Holiday Affair (6 page)

“Dom, stop teasing. You and Alex are incorrigible.

No wonder poor Tom rarely brings anyone home. Behave while I retrieve your father from the study. He’s so immersed in his new book, that he hasn’t even heard Dom arrive.”

Nick reached back and gave his mother another kiss on the cheek as she walked past.

“It’s okay, Mama. Melissa and I will get to know each other at the university. I’m sure she’ll get used to me.” Lissy looked across at him and saw his eyes glittering with a promise of things to come.

It seemed to Lissy that the night went on forever. She met Professor Richards senior, who had been firmly ensconced in his study through all the excitement of Nick arriving, and had sat bemused as a procession of aunts, uncles, cousins and neighbors dropped in to greet Nick. Word had spread that the Pacific adventurer was home. Lissy met so many people, her head spun and the effort of keeping calm and friendly was making her ill. All night she was conscious of Nick’s simmering mood. She had learned to read him so well in such a short time. She sat quietly, and only spoke when someone included her in a conversation.

Not only had he left her that final morning on Hamilton Island without so much as a good-bye or see you later, the coward had slipped out in the darkness.

Talk about wham, bam, thank you ma’am. And the lying sailor was actually a university professor.

Lissy sat there alternating between feeling hot and cold as a depth of emotion that she never felt before overtook all rational thought. Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth. Her mood must have been obvious because Tom offered to drive her home.

“No, Tom, call me a taxi. Enjoy the rest of the night and catch up with your brother.” She said her good-byes to the family after he reluctantly agreed and called the local taxi company.

“Melissa, it was wonderful to meet you. I do hope Tom brings you again soon,” said Tessa, enfolding Lissy in a warm embrace. Tom’s sisters all gave her hugs as she made her way through the living room, where children of various ages were asleep on cushions on the floor. Nick followed Tom and Lissy out to the front veranda, as Alex yelled out to Tom.

“When’s the wedding, big brother? You’re almost thirty-five.”

Tessa glared at Alex and turned to Lissy. “Once again, I apologize for my sons, they have no manners. They take after their father.”

Professor Richards gravely shook her hand and Lissy was sure he didn’t even know who she was in the procession of visitors who had been through the house that evening. With a great sense of relief she saw the lights of the taxi as it pulled up in the driveway. Lissy gave Tom a brief hug and a light kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll give you a call next week about Friday night,” said Tom.

Nick appeared behind them.

“Goodnight, Melissa,” he said, emphasizing the second half of her name. “I’ll see you on Monday at work.

I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better.”

“Me too, I can’t wait to hear about your adventures in the Pacific, Dominic,” she said, emphasizing the second half of his name. Tom opened the door of the taxi and she slid across the seat.

Lissy sank down in the taxi’s seat, her hands over her eyes.
Why the hell didn’t we just laugh and say we had
already met? What a fine mess I’m in, so much for destiny.

Not only do I have to put up with him at work, he’s going to
be living on the other side of my cottage. Wait until he finds
out about that coincidence.

…

Nick stood silently on the stairs watching the taillights of the taxi disappear down the driveway. Tom walked up the stairs towards his brother, his movements precise and considered, like everything else he did.

“Well, Dom?”

“Well, what?” replied Nick, knowing his brother wanted him to say how great Melissa was.

“What did you think of Melissa?”

Nick tried to think of a suitable reply as they went back out to the veranda.

“Great. Very pretty.” He turned and thumped Tom on the back. “Come on, mate, enough of women tonight.

You know me…love ‘em and leave ‘em.” He reached into the refrigerator and threw his older brother a can of beer.

“You and I have a lot of catching up to do.” Tom caught the beer and leaned against the railing.

“Tell me about the trip, Nick. Did you get your research finished…are you happy to be back at the university?”

“You know me, Tom. I prefer to be on the Islands, but I have to spend some time at the university or the funding for my projects would dry up.” Nick turned and looked out into the darkness and shivered as the late night breeze picked up. “I don’t know how you cope, going to the same boring office, day in, day out.”

Tom sighed and made an admission that startled Nick.

“I was starting to get a bit bored with it, but having Melissa as a friend has livened up my life.”

