Short and Sweet (14 page)

‘It was nice to meet you, Hal. See you around.’

His smile faded. ‘Not until after Christmas, you won’t. Hell, what am I going to do? I’m sick to death of hotels. They’re full of the Christmas spirit, too.’

It was then that the idea began to blossom, a really neat idea. Smiling, she stretched out one hand to stop him leaving. ‘Wait a minute. I have an idea.’

‘Oh?’

‘About Christmas – and our mutual problems.’

‘You have?’ His eyes lit to an incandescent blue and he took an eager step towards her.

She backed off a prudent yard or two. Being close to that gorgeous body scrambled her brain. ‘This is rough thinking at the moment, right? But what gave you away was your car. And what’ll give me away is my car. So—’

He said it for her, ‘Why don’t we park in each other’s carports? We’re round the corner from each other, so the cars should stay fairly well hidden.’

She nodded.

‘Brilliant.’ Then his shoulders sagged and he shook his head. ‘They’ll knock on the door if they see any sign of life at all, trying to find out where I am. And if I leave the door unlocked again, they’ll be inside before you can blink. My mother’s pestering me for keys now, so that she can drop meals off for me. As if I haven’t learned to cook for myself after eight years away from home.’

‘My mother’s just as bad. She’d love to be able to pop in, but I told her it’s a rule of this place that we don’t give people keys – because of the security angle.’

‘Good one. I must tell mine the same thing.’ Then he grabbed her arm. ‘Hold on! I’ve just had another idea.’

‘What?’ Her question was more of a gasp than a word, what with his naked chest so close and his hand warm on her bare flesh.

‘Well, when we see someone coming, we could nip through the back gardens and answer each other’s door.’

She was beginning to nod approval, seeing what he was getting at, and without thinking she finished the idea for him. ‘We could say we’re friends, house-sitting for the holidays while the owner is away.’

For a moment, they were both silent, contemplating the blissful image this raised.

‘Or if the other is out, we could just sort of hide next door,’ he added. ‘They can’t see the rear patios from the street.’

‘Oooh, don’t tempt me.’

‘Why shouldn’t we do it? I’m talking survival here.’

There was silence as they both thought this through.

‘Why not indeed?’ she said at last. ‘I’ve no training jobs on at this time of year, so I’ll be around most of the time.’

‘I could rig up a buzzer to call for help.’ He smiled modestly. ‘That’d be simple. As I said, I’m a whizz with electronic gizmos.’

It was the thought of her elderly Aunt Maria that did the trick. The old lady kept questioning her publicly, in the overloud voice of someone who was hard of hearing, asking when she was going to find herself another husband.

Or worse still, her mother producing yet another ‘lovely young man’ and saying things like ‘You two have got so much in common, I’m sure you’re going to get on like a house on fire.’

‘Let’s do it!’ Bianca breathed.

‘Do you think it’ll work?’

‘We can only try.’

Part Two

F
or the first time in years Bianca faced Christmas without fear of her mother’s matchmaking. She told her family she was going down to the country with a group of friends, while another friend house sat for her. She invented several fictitious people and casually offered the information that they included a man she was interested in.

‘Oh? Tell me about him. What’s he called? How did you meet him? How old is he?’

Her mind went blank and she could only think of, ‘His name’s Hal.’ But hey, he’d understand that if anyone would.

‘Hal who? And you haven’t answered my other questions. What’s wrong with him that you can’t bring him round to meet your family? He isn’t another Roger, is he? I never did like that husband of yours.’

Bianca knew her mother wouldn’t let the matter drop without some information. ‘He’s called Hal Crawford and he’s in IT, like me. And I’m not bringing him round yet because Aunt Maria would be giving him the third degree about what his intentions are and – you know, I don’t want to put him off.’

‘All right. Remember, you’re not getting any younger, thirty-two next year. I don’t like you going away for Christmas, though. It’s a
family
time. Still, if you’ve got a young man, just this once I’ll forgive you.’

Bianca’s cousin Paola rang up the next day ‘for a chat’.

‘I’m looking forward to getting together on Christmas Day.’

‘I’m going away with friends this year.’

Seething, Bianca put down the phone. Paola hadn’t rung her for months. It had to be her mother checking up on her again!

