Playing to Win

by Shelley Munro

  “Give me a minute to ring Caryn and we’ll head over to Remuera.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Kate read the street numbers aloud while they crawled along Crocus Place in Remuera.

  “There it is.” She pointed. “Number thirty-four.”

  Lane pulled into the tree-lined driveway and parked in front of the house. “Nice house.” Lane turned to study the view from the car. “Big grounds too. I’m glad I don’t have to mow them.”

  “Maxine grew up here. Nicole stayed over several times when she went to school with Maxine, but I remember her telling me she was always terrified she’d break one of the antique knickknacks.” She grinned at the memory. “Nicole described the inside of the house as a clumsy person’s nightmare come true. She preferred Maxine to stay at our house.”

  “Were they close?”

  “They were when they were at school, but Maxine had to look after her invalid mother, so she couldn’t go out much.” Kate lowered her voice. “From what I hear, her mother can be quite difficult. Maxine still doesn’t have a social life from what Debbie said the other day.”

  Lane tapped on the front door and winked encouragement at Kate. “Let’s hope Maxine can help us,” he said. “We’re rapidly running out of options.”

  A nurse dressed in full uniform white pulled the door open. “Yes?”

  The faint odor of disinfectant wafted on the air, reminding Lane of hospitals. He smiled. “We’re here to see Maxine.”

  The nurse beamed in return, showing a cute set of dimples. “Wait in here,” she said, directing them into a lounge full of oak antiques. “I’ll go and find Maxine for you.”

  Lane heard a distinct snort of disgust from Kate, the moment the nurse left. “What?” he asked.

  “You know very well what I’m thinking. Did you see the extra wiggle of her hips? Your smile needs a license.”

  Interesting. Kate jealous? “You mean like licensed to kill?”

  Kate groaned. “Please.”

  Maxine’s arrival interrupted their banter. “Kate?”

  Lane’s first impression of Maxine was one of stunning beauty, but when he looked closer, he noticed the strained lines about her mouth and eyes. He towered over her tiny, delicate frame. After a quick glance at the antique table behind him, Lane stepped away from Maxine because she made him feel like an elephant walking near an extremely fragile object.

  “Maxine! How are you?” Kate smiled and the two women embraced.

  “You’ve just caught me on my way out.” Her smile appeared brittle. “A night off for a change.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Max. We won’t keep you long. This is my friend, Lane Gerrard.”

  Lane smiled inwardly at the introduction. He liked the thought of being her friend. Now if he could progress…beyond friend to lover sounded perfect.

  He held out his right hand and presented a charming smile for Maxine’s benefit, taking care to temper his handshake so he didn’t crush her smaller hand. “We wondered if we could ask you a few questions about Nicole.”

  “I was about to order a cab,” Maxine said. She checked her watch. “I need to leave in five minutes.”

  “Could Kate and I drop you off wherever you need to go?” Lane asked. “That way we could talk on the way.”

  Maxine hesitated. “I’m going to the Stamford Plaza to meet friends for drinks then we’re going to see a movie.”

  “That’s not a problem,” Lane said with an easy grin. “We can go now if you’re ready. It will save you the cab fare.”

  “Maxxxinnnne!”

  Lane and Kate both jumped at the sudden shriek. Maxine didn’t react at all.

  “My mother,” she said dryly. “She doesn’t want me to go out tonight. She thinks the agency nurse is an incompetent blathering idiot—her words, not mine. I’d better go and see what she wants before she shouts down the house.” She paused at the door. “Thanks for the offer of a ride. I won’t be long.”

  “Great set of pipes,” Kate commented, after Maxine left them to tend to her mother.

  “No wonder Maxine looks stressed,” Lane said.

  Kate nodded agreement. “You noticed as well. They can afford to employ help for Maxine. I know that. You have to feel sorry for her.”

  “Have you any idea what’s wrong with her mother?”

  Footsteps sounded outside in the hall and they changed the subject of their conversation. When Maxine returned, they were discussing the portrait on the wall above the piano. Lane turned to ask Maxine about the portrait but the thought skipped from his mind when he saw a bright red imprint of a hand on her left cheek. He opened his mouth to say something, but the hard glint in her brown eyes changed his mind.

