Holiday Affair (5 page)

Lissy was speechless. She felt sorry for him. He looked exceedingly anxious. Reaching over, she took both of his hands. “Tom, I’m so flattered that you’d consider me as your partner, but--”

“Melissa, please don’t even think about saying anything. I know this has come out of left field, but I would like you to give it serious thought. If and when it comes time for me to turn this proposition into a real proposal, perhaps on bended knee, you will have had time to think about it. I’ve always thought romantic love was overrated.

If you’re wise you choose your marriage partner sensibly.”

“Okay,” she said, “let’s leave it there and finish our wine and I will give some serious thought to your

‘proposition’ later.” Tom visibly relaxed and she realized how nervous the usually composed man had been. She reached over and gently kissed his cheek.

“Tom, you’re a great guy and I’m happy you were honest with me. Now let’s go so I can meet your family.” As she stood up, she had a worrying thought. “You haven’t mentioned your proposition to them, have you?”

“No, they think you’re my friend from the university.” Tom had a luxury car, an imported British saloon in a silver gray, which suited him, and Lissy loved the feel of the leather upholstery against her legs. They drove a short distance out of town past beautiful old houses, crossed the river; and then Tom turned through a large set of gates, opening to a long drive lined by huge trees. It was a massive double-story home, and an iron lace edged an upstairs veranda that wrapped around the whole house.

Lissy counted five chimneys.

“This is absolutely beautiful,” she said. “It must be one of the original settler homesteads.”

Tom nodded. “It’s almost as old as Saumarez Homestead on the Uralla road. This one was built in 1900

by my father’s grandparents and it’s been in our family for over one hundred years.”

After Tom parked his car in a carport adjoining the side of the main house, he reached over and took Lissy’s hand.

“Now, don’t be nervous. I wanted you to have something to think about when you met the clan, and Dom coming home today has brought them all together for the first time for ages.”

Lissy patted her hair into place and took a deep breath. She could do a lot worse, and God knows, after the last week, she was even more convinced of the dangers of physical attraction, and how unwary romantics could be easily ensnared.

She realized that she was not averse to giving some serious thought to his “proposition.” A marriage based on common sense and friendship sounded good. She took another deep breath, squared her shoulders, and followed Tom into the fray to meet her potential future family.

Tom ushered Lissy across a large veranda at the back of the house that was cluttered with shoes, garden tools, potted plants, and bags of potting mix. He opened a heavy timber door leading into a warm kitchen that was suffused with the golden light of the setting sun. The aroma of baking bread and garlic surrounded them, as did a cacophony of noise. Pausing in the doorway, Lissy watched Tom push past a pair of squabbling children, slap the back of a young man talking into a cell phone, and then plant a noisy kiss on the cheek of the elegant woman standing by the stove.

“Mama,
deliziosa…
what are we eating tonight?” Tom leaned forward to lift the lid and peer into the bubbling pot on the stove.

“Tomas, where are your manners?” she said, slapping his hand away. “Who is this lovely young woman you bring to my kitchen?” Mrs. Richards was a tall woman of Italian heritage, with a tumble of black curls held back loosely with a bright red ribbon. She came across to Lissy, wiping her hands on her bright red apron.

“You are Melissa. I am so happy to finally meet you.

Please, call me Tessa. Tomas has been very remiss in not bringing you over before; we have heard all about you and your good influence on him.”

“Yes, you’ve gotten him away from his desk and his numbers,” interjected the young man as he put his mobile phone in his pocket.

“Alex, don’t be rude!”

“Yes, Mama.” He grinned widely at Tom and Melissa.

“Hello, Melissa, do you know you’re too beautiful for my ugly old brother? Run away with me instead.” Lissy giggled and took Tessa’s outstretched hands. “It was very kind of you to invite me tonight, since I know it’s a special family dinner. I feel welcome already.” Tessa broke into a wide smile. “Tonight, my firstborn, Dominic will be home from his work in the Cook Islands, and we are all together for the first time in three years. It is a special night. Now, Tomas, take Melissa into the living room. Your sisters are in there.”

