Be Mine Page 2

  Her mother had won a five day Valentine’s break to Hawaii in her office Christmas raffle last year, and she’d chosen to go with her colleague Dianne after Aura had turned her down. But Aura had her reasons. Her mother was forty-seven, slim, petite, and attractive. Her happy eyes had dimmed when her husband Ralph died two years ago, and the spark had begun to return only recently. Aura hoped deep in her heart this trip would see her mother find love again, and she wasn’t about to bring in any awkwardness by tagging along.

  “I have to make sure you have enough to eat.” Mum turned back to pulling out items from the bags.

  “For goodness sake, Mum, I’m not going to starve myself. I’m twenty-two, not two. I do know how to shop and cook.” She moved to help her mother put vegetables in the tall fridge. “You’re not planning on spending your time in Hawaii worrying about me, are you?”

  “Actually, about Hawaii…” Mum glanced at her, looking uncomfortable. “I might not go after all.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I had a phone call today. It was from Andy, Nathan’s friend. Nathan has had a skiing accident.”

  Aura gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. All sorts of terrible images sped through her mind making her heart thunder: Nathan, his tall, strong body hurt and twisted, his handsome face bloodied, his midnight-black hair matted, and the smile that melted her heart, but had never been willingly bestowed on her, gone forever.

  “Now don’t panic.” Mum held up her hands, palms out, in a calming gesture. “Andy called back an hour ago to say Nathan had regained consciousness and the doctors were confident of a quick recovery. But he needs to rest for a few days, so of course, I said he could stay with us, and… he’ll be here tomorrow.”

  “Here? He’s coming here? Tomorrow?” Relief turned to trepidation. The sudden thought of seeing Nathan again after all these years made butterflies tumble in her stomach.

  Her gaze fell on the expensive bottle on the table. So that was the reason for the wine. Nathan’s rare visits when Ralph had still been alive had been nerve-racking experiences for her mother. Mum had gone out of her way to make him comfortable, and now that he was a high-flyer, it could be nothing but the best for him. If only he’d been kind enough to return the favour and treat them like the family they’d always wanted to be for him.

  Anger built in her and she frowned. “Surely he’d be better off in London where he has the best medical care? Why come all the way here?”

  “Apparently everything needs to be kept very hush hush, so he can’t stay in London. But more than that… what he needs right now is family, and we’re all he has, love.”

  No arguing with that. Nathan had his mother, but she was living with husband number three in Italy, Nathan’s father, Ralph, having been husband number one. Nathan never talked about his mother, but their relationship was sure to be miles better than the hostile one he’d had with Ralph.

  Still, Aura couldn’t get comfortable with the thought that he was all alone right now. “We can manage, can’t we? It’s only for a few days, isn’t it?”

  Those rare weekends he’d stayed with them as a teenager and then as a young man, he’d kept to his room or gone out the entire day. She’d craved then just to catch a glimpse of him, but if he kept to his room this time also, she could get through this.

  Mum regarded her with anxious eyes. She’d never asked, but a daughter’s infatuation must have been hard to miss over the years. “I won’t leave you to handle this on your own, Aura. I’ll tell Dianne I won’t be flying out to Hawaii so she can find someone else to give my ticket to.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. You’ve been looking forward to this trip. Don’t you dare cancel.”

  “But—”

  “Mum, I’m quite capable. The most I’ll have to do is cook for him three times a day. It’s not hard.”

  And if she was lucky, he’d be gone sooner than later, because one thing was for sure, Nathan hated staying here just as much as she now hated the thought of having him here.

  2

  The doorbell rang, snapping Aura from her brooding thoughts. “I’ll get it.” And she went to the hallway and opened the door.

  “Hey there, lovely.” Her best friend grinned, her blue eyes twinkling. The same blue was reflected in the eyes of the snugly wrapped-up, two-year-old boy she held in her arms.

  With a smile, Aura stepped aside for them to enter, leaning forward and kissing Lisa’s cheek and then taking little Jason from her and pressing a kiss to his chubby cheek. He grinned up at her.

  “He’s been with Mum and Dad all day, so I thought I’d bring him here for a change of scenery.” Lisa said, placing her shoulder bag down on the carpet. She took off her dove grey coat and matching knit cap and shook out her waist length golden hair. Her cheeks and upturned nose were rosy-tipped from the biting cold outside.

