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She stood there looking at him with those oversized eyes that begged him to rescue her. Although he was fairly certain she wasn’t even aware that’s what she was doing. His eyes flicked to the spot on her belly where his baby could be growing, and he felt his own stomach clench. He deeply regretted opening the door to her that morning. Things had gone from bad to worse since he’d done it. And now, instead of her being someone else’s problem, she was most definitely his.
“Woman, your life is a mess.”
“I know,” she wailed.
Callum expected tears, but she pulled herself together. She looked small, fragile and completely overwhelmed. And he couldn’t stand it. With a sigh, Callum wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him. He awkwardly patted her back and hoped she didn’t start to cry. He’d rather crawl on his belly through a war zone than deal with a weeping woman. Especially one as soft as Isobel, who was fighting her tears and trying hard to be brave. She might not have any common sense, but she did have courage, he’d give her that.
“I’ll spend the night at your place,” he said with heavy reluctance.
There was a little hiccup. “On the couch.”
That didn’t even merit a reply. Of course he was sleeping on the couch. She had two kids in the house, and touching her had caused enough problems already. He grasped her shoulders and set her away from him. “I’m going back to my place to pack an overnight bag. I’ll be back in an hour. Try not to get into any more trouble while I’m gone.”
She lifted her chin. Her eyes were blazing at him through unshed tears. “I’ll see what I can do.”
With a snort, Callum turned his back on her and started the slow climb back up the cliff.
CHAPTER 9
SOPHIE HAD FALLEN ASLEEP WEARING her green dinosaur onesie, with a pink tutu on top. She had a shark motif swim cap tugged onto her head and ski gloves on her hands. Isobel grinned at her unconscious three-year-old. She was never quite sure what she would find when she went in to check at bedtime. As soon as the light was out, Sophie dressed in what she thought was appropriate for bed, and it was never what Isobel had put her to sleep in.
After softly closing the door on the bedroom she shared with her daughter, Isobel knocked on her son’s door. There was a grunt, which Isobel took to mean “come in”. Jack was sitting on his bed, his headphones around his neck and his tablet computer in his hands. He’d r
etreated to his room after dinner, once Isobel had explained that Callum would be spending the night. He hadn’t said a word to her since.
“You still in a huff?” Isobel wished he would still let her kiss him goodnight and ruffle his hair the way he’d done when he was little.
“About your boyfriend moving in?” He gave an exaggerated shrug. “Why would I be upset about that?”
“It’s not like that. He’s only going to stay tonight to make sure we’re safe.”
“The same way he made sure you were safe when he jumped your bones?”
“Jack!” Isobel felt her cheeks heat.
“What? I’m not allowed to talk about how some random guy might be the father of my new little brother?”
“There’s no baby. I told you that. I’m not going to explain what happened between Callum and me; that’s between us.”
“Sure. Will it still be between you two when he walks out on us, like everyone else does? Don’t know if you noticed, Mum, but I live here too. I need to deal with the crap they leave behind when they run, just like you do.”
He was breaking her heart. “I know you do. I’m really sorry that my bad judgement has hurt you. I never meant for that to happen. You know I love you, Jack, right? You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and I wouldn’t change a second of my life if it meant you weren’t in it.”
His cheeks turned pink and he looked away, suddenly mesmerised by his computer screen. “If he hurts you, I’ll make him suffer. I’m not a little kid anymore. He doesn’t get to hurt you.”
“I know.” Isobel itched to touch him. “How about a hug?”
“No!” But he did give her a smile.
He put the headphones back in place and tuned her out, his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him.
Isobel closed the door silently and pressed her forehead against the shabby cream paint. She was screwing this parent thing up again. Who knew what sort of long-term emotional issues she was passing on to her son? And really, she couldn’t blame him for anything he said. She was a disaster as a mother. Sure, she did her best, but it was never good enough. Even she could see that. They lived hand-to-mouth, relying on her sisters for extras, like tablet computers for school and second-hand games consoles, so that her teenage son would fit in with his friends.
She turned and sat on the top step, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Of course Jack was upset about Callum. It was yet another man Isobel had dragged into their lives, even though she didn’t want him in it any more than he wanted to be there. She’d screwed up. Again. And her kids would suffer because of it. Again.
“What are you doing sitting up there?” Aggie called softly. “Come down here, where we have cake.”
Isobel tried to surreptitiously wipe away her tears as she painted on a fake smile. Aggie wasn’t fooled; her eyes filled with sympathy as she walked up the stairs to meet Isobel halfway.
