Prossers Bay Series

by Cheryl Phipps

  Lots of nods and murmurs of assent encouraged her to continue.

  “Alright, then. First up - the consent is through from the council with a proviso of no alcohol.” There were a few good-natured comments but nothing to worry about. “And everyone should bring their own cutlery and plates. Next we need tables and chairs.”

  “Will we bring our own?” Kenny asked.

  “I’d like to help with that if I may.” Jordan Lambert towered over her, casting a shadow on her notes.

  ‘Hi, Jordan. I wasn’t expecting you,” she smiled at the interruption, hoping he might like to be part of the day. He was a lovely man and every time she’d met him he’d seemed to want to contribute to the community.

  “I’ve seen the flyers and I thought what a great idea this is.”

  There were a few whispers from the group and Abby suddenly realized that a lot of people had no idea who he was. “Everybody I’d like to introduce Jordan Lambert. For those who don’t know he’s the owner operator of the Bay Resort.”

  There were a few nods and welcomes to him, although Megan looked oddly unhappy by his presence.

  “Are you planning on coming to our Christmas?” Abby asked.

  “The resort isn’t too busy on Christmas Day as it happens, so I’ve given as many of my staff as I can spare the time off to spend with their families. It means I’ll have to pitch in so I don’t think I’ll be able to get away. But, like I said, I think that this is a great idea and I wanted to offer the use of my outside tables and chairs for the lunch.”

  “Won’t you be needing them?”

  “They’re mainly for functions like weddings and birthdays and we won’t be using them that day.”

  “We really would appreciate it. It’ll make things so much easier if we can all sit down together. How would we collect them?”

  Abby looked to the group for offers of help, but Jordan interjected.

  “I’ll have a couple of my staff deliver them here first thing in the morning, if that’s okay?”

  “That’s fantastic.” Abby was happy to have one less thing to organise.

  “Then, they can pick them up sometime in the late afternoon when you’ve finished. Just let me know at some stage how many people you’re expecting. Now, I’ll leave you to the rest of your planning. If I don’t see you before then, have a great Christmas.”

  “And you. Thanks so much.”

  Many of the others joined in the good wishes, as he gave a cheery wave, while Megan was noticeably silent.

  Vowing to ask her about her attitude later, Abby carried on with organizing the menu. Most of the men were happy to leave the food up to the women—no surprises there—so Max got them into a group and began to delegate the setting up and break down and what they could do to entertain the kids on the day.

  “I’ll bring some tablecloths that we’ve had in storage for different things at the park.”

  “That’s great, Jeanne. Once we have definite numbers, we’ll know how much of each thing we need and we can adjust if we have to. Anything I’ve missed?”

  Nobody had anything to add and everyone seemed happy as Abby watched them drift off, except her small group of close friends, and she felt like they’d achieved an awful lot. It didn’t need to be a fancy affair, but she wanted everyone to be cared for, especially the children. After all, that’s who Christmas was really for.

  “When the girls are asleep tonight, I’ll do a phone around to make sure we haven’t forgotten any one,” Megan offered.

  “That’d be great. It was nice of Jordan to help us out like that.” Abby began gathering her lists.

  “He’s probably showing off to the town about how rich he is.”

  Megan stopped suddenly when she saw their surprise at her outburst.

  “Oh, don’t listen to me. I don’t know what the matter is. Maybe I’m coming down with something. I’d better go find those monkeys of mine, and get them home.”

  Stephanie shook her head as Megan left. “There is definitely some chemistry between our friend and Mr. Lambert, no doubt about it.”

  Abby laughed. “Why do you say that? Megan sounds like she can’t stand him.”

  “Maybe she’s behaving like that from a sense of loyalty. Apparently, he approached her about a job working for him and she took exception to him from then.”

  “She should have told me. I would understand if she took it. I’m sure he’d pay better than me.”

  “You’re missing the point. She’s always liked that type of man—good-looking and able to handle her smart mouth. It’s just unfortunate for him that he’s ridiculously rich.”

  “And?”

  “Oh, Abby, sometimes you amaze me. The twins’ father? He was a rich dude, remember?”

  Abby slapped her forehead. “I can’t believe I forgot that. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own world lately that I haven’t been a good friend.”

  “Don’t talk nonsense. You’re a great friend, certainly the best I’ve ever had, so stop putting yourself down. If you have one flaw, then that’s got to be it. Everyone loves you and what you’re doing for this town, and that’s a fact, so don’t argue.”

  Abby didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the vehemence of Stephanie’s statement. She sure was glad to have her in her corner, though.

  Max had rounded up all the kids and sent most of them on their way. He was walking towards them with Liam tucked under one arm, squirming and laughing like a boy should. Allan had his arm slung across his daughter’s shoulders, and they too were laughing.

  Unfortunately, Liam’s happiness evaporated when they said goodbye. The few hours they spent together every day wasn’t enough, and increasingly he would cling to her. Max had been leaving work earlier and coming with her to the camp, and she knew that he also felt Liam’s anguish. The poor boy couldn’t understand what the hold-up was in coming to live with them, when in his mind everything was so easy.

