One Real Man (Entangled Bliss) )

by Kwan, Coleen

  “Good-bye, Owen.”

  She spun on her heel and, head held high, glided up beside her mother, who grabbed her by the wrist.

  “Come on,” Crystal commanded. “I’ll help you pack your things. I can’t believe he dumped you in the caretaker’s cottage. The nerve of him. Never mind. We’ll get you out of here in no time.”

  Owen stood, silent and unmoving, until he was all alone. Then he let out a frustrated roar that echoed around the empty conservatory and thumped deep in his chest.

  …

  “Honestly, Paige, I can’t believe you’ve sunk this low,” Crystal declared as she stood in the bedroom while Paige packed her suitcases. Her father, engrossed in some phone call, had chosen to wait outside the cottage.

  “What exactly are you referring to?” Paige asked, knowing she’d regret the question.

  “This.” Crystal waggled her fingers at their surroundings.

  “You should have seen ‘this’ when I first moved in. I’ve done wonders with the place. I think it’s rather cozy and inviting now.” She grabbed an armload of underwear and dumped it into the suitcase. There was no time to fold anything; she wanted to be gone from here as soon as possible.

  “I mean stooping to be that man’s housekeeper. How could you do that?”

  “Easy.” Paige slammed shut the empty drawers and moved on to the hanging closet. “I had no money, no job, no place to live. And I couldn’t contact you. I tried your number and Dad’s several times but it always went to voicemail. I left messages, but you never called back. What happened to you? Why did I have to find out about you renting out the house from Owen? Why didn’t you tell me first?”

  Crystal looked discomfited at the interrogation turning on her. She sucked in her cheeks and began toying with Paige’s hairbrush. “Oh, I don’t want to talk about that. It’s all over now, thank God.”

  Her mother had always brushed off uncomfortable questions like this, but Paige was tired of being treated like a kid. “So the rumors I’ve heard aren’t true? You weren’t dumped by Channel Four?”

  The blood drained from Crystal’s face. “Who told you that?” she demanded.

  “Never mind that. Is it true or not?”

  “What’s gotten into you?” Crystal tossed aside the hairbrush. “Oh, very well. It’s true. The network executives said the ratings weren’t growing, and they needed fresh blood.” She grimaced fiercely. “Fresh blood. I know what that means—some young tart with bazookas out to here. That’s all they care about, those damn TV executives. Doesn’t matter if she’s any good at her job as long as she’s under thirty-five.”

  The bitterness in her mother’s words made Paige reach out and squeeze her hand. “I’m so sorry. But I still don’t understand why you had to rent out this place. It’s not like you’ve ever been short of money.”

  “Bad timing. Just as I lost my contract, your father took a hit on some investments of his. Don’t ask me the details because I don’t know them, and I don’t want to know. The upshot was, we suddenly needed a lot of money quickly to service the debt. Your father wanted to sell the house, but I couldn’t bear that, so I persuaded him to rent it out for as much as we could get. At the time, I was surprised it got snapped up so quickly, but now I realize why. That Bellamy boy was all too eager to get his hands on my home.” Her mouth became grim again.

  “But why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I wasn’t up to telling anyone, and I thought you were still in London.” Crystal played with her heavy rings, avoiding Paige’s eye. She was ashamed, Paige thought with a burst of clarity. That was why she and Dad had vanished. “Your father and I have been staying in a villa in Bali.” Crystal shrugged. “It’s cheap to rent there.”

  And also far from their usual social circles. “But now you’re back, and your money troubles are over. What happened? Did Dad’s investments come good in the end?”

  “No, I’ve landed a new contract with Channel Ten. Two years and better money.” Crystal smiled and flicked her fingers through her impeccably groomed hair, once more the polished TV star.

  “That’s great.” Her mother was difficult and cold at times, but she’d always worked hard, and she deserved a second chance.

  “I’ll show those pigs they can’t keep me down. Which is why I need my house back.”

  Paige lowered her gaze. “You heard Owen. He doesn’t want to move, and as long as he keeps paying the rent, there’s no way you can evict him.”

