by Lucy Clark
‘Remember how I said I like to keep my private and professional lives separate?’ Jasper reminded her as he put the first pancake on to cook. He spoke in a quieter voice but knew full well his mother could hear him.
‘Ah.’ Jennifer clicked then as to why his mother was astonished. ‘I take it you usually don’t invite colleagues home for breakfast after a gruelling night in theatre?’
‘No. Mum, Jennifer’s looking to buy a house,’ Jasper added before his mother could say anything more. ‘We’re going to have some breakfast, then go and see Mr Attenburgh.’
‘The house down the road?’
‘Is there another one in the street for sale?’ Jasper asked pointedly.
The phone rang and the girls, who hadn’t been very interested in the adult conversation up until now, immediately shouted, ‘I’ll get it.’
‘No. I’ll get it,’ one said. ‘It’s my turn.’
‘No, it’s my turn.’ They both started jostling each other out of the way as they raced from the room towards the phone.
‘How about if I get it,’ Jasper said, and stalked after them, shaking his head. ‘At least that will stop World War Three,’ he muttered, and Jennifer couldn’t help but smile.
‘They argue over who should answer the phone every time it rings at Sara’s place,’ Jennifer pointed out as Iris still stared at her. When the woman didn’t stop, Jennifer shifted in her seat, beginning to feel rather uncomfortable. ‘Is something wrong?’ she couldn’t help but ask again.
‘Wrong?’ Iris pulled back as though she wasn’t aware she’d been staring. ‘No. Nothing is wrong. So, you work…closely with Jasper?’
‘We’re both the only orthopods employed full time by the hospital so I guess you could say that. He’s been great at helping me get settled in.’
‘And you’ve just been in Theatre all night long, right?’
‘Pretty much. Bad motor vehicle accidents. Lots of casualties.’
‘And you’ve obviously met the girls before now. They appear quite comfortable with you.’
‘They do?’
‘Oh, yes. Usually when they meet a new friend of their father’s…If they ever get to meet them, of course, they normally hide behind his legs until they get to know them better. Naturally, though, they don’t get to know them better because Jasper’s far too fussy.’
‘Fussy?’ Jennifer wasn’t quite sure she was on the same track as Iris but decided to go with it.
‘When he dates!’ Iris seemed surprised that Jennifer wasn’t sure what she was talking about. ‘He doesn’t introduce his dates to the girls, which is fair enough because he wants to protect them as any father would, and I’m in complete agreement, but you’d think that after a few times of seeing the same woman he’d eventually introduce them, but no.’
‘Jasper’s dating someone?’ Jennifer wasn’t quite sure why the news made her feel instantly miserable.
‘No, no.’ Iris waved her words away. ‘I’m talking about in the past but now here you are, as plain as day, invited over for breakfast, and he’s only been working with you for a few weeks.’
Jennifer wasn’t sure what that meant but as Jasper came back in to the room she had no time to contemplate it further.
‘Was that the hospital?’
‘No. It was Megan.’
‘Oh?’ Iris was instantly concerned.
‘Megan’s my sister,’ Jasper informed Jennifer.
‘Is everything all right?’ Iris was on her feet, getting ready to head for the stairs. ‘Why is she calling you and why so early?’
‘Relax, Mum. She was just ringing to see if the girls’ dresses had arrived yet.’
‘And have they?’
‘No.’
Iris shook her head and took another step towards the stairs. ‘I’d best go call her. She’ll be fretting over that.’ Iris started off then stopped and turned to Jennifer. ‘It was really nice to meet you.’
‘And you, too.’ As Iris left, Jennifer turned to watch Jasper flipping the first pancake. ‘You’re quite good at that.’
‘One of my many talents. I’m thinking of adding it to my résumé.’
She smiled at that. ‘I’d certainly hire you.’ She paused then asked, ‘Why is your mother so concerned about your sister?’
‘Megan’s getting married in three weeks’ time. Lilly and Lola are her flower girls.’
‘And the dresses haven’t arrived.’ Jennifer nodded as though everything now made perfect sense. ‘That should be enough to make a bride go completely berserk.’
