“I’d forgotten,” Toby said. “Jeez, I love it up here. I don’t know how you guys get off calling it summer down there.”
Certainly, it was never so humid in the south island. The sweat was already trickling between her breasts. “How are we getting to Kerikeri from the airport? By taxi?”
“Nah, someone’s picking us up.”
The first twinges of alarm shot through her. She hadn’t expected to meet strangers as soon as she set foot on the runway. “Oh.”
He reached out and squeezed her hand briefly. “Don’t worry. They’ll love you.” They watched as Charlie missed the last step and fell flat on his face. “I don’t know about him though.”
“Like father, like son.”
“I can’t argue with that.” She could remember Toby walking into doors and stubbing his toe in Fiji.
He took her travel bag from her so she could pick Charlie up, and she followed him across the tarmac. Her heart hammered. Why had she agreed to this? All her instincts had told her not to go, but she kept telling herself it would be best for Charlie—that he deserved to get to know his family, and vice versa, and so eventually she’d agreed.
Toby turned to wait for her to catch up, and for a moment hesitancy flickered across his face. He was nervous too. This was as scary for him as it was for her. Somehow, it made her feel better, as if they were in it together.
Inside the gate, several people were waiting to welcome the arrivals, and a couple waved to Toby as he approached.
“Hey.” He walked up to them with a smile.
Esther slowed as the young woman ran up to him and threw her arms around him. “I’ve missed you!” She gave him a big hug. Of average height and with a slim but curvy figure, she had long, brown, wavy hair and a pleasant, girl-next-door face. Esther recognised her from her picture in the women’s magazine—this was Faith, author of the Seven Sexy Sins articles.
So the guy standing with her must be Rusty. Around six foot tall, he was a good-looking man, slim but muscular, with reddish-brown hair that curled around his ears. When Faith finally released Toby, Rusty shook his hand, and then Toby pulled him closer for a manly hug.
“Good to see you,” Rusty said. “It feels like you’ve been gone ages.”
“I know. It’s good to be back.” Toby hesitated. “Um, guys, I’ve brought someone with me. A friend.” He turned toward Esther and smiled.
Heart in her mouth, she walked forward to stand next to him, conscious of their curious looks. Balancing Charlie on her left hip, she held out her hand to shake Faith’s and then Rusty’s as Toby introduced them.
“This is Esther,” Toby told them.
Recognition dawned on their faces. “Oh…” Faith said. “So this is Esther.”
Esther glanced at Toby. What did that mean? He’d said he’d only told his parents about her and Charlie coming up north with him.
They looked at the boy in her arms, and Toby cleared his throat. “And this is Charlie.”
They stared at him. There was a moment of silence.
“No…” Rusty said.
Faith’s eyes widened, and she turned her stunned gaze onto Toby. He nodded in answer and said sheepishly, “He’s my son.”
Esther’s cheeks burned as she waited for their reaction. She’d expected a thousand questions, denials, shock, even accusations.
She didn’t expect the look of pure delight that spread across Faith’s face as she said, “Oh my God, Toby, you’re a daddy?”
He grinned then. “Yeah.”
Faith squealed and threw her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek, then broke away and came over to Esther. “I can’t believe it!” Her eyes danced. “He told us all about you ages ago—I’m so glad you’re here.” She held her hand out to Charlie. “And you! You are so like your daddy. Look at your gorgeous curly hair! Hello, young man. I’m very pleased to meet you. I’m Faith.”
Charlie curled up to Esther shyly, but held out a hand and let Faith clasp it.
Rusty shook Toby’s hand again, smiling. “Congratulations, mate, that’s wonderful news.”
Esther nearly cried at the relief that swept over her. Faith obviously spotted her reaction and rubbed her arm. “Are you okay? Has it been a long flight?”
She shook her head. “No. I just…I’m a bit overwhelmed, that’s all.”
“Of course you are. How nerve-racking for you. Come on, let’s grab your bags and we’ll take you home for a cup of coffee, and you can tell us as much or as little as you want.”
