on the large oak table Ruby noticed it was already laden with an impressive array of salads and appetisers. Her heart went out to her host. She’d gone to so much trouble—had probably spent most of the evening preparing the meal.

  ‘What room are we in?’ Cal asked. ‘I’ll go dump our stuff.’

  ‘Oh, yes, of course,’ Maddy said, sounding flustered now as she paused in the process of putting another place setting onto the table. ‘I stuck you two doors down from Mia in the turret room. On the first floor. It’s got a fantastic view of the bay.’

  He nodded. ‘Great.’

  Ruby frowned as he walked out with the bags. Why was he being so stiff?

  Maddy watched him go, her shoulders slumping slightly. ‘I’m sorry, I should offer you a drink,’ she said, shaking her head as if she’d momentarily forgotten Ruby was there. ‘How does a glass of Pinot Grigio sound?’ Maddy asked, her enthusiasm a little forced.

  ‘Like a fantastic idea.’ Ruby sent the other woman an encouraging smile, her empathy increasing. Men could be such morons. Especially men of the big-brother variety.

  A little of the dancing light returned to Maddy’s eyes. ‘Come on, I’ve got a bottle in the fridge and some antipasti we can nibble on till the guys get back.’

  They chatted about the trip down and the traffic out of London as Maddy uncorked the wine and poured Ruby a glass, then brought the promised plate of antipasti out of the fridge.

  ‘Aren’t you having a glass?’ Ruby asked as she selected a stuffed mushroom from the lavish tray of home-made canapés.

  Maddy’s face flushed as she pressed a hand to her midriff. ‘I’m not drinking at the moment. Doctor’s orders.’

  Ruby swallowed. ‘Oh, my goodness. Are you expecting a…?’ She stopped abruptly, knowing she didn’t have any right to ask such a personal question. She was only a stunt girlfriend, after all.

  But Maddy just grinned and nodded. ‘I haven’t told Cal yet, so please don’t say anything.’

  ‘I won’t,’ Ruby said, feeling awkward again.

  ‘Rye and I found out two weeks ago. It’s one of the reasons I was so desperate to get Cal to come down this weekend. For once I didn’t want to have to tell him something important over the phone.’ Her voice literally bubbled with hope and enthusiasm. ‘I hope you two didn’t have too much planned—I assume you’re the work he mentioned.’

  ‘That would be me,’ Ruby replied. Clearly Maddy wasn’t quite as clueless about Cal’s private life as he assumed.

  Ruby toasted Maddy’s invisible glass. ‘Here’s to the new uncle,’ she said. ‘I’m sure he’s going to be thrilled,’ she added.

  Cal might be cynical about marriage, but what man wouldn’t be thrilled at becoming an uncle again?

  Pouring herself a glass of soda water, Maddy clinked her glass to Ruby’s. ‘Let’s hope so.’ She took a long swallow and smacked her lips together. ‘Not quite as good as Pinot Grigio, but it’ll have to do for the next seven months.’

  The cheerful comment sent a strange little dart of envy through Ruby. How odd. She wasn’t broody. Not in the least. So where had that pang of longing come from?

  Ruby pushed the confusing thought away as Cal walked back into the room accompanied by another man who approached her and offered his hand.

  ‘Rye King, Maddy’s husband. Welcome to Trewan Manor.’

  With sunstreaked blond hair, a lean, athletic build effectively displayed beneath board shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and the sort of striking male beauty that could grace the cover of a glossy magazine, the man’s uneven gait only added to his rugged, masculine appeal.

  ‘Hi,’ Ruby said, shaking his hand. Then recognition hit.

  She actually had seen him on the cover of a glossy magazine. A glossy business magazine to be precise. She’d read an article on the phenomenal growth of his sporting goods empire a few months ago. After re-reading it twice, she’d gained some useful tips about how to grow a fledgling idea from the ground up.

  ‘King Xtreme,’ she whispered in awe, naming the company he had founded after giving up a successful career as a champion surfer.

  He ran his hand through his shaggy hair in a charmingly bashful gesture. ‘Guilty as char
ged.’

  ‘I was in one of your shops last week debating whether to buy a mountain bike.’

  ‘So did we convince you?’

  ‘I’m afraid there aren’t enough mountains in Camden to justify letting me loose on an unsuspecting public.’ She grinned at him. ‘But I was very tempted.’

  ‘I’ll have to arrange a discount so we can tempt you more,’ he said, slinging his arm around his wife’s waist and nudging her hip against his.

  The casually possessive gesture brought with it a poignant memory. How often had she seen her father hold her mother that way?

