She nods, and I don’t miss the relief that flits across her face. “Rich was telling me that you have a portfolio of artwork you’d be interested in displaying at Greg’s gallery?”
“Um, yes, that’s right.”
“Maybe next week we can meet Lily and Greg for coffee here, and you can show them some of your paintings?”
“Goodness.” I swallow hard. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. What if they hate them? Will they be able to say so to my face?” And if they do, I think, how will I not crumble into a heap?
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Teddi waves a hand. “Rich took some photos and sent them to me, and I forwarded them onto Greg. He thought they were amazing.”
My jaw drops. I hadn’t realized Rich had done that.
“Oh. Jeez. Well, in that case, yes, that would be lovely.”
Rich comes out of the boardroom and stands next to me. He reaches down and holds my hand.
“You didn’t tell me you’d sent Teddi photos of my artwork,” I scold him.
“I forgot,” he says, in a tone that tells me he’d done nothing of the sort.
I kiss his shoulder. “Thank you.”
He smiles and winks at me. Then he says to Teddi, “Hey, what’s this about you bringing some guy to the party tonight?”
I think that if Teddi could have rolled her eyes, she would have done so. “Who told you that?”
“Stratton.”
“Jeez, my brother has a big mouth. He’s just a friend.”
“What’s his name?”
“Ethan. And yes, you can meet him tomorrow. But go easy on him, okay?” She hesitates. “I’ve not known him long, and… well… these are early days, you know?”
I look up at Rich, wondering if I’ll see any jealousy in his expression, but I discover only pleasure and affection. “I’ll get out the baby photos,” he tells her.
“Rich…”
“Just kidding. I look forward to meeting him.”
She sighs. “All right. I’d better head off. I want to get some work done before I leave for the day.” She waves to us both and instructs her Lab to lead her to her office, and the two of them move away.
I turn to Rich and slide my arms around him, feeling a surge of happiness. “Thank you.” I reach up and press my lips to his.
“For what?” he murmurs. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“For everything. For this,” I wave at the Sandersons in the boardroom. “For sending Teddi photos of my work. For caring. For being you.”
He cups my face and kisses me, not caring that Lara’s watching us, a smile on her face. “I’d do anything for you,” he whispers.
And I think he means it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rich
I’m thrilled that Jess and Teddi seem to have hit it off, and pleased that everyone appears to have enjoyed the tour of Katoa. The guys are buzzing with enthusiasm, and when we return to the car, they talk all the way to the house about the game and how much they’re looking forward to playing it.
Jess is much calmer now than she was this morning. I think part of that is due to meeting Teddi. I hope that she feels reassured at putting a face to the name, and hearing that Teddi is bringing someone else to the party. Stratton told me on the phone this morning—tentatively, as if worried that it might upset me. But all I felt was pleasure that she’s met someone. I hope it works out for her—it’s about time she moved on. Four years is a long time to be alone.
We return to my house, and we all get out. We’re going to grab some lunch here and everyone can have a swim and a rest, and then we’ll head out to the party again later.
Jaws start dropping even before we reach the front door. My eyes meet Jess’s, and we exchange a private smile. I know she can’t help but be pleased that the family are impressed by what they’ve seen today. Obviously, it’s going to take more than some VR and a swimming pool to improve her relationship with Max, but it’s a start, and at least he’s here.
He seems like a nice lad, good looking and intelligent. Jess thinks he’s not interested in getting to know her, but I’ve seen him watching her several times, his gaze following her around the room, observing her interacting with his sister and mother, and watching her talk and laugh. He does want to talk to her, but he doesn’t know what she expects of him, and he’s uneasy about what he’s willing to give. Equally, she’s nervous too, afraid of saying something stupid and ruining what she sees as this one chance to make it up to him. I wish I could wave a wand and make everything all right between them, but I think only time will heal this wound, and at least I’ve managed to bring them together.
