The Kissing Season

by Rachael Johns

  “What a jerk.” She placed a hand on her stomach, feeling suddenly protective of her own little bundle. “People who date or marry parents need to understand they are part of a package. If he wasn’t prepared to accept you, he shouldn’t have married your mother.”

  “I guess so.” Matt sounded resigned. “But Tony was too selfish to think like that. Mum made him feel good about himself; she idolized him.”

  And that made her a little angry with Sarah. “Didn’t she ever see what Tony was like?”

  “He was very careful to make sure she never saw how he really felt about me. I guess that’s why I really couldn’t stand the man. If he’d obviously treated me differently, it would have been one thing, but his deception and lies meant I just had to escape. Although he was a loser and couldn’t save a scrap of money in his life, he loved Mum in his own strange way. I figured he might treat her better if I wasn’t around.”

  Her heart broke for the teenage boy Matt would have been when he had to make that decision. She reached out and took his hand, ignoring the spark that ignited low in her belly, trying simply to offer sympathy and comfort. “And what about your real dad? Was he happy to have you?”

  A smile returned to Matt’s handsome face. “Oh yeah. He was a total womanizer but loved having me around. His many girlfriends thought I was cute—” he shrugged “—go figure, and Dad treated me as a mate more than a son. But he was a great businessman and taught me to work hard for what I want. I shudder to think how I might have turned out if I didn’t go to live with him.”

  “I still think you’d have turned out fine.” She squeezed his hand and their gazes met. For a moment she thought he was going to lean forward and kiss her again. Her belly wobbled in delight at the thought but he shook his head slightly, and lifted his hand to brush a few strands of hair out of her eyes. Her heart quaked at his almost intimate touch and she found herself falling into his arms, relishing the support he offered.

  As much as she delighted in his type of warmth, it wasn’t safe to get so comfortable. She sighed. “I suppose we’d better go back inside soon. Face the music. Have some turkey and pavlova.”

  “You can handle it?” He pulled back slightly and searched her eyes. “I’m happy to take off someplace else if you like.”

  “What, and face the fury of Sarah?” A laugh slipped out as she contemplated the lecture he’d get later for following her out into the playhouse without a chaperone. Although maybe his mother wouldn’t worry so much now that she knew Hannah was pregnant, and thus probably not that desirable to a so-called womanizer.

  He held his hands up in surrender. “I just bought the woman a house!”

  His skeptical tone brought a smile to her lips. He had nice hands. And a very nice voice. His arms felt delicious wrapped around her. In fact, everything about him was just about perfect.

  “Thanks for coming out here,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Thanks for everything. I could really fall in love with you if I let myself.”

  * * *

  MATT STILLED. HANNAH’S words went straight to his heart. Despite knowing he needed to put distance between them immediately, he held her even closer. No woman had ever fit so perfectly in his arms. Some sort of citrus scent wafted up from her hair and it took an effort not to take a deeper breath, not to kiss the top of her head.

  The thing was, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop at a quick chaste kiss. And anything more wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

  Me too, Hannah, me too. He’d never felt this way before. Ironic that now that he finally did, he couldn’t bring himself to embrace it.

  “You’d regret it soon enough,” he said, trying to make a joke despite barely being able to push the breath through his lungs. “I’m a total slob to live with and I snore really badly. There’s more but I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself.”

  She extracted herself from his arms and he fought the urge to pull her back, to ask her to go out with him again. He needed to remember she had another man’s baby in her belly and he would never risk putting another child through the pain Tony had bestowed on him. Even if he tried his best to love her baby, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t feel the same kind of resentment in time.

  “Come on.” She heaved herself off the ground and held out her hand to help him up. “Let’s head back inside before we roast in here, or worse, miss the turkey.”

  His stomach rumbled as if hearing her words. “You’re brave, you know that, Hannah Elliot? And you’ll make an awesome mother.”

