by Iris Blobel
“I know. But just because you do, doesn’t mean you have to spend it on me.”
“Sweetheart, I want to see you. If I have to get a chauffeur up there to get you, I would.”
Katie giggled and finally gave him her surname. “My name is Katie Cassidy.”
“Nice meeting you, Katie Cassidy.”
“Nice meeting you, too, Tyson AFL-hotshot.”
He choked back a laugh. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I’ve got the car sorted. And Katie?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I look forward to seeing you again.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
Tyson hung up, then stared at the phone for a little while, trying to comprehend the conversation he’d had with his girl. She was coming to Melbourne, and it wouldn’t be long before he would hold her in his arms again. A smile tugged at his lips at the thought of seeing her. He closed his eyes and could almost envisage her green eyes and feel the touch of her hands.
He stood and shook his head. Why had he been so stupid and blind to think Anita was the one he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with?
He’d ignored all the warning bells, all the good advice from his family and friends, and he’d been furious when she’d left him. Now he was grateful for it. So grateful he burst into laughter as he went back into the kitchen to help Hazel with the dishes.
“I take it all is well,” she said as she looked up at him.
He nodded and tucked her into a long affectionate hug. “I think I finally figured out what love is meant to be.”
Hazel leaned back and lifted her head to meet his gaze. “Love is. It’s as simple as that.”
Nodding, he pulled her back into his chest. “Thanks, Grandma.”
***
“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.” It was all Katie could say after she’d finished the phone call. Then she stared at her friend who sported a big grin.
“You’re welcome!”
“Oh. My. Gawd,” she kept saying again and again. “I’m going to Melbourne.”
“So I’ve heard,” Teagan laughed and stepped closer. “Let’s celebrate.”
Katie fumbled with her phone, but came to a sudden stop.
Teagan stopped as well. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
She took a deep breath and met her friend’s gaze. “For a moment my faculties were out of sync. I was about to call Paige.”
Teagan stepped closer and took her into a gentle embrace. “Ah, sweetie. It’s okay. How about we go outside, scream it towards the sky, and she’ll know.”
Holding back the tears and, despite her best efforts, Katie let out a sob, combined with a chuckle. “Let’s do it!”
Before heading towards the other end of the house, Teagan said, “Hang on. We need to celebrate in style.” She went back into the kitchen before returning with three wine glasses and a bottle of red.
“Red? At this hour?”
Her friend shrugged. “Hey, it’s not every day that my sweetest friend gets to go out with a football star. Reminds me I’ve got to search the Internet for some sexy pics of him.”
“Teagan!”
“What?”
“That, that’s–”
“I know, sweetie. It’s the right thing to do. After all, I need to know who’s breaking your heart, right?”
Katie snorted a laugh. “You’re terrible.”
Once they got outside, Teagan placed the bottle and the glasses on the porch railing. Katie nodded towards the third glass.
“Paige would haunt me if I didn’t give her a drink as well.”
“Geez, Teagan. How many did you have last night?”
“Drinks or men?”
Katie stared at her. “Something you want to tell me?”
“Let’s see.” She looked at her watch. “It’s just before noon, and I’ve got a double reason to raise a drink.”
“You met someone,” Katie said in excitement.
The grin on her friend’s face went straight to her eyes. She raised her glass. “Paige! Can you hear me? This is for you. We miss you.” She had a little sip of her drink and went on. “This is for your sister here, who’s off to Melbourne to have sex with one of the sexiest football players in the land.” Another sip. “And last, but not least, to me, who’s still love struck herself, because the guy I met last night was a gentleman, a sexy one at that, and did not try to crawl into my bed, but invited me for dinner tonight.”
Warmth rushed through Katie’s body. The words she just heard meant a lot to her. Teagan’s choice of men had been bad over the last few years. Although she always tried to convince everyone that she was happy and content with her one-night-stands, Katie knew her friend was looking for something more permanent. Something safe. She was looking for love.
She lifted her glass and smiled. “To us!”
“Yes, to us.”
They sipped on their wine and stared into the distance. Listening to the breeze in the forest, Katie’s thoughts went to Paige. She’d missed her during moments like this.
She broke the silence first. “Will you tell me about your dinner date?”
Teagan shrugged. “There’s not much to tell.”
Katie laughed. “How about his name?”
“How about his name. Yes, I could tell you that.” Teagan sipped on her wine before sitting down on the top of the steps. Patting the spot next to her, asking her friend to sit down, she said, “His name is Declan, and I suppose it’s a bit like with your hot footy player. He’s too good to be true.”
“How’s that?”
“He’s the complete opposite to me.”
Chapter Six
The following Friday, Teagan gave Katie a lift to the car hire. It was early in the morning and still a little cool with a slight sea breeze which carried the scent of salt in the air. Katie had woken early, she’d been too nervous, not only about seeing Ty again, but also about the long drive.
Now she stood in front of the car Ty had hired for her, and scrutinised it. She should’ve known a man wouldn’t hire a small and comfortable car, but something big and expensive.
“Excuse me.” She looked over to the agent to get his attention.
As he came closer, he asked, “Something wrong with the car?”
