“We’re expecting another baby,” Hannah told the men, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. “We’re not announcing yet, because it’s still early, so don’t say anything, if you don’t mind.”
“No worries,” Liam said with a smile. “That’s great news. Congrats.”
“Benefits of retirement,” Drew said. “I’ll get to be here for this one. Change a few more nappies, eh.”
“You’d better plan to change all of them, if you’re going to make up for all the ones you’ve missed,” Hannah teased. “I notice you didn’t retire until I got Jack toilet-trained. Very sneaky. And you’ll be here for all my morning sickness too. Sure you don’t want to rethink the retirement?”
Drew laughed. “I’m sure. I’m ready to put in the hard yards.”
Nate glanced at Ally where she had swung herself up to perch on the railing. “I can see you over there, imagining yourself being capsized. No worries. I’ll stay a safe distance away from you, keep you out of danger.”
“Well, no, you won’t, mate,” Drew said. “It’s a double. Which means you’ll be in the back doing the steering. Because even though Ally did eat a fair bit of pavlova at Christmas,” he said with a wink at her, “I think you’re still heavier. See if you can keep from killing her, will you? We’d have a hell of a time covering that up.”
Ally had to laugh at that. “Thank goodness for life jackets. And I did not eat that much pavlova.”
“Oi. I have kayaked a bit,” Nate protested. “I kayak almost as well as I climb.”
“Oh, boy. Maybe I should just assume the worst and wear my swimsuit,” Ally decided.
“Maybe you should,” Nate said.
Ally saw the way he looked at her, and got a little thrill despite herself. He wanted to see her in her swimsuit? Well, maybe he should wear his too. She didn’t have to like him to enjoy looking at him. Because he was so worth looking at. In a T-shirt, shorts, and jandals today, the Kiwi summer uniform. He wasn’t as tall or as heavily built as Drew, but he had an awful lot of chest, shoulder, and arm going on, was working that light-gray T-shirt pretty hard. Those were some powerful legs too, she thought, sneaking a quick peek. She’d never thought much about men’s thighs before, but wow, did he ever have some.
And his face. The short light-brown hair over the rough-cut planes of forehead, cheekbone, and chin, the square jaw stubbled with a couple days’ growth of beard. The nearly ice-blue eyes, the way they had of focusing so intensely on whatever he was looking at. Whatever he was interested in.
No, not exactly good-looking, she thought again, but all man. So, yeah, she had to admit it. She’d like to see him in his trunks.
Kristen watched as Drew hefted the solid form of his two-year-old son into his arms. “Mind you listen to your Auntie Kristen, now,” he told Jack. “Do what she says.” He held the boy for Hannah to kiss as well, then set him down again. “Right, then. If everyone’s ready, we’ll be off.”
“I fixed Jack a lunchbox, in the fridge.” Hannah turned back on her way to the car. “He likes eating from his box. And there’s plenty for you and Liam too. Quiche, sandwich stuff. Or you could fix a salad. Help yourself to anything.”
“I think they’ve got it, sweetheart,” Drew said. “I’m guessing Kristen’s been making her own lunch for a good couple years now. And Mako definitely knows his way around the inside of a fridge.”
“Go on,” Kristen urged, laughing. “Have a good time.” She picked Jack up herself, loving the weight of him in her arms, and saw Hannah cast a last anxious glance back before Drew shut the door of the ute behind her.
Liam chuckled beside her as she and the boy waved goodbye. “Not sure who she’s looking out for more, you or Jack.”
“I know,” Kristen sighed, setting the little boy on his feet again and seeing him squat down immediately to play with his trucks. Jack was always busy. “It’s kind of nice to come stay with her and be taken care of, even though I can’t let her do it too long, or I find myself backsliding.”
Liam looked at her, but didn’t say anything.
“Auntie Kristen,” Jack said, looking up from his truck. “Want to go to the beach.”
“Please,” Kristen reminded him.
“Pease.” Jack looked up at her with a frown of determination. “Want to go to the beach pease.”
