by Iris Blobel
Connor raked a hand through his hair. “I hope not.” With a quick flick, he moved the duvet and got up.
“Why’s she here?”
He shrugged as he put on his pants.
“I thought you two broke up?” she asked, her voice so fragile, it nearly broke his heart.
“Damn, yes, we did. For Christ’s sake, she cheated on me. I was hoping to never see her again.”
“She hurt you.”
He spun around, meeting her gaze. “You bet she did.” And he realised at that moment he was still carrying a lot of resentment within him. Resentment he thought he’d left at home. Anger crept up in him, thinking Harriet had no business being in Australia. At that moment he cursed her hurting him, but he cursed her even more for following him to the other end of the world, a place where he’d found some peace and happiness the last few weeks.
And a family, people he felt he belonged to.
“Do you still love her?”
He rubbed his eyebrow with his thumb, then shook his head. Looking at Emily, he saw doubt in her eyes as she turned away.
“No, I don’t.” Connor sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. “I have a feeling I never did. I mean, since I’ve been with you, it’s different.” He paused for a moment, gazing into her green eyes. “Harriet and I were together for less than a year.” He shrugged. “Being the boss’ son attracts many women. Some with good intentions, some not so good.”
She turned back to him, and his heart nearly stopped.
“I meant what I said before.”
Emily’s smile didn’t make it to her eyes, and a pang of disappointment shot through him.
“But yet, you’re only committing to twelve months.”
“Touché.”
“What are you afraid of?”
He stared at her, not sure what she meant. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
Emily inhaled sharply. “You are.” She paused for a moment, turned to grab her shirt and panties. “Not all women are like Harriet. Not all of us cheat on people we care about. Not all of us care for the money or the social rank a man holds. Life’s an adventure. It’s a gamble—some you lose, some you don’t.”
“I’m missing something here. I thought I heard myself saying I love you less than five minutes ago.”
Emily nodded. “And I love you, too. I’m not the one holding back, though.”
“I’m not holding back. Moving to the other end of the world, leaving everyone and everything behind, starting all over again is not as easy as one, two, three, Emily.”
She nodded, but didn’t reply. The reasoning obviously not enough for her.
Momentarily numbed by the anger within him, he grabbed his clothes and headed towards the bathroom. Before he closed the door, though, he turned and said as calmly as possible, “Don’t you dare talk to me about life’s adventure. I’m at the frigging other end of the world, sorting the pieces of a puzzle that was my childhood. I am not afraid of women, but I’m not stupid enough to let them break my heart one after the other.”
The sound of the door slamming behind him, even made him flinch.
***
Emily stared at the closed door to the bathroom. Her heart aching, her misery weighing on her like steel. Regrets charged through her, but she wasn’t able to figure out what the actual regret was. Had she pushed him to make a decision about staying here for good? Or had she crawled into his bed way too early, ignoring the fact that it’d been twenty years since she’d last seen him?
With a sigh, she heaved herself out of bed. In a few quick movements, she gathered up her clothes, dressed, and left as quietly as she could. She heard Jack coughing in his room, tempted to go in and check on him, but with the first tears falling, she slipped out the front door and drove home.
And she had no one else to blame but herself for the mess she was in. For the ache that clogged her throat.
As she drove along the Christmas decorated streets back to her house, an emptiness settled in her stomach. She tried to put herself into his shoes, wondering how it’d feel to be cheated on by someone she loved.
Or hadn’t Connor loved her? Did he still?
And what the hell was Harriet doing in Australia, anyway?
Emily stopped at a little parking bay and turned off the engine. Leaning her head against the steering wheel, she fought off tears. This was not how she wanted to finish the Christmas days.
A few long moments later, she lifted her head and gazed towards the beach. She watched the people walking along the shore, the little children enjoying the water, or running after the seagulls. In the distance, the ships were leaving, some of them coming back in. Opening the car window, she welcomed the small breeze but knew that she wouldn’t be able to stay there for too much longer. It was supposed to be another hot day.
Spotting a family with ice cream, she remembered that she hadn’t had any breakfast, yet, and turned on the engine again, heading towards the other side of town for the bakery.
Half an hour later, she sat in her parents’ backyard, with a couple of croissants and danishes, and a cold drink, enjoying a lazy afternoon. The troubles of the day pushed into the far end of her mind.
Chapter Ten
When Connor opened the door and saw Harriet, he was tempted to slam it back shut.
Shaking his head, he asked, “What are you doing?”
With a smile on her face, she took in the house and the surroundings. “Nice place, Connor. I had no idea.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked again.
“Don’t you want to invite me in?”
“No.”
Her eyes widened in obvious surprise, but he wasn’t sure why she was so taken aback about his reply.
“Your mother told me that your natural father is dying of cancer. I thought it would be a good idea to be with you.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he gazed into the distance before meeting her eyes. Even after the long flight and the humid heat, she was still able to look incredibly sexy.
“We’re done, Harriet. You chose to be with someone else, and I respect that.”
