New Beginnings

CHAPTER NINE

Blake dived into the clear water from the stern of his yacht. It had become part of his morning ritual since dropping anchor in Cactus Bay three days earlier. Jack had joined him on a couple of occasions, filling him with what was happening at school and general chit chat. Blake pushed his way up through the water and broke the surface to settle into a fast-paced rhythm as he freestyled his way across the bay and the out to sea. He dived under the water, broke the surface and repeated the process. He had arranged for Jack and his friends to join him on a working bee on Motutawa for the coming weekend and they planned on camping out. Diana and John had turned up yesterday with a couple of tents, a one man for Blake and a two man for Jack and whoever was sharing with him.

While he was here, the boat had doubled as an office for him, even though Alex had offered to share hers or set him up in a room in the house, but he preferred sleeping and working on the boat. Maybe preferred was the wrong word. His preferred place of sleep would be with Alex wrapped around him but with Jack at home, that wasn’t going to happen. By agreement he and Alex had chosen not to mention her concerns about being watched, if it turned out to be nothing, there was no point in needlessly worrying her parents. Breathless, he raised himself onto the boarding ladder and sat for a few moments catching his breath. A faint breeze caressed his skin, causing him to shiver. The sun was slowly lifting itself above the horizon, giving the sky a pinkish hue. Two blue penguins swam past, seemingly unfazed by the presence of either himself or the boat.

Blake’s mind shifted to Alex’s concerns she was being followed and information he had received last night confirmed she was indeed being tailed, just as he was. According to his source, the individual shadowing them was an Auckland PI and his source had no trouble getting information out of him with the offer of coffee and pizza. Just thinking about the depth Royce Winchester and Genevieve Taylor were prepared to connive and manipulate had Blake’s blood boiling. The two of them had paid the investigator to follow Blake and of course he had led the guy straight to Alex and Jack.

“Is there room up there for a mermaid to join you?”

He peered around the hull where Alex emerged which brought a smile to his face.

“How do I get your tail onboard? I’ve heard that mermaids can’t stay out of the water for too long.”

“Well, this mermaid is a little different. She doesn’t have a tail, which is kind of lucky for you, I guess.”

He gave a short laugh then sobered when he noticed she was naked. Completely naked.

“Jesus, Alex, you’re naked!” His words echoed around the bay in the still, morning air.

She let out an irrepressible giggle, pulled herself up the boarding ladder and sat beside him.

“I’ve wondered what you do each morning, so I thought I’d swim out here and see how you start your day.”

“Well, this morning I’ve had two Blue penguins for company and now, a mermaid. Are they auspicious events?”

“I believe so. I can’t vouch for the penguins, but the mermaid is extremely auspicious.”

“We should go down below before you freeze and go from mermaid to ice sculpture in a flash. Come on.”

He got to his feet and Alex followed him, he pushed the sliding hatch open and entered the companion way.

“What were you thinking about while you were sitting out there?” she asked from behind him.

“Mermaids and penguins.”

“Liar.”

Blake found a towel and wrapped it around Alex, kissing her forehead gently as he did so.

“Good morning, lovely mermaid.”

“Good morning to you.”

“I’ll find you something to wear, is Jack up?”

“Not yet.”

Blake pulled out an oversized sweatshirt and handed it to her, “Best I can do, I’m afraid. Perhaps the mermaid could leave some clothing on the boat, if she intends doing this on a regular basis.”

Alex reached for the sweater and pulled it over her head and Blake laughed,

“Well, it’s on the big side, but at least you’re covered. Sort of.”

The shirt reached her knees and she looked up and smiled at him, “You never answered my question.”

He knew better to think he could manoeuvre her away from the question.

“I’ll tell you while we’re rowing ashore.”

He grabbed clean clothes for himself, his laptop, phone, a plastic bag with a few toiletries and placed them in a bag which he dropped into the dinghy as it bobbed next to the yacht.

