Yesterday's Sins (22 page)

"Emily and Luke."

She stared at him surprised. Of all his relatives, they were the very last pair she would have expected to want to leave Australia. "Why?"

He looked at her over the rim of his mug. "Emily misses you and Luke wants to have his own practice and Clevedon is sorely in need of doctors."

Kate was thoughtful. "Would they like Smith's Farm?"

"Its premium location would be hard to better. Land there will grow into a very valuable asset. Clevedon is growing. And Emily would never want to be separated from Luke."

"He's her only family."

"Besides Sarah and I."

Where does that leave me?

A hot rush of blood seeped into her face and unable to hold his enigmatic gaze, she looked away.

"How soon can I see the plans?"

"Whenever it suits." Unable to sit still, she moved to the kitchen. Alex stood up putting his empty mug on the bench.

"Are you free late afternoon tomorrow?"

She walked across and picked up her appointments diary, opening it to check her commitments for the next few days. "I'll be free from three thirty onward?"

"That's ideal. I've a parent interview with Sarah's teacher at three."

"How's she doing?" she asked, hesitant at asking.

"With distinction, she's a clever little puss." He paused a moment. "Her class is putting on an end of term play on Thursday evening. Would you like to come with me?"

Startled by the unexpected invitation, she looked at him but his expression was unreadable. "I'd love to, what time?"

"I'll collect you at six thirty. Sarah has to be at the school by a quarter to seven. Okay?"

She nodded, excitement curling her toes. "Thank you so much," she hesitated, and then added, "and thank you for the flowers. They are lovely."

"I noticed them. I never intended to make love to you last night, but I'm not about to apologize. I'd be lying," he said dryly. "Smith's Farm, three thirty?"

She nodded her mouth too dry to speak.

"I'll see you then. Goodnight, my dear." He bent his head and kissed her, and in two strides was gone, leaving her bewildered.

What did he want from her?

She had no answer.

But the last thing she wanted to do was alienate him and derail the chance of establishing a relationship with Sarah.

Later as she lay in bed, on the edge of sleep, reliving her delight in Alex's lovemaking, an elusive memory teased her. Engrossed in her dreams it slipped away.

Chapter Ten

M
orning rain had given way to a brisk, chilly wind as Alex strode across the paddocks of Smith's Farm. Sarah danced beside him, a pale little moon flower, contrasting vividly with his darkness.

Delight clutched at Kate's heart.

"'lo Kate." Sarah raced towards her.

Kate crouched down, catching Sarah's hands in hers. The warmth of the child's flesh was a soothing balm to years of denial. "Hello, Sarah. How was school today?"

"Great. Mr. Owen had a talk to Daddy. They think I'm doing okay."

Kate laughed, delighted at Sarah's insouciance, and lifted a hand to brush a strand of silky blonde hair back from her face.

She glanced past Sarah at Alex, released the child's hands and stood up. A gust of wind blew hair across her face and he extended a hand and smoothed the errant strands back behind her ear.

Her heart bumped at the casual touch.

"You have the map?"

"Here." She tapped her briefcase, trying to match his casual attitude. He was distracting, his masculinity and sensual good looks sending her senses into overdrive.

"Nonna Emily's coming to live here." Sarah danced at Kate's side not wanting to be left out. "Daddy's letting me help choose the place to build her new house."

"Nonna Emily will love living here." Kate extended a hand and the child clutched at it. "Where do you think she'd like best?"

Her question was addressed to Alex but her eyes feasted on Sarah, as he scanned the field with its patches of bush. When he indicated they walk further into the subdivision, she jerked her attention back to the matter in hand. He paused close to a stand of manuka and puriri, their drab foliage bending in the wind.

"Where are the boundaries of this lot?"

Kate hunched down and opened her briefcase extracting the map and spreading it out. The wind caught at the edges nearly tearing it from her grasp. Alex crouched beside her and put one arm around her holding the map and her within the lee of his body.

"It follows the lie of the land." Her voice trembled and she breathed deeply and her senses were filled with spicy aftershave and warm, healthy male. An errant pulse hammered at the base of her throat.

"This lot begins about here and extends to take in that clump of trees to the left and goes straight back to the knoll overlooking the river." She sketched a hand in the direction of the gentle rise at the rear of the trees.

"How big is it?"

His deep voice rumbled against her back, he was so close. Her finger stopped under the lot area highlighted in black. "Some are smaller, a couple bigger. They are priced according to size. This residential subdivision has big sections to afford privacy."

His mouth formed a soundless whistle at the asking price.

