There hadn’t been much fun in her own life recently but her kids deserved a truckload. She swallowed hard and then said huskily, ‘Childhood should all be about fun.’
‘I’ll let you know when sign-on day is happening, then, and you can bring Luke along.’ Aiden glanced at his watch. ‘And talking about fun, I should make tracks. Party in Brisbane tonight I can’t possibly miss.’
‘I won’t hold you up, then.’ Kate rocked to her feet. She felt sick with embarrassment. For just a little while she’d allowed herself to relax around Aiden O’Connor, to edge closer to him, mentally as well as physically. But he obviously had personal ties she knew nothing about. And it was none of her business anyway.
Aiden got to his feet slowly. What had he said? She’d already bolted, rounding up Luke and Mia as if she couldn’t wait to be shot of him.
‘Say, thank you to Dr O’Connor, kids.’ Kate tightened all the bits of herself that had seemed to have loosened, almost presenting the children to him for inspection. She felt such a fool. Letting herself be lulled by the sheer sexiness of the man. Letting herself begin to want things …
‘Kate.’ Aiden dismissed the children’s thanks gently. ‘What’s wrong?’
Kate’s heart flipped and her throat went dry. ‘What makes you think something’s wrong?’
‘Your body language for starters.’
A soft breeze had whipped up, almost adding to the tension. Aiden watched as a tendril of hair flickered across Kate’s cheek and hung. On a reflex action he reached out and pleated it back. Her hair was as soft as he’d imagined. Silken. ‘Going to tell me?’
His blue eyes glinted, demanding an answer.
Kate’s heart hammered, her lips parted, her brown eyes burned like simmering coals. She wanted to reach up and place her hand against his. Increase the pressure against her skin. Connect with him. But that was madness. And it was as if a sign came up in front of her saying, No through road. ‘You’re imagining things.’ Her voice was barely there.
‘You know I’m not.’ Aiden pressed his shoes into the ground, anchoring himself. His throat convulsed in a dry deep swallow. ‘Kate …’
‘Just leave it, Aiden.’ She ducked away out of reach and shepherded the children towards the car.
Frowning, Aiden picked up the picnic basket and followed.
Luke and Mia had already scrambled into the rear seat and buckled their seat belts. Kate held the boot open, waiting for him. ‘Thanks,’ she said gruffly, almost slamming the lid on his fingers. ‘See you at work on Monday.’
She fled before he could answer, throwing herself into the driver’s seat, and was away within seconds, while his thought processes drew to a screaming halt. His mouth twisted into a grim line. What was with her?
Oh, hell. Shaking his head at the complexities of it all, he wandered across to his off-road vehicle. Would he ever get it right around Kate Preston?
CHAPTER THREE
KATE kept herself busy for the rest of the day, the events of the morning running over in her mind. Aiden O’Connor obviously had a life. A life Kate knew nothing about. And yet … Kate shook her head. Surely she hadn’t imagined the sense of intimacy she’d experienced between them that morning? Perhaps he just liked women running after him, she thought sourly. The thrill of the chase.
Did she want to be part of that chase? Out of nowhere, she relived the feeling of the weight of his hand against her skin. Imagined her body awakening to his all-over touch. Oh, get real, Kate, she implored inwardly. Hefting the laundry basket onto her hip, she went through to the bedroom and began sorting the clean clothes into neat piles.
But however hard she tried, at the end of the day she still felt at sixes and sevens, as though a huge boulder had been thrown into the pool of uniformity that was currently her life.
It was something of a relief when Jo McNeal phoned on Sunday morning. ‘Hi, Kate. Do you have plans today?’
‘Nothing more interesting than the ironing. What’s up?’
‘What about coming out to our place for lunch? Brady’s barbecuing.’
‘Oh, that sounds nice.’ Kate’s spirits lifted. The McNeals lived on acreage out of town a bit.
‘So, you’ll come?’
‘Love to. Is it OK for Luke to bring his wretched football?
Jo chuckled. ‘Driving you nuts, is he?’
‘Just a bit.’
‘Then get on out here,’ Jo insisted. ‘We’ve loads of space. Luke can go wild. Now, what about finding us? Are you clued in?’
‘Ish …’
Jo chuckled. ‘Grab a pen, then, and I’ll give you explicit directions.’
‘This is all so lovely,’ Kate said. With the children off playing happily under Brady’s watchful eye, Jo was showing her over the gardens surrounding the old farmhouse they had renovated.
‘It is, isn’t it?’ Jo said proudly. ‘The house was built in the 1840s. I’m still discovering beautiful old roses that have survived in the oddest places. And when Brady stripped back years of undergrowth, we found grapevines still viable.’
Kate’s look was wistful as she gazed past the rustic bench seat to the gently sloping paddocks and further on to the mountains, misty blue and beautiful. ‘So it’s all been a fabulous adventure, then?’
‘If you discount the odd snake or two,’ Jo said wryly. ‘But we’ve got the house just about right so that’s a relief with the new baby coming.’ She touched Kate’s arm. ‘Enough of the tour for now. Let’s go indoors and get a cuppa before the company arrives.’
‘Oh.’ Kate sent a pained look down at her T-shirt and jeans.
‘Just family.’ Jo smiled. ‘Brady’s parents are coming out from Brisbane. They’re spending a couple of days with us.’
Kate hooked an eyebrow. ‘More doctors?’
‘Blessedly, no.’ Jo gave a curl of laughter. ‘Vivienne is a barrister, James is head of town planning with the city council. They’re lovely. Been so good to us. They’re terrific grandparents to Andrew and will be to this little one as well.’ Jo touched her bump protectively. ‘I guess we’re about to become one of those blended families,’ she added philosophically.
‘Has it been difficult?’ Kate got mugs down from the dresser.
‘Not so far because I’ve been in Andrew’s life since he was a baby but perhaps when he’s older and has questions about his birth mother …’ Jo stopped and shrugged a shoulder.
Kate looked thoughtful. Not for the first time she wondered how Luke and Mia would feel about a stepfather—that’s if she ever found anyone who actually wanted the role. It would be a huge decision to allow a new man into their lives. But their memories of Cory were a bit sketchy now, especially Mia’s.
‘Why the big sigh?’ Kate slid home-made gingerbread onto a plate.
‘Oh—nothing.’ Kate gave an embarrassed laugh.
‘Thinking about blended families?’
Jo’s direct look left no room for Kate to waffle. She said slowly, ‘Luke and Mia are eight and six. I sometimes wonder … that is, if I did meet someone …’
Jo poured the tea. ‘Kate, if he loved you, he’d love your children. Stands to reason, doesn’t it? Have you met someone?’ she asked perceptively.
‘In Mt Pryde?’
‘Hey.’ Jo wagged a finger. ‘Don’t write off the possibility. It happened