Nobody but Him (22 page)

At the sound of her ringtone, Julia reached over to the bedside table to grab her phone. Ry’s name was on the display. Their phone call earlier that day had been awkward and he’d ended the call sounding angry. Julia hesitated. If only she didn’t want to hear his voice so damn much. She brought a hand to rest on her belly and wondered when she might stop feeling that quivering sensation every time she heard his voice.

‘Hey Ry.’ The noise down the phone was loud in her ear. She placed her book on the blanket beside her and sunk down into the pillow. She didn’t want to remember what it had felt like having him beside her in this bed or remember anything about having sex with him. Especially not how hot he looked naked or how his magical fingers had done things to her with an intensity she’d never been able to find on her own.

‘Hey gorgeous. It’s me.’ He sounded keyed up and there was a tone in his voice she recognised. He seemed happy. Or maybe he was just drunk.

‘I know it’s you.’

‘Hey, I miss you. I’m coming down tomorrow night. I’ve got some big news and we need to celebrate. Dinner at the pub, eight o’clock.’

‘Okay.’

‘I’ll tell you everything when I see you. And JJ?’

‘Yeah?’ She pressed the phone close to her ear, wanting his voice right inside her head. And then hating that she did.

‘I want to see you. I need to tell you something. Something big. About you and me.’

‘Okay Ry. See you tomorrow night.’ Julia knew her instincts were dead on. He was definitely drunk and she shouldn’t have taken anything he’d just said seriously. But that didn’t stop her from dozing off to sleep with the question buzzing around inside her head: what was the big thing he had to tell her?

On Friday morning, Lizzie stood open-mouthed in her friend’s kitchen and spun around to take in every angle.

‘Stella is amazing. Ooh, I love the silver canisters there on the shelf above the stove. And those vintage teacups look brilliant.’ Lizzie clapped her hands together and then threw her arms around Julia for a hug.

Julia beamed. She’d worked hard to get the place gleaming, and now the sink was sparkling as if it had been prepped for major surgery, the old stove glistened and the countertops were clutter-free, except for a strategically placed deep-blue glass bowl.

‘It’s looking great, Jools.’

‘Isn’t it. And guess what?’ She turned one of the kitchen taps until steam began to rise from the bowl. ‘I am now the proud owner of a brand-new hot water system!’

‘Ooh, quick. Let me update everyone on Facebook. Who would have thought that you would ever be excited about that.’

‘I know, right?’ She gave her friend a hip and shoulder. ‘Can I take you up on your promise to help me move some furniture back into the room?’

‘Of course. You’re not keeping the orange sofa are you?’

‘Absolutely. Stella said it makes the place look retro vintage.’

‘Really?’

‘It will work, believe me.’

‘You know your own mind, that’s for sure. You always did.’ Julia looked at Lizzie’s face and saw an accusation hiding there behind her grin.

‘Are you saying I’m stubborn?’ Julia stood, hands on her hips.

‘Stubborn? Perhaps headstrong. Or obstinate. Or just plain bolshie. Yeah, I kind of like bolshie.’ Julia laughed and walked to the spare bedroom where the living room furniture had been stored during the painting. Lizzie followed her and they positioned themselves at either end of the sofa. Bending their knees, they lifted it and began crab-walking it to the living space.

‘I just know what I want, that’s all. That’s no crime, is it?’

‘Do you really know what you want?’

‘Why do I get the feeling there’s a subtext here.’

‘And here I was trying to be so subtle.’ Lizzie fluttered her eyelashes and Julia laughed. They gently placed the sofa down on the floor, moved it slightly into the right position.

‘People change, Julia, and what you want can change too.’

‘Wanting something — or someone — doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good idea.’

‘Someone? Is that the someone we’re having dinner with in …’ she checked her watch, ‘ … four hours?’

‘Can’t talk now, have to keep moving.’

They moved various pieces back into the main living area and playfully battled each other when it came to the new placement of the furniture. When Julia plugged the television back into the wall socket, they were done. Lizzie grabbed her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck.

‘Drinks are on me tonight, Lizzie. I couldn’t have done all this without you.’ Julia looked around and damn it, tears welled up at the sight of the house. A week’s work and it was worthy now to be put on show.

‘Don’t worry. I think drinks are on Ry. He asked me to hold a table for five. Who else is he bringing down with him?’