  “Whose side are you on?”

  “No one’s.” Paige returned to her packing. There wasn’t much more to do, and then she would be ready to leave. She bundled more possessions into her suitcase, but the silent accusation emanating from her mother was too strong to ignore.

  “How long have you been sleeping with Owen?”

  Grimacing at her mother’s bluntness, Paige brushed past to the tiny bathroom beyond. “Only once.” She swept her toiletries into a cosmetic bag, returned to the bedroom, and tossed the bag into the suitcase.

  “Once too often, in my opinion. Did you really have to sleep with him?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” A pair of sneakers lay on the rug. They were her favorite shoes for cleaning the house. She wouldn’t need those anymore. She kicked them under the bed.

  “I mean he’s rough and uncouth and you could do so much better.”

  “So much better?” Heart aching, she turned on her mother. “Like Seth was so much better?”

  “Seth deceived us both, but next time we’ll be more careful.”

  “We?” Her head pounded. “I don’t need your help choosing my boyfriends.”

  “Obviously you do, or you wouldn’t be in this predicament.” Crystal glanced around with undisguised distaste. “Are you all packed? I have to leave—the thought of that lout putting his feet up in my house is giving me ulcers.”

  Paige pressed her hand against her stomach. If only the pain in her was just ulcers, but it was so much more. It felt like acid stripping her nerves and scorching her heart. It felt like something she’d never recover from. In a moment of weakness, her jaw trembled and moisture prickled behind her eyes. Damn, she wasn’t going to cry. She’d wasted enough tears in her life. She wasn’t going to weep over a man anymore.

  Gritting her teeth, she zipped up the suitcases and heaved them onto the floor. “I’m ready,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  …

  Burronga on a mild autumn Sunday was a mecca for day-trippers. A tourist bus had broken down outside the Red Possum, and traffic was jammed for several blocks. Paige rested her aching head against the back window of her father’s Mercedes. Her father was on his mobile phone while he steered the car. Her mother was talking about something, but Paige didn’t have the heart to pay her any attention. All she could think about was that she’d left Owen and in all likelihood would never see him again.

  “When we get to Sydney,” Crystal jabbered, “I’ll ring up a few contacts and line up some job interviews for you.”

  Finally some of her mother’s monologue penetrated Paige’s funk. She lifted her head from the window. “Job interviews?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Crystal twisted around in her seat to look at Paige. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you sorted out in no time. You’ll stay with us in our hotel suite. There’s plenty of room.” Her gaze roved over Paige, assessing, nitpicking, judging. “First thing to do is get you to my hair stylist. You’ve let yourself go, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

  Paige inhaled a deep breath. “Actually, I like my hair the way it is, and there’s no need for you or Dad to ‘sort’ me out. I’m doing that myself.”

  “I beg to differ. Seems to me you’ve been digging yourself into a deeper hole these past few weeks.”

  Her father sighed, but the phone was still glued to his ear, so Paige figured he was getting impatient about the traffic jam.

  “Mother, I don’t want you pulling strings just to get me a job. I’ll find my own job, on my own merits.”

/>   “What’s gotten into you?” Crystal shook her head in bewilderment. “I’m just trying to help you. You said yourself you’d been desperate to contact me earlier. Well, here I am, ready to do whatever it takes to get you back on your feet.”

  “I—I appreciate that, really I do, but…” Hesitating, she glanced out the window. They had come to a stop outside Java and Joolz, Ally and Tyler’s art gallery and coffee shop. Inside, the store was bustling, and Ally was wiping down a counter. Paige turned back to her mother. “I’m already back on my feet. I’m over Seth and that stupid video. It’s embarrassing, but it’s not going to stop me from pursuing my career. I want to be more than just a pretty face with good connections. I want a job where I can make a real contribution, and I’ll get it on my own.”

  “You’re tired and overwrought, and you don’t know what you’re saying. Wait until we get to Sydney, and we’ll discuss everything.”

