Daring to Date Her Ex

by Annie Claydon

  He pulled his hand away from hers. ‘It doesn’t matter what she wants, Thea. She’s a child.’

  ‘Yes, I know that. But I imagine she’ll have an opinion, and you may as well listen to it. You don’t have to do what she says.’ She felt tears pricking at the sides of her eyes. This was harder than she’d imagined.

  ‘Ava would say that it’s my duty to treat her the same as everyone else. That I have to stand up and be an example to the other parents.’

  ‘Good grief. You taught her well, then.’

  He rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, I know it’s my fault. Don’t rub it in.’

  Now he knew how she’d felt. Loving an idealist was never easy. ‘All right, moving on. Do you think that our testing and treatment programme offers the best to our patients?’

  ‘Yes. I already said that.’

  ‘I know, just taking things in order.’ She glared him into silence. ‘And do you think there’s anything that the private sector can offer her that we can’t? Leaving the posher consulting rooms and the better coffee aside for a moment.’

  He thought for a long time and then shook his head. ‘Not in this case, no.’

  ‘Right. Well, bearing all that in mind, what do you think you should do?’

  He shook his head. There was another question somewhere that Thea had missed. She thought hard.

  ‘Is it just that you feel that loving someone automatically means you have to trash your ideals?’

  His lip curled suddenly. She’d hit a nerve. ‘Back off, Thea.’

  ‘Okay, okay. I’m sorry.’ She felt herself flush. She hadn’t meant to make this about Lucas and her. ‘This is just with regard to Ava. About what’s best for her.’

  ‘Yeah. I’m sorry.’ His chest heaved as he sucked in a draught of air. ‘I think… Will you supervise her testing? Personally.’

  ‘Of course. I’m going to insist on that.’

  ‘And you’ll make sure I know everything? Every last detail, even the ones that don’t matter?’

  ‘Every last one. I appreciate that you’re the parent here, and I know you’re worried.’

  ‘And you’ll call round this evening? If I put an extra steak on the barbecue and get a bottle of red?’

  ‘What, in my official capacity? Not sure about that, I’ll never make it round to everyone.’ She grinned at him, and finally he smiled.

  ‘As a friend. Who doesn’t mind talking sense, even when I don’t want to hear it?’

  ‘I don’t know. Were you thinking of getting a decent bottle of red?’

  He chuckled. ‘You mean not the stuff we used to drink?’

  ‘Yes. Exactly.’

  * * *

  Thea grasped the heavy brass dolphin and the door swung open almost before she’d had a chance to knock on the door. Ava stepped out onto the doorstep.

  ‘Hi. I know.’

  ‘You know?’ That statement could apply to pretty much anything.

  ‘I know about Safiyah. I knew about it anyway because she messaged me, but her mother phoned Lucas this evening. She knows what his job is.’

  ‘And what did Lucas say to her?’ Ava didn’t look overly perturbed about the situation.

  ‘He said that Safiyah’s going to be okay. That the drug regime can be tough, but that there’s lots of support available, and to call if there’s anything he can do.’

  ‘Sounds good. How do you feel about that?’

  ‘I feel sorry for Safiyah. Lucas says that as soon as she’s not infectious, we’ll have her and her family around for supper.’

  ‘Well, I’m sure that’ll cheer her up a bit.’

  Ava rolled her eyes. ‘All the other parents will be looking to see what he does. I told him that, and that I was pleased he was setting a good example.’

  Thea suppressed a smile. ‘Good for you.’

  ‘Then he gave me the talk.’ Ava sighed. She and Lucas clearly had regular talks. ‘He asked me how I was feeling and I told him I was feeling fine. So he said that I wasn’t to worry, and that Safiyah was going to be all right, and that TB isn’t easily transmitted from one person to another.’

  ‘And what did you say?’ Thea couldn’t contain her smile.

  ‘I said I already knew that. There’s plenty of information on the internet and I can read.’

  ‘And…what did he say?’

  ‘He just nodded, and went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of wine. I’d get in there quickly if you want any, before he drinks the lot.’

  ‘Okay, thanks. Is that all?’

  Ava nodded. ‘Yes. Come in.’