“Looks just like his dad when he does that,” Liam said.
“Doesn’t he?” Kristen agreed. “And the resemblance doesn’t stop there.”
“Do it myself,” they heard more than once as they gathered up towels and toys, got Jack ready for the short walk. Which wasn’t quite as short as intended, since Jack insisted on walking rather than being carried by her or Liam.
Kristen watched with surprise as Liam helped the little boy build a sand castle, took him paddling at the edge of the gentle sea. She was used to seeing Drew with his son, so it wasn’t that she didn’t think rugby players could be kind, or good with children. But Jack wasn’t anything to Liam, was he?
She sat on a towel in the sand and watched the unlikely pair. Liam hadn’t taken off his T-shirt, to her relief. She could tell he was heavily built and powerful, she didn’t need to be reminded of it. And she wasn’t about to wear her own swimsuit in front of him either.
He kept his attention focused on the little boy, though, and she found herself relaxing to an extent that surprised her. He even gave Jack a bath to wash off the sand while she fixed lunch, then did the washing-up while she put her nephew down for his nap.
“I’m going to have a cup of tea,” she announced, coming back into the sunny kitchen where Liam stood looking out the French doors onto the deck and the sea beyond. “And drink it out on the deck,” she decided. “Would you like one? But you’d probably prefer a beer. There are some different kinds in here, looks like.” She opened the door of the fridge and peered inside. “Mac’s Black, Monteith’s Original.”
“Tea’s good,” he said. “I don’t drink.”
“Not at all?” she asked, then recollected herself. “Sorry. I always thought beer and rugby went together.”
“Three years sober,” he said, but didn’t elaborate. Just turned to lean against the edge of the kitchen bench, watching her make the tea.
They carried their cups out onto the deck that wrapped around three sides of the house, settled into two comfortable wooden chairs that overlooked the patch of level green lawn with its edging of native bush, dropping to the golden crescent of sand, the placid blue sea.
“So,” he said after a pause. “You’ve been having a holiday, eh, letting Hannah take care of you a bit. Because you’re on your own there in Welly.”
“I am. Well, alone except for Ally. And the new job’s pretty challenging. It’s been nice to have the break. Thank goodness everything shuts down like this.”
“Do you do modeling? Is that it?”
“No, though people always assume that. Kind of like when you’re a really tall man, and people assume you play basketball.”
“Well, tall and looking the way you do,” he said with a little smile. “You look more like a model than a basketball player, I have to say. Are you a basketball player? Have I got it all wrong?”
She laughed. He was so easy to talk to. Why was that? “No. Of course not. I’m a clothing buyer for Lambert & Heath. The department store, you know?”
“Course. Sounds glamorous, specially at a flash place like that. D’you go round to fashion shows, then? See all the beautiful people?”
She smiled again. “Not too much. More like looking at spreadsheets. Not that glamorous at all. I spend most of the day sitting in a cubicle. But it’s serious,” she said, hoping he understood. “It’s moving up.”
“I see that. It’s important to make progress, eh. Specially when you’re climbing back up out of that hole.”
“Exactly,” she said with relief. “You get it.”
“I ought to. Spent a fair bit of time down in that hole myself. Good to have family around while you’re starting over, too. I’m
a bit surprised you didn’t move to Auckland, though.”
She wanted to ask what he meant, but she didn’t really know him yet, did she? How did you say, ‘So, tell me about your alcohol problem?’ You didn’t.
“I needed to stand on my own feet, do it myself,” she said instead. “Just like Jack,” she added with a smile of remembrance.
He nodded, took another sip of tea. Not pressing any further.
“You know,” she told him, “I realize I don’t even know what position you play.” And that was unusual. Normally, men talked to her about themselves. Boy, did they ever. Nobody had ever thought she might be fascinating.
“You didn’t—” he began, then cut himself off.
“I didn’t what?”
He gave a little laugh. “I was going to say, you didn’t check me out online. Makes me sound like I have a big head, eh.”
