A Safe Pair of Hands Page 8
Sadie nodded in understanding. “Yes of course – things would be awkward in the office, if we were all over each other all of the time... yes I know exactly what you mean, we are there to do a job, and you are still my boss.”
Nick grinned at her in delight for a moment. “Although I love the idea of the two of us being all over each other, I have to agree with you; that if it became public knowledge about the change in our relationship... well it could make the rest of the staff a little uncomfortable.”
He leaned across to kiss her lightly on the lips. “When can I see you again – outside of work though?” he asked huskily.
“How about tomorrow night? You could come here, and I could cook us some dinner?”
Nick smiled and his warm breath fanned her face. “I shall look forward to that.”
He turned and climbed out of the car, and walked around to the boot first, to take out her bag, and then he opened her door and helped her out of the car.
He took her into his arms again and kissed her slowly and deeply, and by the time that he let her go, Sadie was totally oblivious to the cold air, and indeed she did not think that she would ever feel cold again.
“Would you like to come in... for a coffee?” she asked a little wistfully.
Nick sighed regretfully. “I would like nothing better than to do that, Sadie; but I have some chores to do... and I am sure that you could use the time to sort yourself out?”
“I suppose so.”
He kissed her on the tip of her nose affectionately. “I will look forward to tomorrow night instead. Shall I call around for say, seven?”
She nodded. “Yes that would be perfect.” She reached out to take her bag off him, and then she stood and watched him as he walked back around his car.
“Go inside, Sadie; it's too cold to be waving me off on the pavement.”
She gave him a little nod and a defiant little wave, and turned her back on him.
Her house was chilly when she first opened her front door, but she walked over to her boiler, and flicked the switch, and immediately the house ticked in to life and the cold edge began to dissipate.
Sadie gave a little shiver, and turned towards the kitchen, intent on putting the kettle on, when her door bell rang.
She opened her front door to her sister, who looked bright eyed and curious.
“I was just passing and so I thought that I would pop in and see if you were back yet... or check the place over if you weren't!” Nancy declared cheerfully.
“I was just about to put the kettle on,” Sadie said as she opened the door wider so that her sister could come inside and follow her to the kitchen. “I've just this second got back, as a matter of fact,” she continued, throwing a quick smile over her shoulder.
“Yes, I noticed,” Nancy murmured.
She sat down at Sadie's kitchen table and watched her little sister as she moved around the kitchen.
“Yes I was just walking down the road,” Nancy said airily. “And what do I see, but my dear little sister, smooching on the street – with none other than my new neighbour.”
She watched as Sadie blushed, a deep rosy glow that spread all the way to the roots of her hair.
She looked at absolutely stunning. She looked positively radiant.
“I must say Sadie – you didn't mess around there much, did you? I mean little Pete has not stopped talking about Nick, since we got back, but I was not prepared for how fast and how far things had progressed between the two of you?”
Sadie placed the two steaming mugs on the table and sat across from her sister, who was looking puzzled. “And I thought that you were going away on work business this weekend? Did it get cancelled because of the weather?”
Sadie grinned sheepishly at Nancy, and the colour in her cheeks slowly began to fade.
“Well you see it's like this... things haven't exactly moved fast between us, because I have known Nick for a few years now... he is actually my boss!”
Nancy's eyebrows disappeared beneath her hair, as she raised them in surprise. “Nick! My neighbour, Nick; is your domineering and nasty N J Hargreaves?”
“MD and all that went with it – yes that is him.” Sadie nodded, as she cupped her hands around her mug.
“But... but he is always so mean to you!” Nancy spluttered.
“Well, you see... there is a bit more history to us than when I started to work for him last year,” Sadie began hesitantly.
“Oh?”
“It's a long story, Nancy; and I am sure that you haven't got time for this really,” Sadie sighed.
“Hah!” Nancy's face lit up with triumph. “Rob has taken little Pete to see his parents – I have all afternoon to kill... and,” she continued as she held up a shopping bag. “I have fresh bread to make us some sandwiches – if you have got some filling?”
Sadie chuckled. “Oh you always did know how to get around me!”
As the two of them made up some sandwiches, Sadie told Nancy about the first time she had met Nick – when Rick had shown up and spoiled things for her – again.
“So that was why you came home again,” Nancy exclaimed. “I always guessed that it was something to do with Rick – it was always something to do with Rick when you were unhappy... but that time seemed so much worse!”
“Yes, after what had happened I just knew that as long as I kept running, then Rick would keep on chasing, and more than anything I needed to be back with my family...”
“To lick your wounds, and heal your broken heart?”
Sadie looked sharply at her all too perceptive sister. “I had only just met Nick – we had only one conversation, which did not even end well.”
“But you did fall for him?” Nancy pressed, and Sadie sighed.
“Hook line and sinker.”
“And that was why you finally went through with the divorce?”