“Don’t be so pretentious, Connor. I apologised. And not only once. Now, I’d really appreciate if you could let me in.”
The fight earlier in the morning with Emily went through his head, and his heart ached. He blamed the woman in front of him for it and acid came up his throat.
“There’s a hotel down the road. They might have a room for you.”
“Connor!”
“We’re done. You made the choice when you crawled into another man’s bed. Don’t come anywhere near me again, do you hear me?”
“You can’t just leave me—”
“I can and I will. I didn’t ask you to come here.”
Jack’s cough in the back of the house distracted him momentarily, before he turned back to Harriet as he let out a long breath.
“Look. I’m sorry you’ve come all this way. However, there’s too much going on here at the moment that I don’t want to deal with any other issues. My dad is dying, and I want to get to know him as best as I can.”
“I understand. I can help—”
“No you can’t. Please, Harriet, you need to understand, you’re not part of my life anymore.”
With a few wild moves, she opened her handbag and retrieved a tissue to wipe the first tears.
“The tears won’t work.” Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, before he looked at her again and said, “Goodbye, Harriet.”
Then he closed the door and leaned his head against it, feeling rotten and weighing the pros and cons in his mind of what he’d just done when Jack’s hand on his shoulder startled him.
“Son, are you all right?”
Connor stood straight and nodded as he turned around.
“Please,” his father said. “After all these years apart, let me be a dad with a shoulder to cry on.”
Connor choked back a little laugh, before letting out a short breath
. “Where do I start?”
“By making a cuppa,” his dad replied with a big grin on his face.
Twenty minutes later, Connor and Jack sat at their by now usual spot on the deck outside.
“Tell me, who was the beautiful young lady?”
Connor took a sip of his tea, contemplating his words. “That was Harriet, my ex-girlfriend and colleague at the firm.”
“Why is she here?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. I have a feeling mother did some meddling. I’ll give her a call later on.”
He went on telling Jack about his history with Harriet, his doubts about her genuine feelings, the lure of Duncan’s and Jane’s place in society, and not to forget that Connor was Duncan’s stepson, most likely the future partner in the firm. Connor placed his cup on the table, rubbed his face with his hand, and said, “What pisses me off the most is that she caught me off guard this morning and Emily was the target of my bad mood.”
Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “Target?”
Connor drew in his lips between his teeth before he gave a slow nod and replied, “There was Harriet calling this morning wanting a lift from Melbourne. I felt like I was drawn into a parallel world.” He looked down at his cup and whispered, “I told Emily I loved her, but—”
His dad held up a hand. “You don’t just say these things after you had your ex-girlfriend on the phone.”
Defensive and somewhat annoyed, Connor countered, “But it was talking to Harriet that made me realise that I love Emily.”
Jack nodded, but didn’t seem convinced.
“Emily was more interested in Harriet—”
“Which is understandable,” Jack interrupted.
“Not after I’d just told her how I felt.” He drew in a long breath. “After a couple of questions, I repeated it, and she replied in a casual tone she did, too, but I was the one holding back.”
“Holding back with what?”
“Holding back by only committing to twelve months.”
Jack nodded, contemplating the reply.
“How can I make her see how terrifying it is to move to the other side of the world and have to start all over again?”
“She’s a woman, Son, and I don’t mean that in a derogative way, but they see things more from an emotional point of view. You’re a lawyer. You’ve been taught to analyse things.”
Connor sat back and smiled as he stared at his dad.
“What?” the old man asked. “Have I failed the shoulder-to-cry-on session?”
“I might give you an A-plus for it.”
Expecting a smile on his father’s face as well, Connor’s smile faded when Jack’s expression grew serious.
“I’m not trying to take away what you had with…your stepdad.” He shrugged, and with a frown he continued. “I always wanted children. Always wanted to be the hero in a little child’s world. This is what I wanted, to talk to my child about serious stuff, funny stuff, or like the other day, old stuff.” He placed his hand on Connor’s. “You’re my best Christmas present I could’ve wished for. And I know, despite struggling with the initial doubt that Emily nurtured her childhood crush on you, I’m sure you two are meant for each other. Talk to her. Let her know how you feel.” Then he started to laugh. “And for God’s sake, close your mouth.”
Connor did, but was momentarily too stunned to talk. Where did all this come from? Emotions washed through him, and he wasn’t able to sort them, wasn’t able to identify them.
“First of all, you’re not taking me away from Duncan. He’s the male version to mother. I think he was glad when I was finally accepted into boarding school.”
A quick glance at his father told Connor that the old man wasn’t happy to hear those words.
“Second, I love being here and I feel like I won the lottery by having you as my father.” He paused before he added, “I just wish we could’ve found each other earlier. There’s so little time left.”
Jack nodded, not trying to hide his tears.
“As for Emily, I truly love her. But just because we do love each other, who says we still will in twelve months, when routine kicks in. I have a job, which I might or might not like. I might get homesick, God forbid, I wouldn’t have a clue what I’d be missing, but it may happen. I can’t promise her.”