We show them around the house, and then immediately the four kids ask if they can have a swim. Within minutes they’re in the pool, filling the air with screams as the guys inevitably splash the girls.
The four of us sit out on the deck and watch them while we have a glass of wine. We talk for a while about business and our jobs, and Jess tells them about the fact that she might be having a show at the gallery in Auckland soon. I can see they’re impressed, and the flush of pride in Jess’s cheeks tells me that she wasn’t upset with me for sharing photos of her work with Teddi.
“Thank you so much for inviting us here,” Fiona says. “For including Gareth and myself, I mean. It was a nice touch.”
“I’m glad you came,” Jess replies. “I’d like Lara and Max to think of Rich and myself as friends. I never expected to play a part in their lives and I’m thrilled to have met them. If I’m able to keep in touch occasionally as they grow older and have their own families, it will be a dream come true.” Her voice is husky, and her emotion isn’t far from the surface.
I stand and kiss the top of her head, then leave them to go into the kitchen and fetch another bottle of wine. The kids are getting out of the pool, and I hear them down in the bedrooms getting changed, their laughter carrying through the house.
As I stand there contemplating whether to take out a bottle of the Sauvignon or the Pinot Gris, Max comes into the kitchen. His hair is wet and ruffled, and he’s jammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“Hey,” he says.
“Wanna drink?” I ask him. “Beer? Coke Zero?”
“Oh, Coke Zero, thanks.”
I hand him a can and gesture to the fridge. “Tell the others to help themselves.”
Max nods, cracks the can, and takes a long swig. He doesn’t move, though. I wait, taking my time to choose the bottle, sensing that he’s about to speak.
Sure enough, eventually he says, “Thanks for the tour of Katoa. It was really cool.”
“You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it.”
He takes another swig. “Do you think you’ll marry Jess?”
I glance at him, amused. “I haven’t asked her yet, but I will, when the time is right. I hope she’ll say yes.”
He nods and chews his bottom lip. I turn and lean against the counter, resting my hands on the edge. He looks at the can in his hand. “I’m going away soon. Travelling again.”
“Yes, I heard. South America, yes? It sounds amazing.”
“Yeah.” He looks up at me then. “If I wanted to see her, can I come here again?”
I smile. “You and Lara, and your partners, are always welcome here. You’re welcome to come and stay for as often and as long as you like. The spare beds are always made up.”
He hesitates. “Lara wants us to be friends. She finds it easier…” He trails off, looking wary. He’s worried about offending me.
“Jess doesn’t expect anything of you,” I reassure him. “She’s amazed to even know your names. Her parents took you away without even letting her hold you both—did you know that?”
He stares down at his can. “Yeah, Lara said.”
“She’s absolutely thrilled that you agreed to come today. All she wants is to know you’re happy and well. Anything else is a bonus for her.”
“Okay.” He nods and gives me a wry smile, and su
ddenly I can see the boy inside the man, unsure and nervous.
“Come and have a drink with us,” I tell him, gesturing for him to follow me with my head.
“All right.”
He follows me across the floor of the living room to the deck, which the sun is bathing in brilliant gold. Jess sits under the shade of the umbrella, and as I walk out she gives me a radiant smile at the sight of me with her son. It almost makes me catch my breath.
I meant what I said to Max. I’m definitely going to ask her to marry me. We haven’t known each other for long, so I’m going to wait a while so I don’t freak her out, but I know it’s what I want. I want to wake up every morning next to this woman, and hold her in my arms every night. I never, ever want to let her go. I’ve finally put the ghosts of my past to rest. Teddi was correct—I did find my Mrs. Wright, and the future shines as brightly as the sun on the glass table, almost blinding in its beauty.
*
Jess
Rich leans over and presses his lips to mine in full view of everyone. He holds the kiss for a moment before pulling away, but it’s enough to bring a flush to my cheeks and make everyone laugh.
“Sorry,” he says, taking a seat beside Gareth. “Got carried away there.”
