he collected the bottle and glasses, Holly set her book aside and stood quickly, taking a surreptitious peek at her reflection in the long mirror on the opposite wall. It was silly. Really, she knew the neatness of her hair, the fit of her jeans or the flounces on her cream silk blouse were of no interest to Gray. But the conversation she was about to launch was almost a job interview. Checking her appearance was an automatic reflex.
‘You look great,’ Gray said, coming back into the room more quickly than she expected.
Flustered, she fought off a blush and sat quickly, wishing she could think of a witty retort.
‘No, honestly, that new hairstyle suits you,’ he said, handing her a glass of the rich Australian red.
A trip to the hairdresser had been part of Holly’s post-Brandon recovery plan, but she was amazed that Gray had noticed.
‘Thanks.’ She raised her glass. ‘Here’s to settling the twins happily in Australia. May it all go super-smoothly.’
‘Amen to that.’ Gray settled into an armchair and stretched his long legs in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.
Holly tried not to stare, but Gray had a way of catching her eye. His jeans were soft and worn and faded, hugging his strong thighs. His elastic-sided boots were tan and clean and made of finely cut leather. Lamplight caught the dark sheen of his hair and accented the ruggedly masculine planes and angles of his face and the shadow on his jaw.
There was no denying the man was bone-deep sexy. At Chelsea’s wedding, even Holly’s grandmother had been all girlish and coy in Gray’s presence.
Perhaps she shouldn’t say anything about Australia after all. She didn’t want to spend the next couple of months stealing sneak peeks at Chelsea’s ex just because she was currently without a boyfriend. She was supposed to be getting on with her exciting new single life, making plans for her brilliant career.
She drank some wine, buying time to compose herself, but her brain refused to let go of one particular thought and suddenly the words just tumbled out. ‘I’ve been thinking that you might need help with the children when you first arrive in Australia.’
Gray nodded calmly. ‘I’ve been thinking the same thing. I wondered if I should phone ahead to an employment agency.’
‘An agency in Australia?’
‘Yes.’
Holly felt a surge of emotion, almost panic. ‘I’m at a loose end.’
Oh, cringe. How annoying that she could say something in her head all day and it sounded fine, but now, as soon as she said it out loud, it sounded utterly dumb.
It didn’t help that Gray’s head snapped back as if he’d been punched in the jaw. He was staring at her as if she’d announced she was planning to fly into outer space. On a broomstick.
‘How do you mean—a loose end?’ he asked quietly.
‘I’m free—for a month or so.’
‘I thought you were starting work in a school.’
Holly’s mouth was suddenly parched. She took a sip from her glass and to her dismay her hand was shaking. ‘The schools here are about to close for the summer.’ She wished her voice wasn’t shaking as well. She cleared her throat. ‘I wouldn’t be expected to start in a new job until August, or possibly September.’
His eyes widened. ‘So you’re free through the rest of June and July?’
‘As long as I’m still in phone or Internet contact. For interviews.’ Seeing the surprise in Gray’s eyes, Holly’s nervousness accelerated. ‘It’s just a thought. A possible option.’
‘But it’s a fantastic option.’ His eyes were gleaming, and his face broke into a fully fledged smile. ‘You’d be perfect.’
For God’s sake, stay cool.
‘Do you have a passport?’ Gray asked, clearly thinking more calmly than she was.
Holly nodded. She’d studied Italian at school and her parents had scraped and saved to send her on a fabulous school excursion to Tuscany. Her passport was still valid.
Gray’s smile was replaced by a quick frown. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t mind giving up so much time?’
‘I’d be happy to come. I’m really interested in this School of the Air. I’d love to see how it works and, of course, I’d really like to help Anna and Josh to settle in.’
Gray was frowning again and he launched to his feet, pacing the room as if something troubled him. ‘I promise you’d have nothing to worry about—’ He swallowed and looked awkward. ‘I mean—accompanying me and the kids—no one out there will jump to conclusions about us. I…I mean no one will assume we’re a couple.’
Looking distinctly embarrassed, he gave a forced laugh, as if he was trying to make a joke but knew it wasn’t funny.
To Holly’s dismay, she felt her face flame. ‘Well, that’s good,’ she hurried to assure him. ‘And you certainly don’t need to worry from my end. Romance is totally off my agenda. I’ve just broken up a long-term relationship, and it was harrowing to say the least, so it’ll be a very long time before I start looking for any kind of—’ She couldn’t quite finish the sentence.
Gray nodded thoughtfully, his eyes sending a message of sympathy, and Holly felt a clear wave of relief to know that they had the ground rules sorted.
Just the same, she couldn’t help also feeling the teensiest sting over Gray’s mega-eagerness to make it clear that he wasn’t romantically interested in her.
How crazy was that? She dropped her gaze to her wine and reminded herself exactly why she’d made this offer. Gray needed help, Anna and Josh needed a nanny, and she needed to feel she’d done everything she could for Chelsea’s children.
She was the perfect person to help Anna and Josh to adjust to their new life in Australia.
‘So that’s definite, then?’ Gray was serious again. Businesslike. ‘You’ll come?’
Suddenly it felt inevitable. Predestined. As if this question was always going to be asked. And the answer was always going to be…
‘Yes.’
GRAY was surprised by how over-the-top pleased and light-hearted he felt now that he knew Holly would be accompanying them on the return journey.
Now, the challenge of becoming a single father no longer loomed as forbidding as Mount Everest and, over the following days as they finalised the packing, even Anna came to look on the move as a huge adventure.
By the time the foursome reached JFK Airport, they were all keyed up and looking forward to the flight.
It was while they were waiting to get through Security, with the line shuffling ever closer to the X-ray machines, that Holly received a call on her cellphone.
Gray assumed it was yet another of her many friends ringing to wish her well and he watched with a ready smile as she answered the phone. He saw the sudden tension in her eyes.
She turned away, her dark hair swinging with the movement. She pressed her fingers to one ear to block out the airport noise as she frowned and gave her caller her full attention.
Gray realised he was watching her more closely than was polite, but he couldn’t help it. Holly might not have Chelsea’s beauty, but she had something else—something, he suspected, more lasting than prettiness. At times like now, when her face was animated and her dark eyes were sparkling with excitement, she looked utterly enchanting.
Snatches of her conversation drifted his way.