  Her smile lit up her face. When they both stooped because of the low ceiling, she leaned forward slightly and pressed her lips against his cheek. “Thanks, Matteo.”

  Not staying behind long enough to make a moment, she pushed the door of the tiny playhouse open and began her walk of shame toward the house. Matt slammed the door behind them and jogged to catch up, vowing to stay near her at all times that afternoon and protect her from her family.

  When they arrived back at the house, the veranda was deserted. They found everyone already gathered around the Elliots’ long handcrafted Jarrah dining table, the carol music barely audible above loud chatter. The table was ornately decorated with folded red and green napkins, expensive Christmas crackers and a white linen tablecloth. The kids had already opened their crackers and wore brightly colored paper hats on their heads. The sight of two vacant seats side by side pleased Matt, as there was no one he’d rather sit next to than Hannah.

  And it would give him the chance to play bodyguard.

  He stayed close as they nodded at their families and walked to their spots. He pulled out her chair, waited until she was seated and then eased into his, glaring briefly at her parents, hoping he conveyed the message to leave her the hell alone. They deserved medals in parenting compared to Tony, but he wished he could guarantee they’d bypass giving Hannah a lecture and simply offer their support. It wasn’t her fault Larry had dropped her in this predicament.

  “Right, now that we’re all here,” Ron boomed from his place at the head of the table, “let’s give thanks and start this delicious lunch Emily has prepared.”

  Matt bowed his head as all around the table—his family and Hannah’s—held hands to say grace. And five hours later when he left the Elliots’ house with Mum and the girls, he thanked God that no one had ribbed Hannah about the baby and hoped, because it was Christmas, they’d remain kind long after their visitors had gone.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  AS HANNAH’S FAMILY waved off Matt, Sarah and the Two Cs, she slunk back into the house. It was nearing a suitable time to go to bed and as she was pregnant, she thought it more than fair if she headed there a little earlier. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she didn’t want a confrontation with her parents. Surprisingly they’d made no mention of her news once she and Matt had returned to the house. At first her soon-to-be-bulging stomach was like the elephant in the corner of the room no one wanted to talk about, but being in Matt’s presence relaxed her so much that soon she forgot the tension. The free-flowing alcohol got her mother tipsy fast and she didn’t seem inclined to raise the baby issue over lunch.

  Hannah had held her breath for a few moments when everyone gathered in the lounge room after their late lunch, collapsing with full stomachs onto sofas just in time to watch the queen’s Christmas speech, but no one mentioned her baby then either. She’d always loved Christmas with her family but had been dreading it a bit this year, yet Matt had made it more than bearable. He’d made it the best damn Christmas she’d had in a long time. A ridiculous smile spread across her face at the recollection of the tenderness he’d shown her in the playhouse. He had this amazingly calming effect, which was surprising considering what one hot look from him could do to her loins, and right now she wanted to escape to her room and simply bask in the memories of a special day.

  She w
ould have gotten away with the plan too, if she hadn’t stupidly stopped to take her sandals off at the front door. It was habit—something Emily had instilled in her children from a very early age. Straightening again after placing them on the shoe rack, she started toward the bedroom as the front door slammed shut behind her.

  “Where are you going, young lady?” came her mother’s voice, as if someone had shot an arrow right into her spine. “Your father and I want to talk to you. Now.”

  Hannah froze and contemplated running, but then realized it was futile. Slowly, she turned to face her mother. Her father stood beside Emily—funny how her brothers and their families seemed to have quickly dispersed. She couldn’t recall a time as a child when she’d felt in so much trouble. She simply nodded.

  “Let’s go into the kitchen,” Emily said. “I’ll make us all a coffee and we’ll have a little chat.”

  Chat? Her mother made it sound so benign, but Hannah knew she was about to get blasted. They’d waited until the guests had gone so not to make a scene, but no doubt their disappointment had festered all day, growing into something so much worse than it would have been if they’d just had it out when she’d told them. May as well get it over with.