‘You’ve got that right and Megan’s stress levels are already at an all-time high.’ He frowned a little. ‘Problem is, Mum and Dad don’t approve of her husband-to-be. He hasn’t done anything to help plan the wedding, not that that’s totally unusual but whenever Megan’s asked him, he’s flatly refused. It’s made things more burdensome for her. Add to that fact that she’s due in Theatre in another hour and she’s one mega-stressed puppy.’
‘Theatre?’
‘She’s a general surgeon over at Sydney General.’
‘Hmm. Quite the medical family.’
Jasper smiled and flipped another pancake. ‘She’s incredibly smart. I was two years ahead of her in medical school but she was the one helping me out and explaining things.’
Jennifer laughed. ‘Should you be confessing such things to your new boss?’
‘Not to worry.’ He set two butterfly placemats on the bench next to her and added cutlery before cutting up the pancakes into little squares. He did it all so naturally she could tell it was part of his routine. He was clearly a dad who spent a lot of time with his children. ‘I passed my exams with flying colours and haven’t had to rely on my baby sister for quite a number of years.’ He called to the girls, who came barrelling in and clambered up onto stools. Lilly managed it quite easily but Lola got stuck and Jennifer quickly picked her up and sat her down before Jasper could come around to help.
‘Thanks,’ he said.
‘No problem.’ She smiled at him as he added syrup to the girls’ breakfasts and watched as they devoured the food in next to no time. ‘You must have been very hungry,’ Jennifer commented.
Lilly nodded enthusiastically. ‘I was.’
‘Anyone would think your daddy rarely feeds you.’
‘We had dinner at Grandma’s last night ’cause Daddy was in surgery,’ Lola added matter-of-factly.
‘We do that. Sometimes we have breakfast at Grandma’s, too,’ Lilly chimed in.
‘But it’s just up the stairs,’ Lola pointed.
‘Not too far,’ Lilly agreed.
‘Now, my yummy princesses,’ Jasper said as he added another pancake to the warming plate he had in the oven, ‘time for a bath.’ His words were received with mild protests. ‘You’re both covered in syrup,’ he pointed out when they asked why.
‘But, Daddy, why can’t you just wipe us down with the cloth? Then we will be all ready to play.’
‘Planning to wear your jimmy-jams all day long?’ He smiled at Jennifer before excusing himself to go and run the bath. Jennifer sat there, looking around his home, and was surprised to find it very welcoming. Usually when she went to a new friend’s house, it took quite some time for her to feel comfortable but, like at Sara’s house, she felt quite relaxed here.
Jennifer looked at the pancake he’d put on the stove to cook before he’d gone off to tend to his daughters and quickly went to check on it. He’d turned the heating element down so it was cooking at a slower rate but now that she was up, she decided to at least make herself useful. After checking on the sizzling bacon and eggs, she checked the dishwasher and found it full but clean. Quietly and quickly, she took the dishes out, and after opening a few cupboards, was able to figure out where most things went. Next, she put the girls’ sticky plates and cutlery into the dishwasher then wiped down their placemats and the bench. It was quite nice to potter around in his kitchen…a kitchen that serviced a real family. It brought home to her h
ow her own little kitchen at her flat in Melbourne in retrospect seemed bare and lifeless as she’d prepared meals for one.
She’d flipped the pancake and was about to take it out and pour another when Jasper came rushing back.
‘Oh, thanks, Jennifer. I hadn’t planned to be that long. Lola has syrup in her hair so I’ll need to wash it but first, let’s have some breakfast in peace while the girls get themselves and the bathroom nice and wet.’
Jennifer laughed and moved aside so Jasper could return to the stove. She decided to help a bit further and took out plates and cutlery for the two of them, then reboiled the kettle, found two cups and put them on the bench.
‘Here you go.’ Jasper handed her the teabags, amazed at the warming sensation he was experiencing at having a woman poking about in his kitchen. He been so used to being chief cook and bottlewasher for years that it was nice to be sharing it with someone else, even if it was just a one-off thing.