“No. No, not at all. Just a tiny question.”
He nodded.
“Would there, by any chance, be a possibility to change this car into a smaller size.”
She saw the confusion spread over his face and quickly added. “Look, it’s a nice car, the—” She looked at the car to find the brand. “The Mitsubishi Pajero. But I’m a small girl, and I’m heading towards Melbourne, and I need a car that listens to me.”
He smiled. It was an I understand kind of smile.
“And doesn’t make parking a nightmare,” she added for good measure.
Now he grinned and she wasn’t sure whether he thought she shouldn’t drive at all.
“Let me quickly check what I have in the yard. One moment.”
Katie nodded and hoped he wouldn’t go into the office to laugh his ass off, but wished he’d taken her seriously. It took him a moment or two and his generous smile was still on his face.
“Miss Cassidy, we have a Holden Cruz for you, if that suits you more.”
“Much better. At least I think so. I’m sorry to cause so much trouble, but—”
“No trouble at all. I understand. My wife prefers smaller cars as well.”
Biting her lip, she signed the papers and took the keys. “Right. Let’s get to the big city.”
“Miss Cassidy. Can I recommend you add the address into the GPS before you leave?”
As she threw her bag and all the accessories into the back of the car, she said, “I may need small cars to drive, but technology has not gone past me at all.”
The agent’s face grew serious. “My apologies.”
She smiled. “Not to worry.”
After getting familiar with the car, Katie left her small coasta
l town and drove along the Princess Highway. Singing along to the music blasting from the radio and enjoying the view along the way, the eight hour drive didn’t seem that long. Although she’d wondered how Ty had done it that Saturday when he’d stood in front of her door that morning.
She had thought of him all week. Desperate to get things sorted. To get the right answers. And hoping she was doing the right thing. He’d rung once from America, but she’d missed the call because of the time difference. She’d loved hearing his voice, though, and assured him via text that her plans to come to Melbourne hadn’t changed. He replied with a few love hearts, of which she took a photo to show her friend.
Teagan replied with a photo of her new man’s message:
Weekend away in Sydney.
Her friend was over the moon, and Katie was happy for her.
Late that afternoon, Katie struggled through Melbourne traffic, but found Garden Lane without getting lost. Turning off the engine, she had a careful look around. Her eyes stung from exhaustion, and she hoped to God that Grandma Hazel was as nice as Tyson had assured her. Before she even had a chance to get out of the car, an elderly lady stepped out of the house. As she came closer, Katie was able to take her in. The lines of her face told the story of a long life, and her eyes expressed kindness and love. Katie assumed Tyson’s grandma to be in her late sixties or early seventies. She giggled to see the woman wearing her hair up in a bun, but it suited her face. It emphasised her high cheekbones and her smile.
“You must be Katie,” the woman said, when Katie got out of the car.
She nodded slowly, closed the door, and walked towards the house.
“So nice to finally meet you, dear.”
“Nice meeting you, too, Mrs—”
“Call me Hazel.” The old lady took Katie’s hand and patted it. “You must be tired. It’s an awfully long drive.”
“It is indeed.”
As Grandma Hazel gently pushed her into the house, she added, “But it’ll be well worth it. Our Tyson is absolutely besotted with you. He’s been ringing me the last few hours asking whether you’ve arrived. Must be some ungodly hour over in America.”
Katie turned to look at Hazel. “He did?”
“Come on in. I’ve got a nice cannelloni dish for you and a refreshing drink.”
She followed Tyson’s grandmother along the hall to the back of the house into a cosy little kitchen. She loved it straight away, even though it was like stepping back into the nineteen-fifties. All the cupboards were made of solid brown timber and in the corner, next to the window, was an old cast iron stove. Even though the days were already warmer with summer near, the gentle heat it radiated from baking the cannelloni wasn’t uncomfortable. The smell filling the kitchen when Hazel dished out the meal reminded Katie how hungry she was.
“Excuse me. I wouldn’t mind washing my hands first.”
Hazel turned and an expression of embarrassment crossed her face. “But of course, love. My apologies. I think Tyson’s constant phone calls have made me all jittery today.” She placed the plates on the table before pointing towards the door. “Down the hall and to the left. There’s a small shelf behind the door. Help yourself to a towel.”
Katie nodded and followed Hazel’s directions. As she expected, it was an old, small bathroom. She stepped in and noticed the child friendly set-up right away. The bath was littered with toys and bottles of bubble baths were stacked at the end. Some of the towels depicted Princesses and Fairies. The soap she used left a wonderful scent of strawberry on her hands. Vaguely, she remembered Tyson mentioning a little niece and wondered whether she’d be staying here once in a while. She grabbed a little hand towel and went back into the kitchen.
“I haven’t had a chance to clean up the bathroom, yet, but Cailyn promised me it looked respectable.” Hazel smiled as Katie came back.
“Is Cailyn Ty’s niece?”
“Yes, she is. A gorgeous, but spoilt little girl. Our Ty loves her, and Cailyn adores him. The only time they get into a fight is when I make chocolate mud-cake, and they don’t want to share.” She laughed, and Katie saw the love for both her grandson and great-granddaughter in her eyes.