  Lucas was at the barbecue, nursing a half-empty glass of red wine and looking remarkably cheerful after the rigours of the talk. Leaving the steak to sizzle for a few moments, he strode inside and poured a generous measure for Thea.

  ‘Careful, I’m driving.’ Without thinking, she topped his glass up from her own. Those little acts of intimacy that had survived the years and needed to be unlearnt.

  ‘She knows.’ He leaned towards her confidingly.

  ‘Yes, I know she knows. Now that everybody knows, can we all stop whispering about it, please? And why are you smirking?’

  ‘I wouldn’t call it smirking. I’m just reflecting on the fact that Ava’s information dissemination techniques are second only to your own.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘It’s a compliment. And, by the way, thank you. I nearly made a fool of myself there.’

  ‘It wasn’t foolish to be concerned about Ava.’

  Lucas cut her short with a shake of his head. ‘It’s not a matter of concern. The best thing I can teach Ava is that I know how to stand by my principles. And I do honestly believe that we do the best we can for the kids in our care and that she’ll get no better treatment elsewhere.’

  Lucas gave his most seductive smile, and Thea felt her knees begin to shake.

  ‘Do I smell burning?’ She nodded towards the barbecue and he darted back outside, flipping the steaks over adroitly. Ava appeared, making a beeline for him.

  ‘Thea agrees with me. You’re doing the right thing.’

  Lucas feigned incomprehension and then gave in. ‘Thanks. Nice to know.’

  And the matter was closed. Until after dinner, when Lucas leaned back in his chair on the patio, ruminating on the problem.

  ‘So we have two separate nodes of infection.’

  ‘Only they probably aren’t separate at all. We just can’t see the link.’ Thea had been thinking about that too.

  ‘Yeah. And whoever the link is, they’re going untreated.’ One of his fingers tapped restlessly on the arm of his chair. Lucas wasn’t going to let this go until he’d found that person.

  ‘So what do we know?’

  ‘We have two schools, six miles apart. Very different communities, and it’s not that likely that the kids from one school mix much with the kids from the other.’

  ‘Maybe inter-school activities?’

  ‘Perhaps. But would that provide the degree of exposure needed to infect someone?’

  ‘Does she have a boyfriend?’

  ‘Don’t think so, her parents are pretty strict about that kind of thing…’ He paused to think. ‘I wouldn’t be the one to know that, would I?’

  ‘Not necessarily.’

  Lucas frowned. ‘It’s the end of term in six weeks as well. That’s going to make things more difficult, at the moment everyone’s pretty much in the same place. Once school breaks up people will be going away on holiday and it’ll be more difficult to contact them.’

  ‘So we’ve got our golden opportunity now. Let’s make the most of it.’

  ‘Yeah. Let’s do that.’ He stared out over the garden. ‘By the way, are you free this weekend?’

  ‘I was going to work anyway—there’s something you want me to do?’

  ‘Actually, I was going to try and stop you from working. You look tired and we all need a break.’

  Looking tired probably wasn’t the best of imp
ressions to make, but it was nice that he’d noticed. ‘What kind of break?’

  ‘I’ve got to go shopping with Ava. They have an end-of-term dance, and this year she wants a nice dress. I wondered if you’d like to come. I dare say that your opinion would count for a little more than mine.’

  ‘Ava wants me to go?’

  His gaze met hers, and the old electricity suddenly zipped between them. ‘I want you to come. I’m shamelessly using Ava as an excuse.’

  It was impossible to refuse. Maybe this was the start of what she’d hoped would happen someday. Maybe she was moving on from the past and maybe, just maybe, Lucas could be a part of her future.

  ‘All right. What time?’

  ‘About ten-ish?’

  ‘Ten’s good. I’ll come over and meet you here.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  LUCAS HAD UNDERESTIMATED himself. He was every girl’s dream as a shopping companion. Ava had been given a generous budget, and instead of loitering around, waiting for her to make her choice, Lucas was in the thick of it all, making suggestions and looking through rails of dresses.

  Thea, on the other hand, didn’t feel as if she was a great deal of help. When she pulled a dark blue, long-sleeved dress from the rail, both Lucas and Ava wrinkled their noses at the same time.