“Thanks.” Esther concentrated on straightening Charlie’s T-shirt as she tried to hide her emotion. Although she got on well with her colleagues at the university, and the other mothers at Charlie’s daycare centre were always friendly, she hadn’t had any close friends since school. True, she’d purposely kept herself to herself and she’d coped remarkably well on her own, but, still, she envied Toby his close circle of friends and family. How different it would have been to know she had other people to rely on during the difficult times. She couldn’t imagine it.
They collected their bags and walked to the car. It was only then that Faith said, “Oh, I just realised, we don’t have a car seat for Charlie.”
“We’ve got that old one at home Cole gave us.” Rusty smiled. “I’ll nip home and get it.”
“No, no.” Esther flushed with embarrassment at their friendliness. “He can sit on my lap and I’ll clip us both in, providing it isn’t far.”
“No, it’s only five minutes. If you’re sure?”
“Of course. It’s no problem.”
They piled into the car and Rusty drove them into Kerikeri to his and Faith’s house. Once inside, Faith made them all a coffee and they took the cups outside to sit on the decking under the shade of a large umbrella, while Charlie scribbled on a plastic doodle pad that Faith kept in a cupboard for visiting kids.
Esther sipped her drink, finally beginning to relax. She hadn’t realised until then how tense she’d been.
“You’ll have to tell us all about the earthquake,” Faith said to Toby. “We were so frightened for you when we heard about it, especially when we couldn’t contact you. Was it scary?”
“Terrifying,” Toby said. “I screamed like a girl.”
Esther smiled as they laughed, but said, “He did not. He saved my life. And Charlie’s.”
“Wow,” Faith said. “A real superhero.”
“Like Dan Carter,” Charlie announced, making them all laugh.
“I can tell he’s your son,” Rusty said to Toby wryly.
Toby ruffled the boy’s hair. “His rugby education is sadly lacking, but I’m attempting to rectify that.”
Faith met Esther’s gaze and smiled. Esther studied her coffee cup. Faith’s eyes seemed to see right through her, to her most vulnerable spots. She supposed that the other girl had some inkling of how she felt. Faith had been fairly open in her articles with the way her relationship with Rusty had progressed, and she’d obviously been through the mill before the two of them finally settled down.
They talked for a while about the earthquake, and Toby explained how he and Esther had miraculously met up again. To Esther’s relief neither Faith nor Rusty enquired why she hadn’t told Toby he had a son for two and a half years.
Eventually, though, Faith said, “Where are you staying, Esther?”
Esther recognised the unspoken question beneath Faith’s query—were she and Toby back together? She couldn’t look at Toby. They hadn’t actually finalised details, although she knew he would let her stay at his house. But she wasn’t sure that would be a wise idea.
The night after she’d had the beer and he’d kissed her, he’d told her he was sleeping on the sofa, and she hadn’t contradicted him. Since then, he’d made no further move on her. He could probably sense her confusion, she thought. She was still attracted to him, but the last thing they should do was get involved again. She had to keep their relationship purely platonic and concentrate on what was best for Charlie.
>
She cleared her throat. “I’m not sure. I hadn’t actually decided…”
Faith smiled. “Then why don’t you stay with us? We have a spare room, and I can borrow any bits and pieces you need from Toby’s sister-in-law—her boy’s four now, but she’s kept most of his clothes and toys and stuff, and I know she’ll be happy to loan them out.”
Esther bit her lip and finally glanced at Toby, wondering if he’d be annoyed that she wouldn’t be staying with him, but he just smiled. She sighed with relief. It would give her the space to work things out and would remove the temptation of being in his company at night time. “Well, if you’re sure…” She wondered if Rusty would be alarmed, but he was just watching his wife with a smile. “Charlie can be a bit loud,” she told them.
“It’ll do him good.” Faith’s eyes twinkled. “Give him some practice.” She exchanged an amused glance with her husband.
“I thought so,” Toby said. “Congratulations, you two—when’s it due?”
