Home for the Holidays

by Sarah Mayberry

  She was so prickly and independent, he couldn’t imagine her letting anyone close enough to propose.

  Robyn bit her lip, obviously debating whether she should say more or not.

  “It’s okay. I don’t want to pry,” he said quickly. Even though he did. Big-time.

  “Oh, it’s not like it’s a state secret or anything. Everyone knows. I guess that’s part of the problem. Lucas swept her off her feet, romanced her till she was so dizzy she didn’t know which way was up. She was so happy…. And then Kelly came home from her job in the U.K. and everything went bad from there.”

  Joe wanted to ask who Kelly was, but he was afraid to interrupt Robyn’s train of thought. Hannah’s mother shook her head as she remembered something.

  “I should have seen it coming. I mean, Lucas and Kelly had so much more in common. They both worked in the IT industry, they shared so many opinions and dreams and ambitions. If only they had handled things better, told Hannah how they felt sooner rather than leaving it so late….”

  Robyn was tearing up. He reached into his back pocket for the handkerchief he always carried.

  “Here.”

  “Thanks.” Robyn dabbed at her cheeks. “You’d think after six months I’d be a little more resigned to it all, but it’s so damned hard watching my two girls torn apart when they used to be such great friends. Kelly didn’t mean to hurt Hannah, I know that, but she did. And Hannah feels so hurt and angry and betrayed. Honestly, I don’t see how this thing will ever resolve itself.”

  Joe stilled. Was he getting this straight? Had Hannah’s sister stolen her fiancé? Could that possibly be right?

  It was such a huge betrayal that he couldn’t get his head around it. No wonder she preferred working alone in the garage at night to going out and partying or dating. Suddenly every encounter he’d ever had with her was cast in a different light. Her defensiveness, her silent stoicism, her uncertainty.

  Before he and Robyn could talk further, music blasted out of the speakers and the lights dimmed. The crowd turned toward the T-shaped runway as one of Ruby’s teachers, a tall, slim woman in her fifties, took up her post behind the podium to the far left of the runway.

  “Welcome, ladies and gentleman. Elsternwick Primary wants to thank you all for your time and for your generous donations tonight. We’ve got lots of excited models backstage, so I’m going to dive straight into things. We hope you enjoy our parade as much as we enjoyed putting this night together for you.”

  She turned toward the stage, then consulted a sheet of paper in her hands.

  “Our first models are Melinda and Liana. Let’s give them a big welcome.”

  The crowd dutifully clapped as the first mother and daughter stepped onto the runway. Joe was too busy thinking about what he’d just learned to pay them much attention as they walked to the top of the runway to pose and turn and pose some more while the MC described their outfits.

  He could only imagine how humiliated Hannah must have felt to be rejected by her lover in favor of her younger sister. And from what Robyn had intimated, the rejection had come late in the day. He stared blindly at the stage as he wondered how late. Had Hannah bought her dress? Chosen the menu for the reception? Booked the honeymoon?

  What kind of an asshole would do that to a woman he’d been prepared to marry? What man could claim to have ever loved her, only to hurt her so badly? As for Hannah’s sister…

  “Our next models are Hannah and Ruby. Don’t they look great?”

  Joe lifted the camera, yet he could do nothing but stare. Something warm and primitive expanded in his gut as he stared at the woman holding his little girl’s hand. She looked amazing. With her hair piled on top of her head and her eyes done in smoky makeup, Hannah’s beauty was undeniable. The navy trousers clung to her long legs as she and Ruby began walking, the fine fabric of her ruffled, sleeveless white blouse betraying the sway of her breasts. But it wasn’t simply her many physical attributes that held his gaze, it was the way she lifted her chin as she walked, the look in her eye as she took on the challenge of the fashion parade. She’d rather be anywhere else, he knew, was probably nervous and self-conscious as hell, but she was doing Ruby proud because she’d said she would.

  What man could ever walk away from you?

  The thought should have been disturbing since it had no place in his world, but it wasn’t.