  Not that Abby could understand the slow process of child services, either. But, as an adult at least Abby could appreciate that although they hadn’t heard any more about being able to foster him, which also meant that they hadn’t been told they couldn’t.

  Only she had to admit that being patient was getting harder and harder even for supposedly mature adults. Thank goodness Max was beside her in this and they could talk about the frustration together.

  As if he read her thoughts he squeezed her hand as he drove them home, making her feel incredibly lucky.

  The week before Christmas, Max found the workshop was busier than ever, with people trying to get their cars ready for some long miles for those that were going out of town.

  He was about to start on an old Mustang. It would be a labor of love, even though he would get paid for it. Putting things back to order gave him a kind of peace. He was good at it, and proud of that fact. Cars had the power to lift his spirits, and maybe he’d been using them as a crutch, because lately he found that he was ready to go home at the end of a day. More than ready.

  Abby had changed and so had he. They weren’t tiptoeing around the hard subjects. Perhaps they’d come to terms with what couldn’t be, and now they could focus on what might be.

  As if their minds were in unison, the phone rang and it was Abby.

  “Do you think you could come home for a few minutes?”

  Something in her voice made him put the wrench down that he’d just picked up.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Not really,” she hesitated. “The child services lady is here and she’d like to talk to both of us.”

  Max looked at his watch. Three-thirty. He would’ve squeezed in at least another two or three hours a few weeks ago.

  “I’m on my way. I’ll be a bit dirty, is that okay?”

  “You’ll look fine. See you soon.”

  He heard the smile in her voice, and knew she meant it. For some reason, they had been flirting with each other like a couple of kids. It was exciting, if a little frustrating. Sex had b
een so long off the agenda that he wasn’t sure if or when he should initiate taking things further. He almost laughed out loud when he thought of how bad he had the hots for his own wife and he had to calm himself down. Now wasn’t the time, not with a government official waiting to talk to him.

  Leaving Kenny with a list of things to finish up, Max drove home as fast as the speed limit allowed. Explaining a ticket wouldn’t help proceedings, of that he was sure. The fact that he wasn’t sure of too much regarding having a child didn’t feel like the weight it once had.

  A little brown hatchback sat in their driveway. He went into the laundry and when he’d stripped down to his jeans and t-shirt he went into the living room where a compact woman, who matched her car perfectly, sat beside Abby.

  The relief on Abby’s face when she saw him made him think that things weren’t going so well.

  “Max, this is Ms. Bain.”

  “How do you do, ma’am?”

  “I’m very good, Mr. Forth.”

  “Please call me Max. That sure is a cute little car you have out there. Did Abby tell you that I’m a mechanic?”

  She preened a little. “I’ve had her for over a decade, and she’s never given me a moment’s trouble.”

  “I can see that you’ve taken good care of her. A lot of people could take a lesson from you, Ms. Bain. You should see some of the unloved vehicles I get in the garage to fix. Now, how can we help you?”

  Ms. Bain looked a little confused at Max’s buttering up.

  “Ah, yes. I tried to get a hold of both of you earlier to organize a time to call, but since I couldn’t, I took the chance to come by after my appointment with Mrs. Emerton out at the holiday park. Your wife tells me her phone died. What about you, Mr. …. Max?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. If I’m under a car, I don’t answer the phone. Most people just leave me a message.”

  She frowned at him.

  “I would hope that if you had a child in your care that you would be available at all times. Something could happen at school, or on a class trip, and you might be needed urgently.”

  He felt like he was in the principal’s office and it wasn’t for a reward. “I guess we hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Precisely,” she added, smugly.

  “But, if we did have a child in our care then we would certainly make sure things like that were in place. We have a large network of friends and if anyone needed help we could depend on any number of them, just like we would help them if needed. That’s how a small town works.”

  “Speaking of which, I believe that you work as well, Mrs. Forth?”

  “I do but I have my own company and I would do less hours and work from home a bit more.”

  “I see.”

  The censure in those two little words was out of order, but Max managed to hold his tongue.

  “I could also cut back on hours, as I too have my own company,” Max added.

  “Well, that does put a different slant on things.”

  “Do you think if things go okay that there will be any chance of having Liam stay before Christmas?”

  Abby was doing that thing she did with her hands when she was anxious and Max wanted to reach over and hold them tight. To tell her everything was going to be okay. Except he really didn’t know that, did he?

  “We’re probably quite a way from that sort of decision, and there’s no hurry, is there? He seems very settled with the Emertons.”

  “They’re good people,” Abby said, her voice tinged with disappointment.

  “Yes, they are. Now, I’d like to take a look around your home, if you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all. I’ll show you around myself.” Max stood up, and the woman looked surprised. She got up to follow him, and he winked at Abby, who although pale, smothered a laugh.

  The beige Ms. Bain, which was how Max thought of her spent quite a while checking just about every nook and cranny in before finally collecting her bag.

