Falling for Her Forbidden Flatmate, page 12
‘I’d love to see Scott’s face when he finds out he’s got a baby sister on the way.’
‘He’ll be more excited than he was for his own birthday celebrations.’
‘There’s an idea. You could get a birthday balloon and put pink glitter inside it for Scott to pop? Or buy a real pair of pink booties and leave them somewhere for him to find? Or have a pass the parcel game with something pink wrapped up in the centre?’
‘I love that idea. We might keep it a secret just for a bit longer. It’s kind of special having a grown-up secret that’s just for the two of you, isn’t it?’
‘Oh, yes...’ Grace’s agreement was wholehearted. She knew exactly how special it was.
She got to share Stella’s news with Jock later that day and a few days later she got to tell him all about her home visit to Jodie and her baby.
‘She and Alec are sleep deprived and anxious like all first-time parents, of course, but they’re doing so well,’ she said. ‘And they’re just so happy that everything went as well as it did at the end. They wanted me to thank you again for that.’
The smile they shared encompassed everything Grace loved about this job that she had chosen to do for the rest of her life—the joy, the tension, the drama and even panic that could be part of the miracle of bringing new lives into the world and the incredible satisfaction of beating the odds sometimes to create and share a very happy ending. Sharing it with someone she was coming to know on a very intimate level brought an entirely different dimension to every aspect of it.
Life had never been this good, in fact, and that ticking clock was making it a no-brainer to enjoy it while it lasted and not worry about any consequences. They both knew this was temporary.
Like a holiday fling on that tropical island.
And yes, they might miss it when it was over, but knowing that was coming mitigated any effects that might seriously disrupt their lives, didn’t it? Jock seemed to think so and he had way more experience in playing this particular game, so Grace was perfectly happy to follow his lead.
She had the excitement of a visit from her best friend to look forward to as well.
A visit that would, hopefully, provide an easy step from fantasy back into reality.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘I STILL CAN’T believe how different you look.’
Every time Grace had looked up since Jenni had arrived she’d found her friend staring at her. And smiling—as if Grace was radiating a contagious sort of happiness. A leftover dollop of that joie de vivre she’d been spreading at work in the last couple of weeks, perhaps?
‘If I didn’t know better,’ Jenni said, shaking her head, ‘I’d swear that you were madly in love with someone.’
If Grace was slightly overdoing the laughter intended to make it seem like something ridiculous had been suggested, she could at least blame it on the wine-tasting they were having in the gorgeous Tuscan-styled buildings of one of the most popular local vineyards, but she’d seen the way Jock suddenly froze with a wine glass from the middle of the array in front of him poised in mid-air.
Did he think that Jenni was picking up on something that they’d both been confident was safely buried by now? Or worse, that there might have been more going on than he would be remotely comfortable with? Jock didn’t do ‘falling in love’ himself and it was obvious he backed off at any hint of it happening in what was supposed to be a casual relationship. How appalled would he be if he thought she’d been reading too much into what had happened between them?
‘You know me better than that, Jen,’ Grace said firmly. ‘I’m still happily single, thank you. Maybe I’m just in love with my new life in New Zealand. Who wouldn’t be, with this sort of treat on your doorstep?’ She lifted the wine glass that contained the small sample of the vineyard’s new rosé, but she was the designated driver today so she barely tasted it.
‘That’s true,’ Jenni conceded. ‘And we get a girls’ day out tomorrow with our ferry ride and shopping trip to Wellington. Are you sure you don’t want to change your mind and come with us, Jock?’
‘I’m working. And I’m sure you two need some time to yourselves.’ Jock finished the taste of the wine he was holding. ‘I’m going to buy some of this Pinot Gris while we’re here. Like drinking velvet, it is.’
His smile was the same as it had been the day Grace had arrived in New Zealand. Cheeky and warm and totally genuine. Only she could know that he was reminding her of the night they went skinny-dipping.
The night they’d made love for the first time.
Maybe he was also saluting the last time. And letting her know that he appreciated how easy she was making their transition back to being simply friends? How relieved he was that she wasn’t giving it any major significance?
By mutual agreement, the experiment to see if Grace wanted to revive her sex life had been declared complete several days before Jenni had even been due to arrive in the country. It had been a complete success, it was probably well past its ‘use-by’ date and they could both move on with no regrets. Their new mission was to ensure that Jenni didn’t guess they had strayed past the boundaries of being the good friends they would hopefully be for the rest of their lives.
Jock had given the impression that the plan was working perfectly when he’d arrived back from his trip to collect Jenni from the airport in Christchurch. They had stayed a night in Kaikōura on the way back, eaten crayfish, visited the fur seal colony to watch the babies playing in the nursery on the rocks below the main road and had been lucky enough to spot both sperm and orca whales on a boat tour. Jenni had borrowed Grace’s car and gone exploring on her own when Jock and Grace were working. They were doing a tour of vineyards around the Marlborough district and tomorrow, while Jock was working, Grace was taking Jenni on the ferry over to Wellington for a day trip.
‘You certainly look happier than I’ve ever seen you look.’ Jenni was still focused on Grace. ‘But I can understand why. I’m loving it here. Maybe I should come back to New Zealand on a more permanent basis.’