  “Ready to go?” he asked. At her quick nod, he took her elbow and ushered her to the front door. Her thin arm quivered under his touch and a wave of protectiveness swept over him. Maxine needed help. He made a mental note to work out something with Kate later. “Would you like to sit in the front?”

  She slid inside the car and Lane opened the rear door for Kate. Kate jerked her head toward Maxine, her brows arching in a silent question. How were they going to handle the questioning? Lane shrugged and circled the car to climb into the driver’s seat. Perhaps they’d give her time to calm down and buy her a drink at the hotel. “What movie are you going to see?” he asked as he started the car.

  “I’m not sure,” Maxine said. “I don’t mind. I told Debbie she could pick the movie. Seeing any movie is a treat.”

  Kate leaned forward between the front seats. “Are you meeting with Debbie and Nick?”

  “Yes. Do you…? Of course you know Debbie and Nick,” Maxine said. “I wasn’t thinking. We went out in the same group. Have you spoken to them about Nicole?”

  “We have,” Lane said. “They couldn’t help us, but we wouldn’t mind saying hello. Can we buy you a drink when we get to the hotel?”

  “I…thank you. That sounds nice,” Maxine answered.

  Lane noticed the way Maxine huddled in her seat and when she thought no one noticed, she fingered her left cheek. The poor kid. Her cheek would hurt like hell tomorrow. It would probably bruise as well. Maxine’s distress drove home how Kate must have suffered in her abusive relationship. Since they had almost arrived at the hotel, he stowed the important thought for later reflection.

  “Traffic is light tonight,” he commented when he pulled into the driveway of the hotel. “I’ll drop you both here and arrange to park the car. I won’t be long.”

  When Lane joined the two women in the bar, Nick and Debbie still hadn’t arrived.

  “I have my own business,” Kate said to Maxine as Lane dropped into a chair beside her. “Aromatherapy mainly but I’m a qualified cosmetician as well. It’s an ideal profession with Jamie at school since I can schedule my appointments around his school hours.”

  Lane watched Maxine while she sipped her glass of white wine. The bright red on her cheek had subsided to a more natural color and the alcohol had relaxed her.

  “I could do with a massage,” she admitted.

  Kate rifled in her wallet to extract a business card. “Take my card. Next time you’re free, call me for an appointment. I’ll give you an introductory discount.”

  Maxine smiled and her entire face lit up. Lane sucked in his breath, thinking of the waste. She was one attractive lady. Unfortunate she appeared stuck at home minding an unappreciative mother.

  “I’ll do it,” Maxine said, pocketing the business card. “A massage sounds heavenly.”

  “Kate, now that you mention it, Caryn and her assistant were asking about your different treatments. I gave them your number so you should hear from them in a few days. They both sounded keen. We can settle the commission percentage later.”

  “See what I have to put up with,” Kate said to Maxine.

  “Hmmm. He’s bossy,” Maxine agreed.

  Lane grinned and summoned the waiter. “Another drink, ladies?”

  “There’s Nick and Debbie. You can buy t
hem a drink out of your commission,” Kate suggested, a dangerous glint in her eye.

  Lane loved this playful mood, but he’d like it even better if they were alone. Nakedness came into the equation as well. He shoved the thought aside when he felt his cock stir. Not the time or place.

  Lane stood. “Nick. Debbie. What would you like to drink?” He took their orders and signaled the waiter again.

  Nick grabbed two more chairs and they settled back to chat.

  “I didn’t know you and Lane were going to be here,” Debbie said.

  “We dropped in on Max because we wanted to ask her about Nicole. When we heard she intended to meet friends, we offered to drop her here so we could talk on the way.” Kate lowered her voice and darted a look at Maxine, who spoke with Lane and Nick. “Is Max all right? She doesn’t look well.”

  “I know. Nick and I are worried about her. We make a point of meeting once a month. That mother of hers is a real gorgon. She treats Maxine like a slave.” She made a clucking sound. “Was Max able to help?”

