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‘Here we are,’ Arthur announced as he pulled the SUV into the driveway of the luxurious three-storey home. The architecture was modern, with a large glass balcony on both upper floors overlooking the beach.
Jade lowered her glasses. The home was palatial and the view as she stepped out of the car and looked around was spectacular.
‘It’s beautiful. What part of Adelaide is this?’
‘Glenelg … North Glenelg, to be exact,’ Arthur said with pride as he lifted the cases from the back of the vehicle. ‘Just love it here, like an all-year-round holiday but still so close to the city. And you can go surfing if you’d like. Mitchell’s renting a condo just down the road, walking distance actually, but it has on-road parking, with no storage space so he leaves his surfboard in our garage. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you borrowed it. I remember David telling us you were quite a surfer girl.’
Jade froze. Surfer girl? That had been a lifetime ago. And it was a pastime that she would never contemplate again. Now that love of riding a wave was tainted by the reality that she could easily be knocked unconscious by her own board and drown at the bottom of the ocean. Surfing was right up there with the all the other activities from her past. Something she’d once done during summer break with her friends at Malibu but something that she would never consider now. With every day she found a greater understanding of how Ruby had seen life. And how that was needed, for Amber’s well-being.
‘I’m not a surfer any more, or even much of a swimmer, to be honest, but I’m sure Amber will love building sandcastles.’
‘I’m sure she will. And the shops are close by, too,’ Maureen added, hoping to bond with Jade over a shared love of shopping. Struggling to bring up two sons on her own, before she’d met Arthur much later in life, hadn’t allowed her to share too much but now with Jade and Amber she thought they could enjoy some time together and buy lots of pretty things for her granddaughter.
Jade walked around to open the door and reach in for Amber.
‘May I?’ Maureen asked as she moved towards the car.
Jade wasn’t sure how Amber would react but she politely stepped back and was pleasantly surprised when the little girl allowed her grandmother to lift her from the car. Jade stayed close at hand so Amber would stay relaxed. A smile overtook Maureen’s pretty face and she carried Amber, and the grubby rag doll, up the steps to the front door.
‘Perhaps you and your doll might like a nice bubble bath before lunch,’ Maureen said softly, and waited for Arthur to unlock the door to the home that they would all share for the next four weeks.
Jade smiled as she entered the second guest bathroom half an hour later. She knelt down next to Maureen and watched her fuss over Amber as she played in the large white porcelain tub of warm bubbles. Jade had enjoyed a relaxing shower in another marble-tiled bathroom before she’d towel-dried her short hair and changed into an ankle-length cotton sundress. Long showers were a rarity as she didn’t like to leave Amber alone for too long, but safe in the knowledge that Maureen had the little girl, and that she seemed content to spend time with her grandmother, Jade had taken her time and let the hot water and steam massage her tired body.
It had been almost three years of being the sole provider and now she knew that Amber was happy spending time with her grandparents Jade was looking forward to a few luxuries, like the occasional long, hot shower, over the next few weeks. But she still wouldn’t be too far away.
She had heard laughter as she had approached the bathroom. Amber had a bright pink-and-white floral bath cap perched on her head but more than a few curls had slipped out and were now decorated with bubbles. The bathtub was filled with colourful plastic bath toys that Jade suspected had been purchased just for Amber. There were no other grandchildren and the toys looked far too new to have once belonged to David or Mitchell.
The next four weeks no doubt would be a time for spoiling Amber, and Jade was not about to tell Arthur or Maureen otherwise. Amber had been through so much and she deserved every bit of happiness and love that could be given to her. And equally Arthur and Maureen had suffered a terrible loss and she was happy that they could finally spend time with their only link to their son, their gorgeous granddaughter.
‘What about we all head over to the beach to build a sandcastle after you’re all clean?’
‘Well, that makes no sense at all!’ came a deep male voice from behind them.
