Page 10 of Sharing Forever in Hope Creek (Hope Creek #2)

‘No.’ It was the truth. ‘It would’ve been preferable if I hadn’t fallen pregnant as a result, but I don’t regret our night together.

’ Callie turned towards him and chose her words carefully as she met his gaze, knowing that being honest with Jack was crucial to their moving forward.

‘I didn’t go to the nightclub to hook up with someone, but I had done a whole lot of soul-searching after I agreed to go with my friend from work to celebrate her birthday.

After Stella’s accident, I decided that if someone came along and I felt comfortable, I’d loosen the strict morals I’d imposed on myself.

Stella’s accident made me question my life and what I was missing out on by not exploring intimacy, but I wouldn’t have slept with the first guy who asked.

’ She brushed a mosquito away from her bare arm.

‘In fact, I’d already been propositioned that night by a few guys. ’

Jack raised his eyebrows. ‘Is that supposed to make me feel good?’

‘Jack, meeting you … I was …’ Her hands moved in front of her as she searched for the words. ‘Well, I didn’t even think twice about it. It was like something that was unstoppable.’

‘Now that makes me feel better because that’s exactly how I felt.’ He reached out and took her hands in his to stop their frantic movements. ‘I was drawn to you, Callie.’

‘It was mutual. But it was so intense I was overwhelmed and I panicked. I didn’t know how to handle it. I loved every second of being with you but I was scared I’d lost too much of myself—or the straightlaced, somewhat inhibited person I thought I was—and I ran.’

‘Maybe I helped you find yourself?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe?’ Her hands felt small in his but she imagined his strength flowing into her and she knew she didn’t want the sensation to stop.

‘After the probing questions I received at dinner Sunday night, you know way more about me than I know about you.’

Callie grimaced. ‘It’s not much though, is it?’

His thumb began rubbing in circular motions against the back of her hand and now tingles of awareness raced up her arm to add to the warmth seeping through her.

‘No, it’s not.’ He gave a low laugh. ‘I get the feeling Jim would’ve grilled me hard tonight had Margaret not sent him a glowering look from time to time.’

‘I haven’t thanked you for the other night when … Well, it was very gentlemanly of you to make out we were seeing each other.’

He shrugged. ‘Well, we are in the early stages of our relationship. We’re just doing things back to front.’

Callie tilted her head a little as she searched his face.

His sincerity was stamped in his features.

The clasp of his hands over hers increased slightly. ‘When I went back to the nightclub, I thought that if you weren’t there, at least your friend might have been and I could’ve found out how to contact you.’ He smiled. ‘No trace. Not even a glass slipper!’

Oh Lord! She could easily fantasise that he was her Prince Charming. ‘I’m pleased you went looking.’

‘I wanted to see you again but I also wanted to make sure you were okay.’

‘You wanted to make sure I wasn’t pregnant?’

‘I wanted to know you didn’t have any regrets.’ He looked away from her for a moment. ‘If we had seen each other again in Melbourne, would you have come out to dinner with me?’

‘Yes.’ She didn’t have to think about it.

He shifted so they stood even closer together, bodies almost touching. ‘That night, Callie … It was mind-blowing for me.’

‘Me too,’ she agreed on a shaky breath.

‘You said you’d imposed strict morals on yourself. Are you religious?’

‘Not particularly.’

‘Then why hadn’t you …?’

She shook her head and took a step backwards so he released her hands.

She wanted to be honest with him but that question probed too deeply into her psyche.

Unwilling to share the shameful past she kept buried, she tried to answer as truthfully as she could.

‘I’ve always wanted to do the right thing, follow the rules, dot every i and cross every t. It’s who I am.’

‘Hm.’ The sound was thoughtful.

Callie held her breath for a few seconds.

Did he sense there was more to her decision?

He sent her a penetrating look then seemed to decide to let it go.

‘Well, I agree with doing the right thing,’ he confirmed, ‘but I don’t think you should overthink relationships or they lack spontaneity.’ He shrugged. ‘Nobody’s perfect. We all come with our flaws and our fears.’

‘I guess—’

‘Callie, I’ve been wondering … Did you have some romantic dream of saving yourself for a Mr Right to come along and sweep you off your feet?’

It was just as well the light was dim because she felt her cheeks heat and her stomach hollow out.

‘I wasn’t waiting to fall in love.’ As she made the denial, she realised it was true.