  “Everything seems to be in order. From the front, I didn’t realize that you had four bedrooms. The house, as a whole, is actually far larger than I thought. I’ve noted that the bedroom you’ve set aside looks adequate and the fenced section certainly goes in your favor. We will, of course, run some police checks, and I’ll need to discuss with them the rather odd way in which Liam ended up in your care, initially.”

  “Of course. You’re only doing your job and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Could we help you with anything else?” Max was leading her to the door.

  “No. I think that will do for now. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  Max and Abby stood on the doorstep waving goodbye. As soon as the little car had gone around the corner, Abby turned to him, and waved her finger in his face.

  “You are such a flirt.”

  “Me?”

  “Don’t look so innocent. She was a dragon until you came home. You had her eating out of the palm of your hand in just a few minutes.”

  “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Max went inside, laughing, as Abby followed after him.

  “It was probably that whole working man look you’ve got going there.”

  “Really? And how does that work for you?”

  “It works very well, actually.”

  He turned at the huskiness in her voice, all banter sliding from his lips as he noticed her slightly flushed cheeks. He took her face between his hands.

  “I’m really glad about that, because yours is the only opinion that matters to me.”

  He took her mouth gently with his and her lips opened in that familiar way, but the way she kissed him back was hot, and not at all familiar. Well, it hadn’t been for some time. He pulled her inside and shut the door; quickly, he reclaimed her mouth. She pressed herself against him and he felt himself harden. Damn, it had been such a long time since he’d felt like he could touch her like this. It wasn’t like the casual stuff they’d been doing lately. This was intense.

  Abby moaned against his mouth. She stood on tiptoes so that her mound pressed against him, and then she moved in that way he remembered that drove him crazy, creating a friction with each circular motion.

  “You’d better tell me to stop if you’re not ready to take this any further,” he whispered against her mouth.

  “I want you to make love to me. To make this the first time of all the times to come, just because it feels right. I love you Max. More than anything, or anyone,” she whispered back.

  He pulled back to make sure he heard her right. That she wanted this as much as he did. Looking into someone’s eyes and seeing everything you feel reflected back had to be the most exhilarating feeling there was.

  With nothing more to say, he pulled her with him to the bedroom where they tumbled onto the bed, hands pulling at clothes and zippers, breathless endearments whispered. Skin was finally on skin and then bliss as they came together, body and soul. Heaven.

  Chapter Ten

  Christmas day was shaping up to be a scorcher. Even the native Tui, who sang to Abby every morning outside the kitchen from the branch of a pohutukawa tree, vibrantly red with its flowers, sounded like he needed a nap.

  She’d been up early preparing food and was now peeling potatoes for a salad, her thoughts not on what she was doing or what she need to do. She was thinking about her wonderful husband. Max had looked so peaceful that she’d hated to wake him even though she had wanted to do just that and more.

  As if she’d had a wish granted Abby heard him enter the kitchen. His arms stole around her waist as he nuzzled her neck and growled into her ear.

  “Good morning, gorgeous.”

  “Good morning yourself. You seem in a good mood.”

  “I’m always in a good mood when I see you.”

  She laughed as he picked her up and swung her around. Then he kissed her with such intensity that she dropped the potato and peeler and wound her hands into his hair. Damn, this was a surprise, but so welcome.

  Max was a great kisser. Her
toes curled and her heart hammered. Their passion literally took her breath away and she was gasping a little when he stopped to her great disappointment. Wait … He was carrying her out of the kitchen. Now they were heading down the hall. And into the bedroom. He set her down on the bed and looked at her questioningly.

  “You have to be kidding me. We have food to prepare and a lunch to organize.”

  “We’ve got hours and I need you, Abby. In every way that counts. I was awake for a long time last night and I’d like to tell you how I feel. I didn’t realize how much making love with you meant to me. I thought I was being selfish. I guess it was really about what might happen if we did have sex. You could get pregnant and lose another baby you really want or worse, you could die. Both were two reasons to not take the risk. Now I don’t know which was more selfish because I’ve kept you at arm’s length when I should have given you more of myself.”

  He was getting darn good at this romantic talk. She felt tears prickle her eyelids at his candour.

  “You gave me everything that you could and so much more than I deserved. We got past having no children a while ago but it took last night to get over the intimate side of us. We both made mistakes, but never doubt that I’ve always loved you.”

  He looked so relieved and he kissed her, long and hard. A throb, low down, began, making her damp, and she wanted this wonderful, sexy man, who she just happened to be married to, to do something about it.

  “Your call, Mrs Forth,” he said huskily. “We could get on with the preparations or we could stay here and waste a bit of time in a way that might be mutually beneficial.”

  “I want to make love to you now, like we used to. Spontaneously, and, for the record I don’t see it as a waste of time at all.” Abby put her hand around the back of his neck and pulled his head down.”

  “Sweetheart, that’s all I need to hear.”

  His lips took hers, and once again they were in each other’s arms. Christmas lunch would have to take a back seat. This was where she needed to be.