“No, the point is that she needs a bit of TLC. Look at me, Joe, I’m holding a boxer dog like it’s a bloody week-old baby. Who could be better to look after her than me?”
“So you’re taking her out to dinner out of the kindness of your heart?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Is taking her back to your place part of this plan of consolation?”
Aaron glared at him.
Joe held up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying. I happen to agree with Mrs. Lyttle—it is time you moved on from Nita the Nutter. But this girl has obviously come here to get over her breakup. I don’t want her using you for a bit of light relief before she flies back to make up with her boyfriend.”
Aaron ignored the twinge of unease that Joe’s words gave him, which echoed her brother’s so closely, He’s got some kind of hold over her… she’s always gone back for more. Sometimes it was difficult to make that break—hell, he knew all about that—but even Bridget wouldn’t go back to a guy who’d jilted her in front of her friends and family, would she?
“If she wants light relief, I’m happy to supply some,” he said, carrying Mandy back to the recovery room. “I could do with a bit myself.”
Joe watched him place Mandy back in her cage and close the door. “She looked at you as if you were her whole world. Just remember that she’s going back to her family after she’s done here.”
Aaron straightened and stared at Joe, not sure whether he was talking about Bridget or the dog. He saw Joe’s raised eyebrow and realized that was the point. “Haven’t you got any work to do?”
Joe waved a hand and disappeared.
Aaron sighed and leaned on the cage. Mandy had dozed off and her shivering had stopped.
“She looks better.” Izzy joined him and smiled.
“Yeah, she does.”
“Don’t mind Joe,” she said. “He means well, but he’s got a foot the size of Mount Taranaki and it’s always in his mouth.” She and Joe had been married for years, and Aaron thought of her like his sister.
“He’s probably right.”
“Yeah. But not everything’s about forever, is it? She’ll go back, but she’ll never forget the guy who took care of her when she needed it most.”
Once again, he wasn’t sure if she was talking about Bridget or Mandy, and once again he realized it didn’t matter. “I have to be careful or I think she might break my heart.”
“And I think the damage has already been done.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Go on, clinic time. I’ll keep an eye on her and I’ll call you if we need you.”
He walked away, hands in his pockets. She looked at you as if you were her whole world. Slowly, his lips curved up. Izzy was right—not everything had to be about forever. He wasn’t going to feel bad that Bridget had taken him up on his offer. For Christ’s sake, a beautiful girl had just walked into his surgery and announced she’d flown all this way because she’d wanted to see him again. Besides which, he flew down to Wellington every other week. If they spent some time together and they both decided they had something worth pursuing, at least he’d be able to see her occasionally. Bearing in mind that his son was down there, maybe he’d even consider moving there one day.
He paused in the doorway, looking across the reception area to the waiting room. He and Joe had started this business up six years ago. In retrospect, it wasn’t the best location to open a veterinary surgery. The town of Russell boasted only a thousand residents, although their reputation had grown and many customers now came from Paihia, Opua, and other areas in the bay. It wasn’t unusual, either, for them to be called out to one of the one-hundred-and-forty subtropical islands comprising the bay, whose inhabitants tended to use their services rather than travel to the mainland.
They were never going to grow rich on the proceeds of their business, but the two of them loved the small town atmosphere, the tiny but loyal client base, and being part of the lives of those in the beautiful bay. Could he give it all up and move to the city? Wellington was a pleasant capital, small and thriving, but Aaron wasn’t a city lad. He’d grown up in the bay, and his parents and his sister and her family all lived nearby. The city was noisy, smelly, and dirty, and he loved spending the evenings and the weekends he wasn’t travelling out fishing on his small boat with his two dogs. Could he give that up?
He pushed the thought away. No point in running before he could walk. The courts might rule that Nita had the right to take Mateo back to Spain. Combine that with the fact that Bridget might spend a few days up here and then decide that what she’d felt for him had been born out of the drama of the day, and there would be no reason for him to ever visit Wellington again.
