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He sends me a smile. “I’ve never known anyone who finds such pleasure in other people’s happiness the way you do.”
I shrug. “Doesn’t everyone feel like that?”
“Most people are only concerned with themselves.”
“I guess. It’s alien to me. I’d much rather give than receive presents, for example. I know I’m a people pleaser. That’s why it’s been so nice having some time just the two of us. I feel like I’ve rediscovered myself all over again.” I blush. “That sounds a bit pretentious, but…”
“No, I know what you mean. I would think that’s quite common for mums, especially after what you’ve been through.”
I think about that as he heads down the coast, and I look out of the window, thrilled to see the fluke of an orca rising out of the sea. “It’s true that this year, especially, I’ve devoted myself to Finn’s recovery, and what with that and teaching, there’s not been a lot of time to concentrate on myself. I don’t regret it, because Finn is and will always be my baby boy, and he means the world to me. But it is nice to think about what I want for a change.”
“So what do you want?”
I glance across at him, and my lips curve up.
He chuckles. “Well, we’ve got two whole days for that, so I hope you’re ready because I intend to wear you out.”
“I can’t wait.” I’m so excited, I’m almost jumping around like a toddler. Alex looks gorgeous today—he’s wearing dark jeans and an All Blacks rugby top, his hair is ruffled, and he hasn’t bothered to shave this morning. He looks gorgeous and sexy, and I can’t wait to get him into bed.
First, though, we have to pick up Finn and Mum, and Alex sets the helicopter down at Pippa’s place. We walk over to the house and say hello to everyone, and it’s midday now, so we agree to stop for a light lunch, eventually returning to the helicopter around one-thirty. Alex puts Zelda in her crate, then helps Finn into the front seat, and we all buckle ourselves in. We wave goodbye as the helicopter lifts into the air, and Alex flies us back to Christchurch.
Finn is full of it—he’s had a fantastic time, he’s flying in a helicopter, and now he’s going away with his best friend for a few nights. Mum’s also bright and perky, obviously excited at the thought of spending some time with Mike alone.
So none of us is disappointed to be returning. When Alex lands at the airport, Mum, Finn, and I Uber back to the house so we can all repack for the next few days, while Alex returns to his house with Zelda, takes her for a long walk, and makes sure she has enough food and all her bedding before returning in his Audi to my house.
Mum’s already left to be with Mike, and Robbie’s folks turn up just half an hour later. I introduce them to Alex, and he makes sure they’re happy to take Zelda before transferring her in her crate to the back of their car. The boys pile into the back, and then we wave goodbye as they drive away.
Alex turns to me then. “So it’s just the two of us.”
I lift my arms around his neck. “How lovely.”
He wraps his arms around me and kisses me. “Shall we get going?”
“Are we driving?”
“Only to the airport. We’ll go by helicopter.” He speaks so casually, and I wonder whether I’ll ever get used to flying around the countryside like that.
He flies us southwest from Christchurch to the Banks Peninsula. I know he mentioned the town of Akaroa, so I’m expecting the villa to be near there, but to my surprise he continues to the north coast, over the amazing landscape of forests and rolling hills, until he eventually sets the helicopter down in a field near a clifftop path. Smiling at me, he takes our bags and leads the way along the path and over the crest of the hill, revealing the sparkling waters of the Pacific laid out before us.
“Jesus, Alex.”
“Not a bad view,” he says.
“Understatement of the year.”
He chuckles, heading down to the property. “This is Seaview.”
I’d expected a luxurious house, but I couldn’t even conceive of a place like this. I hope there’s no chance of a tsunami, because the long, narrow, stone-built house sits at the end of the track, right on the edge of the beach, feet from the currently calm waters of the Pacific. It spans most of the tiny bay, surrounded by tussock grass, with high hills on either side, and not another property in sight.
A Range Rover is parked in front of the house. Alex walks past it, opens the front door, and calls out, “Carl?”
A man who looks to be in his fifties with gray hair appears, and the two of them shake hands. “Missie, this is Carl Collins,” Alex says. “Carl, this is Missie.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Carl says, offering his hand. “I’m the property manager. Please, come in.”
The place needs a property manager? Alex gives me a mischievous smile and gestures for me to precede him.
I walk in with an open mouth. The whole front of the house is glass and faces the sea. All the windows have shutters, but they’re currently all open, and the place is filled with light.
