Chapter Eleven
A FEW DAYS after they returned from Paris, Sylvie’s mother invited herself and her new partner over to dinner.
On one hand Sylvie was pleased her mother was moving on with her life, and she was certainly interested in meeting the man who had pulled her mother out of a twenty-two-year dating hiatus, but on the other she was disappointed because she had hoped to spend the evening with Jack.
She hadn’t seen him since they had got back, because his grandfather had experienced a fall, and Jack went down to Wildewood to help his grandmother organise yet another carer for him.
Since his stroke the year before, Maxwell had gone through several carers so far, his irascible temper sending six—at last count—packing with haste to leave, no matter how wonderful the pay and free board at the grand estate.
Before her mother was due to arrive, Sylvie took out some food for Shadow.
She had left a self-feeding container of dry food for the little cat while she was away for the weekend with Jack and she was relieved to see it wasn’t quite empty, so at least Shadow hadn’t gone hungry.
To her surprise, she found Shadow waiting for her in the shrubbery, her wide green eyes focussed with intensity on her.
‘Hi, Shadow,’ Sylvie cooed. ‘Here’s your dinner. I bought a smoked salmon mornay for you. I hope you like it.’
The little cat crouched lower, hesitancy in her eyes and body but after a moment or two, she took a couple of cautious steps closer to the dish of food.
Sylvie stayed stock-still, as still as her tiny angel statue to the left of her colourful and fragrant potted plants.
Paw by paw, the small cat came closer, her body crouched low to the ground, her eyes wary, guarded.
But the delicious smell of the food must have been a strong inducement because Shadow overcame her wariness and moved closer to the dish.
Sylvie held her breath, silently praying the little cat would trust her enough to eat in her presence.
She suddenly realised her relationship with Shadow was not unlike her one with Jack.
She had been wary of him at first, avoidant and reluctant to develop any feelings for him other than dislike.
Was it fear that had held her back? Hate was such a strong and toxic word and now she couldn’t associate it at all with her feelings for him.
She didn’t want to admit to anything deeper than a satisfying physical and intellectual connection that was better than anything she had experienced with anyone before but…
love? How could she allow herself to fall in love with an emotionally unavailable man?
So many of her clients had made the same mistake, repeating patterns and scripts from their childhood.
Sylvie was particularly aware of the danger she could be in because of the impact of her parents’ divorce and the sudden cessation of her father’s love and how that had affected her as a small, bewildered child.
Although she was fully cognisant that knowledge didn’t necessarily change behaviour, at least she had awareness of the danger of pursuing an unavailable man and there was no more unavailable man than the prince of all playboys—Jack Wilde.
Sylvie was so inside her head she hadn’t noticed Shadow had finally closed the distance and was eating the food, all the while keeping a cautious eye on Sylvie.
The sense of victory Sylvie felt was so satisfying and she couldn’t wait to tell Jack.
But then she reminded herself Jack was not her go-to person to share every mundane or important thing that happened in her life.
He was her temporary fling partner, and frankly, she was surprised he hadn’t ended their involvement by now.
By his standards, it was a long fling and she knew it couldn’t last much longer, even though deep down she wished it could.
Not forever…just for a little longer.
Sylvie waited until Shadow had eaten more than half the food before she reached out her hand and tentatively stroked the little cat’s fur.
Shadow flinched but surprisingly didn’t run away.
Sylvie waited a few seconds and stroked her again, long, slow gentle strokes that reminded her of Jack’s bone-melting caresses.
There was a familiar sound of Jack’s bifold doors opening next door and Shadow froze, then dashed out of sight to the back of the garden. Sylvie rose from her squatting position and faced Jack, who had come to the fence to speak to her.
‘Guess what?’ She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. So what if Jack wasn’t her go-to person, she had to share her victory over being close enough to stroke Shadow and since her mother and new partner hadn’t arrived yet, at least she could tell her neighbour.
‘What?’
‘I stroked Shadow!’
‘Wow. And she didn’t scratch you?’ There was a hint of concern in his tone and expression.
‘No, but she heard you opening your doors and bolted.’
‘Sorry to interrupt your petting session but I wanted to see you,’ Jack said, hopping the fence before she had a chance to tell him she was expecting dinner guests any minute now.