Nick grunted.

“I’m going to ask her to marry me, Nick. What do you think about that?” Tom looked at his younger bother, his face more animated than Nick had seen it since they were children. He had always felt like the oldest even though he was two years younger than Tom. Tom always seemed to need his approval. Well, this time, he would have to do without it.

“Fits in with your life plan, mate. If she’s the right one, I guess that’s the way it will be.” He pushed himself away from the railing and tried to ignore the lump that seemed to have settled in his throat. “I’ve had enough to drink. I’m going to bed.”

“Night, bro.” Tom reached over and enveloped him in a bear hug. “It’s great to have you home, even if it will only be for a short while.”

Nick kept the smile on his face even though he wanted to drag his hands down his face in frustration.

Sleep eluded him for a long time. What were the odds of Lissy being on his staff, two thousand miles from the playground of the Whitsunday Islands, and with her eyes firmly set on Tom? She had thought Nick was a drifter, and to top it all off, she already had her claws in Tom. He had to forget that night. There was nowhere for it to go.

He would work with her and get the project finished and return to the Islands as quickly as he could.

But he suspected his life was about to get very complicated.

Lissy hoped to fall into oblivion the moment her head touched the pillow, but the events of the night kept her tossing and turning into the early hours. Waking late, she got up in a very sour mood. Her eyes were scratchy from lack of sleep. Sipping her coffee in the kitchen, she watched Luney run around and knock over the pile of kindling next to the old combustion stove. The mad cat’s antics added to her bad mood and she banished the cat to the laundry room.

Lissy decided to work off her mood by getting an early start on whitewashing the cottage fence. She changed into her oldest shorts and sweatshirt and tied her curls back with a bandanna. She collected the painting gear from the laundry cupboard.

“Sorry, Luney, it’s not your fault I’m so grumpy this morning.” She stepped out into the old cottage garden, which was bursting with the bronze and gold of late autumn, the leaves crunching underfoot as she walked across to the fence. Kneeling down on the footpath outside the garden fence, Lissy opened the large tin of whitewash and began to paint the old timber. The rhythmic motion of the brush going up and down the palings did nothing to soothe her mood as she simmered over the events of the previous evening.

Thoughts of revenge flitted through her mind as she pictured a variety of punishments suitable for Nick. By the time she was halfway along the front panel of the fence, he had walked the gangplank, been clapped in irons, tied to the mast, and marooned on one of his tropical islands. Yes, marooning sounded good, preferably on an isolated island a long way from her.

The roar of a motorcycle thundering up the quiet street interrupted her fantasy. Putting the brush in the paint tin, she turned around and stood, hands on her hips, as Nick turned into the driveway and cut the engine. He swaggered over to her, his eyes snapping with anger.

“Good morning, Melissa.” Throwing the helmet aside, he bent down so that his eyes were level with hers. “Or is Lissy back this morning in the sexy shorts? Who will I be living with? Lissy or Melissa?”

Lissy stepped away from him. There was a loud clatter as she backed into the tin of paint, knocking it over and white paint splattered up the backs of her legs.

“Now look what you’ve done!” She bent down and set the tin upright, looking around for something to wipe the paint from her legs. Swearing to herself, she pulled the bandanna from her hair and felt her curls cascade around her face as she scrubbed furiously at her legs. He stood back, looking her up and down, an insolent smile on his face.

“We definitely have Lissy back. Fascinating how you move so easily from one to the other.”

“You have no idea what you are talking about.” She threw the paint-soaked bandanna to the ground and picked up the paintbrush.

“Demure Melissa, what a lovely wife she would have made for Tom. I bet he hasn’t met the free and easy Lissy,” he said.

“How dare you pass judgment on me. What about you, Dominic? Just thrill seeking around the Pacific for a few years, professor? Having a few bets and picking up any gullible female for a bit of fun and sneaking out before they could find out the truth? Or is that just a line you use to make you more attractive to anyone who doesn’t fall for the ‘angel face’ line straight up?” She stepped towards him, emphasizing each word with the paintbrush. Dollops of white paint flicked on to his face and black T-shirt. He grabbed her wrist and held the brush above her head.

