She could see the beautiful mansion, Easterleigh House, where Patrick lived with his father, set on a slight hill through the trees. It looked magnificent from where she was, but very large—extraordinary to think that just three people occupied it! She supposed that the little house she’d leased was the former gatehouse for the estate. She thought she’d rather live in her cosy place than float around in that huge pad. She pulled a bucket towards her and got down on all fours to start scrubbing the floor.
Had she been wrong about refusing to see Patrick? Her thoughts inevitably drifted into thinking about him as she got into the rhythm of swirling the brush in the water and then going backwards and forwards over the wood. Perhaps she should have given him the chance to make amends after all, and she had missed an opportunity to build bridges.
She leant back on her heels for a second then shrugged. No, if he couldn’t reveal these mysterious issues that made him wary of commitment, she’d done the right thing in keeping him at a distance. She went back to cleaning the floor with renewed vigour.
The sound of the front door banging shut made her start. She was quite sure she’d closed it before she’d come upstairs. She held her breath, wondering if it was an intruder, and her heart began to thump uncomfortably as she heard footsteps clumping their way up the stairs.
‘Anyone there?’ called a deep voice from the landing. Then the footsteps clattered on the wooden floor and Patrick appeared in the doorway dressed in faded jeans and an old white shirt, open at the neck. Her breath caught in her throat. He looked gorgeous! The casual look seemed to emphasise his broad shoulders and his tight, lean body. It wasn’t fair, him appearing so suddenly, taking her off guard with no time to control the mixture of excitement and fizzing attraction that bolted through her body, making her stomach feel as if it had just looped the loop.
Jandy drew a deep breath and glared at him. ‘For goodness’ sake,’ she said crossly. ‘You gave me a hell of a fright…What are you doing here?’
‘Sorry.’ He grinned. ‘I came on the off chance you’d be here. I thought you might be hungry. I’ve brought some food with me.’
But she wasn’t going to give in to the leap of delight she’d had when he’d appeared, she told herself stubbornly. She was going to keep a tight rein on her emotions and play it very cool from now on. Caution told her that it would be better not to get too close to him.
‘I’m very busy,’ she said primly. ‘I haven’t time for food…’
‘Of course you have,’ he said firmly. ‘It’s a lovely day—we can eat outside. It might be the last really warm day we have before autumn. If you won’t join me I’ll have to eat alone.’
‘I’ve a lot to do,’ she said, waving her hand vaguely towards the walls.
‘Oh, come on! It will give me a chance to make up for my churlishness the other day. Please…’
He looked at her wistfully, and suddenly Jandy wanted to laugh at the little-boy-lost expression on his face. Perhaps she should accept his olive branch.
She shrugged. ‘It will have to be very quick, then.’
He had laid out a rug under an old apple tree near the house, looking across the newly tilled fields. The sun still had warmth, and there was the slightest of breezes. Jandy sat down and clasped her hands round her knees, looking up at the white fluffy clouds sailing slowly across the sky. Was she a complete idiot, allowing herself to be alone with Patrick once again? She felt a tremor of excitement ripple through her, half hoping, half afraid, of what might happen in the intimate confines of the little garden.
She forced herself to relax and leant back against the apple tree, watching as Patrick opened a picnic basket to reveal a delicious feast. Then he uncorked a wine bottle and poured some sparkling wine into two plastic cups.
‘The best you can get from Delford’s supermarket,’ he said solemnly. He held her eyes with his for a second. ‘Cheers! Here’s to us!’
Jandy sipped the wine rather self-consciously and was silent—she wasn’t going to make the running. Looking across at him, his open shirt revealing a sexy muscled torso with dark hairs bristling through the top, and leaning casually on one elbow on the grass, she was afraid that she was ready to forgive him anything! If only he wasn’t quite so devastating looking, or quite so physically close. If only his blue eyes weren’t quite so beguiling…She lowered her gaze and concentrated on a beetle crawling across the grass. The atmosphere between them was electric.
He rocked back on his heels and looked at her assessingly, as if wondering how she was going to react to what he had to say.
