‘Oh, what a shame,’ the woman frowned with her eyes, but her lips were still smiling. ‘And after he went to so much trouble to get the place.’
‘He did?’
‘Yes, we tried to direct him to the central coast,’ she hesitated. ‘It’s a little more affordable, or accessible, shall we say? But he said he didn’t have the time, and he was desperate, and well, frankly, he’s very charming, isn’t he?’ she laughed, touching her hand to her cheek self-consciously. ‘So anyway, the owners of this house are abroad at present, and they’re putting it up for sale when they return. They didn’t intend to use it this summer. We made a few calls, and eventually they agreed. I think they felt sorry for him, seeing as it was so close to Christmas.’
‘It was close to Christmas?’
Her eyes widened. ‘Oh dear, have I dobbed him in?’
‘Um . . .’ Sam didn’t know what to say.
‘I bet I know what’s happened here,’ she nodded her head knowingly. ‘He was supposed to organise your holiday this year, wasn’t he? And he forgot. Typical male,’ she finished, rolling her eyes.
‘Something like that,’ Sam said with a faint smile.
‘Please don’t tell him I blabbed. He seemed like such a nice man.’ She paused. ‘Did you two meet over there?’
‘Pardon?’
‘In the States. He is American, isn’t he? Or is he from Canada?’
‘No, he’s American. We met here.’
‘Oh, that’s nice.’ The woman smiled again. She was a very smiley woman. ‘Well, I don’t want to take up any more of your time. Please don’t hesitate to contact the office if you need anything.’ She opened her clipboard and slipped out a business card. ‘I’ll give you my card. I bet he forgot to leave one with you.’
‘Thank you.’
Sam closed the screen door and pulled the main door shut as well, now that evening was coming on. She wandered back up the hall and into the kitchen, tucking the card under a magnet on the refrigerator. She poured herself a glass of wine and walked out onto the deck, leaning against the railing.
So Hal had only rented this place just before Christmas? Why did he tell her he’d had it for ‘some time’? She wondered which weekend he had come up here. Was it before she went to his place that night? Why would he rush about frantically to rent a six-bedroom holiday house for himself when he knew he was going to be in the States? He must have rented it after they’d spent the night together. Why did he go to so much trouble? A smile crept onto her face, all of its own accord.
Her mobile phone started to ring. The kids had already phoned her today but maybe Ellie wanted to talk again. She did that sometimes when she was at her father’s. Sam hurried inside and grabbed the phone off the bench. ‘Hello?’ she said, answering it.
‘Hey Sam, how’re you doing?’
Her mouth went dry and she felt goosebumps creeping up her legs and her arms. It was not a little distracting.
‘Sam? It’s me, Hal.’
‘I know,’ she said, finding her voice. ‘Sorry, hi, when did you get back? Are you back?’ she blurted.
‘I flew in this afternoon.’
Her heart sank. He wouldn’t be coming up tonight if he’d only just got home. ‘How was your flight?’
‘Long. How’s everything there?’
‘Wonderful. The house is terrific, Hal, the kids had the best time.’
‘Had?’
‘Mm, they’re with their father. Max came up to collect them.’
‘So you’re having a holiday now?’
‘I guess . . .’ Sam murmured. Ask him. Just say the words. Sam could feel herself trembling inside. Relax and enjoy yourself, Max had said. She took a deep breath. ‘Um, are you . . . well, were you thinking . . . well, would you like to come up?’
Hal breathed out heavily. ‘I thought you were never going to ask.’
Sam heard a knock at the front door. ‘Oh, could you hold on? There’s someone at the door.’
She hurried up the hall. It must be the real estate woman again. She unlocked the door and swung it back. Hal stood on the other side of the screen door, his phone in one hand, a couple of bags and Zoey the zebra in the other.
‘Hi honey, I’m home,’ he said, looking straight into her eyes.
Sam couldn’t move. ‘Hi,’ she said, her voice barely making it out of her throat. There was something else she ought to say, she knew there was, but she couldn’t think what.