  As her mother fussed with the kettle and found the mugs, Hannah and her dad slid into chairs. She stared at the tabletop, tracing the grain of the wood with her fingers, anything not to have to look into her dad’s eyes. Emily made the drinks in what seemed like record time and then put them in front of Hannah and Ron. When Emily landed in a seat next to her husband at the opposite end of the table, Hannah actually flinched, ready for the assault.

  But it didn’t come.

  “Honey,” Ron began, “why didn’t you tell us you were pregnant?”

  Hannah pulled her mug toward her and raised one eyebrow at her parents. When blank faces stared back at her, she could tell it was going to be a long night. She sighed. “You already made it more than clear how stupid you think I was for marrying Larry. I couldn’t bear the lectures that would come with this. I didn’t mean to screw up so badly.” A lump of emotion welled up in her throat and she fought back tears that she did not want to cry.

  Her mother sobbed instead. “It’s not a sin to fall in love, darling, or at least to think you did. That Larry took advantage of your beautiful heart. I guess he didn’t want the baby. Is that why you broke up?”

  “You got it in one.” The words came out automatically. The rest of her was still in shock that this didn’t appear to be a lecture or a mammoth make-Hannah-feel-stupid attempt.

  “I’ll kill him.” Ron slammed his hands against the table and pushed himself to an angry stand. The veins in his neck bulged as his face went a vicious red. Hannah couldn’t recall her dad ever getting this heated over anything. “Where’s he live? Give me his address. I’ll grab the boys and we’ll get the first plane to Vegas.”

  ‘Dad.” She actually giggled at his response, picturing her father and brothers flying halfway around the globe to land on Larry’s doorstep and offer him what-for. “There’s no point. I made a mistake with Larry and I’ll be quite happy if I never see him again, but I hope you two will play a big part in my baby’s life. I’m sorry if I’ve fallen short of what you wanted for me, but I promise I’m going to do my best to make better decisions from now on. I’m going to be a good mother.”

  Her father’s shoulders slumped a little and both her parents made their way toward her. She felt their arms wrapping around her and heard her mum’s soothing voice sliding into her ear.

  “Oh, darling, as long as you’re okay, we’re overjoyed about a baby. We thought Luke and Nikki would be next, but I love surprises. And I’m so sorry about my outburst earlier. I’m ashamed, but I was in shock.”

  “It’s all right, Mum. It was a shock for me too. That’s why I was going to wait until after the Christmas craziness to tell you.”

  Emily stroked Hannah’s long hair and tucked it behind her ears. “Is there anything you need already? Money? Fewer hours at work? Do you need me to come to any appointments?”

  This response shocked Hannah so much she found it hard to voice her thoughts. She swallowed, wondering if she should ask her mum to come to the ultrasound and let Matt off the hook. But the thought of not having an excuse to see him again made her bite her tongue. He’d be gone in just over a week—she didn’t have time to harvest her feelings but the knowledge she had at least one more interaction to look forward to would help her sleep and get through the next few days while she waited to see her baby for the first time.

  “It’s okay, Mum, we’re doing fine so far. But thank you for...for being so understanding. I love you guys.”

  “And we love you too, darling,” said her parents. After over thirty years of marriage, they often voiced the same thoughts at precisely the same moment.

  “Can I get you something to eat before bed?” Emily asked. “A bit of leftover pav maybe? With ice cream?”

  Hannah’s taste buds danced at the thought. “How can I resist that?” she asked, relaxing into her seat. She still wanted to go to bed. Still wanted to relive the day and perhaps indulge in a few fantasies about Matteo, but she could spare a few moments to share an evening snack with the parents who’d surprised her and made her feel safe and loved.

  * * *

  THE WEEK BETWEEN Christmas and New Year passed quickly. Although Wildwood Point was inundated with summer tourists, Elliot’s Emporium was closed for this one week a year, giving Hannah the chance to get some much-needed rest. Now that Hannah’s family had recovered from the initial shock of her announcement and she was relieved of having to tell them the baby news, she felt happy to be home. There was no place on earth she’d rather bring up her baby than where she could do it with her family and friends around her.