‘Now that’s a brilliant idea,’ Jock said.
‘We’re still short-staffed.’ Grace nodded. ‘I’m sure you could get a job here as easily as I did. And start as soon as you wanted to.’ She caught her breath, catching another shaft of that recent happiness that she’d known was too good to be true because it wasn’t real. ‘It would be so good to have you here, Jen.’
‘I might actually think about it,’ Jenni mused. ‘I could get used to all this sunshine and the food and wine. And cooking dinner on the barbecue every night. That’s something that’s a rare treat in Glasgow.’
‘That reminds me,’ Jock said. ‘I’ve made a booking at a Brazilian restaurant for your last night here. Then you’ll know how good barbecue can really be. It’s the most popular place in town—apart from the new cocktail bar that just opened near the Fisherman’s Reserve. Maybe we’ll go there as well and make the night one to remember.’
‘A party!’ Jenni grinned. ‘I like that idea.’
‘You’ll probably meet some of the people you’d be working with if you moved here,’ Grace said. ‘That might help persuade you to take the plunge.’
‘That’s true,’ Jock agreed. ‘Shall we invite some people to join us, just to make sure it happens? Like Dan?’
‘Who’s Dan?’ Jenni asked.
‘An anaesthetist at the hospital. He’s Jock’s fishing buddy,’ Grace told her. ‘I think Jock entertained the idea of setting me up with him when I first arrived. And no...’ she shook her head at Jenni’s raised eyebrows ‘... I haven’t been out with him. He wasn’t any more interested than I was. I got the impression that he’s just as much of a committed bachelor as Jock is.’
‘No harm in you and this Dan getting to know each other better,’ Jenni decreed. ‘And Jock, maybe you could bring whoever it is you’re seeing at the moment. Is that someone who works at the hospital too? Or is it still that gorgeous Swedish girl...what was her name?’
‘Greta.’ Jock shook his head. ‘No, that was over a while ago.’ He seemed to be avoiding looking at Grace. ‘Have you tried this sparkling wine, Jen? It’s really good.’
But Jenni wasn’t going to be distracted.
‘There must be someone new,’ she said. ‘You never stay single for long. Invite her. And find me a date for the night so I don’t feel like a fifth wheel at my own party.’
‘Fine...’ Jock threw her a smile. ‘I’ll see who’s around.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘We should get going. We don’t want to be late home when you two have got an early start to catch the ferry tomorrow.’
* * *
It was a perfect morning.
Dawn was breaking as the inter-island ferry sailed through the Sounds towards the short space of open sea that would take them into the picturesque harbour of the country’s capital city.
Grace and Jenni were at the back of the ship, leaning over the rail, soaking in the spectacular scenery.
‘This is unbelievably beautiful,’ Jenni sighed.
‘I did this trip when I first arrived, sailing in from Wellington to Picton, and it felt like I was coming home,’ Grace told her.
‘No wonder you look so happy.’
‘You could always come and live here just for a while,’ Grace suggested. ‘It doesn’t have to be for ever. Why not put in an application form just in case? It can take up to a couple of months for applications to be processed, but then you can get a work permit and just have it ready.’
‘I’ll think about it,’ Jenni agreed. ‘But it would have to be just a long holiday. Scotland’s home. I’d never want to live anywhere else for too long. Maybe I’m scared that I’ll end up like Jock and never stop long enough to put down roots and feel like it is a real home.’
‘Do you think that’s why Jock keeps moving? Because he doesn’t want to get attached to a place?’ Grace pulled in a breath. ‘Or a person? Has it come from that vow you both made to never get married or have kids?’
‘Jock told you about that?’ Jenni sounded surprised.
‘He said it was because you got caught up in your mother going from one disaster to the next.’
‘She thought that finding someone to love her would be the answer to all her problems. Apart from the ones she couldn’t get rid of—the kids she’d never wanted. Somehow it was always our fault when things didn’t work out.’ Jenni let her breath out in a sigh. ‘Maybe she should have gone looking for a place instead of a person. I want roots that I can trust are strong enough to hold me in one place. What we didn’t have when we were kids. I think Jock’s problem is that he doesn’t realise that’s what he’s searching for too. Maybe he should come back to Scotland. I’d hate to think he’s going to end up feeling lost. Or lonely.’
Grace opened her mouth with the intention of confessing that she had worried about exactly the same thing. That she liked Jock enough to know he didn’t deserve to be lonely. She wanted to admit that they’d broken the rules and got so much closer than Jenni had thought they should, but she didn’t have enough time to find the words she needed because Jenni was talking again.
‘Home’s the place where you feel properly safe, you know?’ She shook her head. ‘Of course you know. It’s because you needed to feel safe that you’ve come twelve thousand miles to get away from your ex and start a new life.’ She threw her arms around Grace and hugged her. ‘And you’ve done that and I love that you feel at home here. That you’re so happy. I’m proud of you.’
Grace let go of her intention to confess. She wasn’t going to spoil this day with her best friend by telling Jenni something that could not only change their friendship but make things awkward between Jenni and her twin when they only had a small amount of time left to enjoy each other’s company.
