A Fling to Steal Her Heart

‘Same.’

‘I would’ve headed down under for a week this past year to support you, cheer you up, get you back on track, but you were never there.’ Her phone calls over the last twelve months had been quiet, and filled with sadness and, at times, something like despair that she’d never explained.

Again those auburn locks swished back and forth across her shoulders. ‘You didn’t have to do that. I’m a big girl. Anyway, I managed, and you were always at the other end of the phone when I needed to talk. You’d have been fed up with me by the end of the first day and champing to get away. I had to do it my way, and having you rant in my ear about my future when I couldn’t hang up on you wouldn’t have worked, for either of us.’

‘You’re probably right, but still...’ He’d let her down. And himself. Again he wasn’t sure why he thought that.

Raphael began pushing his friend’s worldly goods towards the lift that’d take them to the car park. ‘Bumped into Carly on Wednesday. She’s pretty excited about you returning to the Queen Victoria.’

‘She’s more excited about her wedding. We’ve already got a night out planned with the other two from our training days’ group. Funny how we’re again all here at the same time. I wonder if that means everyone’s settling down, becoming responsible adults, or is this just another stop along the way? Seems London’s our place. My place?’

This sounded more like the Isabella he’d known for so long: always confident and putting it out there about how she wanted to live, and yet being gnawed at on the inside with her insecurities over people sticking by her, not breaking the bonds she desperately needed. Her parents had put her into boarding school when they felt she’d have better support and company than at home with them. They hadn’t known a thing. He’d held her while she’d cried over being sent away. But after falling heavily for Cassie, and having her treat him so badly, he knew what a shattered heart felt like—and wasn’t risking going there again. Nor hurting someone else similarly when he wasn’t able to give enough of himself to her.

He said, ‘Stop trying to second-guess everything, and enjoy being back amongst us all.’ He would never desert her; he needed her friendship as much as she needed his. She understood him like no one else. If only he could stick with friendship, not let other emotions get in the way. ‘You can do it. You have to believe in yourself.’

Then Isabella flicked him a look he couldn’t interpret. ‘Like you?’ Her eyes were locked on his. ‘I can follow your example? Work non-stop, get a home that I won’t get to spend much time in?’

His happiness slipped. ‘Is that what I’ve become? A workaholic?’

‘It’s what you told me only weeks ago.’

‘I was probably trying to deflect you from your problems.’ He’d been voicing his concerns about how everyone around him seemed to be finding love and making babies, while he was getting further tied up with work. What he hadn’t said was how he wished he could find what it would take to try again, to finally put his past to rest. But he couldn’t. Because of Cassie’s selfishness, he’d lost a son and still wasn’t able to make peace with himself about that.

‘About those problems, will you always be here for me on the bad days?’

Where did that come from? ‘Oui, you can count on me.’ She already knew it.

‘Thanks. I can’t tell you how good it is to spend time with you. It’s been a while since anyone told me what to do.’

‘Most people are too scared to.’ He laughed. ‘Let’s get this load home and go have a drink and a pub meal to celebrate your arrival in London.’ Better out somewhere surrounded by people than stuck in his kitchen together. Only now was he beginning to understand the coming weeks sharing his house might not be as comfortable as he’d thought. Which was so far left field it was crazy. Izzy would get busy beginning her new life, and he’d be hanging on to the dull but predictable one he’d made for himself.

‘Sounds good to me. I loved the pub food when I lived here last time.’ Isabella’s hand tapped her stomach, then a hip. ‘Not that it ever did me a lot of good. But I’m in for tonight anyway.’ She threaded her arm through his, ignoring how the trolley aimed sideways and caused him to put more pressure on to controlling it with the other arm. ‘Honestly, Rafe, I keep wanting to pinch myself. It’s been for ever since we last saw each other. Talking on the phone or through the internet doesn’t quite cut it. I like to know you’re within reaching distance.’ She gulped, tripped, righted herself and stared straight ahead. ‘Talking too much. Put it down to jet lag, if that happens so soon after a flight.’

This was different. He hauled the brakes on the hope beginning to unfold deep inside. In the long run he wouldn’t be enough for Izzy. She needed someone to love her unconditionally. That wouldn’t be him after the way Cassie had blown his trust out of the water because Izzy had her own issues about believing anyone would love her enough to stay around. Anyway, give her a few days to settle in at work and catch up with the girls and she’d be off doing all sorts of random things, and then he could relax around her. ‘You don’t suffer from jet lag.’ He’d always been envious when he’d had to grapple with debilitating exhaustion for days after a long-haul flight, while this woman usually bounced off the plane ready to party.

‘Always a first time.’ Isabella remained quiet until they reached his car. More unusual behaviour.

Something was up, and finding out what was imperative if he was to be onside as she settled into London for good, but best left alone today. He tipped his head sideways to stare at Isabella. Naturally he always wanted to help her when she was in difficulty, but normally he’d accept it if she refused to talk. But today he wanted to get behind the pain in the back of her eyes, see her achieve genuine happiness. Opening the car boot, he said, ‘Let me do this. You get comfortable inside.’

‘Like I’m your grandmother?’ She smiled. ‘How is Grand’mère, by the way? Fully recovered from her hip replacement?’

‘Chasing the great grandkids with her crutch, apparently. Being her, she’ll be back cycling around the city before she should,’ he said with a smile. He adored Grand’mère. She was the only other person besides Izzy to support him in all his endeavours without criticism. His family loved him but always wanted to tell him what they believed he was doing wrong with his decisions. ‘I was talking to her last night and she said whenever you need a change of scenery, pop over and spend time with her.’ What she’d really said was, when Isabella was fed up with him, go pay her a visit and she’d sort her out. Grand’mère had a soft spot for the lost Kiwi girl who’d often hopped a train to go spend a day with her when she was working in Tours.

‘Cool. I’ll do that sooner than later. I love your grandmother, and Avignon’s one of my favourite cities.’ She handed him one of the smaller cases.

He shook his head. ‘That big sucker first.’

‘She might be just what I need on the days when you’re not available for chewing your ear off.’ Fixing a smile on her face she made to shift the bags. ‘The family still as smothering as ever?’

Typical Izzy. Here he was holding back on the big questions and she just leapt in. ‘Out of the way. This is man’s work.’

‘Whatever.’ Her eye roll made him laugh. At least she backed away from the stack of cases.

‘What have you got in here?’ he groaned. ‘You must’ve paid a small fortune in excess baggage costs.’

‘You avoiding my question?’

‘You know I am. Now, get in the car before I put a bag on your seat and leave you to catch the train.’

* * *

Isabella snuggled into the soft leather seat and tugged her crumpled denim jacket across her chest to keep out the chill. From what she’d seen coming in to land, London had not turned on the sunshine in welcome, and the air out here was proving it. But Raphael had more than made up for the chilly welcome, hugging her tight as though he never wa

nted to let her go. There’d been relief in his gaze as she raced to him, as though he hadn’t really believed she’d turn up.

Well, she was here, and right now she needed friends who didn’t ask awkward questions. Count Raphael out, then. She sighed. He never let her get away with anything. There again, he knew how to help her without seeming too intense. Demanding an instant decision about the job in the Queen Victoria had been unusual for him but just what she needed to get out of the blues she’d dumped herself into. Since his phone call determination to get on with consolidating her life had started growing, begun to fill the empty place deep inside, even excited her. There was a long way to go, but a start was way better than nothing at all.

The car rocked as Raphael clambered in beside her. ‘Ready?’

She nodded. Fingers crossed, for everything. ‘I sure am. What’s Richmond like?’ It was the suburb where he’d bought his house. ‘I hear it’s very pretty.’