“Here. Let’s have something to eat and then I’ll show you where your bed is.”
“Thank you so much for letting me stay here,” Katie replied. “It’s much appreciated.”
Hazel waved her hand. “Nonsense. Of course you can stay here. Since our boy’s started to play the blasted footy, the press has been all over him about with whom, and what, not to mention where. Since the whole Anita baloney, the boy can’t go anywhere without having a camera pressed into his face.”
Katie looked up and watched Hazel eat for a moment. Then she hesitantly asked, “Do you know Anita?”
The old lady let out an exaggerated big breath. “An awful and most bothersome individual.”
Katie left it at that. She sensed Hazel wasn’t fond of the other woman in Tyson’s life and relief settled within her. Not sure why, but it pleased her to hear someone so important in Ty’s life didn’t like Anita even a little. Fatigue overcame her as the warm food settled in her stomach. They ate in silence, and Katie appreciated the lack of conversation, although she had heaps of questions she wanted to ask, certain Hazel had a few of her own as well.
The phone rang a little while later, and she almost jerked.
“Love, I’m sure that’s our boy.”
Katie smiled at Hazel’s tendency to call him a boy. Straining to hear the conversation, she didn’t have to work too hard when Hazel came into the kitchen only minutes later with the phone and a big smile on her face.
“For you, love.”
She took the phone and watch Ty’s grandmother leave the kitchen.
“You’ve finally made it to Melbourne.”
Hearing his voice sent a tingle up her spine. How she loved that voice. It was low, but still gentle and gave her shivers every time. Not to mention it played havoc with her entire body, especially down south.
“My plane leaves in a few minutes, so I’ll be at Grandma Hazel’s about lunch time.”
Trying hard to contain her excitement, she said, “I look forward to it. Gives me enough time to have a sleep in.”
“Can’t wait to share that bed with you,” he said in a husky voice which made her blush.
She hung up, noticing all the right places in her body had warmed up so much she was about to explode. When Hazel came back in she tried her best to take the stupid grin off her face, but it didn’t want to leave. The grin stayed, and Hazel smiled in understanding.
***
Tyson boarded the plane in Los Angeles and was giddy with knowledge that Katie was in Melbourne, sleeping in his bed. Okay, it was his bed at his grandmother’s house. Even after he had booked the car for her, he hadn’t been sure whether she’d come to Melbourne or not.
The team had spent a whole week in Arizona in a training camp. It was an annual event to develop the solid internal bond between the players and coaches. The hiking sessions in high altitude had been intense, but in a good way. He felt strong, although tired as well. It’d been a great week for him, working on streamlining his training with his coach. Even though he’d been busy non-stop, he thought often of Katie. Tried to imagine her face, her eyes, and nearly every night remembered their time together.
After the disaster of a relationship with Anita, he promised himself not to get involved with a woman for a long time. His AFL career was his foremost interest and after his father’s heart attack a few months earlier, he’d also spent some time with his old man. Going fishing wasn’t that bad after all. Or so he pretended. Oliver and Markus always laughed at his stories, and even joined them for a weekend as well, but it wasn’t their thing either. They’d joined Ty and his father, though, for bush walks in country Victoria or sometimes he and his dad just drove to an unknown destination. They’d had some great days together. When he’d met Katie, she’d turned his world upside down within a very brief time,
and all he could think of was her.
Tyson tried to be part of the boys’ conversation. He laughed at a few jokes, commented on a few stories, but his heart wasn’t in it. He leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. Career first, relationship later. That was his motto. And yet, there was a girl waiting for him. The beautiful Katie. Was she the one for him or was he rushing into something?
And why did he have doubts all of a sudden?
When Ty opened his eyes again, they were just about to land in Melbourne.
It didn’t take long for the team to pick up their luggage and get through customs. The information about a few news reporters waiting for them spread fast, and he decided to sneak out the back way. It seemed the whole wedding story had not settled completely, although his mum had assured him Anita had been quiet.
Anita.
It was surprising how her name alone made the acid in his stomach rise.
About an hour later, he stood at the back door of his grandmother’s house and knocked.
“Grandma? You home?”
“Of course I’m home. Come on in.”
She bombarded him with questions as he threw his bag in the corner and walked down the hall. He more or less ignored her and looked into each room before turning to her. “Where’s Katie?”
A big smile spread across his grandmother’s face, and initially he wasn’t sure what to make of it. “I am insulted, young man. You haven’t even given me a hug or a kiss.” She walked towards him with open arms.
Riddled with guilt, he took his grandma into a big embrace. “Sorry, Grams.”
Then she moved away from him, just enough to make eye contact. “I understand.” She patted his cheek. “Your girl’s making friends already.”
Tyson tried to ignore the pang of disappointment from deep inside. “Friends?”
“Son, you seem disappointed about the idea that she’s making friends.
His brows slanted in a frown. “What?”
She placed a hand on his cheek. “You seem disappointed—”
Taking her hand into his, he shook his head. “I s’pose a bit disappointed she’s not here, is all.”