“I don’t want my brother hurt by a cheating girlfriend again.” Nick’s voice was getting louder. “The elegant suit and fancy hairdo may suck him in, but I know a hypocrite from a hundred yards away. Trust me, I’ve had lots of experience.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” she said.

Hurried footsteps and a concerned voice stopped them both in their tracks.

“Lissy, is everything okay?” Mrs. Mac stood on her front porch. She looked taken aback as if she sensed the tension in the air. “I was just going out when I heard your voices.”

Lissy carefully removed the paintbrush from Nick’s hands and turned to Mrs. Mac. “Oh, Mrs. Mac, Professor Richards came to collect his key and I accidentally flicked him with paint. He was helping me with the brush. It was so nice of him.”

Mrs. Mac didn’t look convinced that the man clad in black leathers and a T-shirt towering over Lissy could be a professor. Nick stepped forward with his hand outstretched, giving the older woman the benefit of his devastating smile.

“Mrs. Mac, I’m delighted to meet you.” He held her little wrinkled hands between his. “Please call me Nick. I signed all the paperwork at the university yesterday and I believe I’m supposed to collect the key here.” Lissy watched Nick put on the charm and saw its immediate impact on their elderly landlady as she fell under his spell. Nick saw her expression and responded with a brilliant grin, and, despite her anger, she felt the inevitable tug to her heartstrings.

“It’s okay, Mrs. Mac, I’ve still got the spare keys inside. I’ll show the professor through his side of the cottage,” Lissy said. Looking a lot happier, Mrs. Mac bid them farewell and headed toward her little car. Lissy’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “You had better come inside and get cleaned up, and then I’ll show you your half of the cottage.”

Nick looked at her closely and she knew that the tension of the past few days was visible in the dark shadows under her eyes. Sighing, she turned, and Nick followed her up the steps into the laundry. Handing him a washcloth to clean the paint from his face, she went into the kitchen to collect his keys.

Brushing tears away with the back of her hand, she turned to give him the keys and bumped into a rock hard chest. She stepped back, but he followed her and his warm hands gripped her shoulders.

“We have a problem here, Lissy. Simple fact…I want you out of the picture with my brother.” He paused and she could hear the frustration in his voice. “But I don’t want you out of the picture…my picture. Despite common sense and logic, I still want you, Lissy. Can you explain that to me?”

Her heart began to pound. “No, I can’t,” she said with a sad weariness.

He pulled her closer. “Let me show you.” His head tilted down towards her and she watched as his lips parted, and quite suddenly, Lissy felt anger take over her whole body. The range of emotions she had experienced since she had first seen Nick swinging down from the mast of the yacht coalesced into pure black rage. She pulled away and shoved him.

“I’m sick to death of your attitude. You know nothing,
nothing
about me! How dare you stand there and tell me I’m not good enough for your brother. And then tell me you want me! You’ve got some nerve.”

Turning away from him, she lowered her voice. “Go away, Nick. Go look at your cottage. Move in, bring in a harem for all I care. I don’t care what you do, just leave me alone.”

“You confuse me, Lissy.”

“Nick, I want you to leave, now.” Her voice was firm.

“I have work to do.”

She walked across and opened the door.

“Lissy, Melissa, whoever you are, I don’t want to stay away from you. Come with me and show me the cottage.” He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair in frustration.

“You live here. I’ve signed the lease. We have to sort this out. Come on, let’s pretend this is the first time we’ve met and you’re showing me my new rental. I’ll behave.” She closed her eyes.
But can I?
She stood, without answering for a short time, then squared her shoulders and answered him. “I’ll show you around only if you promise not to have any contact with me once you move in, apart from work.”

“Fine,” he said carefully, moving around her to go out to the veranda. As he walked past the laundry window, a lazy paw swiped out at him, lightly scratching his forearm.

Lissy reached over and gave the white cat a quick rub on the head. “Nick, meet Luney, she’ll keep you on the straight and narrow.”

…

The entrance to the other side of the cottage was at the far end of the front veranda. Nick followed Lissy as she unlocked the door; they entered a large room bathed in sunshine. An open fireplace bore testimony to the cold New England evenings.