Tom ushered her into a beautiful room that seemed to be full of children and was as noisy as the kitchen. Lissy felt overwhelmed by the noise and the number of adults and children sprawled on lounges and on the floor in front of the crackling open fire. Tom spread his arms in a wide gesture and said proudly, “
la mia famiglia
–my family.” Lissy experienced a surge of true affection for Tom.

He was so obviously a part of this boisterous and loving family. Tom in his family setting was very different from the polite and shy accountant she dined with on Friday nights. She hadn’t even been aware of his Italian heritage.

She laughed with delight as Alex came into the room.

“Come on you old stuffed shirt, you don’t have to impress anyone here,” he said as he undid Tom’s tie and flung it on the table.

“Enough, enough! Your manners, Alessandro.” Tessa picked up the tie and handed it back to Tom. “Take the children outside and run off some of your energy, so we can introduce Melissa in peace.”

“Yes, Mama,” said Alex, with a twinkle in his eye.

“Come on kids, a quick game of cricket before Uncle Dom arrives. First one outside gets to bat.” He winked at Lissy as he ran out to the veranda followed by half a dozen children of various ages and sizes.

Even after Alex led the children outside through the French doors, the room stayed noisy. Lissy was fascinated and looked around the elegant but welcoming room.

A cricket game was blaring from the huge television on the far wall as three men loudly criticized the failure of a fieldsman to take a catch. Two beautiful babies with big blue eyes were yelling as they climbed over their respective mothers’ legs.

“Quiet, please. Girls, this is Melissa.” Tom had to raise his voice over the din in the room. “My three little sisters, Sophie, Allie, and Lucy.”

Lissy greeted them as Tom moved on to introduce their assorted husbands and the two babies still in the room, and Alex’s fiancée, Emily. In the middle of the introductions, a large golden retriever came bounding through the room chased by two small boys, almost knocking Lissy from her feet. She fell into the chair behind her as Sophie, Tom’s oldest sister, chastised the boys.

“Be careful!” She turned to Lissy and laughed.

“Welcome to our madhouse!”

“Thanks,” said Lissy, settling into the chair and following the different conversations with interest. She was immediately included as though she was a part of the family, and felt welcome and comfortable even though she was in a room full of strangers. She recalled Gramps’s comments.
Maybe I have found my destiny. Maybe Tom
was under my nose the whole time and I didn’t appreciate
him
. She looked across at Tom watching the cricket game with his brother-in-law, trying to imagine herself in an embrace with him. As hard as she tried, Nick kept pushing into her thoughts and she shook herself in annoyance.

“Is everything all right?” Tom leaned toward her, a look of concern on his face.

“I’m sorry?” She realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud and Tom was sitting next to her on the lounge. She felt her cheeks grow rosy and reached for her glass of water on the table, as excited cries drifted in from the back garden.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said.

“Uncle Dom’s here!” The roar of a large motorcycle coming up the driveway drowned out the excited squeals of the children.

“Thanks, Melissa.” Lissy found herself with two babies unceremoniously dropped on her knees as the three sisters jumped up and ran out through the French doors to the driveway.

Tessa ran through the living room like a young girl, her black curls tumbling from the ribbon. Tom reached over and took one of the babies from Lissy’s lap.

“Sorry, Melissa, I did try to warn you about this mad lot, but they are in even finer form tonight with Dom coming home. Once Mama assures herself that he is really home and in one piece, things will settle down and we will probably have a relatively civilized meal.” There was a flurry of noise and movement as the children ran back inside, chattering with excitement, followed closely by the adults.

“Uncle Dom, did you bring us any presents? Any shrunken heads?”

Lissy looked at Tom and laughed. “Shrunken heads?”

“It’s a common occurrence. I don’t know if I mentioned to you that Dom is the new professor in the history faculty.

He’s been doing research in the South Pacific for the last two years and has come home to write up his thesis and do some lecturing in the undergraduate Pacific history course. He’s always sending gruesome bits and pieces to our nephews and they love it.”

Lissy looked up at him, surprised. “Mrs. Mac, my landlady, was talking about him this morning. He’s moving into the other flat in the cottage. I didn’t realize he was your brother.”

