I pushed past her and jumped into his arms for a swing-around hug, laughing and enjoying the fact that he smelt fantastic and was the most handsome man in the room—maybe the world—and he was hugging me.
I couldn’t be all bad.
He set me down on my feet. “Now look at you,” he said in that gravelly voice that had melted panties across five continents. “Looking sexy tonight, my little Belandera belle.” He picked up my ponytail and tugged it gently, accidentally brushing the back of his hand across my breast, which elicited absolutely no reaction whatsoever—weird—but I put that down to me being star-struck.
Rosie had belatedly turned to face us and was wearing a fixed smile. Before she could speak, he said softly, “I heard about your split on the gripe-vine, Rosie, mate, and I wanted to see if you’re okay?” He took both her hands and paused, looking deeply into her eyes. “Do you want me to have him castrated? I know people.”
To her credit, she tried to keep a straight face, but when I burst out laughing she smiled at him and said, “With a rusty blade?”
He kissed her cheek and said, “That’s my girl.” Then he bundled us up, one under each massive arm, and led us past other diners in the exclusive restaurant, to his table that had a million-dollar view across glittering Sydney Harbor. When we arrived, he introduced us to Tyler Bennett, a fellow actor that he’d dragged away from Hollywood. “He’s the latest hot, sweet thing,” Noah bragged, and Tyler gave us a very attractive, self-deprecating smile as he stood to shake our hands.
“Noah is exaggerating.” He remained standing while Rosie and I sat across from each other, then both men resumed their seats. “One teen movie doesn’t make you a star.” But he certainly had the look, from those super-clear baby blue eyes, buffed body and all I do is run my fingers through my hair perfect black sweep-cut. He looked lucky to be twenty, and was lucky to be getting the lowdown from Noah who had been at the top of the A-list for almost a decade.
“Not yet,” Noah said decisively. “But this Nebraska boy is going to break hearts, make no mistake.”
Tyler just shook his head, then he said to me, “I love your plait. Are you styled?”
I glanced at Rosie for a translation. She shook her head. “Fritha is a complete original. That’s why Max Banks has his claws into her. He wants to get publicity mileage out of fucking her.”
My mouth fell open in shock. Why were we discussing my sex life?
“Seriously?” Noah turned a frown on me. “Do I need to add you to my daily update, sweetheart? I didn’t know you needed protecting from fuckers like Banks.”
“I don’t.” I turned on Rosie, “And we don’t know for sure that he’s using me. Maybe he just likes me.” Was that such a hard concept to grasp?
Tyler gave me a sweet smile. “He has good taste, whoever he is.”
I turned an I told you so glance on Rosie, but she just shook her head, completely unconvinced. My hours of talking nicely to myself when I’d been home alone had obviously paid off. I was feeling good enough about myself to disagree with her.
“So,” Noah said quietly, and leant toward us, so we all leant in. “I’ll invite Banks to lunch at your teahouse later in the week and see for myself.” My breath caught somewhere high in my chest and I wasn’t sure whether I approved of this or not. I’d never had a big brother looking out for me, so it was all new.
But, it was an awesome opportunity to see Max before the month was up.
Noah touched my arm and went on, “If he’s using you, it will be obvious and I’ll tell him to leave you the fuck alone. Nicely,” he added, although he and Tyler shared a very masculine glance that looked like they were plotting something altogether different. “But if he genuinely likes you, then I’ll put some leverage on the press to move on and leave you two alone.”
“Can you?” For some reason I glanced at Rosie.
She nodded. “The leverage of an Alister. How do you think I got Angela onto Sunshine?”
“Angel?” Noah cut in and smiled. “How is my Bollywood songstress? Married now I hear.”
“And pregnant,” I added happily.
“Good for her!”
“Except,” Rosie said, “that her fledgling career is on hold.”
Noah patted her hand. “She’s got her priorities right. Barefoot and pregnant, that’s how we like them, isn’t it Tyler?” He winked at the younger man who just shook his head ruefully.
