by Lucy Clark
‘Quite a woman,’ he murmured softly to himself as he followed her into the house. He walked right in, not bothering to knock and trying not to feel strange about it. Donna was in the kitchen. Little DT was in a baby sling strapped to her mother.
‘Ah, there he is. My knight in shining armour.’ Donna crossed to his side then leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, being careful not to squash DT.
‘Aw, look.’ Rayne pointed to Henry. ‘You’ve made him blush.’
‘I do not blush,’ he declared, fixing Rayne with a firm stare, but his words and actions only made both women chuckle.
‘Take a load off, Henry. I’ve just put the kettle on.’ Donna busied herself in the kitchen, fixing a plate of homemade biscuits and putting it in the centre of the big wooden country table. ‘Janic made the table,’ she told him proudly. ‘In fact, he made most of the furniture you see around the place.’
Henry was impressed. ‘Quite the handyman.’
‘Oh, yes. My Janic is a genius when it comes to working with wood. Could have been a sculptor but his love for the land is greater than that of sitting in a studio, whittling away.’
‘He’s out at the moment?’ Henry asked.
‘Yes.’ The baby stirred a little and Donna patted the sling, shushing DT softly. There was a loud crash from outside and she rolled her eyes before heading to the door to see what was going on.
‘I can’t believe she’s up and about like this.’ Henry was amazed.
‘She’s from hardy stock is Donna. She can handle managing this farm, four children under the age of five and helping her husband whenever he needs it. Personally, I have no idea how she does it but she does and therefore serves as an inspiration to me.’
‘Why? You’re doing a terrific job of juggling the different aspects of your life.’
Rayne smiled. ‘It’s nice of you to say so but at the moment I feel like a duck on a pond. All calm and controlled on the surface but beneath…’
‘Your feet are paddling like crazy.’
‘Yes.’
‘In that case, you’re doing an excellent job of staying afloat.’
‘Thank you.’
When Donna returned, she sat down for whole two seconds before JR woke up from his afternoon nap. Finally, she was able to sit down and enjoy her cup of lukewarm tea and chat with both doctors.
‘Let’s get your check-up out of the way,’ Rayne said, as she stood. Donna agreed and tenderly took little DT from the sling and held her out to Henry. Rayne watched an expression of surprise flit across his face for a moment before he took the baby and held her close. DT settled in his arms, snuggled down and continued to sleep.
‘Fourth children are always so easygoing,’ Donna said. ‘I should know. I am one!’ With that, Henry was left, literally, holding the baby.
It was the first time he’d held a baby since his son and all of the old yearnings, the old desires to settle down with a wonderful woman and have a family of his own came rushing to the fore. A picture of himself and Rayne, walking along the shore of the Edward River, a brood of their own about them, as well as Jasmine, came to mind. The image was so vivid he felt he could almost reach out and touch it.
‘I never knew I was a daydreamer,’ he whispered softly to DT as he pressed a kiss to her soft, downy head. ‘Apparently, I am.’
As they drove back into Deniliquin, Rayne noted that Henry was rather quiet. Pensive. She hoped there was nothing wrong, that she hadn’t done anything wrong, but as she thought back over the near-perfect afternoon they’d shared, she really couldn’t put her finger on anything.
When he pulled up outside her house, she turned to him. ‘Would you like to come in for dinner?’
‘I’m not expected,’ he said.
‘I doubt anyone’s going to mind. Besides, Jazzy would love to see you. Hey, and aren’t we supposed to have our wildlife tour? Get you to pat a kangaroo? We can make it a nocturnal one if you like.’
‘Uh…sure. Are you sure Earlene and Jarvis won’t mind me gatecrashing for dinner again? I hate to intrude on their limited time with the two of you.’
Rayne waved his words away. ‘They won’t mind at all.’
‘If you’re sure,’ he checked again, and when she nodded, he gave in. He wanted to continue to be in her presence, to just be there to see her interact with the family she’d pulled around her.