  “Hannah wears a pair of Trent Nathan tailored trousers teamed with an Alannah Hill blouse and Marc Jacobs shoes,” the MC said. “Ruby wears a sailor dress by Osh Kosh B’Gosh and shoes by Petit Shoes.”

  Realizing he had yet to take a single shot, Joe lifted the camera and hit the shutter button.

  Hannah and Ruby got to the end of the runway and performed the little crossover maneuver he’d seen them practicing the past week. Ruby stuck her left hip out and propped her left hand on it, then Hannah followed suit. Then, unexpectedly, they saluted one another with their right hands, in keeping with their nautical theme. Joe was surprised into laughter, as was the rest of the audience. Hannah’s smile was genuine as her gaze swept the audience. For just a fraction of a second their eyes caught and held as he lowered the camera. Then she and Ruby strutted their way back up the runway, Ruby clearly having the time of her life. One last wave, and they disappeared behind the curtains.

  Joe could hear Robyn sniffing beside him as he flicked the camera off and tucked it back into its case. She gave him a rueful smile when he glanced across to check if she was okay.

  “At least I’m getting good mileage out of your handkerchief,” she said.

  “I think they both had a good time.”

  “Oh, I know. That’s why I’m crying,” Robyn said. She laughed at her own logic.

  The next mother and daughter team stepped onto the stage. Joe consulted his program. There were twenty entries in all, and they weren’t even a quarter of the way through. He checked his watch, then made a decision. He leaned toward Robyn.

  “I’m going to go backstage and check on Ruby. If Ben comes back, would you mind…?”

  “Sure. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

  He flashed her a grateful smile and started angling his way through the audience toward the back of the hall. Hannah and Ruby had attended a rehearsal on Wednesday evening and he knew that models who had walked the runway waited in a separate area to those yet to go on. One of the organizers pointed him in the right direction. Ruby leaped out of her seat when she saw him and practically bounced into his arms.

  “Did you see, did you see?”

  “I did. You were wonderful,” he said.

  Hannah remained seated, her expression unreadable as she watched them.

  “Did you like our salute? That was Hannah’s idea and I wasn’t sure but everyone seemed to like it.” Ruby’s cheeks were pink, her sailor’s hat tilted on a rakish angle.

  “Everyone loved it,” he said. “You were both beautiful. The stars of the show.”

  One of the organizers stepped into the holding area.

  “Ruby, we need you to come line up with the other students now,” she said.

  “Oh, okay.” She turned to Joe. “Just us kids are going to do our thing again at the end of the parade so I have to go now.”

  “Off you go, then,” he said with a smile. “I’ll keep an eye out for you up front.”

  “And take lots of pictures.”

  “Lots of pictures,” he promised.

  She ran off, curls bouncing. When he turned to talk to Hannah, her chair was empty. He frowned. Then he caught sight of her disappearing through a side door.

  He followed her, finding himself in a dimly lit corridor. She had a head start on him, her high heels echoing loudly on the concrete floor as she walked briskly toward the exit sign at the end of the corridor.

  “Hey. Wait up,” he said, lengthening his stride to catch her.

  She stopped, but even in the bad light he could tell she didn’t want to.

  “Where are you going?” he asked when he reach
ed her side.

  She gestured toward the exit sign. “Outside. It’s too hot in there.”

  She fanned her shirt and a waft of something sweet and spicy hit him. With her high heels they were eye to eye and his gaze was drawn to her mouth. She was wearing gloss and her bottom lip looked very full and soft.

  “Did you want something?” she asked, and he realized he’d been staring.

  “I just wanted to say thanks. You did a great job out there. And Ruby loved every minute of it.”

  She shrugged. “Honestly, it was no big deal. And it was fun.”

  He couldn’t stop himself from looking at her mouth again. “I also wanted to tell you how great you look.”

  She made a rude noise. “It’s okay, you don’t have to suck up to me.”

  “I wasn’t,” he said. “You look beautiful.”

  She frowned and shifted uncomfortably. “Well, don’t be fooled. Underneath I’m still the same old grease-stained Hannah Napier.”

