The kids had been gone for three days and Sam had finished the only book she’d brought with her. She might have to drive out tomorrow to find a bookshop or at least a newsagent, or she’d go stir crazy.
It wasn’t that she was bored all the time. During the day she went for long walks, swam in the ocean, took unbelievably self-indulgent naps and read. But at night she would start to feel edgy. There was a TV, but no video player, and there was never anything decent to watch over summer. Sam would turn on mindless programs and next thing her thoughts would wander. What day was it? How long had she been here? How long did she have left? How long had Hal said he’d be away? He hadn’t been specific, but she thought he’d mentioned mid-January. Wouldn’t that mean he’d be back by now? Maybe he had to go straight back to work here? Maybe he’d call on the weekend? Maybe she would go crazy if she kept on this train of thought? Train? Trains ran to schedules along a single track. Her thoughts were more like dodgem cars, careering all over the place out of control.
Sam was startled by a loud knock at the door.
‘Yoohoo! Mr Buchanan, is anyone there? It’s the agent for the house.’
Sam hurried up the hall to the flyscreen door. A smiling, middle-aged woman stood on the other side, wearing a neat navy blue suit and carrying a handbag and a clipboard.
‘Oh, hello! Mrs Buchanan, I presume?’ she chirped.
‘Um . . .’ Sam didn’t really want to have to go into complicated explanations. ‘How do you do?’ she said as she opened the door and offered the woman her hand. ‘Do you want to come in?’
‘No, no, I don’t want to bother you. We just like to check in with our tenants after a couple of weeks, make sure everything’s okay, they aren’t having any problems.’
‘Oh no, everything’s fine,’ Sam nodded. The woman just looked at her, smiling. ‘Mr Buchanan’s not around, unfortunately,’ Sam added. ‘He was called overseas for work. But he should be back any day now.’
‘Oh, what a shame,’ the woman frowned with her eyes, but her lips were still smiling. ‘And after he went to so much trouble to get the place.’
‘He did?’
‘Yes, we tried to direct him to the central coast,’ she hesitated. ‘It’s a little more affordable, or accessible, shall we say? But he said he didn’t have the time, and he was desperate, and well, frankly, he’s very charming, isn’t he?’ she laughed, touching her hand to her cheek self-consciously. ‘So anyway, the owners of this house are abroad at present, and they’re putting it up for sale when they return. They didn’t intend to use it this summer. We made a few calls, and eventually they agreed. I think they felt sorry for him, seeing as it was so close to Christmas.’
‘It was close to Christmas?’
Her eyes widened. ‘Oh dear, have I dobbed him in?’
‘Um . . .’ Sam didn’t know what to say.
‘I bet I know what’s happened here,’ she nodded her head knowingly. ‘He was supposed to organise your holiday this year, wasn’t he? And he forgot. Typical male,’ she finished, rolling her eyes.
‘Something like that,’ Sam said with a faint smile.
‘Please don’t tell him I blabbed. He seemed like such a nice man.’ She paused. ‘Did you two meet over there?’
‘Pardon?’
‘In the States. He is American, isn’t he? Or is he from Canada?’
‘No, he’s American. We met here.’
‘Oh, that’s nice.’ The woman smiled again. She was a very smiley woman. ‘Well, I don’t want to take up any more of your time. Please don’t hesitate to contact the office if you need anything.’ She opened her clipboard and slipped out a business card. ‘I’ll give you my card. I bet he forgot to leave one with you.’
‘Thank you.’
Sam closed the screen door and pulled the main door shut as well, now that evening was coming on. She wandered back up the hall and into the kitchen, tucking the card under a magnet on the refrigerator. She poured herself a glass of wine and walked out onto the deck, leaning against the railing.
So Hal had only rented this place just before Christmas? Why did he tell her he’d had it for ‘some time’? She wondered which weekend he had come up here. Was it before she went to his place that night? Why would he rush about frantically to rent a six-bedroom holiday house for himself when he knew he was going to be in the States? He must have rented it after they’d spent the night together. Why did he go to so much trouble? A smile crept onto her face, all of its own accord.
Her mobile phone started to ring. The kids had already phoned her today but maybe Ellie wanted to talk again. She did that sometimes when she was at her father’s. Sam hurried inside and grabbed the phone off the bench. ‘Hello?’ she said, answering it.
‘Hey Sam, how’re you doing?’
Her mouth went dry and she felt goosebumps creeping up her legs and her arms. It was not a little distracting.
‘Sam? It’s me, Hal.’
‘I know,’ she said, finding her voice. ‘Sorry, hi, when did you get back? Are you back?’ she blurted.