By the time Alex was sitting in the dinghy, her teeth were chattering,

“Do you need a blanket?”

“No, I’ll be fine once I’ve had a shower. I’m still waiting, by the way.”

He pushed away from the yacht and turned the dinghy around,

“I asked an investigator friend to see if anyone was tailing you.”

“And?”

“You didn’t imagine it. Someone has been tailing me and I have led them to you and to Jack. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey,” she reached across and touched his knee, “Don’t be. Do you know who’s behind it?”

“You don’t want to guess?”

“Your father?”

“Yeah, together with Genevieve.”

“Genevieve. Why, what’s in it for her?”

Blake tugged on the oars, making light work of the short distance between boat and the beach, and once Alex was out, he pulled it up onto the sand and retrieved his bag.

As they walked toward the house he said, “I know Royce is paying for the guy to tail me, take photos, that sort of thing although I have a feeling Arlene was the instigator, as you said, she is mentally ill.”

He followed her into the house, and she paused,

“I’m going to have a shower and make us some breakfast.”

“Sure, I’ll use this bathroom,” he winked at her, “See you when you’re dressed, not that I haven’t enjoyed looking at you in that sweater of mine.”

With a laugh, he watched her climb the stairs,

“I know you’re watching me,” “she called.

By the time Blake joined Alex in the kitchen, Jack was up and dressed, shoveling cereal into his mouth. Blake suddenly felt self-conscious, which was weird because he and Alex had simply been talking.

“Hey, Blake!” Jack greeted, a wide grin on his face.

“Morning, Jack. Anything good planned for school today?”

“Rugby practice after school, want to come and watch?”

“You’re okay with that?”

Jack shrugged, “Why not? Quite a few parents come and watch.”

“I’d like that, thanks for the invite.”

“You’re welcome.” He dipped his spoon into the bowl again then stopped and lifted his head, “I was wondering…doesn’t matter.”

Blake glanced across the kitchen to Alex who had been making coffee. Her hair had been caught up in a ponytail, no makeup which was usual for her and wearing leggings like those she wore the first day he came to Waiheke, and an emerald-green tee shirt which enhanced the colour of her eyes.

“Jack?” she gently prompted, “Is something wrong?”

Blake saw Jack’s gaze move to his mother and then to himself,

“I wanted to talk to you about – well, you know how I call Blake by his name, I was wondering if it would be okay to call you Dad.” His gaze zeroed in on Blake who swallowed, he didn’t mind Jack calling him by his name, Jack didn’t know him, and he hadn’t done an awful lot as a father, it had all been Alex and her parents.

“Well, I think that’s a wonderful idea, Jack,” she focused on Blake, “If you’re okay with it?”

“Yes. I am, it’s more than I expected. I mean I don’t mind being Blake to you because I haven’t done much as a father. But I would be enormously proud to have you change the name.”

Jack dug into his bowl, nodded, and simply muttered, “cool.”

Alex loaded the last of the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher and shut the door. She smiled at Jack’s request to move Blake to Dad status, something she had no problem with. It had taken a while, but knowing Jack, he would have given it plenty of thought and it likely explained why he’d been slightly withdrawn over the last few days. Until Blake revealed the extent of them being followed, her plans for the day had centered around her new garden project and sitting down with Blake to discuss the regeneration project for Motutawa. But he was right, they did need to plan a course of action, so she sought him out in her study where he was working on his laptop. He looked up, his eyes raking up and down her body, hungry with desire.

“Talk?” she asked.

“Absolutely.” He lowered the lid of the laptop and leaned back in the chair, “We have a few things to talk about but first, I want to say thank you for being so gracious about the name thing.”

She waved her hand, “It was nothing and it was bound to happen sooner or later. I thought he was a bit quiet the last couple of days, he gets like that when he’s dealing with something important.”

“He didn’t want to hurt your feeling.”