As they walked into the house, Rayne said quickly, ‘Oh, and Jasmine wants you to show her how to make the paper rose. She’s quite taken with it. In fact, she’s commandeered mine and put it in her bedroom so she can look at it as she falls asleep.’
‘Oh. OK, then.’ He’d had no idea such a simple little thing as folding a piece of paper could have such a dramatic effect on them. He recalled Rayne’s reaction when he’d presented it to her and now Jasmine’s. Did it mean something? He pushed the thought aside as Jasmine came running towards him, her arms wide.
‘Henry! You’re here!’ He scooped her up and hugged her close, pleased with her welcome.
‘There you two are,’ Earlene said cheerfully. ‘Dinner’s almost ready. Go and wash your hands, please.’
Henry glanced at Rayne and she shrugged. ‘Apparently you were expected for dinner.’ They did as they were told and then sat around Rayne’s table, all squashed in a little bit because of its small size.
‘You need to get Janic to build you a new dining-room table,’ Henry quipped, and she smiled.
‘Not a bad idea,’ Earlene said as she began to clear the dishes away. ‘With Jarvis and I planning to move here soon, we’re going to be having more family dinners, Rayne.’
‘True. I’ll ask Janic after the festival,’ she promised.
‘When are you planning to move here?’ Henry asked Jarvis.
‘In the next month or so. We’ll no doubt buy a place while we’re here, or at least get a good look at what’s available. It’s a good financial investment, too. A place like Deni.’
‘Hmm.’ Henry nodded and Rayne saw that same thoughtful expression he’d had when they’d been driving home. After dinner, Henry patiently taught Jasmine how to make the origami rose and when she finally triumphed, she brought it over to Rayne for her inspection.
‘That’s fantastic, darling.’ Even though the folding wasn’t as precise as Henry’s, she’d certainly done a very good job.
Next they collected their coats and walked the short distance to the wildlife park, Rayne taking photographs of Henry as he fed and patted his first kangaroo. Jasmine enjoyed herself immensely and when the sun had gone down, they spotted a few of the nocturnal animals who were coming out to feed.
When they returned to Rayne’s house, Jasmine sitting on Henry’s shoulders once more, the little girl showed Henry the habitat they’d made for Ethel the possum and how to feed her. Again Rayne took photographs, secretly delighted with the fact that she had the excuse to capture some of those special memories they were making together.
When Jasmine began yawning, Henry took that as his cue to leave and thanked Earlene for the meal. Naturally, she waved his thanks away.
‘Come on, pumpkin,’ Jarvis said as he picked Jasmine up. ‘Time to get ready for bed. Say good night to Henry.’
Jasmine did as she was told and went with her grandpa to brush her teeth.
‘I’ll be in to tuck you in soon,’ Rayne called. ‘I’ll just walk Henry to his car.’
‘What am I supposed to do with all the stuff in my boot?’ he asked as they walked outside.
‘Give it to Willard in the morning. He’ll know what to do with it.’
‘Right-o.’
Rayne smiled at the expression.
‘What?’
‘You’re really starting to sound as though you belong here, Henry.’
He breathed in deeply. ‘I do.’ Then he slowly shook his head. ‘I don’t know what it is, Rayne. The air, the people, the atmosphere, the fact that no one knows me, that they just accept me. I don’t know what it is but I feel like…me
here.’
‘And you didn’t know who me was before?’
‘Exactly.’
She nodded. ‘That’s how I felt when I first moved here.’
‘It’s a great place to live.’
‘And work,’ she offered.
‘Here.’ He held out the paper rose he’d made that evening while he’d been teaching Jasmine. ‘This is for you, just in case you don’t get the original one back.’
Rayne took the paper rose from him then looked up, watched him intently for a moment, knowing if she stood there for too long she was in grave danger of becoming hypnotised by those amazing dark eyes. They were enticing her, drawing her in, making her want to throw caution and reason to the wind and explore anything and everything he was offering.