I knew Noah was teasing, so kept my trap shut, but Rosie couldn’t help saying, “Do you say that in front of your wife?”
“Not if I want to keep my balls, I don’t,” he replied, and Tyler barked out a surprised laugh.
I could see Rosie wanted to say something smart in response, but in that moment a beautifully groomed middle-aged woman came up to our table asking if she could have a photo with Noah. When he graciously agreed, she started fiddling with her phone camera.
Noah stood for the selfie, but I was distracted by Tyler leaning across to me and saying, “So this is my first time in Australia. Any suggestions on sightseeing?”
He was so endearingly sweet, I half expected him to add Ma’am onto the question. I patted one honed bicep in a perfect white tee-shirt, feeling every one of my thirty-five years as I said, “I can tell you where to cuddle koalas, but if you’re looking to cuddle something larger…?”
He grinned at me and said, “I’ve got a boyfriend back home. I think he’d mind.”
I wouldn’t have picked him as gay, so I was laughing in surprise when the flash went off.
“But don’t tell anyone,” he added quickly, as if he’d just realized he’d been indiscreet.
Welcome to my world.
I patted his arm again and said, “Cross my heart.” Then I leant even closer and whispered, “Your secret is safe with me.”
There were more flashes behind us as he put a hand over mine and squeezed, then Noah was sitting back down so I straightened in my chair, telling myself that Tyler was far too young, and that’s why I hadn’t got a buzz off touching him. I usually would, especially such a beautiful specimen of masculinity. But no…nothing.
“Rosie, my love,” Noah said as he sat back down. “Let’s talk business for a moment. My boy here needs publicity. Have you got a young singer who needs a boost? Fake romance? Holiday fling? Something that will get media attention and benefit them both?”
Rosie frowned for a moment, then her expression cleared. “I’ve got a young folk singer who needs a push, but she’s shy. I’m not sure she’d be that good of an actress.”
They discussed the pros and cons and Rosie agreed to make the call, then we settled into an amazing dinner of mussels in white wine, tomato and garlic, followed by spicy blue swimmer crab salad, and a cheese platter that put Bohemian Brew to shame.
I made notes to myself on everything from service to flavors so I could discuss it with Desiree and Sammie when I got back—whenever that was. I’d expected to discuss my immediate future with Rosie tonight, but I could hardly complain about being in the company of two devastatingly handsome men who were not only charming, but funny.
And yet…the part of me that wasn’t entertained and flattered, was yearning.
There was no other way to describe it. Somewhere during the afternoon I’d made an emotional decision—not a sensible logic choice—to go after Max. And being in the same city and not being able to see him was sad.
Still, I didn’t want to spoil the night so I laughed and threw in outrageous comments when they were warranted, and when Tyler asked me, I told them what I loved about the lush, rainforest beauty of Belandera, what I missed about the outback—the amazing colors of the landscape, the stark beauty of a drought, the absolute silence and jewel-like clarity of the night sky when you were hundreds of miles from any light source.
“Sounds magical,” he sighed. “And you can see all that just a few hours north?” He turned a hopeful glance on Noah who just shook his head.
“Work first, play later, mate. We need to
get your profile up this week. After that we’ll go exploring.”
They started discussing nightclubs then, but Rosie cried off, citing a need for sleep. I felt bad because I’d slept all morning, so when Noah offered to be my escort, I promised next time. It would be beyond cool to party with an Alister, but I wasn’t letting Rosie go home alone. Her girls didn’t arrive back until tomorrow, and it would be too lonely for her rattling around in that big house without them.
She was quiet in the car on the way home, and maybe that was in deference to her driver. I wasn’t sure what she normally discussed in front of him, so I waited until we were back inside her house before I said, “I don’t want to talk about it now, because I know you’re beat, but I want to work out what to do about going home. Will you have time tomorrow morning?”
Her girls came back at midday, but I wasn’t sure if she was going to work before that.
She nodded. “I’ll wake you at seven so we’ll have at least an hour to talk before I have to go out. It will be a madhouse when the girls arrive.”
