by Coleen Kwan
At the deli he ordered ham-and-tomato sandwiches and chocolate milks for both of them. They sat in the small park next to the deli and ate while Chloe regaled him with lengthy stories about the adventures of Miss Pinkie the pink pony.
“My grammy has ponies, too,” Chloe said between bites of her sandwich. “Real ones. She says I can ride one when I visit her.”
She was talking about Gretchen, the mother of Tyler’s ex, Luke realized. The woman who wanted Chloe to live permanently with her, though obviously the girl had no clue about that. She simply thought she’d be visiting with Tyler.
“I have another grammy,” Chloe continued. “I saw her at Aunt Daphne’s, but I’m not allowed to call her ‘Grammy.’ She’s too young to be a grammy, she said.”
Luke suppressed a sigh. Poor little darling, having two self-centered grandmothers. And poor Tyler too, getting no support from either woman, just a whole lot of criticism. For all her feistiness and willingness to do battle, Tyler was still vulnerable, and she could use someone in her corner. Someone like him? Immediately he shook his head. No, she needed someone who would stick around for the long haul, someone who could give her stability and security. Someone not like him. He was just the itinerant friend who dropped in now and then. Like his dad, unable to stick around? No, he hadn’t made promises to anyone.
“Do you want to play on the swings?” he asked, nodding toward the set across the park where another little girl was being pushed by her mother.
“No,” Chloe said swiftly.
He caught her apprehensive stare at the swings. “Why not?”
The girl frowned down at her shoes. “I don’t want to fall. Mumma always says she’ll catch me, but I’m scared she won’t.”
Shoot, what had he said now? Buying Chloe lunch and pink toys was easy, but addressing her fears wasn’t. For all his babysitting experience, he suddenly felt way out of his depth. He cleared his throat. “Hey, you know your mum’s always going to be there. She wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Chloe wriggled her foot, still frowning. “Really?”
Luke hesitated. He shouldn’t be making promises on Tyler’s behalf, but the girl was looking for reassurance. “Really.”
Her face cleared and she tugged at his hand. “Can I go on the slide?”
Wondering if he’d handled the situation properly, he laughed and allowed her to pull him to his feet. “Sure, moppet.”
When their half an hour was up, they headed back to Java & Joolz.
“Sounds like you had a good time,” Tyler said to Luke when Chloe had finished telling her everything and run back to her corner table. “Thanks for taking her out. It’s hard on her to be cooped up here all morning.”
Luke shrugged. “It was a pleasure, honestly.” Even if Chloe had made him realize there was a lot about parenting he didn’t know. Luckily, fatherhood wasn’t in his plans, so he needn’t worry about being bad at it.
Now that the lunchtime bustle in the store had died down, he had ample opportunity to enjoy the sight of Tyler. Ever since they’d almost ended up in bed, she had occupied a large proportion of his thoughts. Today she wore a lace-trimmed top and a fluttery, long skirt belted tight around her slim waist. Her hair trailed down her back in loose red ruffles, and her skin was pure cream with just a dusting of freckles. Narrowing his gaze on her, he folded his arms across his chest and breathed in slowly. Mmm…she was just so damn enticing. Pity circumstances were so complicated. If only…
“Luke?” Tyler’s eyes sparkled mischievously, as if she could read every one of his wandering thoughts.
“Hmm?” Maybe he should put his panting tongue away.
“Do you want to see those earrings now?”
Earrings… Oh yeah, those earrings for Helen. He nodded and followed her across the store. When he saw the pieces, he bought them on the spot, knowing they’d be a perfect gift for his sister.
“My shift’s almost over,” Tyler said as she rang up his purchase. “If you hang around for ten minutes, we can all head back in your car.”
A while later he found himself driving home with Tyler sitting next to him and Chloe strapped into her booster seat in the rear. Since she’d been borrowing his car, Tyler had tuned the radio to a rock station, and as they swooped over the undulating lanes, she cranked up the volume and sang along to the music blaring from the speakers. Chloe joined in, bouncing her feet in time to the music. At first just Luke’s fingers tapped along on the wheel, but eventually he joined in, and they sang all the way home.