‘I flew in this afternoon.’
Her heart sank. He wouldn’t be coming up tonight if he’d only just got home. ‘How was your flight?’
‘Long. How’s everything there?’
‘Wonderful. The house is terrific, Hal, the kids had the best time.’
‘Had?’
‘Mm, they’re with their father. Max came up to collect them.’
‘So you’re having a holiday now?’
‘I guess . . .’ Sam murmured. Ask him. Just say the words. Sam could feel herself trembling inside. Relax and enjoy yourself, Max had said. She took a deep breath. ‘Um, are you . . . well, were you thinking . . . well, would you like to come up?’
Hal breathed out heavily. ‘I thought you were never going to ask.’
Sam heard a knock at the front door. ‘Oh, could you hold on? There’s someone at the door.’
She hurried up the hall. It must be the real estate woman again. She unlocked the door and swung it back. Hal stood on the other side of the screen door, his phone in one hand, a couple of bags and Zoey the zebra in the other.
‘Hi honey, I’m home,’ he said, looking straight into her eyes.
Sam couldn’t move. ‘Hi,’ she said, her voice barely making it out of her throat. There was something else she ought to say, she knew there was, but she couldn’t think what.
‘Can I come in?’ Hal asked eventually.
Oh, that was it. ‘Yes, yes, of course, come in,’ she said, stirring. He opened the screen door and stepped inside. They stood there looking at each other, still holding their phones.
‘I’m going to hang up now,’ said Hal into his, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. Sam nodded, and they both turned off their phones. Hal slipped his into his pocket.
‘You brought Zoey,’ she remarked, for the sake of saying something.
‘And I brought you something too,’ he said, passing her a brightly coloured gift bag. He set his overnight bag down on the floor and lay Zoey across it.
Sam peered inside the bag and smiled. It was filled with chocolates. Just about every kind of chocolate bar she’d ever seen, and some she hadn’t.
‘Emergency rations,’ he explained. ‘And there’s some quality American stuff in there too.’
‘Thank you.’ Sam felt overcome. Hal was here, they were alone. He had an overnight bag with him. ‘Um, do you want . . . um,’ she stammered. ‘Would you like me to show you around?’
‘I have seen the place.’
‘I know.’ She turned down the hall. ‘Just before Christmas, wasn’t it?’
He followed her into the living room.
‘Wasn’t it?’ she repeated, folding her arms, waiting for an answer.
‘I can’t remember exactly.’
‘The agent popped in earlier.’
Now Hal looked sheepish.
‘Why did you say you rented the place a while ago?’
He sighed heavily. ‘Because, if I’d told you I got it just for you, you would have used the “A” word.’
Sam frowned.
‘You would have said it’s not “appropriate”, and then you would have given me the whole client spiel again, yada, yada,’ he sighed dramatically. ‘It was easier to stretch the truth.’
She smiled shyly. He took a step closer, gazing at her intently. Sam turned to the windows. ‘Have you seen the view?’ she said lightly. ‘It’s fabulous.’
‘Yes, it’s a fabulous view,’ he replied in a low voice, but she knew he wasn’t looking at the view at all. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. Her heart started beating faster. She couldn’t look at him, her eyes remained fixed out the window, not that she could have described what she was looking at.
‘Are you hungry?’ she asked.
‘No.’
‘Would you like a drink?’
‘No thank you.’ He stepped closer, till their bodies were just touching. ‘I missed you.’
‘I know, I got your email.’
‘And I got yours.’
She felt his lips brushing against her hair. It made her tremble.
‘I haven’t shaved my legs,’ Sam blurted suddenly.
Hal smiled down at her, a little taken aback. ‘Well, that’s a relief, neither have I,’ he said. He reached up to remove her hairclip, raking his fingers through to free her hair. It sent shivers down her spine. ‘You have the most beautiful hair, and you always keep it tied back,’ he murmured, cupping her face.
‘Oh, and I don’t have any, um, you know, thingummys,’ she breathed.
‘Look in the bag,’ he said with a glint in his eye.
Sam realised she was still clutching the bag of chocolates. She foraged through them and drew out a long strip of small sealed plastic packets. She smiled. ‘You’re an optimist.’
‘Funny, people always tell me I’m a realist,’ he grinned. He took the bag from her and tossed it on a nearby chair. Then he pulled her close to him.
Sam felt a rush of emotion. The way he was looking at her, holding her. She wanted him. Go with the flow, Max had said.
‘You weren’t going to kiss me . . .’
‘No . . . what made you think that?’ he murmured as his lips sank into hers.