by Nina Levine
“Thank God. Alanis is getting nervous. I haven’t seen her but Barry has eyes on her. Her behaviour is erratic and she’s started packing up her house.”
She frowns. “You think she’s moving?”
I shrug. “Got no idea and I really don’t want to know. He’ll keep on it, though. I just want that woman locked up. Your date can’t come fast enough.” Her appeal date is set for three months’ time. It’s fucking outrageous that wrongfully convicted people have to work so hard and for so long to prove their innocence.
Jolene’s lawyer has been adamant we needed scientific evidence to back up every other piece of evidence we’ve gathered in order to exonerate her. The last six months have been spent searching desperately for that.
“I think it’s all going to work out, Luke,” she says quietly and I feel the pain, the doubt and the hope behind those words. She hasn’t wanted to fully believe she’ll be freed in case it doesn’t happen. I can’t blame her. If I lost everything like she has, I wouldn’t want to believe I might get my life back again in case that all crumbled too.
I reach for her hand and squeeze it. Smiling, I say, “Yeah, I feel it, too.”
We sit in silence for a few moments, watching each other. Reflecting. And then she looks down at Sean. “Okay, baby, you need to tell me all about school and how you’re going with Jacinta May.”
I chuckle as my son groans. He’ll learn soon enough that it’s the girls who annoy us the most that we want more than anything else in this world.
Jolene’s eyes meet mine briefly.
We exchange a knowing smile.
As she becomes engrossed in Sean’s story, I know we’re going to be okay. Whatever happens, the three of us will get through this because we’ve finally found our way back to each other.
* * *
A couple of hours later, Sean struggles with the shopping bag he’s carrying for me. “Dad, this is too heavy for me,” he grumbles.
I reach for it and take it out of his arms. Nodding at the door in front of us, I say, “You knock.”
He does as I ask and we wait for it to be opened. Looking up at me, he asks, “Do you think Mariah will come out today?”
I smile. “I hope so. She must be pretty hungry by now.”
“I’ll feed Jasper first and then look for her.” Callie’s cat. Mrs Harper took on the care of Jasper when Callie moved.
The door opens and Mrs Harper gives me a stern look. “You’re late, Luke.”
I fight the chuckle working its way up. This woman is one tough cookie, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. “The traffic was bad.”
She scowls. “Likely story, young man.” Gesturing for us to enter, she steps back to let us in.
I make my way to her kitchen and place the groceries we bought her on the kitchen counter. I then unpack them and put them away while Sean grabs the cat food and attempts to feed Jasper and Callie’s strays. They don’t always come out for him, but he lives in hope.
Mrs Harper joins me in her kitchen. I know what she’s about to do because we do this dance every week when I visit to stock up her groceries and check if any maintenance needs to be done around her home.
I get in first. “No, I haven’t spoken to her and I have no plans to do so.”
The scowl is still sitting on her face. “You are a fool, Mr Hardy.”
I eye her. “So I’ve been told.”
“But you’ll be seeing her next week, yes?”
My movements halt. “Yes, but it won’t change anything.”
“You are so focused on the fact you think she needs her work more than she needs you. Have you ever stopped to consider she could have both?”
“I’ve considered this from every angle I can. And I always come up with the same thing—what if I ask her to give up her job and move home and she does that, but then resents me for asking that of her? What if she never finds her dream job again? I won’t be that man, Mrs Harper.”
“That’s a lot of what-ifs. You can’t live your life with those guiding you. You need to take charge and put all your cards on the table. Callie is a strong woman. She’ll make the right decision for her. There’s no harm in asking for what you want, Luke. It’s time you started putting yourself first. Live a little. God knows life flies by so fast that if we don’t make ourselves happy while we have the chance, we’ll grow old in a puddle of regret.” Her eyes glint with joy when she adds, “Now, where is that boy of yours? I’ve got a present for him.”
She shuffles away from me in search of Sean. Mrs Harper has become the grandmother to Sean he never had. My mum loves him, but she doesn’t spend time passing wisdom on to him. Mrs Harper showers him with time and attention. I often find them snuggling up on the couch, poring over the atlas or a history book while she relays stories of her life to him. He adores her and craves time here. I crave time here for a whole other reason.
45
Callie
I am never travelling on a plane for that long ever again. Thank God I don’t have to.
I exit the cab outside the Daydream Island resort where Estelle booked me a room and close my eyes so I can breathe in the Queensland air.
It’s so good to be back in Australia.
Home.
“Good afternoon, ma’am.” The porter greets me and begins unloading my luggage.
I give him a huge smile. “Hello. I hope you’re having a wonderful day today. The weather is divine!”
He returns my smile and nods. “Every day on this island is a good day, ma’am.”
“I can imagine,” I murmur.
I make my way to the check-in desk and fiddle in my handbag for my phone while I wait.
“Long flight?” a man asks me from behind.
I turn to find one of the best looking men I’ve seen in a long time smiling at me. “How can you tell?”
