Playing by the Rules

by Imelda Evans

  ‘Six weeks.’ It was the first figure that came to mind, and, on reflection, Jo thought it might be a little ambitious, but Kate had issued a challenge and Jo was congenitally incapable of refusing a challenge. Besides, it might have started as a bit of a joke, but in the course of the conversation the idea had turned serious. She would give up men. It would be a good experience for her. It would be cleansing and educational.

  And maybe it would get rid of the vague but growing sense of dissatisfaction that had been niggling at her for months now.

  ‘That’s how long you said Declan needs to stay, isn’t it? Six weeks?’

  Kate nodded.

  ‘Right, then. Six weeks it is. For the next six weeks, I will not date, kiss, or sexually interact in any way with a male of the species. Satisfied?’

  Kate nodded again. ‘Fully satisfied. Now all that remains to be seen is whether you can pull it off.’

  ‘Just watch me! Watch me and weep, you doubting Thomasina. And at the end of the six weeks, when I’ve wiped the floor with your doubt, you’ll owe me dinner.’

  ‘And if you don’t make it, you owe me six months of babysitting, plus an extra month for each week you fall short.’ Kate was grinning now, clearly enjoying herself.

  Jo nodded firmly. ‘Deal.’ Then she frowned. ‘But you know, Kate, I’m not sure that my brother is a good influence on you. You didn’t use to drive such a hard bargain.’

  ‘And that’s the least of what he’s taught me . . . but that’s a conversation for another time. Right now, the baby’s demanding food, so if you can tear yourself away from the art for an hour, I think it’s time we rounded up those blokes and went to dinner. What do you say?’

  Jo smiled fondly at her friend. ‘Sure, we can do that. The expectant mother must be fed. I’ll come back and finish up later. Where are the guys, anyway?’

  In answer, Kate gestured towards the front window again and busied herself with trying to get up off the low bench. Surprised, Jo turned to look. Sure enough, there was her brother, leaning against the same four-wheel drive that had been there earlier, chatting companionably with its hunk-of-muscle owner. Jo heard herself make a noise like a balloon slowly deflating and forgot all about helping Kate up.

  ‘Oh . . . so that’s Declan.’

  ‘Yep, that’s him,’ Kate replied. ‘Did I not mention that before?’

  Jo looked at her doubtfully, but Kate seemed fully occupied with levering herself into an upright position.

  ‘What did I do with my handbag?’

  Jo went and picked it up off her desk and handed it to Kate silently, her mind working furiously to absorb the new information.

  So the hottie with the body to die for was Declan. That was okay. She’d made a resolution. She had given up men and she was going to find her bliss. She wasn’t going to back out of the deal just because she was about to start sharing a house with a man who could raise her temperature from the other side of reinforced glass.

  She clamped her teeth together in determination. After all, it was her record with guys just like Declan that had brought her to this decision. He was her past and she was looking towards the future. A better future; one that didn’t involve going around in circles with unsuitable men.

  Her hands clenched to match her teeth. This was all fine. She could do this. She would make it through the six weeks without so much as flirting with the delectable Declan. It would be a good experience for her and, with any luck, it would silence Kate forever on the subject of ‘types’.

  All the same, as she picked up her own bag, turned off the lights and locked up, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was going to be a very long six weeks.

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