“Thanks.” I wanted to hug her, but I wasn’t sure she’d appreciate that.
Into the awkward silence she said, “Has Banks tried to contact you?”
“I don’t think so.” I pulled out my phone and swiped the screen open.
Nothing from Max, but fourteen missed calls and six messages, some from Jill, some Louella. Something was wrong.
I must have been frowning because Rosie said, “What?”
I shook my head and selected the first message which had been left four hours earlier when my ringtone had been accidentally muted.
“F, it’s Jill. Angela’s hurt herself. She’s being airlifted to Sydney. I’m not sure where. Finn’s getting us a flight. Are you still with Rosie Tatts?”
I didn’t bother listening to any more, I just punched straight through to Jill’s phone number. Rosie had overheard it and said, “I’ll call my car back.”
Jill answered immediately, “Frith—”
“What’s happening?” I pressed the phone so hard against my ear, it hurt.
“Angela was lifting one of the girls and she must have hurt the baby. She started bleeding and Jack called the Flying Doctor. She’s arrived in Sydney and is being transferred to a hospital. Finn and I are in a car, nearly there.”
“I’m at Rosie’s. She’s getting a car.” I could hear my teeth chattering. Angela had waited all her life to get pregnant. If she lost this baby…I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. “We’ll go straight to the hospital.”
Jill gave me the details and ten minutes later Rosie and I were back in her car on the road. She’d changed into a casual shift and sandals. I was still wearing her white Chanel pants and heels but I didn’t care. All I could think about was getting to Ange, and somehow making this better.
Rosie had a business interest in the outcome, and I imagined that was motivating her calm control until I started crying and she put an arm around my shoulders, her own voice shaky as she said, “We have to be strong for Angela. Don’t you start me crying.”
Her teeth were gritted and I could see how hard she was working to hold herself together, so I did the same. I took a tissue off her and wiped my eyes, then I said, “It’s going to be okay. Angela will be fine. And she can always get pregnant again.”
Her ex-husband’s secret vasectomy had been the cause of their infertility, and after her divorce, one night with Jack had been all it had taken to create this baby. I was sure that even if the worst happened, they could try again. To Angela it would be the end of the world, but I knew it wasn’t, and I clung to that, hoping there were no complications.
When we arrived, Rosie got us through levels of security to race straight to the small private waiting room where Jill was talking quietly to Finn. When she saw me, she jumped up and hugged me so hard I thought I’d snap.
I heard Rosie introducing herself to Finn in a scratchy voice, and that reminded me I had to be strong. So I pulled back from Jill, who’d started to cry, and looked her in the eye. “Our girl will be fine.”
“But the baby—”
“I know.”
From behind me I heard Rosie say, “Jack. Are you alright?” And I spun out of Jill’s arms to find Jack behind me in the doorway of the waiting room holding Charley, a cherubic blonde four-year-old whose real name was Charlotte. Six-year-old Daisy stood uncertainly at his side. Both girls wore pajamas and looked like they’d been pulled backwards through a hedge.
I went straight up to them and after hugging Jack awkwardly with Charley in his arms, I crouched in front of Daisy, recognizing the fear and confusion on her face. “Hey sweetie, remember me from the wedding?” I said to distract her.
I’d only played with them for ten minutes but it had been memorable. I was sure it wasn’t every day they got to plait a bridesmaid’s hair. I’d given up on finding a man at that point, and could see they were bored so I’d figured I’d give Angela and Jack a break by entertaining them.
My hair had turned into a hideous mess, but what the hell. They’d enjoyed it.
“Pippi Longstocking,” she said, and touched the braid that hung at my chest.
“Yep,” I said, and looked up at Jack, pulling on all the strength I had to say, “I can mind them,” when I really wanted to rush to Angela’s side.
His eyes were red-rimmed, and I could see he wanted to get back to his wife. And though Angela loved me, she’d want her husband at her side. This was their child she was in danger of losing. Sometimes a girlfriend simply wouldn’t do.