But on Christmas Eve her anger about the festive season and her interfering but well-meaning family faded as she carried in her shopping and prepared for a siege. Outwitting them was going to be fun.

Just as she was unpacking the fruit and salad, the buzzer went. For a moment, she couldn’t think what it was, then remembered and rushed out to the back in time to see Hal climbing over the fence.

‘My aunt’s here!’ he hissed.

‘Right.’ Bianca set one foot on the pole supporting the fence. With a mutter of impatience, he put his arms round her waist and lifted her up. That took the air from her lungs. What was there about his touch that did this to her? She didn’t want to react so strongly to a man. She was enjoying her freedom. Intended to go on enjoying it.

Breathing rather rapidly, she rushed into his house.

Someone was knocking at the front door and rattling it. ‘I know you’re there, Hal,’ a voice called, ‘and I’m not going away till you let me in.’

Bianca snatched a towel from the bathroom and wound it round her head as if she’d just washed her hair. Smoothing her top down over her midriff, she opened the door. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked, hiding her amusement at the look of shock on the woman’s face.

‘I’d like to see Hal. I’m his Aunt Naomi.’

‘Oh, sorry. He’s gone away for the holidays. I’m house-sitting for him.’ Bianca realized suddenly that she didn’t know exactly what tale he had spun to his mother and clamped her mouth shut, making a play of looking at her watch. ‘Look, I’m rather busy. Can I give him a message when he gets back?’

‘When exactly is he returning?’

‘After Christmas.’ Damn! They really should have synchronized stories better.

‘Then tell him we’re all expecting to see him on New Year’s Eve.
Without fail!
’

As she closed the door, Bianca sagged against it in relief. Phew! His family must be as bad as hers. No wonder Hal was taking serious avoidance tactics.

Two hours later it was her turn to use the buzzer to summon help. By that time, they’d spent a hilarious hour synchronizing stories, so Hal was able to get rid of her Cousin Gina without blowing their cover.

‘This is fun!’ she said as they met at the fence on the way back to their own houses.

‘You’re right, Bianca.’ He helped her climb over, paused for a moment before he let her go, then shook his head and stepped quickly backwards.

Oooh! she thought as she went indoors. Men didn’t come in any more tempting packages. Good job she was now fireproof against them.

Well, sort of fireproof. Just because she didn’t want to get married again didn’t mean she had to stay celibate, did it? Then she frowned. She’d never been into casual sex and she wasn’t going to start now. It had to mean something.

So did marriage. More than it had to Roger, that was sure, the rat!

Thinking of him dampened her reactions down. It always did.

Christmas Day dawned with a weather forecast of a ‘century’, a hundred degrees Fahrenheit, old style. Hot sun beat down from another cloudless sky. Bianca went for an early swim then took cover inside her house. At ten o’clock the buzzer sounded and a minute later Hal climbed over the fence, a harassed look on his face.

When she got back from sending one of his cousins away – boy, his mother must be the suspicious type! – he was sprawled in one of her patio chairs looking as if he belonged there.

Temptation whispered in her ear and she gave in to it. ‘What are you doing for a meal today?’

He shrugged. ‘I’ve bought a steak.’

‘Do you want to bring it over and join me in a barbecue? Nothing fancy, but I’m obviously not going to dare set foot outside today.’

He gave her a long cool glance, then smiled. ‘I’d really like that. I confess I wasn’t looking forward to being totally alone. I’ve got a bottle of very good champagne and a box of decadent home-made chocolates that are just meant to be shared with a friend.’

When he named the brand of chocolates, she licked her lips. Her favourites. ‘I’m your slave for life! Why don’t you come round about twelve?’

‘That would be perfect.’

As he climbed back over the fence, she stood and admired the play of taut muscles, then hurriedly turned away before he could catch her staring.

Humming, she went into the bedroom to put on the new summery dress she’d bought a couple of weeks ago. She’d been looking for an excuse to wear it.

He turned up dressed in casual navy shorts and a white top, which looked brilliant with his tanned skin.

The day just got better from then on. As they both worked in the same industry, they found a lot to talk about. But more importantly, they chatted like old friends, enjoying comfortable silences as well as lively exchanges of opinions.