When it came time to eat the two stacks of pancakes Jasper put before her, Jennifer couldn’t help exclaiming at the taste. ‘These are heavenly. So light. So fluffy.’
‘As you’re a connoisseur of pancakes, I’ll take that as a very high compliment.’
‘Mmm. You should. Delicious.’ When she’d finished, she licked her lips. He watched the action intently, not surprised to experience a mild tightening in his gut. He’d never thought he would be jealous of a pancake. He was enjoying this time alone with her…just the two of them…and even though he could hear the girls in the distance, squealing and laughing, it didn’t matter one bit. He was here, in his house, alone with Jennifer.
‘More?’ he offered, and watched as she eyed the fresh pancake still in the pan. ‘Go on.’
‘OK. You’ve talked me into it.’
‘Wasn’t difficult.’ He scooped it out and put it on her plate, secretly pleased that she liked his cooking.
‘How did you make them again?’
‘You were sitting right in front of me when I did it,’ he pointed out.
‘Yes, but I was distracted not only by your daughters but by your mother’s inquisitive stare.’
‘She was staring?’ Jasper was horrified and closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. ‘I’m so sorry, Jennifer.’
She laughed. ‘Don’t apologise. She was just surprised, I guess, that you’d brought a colleague home.’
‘It has nothing to do with you being a colleague, Jennifer, let me tell you that right now. It does, however, have everything to do with you being a woman.’
‘Oh. You don’t bring your dates home for pancakes?’ As she said the words, she realised that they could be taken another way. ‘Er…I mean…’
Jasper laughed, watching the way a small flush of colour tinged her cheeks. She was becoming more adorable, more addictive with each passing moment. ‘I know what you meant and the answer is no. I haven’t brought the few women I’ve dated home to have breakfast with me and my family. You’re the first.’
‘But I’m not your date.’
‘No, but definitely the first woman.’ He stood and cleared the plates, switching the kettle on again for another cuppa, knowing he needed to keep things light. ‘It’s as you’ve said, though. We both know Sara. We’ll both be mixing socially, as well as working together at the hospital, so even though we may not have mixed those worlds in the past, they’ll definitely be mixing in the future.’
‘So I take it from what your mother said that the girls have never met anyone you’ve dated?’
‘Nope. They don’t need short-term acquaintances coming in and out of their lives. Way too confusing for them and far too many questions for me to answer.’
‘Ah, now we come to the real crux of the matter. You’re scared of your girls.’
‘Scared of the way they’d question me to death? Yes.’
‘I take it you don’t classify me as a short-term acquaintance?’
Jasper thought about that for a moment. ‘No. Your work contract is for at least the next two years but as you’re now in your dream job, I doubt you’ll be giving it up after that. Add to all of that the fact that you already know the girls, which makes you a low-risk friend.’
‘Low risk?’
‘Low risk of hurting them.’ And me, he added silently. Inviting Jennifer home had been done on a whim and he wasn’t the type of man to give in to whims, especially where the girls were concerned. He might even tell himself that he’d only done it so he could help Jennifer see the house down the street, as he would have done for any other colleague, but deep down he knew he’d wanted to see how Jennifer looked in his world and he had to admit she looked pretty darn good.
Their eyes met and held, both of them content to simply stand there for a moment and connect. Jennifer wasn’t at all sure how this happened but it was as though she could feel whatever Jasper was thinking about. It was a connection on a level she hadn’t really encountered before, not even with Arturo. In one way she was delighted to be experiencing something new, but on the other hand it terrified her. She wasn’t good at taking steps outside her comfort zone. Still, Jasper looked at her, the colour of his irises deepening with an appreciation for the woman before him. She could see it. Could see the attraction he’d spoken of the other night when they’d had dinner. They hadn’t known each other long but it was as though they’d known each other for ever. It was as though both were too scared to take that first giant leap of exploration yet eager to get the expedition started.