  She helped her mum box up the Christmas decorations for another year, spent hours lying on the beach catching up on reading the books in her towering to-be-read pile and began to allow excitement about the baby to settle within her. Emily bought her a baby-naming book from the shop in Margaret River and she spent many an hour flicking through the book hunting for possibilities. She already had a list pinned to the fridge and her family had taken it upon themselves to offer suggestions. So far her favorite was Nikki’s choice of Scarlet and her least favorite her dad’s suggestion of Tabitha—she’d never be able to look at the baby without thinking of the kid in Bewitched. Everyone seemed to believe the baby would be a girl, or at least the girl’s names outnumbered the boy’s ten to one.

  If it was a boy, Hannah wanted to call it Matthew—a name that wouldn’t allow any other male names a moment’s limelight but she told herself this had absolutely nothing to do with Matteo. It was simply a nice, strong, traditional boy’s name and she believed starting life with a good name could make a big difference. She hadn’t seen her Italian (as she still called him in her mind) since Christmas Day but somehow he’d gotten hold of her mobile phone number and unbeknown to either of their families, the text messages had been flying between them.

  It had started with a quick message from Matt on Christmas night to check on her. Hannah had been climbing into bed when her phone beeped.

  You okay? Today was a little crazy. Matt.

  No “Love, Matt,” no hugs and kisses, and that’s how the communication had continued throughout the week. Lots of benign messages about what they were each eating for dinner, how things were going with Sarah’s house and a hundred other topics. They’d been surprised to discover that in addition to their shared love of travel, they had a fair number of other things in common too. Favorite foods, movies, pet peeves, and even deeper things such as their values about life.

  It felt good knowing he was at the other end of the phone line and she wondered whether they’d continue to exchange messages when he went back to Melbourne. Whether maybe they could even stay friends. So many times she’d type
d out a text asking him if he wanted to meet up and then deleted it. She could already feel herself becoming attached to him, and she didn’t want to set herself up for further hurt and disappointment. Not once had he ever given any indication he wanted more than a holiday fling, and none of the messages had even implied that he still wanted that. She tried not to be disappointed by this fact, telling herself she’d rather have friendship with him now anyway. But each time her phone pinged with a message from him, an undeniable zing zapped through her body, leaving want and need burning in its wake.

  A little voice inside her head told her it’d be best to tell Matt she didn’t need him to accompany her to Busselton Hospital for the ultrasound. Her family and friends knew about the baby now and would be more than happy to be asked to hold her hand instead, but she couldn’t bring herself to cancel. The first thing she’d done every morning for days was check her phone. Anticipation of his messages made her smile in the mirror as she brushed her teeth and put a spring in her step when she entered the kitchen for breakfast.

  But today there would be more than messages. Today was New Year’s Eve and, after six nights of counting down the days until they met again, he’d be pulling up in the driveway any second to take her to her first ultrasound. The thought made her slightly dizzy, in a good way. She’d already changed her outfit five times and although excitement about seeing the baby had left her unable to eat breakfast, she’d be lying to herself if she said the care over her appearance didn’t have everything to do with Matt. She wanted his face to light up when he saw her, to see that lustful smile at least one more time and to feel the effect it had on her body.

  A car sounded outside. Hannah leaped up from where she’d been sitting on the couch and peered through the front window curtains. Thank goodness most of her family were out and about and not around to witness her heart wobbling at the sight of Matt sliding out of his car. It didn’t get any better as he strode up the garden path, faded denim clinging to every muscle in his legs as he approached. When the doorbell buzzed, she realized she’d been frozen to the spot, mouth open in gaping position. She wiped her mouth in case of drool, instructed her heart and hormones to calm the hell down, and braced herself for the onslaught of his scent and sound.