Page 34 of Singing For His Kiss

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It had taken most of the night, but at last the latest changes had been organised, costs adjusted and his foreman was in total control. He’d worked out the costing with Anastasia and hoped to hell there would be no more changes. Somehow, he didn’t put much faith in that hope.

He lay in bed, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. Sitting for endless hours in a chair in front of a computer exhausted his body. His mind was tired, but his body needed to move. A glance at his watch told him it was mid-morning. Another glance through the window revealed the grey, yet clear sky. He hoped it had finally rained itself out. He needed to get out of the house and stretch his legs. He didn’t cope well with being cooped up for so long.

James poked his head outside his bedroom after he’d changed into his running gear; hearing no voices, he stole down the stairs to the front door. Coward. He’d limited his contact with Elizabeth, only coming out of his office for dinner and to kiss Madeline goodnight. It had been pure torture resisting the temptation of Elizabeth.

Her florally scent was all around the house. Her voice, laughter, footfalls. All those little sounds had drifted into his office and driven him crazy. He’d forced himself to stay away.

To his torment, they inhabited the piano room almost constantly. Madeline seemed as intrigued with the instrument as Elizabeth. It hadn’t taken long for Elizabeth’s playing to improve either. She’d go over a section of music and work it out in a couple of passes. She definitely had talent.

She’d also taken to playing some of the songs he’d given to her on the phone. Elizabeth nearly had Moonlight Sonata worked out in its entirety. A piece Hanna loved. He could almost imagine Hanna practising in that room, just like she used to. Expect the flow of music was different. Where Hanna had been technically perfect, Elizabeth played the song with inflections that weren’t written in the piece of music. She shaped it into something that was her own; not that he was listening at all.

His mind drifted to two nights ago. She’d bolted after he’d given her the phone. It hadn’t been about the phone, though. He’d made her uncomfortable talking about Hanna’s room. Of all the stupid things to say. He shouldn’t have told her how he felt. That things he’d felt were once important had faded. Morphed into real things of the here and now.

He’d come on too strong, but he hadn’t been able help himself. He’d made up for it by giving her space. She was too important to Madeline to scare her off. Too important to him.

She was careful not to tell him too much about herself, but he wasn’t born under a rock. He knew what growing up in foster care meant. She’d had to protect herself. Had no choice.

But she'd relaxed over the past few days. The inner tension that normally thrummed through her was becoming more and more absent. She just needed time to feel as though she belonged. To find her feet. He wasn’t going to give up on the idea of helping her make her mind up to stay. She was too good for Madeline. Hopefully, she’d eventually see how well she fit in here given time.

He wasn’t completely sure why she was so adamant about leaving. There didn’t seem to be anything waiting for her in Melbourne – no job, relatives, friends that he could see. But time was running out if the clearing skies were anything to go by.

He’d woken up that morning to find his daughter wasn’t in his bed. Or hers. Panicking a little, he’d glimpsed into Elizabeth’s room to see them both snuggled together. His daughter’s fine blonde hair was splayed out next to heavy, deep auburn locks.

He could do nothing more than stare. His daughter, the child he loved more than anything else in the world. And Elizabeth…a woman with the power to become so much more.

It was so easy to imagine more mornings like these, only they'd both wake up in his bed. His daughter, who had come during the night to seek comfort the way a small child does, and the woman who provided him with comfort as a woman does. He could get used to waking up like that.

He’d never had that with Hanna. When Madeline was born, Hanna wasn’t well and had been in hospital more and more often during her decline. She’d never had a chance to sleep with a small, warm child cuddling up to her. Never known that small joy. She should have had all that. Cancer had cruelly stopped her experiencing all the joys her daughter would bring.

His heart constricted, wringing with the pain of what should have been. He should be looking in at Hanna and Madeline.

But then he never would have met Elizabeth.

He silently closed the door. It was then he decided he needed to run.

Ten minutes later, he crossed the main road to jog along the beach. Maybe if he exerted himself hard enough, he might be able to sleep tonight without Elizabeth’s sultry voice flowing though his mind and keeping him awake.

It had been a while since he’d jogged along the beach. Both he and Hanna had loved the beach at any time of year. They’d come down at least once a day and walk hand in hand along the sand and then back along the nature walk by the road. Since Hanna’s death, he’d ignored the beach. He inhaled a deep breath, filling his lungs, drinking in the taste of fresh, cool air. It was – healing – to be here again.

The wisp of a yell drifted to him on the breeze. He turned towards the sound to see a little girl running towards him. Madeline. Behind her, walking Toto, was Elizabeth. Her cheeks were flushed and a charming pink on the otherwise pale skin of her face. Her hair tumbled about her face, disheveled like fiery strands of autumn glory. The long strands danced with the wind, as though it were alive.

He wondered how it would look beneath him, spread out on a white pillow with her head flung back in abandon.

He uttered a sound of frustration. These thoughts, these – urges- were becoming harder and harder to ignore.

He concentrated on Madeline, running toward her, picking her up easily into his arms. She smelt of salt and sweet little girl. He crushed her against him, drinking in the feel of her in his arms, the way she clung to him like a limpet. She pulled back. Her cheeks were as rosy as Elizabeth’s. There was a huge smile on her lips, and her eyes glowed with excitement.

“I haven’t seen you for two whole days,” Madeline said, a frown marring her smooth forehead.

Familiar guilt gnawed his gut. He eased out the crinkles with the pad of his thumb. “I know, little one, but I have a lot of work on.”

“You always have a lot of work on,” Madeline grumbled.

He sighed, opting to change the conversation. This was an old argument he had no hope of winning. “Were you out taking Toto for a walk?” he asked.

“We came to look in the rock pools. Elizabeth’s never seen one. Only in books,” Madeline said, just as Elizabeth walked close enough to hear. “I asked and I asked for her to bring me here until she said yes.” He suspected Elizabeth had a hard time saying no to his daughter.

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