Julia shrugged her shoulders. ‘He didn’t say.’ She realised they’d barely had a conversation the couple of times they’d spoken on the phone.

‘I guess we’ll find out.’ Lizzie kissed Julia on the cheek. ‘See you at the pub.’

Julia couldn’t decide if it was the exercise or the anticipation that had her heart beating so fast as she pushed open the heavy wooden doors to the front bar of the Middle Point Pub. The warmth enveloped her. She looked around at the happy diners, took in the smoky smell of the roaring fire and grinned wryly. She hadn’t been back since that first night she’d seen Ry and been marched off the premises. She was glad to be back as an invited guest.

Julia found Ry, Lizzie and Barbra sitting with another man at the table nearest the fire. She was glad Lizzie had thought to pull rank and get them the best — and warmest — spot in the place. She walked over and stood behind the last empty chair.

‘Hello everyone.’

Ry turned at the sound of her voice. A slow and easy smile crept over his face as he stood and took the two steps he needed to reach her. Julia noticed the hint of stubble on his jaw and the way he looked so damned handsome and warm in a black jumper and dark denims. There was a flush to his cheeks from the fire and his eyes shone at her.

‘Hi,’ he whispered with a grin. He reached his right arm under her open coat and behind her back, gently pulling her close until their bodies touched, pressing his lips to hers and leaving them lingering there. She picked up the scent of his aftershave, pine and citrus.

‘Hey,’ she replied, feeling nervous. He seemed too happy and that unsettled her. She needed to talk to him, tell him it had all been a stupid mistake and they should put it behind them. Yes, that’s what she needed to do, definitely. But when he loosened his hold on her, while keeping his arm firmly around her waist, he was marking her in front of everyone and it thrilled her to the core.

‘You’ve met my mother.’

Barbra reached up to touch Julia’s arm. ‘Darling girl, how wonderful to see you again.’ Large silver hoop earrings dangled on either side of Barbra’s face, bookending a joyful smile.

‘You too, Barbra.’

Hidden by her coat, Ry’s hand moved secretly and slowly from the arch of her back to the curve of her backside, and when he tightened his hold, the pit of her stomach began to dance.

‘And this is Dan McSwaine, my Director of Special Projects. Dan, Julia.’ Dan stood and Julia couldn’t stop herself from taking him in from head to toe. She was a woman, after all, and he was, by every objective measure, delectable. What a pair he and Ry made. Where Ry was all blonde spiky hair and sapphire eyes, Dan’s wavy hair was jet black, short at the sides and longer on top, his olive skin setting off his Irish-green eyes. Eyes that, Julia realised, were looking at her cautiously.

Ry gave her butt a firm squeeze and she realised he’d noticed her appreciation for his friend. Julia held out her hand and Dan took it in his, for a firm, no-nonsense handshake.

‘Nice to meet you, Julia.’ He sat down quickly.

Ry pulled out her chair and Julia arranged her coat on the back of it, before sitting down to join the party. As she straightened, she caught Lizzie’s stare. Her friend’s blue eyes were stunned and open wide, and she appeared to be attempting to smother a smile by pinching her lips together tight. Julia realised she wasn’t the only one at the table who had been appreciating Dan’s finer qualities.

‘Nice table, Lizzie,’ Julia said in her best friend’s direction. ‘It’s lovely to be near the fire. It’s freezing out there tonight.’

‘There’s no better place to be than right by the fire. Nice and hot.’ Lizzie raised her eyebrows on that last word and her lips curved into a grin. ‘Don’t you agree, Barbra?’

Julia couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her friend so discombobulated. No wait. It had been 1997.

‘Well, Ry,’ Barbra announced, ‘what did you have in mind for wine? I think we need a good red to go with this cold and stormy night and this fire, don’t you’

‘So I guess drinks are on me tonight.’ Ry sat back, placing an arm around the back of Julia’s chair. She was conscious of his body so close to hers, his forearm touching her back, leaning in close to her. God, this was starting to feel like a date. Which it most definitely was not. Not with three other people at the table.

‘It’s the least I can do. But I will defer to Julia’s taste in wine. Where’s the list?’ Ry passed the wine list to Julia and she accepted the challenge with a raised eyebrow, settling quickly on a Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon. Ry signalled for a waitress and he placed the order.

Julia glanced around the table at the party. Ry had a grin on his face that a nuclear disaster wouldn’t shift. Dan was deep in conversation with Barbra on his left and, across the table, Lizzie was tucking her short blonde hair behind her ears, beaming like a woman whose Christmases had all come at once.