‘Can I come in?’ Hal asked eventually.
Oh, that was it. ‘Yes, yes, of course, come in,’ she said, stirring. He opened the screen door and stepped inside. They stood there looking at each other, still holding their phones.
‘I’m going to hang up now,’ said Hal into his, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. Sam nodded, and they both turned off their phones. Hal slipped his into his pocket.
‘You brought Zoey,’ she remarked, for the sake of saying something.
‘And I brought you something too,’ he said, passing her a brightly coloured gift bag. He set his overnight bag down on the floor and lay Zoey across it.
Sam peered inside the bag and smiled. It was filled with chocolates. Just about every kind of chocolate bar she’d ever seen, and some she hadn’t.
‘Emergency rations,’ he explained. ‘And there’s some quality American stuff in there too.’
‘Thank you.’ Sam felt overcome. Hal was here, they were alone. He had an overnight bag with him. ‘Um, do you want . . . um,’ she stammered. ‘Would you like me to show you around?’
‘I have seen the place.’
‘I know.’ She turned down the hall. ‘Just before Christmas, wasn’t it?’
He followed her into the living room.
‘Wasn’t it?’ she repeated, folding her arms, waiting for an answer.
‘I can’t remember exactly.’
‘The agent popped in earlier.’
Now Hal looked sheepish.
‘Why did you say you rented the place a while ago?’
He sighed heavily. ‘Because, if I’d told you I got it just for you, you would have used the “A” word.’
Sam frowned.
‘You would have said it’s not “appropriate”, and then you would have given me the whole client spiel again, yada, yada,’ he sighed dramatically. ‘It was easier to stretch the truth.’
She smiled shyly. He took a step closer, gazing at her intently. Sam turned to the windows. ‘Have you seen the view?’ she said lightly. ‘It’s fabulous.’
‘Yes, it’s a fabulous view,’ he replied in a low voice, but she knew he wasn’t looking at the view at all. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. Her heart started beating faster. She couldn’t look at him, her eyes remained fixed out the window, not that she could have described what she was looking at.
‘Are you hungry?’ she asked.
‘No.’
‘Would you like a drink?’
‘No thank you.’ He stepped closer, till their bodies were just touching. ‘I missed you.’
‘I know, I got your email.’
‘And I got yours.’
She felt his lips brushing against her hair. It made her tremble.
‘I haven’t shaved my legs,’ Sam blurted suddenly.
Hal smiled down at her, a little taken aback. ‘Well, that’s a relief, neither have I,’ he said. He reached up to remove her hairclip, raking his fingers through to free her hair. It sent shivers down her spine. ‘You have the most beautiful hair, and you always keep it tied back,’ he murmured, cupping her face.
‘Oh, and I don’t have any, um, you know, thingummys,’ she breathed.
‘Look in the bag,’ he said with a glint in his eye.
Sam realised she was still clutching the bag of chocolates. She foraged through them and drew out a long strip of small sealed plastic packets. She smiled. ‘You’re an optimist.’
‘Funny, people always tell me I’m a realist,’ he grinned. He took the bag from her an
d tossed it on a nearby chair. Then he pulled her close to him.
Sam felt a rush of emotion. The way he was looking at her, holding her. She wanted him. Go with the flow, Max had said.
‘You weren’t going to kiss me . . .’
‘No . . . what made you think that?’ he murmured as his lips sank into hers.
The next morning
Sam lay awake, watching Hal sleep. She’d thought the sun streaming through the sheer curtains might wake him, but he hadn’t stirred. He was dead to the world. Jet-lagged probably. And maybe a little worn out as well, she smiled.