He came over to her and leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her mouth.
She opened her lips to the commanding stroke of his tongue and his arms came around her, and she nestled closer, the kiss deepening with passion so hot it made her bones threaten to melt like heated honey.
Jack groaned with satisfaction and brought one of his hands up to splay his fingers through her hair, evoking a whimper of delight from her.
No one had ever kissed her with the spine-tingling expertise of Jack Wilde.
She craved the taste of him, the sensual contours of his lips were branded on her own.
She knew she would never forget his kiss, his touch, his lovemaking no matter how many years passed.
Jack finally lifted his mouth off hers to gaze down at her, his hands now cupping her face. ‘So, tell me about Shadow. You really got close enough to pat her?’
Sylvie found herself smiling widely, her voice as excited as a child’s. ‘I did and it was amazing. She let me stroke her a couple of times. And look how close to my back door I’m feeding her now.’ She pointed to the almost empty dish on the flagstones near the potted plants.
‘Well done, you.’ Jack planted another quick kiss to her lips.
Sylvie was about to return the kiss when she heard her doorbell ring. It was one that rang through to her phone, which was in her back pocket.
‘Are you expecting someone?’ There was a thread of something she hadn’t heard in Jack’s voice before and his smiling expression was exchanged for a frowning one.
‘It’s my mother and her new partner,’ Sylvie said, taking out her phone and then addressing her mother via the video function. ‘Hi, Mum, I’m just out back. I’ll be there in a second to let you in.’
‘I’d better let you get on with your evening.’ Jack made a half turn before Sylvie put her hand out and caught him by the forearm.
‘Jack, please stay. I’m meeting my mother’s new partner for the first time and I’m a little nervous to be honest. I don’t want to spoil this for her but what if I don’t like him? You’re a good judge of character. Would you mind joining us for dinner?’
‘Aren’t you worried about keeping our…association a secret?’
‘It’s my mum. She won’t tell anyone if I ask her not to.’
He seemed to give it some thought before answering, a frown still carved in between his blue eyes. ‘Okay. So, how do we play this? We’re lovers, colleagues or just friendly neighbours?’
Sylvie shifted her lips from side to side, trying to decide what approach was best. ‘Let’s go with the friendly neighbours for now.’
He hesitated for another nanosecond before responding. ‘Okay.’
Sylvie beckoned him to follow her and she went back inside her house to let her guests in the front door.
As soon as she opened the door, Sylvie saw the marked difference in her mother’s appearance.
Linda Rathbone had a new shorter and fuller hairstyle, and she was wearing flattering makeup, including lipstick and eyeshadow that highlighted the sparkle of happiness in her gaze.
It was like looking at a different person than the drab and lonely figure Sylvie was so used to seeing.
‘Hi, Mum,’ Sylvie began but she was swept up in a squishy hug by her mother that threatened to crack one or two of her ribs.
‘Oh, darling, it’s so wonderful to see you,’ Linda said, then letting Sylvie go, turned to the gentleman standing a step behind her. ‘This is Patrick McLaughlin, my fiancé.’
‘Fiancé?’ Sylvie blurted in shock, her eyes so wide the late evening sunlight seemed too bright.
Linda stuck out her hand where a gorgeous engagement ring blinked and glittered with brilliance. ‘As of this morning. It was so romantic. Patrick asked me at the garden centre where we first met. Wasn’t that sweet of him?’
Sylvie quickly remembered her manners and put out her hand to her mother’s fiancé. ‘It’s so lovely to meet you, Patrick. And…erm, congratulations.’
‘It’s lovely to meet you too,’ Patrick said with a warm smile that matched his grey eyes. ‘Your mother has told me so much about you.’
Linda’s eyes suddenly homed in on the tall figure standing to the left of Sylvie’s shoulder. ‘Oh, is this… Jack Wilde?’
Sylvie’s first thought: How the flipping heck did her mother recognise Jack?
The second: Why did I invite Jack to stay?
Her mother would think she was dating him and then there’d be talk of future grandkids and Sylvie would have to remind her mum she was a fully signed-up career woman who had no interest in the fairy tale and family gig.