He grins. “I can’t. I was just trying to initiate conversation.”
I laugh. Clearly I’m out of practice with this flirting thing. “Oh… well, I’ve just flown in from LA.”
He whistles low. “Ouch.”
“Yes. I won’t be doing that flight again in a hurry.”
“You know what would help with the exhaustion?”
I cock my head. “What?”
His smile spreads right across his face, lighting his eyes up. “A drink with me.”
“Ummm… I was thinking a swim could be good. I’m not sure about a drink. It’d probably put me to sleep.” My gaze drops to take in the suit he’s wearing. Whoa, this dude is built under that suit. I lift my gaze again to find heat in those gorgeous blue eyes of his.
I could do a drink with him.
Who are you kidding, Callie? You’re not even interested in him.
I could be.
Could not.
Shut up. I could.
“How about you get your swim in while I change out of this suit and then I’ll buy you a drink?”
I smile. “Sounds good. In about an hour?”
He nods. “I’ll meet you at the bar.”
As I check in, I try to muster up some interest in the guy.
He’s hot.
He’s dressed well.
He’s friendly.
Did I mention, hot?
And yet, I hardly see him when I look at him.
All I see—all I ever see—is Luke’s face.
* * *
“What are your plans for the rest of your holiday here?”
I sip some of my vodka and look at the guy sitting across from me—the suit I met when I checked in. I’ve been with him for the last hour and I was ready to leave about fifty-five minutes ago. I’m bored. There’s no spark between us at all and yet I know he wants more time with me. He’s already told me he’s staying here for a week for a conference. I’ve been very cagey about my plans because I don’t want to encourage him.
I check my watch.
Five minutes before the hour is up and I can escape. It would have been rude not to stay for at least an hou
r.
“I’m actually here for a wedding, so I’m busy with my friends. I think they’ve got nearly every minute scheduled.” I laugh. It’s fake as hell. “I’ll be more exhausted by the end of this holiday than when I arrived.”
His smile fades a little. I think he’s realised he’s got no shot here when he stands and says, “It was great meeting you. I hope we can maybe find some time together in the next few days.” He passes me his business card. “Call me if you’re free.”
I watch as he leaves and then look down at the card.
You’ve gotta be kidding me.
A fucking business card?
I throw it down on the table and drain the vodka from my glass.
“A new friend?”
My heart stumbles over itself as I look up to find Luke sliding into the empty seat across from me.
“Ummm, no… not really… no… God, no.” Good God, I am tongue-tied and my mouth needs to stop opening and words need to stop coming out of it.
He smirks. “I figured as much.”
I shift in my seat, squeezing my legs together. This man still affects me as much as he did when we first met. His cocky attitude is still in place, I see. Some things never change. “How did you figure as much?”
His smirk sits firmly in place and his eyes twinkle. “Baby, it was written all over your body the whole time the jerk was sitting in front of you.”
“Oh really? How?” He’s been watching me all this time?
“When you don’t like someone, but you have to spend time with them, your whole body stiffens into this awkward pose where you kind of lean forward with your back so damn straight it looks like the most uncomfortable position in the world. And you have this strained look on your face that makes me think you’re probably grinding your teeth. And then there’s the way you tap your foot. All dead giveaways.”
I stare at him.
My breathing is shaky and I feel light-headed.
I’m not prepared for this.
I thought I was, but I’m so far from prepared it’s laughable.
When I don’t respond, he leans forward a little. “How are you, Callie?”
I think I may have just moaned.
I hope it wasn’t out loud.
That voice, though.
God, how I’ve missed that voice.
“I’m doing okay. Things could be better, but I guess that’s life, right?”
He nods. “Yes, it is.”
“How are you?”
“Well, if you asked Avery, she’d tell you I’m still a moody bastard, and I guess she’s right. I don’t function well without you.”
Oh, God.
He’s not holding back any punches.
I smile. “Yeah, you always were a moody bastard when you didn’t have me keeping you in line.”
He grins and settles back into his seat. “I miss you.”
I sigh. “I miss you, too, Luke.”
He eyes my empty glass. “You want another drink?”
I quirk a brow. “You’re going to allow me to have another one?”
He stands. “Smartass.” Jerking his chin at the glass, he says, “Vodka?”
I nod. “Thank you.”
I do the only respectable thing I can do as he walks to the bar—I check out his ass.
This may get messy.
Because, goddamn it, Luke owns my heart and it looks like I still own his.
When he returns, he places two drinks on the table. Vodka for me, whisky for him.
“Where is everyone?” I ask as I drink some of mine.
“Their flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Brisbane. They won’t be here until tomorrow.”
“I’m confused. Why are you here, but not them?”
“When Mum booked the flights, they were short a seat so she booked me on an earlier flight because I was the only one not tied down to a commitment today.”
“So, it’s just you and me then…” My voice drifts off with my thoughts.
