A Mistress, a Scandal, a Ring

‘And everything is fine?’

She hesitated. ‘Yes. A friend of hers is housesitting for me in Melbourne. She wanted to let me know that a local real estate agent had been in touch to say he has an interested buyer.’

She’d woken this morning to a text message from Ellie.

We need to talk!

Xavier, on his way out to the office, had seen her frown, asked her what was wrong, then told her to use the apartment’s landline to call Australia.

Jordan wasn’t lying about the estate agent. But that hadn’t been Ellie’s main bit of news. A nursing position was coming available in the emergency department at the Sydney hospital where Jordan had worked and where Ellie still did. Jordan had been well regarded during her time there, and the nurse manager had asked Ellie about Jordan’s availability.

She would still have to go through the formal application channels, which meant cutting her trip short by a week and flying to Sydney for an interview, but the odds of her landing the position were good.

Ellie had almost squealed with excitement. And it was incredible news. To go home and practically walk back into her old job would be a solid first step towards getting her life back on track.

So why didn’t she feel more excited? And why was she reluctant to tell Xavier about it?

Perhaps she simply wasn’t ready for ‘real life’ to intrude just yet. For this fairytale bubble she felt as if she were floating in to burst.

‘You own a house?’

‘I inherited it. It’s the home my father and Camila owned.’

‘And you wish to sell it?’

A weight dragged at her chest for a moment. She’d had some happy times in that house, but the people she’d shared those times with were both gone.

‘I haven’t made up my mind, but I suspect that’s what I’ll end up doing. Even if I stay in Melbourne the house is too big for me. It was too big for Dad and Camila, really, but it’s right by the ocean and Camila adored the sea—’ She caught herself. ‘Sorry,’ she muttered, dropping her gaze to her wine glass. ‘I know you’re not interested—’

‘Don’t.’ Xavier reached across the table and covered her hand with his. His mouth firmed, but his voice was soft. ‘If anyone should apologise it is me.’

Her skin tingled under the warm pressure of his fingers. Heart beating a little faster, she looked up. ‘What for?’

His thumb stroked over her knuckles. ‘For what I said in the car on Sunday. It was disrespe

ctful. It is not my place to judge Camila or to make assumptions about the situation she found herself in. The fact is she made a choice thirty-five years ago that was ultimately for my benefit, and for that I am grateful to her.’

Jordan’s throat stung, and for a moment she had to look away. She swallowed, then let her gaze connect again with his. ‘Thank you. That means a lot to me—and it would have meant a lot to Camila.’

He caressed her knuckles once more and then withdrew his hand. As he did so Jordan noticed a man watching them from a table in another alcove, just visible beyond Xavier’s left shoulder. She didn’t recognise him, or his beautiful female companion, but he held her gaze for a moment before looking away.

Xavier brought her attention back to him. ‘When did you lose your father?’

‘Four years ago,’ she said quietly. ‘It was a stroke. Sudden and unexpected.’

‘I’m sorry.’

She smiled sadly. ‘Me, too. He was a wonderful man. Very gentle and kind.’

He was silent for a moment. ‘And your mother?’

She shook her head. ‘She left when I was six. I don’t have a relationship with her.’

She rarely spoke of her mother. It had been twenty years since Jacqueline Walsh had left the house to go to her precious job and not bothered coming home to her husband and daughter. Jordan had buried that hurt a long time ago, somewhere very deep.

‘Dad met Camila when I was ten and they married a year later. From then on she was who I thought of as my mom.’ She pushed a smile onto her face. ‘They were lovely together. Truly happy. The perfect couple.’ Emotion knotted her throat again, and she quickly moved on. ‘Speaking of happy couples—did you know that Rosa and Alfonso are about to have their thirtieth wedding anniversary?’

‘I did.’