Luke jabbed the off button on his phone and tossed it aside. The problem with mobile phones was he didn’t have the satisfaction of slamming down the receiver. Instead, he had to pace around his living room, seething as he relived his agent’s call. Elliot was displeased Luke had been ignoring all his e-mails. Elliot was also displeased that no manuscript was forthcoming and the deadline was looming perilously close. Elliot would have hit the roof if he’d known exactly how unfinished the contracted book was.
To hell with agents and contracts and deadlines. To hell with writing, too. Maybe he should chuck it all and do something else. Something useful. He could teach. That would be more useful than wringing another Kingsley Jeffers book from his soul. Though if he became a teacher, he’d have to remain in one place, put down roots. Somehow the idea wasn’t the complete anathema it once was, but it was still enough to give him the heebie-jeebies.
Deciding he needed a distraction, he picked up the can of teak oil he’d purchased and went next door to stain Tyler’s outdoor furniture. Earlier that day, he’d popped in to find both her and Chloe under the weather. Tyler had a migraine, while Chloe had a stomach bug. They were both resting inside in front of the television, and he didn’t intend on disturbing them while he worked on the wooden chairs.
He was almost finished when a sleek black car pulled into the driveway. The woman who got out was in her sixties and dressed in a prim beige suit and matching polished shoes. Her severe face soured at the sight of him.
“I’m here to see my granddaughter,” she announced as if she were addressing the hired help.
Luke stretched up to his full height. “You must be Gretchen Stafford.” After Tyler’s vivid description, who else could it be?
“I am.” She flicked a disdainful glance at his stained T-shirt. “And you are?”
“Luke Maguire.” He considered offering his hand but doubted she’d shake it. “I’m the next-door neighbor.”
“I see.” Her flinty eyes narrowed. “I suppose you pop over all the time.”
He slitted his eyes, too. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing.” She tightened her jacket around her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get to the front door.”
He shifted his stance so he was blocking her path fully. “As a matter of fact, I do mind.”
Her head jerked up. “I beg your pardon! I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m Chloe’s grandmother. I have every right to enter that house.”
“Strictly speaking, that’s not true.” Folding his arms across his chest, he glowered at her. “Tyler and Chloe aren’t well today. They’re resting and not up to having visitors. You should probably come back in a few days’ time.”
She took a step closer until she was glaring straight into Luke’s eyes. “This is none of your business.” She was steaming like a bull about to charge, but he stood his ground, his stubbornness rising.
“I’m making it my business. Tyler told me about you and your demands.” He shook his head. “You can’t just take a young girl away from her mother simply because you want her. It’s…” He tried to think of the mildest adjective. “It’s completely selfish.”
Her mouth flapped open and shut a few times as Gretchen struggled to speak. “I’m d-doing it for Chloe,” she spluttered. “She’d be better off with me. I-I have so much to give her.”
Luke jabbed his finger in the direction of the house. “She has everything she needs right there—a lovi
ng home and a terrific mother. All you’d give her is money and a warped outlook on life.”
He’d spoken without thinking, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted his harshness. Gretchen wilted before him, blinking back tears. “You don’t understand… Chloe, she’s all I have left in the world…”
Damn, now he felt guilty for being so hard on her. “You still have a son, don’t you?”
“Oh, Damien, yes.” She looked away. “But he’s overseas. I don’t see him much.”
“And you blame Tyler for that, too, I suppose.”
She pursed her lips. “Well, they were both rebellious. She was just as obstreperous as Damien. They egged each other on; they were bad for each other.”
“But Tyler changed after she had Chloe. You may deny it till the cows come home, but she’s a good mother. She’d do anything for her daughter.”
“And what about me?” Gretchen’s expression grew cantankerous. “I should be allowed to see my granddaughter. And Chloe deserves to have a grandmother.”