“No. He has always been sensitive, I like that he is, but I worry about it as well because these days sensitive people have a hard time. Even in a place like New Zealand.”

“Agreed.” He got to his feet and Alex breathed in the sight of his powerful body, the body that had loved her so totally a few days ago. His white polo shirt clung to his broad shoulders; his jeans hugged his hips. He was now clean shaven which she regretted because he looked even hotter with all that stubble.

“Do you want to talk here or in family room, it’s a bit more comfortable.”

“Lead the way,” said and he followed her into the open plan family room, its walls crammed with photos of Jack

            Alex lowered herself into an armchair and Blake remained standing.

“What?” she asked.

“Why don’t we both sit here,” he gestured to the sofa, “I promise not to kiss you until we have talked about the things we need to talk about.”

Blake extended his hand, and she took it as he brought her to her feet where they stood toe to toe. She placed her hand on his chest, felt the steady rhythm of his heart then slid her arms around his neck and let her lips brush his.

“You didn’t say I couldn’t kiss you,” she said, pulling back slightly.

“Touché. Round one to you.”

When they were seated, he leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs, hands clasped together,

“We need to deal with the guy who has been following us and that means I need to set up a meeting with Royce and Arlene.”

“What about Genevieve?”

“Oh, believe me, once they know they’re meeting with me she’ll be there.”

Alex was concerned for him, concerned he had to deal with them in this way because from where she stood, it looked as though it was exactly the response they wanted. She placed a hand on his arm,

“Blake, I’m worried you’re doing exactly what they hope you’ll do.”

“By meeting with them?”

“Exactly. It won’t take long for them to realise you know about the surveillance so now they’re relying on you acting on your instincts to protect.”

“Alex, if I had done that sixteen years ago, hell if I had done it ten years ago, I would have sent the right message. But I didn’t and I’m ashamed of what I did, I need to make it right, Alex. I have a son and he’s prepared to invest in me as a father and I have you. I hope one day you can count on me as a friend and more.”

A lump formed in her throat, she was sliding back in love with this man and there was not only a damned thing she could about it, but she also didn’t want to do anything about it. Loving him was always easy, but perhaps she needed to move cautiously, not rush into something headlong only to have it backfire.

“We are friends, Blake. I noticed you don’t refer to Royce and Arlene as your parents and I’m wondering if you’ve ever thought of changing your name.”

He leaned back against the cushions, nodding, “More than once. I have the paperwork, I was going to talk to your father about it, but it’s not something that will take ten minutes to discuss.”

“Dad would love to help you out. I know he and mum consider you another son, so talking this over with Dad makes sense.”

Blake’s arm moved along the back of the sofa and curled around her, pulling her close,

“My birth mother’s maiden name was Forrester, which is the name my sister uses. I wasn’t a newborn when I was adopted, from what I now know, I was almost two years old.”

“Oh, Blake. She must have been in a difficult situation to give both of her babies up for adoption!”

“From what I understand, my sister and I don’t have the same biological father. For whatever reason, our mother had an affair, Gabriella being the result of that, and my father kicked her out. If her family turned their back on her, she would have had no choice.”

“Have you ever spoken to your birth father?”

He shook his head, “No, the adoption search group I went through, made an approach to him and were sent packing by the wife who said they weren’t interested in his past mistakes.”

“Wow. This adoption thing is tough. I mean, I know you’re connected by DNA, but it must be so difficult to know what to do because DNA is irrelevant in many respects, it’s shared experiences that binds people together.” She rested her head on his shoulder, her thumb gently caressing the back of his hand.

“I think you’re right. Take your family, I have so many shared experiences with you and your family, with your brother, Jack. All memories of time spent together. Your mother fussing over me, your father giving me the driving lessons Royce refused to. All those things matter, and I hate to think how awful a human being I’d be right now if I had never had any of that.