Instead, she just hugged Jenni back. ‘You know that quote about today being the first day of the rest of your life?’
‘The one that gets written on an inspirational picture like the view we’re looking at right now?’
‘Exactly... We’re inside that picture. This really is the first day of the rest of our lives.’
Except that wasn’t quite true for Grace, was it? The real first day of the rest of her life had been the day that Jock had reached behind her barriers and given her his hand to lead her out.
The day he’d made love to her.
‘All we need now is for some dolphins to swim past,’ she added, laughing.
‘And to have the best day ever together. What’s first when we get to Wellington?’
‘We’re going to take a cable car up the hill to get the best view of the city and harbour. We can visit the museum, have lunch on the waterfront somewhere, and I’ve been told that the best place to go shopping is in Cuba Street. We can find new dresses to wear for your farewell party tomorrow night. Oh, and we have to get a photo taken in front of the Bucket Fountain. I have no idea what that is, but it’s apparently quite famous.’
* * *
How good was this?
If he’d wanted to make absolutely sure that Jenni ended the best time together they’d had in years without it being spoilt by her finding out that he’d broken the rules she’d made regarding Grace, this was the ace he hadn’t known he had up his sleeve.
Inviting a few friends and colleagues to make it a really good night out had been a masterstroke. It was Saturday night, the Brazilian restaurant had a live band playing salsa music and there was great conversation and a lot of laughter and Jenni thought—as he’d intended her to—that he’d invited Mandy, the ultrasound technician, as his date. Maybe she was looking to see if she could detect any spark between Grace and Dan—who had reluctantly agreed to join this social gathering—and she was enjoying the company of Stefano, the Italian ED locum doctor who Jock had invited to keep the numbers even.
Stefano was certainly enjoying himself. He had taken charge of a platter that was part of the entrees they were all sharing. Jenni and Mandy had already taken some and he was passing it to Grace now. ‘You have to try these cheese bread balls,’ he told her. ‘They are così delizioso.’ He kissed his fingers like a chef. ‘So delicious.’
‘They are,’ Mandy confirmed, smiling at Stefano. ‘Can I have another one, please?’
Grace also took one and bit into it. ‘Oh...you’re right. How good is that? Oops...messy...’ She caught the drips of melted cheese on her fingers with her tongue.
Jock knew he shouldn’t be staring but, for a fraction too long, he couldn’t look away. Both Jenni and Grace were wearing the new dresses they’d bought on their shopping spree in Wellington yesterday and they both looked gorgeous, but the dark blue of Grace’s dress matched her eye colour and she had left her hair loose so that it fell in bouncy golden waves to her shoulders.
She was looking absolutely stunning.
And she was licking melted cheese off her fingers, dammit...
Thanks to the twist of sensation in his gut, all Jock could think of was having to turn off that sandwich maker while it was cooking cheese toasties so that he could make love to Grace without burning the house down. His entire body was reminding him of how much he’d wanted her that night.
How much he still wanted her, even though they had agreed that the experiment was complete and it had been a success. Jock had achieved exactly what he’d wanted and had helped Grace get past the barriers that were keeping her from living her best life and achieving her dream future of a family of her own.
He should be happy about that. So why wasn’t he?
Why did he have this odd empty feeling he couldn’t quite place? And why wasn’t he remotely attracted to Mandy, who was supposed to be his date tonight?
Not that it mattered. Everyone was enjoying themselves as the evening went on. Mandy seemed to be getting on very well with Stefano as they all shared and enjoyed their main dishes of barbecued fish and spicy chicken and a smoky black bean stew with rice. Jock and Dan started planning their next fishing expedition and Jenni and Grace were clearly making the most of their remaining time with each other. Grace was going to miss her friend after tomorrow, wasn’t she?
And that was when it hit him.
That was what that hollow feeling in his gut was about. Jock was missing Grace, even though she was right here, sitting across the table from him.
He’d been missing her for days. Ever since they’d declared the experiment over and done with before Jenni had arrived in town. Ever since he’d had to be careful not to let his gaze rest on Grace for too long or share a smile that might advertise a connection that had been far more intimate than merely friendship.
While the dishes were being cleared from the table the band started up again after a break and Stefano looked hopefully at the women around him.
‘So...who wants to do some salsa dancing?’
‘Me...’ Mandy said, as both Jenni and Grace shook their heads.
Stefano held out his hand and within seconds they were both on the small floor area right in front of the band. They were both good dancers and their body language made it clear that they were increasingly enjoying each other’s company. Inviting Stefano to be Jenni’s date tonight had clearly backfired as much as pretending he was out on a date with Mandy, but when Jock offered his sister an apologetic grimace, Jenni just smiled.
‘You win some, you lose some,’ she said. ‘I won’t be offended if you’re not.’
‘We’re not going to let it spoil the party,’ Grace said. ‘Do you want to order dessert or is it time to go and check out that cocktail bar?’
‘Let’s give them five minutes more dancing and then go and get cocktails.’ Jenni turned back to Dan. ‘So how long did you say you’ve been living here?’