Maybe the woman had a point. At least Gretchen wanted to be in Chloe’s life, whereas Tyler’s mother appeared to positively shun the little girl.
“But you don’t want to visit your granddaughter,” Luke pointed out. “You want to take her away. Is it any wonder Tyler doesn’t like you coming around?”
Gretchen huffed out her cheeks and glanced at the garden, seeming unwilling to meet his gaze.
“If you persist in backing Tyler into a corner,” Luke added, “you’ll never see your granddaughter at all.”
She shook her head and studied him as though seeing him for the first time as a person and not just an obstruction. “You seem to know an awful lot about Tyler and Chloe.”
“I’ve gotten to know them well.”
“And you’re really just a friend?”
At her suspicious tone, he clamped his jaw. “As opposed to what, exactly?”
“Boyfriend, paramour?”
“No.” Her nosiness made him clench his teeth. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Oh. Well.” Unrepentant, she lifted her shoulders. “I’m glad you’re making yourself useful at least.” She nodded at the freshly stained chairs nearby. “It’s difficult for me seeing my granddaughter forced to live in such squalor.”
Luke feared his head would explode. “You’d better leave. Now.”
His peremptory tone caused her to start. “But I want—”
“I don’t give a rat’s arse what you want. You’re leaving.”
Her expression curdled. “Really! There’s no need for such language—”
“If you don’t like hearing bad language, then you’d better get going.” He was all but snarling now.
Clutching her handbag, she backed away. “This isn’t the end of things. I’ll be back,” she warned him shrilly.
He sketched her a mocking bow. “I look forward to it.”
He continued scowling at her until she’d gotten into her car, reversed out, and driven down the road. Only then did he release a long breath and flex his shoulders. All the muscles in his back were pulled tight from the tension. One run-in with Gretchen Stafford was enough to give a man ulcers.
He’d been a boor toward her, but she clearly wasn’t the type to give up easily. She’d be back just like she promised, and next time Luke might not be around to ward her off.
Chapter Ten
Sunday dawned fine and sunny. At eleven thirty, Tyler, Chloe, and Luke set off for Helen’s party. The drive from Burronga to Goulburn took less than an hour, traffic was light, and the trees along the roadside were coming into their autumn glory. It should have been a pleasant drive, but as Tyler glanced across at Luke, she couldn’t help noticing his fidgety fingers and tense jaw.
“Hey, it’s just your sister’s birthday party,” she said. “We’re not going to the Oscars.”
Smiling vaguely, he made a visible effort to relax in the driver’s seat. “I’m hoping Helen won’t bring up the subject of my mother’s house again.”
Tyler hoped that too. She didn’t want Luke moving back to Goulburn. She liked having him next door. Maybe a bit too much. Even though they’d agreed not to act on the sizzling attraction between them, that didn’t mean her imagination had gone to sleep. Now, sitting next to Luke, it didn’t take much for her fantasies to heat up again. His thigh, encased in denim, was temptingly close to hers, so close she could easily slide her hand over it and give him a squeeze.
“Plus,” Luke continued, “I’m not looking forward to bringing up the subject of my father. Helen is sure to flip out when I mention him.”
She gripped her hands together. Fondling Luke’s leg was not on the agenda. “Wait until near the end. Let her enjoy her day first.”
“Yeah, except I’ll be dreading the moment all afternoon.”
She threw him a curious look. “You don’t have to do it, you know. You’re not responsible for your father, especially not to your sisters.”
“Thing is, I do feel responsible. And guilty, too. My sisters all despised him even before he finally deserted my mother, but somehow I couldn’t work up the same hatred.”
“You’re more forgiving.”
At that, he grunted. “You’re giving me more credit than I deserve. No, the horrible truth is, my father was nicer to me than to my sisters. He favored me, for some reason.”
“Because you were the baby of the family?”
He shrugged, still appearing uncomfortable. “Maybe.” He didn’t speak for a while. “But maybe it was also because we shared a love of books. I never saw him read to my sisters, but he was always reading to me.”