Chapter Eleven
They both stared at him, shocked. “What do you mean, ‘I thought so’?” Faith demanded.
“I’m a father now. I know these things. I’m very sensitive, you know.”
Faith blew a raspberry. “Give over. You probably saw my pregnancy magazine on the table.” But she laughed as he gave her a hug.
Esther smiled, but she couldn’t help but study Toby as he shook Rusty’s hand. He was sensitive, surprisingly so, but clearly his friends had no idea. How strange that she should recognise it and they didn’t have a clue.
“Congratulations,” she told them. “When’s it due?”
“August,” Faith said. “I’m only just three months. Hopefully you’ll be able to give me some tips!”
Esther pulled a face. “Jeez, I made it up as I went along. I was so clueless.”
“But look what a lovely boy you have. You must have done something right.”
Esther was unable to stop a flush of pride spreading warmth into her cheeks. “Thank you.”
Charlie brought the doodle pad up to Toby and tried to climb onto his lap. Toby lifted him up. “Draw a ’rari, Daddy,” Charlie instructed.
“A Ferrari? Jeez, mate, start with something easy, why don’t you?” But Toby began sketching, and Esther noticed that whereas her cars consisted of a box with two circles for wheels, Toby’s actually looked like a sports car, to Charlie’s delight.
She looked up. Faith was observing her watching Toby. Faith now smiled, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Perhaps you’d like us to babysit tonight for you? I’m sure the two of you have a lot to catch up on. You could go out for a drink this evening.”
Toby glanced up at Faith and pointed the stylus at her briefly before returning to his drawing. “Stop interfering.”
“What?”
He didn’t look up again. “You know perfectly well what.”
“I’m still waiting to write that article, Toby.”
Esther couldn’t help but smile at that. “Are you talking about the Naughty Nights?”
Faith grinned in delight. “Did he show you the game?”
“She found it by mistake.” Toby added headlights to the car. “Don’t go getting any ideas.”
“It looks fun though, doesn’t it?” Faith’s eyes challenged Esther to deny it.
Two can play at that game, Esther thought, enjoying the exchange. “I’m surprised you two didn’t give it a go,” she said, indicating Faith and her husband. “It would seem like your kind of thing.”
“Ah.” To her delight, Faith’s cheeks turned pink.
“Yes,” Esther teased, “I read all about the Seven Sins. Mars Bars, eh, Rusty?”
He gave her a look, half-amused, half-exasperated. “Why does everyone pick on that?”
“I’m just glad it wasn’t a Curly Wurly,” Toby said.
They all laughed. Esther realised she was actually enjoying herself. It had been so long since she’d spent time relaxing in the company of people her own age.
“Anyway,” Faith said, “moving swiftly on, are you going around your parents’ house now, Toby?”
“Yes, I think so.” He smiled at Esther. “Are you ready for that?”
“Um…”
“Don’t worry.” He reached over and squeezed her hand briefly. “They’ll be great.”
Faith started collecting the cups. “And don’t forget—we’ll look after Charlie tonight if you’d like to go out.”
“Thanks.” Esther took Charlie from Toby’s lap, deciding she wasn’t going to think about it for now. “We’d better get you washed and brushed up if you’re going to meet your grandparents, eh?” Grandparents. Oh dear God. Things had gone well up until now, but explaining to Charlie’s grandparents exactly why she’d never contacted their son to tell him about his child wasn’t high on her list of ways to spend a pleasant weekend.
In the end, though, it all went surprisingly well. Luckily Toby had spoken to his parents at length the previous night, telling them what happened, so it wasn’t a shock as such when they turned up at their house.
Still, initially Esther sensed a coolness from the efficient, organised Martha Wilkinson, who had clearly wondered what sort of person would keep such information to herself. But merely five minutes after meeting her grandson, who behaved impeccably, right down to his pleases and thankyous when she offered him a biscuit and a drink, she warmed to Esther. By the time they left, both Martha and the reticent Graham Wilkinson expressed great delight at having met her, and told her they’d love to have Charlie for the day if she’d like to go shopping or spend some time exploring the Northland.