  “Maybe that’s what’s so good about it.”

  She stared at him. She looked deeply uncertain. Almost afraid. “I need some fresh air,” she said in a subdued voice.

  She started to leave. He didn’t want her to go. He moved his body to block her path. Didn’t think about it, or where it might lead. Just did it.

  He felt the warm brush of her body against his side.

  “Hannah,” he said, but words failed him as he caught another waft of her perfume. “Hell,” he said. And then he was leaning toward her.

  She gasped with surprise as his mouth found hers. Her lips were incredibly soft against his. His tongue dipped briefly inside her mouth and he tasted her for the first time. Sweet and fresh. He went back for a second taste and after a small hesitation her tongue slid along his, tentative, searching.

  Hot desire exploded in his belly and thighs and chest. He crowded her against the wall, his body pressing against hers, hip to hip, chest to chest, as his arms wrapped around her. He angled her head back, deepening the kiss. Her hands grabbed his shoulders as her tongue met his, stroking and challenging and tasting him as avidly as he tasted her. Her hips pressed forward and he could feel her breath coming in fast pants. He slid a hand down her back to her backside, his fingers gliding over the taut, round curve of her ass cheek.

  She felt good. So firm and strong. He curled his fingers into her backside and used the grip to pull her more closely against his hips. She made an encouraging sound in the back of her throat. He left the sweet heat of her mouth to taste the skin of her cheekbone and explore the intimate whorls of her ear. She shuddered as his tongue dipped inside her ear, then she grabbed his hand from where it was clamped on her shoulder and dragged it down to her breast. She arched her back, filling his palm, her breast warm and heavy, her nipple already stiff with desire. He ran his thumb over her nipple once, twice, then rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. She shuddered and her hands slid onto his butt, guiding his hips closer as they kissed and caressed and rubbed against each other in the dark.

  He was so hard it hurt. He wanted to get her naked and he wanted to be inside her. His frantic, horny mind started making plans. They could go out to the car. Or find a dark, private corner somewhere. Anything, anywhere, as long as he could satisfy the need building in his body.

  She seemed to have the same thought. One of her hands slid from his ass to start fumbling with his belt. He found the buttons on her blouse and slid one free, then another, then another. He slid his hand into the gap and found warm, rounded flesh cupped in lace and satin. He pushed her bra aside and groaned as he felt the slide of her silky skin against his hand. She finished with his belt and popped the button on his jeans, reaching for the tab on his zipper. He got harder still as he imagined her hand on him, sliding up and down his—

  Music and light blasted into the corridor as the door to the hall opened. Two women approached, talking and laughing. Joe jerked his hand from inside Hannah’s shirt. Her hand slid from his waistband. They moved apart and she angled her body toward the wall as she fumbled with her shirt buttons.

  Joe pasted on a polite smile and nodded as the women passed, aware he and Hannah probably looked as guilty as hell. God knows what the women were thinking, but he didn’t really care. He was too busy trying to understand what had happened.

  One minute they’d been talking, the next he’d been ready to throw Hannah over his shoulder and go find a handy cave.

  It seemed to take a long time for the two women to reach the exit. He waited until he and Hannah were alone again before speaking.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  “It’s no big deal.”

  They were both lying. She couldn’t look him in the eye, and he’d wanted to kiss her, touch her from the moment he first saw her, even if it had taken him until this moment to admit it to himself.

  He didn’t know what to do, what to say. He simply hadn’t been looking for anything like this. He’d loved Beth and he’d believed his capacity for this kind of need had died with her. Apparently it hadn’t.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again because he didn’t know what else to say.

  “You already said that. I get it,” Hannah said. “Let’s just forget it ever happened.”

  Before he could respond, she walked away, heading for the exit.

  Forget it ever happened.

  It was a great idea, in theory. In practice, he knew it was going to be a long time before he was able to forget the feel of Hannah’s breast in his hand and the sound of her breath in his ear and the feel of her long, strong body pressed against his.

