Captivated By The Single Dad. Barbara Hannay

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       CHAPTER FIVE

      GRAY was surprised by how over-the-top pleased and light-hearted he felt now that he knew Holly would be accompanying them on the return journey.

      Now, the challenge of becoming a single father no longer loomed as forbidding as Mount Everest and, over the following days as they finalised the packing, even Anna came to look on the move as a huge adventure.

      By the time the foursome reached JFK Airport, they were all keyed up and looking forward to the flight.

      It was while they were waiting to get through Security, with the line shuffling ever closer to the X-ray machines, that Holly received a call on her cellphone.

      Gray assumed it was yet another of her many friends ringing to wish her well and he watched with a ready smile as she answered the phone. He saw the sudden tension in her eyes.

      She turned away, her dark hair swinging with the movement. She pressed her fingers to one ear to block out the airport noise as she frowned and gave her caller her full attention.

      Gray realised he was watching her more closely than was polite, but he couldn’t help it. Holly might not have Chelsea’s beauty, but she had something else—something, he suspected, more lasting than prettiness. At times like now, when her face was animated and her dark eyes were sparkling with excitement, she looked utterly enchanting.

      Snatches of her conversation drifted his way.

      ‘Yes…yes…that’s wonderful…yes. Oh, wow, thank you.’ And then, ‘Australia…a family commitment…just away for the summer…’ She was nodding and smiling, looking flushed and pleased.

      The phone call ended just as it was their turn to go through Security, so it wasn’t till they’d reached the other side and had collected their watches, wallets, passports and backpacks that Holly turned to Gray with a wide and happy smile.

      ‘So it was good news after all?’ he asked.

      ‘Yes. At first I thought it might have been Brand—might have been someone ringing to say goodbye. But it’s even better than that. It looks like I’ve landed a job.’

      To Gray’s surprise, he felt a snaking of alarm. How would this affect their plans? Was Holly still free to help? ‘When do you start?’

      ‘Not till August.’ Holly’s smile widened into a beaming grin, then she gave a little skip and punched the air. ‘I can’t believe it. This is my dream job! My first choice. The school I’ve always wanted to teach at.’

      Gray nodded, willing himself to be pleased for Holly. Judging by her excitement, this was very important. She must have been the pick of the applicants. Good for her!

      It hit him then that he knew very little about her. It seemed she was very smart—an ace teacher—and his kids were lucky to have her even for a short time.

      He was pleased for her. In fact, he was pleased for all of them. Everything was working out perfectly. By August his children would be settled into their new home and school and, with Holly’s help and approval, he’d have hired a new nanny. Then Holly would head for home to start this new flash job.

      It made absolutely no sense that he couldn’t dredge up more enthusiasm. It was sheer selfishness not to be happy for Holly.

      ‘Fantastic,’ he said and he held out his hand. ‘Congratulations.’

      At last, he cracked a smile.

      Landing in Sydney was a total surprise for Holly.

      Throughout the journey, she’d been mentally preparing herself for the Australian Outback. It was, she knew, a challenging place of wide red plains, isolation, dust and heat.

      She hadn’t given much thought to Sydney, hadn’t expected to fly in over gorgeous golden beaches to a big and modern city heart crowded with skyscrapers. She also hadn’t expected to find Gray’s mother waiting to greet them at Sydney Airport.

      Holly had vague memories of Sasha Carlisle from the wedding. She was tall and silver-haired, strikingly attractive and well dressed. Today she was wearing a white linen trouser suit, with sparkling jewellery at her wrist and a long black and white silk scarf draped with unfussy elegance. There was no doubt about it; she’d nailed casual chic for the older woman.

      Beside her, Holly, in jeans and a crumpled T-shirt, with her hair hanging limp after more than twenty hours in a pressurised cabin, felt decidedly drab. But she soon forgot about that as she watched the greeting between mother and son.

      No warm hugs. Just a cool—

      ‘Hello, dear.’

      ‘Hello, Mother.’

      And СКАЧАТЬ