I’m even more flustered when Max hovers nearby. “Want to go for a walk?” he says. It’s the first time he’s spoken directly to me.
I glance at Fiona. I don’t need her permission, but I’d like it.
Her lips curve up, and she gives a small nod.
I murmur, “Sure.” I stand and take the glass of wine that Rich holds out to me, gaining strength from his reassuring wink.
We walk across the deck and onto the grass, then follow the path that winds gradually down to the sand.
“Is that a private beach?” Max asks after a while.
“Yes,” I admit. “Nice, eh?”
“This is a cool place,” Max says.
“Yeah. I’ve kinda fallen on my feet a bit, haven’t I?” I give him a sheepish grin.
He smiles. “I’m sure you deserve it. It sounds as if you’ve had a tough time.” He meets my gaze for a long moment, then looks away.
Lara’s obviously related to him everything I told her about my past and what happened when I gave birth. “It’s not been easy,” I say slowly. Part of me wants to keep my mouth shut so I don’t say anything stupid, but I know Maria would frown at that. I need to take this opportunity to speak. “I wish things had been different—of course I do. I wish you hadn’t been taken away from me. But then I see how fantastic your parents have been, and what great people you and Lara have grown up into, and I wonder if some things are meant to be, you know?”
He doesn’t reply, just looks at the ground as we walk. Seagulls wheel above our heads, and I wish I’d brought my hat because it’s roasting hot and no doubt I’ll burn where my fringe meets the rest of my hair. But I don’t want to turn back now, not when I feel as if I’m finally getting somewhere.
Laughter drifts down to us from the deck, and then it flies away on the wind, leaving the two of us on our own. I know the rest of them are probably watching us, but I don’t look back, wanting to share this moment with Max alone.
A seagull flies close over us and shrieks, and I see yellow flashes like lightning in the sky. “Did you see color then?” I ask him.
“Yeah. Lara told me you have it too. I always wondered whether you…” His voice trails off.
We fall silent again, and walk quietly for a while.
“I blamed you for a long time,” he says eventually. “Whenever things were hard—when I had a tough time at school, when I was bullied, when I was grounded for doing something stupid, I blamed it all on you.”
I swallow hard. “Right.”
“It’s because you were an easy target,” he goes on. “If I blamed you then I didn’t have to take responsibility myself. But I got into quite a mess about it. I had anger management issues, and I got into trouble at school. I don’t know if Lara or Mum told you, but in the end I had to see a counsellor.”
“No,” I say softly, “I didn’t know that.” My heart goes out to him, but I wait for him to finish.
“We talked a lot about you. She tried to explain that you would have had reasons for giving us away, because young women in happy relationships don’t usually offer up their kids for adoption. I knew that was true, and the counsellor helped me to see that I have to take responsibility for my mistakes and not blame things on other people. But deep down, some of that resentment remained.”
“I understand, Max. And I don’t blame you for it. I think I would have been the same in your position. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
“I do,” he says earnestly. “Because now I’ve met you, I feel bad. I realize how unfair I was.”
“You were just trying to make sense of the world,” I tell him. “To all intents and purposes, you must have felt unwanted, and I have to take some of the blame for that.”
“No, you don’t,” he says, somewhat harshly. He stops and turns to face me. The wind has risen, and it whips my hair across my face, so I have to tuck it behind my ear. “You don’t deserve my resentment, Jess, or my anger. Lara’s never felt like that toward you. She didn’t place you on a pedestal or anything, but she’s always talked about finding you, about discovering her roots, and Mum’s always supported her. I never understood that. We used to argue about it a lot because I thought Lara was being disloyal, but now I understand. You’re not to blame for the things I’ve done wrong, or the way I’ve been. My parents have been great, and the only way I’ve been disloyal to them has been by getting into trouble and upsetting them.” He stops, his chest heaving. He looks close to tears, although I can tell by his clenched jaw that he’s refusing to give into them.