And now he’d depressed himself for the second time in as many minutes. He pictured her smile when she’d asked him if it was crazy that she’d wanted to see him again, and he’d replied If it is, then I’m crazy too. Not everything was about forever. He had to learn to live for today and make the most of the gifts he was given.
Unbidden, a picture of the lacy underwear that Bridget had been wearing beneath her gown sprung into his mind. Yeah, he thought, his mouth watering at the notion of her wearing something similar under her sweater and jeans. Gifts like that.
His lips curving up, he walked into the waiting area and called for Mrs. Lyttle to come in.
Chapter Ten
When Aaron turned up at Jacaranda Lodge just after six o’clock, Bridget was sitting out the front on a white bench, waiting for him.
He was walking rather than driving, so she guessed he must live nearby. Her heart started to race when she caught sight of him, but she made herself stay sitting until he’d reached the bench, at which point she rose to greet him.
“Hi,” she said, trying not to sound breathless. It didn’t work. She was excited to see him, and she didn’t think there was much point in hiding it after the smile he’d given her when she’d turned up at his surgery.
Then, he’d worn a white coat over jeans, and she’d been taken aback by how much younger he’d looked, maybe because he’d shaved, or maybe because he was back in the place he obviously felt most comfortable. Standing there with the boxer in his arms, he’d looked relaxed and content, and she’d felt a flutter in her stomach as she’d watched him consoling the dog, his large hands gentle and his voice deep as he’d hummed to it.
Now he looked different again—he’d ditched his work coat and wore a black padded jacket unzipped to show a blue-and-white-checked shirt.
“You look nice,” she said.
He laughed. “It’s me who should be paying compliments.”
“Even so. You looked quite… um… rough and ready in Wellington.”
He fingered his chin. “Oh, yeah, I hadn’t shaved. Sorry about that.”
“You look… younger.” And even more gorgeous, she was going to add, but thought she’d better not overdo it.
He gave a wry smile, his gaze slipping down her. “And you look amazing in your own dry clothes.”
She laughed. “Thank you.”
He offered her his arm. “Now the formalities are over with, shall we?”
“Why not?” Shyly, she slipped her hand through his arm, and they began to walk down the road.
“So how’s your week been?” he asked.
“Good. I stayed in Auckland, then took my time driving up to the Northland. I went over to the Hokianga, up to Cape Reinga, and then down to Doubtless Bay. I haven’t done much except drive and walk and just… be, I suppose. I needed that. You were right—time helps. Somehow, I ended up here.”
“I wondered whether you’d call me from Kerikeri to come and pick you up.”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“You did. It was a nice surprise.”
“I’m glad. I did wonder whether you’d take one look me and say ‘Jesus, I didn’t mean it.’”
“I meant it. And I’m damned glad you came.” He smiled. “What did your family say when you said you were coming?”
<
br /> “‘I think it’s a wonderful idea, and I hope you have a great time.’”
He laughed. “I can’t imagine Hitch saying that.”
“You’ve only spoken to him once, and clearly you’ve already got the full measure of him!” She sighed. “He wasn’t too happy about me going away on my own, but he realized I need some time to reassess everything.”
“Did he know you were coming to see me?”
“I said I might call by. To be honest, it wasn’t until this morning that I made up my mind to come. In the end, I thought I’d wait to see your reaction, and if you looked alarmed or worried, I’d say I was just passing through.”
“Did I look alarmed or worried?”
Her cheeks warmed. “No.”
He chuckled. “Good. So… what did you get up to this afternoon?”
“I went to the church.” She gestured at the white building as they passed it. “I didn’t realize it’s the oldest existing church in New Zealand.”
“Yeah, it’s our taonga. Our treasure,” he clarified at her puzzled look.
“Oh. I saw the bullet holes from the Maori Wars and read about some of Russell’s history. I can’t even begin to pronounce the old name for it.”