Jade jumped a little with surprise. It wasn’t Arthur’s voice and she had not heard any steps, but looking around she immediately knew why. She saw two very tanned bare feet that would have made no noise on the tile corridor leading to the bathroom. Slowly, her gaze rose to equally tanned legs and then low-slung board shorts. When her eyes met the perfectly sculpted abs and chest, she felt her heart race a little underneath her thin cotton dress. It was a feeling she had not experienced in a very long time.
It was a feeling she didn’t want or need. And it rattled her usual calm demeanour.
‘You wash a child and then take her to roll in the sand. She’ll look like a piece of crumbed chicken.’
‘Mitchell, don’t be awful,’ Maureen scolded him lightheartedly without turning around. Her attention didn’t waver from her granddaughter in the water. ‘Amber has flown for almost twenty hours so she needed to clean up. I’ll dry her before we head to the sand and she is much too beautiful to ever look like crumbed poultry.’
Jade started to climb to her feet as the banter continued. Her long dress was caught around her knees and ankles and made it difficult to get up quickly.
‘I thought I heard you up here,’ Arthur cut in, and patted Mitchell on the shoulder. ‘You’re in time to meet Jade, Amber’s aunt …’
‘Oh, I know who Jade is,’ Mitchell replied, and put out a hand to help Jade up. ‘Pleased to finally meet you.’
Jade felt obliged to accept his hand, but she was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t grubby and in keeping with his jungle appearance in the photos. It was clean and warm and strong. Immediately, she almost wished she had refused. Slowly, she stood to her feet and came face to face with the man she had heard so much about—the wanderer who never stayed anywhere long, the brother whom David had loved and admired, and the man who she now knew enjoyed teasing his mother.
And the man who immediately took her breath away.
He was not scruffy, not even close. His long blond hair, once wild and dirty, was very short and well groomed, his long beard replaced by a fine covering of dark stubble and his eyes, always hidden behind sunglasses in the photos, were the brightest shade of blue. As clear and brilliant as the sky she had seen when she’d arrived a few hours ago.
It couldn’t be the same man. This man was gorgeous. And as he gently pulled her to him to softly kiss her cheek, she smelt the fresh overtones of his cologne. Her senses were suddenly overloaded.
‘Aunty Jade, catch!’
Jade turned her attention back to her niece to see a soapy plastic duck heading towards her. Instinctively, she moved to catch the airborne object but caught her sandal on the bathmat, losing her footing. She tried to steady herself but was swaying precariously. Suddenly, Mitchell’s firm hands reached out and caught her. She fell into his arms and his mouth hovered only inches from hers. His touch was warm on her bare shoulders and his strength kept her upright until she gathered her composure and could do it for herself. Her stomach began to churn nervously. Her reaction and feelings surprised her. No man had affected her that quickly for a very long time. Then she mentally corrected herself. No man had ever affected her that quickly.
‘Are you all right?’ His voice matched his appearance. It was as deep as the tan of his skin and very masculine.
She stepped back and smoothed down her dress. Words had completely escaped her and his nearness made her conscious of his sensuality. Astoundingly, he had managed to remind her of her own. It was ridiculous, she knew it. She had no interest in men. Any men. They were off limits to her. She had signed a deal with herself to forget dating, to forget men in general until Amber was married or at least enrolled in college. And by that time she surmised she would probably have no appeal for them, or them for her. It hadn’t been a hard deal to keep. The men she had dated previously, her type, no longer appealed. In fact, no man had been appealing since the accident. But somehow Mitchell’s touch had left her dizzy.
His expression was serious and his concern seemed genuine but she knew his type, a very handsome drifter with no ties. What she didn’t know was why she was reacting this way. There was something about the man, other than his looks, that was attracting her to him. Then she realised that looking into his eyes was like looking into Amber’s. The stunning blue eyes staring back at her were the same colour as those of the little girl she had kissed goodnight for almost three years. He was a part of the little girl as much as she was. They both shared a special bond with their beautiful niece.
But looks alone was where his bond ended. The bond of family was one he had chosen not to act on. He had never tried to see Amber. Mitchell had apparently been too busy enjoying life to bother checking in on his niece. He’d left that role to Jade and although she was more than happy to be the sole caregiver, the occasional call might have been nice. It might have shown that he actually had a heart and cared.