  ‘Is Mia still asleep?’ Maddy asked her husband.

  ‘Are you joking? She’s practically in a coma,’ he said, leaning down to kiss his wife’s hair. ‘I’m betting we’re going to get our first lie-in in three years tomorrow.’

  ‘On her birthday?’ Maddy laughed. ‘How much do you want to bet?’

  Ruby observed the conversation. Rye and Maddy’s shared intimacy was a tangible demonstration of how much they loved and respected and desired each other.

  The pang under her breastbone sharpened. And she studiously ignored it.

  ‘Ruby happens to be lethal enough on four wheels,’ Cal mentioned wryly as the four of them seated themselves round the table. ‘So I wouldn’t recommend trying to sell her a bike, Rye.’

  ‘Hey, that accident was your fault, pal,’ she said, glad to see that Cal seemed to have loosened up a little. ‘My vehicle was stationary.’

  ‘You two had an accident?’ Maddy asked, passing the salads round.

  ‘Not an accident. More like a fender-bender,’ Ruby said. ‘It’s how we met yesterday,’ she added slicing into the fragrant pastry. Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth when she saw Maddy’s eyes widen to saucer size.

  ‘You only met yesterday?’

  Ruby felt the blush stain her neck. Oops. Looked as if she’d blown her stunt girlfriend cover. She lowered her fork. ‘Actually, yes.’

  She heard a low groan from Cal but refused to look at him. She’d never agreed to lie. And having met Maddy, she was glad the other woman knew the truth. Cal’s sister was warm, generous and remarkably friendly and she wouldn’t feel right pretending to mean more to Cal than she did.

  ‘But that’s terrific!’ Maddy laughed. ‘You only met my brother yesterday and yet he brought you down with him.’ She handed Ruby the salad bowl. ‘You two must have really hit it off.’

  Cal coughed strategically. ‘Maddy, do me a favour and don’t start picking out the wedding china just yet.’

  ‘But, Cal, you’ve got to admit this is significant.’ She patted Cal’s cheek, obviously enjoying teasing him. ‘Ruby’s the first woman you’ve agreed to spend six hours in a car with. Which means you must have actually talked to her.’

  Ruby relaxed, intrigued by the mention of Cal’s love life and amused by his sister’s assessment.

  Maddy sent Ruby a conspiratorial wink. ‘I think it’s great. Do you know you’re the first girlfriend he’s ever brought to meet us?’

  Cal scowled over his dinner and Ruby felt the swell of pleasure. He’d been her first one-night stand, it was good to know she’d have some significance for him too when they parted. She smiled at Maddy. ‘So how many girlfriends has Cal had?’

  ‘Billions, I’m afraid,’ Maddy responded playfully. ‘But I’m sure he’s never had a proper conversation with any of them. Until you.’

  ‘Do you two mind? I’m sitting right here,’ Cal announced grumpily.

  ‘I know you are…’ Maddy swivelled round to face her brother, the teasing smile disappearing. ‘And for the first time in six months. Despite my endless invites. Why is that?’

  Ruby had to give Cal’s sister credit, it was a neatly delivered non sequitur.

  Cal gave a tense shrug. ‘I’ve been busy.’

  ‘So you say.’ Maddy sighed.

  Rye covered his wife’s hand. ‘Why don’t you tell Cal the news, now you’ve managed to get him here?’ he said, lightly.

  If he was trying to distract his wife, it worked. Maddy gripped his fingers, her smile returning full force.

  ‘What news?’ Cal asked, sounding wary.

  Maddy rested a hand on her midriff, her face beaming with that fierce combination of pride and hope that had captivated Ruby in the kitchen. ‘You’re going to be an uncle again.’

  Instead of looking pleased, Cal’s expression barely changed. ‘I see.’

  There was a short silence, then Maddy gave a hollow laugh. ‘Is that all you have to say?’

  He put down his knife and fork. ‘I suppose congratulations are in order.’

  If Ruby had ever heard of a more grudging congratulations she couldn’t think of one.

  ‘You suppose?’ Although masked by annoyance, the hurt and confusion in Maddy’s voice were clear. Ruby stared, astonished at Cal’s lukewarm reaction. It was almost as if he wasn’t happy about the news.

  ‘When’s the baby due?’ Ruby interrupted, hoping to cut through the tension as Cal simply stared at his sister. That his usual articulacy had completed deserted him also seemed significant.

  Maddy gathered herself, forcing the smile back in place. ‘By our calculation, it’s due in about seven months. Which will make it a spring baby.’

  ‘Have you told Mia yet?’

  Maddy shook her head, blinking away the suspicious sheen in her eyes. ‘No, not yet,’ she said dully.