“Koro-ra-reka.” He broke it down for her and nodded when she repeated it. “It used to be the capital of New Zealand in the 1840s. It means sweet penguin—and that’s the name of the restaurant we’re going to now.”
“Oh really?” She laughed. “That’s wonderful. I do love it here—the bay is beautiful.”
“You can see why people say it’s like paradise.”
“Definitely.” The Bay of Islands was her favorite place she’d visited so far. She’d driven into the bustling town of Kerikeri to check it out before heading toward Paihia on the coast. Everything looked sub-tropical, from the brighter-than-bright sunshine, to the palm trees that lined the roads, to the fact that it was a few degrees warmer than Wellington. Everyone here was already in shorts and T-shirts in spite of the fact that it was technically still spring.
Paihia looked like a pretty seaside town with the added bonus that it sat right on the edge of the bay and had a magnificent outlook across the Pacific to the islands in the distance. There were passenger ferries between Paihia and Russell, but she’d driven a few miles further south to a car ferry at Opua. The road had wound along the coast beside the sparkling ocean, and when she’d boarded the ferry, she’d gotten out of the car to let the wind blow through her hair as she’d leaned over the side and watched the fish swimming beneath her.
It was all very beautiful, and she knew she was going to have fun exploring the area, but she couldn’t deny to herself that the glow she felt inside wasn’t due to the beauty of the scenery. The reason her heart had lifted walked beside her, talking about the fish he’d caught the previous weekend when he’d been out on his boat.
She cast him a glance, conscious of his hard biceps beneath her fingers. His gentle, unimposing manner made it easy to forget he was several inches taller and wider than her. Taller and wider than Mal. She liked that.
He looked down and caught her watching him, and his talk about the best bait for snapper trailed off. “Sorry. I forget that not everyone likes fishing.”
“Don’t apologize. I wasn’t bored. I was just… looking.”
He chuckled. “Look all you like. As long as I can look back.”
A touch of heat simmered in his eyes, and it made her mouth go dry. She wasn’t used to men looking at her with desire. She’d once read that when a person has a partner, they gave off different signals from when they were alone. Presumably, for years she’d been subconsciously telling men she was unavailable, and it had been a long time since her relationship with Mal had sparkled with excitement. Having a man slide his gaze down her in a way that suggested he was wondering what she looked like without her clothes gave her a flutter in her stomach she hadn’t felt for a long time.
Liking the feeling, she lifted her face to the early evening air. The spring breeze played with her hair, and the sun warmed her face. The sweet aroma of caramel from the nearby ice cream parlor mingled with the smell of the sea. Seagulls cried as they wheeled above her head, and laughter spilled out from the restaurants and cafés where people were heading for their evening meal. A feeling of peace settled over her that she wouldn’t have had in Wellington, where the noise of traffic never ceased, even into the night.
“Here we are.” He stopped outside the Sweet Penguin, a restaurant on The Strand. He gestured for her to precede him, so she walked up the steps and through the door. “I hope you like seafood,” he said, following her in. “But if you don’t, they do offer some alternatives.”
“I love seafood.” She paused as a waitress approached with a smile. “I think we might have a reservation under…” She hesitated, embarrassed to realize she couldn’t remember his surname. Had he told her at all?
“Reed,” he said easily.
“Of course. Please come this way.” The waitress led them to a table out on the deck. A balustrade separated it from the quiet road and beyond that, the sandy beach and then the sea. A deck heater stood nearby for when the temperature dropped, but at the moment it was pleasantly warm, the perfect place to eat out on a first date.
If it was a date. Bridget wasn’t sure she should call it that, even in her head. Aaron was her friend—she’d leave it at that for a moment.
They sat, and the waitress handed them a menu, then left them for a while to make up their minds.
“Mmm, this all sounds wonderful.” Bridget scanned the list of fish and seafood dishes. “I think I’ll have a grilled Jalapeno tuna steak. That sounds amazing.”