  They were the same height, five-foot-six, but Lisa was a lush, curvy hourglass compared to Aura’s slimmer pear shape, and she managed to look sexy in everything, including the simple blue sweater and jeans she was wearing.

  “Change of scenery it is then, little guy.” Aura said, unzipping Jason’s red puffa jacket and helping him slide it off. “You’ve got the run of the place here.”

  Jason pulled off his black wool hat and scarf and dropped them on to the floor. Tsk-tsking, Lisa immediately scooped them up and hung them on the coatrack. Aura laughed and ruffled his light-blond hair.

  “Oh, there’s my little boy.” Mum came out of the kitchen and held out her hands to Jason, who cheerfully jumped to her from Aura. “Were you busy today, love?” she asked Lisa.

  “Same old. It’s like everyone wakes up on a Friday morning and decides that’s the day they desperately need a tooth taken out or a filling replaced. So there’s us poor receptionists having to juggle all these out-of-the-blue patients.”

  Aura grinned at her. “Don’t complain, chatterbug. You like it busy. You’re always looking for new people to natter with.”

  “Jealous much, wallflower?” Lisa said with a smirk.

  “I’ll always prefer the peace and quiet of the sewing room.”

  “Ooh lad, you’re getting heavy for little old me.” Mum placed Jason on his feet and held her hand out to him. “How about some juice?”

  Jason grabbed her hand. “Juice an’ bikkies!”

  “Jason, what do we say to Aunty Cathy?” Lisa raised an eyebrow at him, her hands on her hips, and he glanced back at her with a little smile.

  “Pease!”

  Mum laughed. “My, so polite! You have to get an extra bikkie for that. Come on.”

  With a big grin, Jason gripped her hand and toddled after her to the kitchen. Lisa picked up her bag and followed with Aura.

  “Don’t you have class tonight?” Aura asked.

  “Nope. We’ve a test on Monday evening, so they gave us a long weekend to mug up for it.”

  “You’ll be fine. You always do well on these tests.”

  Lisa grimaced and dumped her bag on the kitchen counter. “Remind me to remember that.”

  “Isn’t it your final year?” Mum asked, seating Jason up on the counter and giving him a biscuit for each hand.

  “Yes, and I just want to get it done with.” Lisa said, leaning back against the counter. “Two years of night classes, and I’m finally close to kissing the reception desk goodbye and earning something decent as a dental tech somewhere.”

  With a smile, Aura filled the kettle for their tea. If anyone deserved to do well, it was Lisa. They’d been firm friends since when they were both ten years old, since the time Mum had married Ralph and moved with him from London to live here in Langley. Lisa’d had to do a lot of growing up quickly when her one and only boyfriend deserted her soon after he found out she was pregnant. But even with her parents to help her look after Jason, Lisa was determined to do well enough all by herself to afford a home of their own for her little boy.

  “So what’s happening with you and Bill tonight?” Lisa asked as the
water boiled and Aura switched the kettle off.

  “Oh gods, I’d clean forgotten.” Mum turned around from placing a beaker of blackcurrant juice in Jason’s little crumb-filled hands. “You’ve a date with Bill at eight, haven’t you? It’s nearly seven. You should be thinking of getting ready.”

  “Mum, I don’t need an hour to get ready. And it’s not a date as such.”

  “Not a date?” Lisa’s eyebrows shot up. “I doubt my brother would agree with you. He’s been trying to get you to go out with him for years. Why’d you cave now?”

  Aura put teabags in three mugs and poured hot water over them. Good question. Why had she caved now? Truth was, being a twenty-two-year-old virgin was becoming a rather heavy load to bear, and anyone who came to know the reason for it would without doubt brand her a gone case. Well, how was it normal to be that hung up on her forbidding step-brother that she couldn’t be attracted to anyone else? She drew men, and she’d had plenty of offers for dates, but her constant air of disinterest meant nothing materialized. Lisa’s big brother, Bill, had been the only man stubborn enough to stick by her for over two years now, refusing to take no as a final answer. Bill was perfect in so many ways, and infatuation for Nathan or not, she wasn’t going to let her life descend into a story of maybes. She had to try.

  “It’s not that I caved. I like Bill, and I just thought the time was right.” She added milk to the tea and handed a mug each to her mother and Lisa.