“People usually do,” she guessed. “Because of the rugby thing. Sorry. It’s not that I don’t think you’re interesting.” She stopped, then. She didn’t want him to think she was interested. “I mean . . .”
“No worries. I’m a hooker.”
“What?”
He chuckled. “Nah, not that kind. Don’t think I’d get too far with that. It’s a position. A rugby forward.”
“Like Drew. He’s a forward,” she said with relief. She’d had an interesting mental image for a minute there.
“Right. Doing the hard yards up front, and down in the dark places. The hooker’s in the center of the front row in the scrum, so he can hook the ball with his foot, send it to the back for the halfback to pick up. Well, for Nate to pick up, in my case. But anyway. Bit of bashing going on up there, how I got all these trophies.” He touched his ear and nose lightly. “Nothing flash about it. A worker bee.”
“Well, some flash in being a professional rugby player, not to mention an All Black,” she pointed out. “I do know that much, without looking anything up. I’m Drew’s sister-in-law, you know, and I do realize that that’s why you two are friends, because you’ve played together. For quite a long time, right? How long?”
“When was I first selected, you mean? Four seasons ago, when I was twenty-three. But not consistently on the squad, not till the last couple years. Had some ups and downs.”
She wasn’t really listening, though. “You’re twenty-seven,” she said slowly.
“Yeh. I am. What, I seem older? I know it. It can be a bit aging, footy.”
She shook her head. So she was older than he was. What did it matter? It wasn’t like they were going out. “Never mind.” She looked at his cup, empty now. “You want another one?”
“Nah. I’m good.” He was looking at her, his gaze steady on her face, and she suddenly felt awkward again.
“Thanks for helping me with Jack today,” she said, trying to make some kind of conversation.
“I think you know why I volunteered for that,” he said with a smile that extended all the way to his eyes. His best feature, she thought, large and liquid, the irises a beautiful dark brown against the clear whites. Maori eyes.
“Though I wasn’t lying,” he added. “I really do get seasick.”
“I should tell you.” She was going to take the bull by the horns for once. She was trying to be honest these days, and he’d been so nice, she owed it to him. “I’m not dating right now.”
“It’s not you,” she hurried on as he continued to look at her calmly. “I was divorced recently, like I said, and it was pretty ugly. So I’m taking a break.”
“How long were you married?”
“Two years. Not too good, which is my track record anyway. I thought I had my issues worked out, but turns out I blew it again, so I’m abstaining until I’m sure I can do better. I’ve taken a vow of celibacy, in fact, for the time being,” she said with a nervous laugh. And that had all come out much too fast. She took a couple deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, rubbed her hands up and down against her thighs. Saw him watch her do it. Boy, this was hard.
“Because you think the failure of your marriage was your fault,” he said after a moment.
“Well, not that so much. It’s hard for a marriage to succeed when one person’s cheating, and has decided he doesn’t really like the other person anyway.” Since she was baring her soul here, she might as well go all the way. “But marrying him was my . . . not my fault, maybe, but my bad judgment. Before I get involved with anyone again, I want to make sure my judgment is a whole lot better.”
“Right. You don’t need a lover just now. Message received and understood.”
“That’s it,” she said with relief. “I don’t. And I don’t want to lead you on. Besides, I’m three years older than you.”
She stopped in confusion. Why had she told him that? Because she was attracted to him, she realized with some surprise, even though he was nothing like the relatively handsome, slim man she’d married, or all the cute guys she’d dated in a romantic career that had begun well before she was fifteen. His harsh looks, the bulk and strength of him, instead of putting her off, made her want to move into his arms, feel them wrap around her, hold her close. Hold her safe.
But it wouldn’t be safe, she reminded herself. It would be just the opposite. If she looked for her safety in yet another man, how had she learned anything at all?
He nodded. “Fair enough. But could you use a climbing partner, and a friend?”
“A friend,” she repeated slowly. “You want to be my friend? And that’s all?”
“I won’t lie,” he said. “I try not to do that anymore. I want to be your lover. But I accept that that may never happen. And whether it does or not, I’d like—I’d really like—to be your friend.”