Mitchell hadn’t displayed any interest in the little girl up to now so she wasn’t about to just let him step into Amber’s life without any scrutiny. And without a damned good explanation.
He had returned home to spend time with his parents for reasons known only to him and at a strangely coincidental time, but Jade supposed the shine would wear off the situation and he would be riding back into the sunset very soon. His type was nothing new to her.
‘I’m fine,’ she finally mouthed, still confused by the way he was affecting her, given the situation. Bringing her niece to Australia was not about to change the way she looked at men, or didn’t look, as the case had been.
The idea that she could in any way be attracted to Amber’s uncle was ludicrous. She snapped her wandering thoughts back to reality. She was beyond angry with him for not investing some time in his niece over the past three years, although she wasn’t about to take him to task over it on meeting him. Maureen and Arthur deserved better than that. They were gracious and generous to a fault and she would not show any animosity to their son in front of them. And she also didn’t want Amber to feel anything but love when she thought of her family so she wouldn’t let on how she really felt about Mitchell when anyone else was around. That was between the two of them.
Jade was aware that Amber might ask questions about Mitchell as she grew up, but she had already planned on being diplomatic about the absent uncle purely out of respect for David. She owed nothing to Mitchell so it was not out of respect for him.
Jade planned on asking the hard questions when they were alone. She deserved to know why he had never bothered to reach out and get to know the little girl who was a living bond to the brother who had adored him. Jade did not understand how he could move on with his life and not want the child to be a part of it. It made no sense at all to her.
Neither had her feelings when he’d touched her. Suddenly, nothing made sense. How could she be attracted to a man she resented? It was ridiculous.
‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ Mitchell gave her a wary look as he studied her. She was pretty, very pretty, he thought, but she appeared quite uptight. Almost like a governess. Her dress was plain, not unlike something a farmer’s wife or librarian might have in their closet. It was safe, almost virginal. Then the word came to him. Prim. Jade’s appearance was the epitome of primness. Proper and nice and completely disguising any sign of her womanly curves. The hem of her sundress was just above her ankles so even her legs were almost hidden from view. Her arms were bare but he suspected she would have a cardigan or shawl close by. Her hair was practical and he saw there was no sign of make-up, although she truly did not need it anyway. She was naturally pretty.
Yet this woman before him did not match the one described by David as Ruby’s wild-child sister. The one who lived life like one long party. Mitchell had arrived at his parents’ home expecting a fun-loving Daisy Duke and was sadly disappointed. There was no reality he knew in which wild-child and Jade would sit comfortably side by side. They were poles apart—in fact, Mitchell thought there was close to a universe dividing them. He had imagined from his brother’s reports that they would have much in common and would enjoy spending time together while she was in town. But as he had no interest in spending time at the local library, it wasn’t going to happen. Life was short and he wasn’t about to waste any of it.
It was a not a coincidence that he had returned while Jade and Amber were in town. He had wanted to meet her and extend his condolences. Something he hadn’t been able to do after the accident. He had been working in a remote village with Doctors Without Borders and he hadn’t managed to secure passage home in time for the funeral. There had been no internet or phone coverage and he’d only found out about the accident the day before the service. After that he’d seen no point in going. He hadn’t wanted to fly to the US and have expectations and responsibility put upon him the moment he landed. He was not father material and suspected that, however wild, Jade would be a better guardian for Amber. Better by far.
Coming to Australia meant he could meet Jade and Amber and then disappear again back to his own life and leave them to theirs. He’d wanted to meet his niece more than anything and it had torn at him not to have done so before, but he’d been afraid about the damage he might cause by raising expectations he couldn’t meet. He hadn’t wanted to step into their lives when he had no intention of staying.
But this visit was different. It was a holiday and that in his mind equated to no residual scars for any of them. It was neutral territory for the meeting. Jade and Amber would have Maureen and Arthur to depend on in the future if the need arose. It was a better option all round.