The chemistry was there, and it was becoming more potent the longer they stood, simply staring at each other. It was as though their souls were calling out, wanting to cling to each other in the hope that somehow, somewhere along the line, sense would be made from their lives.
When he spoke, his voice was deep and sensual. ‘We may not know much about each other, Rayne, but right now that doesn’t mean a thing. You’ve lived your life doing the right thing, for Janey, for her parents, for your mother and now for Jasmine. I know how that feels.’ When she looked at him, she saw acceptance in his eyes.
Henry reached out and touched his fingers to hers. ‘We have something between us. Something neither of us expected.’
His words were spoken with such an overwhelming tenderness that Rayne felt her throat constrict with emotion. She opened her mouth to speak but found it impossible.
There was a moment’s silence between them when they both seemed to be breathing the other one in, absorbing the essence of who the other was and how they made something powerful and new when they were combined.
‘Thank you for lunch.’ The words were an intimate whisper and she cleared her throat. ‘I needed that little escape.’
‘Me, too.’ Henry looked down at their linked hands and the rose she held tenderly in her other one. ‘Rayne, I’d really like to see you some time tomorrow.’
‘I’m helping at the hall.’
‘I’ll be there too but that’s not what I meant. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’d like it if I could call on you more often.’
‘While you’re in town?’
‘While I’m in town,’ he repeated. ‘And after that.’
‘After that? Henry? What’s happening here? You have a life in Sydney.’
‘Do I? Do I, Rayne? Because it certainly doesn’t feel like it.’
‘Well, you at least have responsibilities and, despite whatever you decide to do with your life, you still have unfinished business in Sydney.’
‘True.’
‘Also, I don’t want any decision you make to be based on what is…you know…between us. You need to be doing things, making changes, whatever they might be—you need to be doing them for you and no one else.’
‘No one else,’ he repeated, and shook his head slightly. ‘For years I’ve done everything for everyone else. Getting away, coming here, it’s the first thing I’ve done for me since Natalia’s accident.’
‘And I can’t—in fact, I won’t—influence any decisions you face.’
‘But you’re a part of the change, a part of the new me. I feel as though I belong here.’
‘I understand. Believe me, I totally understand, but—’
Henry placed a finger across her lips. ‘Shh.’
Rayne instantly trembled at his intimate touch. The way he was looking at her, she knew he wanted to kiss her. She’d known he’d wanted to kiss her for some time now and it was also what she wanted, to feel his lips against hers. She’d dreamt about it, woken with the imagined taste of him on her lips, but now that the moment was really here, she wasn’t sure she could go through with it.
Her lips parted, her eyes wild with questions. What did he expect from her? What would happen if she just gave in to her instincts and let him kiss her? As though he could feel her inner turmoil, he dropped his hand but maintained eye contact.
‘I like spending time with you, Rayne. It’s not something I do.’
‘Spend time with me?’ she asked breathlessly, slightly puzzled.
‘Spend time with a beautiful woman without being on call, or up to my eyes in paperwork, or having to deal with other…responsibilities.’
She could completely understand that. ‘So…uh… what do we do?’
‘Well, the way I see it is that anything but friendship could drastically complicate things—for both of us right now.’
‘Friends.’
‘Good friends,’ he stated, then frowned as though he wasn’t really sure where this conversation was going either.
‘And you like spending time with me?’ Why was it that his words made her feel so special? With the simplest of words, touches, gestures Henry had the ability to make her knees go weak, make her stomach fill with butterflies and her breathing become shallow in anticipation.
‘I do.’ He smiled at her. ‘You’re interesting and smart and beautiful and funny. You’re on my wavelength and it’s not often you meet people you instantly bond with.’
‘Agreed.’
He shifted, coming a little closer than before. ‘Rayne, you’re an amazing woman, and for the record I am very attracted to you, but if we could just spend time together without adding extra complications then I think that might be the best way to proceed. For now.’