“It does. I’ll have the same. That was easy.” He smiled, put the menu to one side, and leaned on the table to study her. “How are you, anyway?”
She placed her menu on his. “I’m okay. I get a feeling of unreality every now and again. I’ve been with Mal so long that I can’t quite believe we’re not together anymore. You know what it’s like when you’re with someone—your whole life is plotted out ready for you—engagement, marriage, house, babies… I thought I had it all figured out. Turns out I wasn’t even close.” She gave a wry twist to her lips.
His reply was halted by the arrival of the waitress, so he had to wait until they’d given their orders and she’d moved away again before he replied.
“Yeah, been there done that.” He rolled his eyes. “Life has a way of biting you in the arse just when you think you’ve got it all sorted.”
“It does. I suppose we have to see it as a learning curve. I mean, I wonder if you would have been so sympathetic with me if you hadn’t been through it yourself?”
“True. Maybe not. So I wonder what poor soul you’re supposed to help out with the knowledge you’ve gained from your experience?”
She laughed. “I don’t think I’ll be giving anyone lessons in relationships, unless it’s in what not to do.”
He frowned. “You speak like you think what happened is your fault.”
“Well, I have to bear some of the blame for being an idiot.”
“No you don’t, Bridget, and it makes me angry to hear you say that.”
She pursed her lips. He had a gleam in his eye that gave her shivers all the way down to her toes. Ooh. “Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we?”
She held his gaze for a long moment, her heart racing. Gradually, the glint in his eye faded and his lips curved up.
At that moment, the waitress arrived and gave them their drinks. Bridget had decided to have something different and had asked for a cocktail. The Watermelon Coconut Refresher had just the right amount of tequila and lime, as if they’d managed to squeeze summer into a glass.
“It’s so much warmer up here,” she said.
“I know. We always used to say summer started on Labour Day. Now, it seems to start and end later, and spring goes on for a lot longer.” He’d taken off his jacket and shivered, which amused her, as it felt like a
n early summer day to her. “So, Hitch wasn’t too happy about you coming up here. I’m sorry about that.”
She shrugged. “Sometimes he thinks he’s my father. It’s nice that he’s worried about me, but he forgets I’m grown up. I mean, yeah, I make mistakes—huge ones, often—but it is my choice. He has to learn to let go.”
“It must be hard for him, though. I understand that he’s wary about you coming up here. He doesn’t know me, and he’s going to think the worst.”
“Mmm. He thinks you’re going to seduce me and ravage me.” She blinked as his eyes widened. “Sorry, did I say that out loud?”
He laughed. “That cocktail must be strong.”
“I’m sorry.” Exhilaration swept through her. She was in a place where nobody knew her, and nobody was going to make judgments about her. No one here knew her past—they had no idea about what had happened with Mal, and they wouldn’t know or care about her background or what sort of person she was. She didn’t have to maintain her reputation; she didn’t have to answer to anyone. If she wanted to, she could take ten lovers over the next week and nobody would ever know.
Not that she was planning on doing that. Having only ever slept with one man, the notion of taking off her clothes in front of another gave her palpitations, but it was fun to fantasize.
Her eyes met Aaron’s. He’d sat back in his chair, one arm slung over the back, and he was surveying her with amusement after her comment about being ravaged. She had the feeling that he was having fun fantasizing too.
His slate-gray eyes started a warmth in her belly, and it gradually spread up to her breasts and pooled between her legs as he continued to study her. He was looking at her as if she were the only woman in the restaurant. He looked captivated, his eyes telling her that he desired her, and she knew at that moment that if she asked to go back to his place, he was going to say yes.
Chapter Eleven
The tuna steak was delicious, the wine fresh and flavorsome, the setting sun warm, and the atmosphere pleasant. Aaron wasn’t sure why it was so important to him that the evening went well, but he couldn’t suppress a glow of pleasure that Bridget appeared to be enjoying herself.
Persuading Spring: A Sexy New Zealand Romance (The Four Seasons Book 4) Page 8