Rags To Riches Collection. Rebecca Winters

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СКАЧАТЬ thrown up a brick wall, complete with razor wire and a watchtower. His body gave off wave after wave of rebuttal and rejection. She wanted to close her eyes so she didn’t have to witness it. She wanted to shake him. She wanted...

      It didn’t matter what she wanted.

      ‘What’s up, sweetie?’ Her voice came out surprisingly steady, although her insides trembled and her knees felt like jelly. ‘What are you doing up?’

      Ella raced across to bury her face in Nicola’s lap. ‘I’m thirsty. I want a drink of water.’

      ‘Oh, I think we can manage that.’ She brushed a hand through the child’s hair.

      She kept her voice deliberately cheerful, even while inside she was dying. Dying of embarrassment and something darker and harder and meaner, although she couldn’t put a name to it. But it reared up to stab her every time she glanced at the hard, uncompromising line of Cade’s mouth.

      ‘I’ll take care of this.’

      With an effortless ease that spoke of his strength—and resolve—he lifted Ella into his arms.

      ‘Go to bed, Nicola.’

      He turned and walked away. And just like that she was dismissed.

      She sat there, stunned, unable to move as her body attempted to process the emotions that tumbled through her in a confusing jumbled rush—the memory of Cade’s mouth on hers, with its searing heat, the way her body had come alive in his arms, the way she’d forgotten herself completely...and then the chilled recognition of his withdrawal.

      Her hands clenched. She should feel grateful for the interruption, but all she felt was a frustrated sense of disappointment, and it grew and prickled and itched. She would get no sleep tonight.

      She rose, Cade’s curt and dismissive Go to bed, Nicola still ringing in her ears, when a sudden chill dissipated all of her built up heat.

      Her arms snaked about her waist. Her mouth dried. What on earth had she been thinking? If they hadn’t been interrupted, she and Cade would’ve gone all the way. They’d have made love. And then what?

      She wrung her hands and then gripped them tightly. What was wrong with her? Did she mean to transfer all the dreams she’d had for the future—marriage, babies and a home—to the first man she met? Was she really that weak and needy?

      Her chin snapped up. While she suspected Cade wasn’t in the right head space to contemplate that kind of commitment, she knew for sure that she wasn’t. Her life was complicated enough as it was. She wasn’t going to make it even more complicated.

      Go to bed, Nicola.

      She went to bed.

      * * *

      ‘What’s your New Year resolution, Nicola, darling?’

      Nicola started when Verity directed the question at her. It shouldn’t have; almost everyone else in the room had taken a turn. Verity wanted to learn Irish dancing. Keith wanted to complete a marathon. Dee wanted to lose weight, which had made everyone laugh with its predictability and droll delivery.

      Nicola planned to incorporate a lot of changes into her life when she returned to Melbourne, but what would she choose as her New Year resolution? It had to be something special.

      ‘You don’t have to tell us if it’s too personal, darling.’

      ‘Oh, it’s not that. It’s just...’ She pushed her shoulders back. ‘This year I want to make my resolution matter, and I want to keep it.’

      She could feel Cade’s eyes on her—their penetrating heat and intelligence. She refused to turn and meet his gaze, afraid of what her face might reveal. They’d carefully skirted around each other this week, kept their dealings short and professional, had never once mentioned their out of control Christmas kiss, but she suspected one look would reveal the desire she tried to keep in check. If an answering desire flared in his eyes she’d be lost. And she didn’t want to be lost.

      ‘Okay.’ She straightened in her easy chair—she and Cade didn’t share a sofa any more. ‘This year I will not avoid confrontation if keeping the peace is at my own expense. This last year has shown me that keeping the peace for everyone else’s sake is not always good for me.’

      ‘Wow,’ Dee breathed. ‘That’s a tough one.’

      Nicola wrinkled her nose. ‘Especially as I hate confrontation.’

      ‘You’ve made me feel shallow.’

      ‘Oh, and I forgot to add that I want to lose five kilos too.’

      As she hoped, everyone laughed.

      ‘Cade, darling, what’s your resolution?’

      She could still feel his gaze on her. She schooled her face and turned her head to meet it.

      ‘Nicola has taught me something this last month.’

      She had? He smiled and it was so unexpected she had to smile back. Everyone leaned forward, eager to hear what he had to say.

      ‘I directed all my energies into making Christmas wonderful for the girls—for everyone else too, but primarily for the girls.’

      They all nodded.

      ‘I realise now I should be directing my energies into making the rest of the year just as good.’

      The breath whooshed out of her. She’d taught him that?

      ‘It’s time to look to the future instead of the past. That’s what I’ll be working on this year.’

      ‘Amen,’ Verity said softly. ‘Ooh, look, it’s nearly time for the countdown to midnight. Keith and Cade, top up everyone’s glasses while I turn on the radio.’

      They all stood and counted down the final ten seconds to midnight and the brand new year. Nicola prayed that this year she would be able to hold her head high and prove her worth—to herself. It had become less and less important to prove it to anyone else.

      ‘Happy New Year!’ all of Cade’s family called out, clinking champagne flutes. Then there were hugs and kisses.

      ‘Happy New Year, Nicola.’ Cade kissed her cheek and then backed off in super-quick time.

      ‘Happy New Year,’ she said, fighting a sense of awkwardness. ‘Nice resolution, boss man.’

      ‘Right back at you,’ he returned.

      He grinned. She smiled. And the awkwardness slipped away and it felt as if their friendship was back on track. And it felt right...even if she had to tamp down on the desire that threaded through her.

      ‘Okay, bedtime for me,’ Verity declared. ‘Especially if I’m to wake in time for the traditional New Year trek.’

      Nicola glanced at Verity. ‘Traditional trek?’

      They all turned to stare at her. ‘Hasn’t anybody mentioned Lake СКАЧАТЬ