"Our sentiments too, but they'll move fast." She grinned and looked up at him, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder.

"I'd almost forgotten how beautiful you are," he muttered, his grey eyes darkening. Helplessly, she stared back, her breath coming in a shallow gasp as his hand grazed her chin and he claimed her lips in a hard, possessive kiss.

"Why are you kissing Kate, Daddy?"

Sarah's curious question made them break apart. Heat suffused Kate's skin.

"Because she's so eminently kissable, possum," he drawled in an amused voice, releasing her but waiting until she'd refolded the plan and tucked it in her briefcase.

Damn the man, he was able to rattle her with very little effort.

Desperate to reclaim her professionalism, she concentrated on the scheme plan, pointing out the paint marked boundaries.

Alex paused, hands in his pockets as he studied the land. He glanced at Sarah. "Do you think Nonna Emily would like to build a new house here?"

Sarah hesitated and looked around with a worried frown. "But there's no road, would she have to drive across the grass?"

Both adults laughed as Sarah's ingenious question dispersed the tension. Kate pulled out a small map and held it in front of the puzzled child.

"See these marks?" She pointed to the wide roads marked on the maps and Sarah nodded. "Next week when the surveyors have finished, men will bring in their big machines and make new roads.

"One road will come back here to Nonna Emily's new plot so she can drive her car to her house. Perhaps Daddy will bring you back and let you see them making the roads?"

"Will you, Daddy?"

Kate glanced at Alex to find him watching them with a hooded expression. "If I can't, Kate can bring you. Would you like that?"

She took a shaky breath. She'd never expected this.

"Yes please." Sarah's grey eyes shone with delight at the suggestion. "Could you bring me to have a look?"

"Of course I can." Tears burned behind Kate's eyes. "The August holidays are nearly here, and the road works should be well underway by then."

Alex was being generous. He was offering her far more than she'd ever dreamed. And far more than she deserved, given she'd deserted him and this child.

"Can you draw up an agreement?" Alex scanned her upturned face. "I'll settle at the asking price. I don't want to lose it. Luke will love it. He wanted space, privacy and trees."

This surprised her. Alex thought this block would suit Luke, not Emily.

"Emily doesn't want a large area of ground."

"Of course she doesn't." Had her wits gone begging? "The smallest lot is 1100 square meters, still quite large as sections go."

They turned back towards their parked cars. Kate spread the map on the bonnet. "Lot three and lot ten are both 1100 square meters," Kate pointed out the two pieces of land to Alex. 'Three is to the left behind and includes that thicket of hawthorn. It's magnificent in the spring and gives the lot a permanence right from the beginning. Ten is on the south side, and has no trees as yet."

"Can I walk over them?"

"Sure." She folded the map and put it in her jacket pocket.

Alex holding Sarah's hand walked beside her.

She pointed out the approximate boundaries marked on the grass in orange marker paint. Alex looked closely at the hawthorn, fat buds beginning to swell with promise of their spring mantle.

"What do you think Sarah?" he asked, careful to include the little girl in the decision. "Would Nonna Emily like this one, or the one without the trees?"

Sarah scrunched up her nose.

And looked at the bare grass where they were standing to the one with the hawthorn trees.

"The one with the trees," she said skipping on the spot.

"There's a good distance between three and seven. They want privacy from each other," he mused, rocking back on his heels, brows puckered in thought. "I'm inclined to agree with your selection. What do you think Catriona?"

"I'm with Sarah. They are the best two lots in the subdivision."

Alex snapped his fingers. "Get the agreements drawn up on both lots. I want them tied up as soon as possible, and Cat?"

"Yes?"

"I'm paying for them, but these sections are in Emily's and Luke's private names. These purchases are nothing to do with the Korda Group."

"You're very generous." Kate was warmed to realize that the affection between them all was mutual. Given the circumstances surrounding Emily and Luke it could have been very different.

"My father treated Emily and Luke shabbily." Alex's expression was grim as he caught her wrist. "They have both adamantly refused any part of his estate, but I will never see them want. They are my family."

"Of course they are." She rubbed her other hand over his tensed knuckles, sensing an anguish she didn't understand. "Emily likes you, and I'll love having her nearby. I've missed her."

"I know she's missed you." His mouth twisted in a wry grimace. "Luke thinks I've treated you badly."

That surprised her. "I seldom saw Luke while I was in Australia."

"I know." Alex rubbed a hand around the back of his neck as he met her suspicious gaze.

"You warned him away?" she asked, alert to the signs of discomfort he couldn't conceal.