  ‘We’re not kidding ourselves,’ Rye added, helping Ruby out. ‘Mia’s going to love the idea of a baby brother or sister, but once they start playing with her toys we’re going to have World War Three on our hands. At the moment Mia’s king of the hill around here and boy does she know it.’

  ‘I can’t wait to meet her,’ Ruby said and meant it. She’d always adored children; they were endlessly fascinating and at Mia’s age impossibly cute. And Mia sounded like quite a character.

  She and Rye continued to talk about the new arrival, with Maddy bolstering herself and joining in, but Cal remained stonily silent. As the meal ended Maddy excused herself, pleading exhaustion due to her pregnancy. She didn’t fool Ruby, who had been painfully aware of the young woman’s attempts to get Cal back into the conversation.

  Ruby helped Rye clear away the dishes while Cal loaded the dishwasher. Then she bid Rye goodnight. Cal fell into step beside her.

  ‘Wait up, Cal. I need a word,’ Rye called after them.

  ‘Sure,’ he said, apparently unaware of the sharp note Ruby had detected in Rye’s request.

  She watched the two men walk into the front parlour in silence. As she mounted the stairs to the landing she wondered about the rift between Cal and his sister. Surely Maddy’s tendency to matchmake couldn’t be the cause of Cal’s prickly demeanor tonight. It had to be more than that. Why his behaviour should make her feel weary and dispirited, she had no idea.

  ‘What the hell is your problem, pal?’

  Irritation stirred in Cal’s stomach as his brother-in-law glared at him.

  He was tired, confused and for some inexplicable reason his emotions were much closer to the surface than usual. This was the last thing he needed.

  ‘I didn’t have a problem,’ he said. ‘Until now.’

  As he turned to leave Rye grabbed hold of his arm and yanked him back. ‘My wife spent three hours cooking dinner tonight. She wanted to make this special. For you.’ Rye gave him a derogatory look. ‘Because you’re important to her. Although I can’t imagine why, because it’s pretty obvious she’s not important to you.’

  Cal’s temper snapped as the guilt he always kept strictly leashed flared to life. He pulled his arm out of Rye’s grasp. ‘Back off. My relationship with my sister is none of your business.’

  Rye gave a harsh laugh. ‘Think again. She’s my wife. I’m the one has to watch her fight to hold the tears back when you say you’re coming and don’t show. Or give her some stupid excuse why you can’t make it at the last minute. Do you have any idea how much that hurts her, k
nowing you don’t give a damn about her?’

  The dart hit home, but Cal refused to let it show on his face, his expression rigid. ‘It was never my intention to hurt her.’

  Rye’s eyes narrowed, then his brows rose. ‘Damn. You really don’t get it, do you?’

  ‘Get what?’

  ‘That she’s never going to stop caring about you. Maddy’s not made that way. She never gives up on people—even you.’

  ‘Thanks for the lecture. I’ll bear it in mind.’ Cal turned to walk away, an emotion burning in his chest that he didn’t recognise or understand. He never lost control, because he’d spent so much of his childhood despising his parents for always losing theirs. But when Maddy had told him about the new baby, he’d been frozen in place, unable to congratulate her, unable to voice his joy at her announcement—or deal with the crushing sense of inadequacy. Maddy had always asked so little of him. So why did he feel incapable of giving her even this much?

  As he opened the door Rye’s parting shot stopped him dead. ‘Don’t hurt my wife again. Or I’ll hurt you.’

  It was an empty threat. Maddy would be devastated if her husband and her brother came to blows and Rye had to know that. But even so, Cal glanced back. Seeing the anger and the turmoil in Rye’s face, he was forced to acknowledge the truth.

  Rye was right. His sister wasn’t going to let him go, however much he might want her to.

  He gave a stiff nod. ‘I’ll talk to her tomorrow.’

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ENTERING the large attic bedroom, Cal came to an abrupt halt as he spotted Ruby on the opposite side of the room. The sight of her sitting in the window seat, her legs curled under her and her head buried in a paperback novel was so unexpected and so beguiling, it momentarily wiped the ugly scene with Rye from his mind.

  With her riotous hair tied back, her face scrubbed clean and a pair of spectacles perched on her nose, she could easily have been mistaken for a solemn, thoughtful schoolgirl.

  An unsettling picture formed in his mind of her as a child, valiantly struggling to cope with her mother’s death and her brother’s rejection—and was swiftly followed by the feeling of hopelessness and futility that had dogged him throughout his own childhood. But then his gaze dipped, and he took in the outline of her nipples through the sheer material of her nightgown.