She lifted her head and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Change your name, don’t contact them. Be out in the open about your movements, drop into see my parents, come to Waiheke, sail to Motutawa. Most of all be seen with Jack, that will send the strongest message to them and when they learn you are no longer Blake Winchester, they will have nothing left to take from you. You are not their flesh and blood; you do not carry their name and you have made your money your way. I’m proud of you, Blake.”

He gave her a gentle push back against the sofa cushions, his mouth taking hers by surprise, one hand cupping her breast. Blake lifted his head, resting it on her forehead, his breathing a little ragged as was hers. There was a heat in his eyes, the pools of chocolate intense.

“Has anyone ever made love to you on this sofa?” he rasped.

She laughed, “No! How easy do you think it is to make out with a kid in the house? Even one who plays sport and is out a lot.”

“Can I ask if there has been anyone?”

“Nothing serious. I had a couple of dates with Marron’s cousin who was nice enough but there was any magic happening with him.”

“Was Marron disappointed?”

Alex shook her head, “No or if she was, she didn’t say anything. She was concerned I was yearning for something I could never have.”

“She’s a good friend.”

“She is. When you have a child, you tend to be careful about introducing people into their lives because above all else you want stability, you don’t want guys signing on for a relationship only for them to change their minds two weeks later.”

“I won’t change my mind, Alex. You have to know that.”

He sat up, pushing a hand through his hair. Alex caught his hand and kissed his palm,

“I do know that. Jack is a teenager; one you’ve seen at his absolute best. But as with all teenagers there are days when he’s not at his best. He can be sullen, grunts a lot if he thinks I’m asking him too many questions, that sort of thing. But I consider myself lucky because he is thoughtful, kind, respectful and funny. I can’t imagine a life without him, so thank you for giving me a wonderful son.”

Alex watched Blake grapple with what she had said but if they were being honest with one another, they needed to be able to discuss anything and everything, no secrets. That was the key to her parent’s happy marriage, her father might appear to roll over and let her mother call the shots but in his own way, he managed to get plenty past her and most time she never let on or maybe, like him, her mother knew the importance of give and take.

“Have you contacted Gabriella and arranged to meet?” she asked.

“Not yet. I was thinking seeing as I’m here, I might try and see her after school one day or maybe take her out for a meal?”

“Well, she might prefer to meet on her territory which is normal. From what Marron and Olivia have told me she’s lovely, very warm and sensitive.”

“Maybe you could come too?”

She didn’t miss the look of hope on his face and smiled at him,

“First time is better with just the two of you.”

“But how will I know if she likes me as a brother?”

“You won’t, just as she won’t know if you like her. It’s scary and that’s the same for both of you. Make the meeting short, have a coffee and at the end ask if he would like to meet again, maybe sail over to Motutawa, take your niece.”

“Niece?”

“She has a thirteen-year-old daughter, remember?”

The look on his face screamed, “I forgot about that!”

Blake shook his head, “Can’t believe I’ve got a son and a niece. I’m making a family”.

Warmth swirled through Alex. Other than the affection and support his parents had given Blake, he had missed out on a lot of emotional support from Royce and Arlene. They lived in a world dominated by material possessions, the mansion in one of Auckland’s best streets, the holiday home in Queenstown as well as an apartment in Sydney.

“Yes,” she murmured, “You’re making a family, Blake and it’s going to be a lovely family. I wonder if your niece is sporty or musical?”

“No mention of a husband, partner.”

“Well, I had coffee with Olivia Wainwright yesterday and she mentioned an ugly divorce with the husband taking off with his PA.”

“See, guys behaving like that give other guys a bad name.”

Alex laughed and pulled him to her,

“Is that right?”

“Yup.” His warm breath fanned her cheeks as he spoke.

Getting to her feet, she pulled him up,

“I’m all talked out for now. I was going to talk about native trees and plants, but I have a better idea.”

“Oh?”

“I certainly do.”

She tugged on his hand and led him down the hall to her bedroom, pushing open the door.

“Alex – are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Blake. Are you?”