“We all have issues,” I say, not bothering to stop the tears that well in my own eyes. “We’ve all done things we wish we hadn’t. But what matters is here and now. Maybe it’s time for us to put our blame and our resentment and anger where it belongs—in the past. We have no control over that. We can only control what we do and say today. There’s no point in feeling guilty for how we felt last year or five years or ten years ago.”
He looks out to sea. “I just wish…”
I reach out and touch his arm, relieved when he doesn’t pull away. “I know. We both had our reasons for the way we acted, Max. And for good or bad, we’ve ended up here. You have a great life ahead of you. You have a girlfriend, and you’re going traveling. Don’t let the past and negative feelings spoil that wonderful adventure. You’ve got nothing to feel bad about. Go forward with your head held high and think about what’s coming, not what’s gone under the bridge.”
He looks back at me then. The wind tosses his hair across his forehead, and his eyes are a beautiful warm brown. Oddly, they remind me of Rich’s.
“I am sorry, though,” Max says hoarsely. “For things I thought… and said.”
“It doesn’t matter.” A tear runs down my cheek. “I’m just glad you’re here now.”
He takes a step toward me and hesitates, but I’m happy to move the final few inches. I raise my arms around his neck, still holding my wine glass, and he slides his around me. I hug my son, and I can feel the wind on my wet face.
I’ve dreamed about this for years. I thought it was a fantasy, the same way I never thought I’d have a man of my own who was sweet and caring and sexy, and who would care for me. I thought it out of my reach, and I feel overwhelmed to think it’s all now within my grasp.
He pulls back first, and I let him go, reluctant but not wanting to hang on. He looks over his shoulder, though, and says, “I don’t want Mum to feel bad.”
“Of course.” I wipe my face. “I’m not going to try to take her place, Max. I couldn’t possibly do that anyway. Let’s just be good friends, eh? If I can see you sometimes, or maybe you could send me the occasional email while you’re away, I’ll be thrilled to bits.”
“Rich said Lara and
I can stay here whenever we want,” he says.
“Oh.” I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face. “He’s a sweetie.”
“He’s going to ask you to marry him.” A twinkle appears in Max’s eyes.
I stare at him. “He told you that?”
“Yeah. I think he’s afraid he’s going to scare you off. But he’s planning to. I thought you should know.”
“Well, um, thanks. I stand forewarned.” My head’s spinning. I want to cry with happiness, but that’s not cool, so I laugh instead, and we start walking back up to the deck.
I look up to see the others sitting under the large umbrella, but Rich is leaning on the balustrade, watching us. I lift a hand and wave, and he touches his fingers to his lips and blows me a kiss.
“I think that was for me,” Max teases.
I bump shoulders with him. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“If he does ask me to marry him… Would you give me away at the wedding?”
He stares at me. “You’d really want me to do that?”
I shrug. “Only if you like the idea. You don’t have to decide now. Think about it.”
He nods. “Okay.” But I can see I’ve touched him just by asking him.
We approach the deck and climb the steps. Max sits by his girlfriend, and I join Rich at the balustrade.
“Nice walk?” he asks. He lifts his sunglasses on top of his head so I can see his eyes. He’s smiling.
“Lovely, thank you.” I rest my head on his shoulder. “You’re a very special man. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, but you can tell me anyway.”
I lift my face so he can kiss me. “I’m the luckiest woman in the world,” I say when he eventually moves back.
“I don’t know about that—I think Stratton would say you’ve won the booby prize.”
I chuckle and look out to sea, feeling his lips on my hair. “No, I feel as if I’ve won the lottery. I’m so glad I met you that day on the beach.”
“Me too, sweetheart. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I must ring Maria, I think. I want her to meet Rich, and I want to tell her that she was right, and he’s a keeper.
My New Year Fling: A Sexy Christmas Billionaire Romance (Love Comes Later Book 2) Page 23