‘You need an explanation for my churlishness the other week,’ he began slowly. ‘As soon as I left you I was desperately sorry I’d hurt you.’ He swirled the wine round in his glass for a second, before smiling ruefully at her. ‘The fact is that when you told me what you’d been through, it made me realise that the last person you need in your life now is someone with problems of their own. You’ve got a measure of stability in your life now with little Abigail. I felt that I should keep at a distance before anything happened to threaten that.’
‘Before what happened?’ she queried impassively.
‘You know what I mean, Jandy. In case we got too…close.’
Jandy stared at him warily, hearing her heart thump uncomfortably in her ears and trying to ignore the sexy aura he exuded so close to her.
‘There was no need to be so rude,’ she said as coolly as she could, while every fibre in her body longed to cuddle up to him, feel his arms around her.
He nodded and picked at the grass by his legs. ‘I know—you’re right. No excuse for it. But my reasons were valid enough.’ He leaned towards her, a piece of dark hair flopping over his forehead, his blue eyes looking into hers. ‘The thing is, Jandy, you know I have another very different life beyond the hospital and it’s hard to reconcile the two.’ He reached over and took her hand in his. ‘But I want us to be friends—good friends. How can we work together if we’re not?’
‘I hope we can be that,’ she said primly, his firm grip making her hand tingle. She felt the flutter of excitement in her tummy as the atmosphere almost pulsated with the tension between them. Her good intentions to play it cool seemed to be dissolving rather quickly.
Jandy attempted to pull her hands away from his, but he didn’t allow that and held them even more firmly. ‘I was frightened we were getting too close too quickly,’ he admitted.
‘For goodness’ sake, we’ve only known each other for a few weeks,’ she said lightly. ‘I don’t think that’s a basis for lifelong devotion anyway.’
He gave a faint smile. ‘The fact is, Jandy, I can’t stop thinking about you—can’t get you out of my head.’ He stroked her cheek gently. ‘You’re always somewhere in my mind…’
She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his penetrating blue gaze, wondering if she was hearing him properly, actually admitting that he did indeed feel something for her! He was facing her, so very close. She could see the little bit of stubble on his chin he’d missed while shaving, and the pulse beating in his neck. Excitement crackled through her body like little electric shocks.
She became very still, hardly breathing, as he gently brushed her hair back from her forehead.
‘I think…know…that you weren’t all that averse to me either,’ he murmured.
Jandy averted her gaze, trying not to be seduced by those eyes, to ignore the thousand butterflies fluttering inside her.
She swallowed hard. ‘And yet you want to keep me at a distance. Is this a warning?’
He swirled the wine round in his glass and watched the bubbles rising to the surface. ‘It’s complicated,’ he said at last. ‘You know about some of the things that occupy me outside work—my father’s health and the issues regarding the house.’
‘Yes, I can see that it’s not easy.’
He grinned wryly at her. ‘I guess I realised soon after I met you that there was a definite spark between us—quite a crackle actually.’
> A little smile quirked Jandy’s mouth—she would have described it as fireworks herself! She didn’t say anything, but a little thrill of pleasure went through her that Patrick had actually admitted that he felt something for her too.
‘Then I heard how you’d been treated by your boyfriend, and how you’d had to come to terms with his betrayal,’ Patrick continued. ‘Getting involved with someone like me—someone with a lot of baggage in their background—might jeopardise the stability you have now.’
Her brown eyes sparked at him. ‘So what you want is a brief fling, is it? Not to be tied down. Sounds as if you want the best of all worlds,’ she remarked crisply, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
He smiled sheepishly. ‘It sounds like that—but I don’t mean it to. Hell, I want us to be good friends and colleagues.’ He tilted her face to his so that she couldn’t avoid looking into his eyes. ‘Or even more than that,’ he said softly. ‘But I want you to be aware of my situation.’