  Finally, six dresses were selected and Ava was despatched to the changing room.

  ‘You used to love clothes shopping.’ He looked speculatively at Thea.

  ‘You used to hate it.’

  He chuckled. ‘I learned. What did you do?’

  ‘Unlearned?’

  Ava’s appearance in a red and white patterned summer dress diverted his attention. ‘Turn around.’ He considered for a moment. ‘It’s a nice dress, but it’s not really an evening dress. And it doesn’t do that much for you.’

  What he meant was that the sleeveless dress, cut to flatter the curves of a slightly rounder figure than Ava’s, was a bit too old for her. Thea mentally congratulated him on his tact.

  ‘That’s what I thought. It would be good to get a nice summer dress for the holidays, though.’ Ava shot him a wheedling look.

  ‘Yes, you do need one. We’ll have a look, see what they have.’ Lucas waved her back into the changing room. ‘Try the next one.’

  ‘That’s downright unnatural.’ Ava had disappeared back into the changing room and Thea leaned towards Lucas.

  ‘What? You didn’t think it was too old for her?’ Lucas’s eyes had a hint of mischief in them.

  ‘Yes, much too old. What’s unnatural is you sitting here, making helpful suggestions, instead of hanging around in a corner somewhere, wishing that this was all over so we could go and get lunch in the pub.’

  ‘Things change. And lunch in the pub doesn’t sound too bad either.’ His assessing gaze swept over Thea, so intense that it was almost a physical touch. ‘Actually, the dress would suit you.’

  ‘I don’t wear dresses much these days.’ Never, actually.

  His eye surveyed her jeans and grey hooded top. ‘Shame.’

  Before she could tell him it was just a matter of practicality, he was on his feet, scanning the rails of dresses. Ava appeared again from the dressing room, looking surly in the extreme, in a white ruffled concoction.

  ‘No. Definitely not. It makes you look like a Christmas cake.’ Thea gave her opinion and Ava giggled.

  ‘Where’s Lucas?’

  ‘Gone to find you another dress.’

  Ava grinned. ‘Will you help me with the next one?’

  ‘Yes, of course.’

  The next dress was a plain, wrap-around style, which gaped a little at the front. ‘This is no good. My bra’s showing.’ Ava pulled the dress this way and that miserably.

  ‘It just needs a pin. Look.’ Thea held the neckline of the dress so that it wrapped interestingly, rather than plunging dangerously.

  Ava thought about it, and then nodded. ‘I really like that.’

  A couple of other women, obviously in the changing room for consultation rather than to buy, expressed their approval and someone produced a safety pin. Lucas was shown the dress and told Ava she looked gorgeous, and once that was settled Ava tried on a couple of other summer dresses, settling on a pinky-purple shift dress that suited her dark hair and eyes.

  ‘Now you.’ It seemed that Lucas wasn’t going to let Thea off the hook and he handed her the red dress. Distressingly, he seemed to have estimated her size correctly.

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Go on. It’ll look great on you.’ His eyes dared her to do it. ‘Just try it. What’s the harm?’

  Plenty that couldn’t be voiced and nothing that could. And Lucas made her feel safe. He couldn’t help it and neither could she, it was just one of those things. Thea turned and walked into the dressing room.

  She almost chickened out. In the mirror, her legs looked too pale, her arms too thin, and having habitually worn trousers for so long, a dress seemed unbearably revealing. But this was Lucas she was up against.

  ‘Fabulous. You look gorgeous, doesn’t she, Ava?’

  ‘Yep. Wish I had curves.’

  ‘Give it time.’ Lucas grinned at her.

  ‘It doesn’t feel quite right.’ Thea tugged self-consciously at the skirt, her bare toes curling with embarrassment.

  ‘That’s because you need red shoes to go with it. For dancing.’

  Her heart suddenly melted. Not exactly taking all her fears with it but overwriting them with remembered joy. The red shoes that Lucas had always referred to as her dancing shoes had been her favourites. She’d danced in them, thrown them off to follow him across moonlit grass, and on more than one occasion had made love in them.

  ‘You think so?’

  ‘Don’t you go dancing any more?’