What a tremendous pity for Lizzie that Dan seemed to be ignoring her and focusing instead all his attention on Barbra. Julia tuned into their conversation to take her mind off the heat from Ry’s arm pressing into her back.

‘Daniel, I simply cannot believe you couldn’t find a pretty girl to bring with you to Middle Point this weekend. I mean look at him, ladies.’ She leaned over and planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. ‘Aside from my own darling son, isn’t he the most gorgeous man you’ve ever seen?’

Julia watched Lizzie drop her eyes to study the tablecloth.

‘C’mon Barbra, you know the rule. The mother of my best friend is simply out of bounds. No matter how tempted I am to give in to this thing we’ve got going, I know your son would take me out to the Middle Point cliffs and push me off into the sea if I did anything about it.’

Their performance had everyone amused and Ry sat back enjoying it. He was used to this running joke between Dan and his mother, evidence of the closeness his family shared with Dan. He watched Julia respond to it, laughing. Her hair was wild and free tonight, and she had a plum-coloured lipstick on her full lips that had him entranced. He moved his arm from the back of her chair and let his hand come to rest on her thigh. When she turned to look at him, to share a laugh with him, he let her know with a squeeze just how he felt about the fact that she was there with his family. The waitress arrived with the wine and Julia shrugged away her offer to taste it before pouring.

‘Thanks, Kimberley,’ Ry said as she smiled and returned to the bar.

‘Julia darling, did you get on to a plumber yet? Poor thing had to come over and use your shower, Ry. She had no hot water for days.’

Ry’s fingers moved higher and he could feel Julia’s thigh quiver underneath his grasp. He swallowed. She’d been back in his house. Clearly her aversion to the ugliest house in Middle Point had passed, he thought with a satisfied grin. And she’d been in his bathroom. Wet and naked. Without him.

‘Your hot water system bite the dust?’ Dan asked.

‘Yes, right in the middle of a shower. But it’s been fixed, so I’m back in business. I couldn’t put the house on the market with no hot water. Especially at this time of year.’

‘It’s ready for the market?’ Ry asked in surprise. ‘The house? You mean you’ve finished? What about moving all that furniture?’

‘I helped with that,’ Lizzie added, ‘and the whole place looks amazing. Jools has done a beautiful job of it, keeping all those little beachy touches but modernising it.’

So she’d asked Lizzie for help instead of waiting for him. ‘I’m sure it looks great. I can’t wait to see it, Julia.’ She didn’t look at him, but bit her lower lip and turned the other way.

‘Are you staying here in Middle Point much longer, Barbra?’ Julia’s attempt at changing the conversation was pretty obvious and he wondered why.

‘Well,’ Barbra took a sip of her wine and rolled her eyes in delight at the taste. ‘I was going to leave this afternoon but Ry called me saying how important it was I come for dinner.’ She turned her gaze to her son. ‘Are you going to put us out of our misery now, darling, and tell us what this celebration is all about?’

Ry exchanged grins with Dan, and Barbra’s eyes widened.

‘I know that look. I’ve seen it before and it makes me nervous. What have you two cooked up?’

Ry tapped a knife on an empty wine glass and the happy party was silenced.

‘We have a double celebration tonight. The first news involves Lizzie. Stand up Lizzie.’ She pushed her chair back and stood, beaming at them all.

‘Breaking news everyone. As of very late this afternoon, Lizzie has agreed to become the manager of the Middle Point Pub. Starting a week on Monday.’

He watched Julia’s reaction. It was one of utter delight. She cried out in genuine surprise and jumped up to plant a kiss on Lizzie’s cheek and wrapped her up in a bear hug.

‘Ry called me just after I left your place this afternoon, Jools, and swore me to absolute secrecy.’

‘That is brilliant news!’ As if he’d ever needed evidence, he could see now how close they were, how proud and happy Julia was for her friend. Something shifted gears in Ry’s chest.

‘I’m thrilled Lizzie said yes to my offer, although she drove a hard bargain regarding her entitlements,’ Ry said with a laugh. ‘Since I bought this place, I’ve discovered how absolutely indispensable she is. The pub simply wouldn’t work without her and it’s time she was recognised for that.’ He turned to Lizzie. ‘Lizzie, you’ve already made some amazing changes and I can’t wait for you to officially take over.’