  Lisa took the mug and studied her. Guiltily, Aura glanced away, taking a quick sip of her tea.

  Mum smiled. “Of course it is. I’ve always thought the two of you would do well together, and he’s so keen on you. But please wear something other than black tonight, Aura. I haven’t seen you go anywhere special in any other colour since Ralph died. You even wear black for Christmas.”

  “I like black. It’s simple.”

  And it was safe. She didn’t stand out or draw too much attention. Her mother hadn’t noticed but her preference for black stretched way back before Ralph’s death, ever since she’d been eighteen and seen Nathan for the last time.

  Lisa gave her a knowing look, then shrugged. “It’s also slimming, not that you need it. You’re already as slim as a ballerina. Now me…” She ran a hand over her curvy hips, “…I need all the slimming I can get.” And she promptly munched into a biscuit.

  Aura grinned at her. Lisa was always complaining about her figure, especially since pregnancy had left her hips and breasts more prominent, but she was a hottie and she knew it.

  Mum shook her head and wiped the last traces of blackcurrant juice from Jason’s mouth and the crumbs from his hands before setting him down on the floor. He promptly went to Lisa who handed him a soft, twisty blue and pink caterpillar toy from her bag.

  “I always thought you’d like pink,” Mum said to Aura as Jason played with the toy. “You look beautiful in pink.”

  Aura laughed. “Yeah, thanks for that. Since when do you look at a scrawny baby with a mop of black hair and go ‘Hmm, I know, I’ll call her Aurora, cos she looks just like that golden-haired princess in a pink ballgown.’”

  “Well, you reminded me so much of her.”

  “Really? In what way? Maybe I slept a lot. Admit it, Mum. You had a sleeping beauty fixation at the time. It must have been your pregnancy hormones.”

  Lisa giggled and Jason held the toy out to Aura. “Ora?”

  “That’s just what you called yourself too,” Mum said with a chuckle. “And it stuck.”

  Jason had managed to tangle the caterpillar into two big knots. Untangling it, Aura handed it back to him. “Yeah well, the kids at school were a lot more creative than that with my nickname.”

  Lisa laughed. “Thorny. That’s what they called you. Thorny Willis. But seriously, I don’t think that was just for the sleeping beauty part. You hardly let anyone near you.”

  Aura shrugged. Her needs were small, and she’d had her mother, Lisa and Ralph for family. She hadn’t needed anyone else.

  Jason tangled the caterpillar again and this time held it out to Lisa.

  “Oh, he’ll keep doing this until it drives everyone stir crazy.” She took the toy from him and shoved it back in her bag.

  Jason scowled and held out a pudgy hand. “Mine!”

  “Come on, champ.” Mum took his hand. “Why don’t you help Aunty Cathy make alphabet noodles for you?” She glanced at Lisa. “He can have dinner here, can’t he love?”

  Lisa nodded and rinsing her empty mug in the sink, took Aura by the elbow. “Come on. Show me the dress you’re planning on wowing my brother with tonight.”

  Aura led the way to her sewing room, which was tucked in between the kitchen and the larger front room. Opening the door, she flicked on the light to reveal a bright square space with teal walls, white wood furniture and a cosy cream carpet. White shelves lined one wall, packed with rolls of fabric in all colours. A tall white wardrobe stood at the far end opposite the door, with a large cutting-table beside it, and above the table, hung a cork-board almost as wide as the table itself, pinned with dress designs she’d drawn. The wall opposite the shelves was fully given over to a large bay window that looked out on to the now dark back garden. A padded, cream window seat was beneath it, and her sewing machine took up the space just beside the door. The smell of clean, new fabric hung heavy in the air. This was her sanctuary, the place where she could lose herself for hours.

  Lisa made a beeline for a nearly finished sky-blue dress hanging on a rack beside the sewing machine. “Ooh, this is stunning. Who’s it for?”

  “Mrs Carthers from the bank. She wanted something custom for her niece’s wedding next month. Says it’ll turn her sister-in-law green with envy to know her dress was handmade just for her.”

  “I bet it will.” Lisa examined the dress, letting the silky material slip across her fingers. “One day, people are going to pay through the nose for one of your creations. If Mrs Carthers has any sense, she’ll hang tight to this one. It’ll be worth thousands soon.”

  Aura laughed. “That day comes, and I’ll eat my sewing machine. I’m not likely to set-up my own label with what I earn making dresses for people in Langley and working part-time in an alterations boutique.”