At least he was warning her—something Terry never had. And if she told him to get lost, he would probably do as she said. She felt her resolve weakening by the second and sighed, tossing back the wine in her glass. Then a feeling of bravado swept over her. Hadn’t she been longing for some excitement in her life, to escape from the mundane everyday existence she led? He’d admitted that he was only ready for a fling, not a ring, but Patrick Sinclair was the first person since Terry to inject some passion and feeling into her soul.
She looked at the broad band of gold on his finger—a constant reminder of the wife he’d lost, she thought wistfully. Perhaps he’d never replace it, never be able to erase Rachel’s memory. But if he was up for a fling, then so was she—going into it with her eyes wide open, and to hell with memories and broken hearts!
‘I don’t mind being friends.’ She tilted her chin almost defiantly. ‘I may regret this, but honestly I’m sick of thinking back to what might have been, and what Abigail has missed not having Terry on hand. I want to look forward.’
He smiled down at her with those wonderful clear blue eyes and hugged her to him. ‘You’re a feisty girl, Jandy. Let’s get to know each other a little better, then.’
He bent his head to hers and very gently brushed her lips lightly with his. And she knew this was the prelude to something much more momentous. She knew what was going to happen, and she did nothing to stop him. He drew back slightly, looking down at her.
‘So can we be very good friends, do you think?’ There was laughter dancing in his eyes as he asked her.
She didn’t answer, but lifted her face to his, feeling again the tingle of his mouth against hers, and every nerve end in her body told her she needed more than that brief kiss. How could she ignore the great waves of longing flickering like butterflies inside her, her heart thumping with excitement against her ribs? Surely she was due a little affection, some fun, some excitement? But in a feeble effort to seem less eager she put her finger against his mouth for a second.
‘Do you think this is wise?’ she whispered.
He looked down at her. ‘Let’s not be wise all the time,’ he said. ‘Good friends are allowed to express their affection, aren’t they?’
He kissed her again, this time harder, teasing her lips open slightly, running his hand gently over her soft body, and she trembled because it was unbearably wonderful.
She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her, opening her mouth to his and savouring the salty taste of him, feeling his body heavy and hard against hers as she fell back on the grass and he lay on top of her. The smell of the warm earth underneath them would always remind her of this moment. His mouth moved down her jaw with little butterfly kisses, and her body responded like a switch being flicked, pulling him close to her. He stopped for a second and looked down at her, his eyes twinkling.
‘Is that a “yes” to my question, then?’ he teased.
‘I think so,’ she whispered.
Perhaps she was jeopardising her future with a man who’d admitted he wasn’t ready for a committed relationship, but at this particular moment she couldn’t give a damn, she told herself as Patrick’s hands moved over her body, gently touching her breasts, starting to undo her shirt. She wasn’t even thinking how far they were going to go, she was revelling in his touch now, in the words he was murmuring in her ear. It was the present that mattered—the unbelievable sweetness of his firm, demanding frame on hers and the way her body reacted. It had been so long since she’d been held like this, or even wanted to be in anyone’s arms, and the long-forgotten sensation of being made love to by someone she desired very much flooded over her. She was hungry for his kisses and more. And she knew that he was as eager as she was!
When the jarring sound of her mobile went off, Jandy couldn’t think for a second what it was, except that it was intrusive and annoying. Then the stupid pop-song ringtone repeated itself again and again until reluctantly she pushed herself away from Patrick.
‘Sorry,’ she groaned. ‘I’ll have to get that—it could be about Abigail.’
Patrick rolled away and sighed. ‘And we were just getting to know each other…’ he murmured, looking across at Jandy and drawing one finger down her cheek.
She grabbed the phone and flipped it open, then Patrick watched her eyes widen in shock and her face pale slightly. He raised himself up on his elbow, concern crossing his face as she sat bolt upright, holding her mobile so tightly her knuckles were white.
‘Lydia? Oh, my God…’ she whispered. ‘What’s happened to her? Where is she?’ She listened to the reply then seemed to gather herself together and said firmly, ‘It’s all right, darling—I’ll go up. I’ve got a few days off anyway. You can’t possibly get there as soon as I can. I’ll organise things from this end.’