  As it happened, no. Thea hesitated.

  ‘Buy the dress.’ He gave her an imploring look, as if his whole world would fall apart if she didn’t.

  ‘Buy it for her. Where are your manners?’ Ava’s voice broke in and both of them ignored her. Lucas would have bought her the dress in a heartbeat, but he wanted her to want it. When he looked at her like that, she almost did.

  ‘I’ll—’

  ‘Buy it.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll buy it.’

  She didn’t have time to go back into the changing room and think of a reason to change her mind. Lucas picked her up and carried her to the cash desk, subjecting the cashier to the killer smile that generally let him get away with almost anything.

  ‘Would you mind scanning the lady, please?’ He leaned over so that the woman could reach the ticket, which was hanging from Thea’s shoulder.

  ‘Sorry.’ Thea mouthed the word, feeling herself blush, and hung on tight to Lucas.

  ‘Would you like a bag?’ The woman was grinning.

  ‘Yes, please. And…’ Lucas looked around for Ava and found her standing behind him, clutching her own purchases. ‘These two as well, please.’

  ‘You can put me down now,’ Thea whispered in his ear, and he ignored her. Ava pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed over his card, and in a show of bravado he kept hold of Thea at the same time as punching his pin number into the machine.

  ‘Enjoy.’ The cashier handed Ava’s bag over and grinned at Thea. ‘Would you like me to take the tag off?’

  ‘No, thanks. I’m going to get changed now.’ Thea pushed at Lucas’s shoulders. He could let her down now.

  ‘Not until we’ve got the right shoes.’ Lucas was obviously on a mission.

  ‘Second floor.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Lucas allowed Thea to slip down out of his arms. ‘Let’s go.’

  When she collected her jeans and top from the changing room, they seemed suddenly drab and unexciting. Thea took a moment to smooth the red dress over her hips. It was lovely.

  Lucas hustled her barefoot to the second floor then applied himself to talking Ava out of a succession of unsuitable shoes. Thea was left to scan the shelves on her own.


  Red shoes. She reached towards the pair of red strappy sandals, almost afraid to touch them. She had to have something now that Lucas had bought the dress. And these were so very pretty.

  She sat down next to Lucas and asked for the shoes in her size. ‘You like these?’

  ‘Do you?’

  ‘Yes, I like them.’ She stood and took a turn around the seating area. ‘They’re very comfortable.’

  ‘I like them too.’ He nodded in approval and reached for his wallet, but this time Thea was too quick for him. Pulling the shoes off, she made the cash desk in her bare feet.

  ‘Pipped to the post.’ She could feel him behind her. Not quite touching her but somehow managing to make her feel as if he was.

  ‘Yeah. It’s all for the best.’ She turned in the confined space between the counter and his body, and faced him. Lucas didn’t back off. ‘If you bought them for me then you wouldn’t know if I was just being nice by wearing them.’

  ‘True. Are you thinking of being nice to me, then?’

  Who couldn’t when Lucas was in this mood? Playful, unpredictable and devastatingly attractive. ‘Maybe. Maybe not.’

  It was an unashamed come-on and a smile tugged at his mouth in response. ‘I’ll be waiting to see…’

  * * *

  It was just a simple, sleeveless summer dress, red flowers on a white background, but Thea looked lovely in it. The curve of her shoulder. Her knees. Lucas hadn’t thought he had a thing about knees.

  He had thought he’d left all this behind, but that had been before he’d seen Thea in the dress. It wasn’t so much the dress but the certain knowledge that she hadn’t changed at all really. Along with the answering realisation that he hadn’t changed as much as he’d thought either. Maybe he could leave the past behind and be the man she deserved. Right now, he reckoned that was a possibility.

  ‘Isn’t Ava coming with us?’ She’d accepted his offer of dinner, and seemed surprised when she heard the front door slam.

  ‘No, she’s going next door, to my parents’. She plays bridge with my dad on a Saturday evening sometimes.’

  She raised one eyebrow. ‘She plays bridge. With your father?’

  ‘Yeah, she’s really good at it. I don’t know what she sees in it personally, but…’ Lucas shrugged. ‘Are you ready?’