  The door opened and she was silhouetted against the night sky for a handful of seconds. The door swung shut, throwing him back into darkness. After a long moment, he turned and walked the other way.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  HANNAH WAS STILL REELING from Joe’s kiss when she woke the next morning. She lay in bed and stared at the patterns the morning sun made on her ceiling and relived the feel of his big shoulders beneath her hands and the slide of his tongue inside her mouth.

  God, she’d wanted him. Right there, right then. Even with Lucas she’d never gotten so hot and heavy so quickly. With him sex had always been more fun and playful than hot and fiery. Lucas had never rubbed her the wrong way as Joe did, either. But maybe that was part of it. Maybe the rub was part of the tension, part of the heat.

  She shook her head, trying to shake the memory loose. It had been a mistake, a big one. They’d both agreed that was the case. So there was no point closing her eyes and remembering how hard he’d felt through his clothes, how much she’d wanted to press her lips to his skin and slide her hands over his body.

  She shifted in the bed, feeling hot and sticky all over again.

  All those years out on the oil rigs had given him a fantastic body. There had been no softness to him, no hint of weakness in his broad shoulders and muscular arms….

  Hannah threw back the covers. Lying in bed fantasizing about Joe Lawson was the biggest waste of time under the sun. What had happened had been a freak occurrence, never to be repeated, brought about by too much makeup, a dimly lit hallway and a pair of well-cut trousers. And even if it hadn’t been, there was no future in it. He was a widower with two kids, and she was about to set out on a round-Australia trip.

  She dressed in her usual jeans and T-shirt after her shower then entered the kitchen. Her mother was making tea and she gave Hannah an assessing look as she poured milk and spooned in sugar.

  “You were very quiet last night after the parade. Did you enjoy yourself?” Robyn asked.

  “Sure. Ruby had a great time and I didn’t take a dive into the audience. What was not to like?”

  Hannah collected the cereal box and a bowl, hoping all the activity would hide the slow tide of warmth she could feel creeping up her face. She could only imagine what her mother would say if she knew Joe had kissed her. And that she’d kissed him back and the only reason things hadn’t gone any furt
her was because they’d been interrupted.

  God, what if we hadn’t been? What would have happened if those two women hadn’t come along?

  “Hannah! You’re getting corn flakes all over the floor.”

  Hannah blinked and realized she was pouring cereal into an already full bowl.

  “Sorry. Must have inhaled too much hair spray last night.”

  Her mother sighed and put down her teacup. “Was it so horrible, getting all gussied up for a change?”

  Hannah thought about the way she’d felt when she looked at her made-up face and hair last night—like an impostor, a fake.

  “It’s not me, all that stuff. You know that,” she said. “I know you wish I was more girlie like Kelly, but I’m not, Mom.”

  Her mother’s face clouded. “I don’t wish you were like Kelly. I love you the way you are.”

  “Right.”

  “I just want you feel good about yourself, Hannah. I don’t care how you do it.”

  Hannah scooped the spilled cereal into the box, using the small task to buy some time. She wanted to tell her mother that she did feel good about herself, that she knew she was a good mechanic and a good person, but she knew that wasn’t what her mom meant. The truth was that Lucas’s betrayal had knocked her already fragile sexual confidence. She’d never been very good at playing the man-woman game. She didn’t know how to flirt. Pretending she was helpless or that she needed a man had never been her style. And she’d never been adept at working out when a man was interested in her or not.

  Case in point: Joe Lawson. Until the moment he’d blocked her body with his own and leaned toward her, she’d been almost one hundred percent certain that he considered her a nuisance to be tolerated because his daughter had formed an attachment to her. But then he’d kissed her and she’d realized that the awareness she felt when she was around him wasn’t one-sided. Not by a long shot, if his heated response was anything to go by.

  “Hannah?”

  Hannah glanced up and saw her mother was frowning at her. She’d zoned out again, thinking about Joe. What on earth was wrong with her? It wasn’t as though she’d never been kissed before, for Pete’s sake.