“Ever the analyst,” his father said with a smile. “Live the moment and not tomorrow. If it isn’t going to work out, you can tell her in twelve months, but for the moment, it’s about you and finding how to make it work.”
Connor gave a slow nod, not sure how to reply.
After a long moment of silence, Jack started to cough. Connor stood to get him some water, but by the time he returned to the deck, his father had gone to sleep. He double checked his breathing to make sure, before he placed the blanket on his father’s lap.
Stepping over to the railing, he watched the sea. The horizon was a beautiful blue, not a cloud in sight. The ocean was calm, with only a few ripples stirring up the water. He remembered the day he’d arrived here, afraid of the water, ignorant of the beach, worried about his future.
It’d taken only a few weeks for Fermosa Bay and its residents to draw him into their lives, making him want to call this place home. He loved London, the vibrant city, the variety of entertainment, the convenience of travelling to other countries within a few hours—but it had nothing compared to this place. The friendly faces everywhere. The laid back lifestyle. He hoped it would still feel like home next Christmas.
The buzz of his phone interrupted his thoughts. Contemplating to ignore the caller, he checked the ID, but answered when he saw it was Ethan.
“Mate, I’ve got a bad-mouthed English beauty in the lobby, claiming she’s the hotel owner’s son’s girlfriend and demanding a room, despite the fact that we’re booked out.”
His inner calm had exploded within seconds. “How the hell does she know Jack owns the hotel?”
“So you know her?”
He hadn’t been aware that he’d spoken the question out loud and answered, “I’m sorry, mate. Yes, I’m afraid so, but that’s where I stop agreeing with her claims.” Connor rubbed his eye with the knuckle of his forefinger. “I’ll be there in five minutes. Could you take her to your office?”
“Will do, mate.”
“I’m sorry, Ethan. More details to come, but I am sorry.”
“No probs. We’ll sort it out.”
Connor disconnected the call and looked at Jack. Eyes open, but only just.
“I’ve got to head over to see Ethan at the hotel. Will you be okay?”
Jack nodded. “Your girl?”
“She’s not my girl,” he replied through gritted teeth.
His dad chuckled. “I know.” And closed his eyes again.
Fifteen minutes later, Connor stood in front of Harriet in Ethan’s office. It’d been a long fifteen minutes. The drive took only a few minutes, but he’d decided to sit and calm himself down first, before heading into the battle. And he’d known he was heading for one. The anger from earlier in the morning had abated and turned into pure irritation and frustration.
Hands on hips, he was about to tell Harriet where to go when Ethan said, “I’d better leave you two alone.”
Connor placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “No. I’d appreciate if you stayed here.”
Harriet shook her head, and Connor noticed that the long days had finally caught up with her. Her make-up wasn’t as perfect as it usually had been. Her eyes looked tired and distant. For a moment, he felt guilty and even a bit sorry for her, but that moment passed quickly as soon as he heard her demanding voice. “Darling, tell him who I am and to give me a room. After all, you practically own this place.”
Connor stared at her like she was the Easter bunny in person. “What on earth makes you think I own this place?”
With a roll of her eyes she replied, “You want to go through this now? Your mother told me.”
He nodded and exchanged a quick glance with Ethan.
“Mother is wrong. Ethan here is managing the business. And most likely will take over after Jack’s leaving. I’m merely a visitor at the moment.”
“You can fight the will. He’s your father.”
“And thanks to my mother, Ethan has been more of a son to him than I have.”
“I am sure that the law isn’t that different here. He’s your father and with that—”
“Harriet. Stop it.”
She stared at him, mouth still open.
“Did you come here hoping to rekindle the relationship because I’m not only the son of Duncan Walsh, one of the best and richest lawyers in London, but also the future owner of a small hotel in Australia?”
“Six hotels,” she corrected him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Connor saw Ethan holding back a smile. He bit his lip, trying to organise his thoughts. It was obvious she’d done her homework on his father, knowing all the details. And the thought occurred to him that she must’ve dug hard to find out all the information, or it had been him ignoring the details in front of him before he’d arrived in Fermosa Bay.
Connor let out a long slow breath before he said, “This is how it goes, and I don’t want any arguments. If I hear one word from you, one single word, you’ll find yourself on a boat in the middle of the ocean.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Connor raised a brow to challenge her.
She let out a puff of air in showing her displeasure about the situation.
“Ethan will organise you a room in Melbourne. I will give you a lift, and then I will never see you again.” He stepped closer to her, locked eyes with her. “Never ever again, because I’ve met someone here who is important to me.”
“Have you told her that the hotels aren’t yours?”
With his head down, staring at his own feet, he said slowly, “I’m sure Ethan will be able to organise you a small bite to eat. We’ll leave in thirty minutes.” He looked up. “Unless you prefer to drive on your own.”
Her gaze went from him to Ethan. “Would you excuse us for a minute?”
Connor looked over to his friend and gave him a slow nod.
“I’ll go get some afternoon tea for you and try to get a room for…”