‘But I had expected I’d at least be in a relationship before I went to bed with someone.

’ She hadn’t thought she’d be swept off her feet by a guy within hours of meeting him!

And … her inner voice demanded … you’re still so attracted to Jack and he’s being so supportive, could it possibly be that he is the Mr Right you weren’t waiting for?

Uh-oh. She really had to keep a cool head here and not give in to her fantasies.

‘You were obviously experienced and well prepared for our night together.’ Remembering the number of condoms they’d used made her blush.

Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to steer the conversation in that direction.

‘Do you make a habit of picking women up in nightclubs?’

‘You’re not the first woman I’ve met in a nightclub—’

You asked for it, Callie . She had, but why didn’t it sit well with her? She knew she wasn’t his first lover.

‘—but I don’t make a habit of one-night stands either.’

She wasn’t sure whether that was good or not. ‘You said you’ve had long-term relationships. Have you been married? Engaged? Lived with a lover?’

‘No.’

‘Did you love the woman who made the false paternity claim against you?’

Time stretched as he looked out into the darkness and she sensed he’d travelled back in time. The moonlight revealed the expressions crossing his face and she saw his lips press together bitterly.

‘The only woman I’ve ever fancied myself in love with was my first girlfriend—Ashley.’ His expression and tone were self-mocking. ‘We were very young—dating in high school and all through my undergraduate degree at uni. I look back on it now and think it was infatuation rather than love.’

‘Why did you break up?’ She was almost afraid to hear the answer—a small, irrational part of her feeling a slice of envy for the woman who’d captured Jack’s heart.

‘Ashley wanted to backpack around Europe for a year and I was hell-bent on doing my master’s degree, so we agreed to break up.’ He raised one hand and dragged it through his hair. ‘Sasha was most likely a rebound relationship because I hadn’t really wanted to break up with Ashley.’

‘You didn’t get back together with Ashley when she returned to Australia?’ She hoped he wasn’t still holding a candle for his first girlfriend.

‘No.’ He smiled. ‘I suspect it was a comfortable relationship that would’ve petered out eventually.

Anyway, she was swept off her feet by an Italian count and is now living the life of luxury, very much in love and adored by her husband.

They’re raising a brood of kids in Europe but whenever they come back to Australia, I join the family for lunch or dinner. ’

It sounded … easy.

A sharp blade stabbed at her chest. Would she and their child ever have to share meals with Jack and another woman—another family? If so, she couldn’t imagine it ever being easy.

He shrugged. ‘Anyway, Sasha and I were dating—I thought exclusively—and she told me after a few months that she was pregnant. Except, in her case, we’d never had any unprotected sex so I was immediately suspicious.’

‘You were suspicious of my motives, too.’

‘It was more of a defensive mechanism than real suspicion,’ he confessed.

‘After what I’d been through, it was a knee-jerk reaction.

’ He shook his head in disbelief. ‘I was already gobsmacked to find you in Hope Creek … to find out you were Stella’s sister.

Then Morgan dropped the bombshell that you were pregnant.

It was like one punch after another, but I think I knew in my gut that the baby was mine. ’

Callie wasn’t certain she completely believed him. There must’ve been some doubt in his mind—especially after he’d already had the incident with Sasha.

‘It all got a bit ugly with Sasha and lawyers ended up involved and getting a court order for a paternity test.’

Ouch. ‘You said your relationships have broken up with the mention of babies,’ she probed.

Jack turned back to face her. ‘You said motherhood had never been part of your life plan.’ He turned one hand palm up as he said, ‘I never planned on being a father, either.’

‘Why?’

He let out a heavy breath. ‘It’s not something I usually discuss, but I guess you have a right to know.’

Part of her didn’t want to know, because if he told her she’d feel obliged to tell him why she’d never planned for a family.

But now she’d asked, she really wanted to know.

All sorts of possible reasons ran through Callie’s mind and she didn’t realise she held her breath until she began to feel light-headed.

Her jaw slackened as she said, ‘Please tell me you’re not carrying a gene you’ve decided you don’t want to pass on to a child? ’

‘No, thank God! Nothing like that.’

‘What then?’

He avoided her eye contact as though embarrassed at having to voice his fear. ‘I have doubts about how good I’m going to be as a parent.’

‘Oh!’ Callie’s knees felt so weak she had to go back to sit down on the swing seat. ‘That’s the same for me!’ She shook her head. ‘This poor baby!’