Page 34 of Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat
Chapter Sixteen
‘Hello, Mum,’ Fee murmured.
‘Allain rang me today.’ Maddy sighed. ‘I’m not sure he believed me when I swore I’d passed on his phone number and email to you.’
‘Please say you didn’t tell him how to get in touch with me?’
‘Of course not. What do you take me for?’
You don’t want to know.
‘The last thing he wants is to upsetyou but he really wanted me to pass on how much it would please him to be… in your life in some way. I promise I won’t bother you again and you don’t have to tell me if you decide to contact him or not. How much more transparent can I be?’ she pleaded and briefly Fee felt sorry for her mother.
‘I’ll think about it some more and that’s all I’m agreeing to. I’ve got to go.’ She said a quickgoodbye and turned the phone off, shoving it back in her bag.
‘It’s time we went.’ Tom’s quiet words reminded her where they were. ‘We’ll talk later.’
A few minutes later Fee discovered herself sitting in Tom’s truck with her seat belt fastened but with no recollection of getting there because her mind was elsewhere.
‘Lie back and close your eyes. I’ll wake you up whenwe’re home.’
She didn’t have the energy to argue.
Tom approached the entrance to Black Cherry and glanced down at Fee who was still fast asleep. Her fresh perfume and the heavy warmth of her head pressing against his shoulder had disturbed him all the way and made him think. This complex woman was sneaking into a place he’d long ago closed for business. Wasn’t one broken heartenough for anyone’s lifetime?
Gina had deserved better than him in a myriad of ways. She should have married Phil Donaldson instead with his steady nine to five accounting job. Phil wouldn’t have forgotten his wedding anniversary because he was consumed with nailing a suspected murderer or neglected to call his lovely wife when he couldn’t make it home for dinner for the third night ina row. One evening, Tom remembered dumping his frustration all over her when she expected him to admire the new kitchen curtains she’d made after he’d spent his day working a particularly nasty child abuse case and couldn’t erase the images from his mind. Life in the law enforcement community wasn’t for everyone and it wasn’t Gina’s fault she had expected more from him than Tom was able to give.He stopped the truck outside Fee’s cabin and rested his hands on the steering wheel.
‘Are we here already?’ She blinked and opened her eyes. ‘Have I been asleep?’
‘Yeah, you could say that,’ he agreed. ‘If you don’t mind I’ll leave you here for now and catch up on some work.’
‘Oh, right. I’d hoped we might talk?’
‘Can I take a rain-check?’ His reaction appearedto confuse her and Tom came close to admitting the truth.
‘Of course. Don’t worry I’ve plenty to occupy my thoughts for the rest of the day.’ She agreed with a smile although he sensed a deeper meaning behind her words. Fee retrieved her bag and denim jacket from the floorboard under her feet. ‘Thanks for an interesting day out.’ She opened the door and jumped out before he could rememberhis manners. Tom watched her fumble with the door key before disappearing inside her cabin out of sight.
He fired up the engine again, turned the truck around and drove down to his own cabin. Fee had come close to begging for his help and he’d blown her off because he was scared of risking everything all over again.Good one. Without letting himself think any more, he hurried inside andheaded for the office. Maybe later he could…Don’t go there, idiot. Stay away.
The next time he glanced at the clock he’d got through the best part of two hours’ work with only sore shoulders and a growing headache to show for his trouble. Tom logged off his computer and closed down for the night. He grabbed a can of beer from the fridge and tugged on his faded dark green sweatshirt beforeheading out on to the porch. Lights were on in all the occupied cabins meaning his little community were settled in for the night. The Burtons had probably eaten an early supper and were now sitting together in front of a log fire. No doubt the Waters clan were doing an educational family activity but they weren’t bugging him so it was all good.
And Fee?For a second he could’ve swornhe smelt lemons in the air. Tom decided she’d made him more than a little crazy.
‘Are you drinking alone?’ Fee spoke from the bottom of the steps and he stumbled to his feet.
‘Where did you spring from?’ Through the shadows he made out the slight curve of her smile.
‘I came to give you another chance.’
The woman must be mad. He’d rejected her earlier so what madeher so sure he wouldn’t do it again? Was she simply braver than he was? Fee joined him on the porch and wound her arms around his neck before kissing him softly on the mouth.
‘Do I get any say in this?’ he murmured. ‘You’re making a big mistake, sweetheart. I’ve nothing to offer you.’
‘All I’m offering is me, now, tonight.’
Tom stroked his thumbs over her cheeks and trailedhis hands down to rest on her backside.
‘Is that a yes?’ she whispered and a heart-stopping smile crept across her beautiful face.