She smiled and shook her head, astounded at how his words made her feel. Her insides were buzzing with tingles, sparking new and dormant emotions back to life. ‘You sound as though you’re outlining a surgical procedure.’
Henry exhaled and closed his eyes for a moment. ‘I do, don’t I? Sorry. It’s been a long time since I’ve courted a woman.’
‘Courted?’ Her eyes widened again in total surprise. She’d never been courted before.
‘Yes. I guess that’s what I’m really asking to do, although I’m doing it rather badly.’
‘You want to court me?’
‘I want to spend time with you, with Jazzy. I want the two of us to get to know each other. You have questions. I have questions. No doubt Jazzy has questions.’ He paused. ‘That sounds like a lot of questions but you know what I mean and agreeing that during the time I’m here we can see each other will take away a certain…’
‘Awkwardness?’
‘Exactly.’
‘You don’t feel as though we’d be…leading each other on?’
‘I don’t know, Rayne. All I’m certain of right now is that I need to see you tomorrow, even if it’s only across a crowded hall as we prepare for the festival. I’d also like to take you to the festival, to the various events. Jazzy, too. Earlene and Jarvis. I’ve never had that real inclusive family atmosphere before.’
‘When you get a taste of it, it becomes something you crave.’
‘Yes. See? You understand me. Do you have any idea how rare that is? For people who haven’t known each other above a fortnight to actually connect on such a deep and emotional level?’ His tone had dropped to a whisper, a highly intimate whisper, and when his gaze flicked from her eyes to caress her lips for a moment, the flood of tingles that had consumed her earlier returned for an encore.
‘I do.’ She looked down at the rose, down at their linked fingers, then back to his rich, deep gaze. ‘Platonic,’ she whispered.
‘Platonic,’ he agreed, although both of them knew it was a lie. Neither of them moved.
‘I have to go inside now.’
‘Yes, you do.’
Still neither of them moved.
‘You’re not moving,’ he pointed out.
‘Neither are you.’
‘I’m not the one who has a five-year-old waiting for a cuddle.’
‘I have to go.’ Her words were just as soft, her eyes just as fixed on his. She now knew what a kangaroo felt like when it was trapped in the
headlights of an oncoming car. She knew she should turn around and go back into the house, but she wasn’t quite sure that her legs were ready to obey a simple instruction to walk after an intense moment like that.
‘Good night, Henry,’ she said softly, and gave his hand a little squeeze, but he still didn’t let go.
‘Good night, Rayne.’ Then, before he knew what he was doing, he leaned down and brushed a light good-night kiss across her lips.
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘WHAT…was…that?’
‘Sorry. I’m so sorry. It just sort of…’
‘Happened?’
‘Yes. It’s insane, Rayne, but honestly I feel as though we’ve been together for ever. Kissing you just then seemed like the most natural thing in the world.’
‘I know. I feel it too, but what happened to platonic?’
‘It was a…platonic kiss?’
‘Hmm.’ Rayne smiled at him.
‘In fact, I’d hardly classify that as a kiss per se. It was more like a peck, or not even that. A light, feathery brush of my lips against yours. See? That’s not even a peck—it’s just a light brush of—’
‘Will you stop talking about kissing?’ She was trying very hard to keep her equilibrium under control. Henry wasn’t making it at all easy.
‘Why?’
‘Because it flusters me.’ Beneath the front house light, couldn’t he see the colour in her cheeks? The desire in her eyes? At that thought, she looked away.
‘I like it when you’re flustered.’
His voice was like silk—smooth and sexy. ‘Henry!’ She closed her eyes. ‘You were the one who didn’t want to make things complicated.’
‘I know. I said I was sorry but I actually don’t think that I am.’ He lifted her chin up and she opened her eyes. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow?’
‘Yes.’
‘OK.’ He gave her hand a little squeeze then dropped all contact with her and quickly walked round to the driver’s side of the car. ‘Sleep sweet, Rayne.’