Later, they watched TV together. She enjoyed his sharp mind and his gentle wit, and they even liked the same sorts of programmes.

She had never felt such instant rapport with anyone. And that was beginning to worry her, so she made sure he left at ten o’clock by claiming to be tired.

He didn’t try to argue or kiss her, but looked at her shrewdly and nodded. ‘Very sensible.’

They didn’t see each other again till after Christmas, because they were both spending Boxing Day with friends.

And a good thing, too!

Wasn’t it?

On the day before New Year’s Eve, she bumped into Hal at the local supermarket. ‘Hi there! How’s it going?’ she asked brightly, determined to keep the conversation brief.

He shrugged. ‘Christmas was fine, but my mother’s insisting on my going round tomorrow to the family party. Big fuss if I don’t. And if only she’d lay off the matchmaking, I’d love to catch up with everyone. But she won’t. My cousin’s already warned me that she’s found a new female to toss at me – a librarian who goes to her church.’ He sighed.

Her heart went out to him. ‘My mother’s the same. Only with her it’s New Year’s Day. If I don’t turn up then, they’ll murder me. And she’s got a cousin with an eligible son visiting from Italy. She has too many cousins, my mother does.’

They pushed their trolleys along in single file for the length of an aisle, both stopping at the fruit displays.

He picked up a bunch of bananas, studied it intently, then shot a quick glance sideways at her. ‘You – um – wouldn’t consider coming with me tomorrow night, would you? My mother puts on a great feast and I think you’d enjoy yourself. And you’d be excellent protection. I’ll do the same for you the day after, if you like.’

‘Hmm.’ It was dangerous. He was too attractive. But she wasn’t looking forward to spending New Year’s Eve on her own, so in the end she shrugged. ‘Why not?’

‘You mean, you will come?’ His face brightened instantly.

‘I said so, didn’t I?’

They finished shopping. ‘You’d better come round and tell me the details!’ she called as they stopped at her car. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’

‘You’re an angel.’ He walked off whistling.

He came over the back fence again. She was getting used to seeing him do that. Far too used to it.

He looked at her over the rim of his coffee mug. ‘There’s just one thing. I was thinking as I unpacked the groceries – would you mind – um, pretending to be – well, pretending that we’re seeing one another? In love, even. It might give me a few months’ grace afterwards.’

His blush was back. She was a sucker, but she still couldn’t resist him when he blushed. ‘No, I wouldn’t mind. As long as that’s all it is, just pretending. I meant what I said about not wanting another relationship.’

‘Your marriage was that bad?’ he asked gently.

She stared down into her mug. ‘Worse than bad. Roger turned out to be violent.’ She had never told anyone else the details. ‘I was stupid at first, kept giving him another chance, because in between he could be really nice. But it didn’t work. He kept promising to get therapy and not following through, though I made enquiries and they said they could help him.’

She sipped more coffee, then said it aloud for the first time, ‘When I decided to leave, he came home and caught me moving out. He thumped me.’ She swallowed hard. She’d thought he was going to murder her but he’d stepped back and, for no reason that she could figure, had left the house.

Hal gave a long, low whistle, and for a moment his hand covered hers. ‘I’m sorry.’

She clung to his hand for a moment or two more, then let go and told him the rest, ‘He stalked me for a while. They didn’t manage to catch him. Then he found himself a new woman.

‘I’ve not seen him since, but it’s left me a bit – nervous. Which is why I love living in this gated development.’

Silence drifted around them for a few moments, then he said, ‘I moved in here because of my equipment. It’s insured, of course, but I can’t bear the thought of some thieving burglar getting his hands on it.’

Another silence, then he added gently, ‘Thank you for your help. And for your confidences. I won’t take advantage of your goodwill gesture, I promise. I’m definitely not looking for a permanent relationship.’ He got up, put the mug on the sink and went out of the back.

She didn’t know whether to be glad or sorry about that last statement.

Glad!
Of course she was glad! She didn’t want anything permanent either. She didn’t dare.

Bianca stared at herself in the mirror, twitching the skirt down a little, but of course it shot up again. Was it too short? You could wear any length you liked these days, but did she really want to show so much leg? What would his family think of her? No, she’d better change into her long blue skirt.