They had made love for hours, indulging in the fact they had condoms to spare this time. Sam felt like a teenager. Though not quite. As a teenager, sex had certainly been energetic, but it was also clumsy, often rushed, and ultimately unsatisfying a lot of the time, for her at least. And to some extent that pattern had endured into their marriage. Sam had read the magazine articles about bringing the spark back into the bedroom, but it felt forced, even embarrassing. It was better just to go on as they always had. Jeff usually made some kind of effort to tend to her needs first. If it wasn’t working she just faked it to move him along. Their sex life had been like painting by numbers. No invention, no spontaneity. No passion. And then it had died out all together.
With Hal it was all passion, unbounded and seemingly inexhaustible. Sam felt completely uninhibited. He had a way of making her feel she was the most beautiful woman in the world. And he was no clumsy teenager. She didn’t want to dwell on how Hal knew the things he did, she was just grateful for it.
She looked at him now, so peaceful and boyish as he slept. A wave of emotion washed over her, so intense it frightened her. It was scary to feel like this, to be thinking this way. To fall in love again was a huge risk and Sam didn’t know if she was brave enough or strong enough to chance it.
Hal took a deep breath in and out. He blinked his eyes a couple of times and then looked straight at her. ‘Hi.’
‘Hi.’
‘What are you looking at?’ he said, his voice husky.
‘You.’
He edged closer to her. ‘What were you thinking about?’
‘You,’ she smiled.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing.’
He touched his thumb to her fore-head. ‘You get this little crinkle here, between your eyes, when something’s worrying you.’ He leaned forward and kissed it. ‘I love that little crinkle.’
Then he looked back into her eyes. ‘And I love you.’
Sam swallowed. ‘You shouldn’t say things like that, you know,’ she said quietly.
‘Why not?’
‘Because a girl is inclined to believe that kind of thing.’
‘Oh? That’s bad?’
‘Well, she might think you really meant it. And she’d rather you were honest.’
‘Okay, let me try again.’
Sam’s heart lurched.
‘I love the little crease on your forehead,’ he murmured, kissing it again. He looked back at her. ‘And I love you, Samantha Jean.’
She stared at him, tears springing into her eyes.
‘So you can stop worrying.’ He closed his arms around her, turning over onto his back so that her head came to rest on his chest.
Sam lay there listening to his heart beating as his breathing settled into a rhythm. She raised her head to look up at him.
‘Hal,’ she said softly.
He didn’t stir. He’d drifted off to sleep again.
She watched him for a moment. ‘I love you too,’ she whispered.
The day was blue and bright and sunny, like every other day had been since Sam had arrived at Palm Beach. Hal had dozed for another half hour before hauling himself out of bed and insisting they do something active and outdoors before he slept the whole day away.
‘And if I do that, I’ll never get over this jet-lag,’ he explained. ‘I’ll be up all night.’
‘You won’t hear me complaining,’ Sam had muttered salaciously. Which had landed them back in bed.
Another hour later they emerged into the sunshine and onto the beach. When Hal headed for the rock pool, Sam dragged him into the surf, insisting it would do more to wake him up and clear his head.
Afterwards they sat on the beach, her back against his chest, letting the sun dry them off. Hal pointed out the sailing boats rounding Barrenjoey Head.
‘I’ll take you sailing this week.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Come on, you made me go in the surf.’
‘Oh please,’ Sam dismissed. ‘You can hardly call this surf.’
‘There are waves,’ he protested.
‘They’re wussy waves.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘What?’ Sam peered around at him.
‘Wussy.’
‘Oh. Weak, cowardly, you know, that kind of thing. You’re a “wuss” if you think that’s real surf out there.’
‘Then you’re a wuss if you won’t come sailing with me.’
‘No I’m not. I’m just not interested.’
‘What are you so afraid of?’
She shrugged, turning to look out to sea. ‘I’m not afraid.’
He wrapped his arms around her from behind. ‘Tell me,’ he urged gently.
Sam rested her head back against his shoulder. ‘Well, I still don’t understand how you can have any control. What if the wind’s blowing against you?’
‘You can sail against the wind.’ He spoke softly, close to her ear. ‘In fact, you have to learn how, because you won’t always have the wind behind you. But you can’t just sail right into it, you have to tack or reach. And sometimes you can go as fast reaching, in fact faster, as when you’re running with the wind.’