Sadie hesitated as she thought about it. “Well, maybe,” she said slowly. “Maybe it was because I suddenly realised that I could never be happy with Rick still in my life – that he would always come along and pull the ‘she is my wife’ card. I knew that I could not carry on with that kind of ‘no life at all’, I mean at first I thought that I would never want to be with any man – ever again, so it did not matter about going through the trauma of a divorce, but Nick – in that brief time, he made me realise that I could, and that I really did want to.”
“So you divorced Rick, for Nick – you are in love with Nick now?”
“Not for him, no,” Sadie shook her head firmly. “I did not think that I would ever see him again, but I think that I finally when through with the divorce, because of Nick.”
“Hmm,” Nancy murmured noncommittally as she took a bite out of her sandwich.
Sadie looked across at her big sister with an almost pleading expression.
“I have never been any good at judging people... so you tell me, Nancy; is Nick a good man, or am I just fooling myself again. Am I safe to fall in love with him?”
Nancy smiled as she swallowed the food. “I suspect that that question is a little bit late in the asking... but for my penny’s worth... yes I like Nick – I think that he is a good man, and I think that your heart will be safe in his hands.”
Chapter Twelve
Sadie waved her sister off in the taxi that she had called for her, and then set about sorting her washing out.
The taxi took Nancy to her home, however she did not go straight into her own house, but she strolled around to her neighbour's, and stood with her finger pressed on his door bell, listening as its constant ringing echoed through his house.
Nick answered his door in very quick order looking disturbed and annoyed. Seeing Nancy on his doorstep however, sent a whole host of expressions rushing across his face.
“Nancy... is everything okay?” he suddenly looked truly frightened as he stepped closer to her. “Is Sadie okay?”
“Sadie? Of course my sister is okay – why wouldn’t she be?”
His s
houlders sagged and he gave a heavy sigh of relief, but his eyes when they fixed on her again turned to puzzlement. “What can I do for you, Nancy?”
He opened his door wider and stepped back so that she could enter – it was after all a chilly afternoon that was steadily growing dark and cold by now.
“Can I offer you something to drink,” Nick asked as Nancy strode through to his living room – almost as though she owned the place.
“A glass of wine might be nice?” she shrugged her shoulders.
“Coming right up.”
Nick strolled over to a cabinet in the corner of the room, and opened one of the doors.
He pulled out a bottle of wine and held it up to her. “White okay?”
“Yes that would be perfect... thank you.”
He gave a resigned little sigh, and pulled out a second bottle.
He poured her wine and then he poured himself a good measure of whisky – it looked like Nancy was on a mission tonight, and he was not sure whether he would like her end goal, or not.
He handed her drink to her, and as she sat down on his sofa, he sat down across from her, on a single armchair.
Nancy sipped at her drink nervously for a moment, as she tried to work out how to talk to Nick, and voice her concerns.
As she thought of Sadie, she remembered again that awful moment four years ago, when she first realised that Rick had been hurting her sister.
“I wanted to talk to you about Sadie,” she said abruptly.
“Oh?”
She looked across at him sharply; he was not going to make this easy for her.
“I know that you are seeing my sister – on a personal level... I know that you are her boss as well, and up until recently you treated her as though you did not really like her!” the last bit came out as an accusation and he did look uncomfortable for a moment.
“Sadie and I have a bit of a history... and I had a bit of an error of judgment about her...”
“Yes I know, she told me, she told me about Rick showing up and pulling his usual stunt.” Her eyes narrowed with hatred as she spat out Rick's name, and Nick smiled warmly at her, in understanding of her hatred for the other man.
“I was not very nice to Sadie, I will admit that... but I will spend the rest of my life trying to make that up to her – I promise you that.”
Nancy waved a hand dismissively as if to say, 'of course you will'.
“You have to understand something,” she told him seriously. “Rick will always be a shadow on her horizon... I mean the things that he did to her – I can only guess at, since she could never manage to talk to me – or anyone else about it!”
Nick leaned forward suddenly as he heard the raw pain in Nancy's voice. He took her hand gently as he looked into her shadowed brown eyes.
“I don't have to guess,” he told her gently. “Because Sadie did tell me, she told me everything!”
Nancy’s jaw went slack for a moment, and her eyes rounded as they locked onto his.
“She told you everything? Tell me, tell me what you know!”
He sighed as he sat back again breaking the contact.
“She told me the things that she could never face telling you and your family; she spoke to me in confidence, and I will not betray her trust.”
Nancy looked like she was about to argue the point but then she just gave a little grunt of frustration, that turned into a sigh of unhappiness.
“No of course you won’t... but since you know more about it, then you probably understand even better, that Rick will always have a hold over her, he will always show up and upset her... she will never be sure of herself,” she stopped as Nick began to shake his head.
“I don't think so,” he disagreed. “You see, we ran in to Rick just today.”
“What! She never said anything to me!” Nancy was up on her feet and she looked positively frightened, and Nick stood up too, and grabbed her arm.
“It's okay!” he told her sharply. “Calm down, Nancy, because it is all okay.”