“That went well,” she said when they finally got back in the car. Rusty had previously dropped them at Toby’s house, and they’d picked up his car before driving to his parents.
He smiled, heading off back into town. “I told you they’d be great.”
“Your mum was wary at first though.”
“Meh. I knew you’d win her over.”
“Charlie was the one who won her over. You were such a good boy!” She reached over to the back seat and patted her son’s leg. Faith had lent them a booster seat for him, and he sat there now, thumb in mouth, eyes drooping. “You’re ready for your snooze, aren’t you?”
“He can doze on my bed,” Toby said, “if you want to come in for a coffee.”
“Okay.” She was interested to see inside his house. They hadn’t gone in when he picked up his car, although she’d noted that the long, low wooden house that lay tucked amongst the mandarin trees looked neat and tidy—not quite what she would have expected a single guy’s place to look like.
It was only a short drive to the road that led to the Kerikeri inlet. He pulled up in front of the house and she lifted out a half-dozing Charlie. Toby led her over to the front door, unlocked it and stepped back to let her enter first.
She walked into a light and airy living room overlooking the Waitangi Forest. It housed only a cream sofa and chairs and a huge television in terms of furniture, but scattered around the room were numerous wooden sculptures ranging from small koru leaf shapes on the walls to huge Maori fish hook carvings inlaid with paua shell.
“Toby, did you make all these?”
He placed his suitcase and carry bag on the floor and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. A little hobby of mine.”
“Oh my God, they’re beautiful.”
He shrugged, but she could see her words had pleased him.
Charlie toddled over to one and went to pick it up, and she stopped him hurriedly. “No, honey, these are Daddy’s special carvings—they’re not toys.”
“Oh Christ, Esther, they’re only made of wood. I can make a dozen a week. He can do whatever he wants with them.” He dropped to his haunches in front of a carving that curled like a silver fern. “Look, Charlie. See how smooth it is?”
Charlie ran his grubby paw around the polished kauri wood. “Daddy made this?”
“Yes. I’ll show you how one day
, if you like.”
Esther’s breath caught in her throat as he continued to talk to his son about how he’d carved the wood in the right shape and then sanded it to make it smooth. His words indicated that he planned to stay in Charlie’s life for a while. Of course it didn’t mean anything—they were just words, and as soon as he got caught up in university life, any good intentions he’d had would probably go out of the window. But the words spread warmth through her, all the same.
Charlie yawned, so Toby picked him up and carried him along the corridor and into his room. Esther followed, hovering in the doorway until he beckoned her in.
She held back the covers for Charlie, covered him up and then sat beside him for a while until his eyes closed before she returned to the living room.
Toby had just boiled the kettle, and he came in carrying a couple of cups of coffee. He opened the sliding doors, and they went outside and sat on the swing seat together, close, but not touching.
Esther sank into the cushions and sighed. “It’s so beautiful here.”
He sipped his coffee and turned in the seat to face her, smiling. “It certainly is.”
She gave him a wry look. “I was talking about the view.”
“So was I.” His eyes twinkled.
His T-shirt stretched across his muscular chest, and his legs were tanned under the swimshorts. He was a wonderful specimen of masculinity, and once again something stirred inside her, long forgotten, like the Loch Ness Monster swimming at the bottom of the lake.
“What?” He tipped his head at her silent observation, amused at her introspection.
It was so warm, she thought—sweat trickled between her breasts, and her hair clung to the back of her neck. Toby’s skin glistened damply. If she touched her tongue to the hollow at the base of his throat, it would taste salty.
The weather had been like this in Fiji, and even though they’d made love under the slowly turning ceiling fan, they’d still stuck together, skin sliding against slippery skin. In the beginning, she’d worried about it and wanted to keep showering, but he’d soon put an end to that. And after he’d licked and sucked her everywhere a woman could be licked and sucked, she’d given in and let him worship her warm body as often as they could both manage it.
Six Naughty Nights: Love in Reverse, Book 2 Page 7