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How ironic that proof of it should come in the form of a girl one would never have thought was his type yet, within a matter of days, a girl who had slipped under his radar and taken a position in his life—in his heart, even?
Why else would he be perfectly content to have her in his home? Why else would he appreciate so much how she was with Nicky, the little boy who had so quickly captured his heart? And there was no doubt he’d looked forward to having her company for dinner, no doubt he wanted to know everything there was to know about her, and he couldn’t deny being physically stirred by her.
He took a sip of brandy and crossed his hands behind his head. Why else would he find it annoying to think she sided with Cathy …?
But that was just one example of why Alexandra Hill was not for him, or, more precisely, why he was not for her; this girl who’d only just stepped out of a most sheltered background, who found his past history somewhat distasteful.
A girl who’d never even fallen in love—did she deserve someone as world-weary as he was or did she deserve some nice young man with a clean record, in a manner of speaking? A chance to spread her wings and have some fun?
He frowned suddenly as that thought seemed to strike a chord, but he couldn’t place it, and his thoughts wandered on.
Why, he asked himself, had it happened at a time when there was the distinct possibility the only way to work through the Nicky problem was to marry his mother?
CHAPTER FIVE
THE next three days were mostly peaceful.
Both Jake Frost and Max had gone back to Brisbane and the household relaxed a little.
Alex and Nicky explored the islands with Nemo, they swam, they walked to the nearest shopping village of Paradise Point with its pleasant beach and they fished off the jetty.
The pool area of the Tuscan villa was especially beautiful. Enclosed in a walled garden, the pool was surrounded by thick emerald lawn and the walls were smothered in a variety of creepers; honeysuckle and jasmine scented the air and the starry little flowers of port-wine magnolia studded the dark green of its foliage. There were beds of creamy-white gardenias and glossy-leaved camellia bushes.
In one corner sat a quaint gazebo with a cupola roof. It looked faintly oriental or, Alex thought, like someone’s ‘folly', but Nicky loved it. He had a toy gun and it gave him a lot of pleasure to clamber around the gazebo or hide under its benches or behind its lattice screens and ambush imaginary villains. Nemo always assisted in these operations, pressing his belly to the ground and creeping forward, then erupting into action with a volley of barks.
A very normal little boy and his dog, Alex thought for the most part, although just occasionally Nicky’s refusal to be parted from Nemo under any circumstances caused even her to think once: Yes, you are a lot like your father, Nicky. He always gets his own way too.
Fortunately, the housekeeper, Mrs Mills, as well as being superb at her job, was also good with both dogs and kids. Between them, she and Alex, they managed to establish some rules for Nemo and Nicky, some absolutely no-go zones and some rituals, frequent walks being one of them. Mrs Mills also had a grandson of Nicky’s age who lived close by, and the two boys had taken to each other.
Max came home around four in the afternoon but for the first two evenings he drove back to Brisbane as soon as Nicky had gone to sleep.
On the third day, though, he arrived early afternoon, told them he’d be staying overnight and that Alex would be working with him the next day. He sweetened that news with an offer to take them out on the water.
There was a sleek, fast-looking little boat pulled up on a concrete slipway at one end of the waterfront.
Stan, who was not only car jockey on social occasions but gardener and boat wrangler, released it into the water and brought it up to the jetty.
Alex had been very tempted to leave Nicky and Max alone on this expedition, but when Nicky inevitably refused to leave Nemo behind, then made it plain he wouldn’t go without Alex either, she had no choice.
‘This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen,’ she murmured to Max as she climbed into the boat.
‘I think he may be nervous,’ Max replied and turned to Nicky. ‘Have you ever been in a boat before?’
‘No,’ the little boy replied. ‘Is it going to tip over if I move to the side?’
‘No. Look.’ Max moved to the side himself, and Nicky relaxed after a moment. ‘But we will wear life jackets because that’s the law for kids and it’s not a bad idea for adults,’ Max added.
‘What about Nemo?’ Nicky enquired.
‘Haven’t got one for him.’ Max grinned. ‘So we’ll leave his lead on and tie it to this bar.’
A few minutes later they cruised away from the jetty at a sedate speed. Half an hour later, Nicky had released his vice-like grip of Alex’s hand and was standing beside Max in front of the centre console, thoroughly enjoying himself as he steered the boat and the spray divided under the bow and wind whistled through their hair.
Alex patted Nemo, who was quite overwhelmed for once in his life, and watched father and son. She could only approve of Max’s approach to Nicky. He didn’t make a fuss of the boy, but he’d obviously awakened Nicky’s interest.
In fact she’d seen Nicky look at him with a tinge of awe last afternoon when Max had come home and had spent the couple of hours before Nicky’s dinnertime showing him how to fly a kite.
He’d brought the kite home with him and they’d gone to the beach, all bundled up, to take advantage of a stiffish breeze.