  If she allowed her mother to drag her back to Sydney, then she would fall into the old routines again. It would be so easy, and before she knew it she’d be back on the same treadmill, scurrying faster than ever and going nowhere. No, she was tired of all that. She had to make a clean break. Now.

  “Mum, Dad, I’m sorry, but I’m not going back to Sydney with you.” She opened the car door and jumped out. Before she had time for second thoughts, she hurried to the back of the car and hauled out her two suitcases.

  “What are you doing? Get back here.” Crystal was white to her hairline. She flapped her hands, looking flabbergasted. “You’re having a nervous breakdown. You need help.” She turned to her husband, who was staring openmouthed, the phone dangling from his fingers. “Edward, say something!”

  Paige waited for her father to say something—anything—to her, but he just continued to look perplexed. She’d never earned his attention, she thought, more sad than bitter. She leaned in her mother’s open window. “I’m perfectly sane, Mum. I’m just getting on with my life.”

  “But…but…” For once her mother was at a loss for words.

  Up ahead, the broken-down bus had finally been moved aside, and traffic began to flow. A car behind them sounded its horn, the driver making irate gestures.

  Paige stepped back onto the curb. “Good-bye. I’ll call you soon.”

  Clearly shaken, Crystal stared at her in silence. More angry honks broke out. Edward put the car into gear and pulled off. Paige watched as the car crawled away. She could still call and ask them to turn back. But she knew she wouldn’t.

  She turned away from the traffic. What now? What was she going to do? Out of the corner of her eye, she caught someone waving at her. It was Ally inside the store, flapping a cloth and smiling at her. Paige tentatively smiled back. Ally beckoned at her to come inside. Well, it wasn’t as if she had to be anywhere soon. Clutching her suitcases, Paige entered the gallery.

  …

  Paige could never have imagined the day she’d just experienced. It had started off amazingly with Owen in her bed, but had plunged into dark territory when she’d realized her feelings for him. Her parents’ reappearance had only intensified her anguish, and when she’d found herself stranded in Burronga with two heavy suitcases and nowhere to go, the day could have ended in misery. Instead, she was curled up on Ally’s comfortable couch with Ally in the opposite armchair, and pizza and wine on the coffee table between them.

  As she reflected on the strange turn of events, Ally leaned forward to top up their wineglasses.

  “Thanks,” Paige said gratefully, wriggling her bare feet. “I need this. It’s been a long day.”

  “Oh, you should have said something back at the store. You didn’t need to help me all day.” Ally looked genuinely concerned.

  “But I wanted to. I was glad to help.” Ally had only beckoned her into the shop for a friendly hello, but Paige had quickly seen how busy she was. Nate was away on business, while Tyler was nursing a sick child, so Ally was on her own managing a very busy store. When Paige had offered her assistance, Ally gratefully accepted.

  “You were pretty good.” Ally grinned. “You talked that couple into buying those ceramics I thought would never sell.”

  “At last I’ve put my marketing skills to good use.” Paige smiled back, marveling at how comfortable she felt in Ally’s presence. In the past, she’d never thought they had anything in common, but now it seemed they were slipping into an easy friendship, and she knew it was because she had changed. During the afternoon, Paige had eventually confessed that she was no longer working for Owen and was temporarily homeless, and Ally had immediately offered her a bed for the night.

  Paige raised her wineglass in salute. “Thanks, Ally. Thanks for putting me up tonight.”

  “No problem.”

  “And thanks for not holding a grudge.”

  Ally’s eyes widened. “You’re not still going on about Seth, are you?”

  “No, of course not. He’s ancient history.” Paige hesitated. “I mean about Owen. He and I parted on rather bad terms, and I know you and Nate are good friends with him.”

  “Ah, Owen. I was wondering when we’d get to him.” Ally chose another slice of pizza and settled back in her armchair. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you two?”

  Maybe it was the wine, or the emotional wringer she’d been put through, or Ally’s nonjudgmental attitude. Whatever it was, Paige found herself pouring out her story to her sympathetic audience. She didn’t reveal everything, of course. Nothing about what had happened between her and Owen when they were teenagers. But she did tell Ally about Gordon Asquith and the importance of getting the mogul’s investment. She flushed as she related his sleazy moves on her and how Owen had dealt with him.