“Just us, Callie,” he murmurs.
Yes, very messy.
“How’s Sean?” I blurt out, desperate to steer the conversation in another direction.
His lips twitch. He knows what I’m doing. But he plays along. “He’s doing really well. Started school this year and loves it. And he’s spending time every week with Jolene, which has really settled him.”
Happiness floats through me at that news. “How is Jolene?”
He drinks some whisky and eyes me over the rim of the glass. “Surprisingly good. She’s come a long way. The appeal is coming up in a few months, and she’s found a way to think positive thoughts about it. The fact they were able to match DNA evidence from the original murder investigation to Alanis should ensure the appeal is successful. And her relationship with Sean just blows me away.”
I smile. “That’s so good to hear. It sounds like you guys are happy.”
His eyes hold mine. “We’re divorced, Callie.”
I nod. “I know.”
We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, just watching each other. I feel the most relaxed I’ve felt since we broke up. Just being with him makes me happy.
He finishes his drink and places the glass on the table. Standing, he says, “You wanna have dinner together later?”
I try to push the disappointment I’m feeling away. I’m unsuccessful, though, because I was just settling into our conversation. I nod. “I’d like that.”
“I’ll come get you at seven?”
“Sounds good. You want my room number?” I dig in my bag to locate it because I can’t remember it.
“No. I already know it,” he says. “I’ll see you then.”
He leaves me sitting in stunned silence.
He knows my room number.
He was watching me.
I can only hope this won’t get messy.
Or maybe we’ll finally figure out a way to make messy work for us.
* * *
Luke arrives early.
I’m not ready.
The room is in chaos, and so am I.
I fling the door open and eye him wildly. “You’re early.” It comes out like an accusation.
His lips twitch as his eyes roam my body. “Tell me you don’t answer the door like that to everyone. Please.”
I look down at what I’m wearing.
Oh, hell.
What the fuck was I thinking?
I throw my arms across my body trying to cover myself. I’ve answered the door dressed only in my lingerie—one of my bras that covers very little and pushes my tits up and out, and panties that consist mostly of string. Well, it may as well be string.
He walks into my room. “There’s no need to cover up. I’ve seen it all before, Callie.”
Ignoring him, I wrench open the cupboard and locate the dress I’ve decided to wear tonight. I rip it off the coat hanger and throw it over my head. In my haste, the zipper gets stuck in my hair.
Fuck.
Please, God, fix this.
Now.
I wiggle and squirm trying to either get the dress on or off. At this point, I don’t care which works so long as the dress isn’t sitting where it is, covering my face with my arms up in the air and my body exposed to Luke.
“Here, let me help,” he says. Before I can protest, he moves close—so close—and places his hands on my dress. He begins trying to separate my hair from the zip, and I commence hyperventilating. His body is way too close for me.
Why did I say yes to dinner?
He eventually untangles my hair from the zip, and just when I’m sending prayers of thanks to the heavens, he slides the dress into place. His hands smooth the dress over my body before moving to do up the zip.
In desperation to stop the madness, I spin around and slap his hands away. “I’ve got this,” I mutter.
He watches me with amusement but doesn’t argue. I step in front of the mirror and almost die when I see the birds nest my hair is now in.
Can this ni
ght get any worse?
I head into the bathroom to fix it. Thankfully Luke stays put in the other room. I hear the TV switch on and sigh in relief. He’s got something to occupy himself while I do my hair and make-up.
It takes a good fifteen minutes to make myself presentable. When I head out of the bathroom, I find Luke lounging on my bed, his back to the bedhead, his legs spread out in front of him, ankles crossed.
My heart skips a beat at the sight, and I reach for the wall to steady myself.
He doesn’t seem to notice, thank God, and I continue on my way to finish getting ready.
“I just need to pack my bag.”
He frowns. “Pack your bag?”
I nod at the side of the bed he’s not occupying. “Yeah, my handbag. I dumped everything on the bed when I was looking for something earlier.”
He glances at my handbag contents strewn across the bed and then looks back up at me. “I saw that.”
I narrow my eyes at him and wave my hand in his direction. “What? What is that about?”
“What?”
“That amusement that just crossed your face.”
“Nothing.” He turns his attention back to the television, and I decide to ignore whatever just happened.
I begin sorting through the items on the bed to decide what to pack, and I realise what he was amused by. God, I look like a horny bitch—I’ve got three different bullet vibrators sitting on the bed that I packed in my handbag for this trip. Because you can never have too many of those things.
Especially not when you’ve just done a long stint back in sex-drought land.
I leave them on the bed, finish sorting myself out, and announce, “I’m ready.”
He flicks the television off and leaves the bed to guide me out of the room and to the elevator.
We’re the only people in the elevator and as I check Luke out, I suddenly worry that I’m not going to make it through this night without trying to jump his bones.
He’s wearing a dark grey T-shirt that hugs his muscles in ways I want to hug them, and jeans that cling to his ass.