‘Strange.’ The word was barely audible as it slipped through her lips and Jasper’s gaze dipped to her mouth as though he was eager to explore that terrain as well. He moved, taking a step closer, needing to close the distance between them but maintaining eye contact at all times.
The giggling and splashing from the bathroom became louder and Jasper eased back, rolling his eyes. ‘Never a dull moment.’
‘Go and deal with them and I’ll tidy the kitchen.’ Distance. She needed distance, if for nothing else than to pull herself together.
He was about to refuse her offer of help but decided against it. Nodding, he agreed. ‘OK. Thanks.’ He headed off in the direction of the bathroom and Jennifer smiled as she heard him questioning his daughters, wanting to know why the bathroom floor was covered with water. Not too much later, she laughed as one of the girls came streaking past stark naked, with Jasper hot on her heels, before he scooped her up and carried her back to her room.
Jennifer relaxed and made herself another cup of tea, pushing down the yearning she could feel beginning to rise. She’d wanted a life like this. A family of her own. She should have had one by now and if things had gone to plan, the children she and Art had been planning to have should have been around seven years old by now. Jennifer shook her head. Her life would have been very different.
‘But you wouldn’t have been head of unit at such a young age—if you could call thirty-eight young,’ she whispered softly to herself. Still, the words didn’t seem to matter much when faced with what her alternative life would have been like.
By half past seven, the girls were freshly washed and dressed ready for the day ahead. Jasper had called Mr Attenburgh to make sure it was all right to come down and then announced to both girls they were going for a little walk.
‘Is it all right to go this early?’ Jennifer checked as the girls went to get their coats as it was definitely a chilly July morning.
‘Oh, Mr Attenburgh goes for a walk at a quarter to six every morning. He’s awake, alive, alert and enthusiastic.’
‘Good to hear.’
‘Lilly? Are you staying here with Grandma?’ he asked when she didn’t come back with her coat. ‘You don’t have to come, honey.’
‘I’ll stay and look after Grandma.’ Lilly was already on the stairs. ‘Lola will look after you and Jen, Daddy.’
‘Good to see they’re already looking out for their dad,’ Jennifer remarked as the three of them headed outside into the crisp morning, tucking her scarf more firml
y into the top of her coat.
‘Lilly is the nurturer. Lola is the adventurer,’ he said as Lola positioned herself between the two of them, slipping her hands into theirs and then asking for a swing.
‘I love swings. Lilly doesn’t,’ Lola added. ‘But I do. A lot.’
‘What does she mean?’ Jennifer asked.
‘We count to three and then we lift her forward and up into the air.’ Jasper counted and after three, up went Lola, giggling with glee. Again and again they did this with the child laughing each time.
‘She doesn’t get tired of it?’
‘Nope. Do it to Lilly and she snaps your head off. Doesn’t like the sensation that she’s flying through the sky, our Lil.’
‘Have you ever got them confused?’ Jennifer was still trying to search for a way she might be able to tell them apart.
‘Nope. Believe it or not, they look completely different to me.’
‘Perhaps because you see them more as personalities rather than focusing on the physical appearance.’
‘Hmm. I’d never thought of it like that before. You’re probably right.’
They continued to swing Lola, who was laughing brightly in the crisp morning, providing her own brand of sweet sunshine. It was enough to warm Jennifer’s heart and as she glanced over at Jasper the yearning deep inside her to have this sort of life for her own, to have a husband and family of her own, was almost overwhelming.
CHAPTER FIVE
THEY gave Lola one last swing as they came to the house in question. Jennifer stopped and looked at the outside. It was a brick house, with a bay window at the front. She’d always loved bay windows and the house she’d bought with Art all those years ago had had three bay windows across the front.
‘Jennifer?’ Jasper called when she stopped stock still. Lola was busy trying to tug him down the driveway but Jasper had seen a strange look come into Jennifer’s eyes. ‘Do you like it?’ he asked. Jennifer didn’t answer. Instead, she simply stood there and he realised she was miles away. What was she thinking of? Her expression was one of wistful yearning and in that moment he knew she was probably thinking of her past. He knew that look because he’d worn it several times himself.