‘What if the wind gets too strong though, and you can’t sail against it? What if it’s too hard?’
‘Well, if there’s a storm, sometimes you have to ride it out as best you can. You shorten sail, and you don’t make much headway, but at least you stay afloat until it passes.’
‘Or the boat capsizes,’ she sighed, ‘and you end up being washed up onto the rocks, battered and bleeding. Or else you drown.’
‘Sam!’ Hal chided. He turned her around to face him. ‘I know you’ve been through a lot, but you can’t really think life’s that grim, can you?’
She smiled. ‘I thought we were talking about sailing?’
He smiled back at her, pulling her close to him. How had she turned into this bleak, pessimistic person, so sure that life would disappoint her? There must have been a time when she was happy and at least a little hopeful. At Nan and Pop’s she remembered feeling happy, hiding in the dunes, following Pop’s footsteps. She’d felt happy when her children were born. A crystal clear, pure type of happiness that depended on nothing more than their mere existence in the world. And she must have been happy with Jeff, at least early on. They were always striving to be happy, but had they ever made it? Had she stopped long enough to know if she was happy?
Sam realised she felt happy right now, just sitting on a beach, leaning against Hal. Maybe happiness only came in moments, and you had to grab those moments whenever you could, as often as they came your way, and wring every joyful drop out of them.
She jumped to her feet. ‘I’ll race you back to the house,’ she said, her eyes full of mischief, flicking Hal with her towel.
‘Hey, wait up,’ he called after her, but she was already halfway up the beach. She was headed for a track the kids had found which was a shortcut back up the hill. Sam could hear Hal gaining on her and it sent shivers right through her.
She hit the track. It was steep and narrow, overgrown with bamboo and fishbone ferns. Hal was not far behind but she was more sure-footed, having trekked through here at least twice a day for the last couple of weeks. She knew where the ground was uneven, where to duck the branches. Hal didn’t. Sam could hear him cursing behind her as she came out from the cover of the trees and onto th
e road. She was short of breath, but somehow she found the energy to sprint down the street. She was just opening the door of the house as Hal made it to the other side of the lawn.
‘Samantha!’ he called with mock menace, and she shrieked, running up the hall. In a few strides he’d caught her and Sam swung around, throwing her arms around him, fastening her mouth onto his. They were both panting as they kissed each other hungrily.
‘Sam,’ Hal gasped eventually, ‘you’re gonna give me a heart attack.’
‘Old man,’ she murmured against his lips.
‘Right,’ he said, lifting her off the floor and striding into the bedroom. He tossed her back onto the bed and she lay there, laughing, as he climbed on top of her, looking down at her with a glint in his eye. ‘Did you say old man?’
Sam thought she heard something out in the main room. It was the silly ring tone Jess had programmed into her mobile.
‘That’s my phone,’ she breathed. ‘I should get it.’
‘Oh, I don’t think so,’ he murmured huskily. He unravelled the sarong she had wrapped around her and then slowly, deliberately, he began to peel her swimming costume down, covering every square inch of her body with soft, feathery kisses.
The curtains lifted as the salty breeze fluttered across them. Sam lay back, closing her eyes, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps. She felt his tongue warm on her skin, his fingertips, his limbs sliding against hers. She tasted the warmth of his mouth as it found hers again. She felt his hands clasping hers tight, where they lay above her head. Then she felt him moving inside her, sending spasms like a ripple effect out from deep inside her belly. She could feel his blood pulsing, his heart beating against her chest, his breath warm on her neck when he eventually collapsed against her. She felt utterly, blissfully spent. She felt happy.
‘I love you,’ he murmured.
Sam held her breath. She knew she should say it back, so that he could hear her this time. She didn’t know why she was hesitating, what was stopping her.
Hal lifted his head and gazed down at her. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing,’ she insisted.
Wife for Hire Page 45