He told her about the run in with Rick earlier that day, and his eyes softened and his smile widened.
“You would have been so proud of her, Nancy,” Nick said gruffly. “She faced him down all by herself; she proved to him that he meant nothing to her, and that she did not need to hide behind anyone else to deal with him. She showed him that he had no power over her anymore!”
Nancy's eyes filled with tears and Nick pulled her close for a comforting hug.
“You did that,” she whispered against his chest. “You gave her the courage to divorce him all those years ago, and today you gave her the strength to finish it with him – once and for all.”
“Maybe,” Nick murmured huskily, “But I suspect that you do your sister a disservice, in just assuming that.”
*
He showed Nancy out a little bit later, and as she stood on his door step, her husband Rob pulled their family car into their driveway.
Nancy turned suddenly and reached up to kiss Nick on the cheek. “Thank you, Nick – for loving my sister as she deserves to be loved!”
Nick looked surprised, and a mischievous twinkle came to his eyes, as he gazed over her head to the man looking across at them. “My my, Mrs Stevenson - whatever will your husband think?”
A little colour flared up her cheekbones, and then she wrinkled her nose and gave a nervous little laugh. “Well he really should not be allowed to take me too much for granted.”
She smiled cheekily but then a thought seemed to come to her. “You are invited to dinner on Friday night – you and Sadie... I will let you arrange with her when you will go and collect her, but you should be at my house for seven... ish.”
She gave him a little airy wave as she turned to stroll around to her waiting husband who had just pulled her son out of the car as well. And he stood holding him, and waiting for her to join them.
“It's far too cold to be standing out here!” Nick heard her complain to her little family.
He watched as Rob leaned down to kiss his wife, and clearly heard him murmur. “And once we are inside you will tell me, why you were smooching with our new neighbour – won't you.”
It was not a question, nor a request; it was a simple fact, and she would comply – Nick had no doubt about that.
**
Her house was spotless by the time Sadie sat down to her early lunch the next day.
She tore around it will real enthusiasm as she planned for her evening with Nick. He was going to be in almost all of the rooms at some point this evening; she had certainly made her mind up about that, and so she wanted them to look the best that they could.
She planned in her mind what she would cook, and so straight after her lunch she pulled on her hat and coat, and strolled down to her local shops.
She was not a sophisticated cook, and she really did not want to spend hours over a hot stove, trying to produce something complicated and ultimately stressful on her nerves.
She purchased some chicken and decided on a stir-fry, quick and simple but with the added peppers it would look bright and colourful.
She chopped and diced, and tipped it all into the deep pan, and placed a lid over it, and then she set her little table with candles in the centre just waiting to be lit.
She drew the blind at the kitchen window as the wintery afternoon gave way to dusk, and then she went upstairs to shower and dress, and ready herself for Nick’s arrival.
*
Nick pulled up outside her house ten minutes early, but to tell the truth he had spent the last hour – or more, just sitting at his desk drumming his fingers and watching the clock.
He had thought that he could do some work from home, but that had been a waste of time in the end. He just could not wait to be back with Sadie – had missed not seeing her and talking to her at work. The place had seemed empty and mournful without her presence.
He walked down the path to the front door of her house, to see it opening before he could even knock
– almost as though she had been looking out for him.
“I’m early, I know,” he apologised as the door opened wider, but he slowed to a halt as she came into view.
He stood stock still so that he could gaze at her in awe, she looked absolutely stunning, in a deep blue dress, that sat off her shoulders in a soft teasing way.
It tucked in at her waist as if to show how tiny it was and the slid down over her thighs, in soft filmy material that seemed to fan out with the slightest provocation.
She looked beautiful and he was totally overwhelmed at the thought that she had made herself up like that, just for him!
“Amazing!” he said on a strangled tone as he simply stood and gaped at her.
Chapter Thirteen
Sadie felt the colour flooding her cheeks as Nick stood there with his hands behind his back, and almost as though he was dumbstruck.
She had thought that she might look nice in this dress, it was such a beautiful garment that it would be impossible not to look nice in it.
With the sleeves falling off her shoulders in that way, she had elected to comb her hair and drape the length of it over one shoulder leaving the other – temptingly bare; at least she hoped that it would be tempting.
“Would you like to come inside – before we both freeze to death?” she smiled shyly even as her sense of mischief surfaced.
He blinked a couple of times, and then a slow sexy smile tilted his lips, and his eyes glittered dangerously.
Sadie swallowed as she stepped back to allow him in, and silently willed her heart to stop it's hammering in her chest, and to resume it proper beat.
“I wasn't sure what we would be eating, but I remember you saying that you weren't fond of red wine, so I brought a bottle of white with me.”
“That's perfect – thank you,” she smiled as she reached out for the bottle.
“And these are for you – just because I wanted you to have them.”
He held out a small bouquet of roses. They were red and yellow and orange in colour, and they made her think of autumn with their rich and rustic colouring.
“Thank you, they are so beautiful!” she exclaimed as she reached out to take them from him.