She snapped the mobile shut and turned to look bleakly at Patrick’s questioning face. ‘Is it your daughter?’ he asked.
Jandy shook her head in a dazed way. ‘No, not Abigail, thank God. It’s my mother. She and her boyfriend, Bertie, have been involved in an accident. It was Lydia, my sister, on the phone, and she says it’s serious.’ She bit her lip, trying to keep her composure. ‘Oh, Patrick, my mother’s been through so much, and just when it seems she’s at last found happiness, it could all be taken away from her. Bertie’s in a bad way. As I told you, they live in Scotland—right up in the north—and I need to go to her as soon as I can.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
PATRICK took her hand and squeezed it, looking at her in concern. ‘Do you know what kind of accident it was—a car crash, something at home?’
‘My sister said that they were caught in a landslide on a mountainous road near where they live. Apparently they were lying trapped for over twelve hours. Both of them have multiple injuries.’ She looked in a stunned sort of way at Patrick, large tears welling up in her eyes. ‘I’ve got to get up there. My sister’s on a long-haul flight to Australia and can’t make it quickly.’ She brushed the tears impatiently from her eyes. ‘Dammit, I feel so helpless here.’
‘Who will look after Abigail?’ he asked.
‘I’m sure Pippa, my childminder, will do that, and Abigail loves staying with her.’ Jandy punched some numbers into her phone. ‘I’ll ring her now—and then I suppose I’ve got to get a flight to Inverness, it’ll be far too slow to drive up there. Oh, Lord, there’s so much to do…’
Patrick put his hand over hers and said firmly, ‘You speak to Pippa. Meanwhile I’ll get you a flight.’
She hadn’t time to say how grateful she was to him. She just nodded numbly and then spoke to Pippa, while Patrick walked away and contacted an airline on his mobile.
‘That’s it—all done,’ he said briskly after a few minutes, putting his mobile back in his pocket. ‘Our flight goes at five o’clock from Manchester.’
Jandy looked at him, slightly puzzled. ‘Our flight? Surely you’ve just booked one seat?’
He smiled, his eyes dancing rather wickedly. ‘I’m coming with you,
’ he explained. ‘And don’t try and stop me!’
Jandy looked at him, completely dumbfounded, then she stammered, ‘B-but why? You’ve got your own child to think about.’
‘We’ve both got a few days off and, like you, I have someone perfectly competent to look after Livy. I can drive you round, act as a general dogsbody, while you see to your mother. Any objections?’
‘I…I don’t know…It’s a lot to ask.’ She shook her head tiredly. ‘I don’t like to put you to all this trouble.’
‘It’s no trouble,’ he said firmly. ‘You go home and organise your clothes and whatever you have to do for Abigail. I’ll pick you up at about two o’clock.’
‘But you can’t drop everything for me. After all, we hardly—’
He held her arms and forced her to look at him. ‘Know each other?’ he finished with amusement. ‘I guess we demonstrated a few minutes ago that we’re reasonably good friends. And wasn’t that what we said we were going to be? And as a good friend I’d like to help you—so relax and accept the offer!’
She felt too dazed to argue. ‘Well…thank you,’ she said weakly.
‘Now, go on,’ he urged. ‘Pack what you need, and sort out Abigail. I’ll see you soon.’
And all afternoon Jandy could hardly think of anything else except her mother, wondering just how badly she was hurt, what injuries she’d sustained. She felt like she was on autopilot, packing things for herself and Abigail without hardly taking in what she was doing. The flight to Inverness was a blur as Patrick found their seats, retrieved her luggage when they arrived and picked up the hire car to take them to the hospital. What would she have done without him?
Jandy and Patrick were shown immediately to the room in the hospital where her mother was. Jandy stood for a moment in the corridor, gathering the courage to go in. She was used to hospitals, wasn’t she? It was no big deal being in one. Why, then, were her legs like jelly, her mouth so dry? Because she was at the receiving end of the bad news, she thought wryly. Seeing a hospital from a completely different point of view, knowing everything that could go wrong. She clutched Patrick’s arm for a second.
From Single Mum to Lady Page 10