  “Lane and I haven’t asked any questions yet. She was upset before. We’re plying her with drinks first. What time is the movie? How long do we have?”

  Debbie grinned. “Don’t worry. Take as long as you want. We can have dinner instead of a movie. Maxine won’t mind. Apart from shopping once a week, she doesn’t get out much.”

  Kate and Debbie abandoned their conversation and joined the other three who were deep in a discussion about rugby.

  “Excellent try yesterday, Lane,” Maxine said.

  “Do you enjoy rugby?” Lane asked.

  Maxine giggled. “I’m a huge rugby fan. The Blues are my favorite team.”

  Kate stared at Maxine, an unaccustomed surge of jealousy biting hard. Then her eyes focused on the other woman’s bruised face and she felt ashamed. She had so much more than Maxine—Jamie, her friends, and she lived her life the way she chose.

  “We wondered if you knew who Nicole was seeing before she became pregnant,” Kate said.

  “When we used to go to the after-match functions,” Debbie chimed in on the conversation.

  “Nicole? I don’t recall her going out with anyone in particular. I remember she was choosy. She had a friend in an unhappy relationship. Nicole didn’t want that to happen to her. Debbie, you remember her saying that? She was adamant.”

  Debbie nodded. “Yes, I remember. Nicole didn’t lack for offers. The men were always asking her out because of her outgoing personality and stunning looks.”

  “She went out with lots of different men but kept it friendly,” Maxine said. “The minute any of them became too serious she refused to go out with them again. Somehow Nicole always managed to keep them as friends. She had a real knack for making friends.”

  Kate sighed and sipped her glass of wine. No names. Another dead-end.

  “Right before she got pregnant, the person she spent the most time with was Gerald,” Maxine said suddenly.

  Kate straightened abruptly, her gaze snapping from Maxine to Lane and back. “Do you mean…?”

  “I don’t know,” Maxine said, shrugging. “All I’m saying is they were very close, good friends certainly. Maybe there was more to it. I don’t know.”

  “Gerald French is overseas,” Debbie reminded Kate.

  “I know. I’ve spoken to his mother and she gave me his address, but I’ve held off writing to him because he’s traveling around Europe at the moment. He won’t be back in London for another two weeks and he doesn’t have an email address. Evidently he had a cell phone until three weeks ago but he dropped it into a Venice canal.”

  Debbie snickered. “That sounds like Gerald. A bit clumsy at times but a big heart.”

  Lane reached over, topping up the women’s glasses with wine and signaled to the waiter to bring another drink for Nick and him.

  Kate thought about Gerald and Nicole. She couldn’t believe Jamie was Gerald’s son because they didn’t look alike at all. Gerald had blond hair; his coloring would fit in with the photo Nicole had shown Jamie.

  “I envied Nicole.” The words burst from Maxine with little warning, and she stared around the group of friends defiantly, almost daring comment. “She was so together. She always knew what she wanted and she set out to seize whatever she desired. My mother didn’t want me to have anything to do with Nicole after she announced her pregnancy.” She grimaced on mentioning her mother. “My mother said she was a tramp, but no matter what she said, I still admired Nicole. She always held her head high with pride, she didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought. She remained determined and gritty. Everything that I wanted to be and wasn’t.” Max focused on Kate. “You and your sister had it all. I envied you both.”

  Kate gawked at Maxine in open-mouthed shock while Debbie rushed to fill the stunned silence. “You’re right. Nicole was one gutsy lady.”

  Max laughed but it wasn’t a pleasant sound.

  Kate checked the level of wine in Max’s glass. Just how many glasses had she drunk?

  “I loved Gerald,” Max said, “but he didn’t even know I existed. Nicole and Gerald were always whispering and laughing together. I always felt like an outsider.” The flow of words dried up and she appeared stricken. She clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as she glanced around the group. “Ah, I think I need to use the restroom.” She swayed as she stood and Debbie shot to her feet.

  “I’ll come with you, Max.” She grabbed hold of Max’s elbow and unobtrusively supported her when they left the bar.