  “Far out!” By now Ally was sitting on the edge of her seat as she lapped up Paige’s story. “Owen actually slapped the guy?” She let out a low whistle. “You know what that means. He’s in love with you.”

  Paige, who had taken a sip of wine, spluttered. “I hardly think so.”

  “Come on. He wouldn’t react so violently if he didn’t have feelings for you.”

  Still flustered, Paige picked up a napkin and dabbed at her shirt. “I admit there’s always been…something between us, but it’s—it’s just lust.”

  “Hey, don’t label it ‘just lust.’ Lust is a very powerful emotion.”

  “Yeah, last night proved that.” She spoke without thinking, but seeing comprehension dawn on Ally’s face, she pushed on. “We spent the night together, yes, but in the morning we came back to our senses.” Liar, a voice inside her muttered. Far from returning to her senses, she’d dived headfirst into the madness of loving someone. Unsettled, she hurried on to tell Ally about her parents’ dramatic reappearance, her mother’s demands, and Owen’s refusal. Finally she halted, and silence descended on the living room.

  “Maybe Owen will move out anyway,” Ally said, looking pensive. She set her wineglass down and rested her elbows on her knees to cup her chin. “If he’s lost this investor guy, then he probably won’t get his project through, will he? And if that fails, then there’s not much reason for him to hang around Burronga. Your mother might get back her house after all.”

  The ball of regret in Paige’s stomach grew even heavier. “That’s what troubles me the most.” Her voice trembled, and she couldn’t stop it. Fisting her hands, she forced herself to continue. “That Owen will lose out on Bandicoot Creek because of me—because of that stupid, stupid video. Because I put my trust in the wrong man. Owen thought he needed my help to schmooze Asquith, but in fact I wrecked his deal. I’m to blame.” Too agitated to sit, she pushed to her feet and circled the carpet. “There must be something I can do, but what?”

  Ally watched her prowl around the room. “Do you know any other high-profile investors?”

  “What?” Pausing, Paige ran her fingers through her hair. “No, I don’t know any billionaires.”

  Ally shrugged. “Doesn’t have to be a billionaire, does it? Just someone who’s ‘i
n’ with the council and can get the project through the approval stage. Your family’s always had a standing in this town. What about your father?”

  Her father would definitely know the right people, but would he want to help her? After paying so little attention to her all her life, why would he start now? But this time was different. This time she wasn’t seeking his attention for herself, but for Owen. If there was a remote chance of helping Owen, then she had to make her father listen to her.

  “Paige?” Ally’s voice broke through her concentration. “Do you think your dad might help?”

  “If he doesn’t, it won’t be for want of me trying.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “But you’re not moving back to Sydney, are you?” The potato chip fell from Natasha’s fingers as she stared at her brother in dismay.

  “No,” Owen quickly replied. “Not yet.” Although his Bandicoot Project had taken a hit, it wasn’t dead yet. It might still be approved by the town council…and pigs might fly, too. But he couldn’t give up yet. Especially when Natasha looked so worried. “I’m just swapping houses, that’s all. I’ll still be here in Burronga,” he said more cheerfully.

  “Whew.” Relief spread over his sister’s face. “I was worried…” She chewed her lower lip. “I like having you around.”

  Owen’s heart panged. Most of the time his sister was so intent on being the cool teenager, so it was good to know she appreciated his company. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he picked up the potato chip she’d dropped on her lap and returned it to the bowl she was cradling.

  “And I like having you around,” he said. They were seated in the den, watching a movie and sharing the chips. “We don’t often spend a weekend together, just the two of us. Usually you have a friend with you, like that Gretel girl.” He’d been meaning to talk with Natasha about her friends, and now that they were alone, this might be the perfect opportunity.

  Natasha squirmed against the cushions. “Actually, Gretel and I aren’t such good friends anymore.”

  “Oh? Why not?”