“Mama won’t be happy about that. I think she hoped he would stay at home for a while, although I can understand why he wants his own place. The noise level here tonight is normal and there wouldn’t be much chance of getting his thesis written.”

Lissy stood up and shifted the baby to her hip, and small chubby hands reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair. Tom placed one hand gently on her neck as he untangled the baby’s hand from the bunch of curls he had pulled from her clip. Tom’s body blocked Lissy’s view of the newcomer and her heart almost stopped as she heard a familiar deep voice.

“Tomas, a girlfriend and a baby? About time!” Tom turned around laughing as he grabbed his brother in a huge hug with lots of affectionate backslapping. “Girlfriend maybe, but this is Sophie’s third-born, you idiot.” Lissy turned in shock and her head spun as she looked up into familiar blue eyes. Dom’s attention shifted to Lissy, and the tight smile on his face sent a chill shivering down her spine as she struggled to keep a firm hold on the baby and fight the dizziness blurring her vision.

She felt her nipples peak against her turtleneck sweater. How wonderful, and bizarre, to see him again, even though he looked so taken aback…even mad. She opened her mouth to say so, but was interrupted by Tom.

“Dominic, this is Melissa McIntyre, a good friend of mine from the university. Melissa just told me that you’ll be working in her faculty.”

Nick reached over and took Lissy’s free hand in his as she carefully juggled the baby on her hip. “What a coincidence,” he drawled. “Delighted to meet you, Melissa.”

Lissy turned and handed the baby back to Sophie as Tessa came over and clapped her hands, inviting everyone to make their way out to dinner. The room began to clear as the family followed Nick outside; Lissy took the opportunity to dash to the bathroom.

Wide-eyed, she raised trembling fingers to her cheeks as she looked into the mirror and saw the pallor under her tan. She pinched her cheeks before running cold water over her wrists.

What was the probability of Nick—
Nick
from her holiday fling—being the new professor in her history faculty at the university? And the brother of her friend who had hinted at a future together tonight? And her new neighbor? The coincidences were staggering at best.

She groaned and fought to pull herself together. How typical. It proved to her once again that she could not trust physical attraction under the moonlight. Not only was he a liar, he was going to be her new boss! And on top of that, he was the one with the final say in her promotion.

You can kiss that good-bye, Dr. McIntyre.

Gas heaters lined the wall to ward off the New England chill and Lissy moved to the dark end of the table, away from the heat. Sitting down, she watched Nick hugging his mother at the other end of the table.

I know how good those arms feel.
Closing her eyes, she remembered the feel of Nick’s arms holding her close.

Had that really happened only a couple nights ago?

Lissy was hot, despite the chill in the air, and her heart was pumping hard and fast. She still felt light-headed.

Reaching for the carafe of water, she poured herself a glass, the ice cubes tinkling as her hands shook. She was so angry at his lack of acknowledgement that they’d met in the islands, she felt as though sparks should be jumping from her.
Typical male,
she thought.

“Are you all right, Melissa? I hope my family hasn’t overwhelmed you?” Tom looked concerned as he sat next to her. She saw Nick watching from the other end of the table and she deliberately reached up and put her hand up to Tom’s face tenderly. She spoke softly. “It’s absolutely wonderful. Being an only child, I’ve never been part of such a wonderful family celebration before.” He looked surprised and happy at her touch on his face. He put his hand over hers. “I hope this is the first of many visits.”

When Lissy looked down the table and saw the aloof look on Nick’s face, she felt guilty for leading Tom on. He was too good and honest a person, and he didn’t deserve that sort of treatment. She was going to have to cut ties with this family to save her sanity. Her feelings in chaos, she longed for the evening to be over so she could escape.

“What do you specialize in at the university, Melissa?” Nick had moved down the table and had taken a chair in between two of his sisters, across from Lissy and Tom.

“Pacific history,” she said. She put her head down and fiddled with her hair clip.

“Interesting. You don’t look like a girl who would know anything about history. Glorious hair, by the way.

I hope my brother has told you how ravishing you look this evening. What a fabulous suntan.” His eyes blatantly ran over her with a smoldering male approval completely different from the gentle way he had looked at her only a couple of nights before. Lissy froze, frightened she would lose control and make a rude comment, but Tessa rescued her.