  “I’m never wrong, my girl. Talent like yours doesn’t stay hidden long, so you’d better have plenty of gravy to help wash down that sewing machine of yours.”

  “I love you for your faith.” Aura said with a smile, going to the wardrobe. Lisa had been telling her this for years now. She would probably still be hearing it when they were both ninety and in their rockers. She opened the wardrobe, revealing a row of black plastic dress covers within. “Don’t you want to see your Valentine’s dress first?”

  “You finished it?”

  Aura nodded, but Lisa stood looking uncertain, then shook her head. “No, that one’s going to be a surprise. It’s only, what, four days to go? I know you won’t disappoint.”

  “Not even a peek? It’s just as you wanted… with a few extra wows thrown in. I promise it’ll dazzle.”

  Lisa shook her head again and Aura frowned. This wasn’t like her friend. “What is it? I thought you’d be a lot more excited about your Valentine’s date.”

  “Come on, Aura. One of the receptionists at the surgery sets me up on a blind date with her cousin. I’m not exactly going to be thrilled out of my socks straight away, am I? I haven’t a freakin’ clue what the guy looks like, what he does, or anything. All I know is he’s twenty-six, same age as Bill. Really, the only excitement I’m feeling about Valentine’s Day is that I’ll finally get to see the awesome dress you made for me.”

  “You never know. This could be your Prince Charming.”

  “That sort of stuff is for you, sleeping beauty. Besides, do you remember the frog I got paired off with last Valentine’s?”

  Aura hid a smile. Bill had attempted to coax his sister back into the dating game by fixing up a Valentine’s date for her with one of his fellow firemen who’
d recently divorced. The evening had ended with the guy sobbing in Lisa’s lap and pouring out his life story about how messy his divorce had been and how women had torpedoed his entire life. “Yeah, a real wet-blanket. Good looking though.”

  “Hmm, he was, wasn’t he? But I should know by now that looks don’t count for everything in guys, no matter how much I like them rough and rugged. Wish I’d known that before I took up with Jason’s dad.”

  “I hope this guy proves to be good enough to crack that hard little shell of yours.”

  Lisa shrugged. “We’ll see. Though, you won’t have to worry tonight. Bill treats you like you’re the most precious thing on earth. You’ll definitely have a good time.” She came up to the wardrobe. “So, which one is yours?”

  Taking a black cover from the wardrobe, Aura laid it on her cutting table and opened the zip. She pulled out the black knee-length dress inside and holding it up to her body, turned to show Lisa.

  Lisa’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow. Bill’s going to have a heart attack.”

  The dress was sleeveless, with a low cowl neck. The bodice nipped in at the waist and the bell skirt flared out gently over a layer of black tulle petticoat.

  “Very fifties, isn’t it?” Aura said with a giggle.

  “Uh huh. It’s also very very black.”

  Aura sighed. “You know I feel more comfortable in it.”

  “For goodness sake, Aura, you’ve turned yourself into a nun because you got the hots for your stepbrother when you were a hormone-raging teenager.”

  Aura turned away to hide the red of her cheeks as she put the dress back in its cover. She’d never told anyone the actual reason, not even Lisa.

  She’d been eighteen and had accompanied her mother and Ralph to a wedding. The daughter of one of Ralph’s friends had been the bride. Aura had been thrilled. She’d sewn her own dress, a blood-red mini that ended mid-thigh. But her still unpolished skill had left the bust too tight for her young breasts and cut the thigh-slit a little too high, complications that had quickly become a headache when she’d drawn more attention to herself than she knew how to handle. And then Nathan had turned up with his then girlfriend, an impossibly beautiful, ethereal looking blonde, and Aura had quailed in inadequacy. She would never forget the look on his face as he’d come to say his stiff hellos to them. He’d been livid, looking her up and down like she was something unpleasant that had crawled out of an x-rated movie. It had hurt and she’d spent the rest of the wedding studiously avoiding him and his piece of arm-candy. But that had been harder to do than said. Her unfortunate red creation had made her stand out like a ruby in a field of pearls, and everywhere she went, Nathan seemed to be there also, scowling at her. In the end she’d had enough, and leaving all the other guests to enjoy the outdoor buffet around front, she’d taken herself off behind the wedding marquee. But she’d been followed…