Page 49 of The Single Dad's New-Year Bride

Callum walked to the kitchen, his brain grappling with the implications of Paul’s appearance. Hailey was standing at the sink, her back to him. ‘Hailey,’ he called.

Hailey turned, grateful for the distraction. The water was running and the dishes were in the sink but she was just staring at them, smiling goofily at the rainbows in the bubbles. ‘Hmm?’

‘You have a…visitor.’

Hailey frowned. At seven-thirty in the morning? The look on Callum’s face brought her quickly out of her daydream. She wiped her hand on a teatowel and covered the distance to the doorway quickly. Something was wrong.

She looked up to see Paul standing in the middle of her lounge room. ‘Paul?’

Callum shut his eyes at the strange note in her voice. There was surprise, incredulity and something else, something harder to hear. Joy. One word yet full of so much…hope.

Hailey crossed the room in seconds. She threw herself into Paul’s arms, amazed to see him, grateful beyond words that he was there. His arms pulled her close and she almost cried it felt so good be held without reserve. Without censure.

She pulled back slightly, so happy to see him she accepted his quick kiss on her mouth without any thought. In fact, she gave him one back. And then kissed each cheek before pulling him back for another long, lingering hug.

Callum clenched his fists, the urge to rip them apart overwhelming. He wanted to break things. He understood that this reunion     was always going to be an emotional one but this was on a whole other level. She was in her bathrobe, for crying out loud. She was naked underneath. He’d just been ogling her breasts. Paul had missed his chance. He didn’t get to hold her so intimately.

They pulled apart and shared a look so private that Callum despaired about their future.

‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe you’re here,’ she whispered.

‘Maybe I should have called first?’

Hailey frowned up at him and then turned when Paul indicated behind them. Callum was still standing in the doorway to the kitchen, his chest bare, his eyes shuttered, his jaw rigid.

He was tense. She could see that. But it was too much. All too much to take in. She’d hoped for this moment for a long time, for Paul to come to her, to absolve her, and now it was here, it had to take precedence. She couldn’t think about Callum and what had just happened. There was unresolved stuff between her and Paul, closure to be had. Paul had lost a child, a son the same age as Tom, he needed her more. Surely Callum would understand that?

‘Oh, no, Callum was just leaving,’ she assured Paul quickly.

Callum felt as if she’d punched him in the solar plexus. This couldn’t be happening. She’d just dismissed him as if they were casual acquaintances. Mere friends. Last night they’d been as far removed from friends as possible. Five minutes ago she’d been teasing him with glimpses of her flesh and now another man was touching her. Touching her with familiarity. With a casual ease that spoke of greater intimacy.

She wanted him to go, he could see that. Her eyes were pleading silently with him and he battled with himself to do her bidding, to realise what this meant to her. He forced himself to nod, his gaze firmly fixed on Paul’s hand at her waist. ‘Yes. I’ll be out of your hair in a moment.’

Callum stalked out of the room and Hailey nearly sagged against Paul in relief. She didn’t have time for a macho male showdown, for ego. This was big. This thing that had just happened was big. Bigger, right now, than her and Callum’s night of carnal pleasure.

There was so much she wanted to ask Paul, to catch up with. So much was unresolved. She wanted to know how he was. How he’d been doing. Paul and Eric had been such a big part of her life and there was no denying she’d left a part of her heart behind in London.

When Callum came back into the lounge fully dressed he discovered Paul and Hailey on the lounge, talking quietly, sitting close, their knees almost touching, her still in her bathrobe. He clenched his fist around his keys, wanting to drag her away, to demand she get dressed, order her to stand by his side.

They looked up as he entered the room. ‘I’ll ring you tonight,’ he said.

Hailey saw the stormy conflict in his gaze, the whites of his knuckles. She stood and moved until she was standing in front of him. ‘Thank you,’ she mouthed. She wanted to reach up and touch his jaw, place her hands on his chest, but felt too awkward in the circumstances.

‘We need to talk,’ he murmured.

She nodded. ‘Not now. Soon.’

Callum looked into her deep brown eyes. He saw the pitch and roll of emotion as she grappled with the situation. He saw her sincerity but also saw her struggle. ‘I’ll call tonight.’

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