Thrills and Honesty
Hannah looked back at the house as they pulled out of the driveway, waving to Jack, who was waving hard back at her from Kristen’s arms.
“Are you sure?” she asked Drew. “That Liam’s . . . OK? To stay with them?”
Drew glanced at her with amusement. “I’d trust Mako with my life,” he said simply. “Or more importantly, my son’s life. Most reliable bloke I know, eh, Toro.”
“He is,” Nate agreed from the back seat. “Nobody better.”
“But didn’t he have some trouble in the past?” Hannah persisted.
“He did,” Drew said. “And got himself sorted, too.”
Ally glanced across at Nate, but he was silent. Whatever the story was, she wasn’t going to get it from him.
“How are you finding Wellington so far?” Nate asked when they were out on the water. He’d managed to launch them from the beach with a shove, and even climb in again behind her without any mishaps. Ally was actually a little sorry. She’d been half-anticipating going over, and enjoying the prospect of teasing him about it. He definitely needed it.
“I love it,” she said, keeping up a steady stroke and feeling the calm that always came over her when she was surrounded by sea and sky, enjoying the effort, the rhythmic motion. She was going to be out here with him for a while, so she might as well keep this pleasant. She didn’t even have to look at him, after all. You couldn’t really turn around in a double kayak without tipping the thing, which was probably for the best in this case. “I’ve been wandering around getting happily lost, and finding my way home again. It’s a lively place, isn’t it? Lots of outdoor stuff to do too, which is my favorite thing.”
“It can get a bit wet and windy,” he cautioned.
“I’ve heard,” she said, unable to keep the amusement from her voice. “I’ve had a few discussions about the weather already, you see.”
She heard him groan. “I’m rubbish at chatting girls up,” he admitted, surprising a laugh from her. “I never know what to say. Everything’s either dull, or it sounds like a pickup line. I generally end up opting for dull.”
“Honesty works, though,” she told him. “That was pretty good right there.”
“Really.” He sounded surprised. “I should throw myself on your mer
cy, you think?”
“Definitely. A strong man being endearingly awkward . . . I like it. It’s an approach, anyway.”
“Better than spilling a beer on her, I reckon.”
“Much better.” She realized that she was paddling along with a smile on her face. Why hadn’t she met this guy before? She liked him.
“I’ll try again, then,” he said. “Did you spend Christmas here as well, on the Coromandel?”
“No, in Auckland. And it rained one day, but otherwise the weather was good. Just to anticipate you.”
He laughed. “Do anything special?”
“I did, actually. I bungy jumped off the Sky Tower. Kristen’s Christmas present.”
“Crikey. This is me shuddering back here.”
“No, really?” she asked in surprise. “It was amazing. You should try it.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he decided.
“You don’t like thrills?”
“I love thrills. Know how to get them, too. And it’s not by jumping off buildings.”
Wow. She didn’t think she’d pursue that one. Maybe he meant rugby. Yeah, right. He hadn’t meant rugby.
They were silent for a few minutes. Ally could tell from the speed of their progress that Nate was, in fact, paddling strongly in sync with her. So he actually did know how to kayak. And he hadn’t felt the need to let her know that, which impressed her even more. He was steering them into a bit of chop now, around the big rock that stood well offshore. And into an area of churning waves on the back side.
“The Washing Machine, they call this,” he told her as they went through it, to her delight. “I thought you’d want to experience it.”
“You were right,” she said. “I love waves. This is fun.” Drew and Hannah were staying well out of the chop, she noticed. Drew keeping Hannah’s stomach happy, of course.
“I’ve got a question for you,” Ally said as they left the area behind, headed further up the coastline. “My own conversational topic. Those nicknames you guys have. You always call Liam ‘Mako,’ don’t you?”
“Yeh. Rugby nicknames. We like nicknaming things anyway in En Zed, and with rugby, it’s a bit of a tradition. A bonding thing, I guess.”
Just My Luck (Escape to New Zealand #5) Page 4