“It’s not your fault he neglected them. You shouldn’t feel guilty about that.”
Luke grunted again, and she knew she wasn’t making him feel any better. It was time to change the subject. “So what was it like growing up in Goulburn?” she asked.
“Quiet, down-to-earth. It’s not as trendy as Burronga, mostly working-class families. We have the state’s maximum security prison plus the police training academy, so I guess we cater to all types.”
“What did your mum and dad do for a living?”
“My mother worked in a sock factory. My father was a traveling sales rep, but he was always changing jobs, keeping odd hours. When he left us, my mother took on a second job flipping burgers at the local bowling alley.” His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. “Soon as I was old enough, I had a part-time job too, but Mum wouldn’t let me work very many hours. She insisted I concentrate on my studies.”
He spoke quite freely about his mother, but Tyler could sense the depth of emotion lying beneath his deceptively casual tone. “It’s a pity she only got to enjoy your success for a short time,” she said softly.
He didn’t answer, just compressed his mouth and kept his gaze on the road. She wanted to reach over and squeeze his arm to show her solidarity, but the remoteness in his posture held her back. Luke was used to bearing things on his own, she reminded herself. He didn’t need her. She leaned back in her seat and watched the countryside as they drove into Goulburn.
Helen lived in a modern villa not far from the center of town. Since she was a widow and her two daughters were at university, she’d moved into a smaller place, Luke explained to Tyler as they approached the door. Inside, the house seemed even more compact, crowded as it was with Luke’s sisters, their husbands, and their children. For a few minutes a noisy clamor rose as Tyler was introduced to everyone she hadn’t yet met.
After a few moments, she noticed that Chloe wasn’t clinging to her as she usually did when confronted by a roomful of strangers. Instead, she’d taken refuge with Luke. The sight of her daughter clasping Luke’s sturdy hand made her heart pinch. Had she let Chloe grow too attached to Luke? Wouldn’t her little girl be devastated when he left, even if he did keep in contact? As she watched, Luke murmured something to the girl and pointed at a big box of toys in the corner of the living room. Reassured, she let g
o of his hand and scampered to the box. Luke caught Tyler’s eye and grinned, making her heart constrict even further.
“I asked Rosie to bring over a few toys,” he said as he came toward her.
“Thanks,” she said. “That was really thoughtful.”
“It’s nothing.”
It wasn’t nothing. He knew how Chloe would feel and had considerately provided for her. He was so good to her daughter, which would only make it worse when he eventually quit their lives. Maybe she should have been thinking more of Chloe instead of herself. Shoot, why couldn’t she appreciate his kindness without dwelling on the consequences?
Helen opened her gift from the twins and gratified Tyler when she exclaimed over the necklace. “It’s so pretty,” she said as she hooked it around her neck and everyone admired it.
“Uh-oh, wonder what this is?” Helen grinned teasingly as she picked up Luke’s gift. Her grin turned to a gasp of delight as she held the earrings. “Oh, Luke, they’re b-beautiful.” She teared up while she examined the pieces. “I never expected…”
Luke put an arm around her. “You’re disappointed because you were expecting that waffle iron, weren’t you?”
“Silly duffer.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “You could never disappoint me.”
“Yeah? I should try harder, then. Anyway, I don’t deserve the credit. Tyler suggested I buy the earrings.”
Helen smiled at Tyler. “Thank you. If you don’t mind my saying so, you’ve done wonders with my brother.”
Tyler felt her cheeks heat. Avoiding Luke’s eye, she cleared her throat. “Uh, I got you a little something, too.”
“Aw, you shouldn’t have.”
Tyler’s gift was a couple of silver bracelets decorated with a simple Celtic design. After all the presents were opened, everyone descended on the casual buffet lunch, piling food onto plates and sitting wherever there was space. Chloe was more interested in the toys—other people’s toys were always more interesting than her own—but Tyler managed to get some food past her lips. After lunch the younger kids persuaded her to go outside with them and play.