He nodded in gratitude, then said to Charley, “Would you like to play with Fritha for a minute?” His voice was so rough it hurt my heart to hear it.
Charley shook her head. “What if Angela dies like mommy did?” Her little face scrunched up, and I had a hard time holding back tears then. Jack’s sister had died in hospital only a few months ago, and the girls were still adapting to Uncle Jack being their new daddy, and his new wife Angela being their mother.
The idea of Angela being hurt and in hospital must be terrifying for them. But a glance at Rosie reminded me about being strong, so I sucked in a steadying breath and said, “Charley honey, I want to plait your hair, then you’ll look like Pippi Longstocking when Angela comes out. I think she’d like to see that. It might make her laugh.”
Jack put Charley on the ground and crouched beside her because she wasn’t ready to let him go yet, and after some coaxing on his part and some creative lies on mine, I managed to lure her and Daisy into the corner of the waiting room where I sat them with their backs to the door so I could distract them from comings and goings.
Then I started plaiting their hair and telling them outrageous stories about imaginary outback adventures Pippi had undertaken, and they were soon chattering away. But it was hard to concentrate on them when I desperately wanted to see Angela and comfort her.
Rosie checked on us from time to time, but she didn’t offer to help, and I suspect that was because she knew this was a good distraction for me too. Eventually, around midnight, both girls started to get sleepy, and with the help of some hospital blankets, I made them a nest in the corner chairs and sang lullabies until they succumbed.
Then I stood looking down at them, not game to move in case they woke up. There had been no word from Jack in hours, and I could feel tears stinging my eyes, too long held back. Something was wrong. I just knew it.
I pressed a hand against my mouth to hold it all in, because Rosie was right, I had to be strong, but in the next moment I heard Max say quietly from behind me, “Sweetheart, I’m here if you need me.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I turned slowly, blinking in shock, and then holding my breath because I’d taken my shoes off and he was so tall, and so impossibly handsome in a crisp charcoal suit, and the way he was smiling gently into my eyes undid me completely, like a warm whirlwind inside my stomach, uncoupling all the tensed nerves.
I shook my head. How are you here?
“Rosie rang me,” he said quietly, in deference to the girls.
I glanced to the corner where Rosie had been sitting all night and she shrugged, as if she was apologizing.
“She doesn’t like me,” Max said, looking deep into my eyes. “But she told me if I had any support to give you, I should get my ass down here.”
I swallowed.
“And I do, luv.” He rested his hands tentatively on my shoulders. “I’ve been wanting to hold you since the moment I arrived.”
My giddy heart stuttered, but I said, “How long ago?”
“An hour.”
“You’ve been waiting for an hour?”
He nodded at the girls. “You were busy.”
That reminded me of my duty. “They come first.”
“You put everyone first.” It wasn’t an accusation. He simply said it, as if he was stating something we both knew. But I wasn’t sure that I did. At least not until that moment.
I glanced at the sleeping girls, and then back to Max, and I wasn’t sure what to say. But then Jack was in the doorway of the waiting room and I said to Max, “Watch them,” and pointed to Charley and Daisy, then I scooted over beside Jill and Rosie to hear the news.
“She lost the baby,” he said raggedly, and all the grief I’d been repressing turned molten inside my chest, burning me. I couldn’t help clutching his hand, either to support him or to comfort me, I wasn’t sure. Jill grabbed the other. When he could speak again he said, “I thought I’d lose her…” He faltered, and I could see the effort of will it was taking to not cry in front of us, although his eyes were already swollen and red.
“But she’s okay now?” Jill’s voice was raw with the fear both of us were feeling. “She won’t die.”
He shook his head, his lips pressed together, and his massive chest rose and fell beneath his checked flannelette shirt, several times before he said. “She’ll be fine. Physically. And she’s asked for you and Fritha to come in and see her, but just for a minute. Then I’m waking up the girls to show them that she’s okay. They need that.”
Husband Rollover (Husband Series Book 4) Page 19