He had, however, imagined he might enjoy his time with Jade. With everyone in holiday mode it might be fun, but looking at her now he felt sure that the word fun was not in her dictionary. He wondered how his older brother’s idea of wild could be that different from his own.
Or had Jade changed?
Something just didn’t add up.
‘I’m absolutely fine,’ she responded politely, and turned away from what she found to be a scrutinising gaze from an absurdly handsome man whom she wanted to scold for his apathy where his niece was concerned.
‘Are you ready to build some sandcastles?’ Jade asked Amber to steer her mind and mouth from telling him what she was really thinking.
‘Yeth, pleath,’ came the lisped reply.
Maureen laughed and reached into the warm water and pulled the bathplug free. ‘Grandma will lift you out then, sweetheart,’ Maureen began as she pulled the little girl from her watery surroundings and wrapped her in the fluffy white towel.
‘Amber, this is your uncle Mitchell.’
Mitchell dropped to his knees and put out his hand. Amber met it with a handshake.
‘Very pleased to meet you, Amber,’ Mitchell said softly. Then, looking from side to side, he added, ‘If you want some fun away from the fuddy-duddies you call me and we’ll go pony riding or maybe up to the Monarto Zoo, where they have lions and tigers and bears … Oh, my …’
Amber giggled at him. The Wizard of Oz was one of her favourite movies.
‘I think that Amber will be just fine building sandcastles,’ Jade cut in firmly with an expression of horror. Lions and horseback riding? Was he completely mad? Not a word or sight of the man in almost three years and now he wanted to whisk his niece off on a wildlife adventure and call it a fun day out. Hell would freeze over before she would let him take Amber anywhere.
‘Then I guess I’ll leave you ladies to it,’ Mitchell said, climbing back to his feet and stepping back. He tried to mask his confusion and disappointment. He had been looking forward to spending time with the fun-loving Jade he had heard about but this very tame version was definitely giving him the cold shoulder. He got the message loud and clear. They had nothing in common, except their fondness of the little girl now walking like an Egyptian mummy in her oversized towel towards the door.
‘There’s a great breeze up now so I’m going to spend the afternoon windsurfing.’ With that, he disappeared from the doorway.
‘Don’t forget the sunblock.’ His mother’s words echoed down the hallway after him.
‘I’m thirty-six years of age and I’ve spent four years in Africa and two in Saudi Arabia so I think I’ll be just fine.’ He shook his head and waved goodbye but didn’t turn around.
Jade watched his mother’s lips curve into a smile. There was clearly something in Mitchell that made his mother happy, but Jade wasn’t buying it. To her, he was selfish and self-serving. Extremely handsome, she conceded, but that was not the point, she reminded herself. He was everything she didn’t want or need to influence Amber’s choices in life.
‘Really, Maureen, do you want to scare your son away again?’ Arthur asked with a grin as he scratched his shaking head. ‘He’s an adult, so just do your helicopter mothering with little Amber … And be careful, Jade, she’ll have her sights on doing the same to you if you let her.’
Jade knew she had to mask the animosity she felt for Mitchell. She would be happy if he windsurfed for the entire four weeks and left them alone. Or, better yet, a huge gust took him safely back to Africa.
She was unnerved by the man. She didn’t like the feeling at all. Although she didn’t like simmering anger either, it was preferable to what he was stirring inside her.
Her pulse had slowed after he’d left and that was how it needed to stay, she thought as she followed Amber and Maureen back to the guest room. It was a pretty room, decorated in soft peach hues with two double beds and a view of the beach. The balcony doors were closed, and Jade intended on keeping them that way, even though she knew the high glass-and-chrome balustrade would more than protect Amber. Better safe than sorry was her new mantra. Life is short had been replaced the day she had held Amber in her arms for the first time.
‘There’s another guest room but I thought Amber would want you to sleep in the same room as it’s a strange house to her.’
‘She would, thank you.’
‘I bought a few bits and pieces for Amber to wear here and then take back home to America with you,’ Maureen announced, and slid open one of the built-in wardrobe doors to reveal clothing fit for a little princess or three. ‘I wasn’t sure what Amber’s favourite colour was—’
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