  Nick let out a surprised whistle once the two women were out of earshot. “I didn’t realize she had a thing for Gerald. Did you know, Kate?”

  Kate frowned and shook her head. “No. Max needs food to counteract the alcohol.”

  “She’s only had two, maybe three glasses,” Lane protested, holding up his two hands in a gesture of surrender. “We ordered snacks to go with the drinks but she hasn’t touched them.”

  “Well, don’t you dare refill her glass again.”

  Nick leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat to interrupt. “I thought Gerald was gay,” he said.

  “Gay!” Kate’s exclamation came out in a squeak loud enough to attract the interest of the people sitting at the neighboring table. She ducked her head in consternation.

  Lane scowled. “But—”

  Nick’s grin widened and he folded his arms across a broad chest. “That’s what I said. Gay.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Nightcap?” Lane asked when they stepped into his apartment. “I have brandy, and I think Mum left a bottle of Baileys the last time she visited.”

  “A small liqueur sounds nice,” Kate agreed. She wandered through to the den, sank onto Lane’s leather couch and kicked off her shoes. “We need to contact Gerald,” she called to Lane in the kitchen.

  Lane strolled into the room and handed her a glass of Baileys. “I wonder if his mother has a contact phone number other than the cell phone. That would be better than waiting for a letter. Why doesn’t Gerald have an email account?” His eyes narrowed in mock anger. “Doesn’t he understand this is important?”

  Kate pulled a face. “No idea. Gerald is our last hope. If he can’t help us, I don’t think we’ll ever learn the truth about what happened to Nicole and why she kept the details about Jamie to herself.”

  Lane settled beside Kate on the couch, his thigh touching hers. Her breath caught at the surge of heat that arrowed down her leg. Part of her wanted to jerk away while the other part wanted to wantonly press closer.

  “So what do we do?” he asked, apparently not feeling the same effects she did. “Will you accept I’m Jamie’s father without proof?”

  “We could always try blood tests. DNA testing.”

  A frown flitted across his face even though he felt relief she’d suggested tests without prompting from him. “I can’t see Jamie being too happy about tests, given he doesn’t like me. Maybe in time, once he gets to know me better, but I don’t want to for
ce anything on him.”

  “Sounds as if you’ve already thought about DNA tests.” The quick, breathless words hinted at her physical discomfort, her awareness of him and his masculinity.

  “One of my first thoughts,” he admitted, “but I didn’t want to push too hard. And speaking of Jamie—how is he? Have you spoken to him today?”

  “I rang this morning. Adam and Danielle are spoiling him so much he won’t want to come home. He asked if Ratty was okay, but that’s all he seemed interested in.”

  Lane smirked. “And is he?”

  “You could say Ratty and I have come to an understanding.” She shuddered. “The cage you had delivered is much better. Ratty stays at his end, I keep to mine and nobody gets hurt.”

  “He won’t bite, Kate.”

  “His teeth are big and yellow.”

  “I’ll feed him for you, if you want. All you have to do is ask. Remind me tomorrow, okay?”

  “Thanks. Actually, I thought I’d go to Taupo this weekend. I could do with a break even if it’s only for two days. Would you mind supervising Ratty for me over the weekend?”

  “The Blues have a bye this weekend. I could go too.”

  “But someone has to mind Ratty,” Kate said, flustered at the idea of a weekend away together. Somehow, it sounded like a final step. And definitely open to a sordid twist if they were seen together away from Auckland. Her idea was to spend time apart so she could sort out her jumbled feelings. Kate inched away so their legs no longer touched. She required distance to aid rational thinking.

  “My next door neighbor would look after Ratty if I asked. She always keeps an eye on my apartment when I’m away. She loves animals.”

  That would be right, Kate thought. Of course she’d love animals if it meant she spent time with Lane. I bet the neighbor has an ulterior motive for her…neighborly behavior. “I suppose she has a cat. Ratty can’t stay in the same house as a cat. Jamie would never forgive me if something happened.”

  “Maddie has a turtle so you don’t need to worry—rats and turtles are miles apart on the food chain.”

  “Adam and Danielle have only one spare room.”