New Beginnings

CHAPTER TEN

Alex and Diana ambled down through Devonport toward the wharf and to the ferry that would take her back to Waiheke. She couldn’t remember the last time she spent a weekend with her parents without Jack and she had enjoyed the time with her parents and of course, her mother steered the conversation to Blake as often as she could, her efforts providing endless humour to her father.

“All weekend you’ve avoided telling us why Blake has been anchored in Cactus Bay, and don’t tell me it’s because he needs to be on Motutawa.”

Alex laughed and hooked her arm through her mother’s, “If I tell you the reason will you promise not to get upset or overreact.”

She stopped walking and gripped Alex’s arm, “Has something happened?”

“No overreacting, remember?”

“I’m your mother, it’s my place to imagine the worst, but carry on.”

A week or so ago I thought someone was following me, I couldn’t be certain, it was just a feeling.”

“Alex, you could have been in danger!”

“Well, as it turns out, I was being followed. Blake asked an investigator he knows to check it out and it was confirmed, so he came to Waiheke, which he didn’t need to do.”

“Oh my,” Diana sighed, “That man is just so thoughtful.”

Alex rolled her eyes and started walking again,

“Mum, you have to stop the matchmaking. We’re not ready to go beyond what we have currently, whatever that might be. To be honest, I don’t know that Blake will ever be ready given his past.”

“Have patience with him, Alex. Now, you didn’t say who was following you.”

They had reached the concourse of the wharf area and Alex checked the departures board for the next sailing.

“Coffee?” she asked Diana.

“Why not.”

Alex ordered coffee and joined Diana at a table with a lovely view of the busy harbour.

“It doesn’t matter who was following us, Mum, it’s more like who organised the surveillance.”

“Well, I’m sure it doesn’t take a Rhodes scholar to work that out. The Winchesters?”

“And Genevieve.”

“Oh, God! That dreadful Genevieve! I thought she lived in Sydney?”

“Spends quite a bit of time here, apparently. She has a daughter.”

“I know, Arlene Winchester arrived at our door on her broomstick showing us photos and telling us we had ruined poor Genevieve’s life, that she was carrying Blake’s child.”

“Oh, Mum! You never said! Was that on a day I was at uni?”

“It was. I had Jack and he toddled to the front door. I thought that dreadful woman was going to have a seizure and I’m sorry to say I don’t even know if I would have called an ambulance if she had!”

Alex laughed and leaned back as their coffee was delivered to the table,

“You know she caught me one day as well. Gave me that same story and told me I was a witch,” she took a sip of her coffee, “She didn’t mention she’d seen Jack, though. I never want her anywhere near Jack, she’s not sane.”

Diana stared into her cup, aimlessly stirring the contents,

“You keep doing that you’ll wear out the bottom of the cup.”

When Diana looked up, Alex saw the concern on her mother’s face,

“I’m worried, Alex. I’m pleased Blake is with you and that’s not matchmaking, it’s just being grateful we have him back.”

“I know, Mum.”

“Ah, my two favourite girls!”

They both swung round as John approached and pulled out a chair.

“What are you doing here?” Alex asked.

“Blake said to let him know what ferry you’re on.”

“Why?”

John shrugged but Alex didn’t miss the glance that passed between her parents.

“Oh. My. God! You all need to relax,” she said, “But thank you anyway for caring. Coffee, Dad?”

“What ferry are you catching?” he asked.

“Three thirty, so there’s time for a coffee.”

“I’ll have a neenish tart as well.”

Alex shook her head, “I thought you were reducing your sugar?”

“It’s one small tart,” he replied smoothly, “Can’t have coffee without something to eat.”

Right on time, the ferry bumped into the wharf and passengers began disembarking. She hugged her parents,

“I’ve had a lovely weekend. It’s been so long since it has just been us and I’ve loved it.”

“I know, darling. We’ve loved having you. Now, get on home. Love you.”

Alex waited for the last of the passengers to disembark then walked down the gangway and found a seat on the top deck. As the ferry reversed out, she gave a wave to her parents and soon the city became smaller as the ferry chewed up the miles to Waiheke. How things had changed.  When she and her brother were young, and they spent summers at Waiheke the ferry ride took over an hour and they were usually stir crazy by the time it arrived. She smiled, no wonder her parents made them walk from the wharf at Matiatia to the house at Cactus Bay. She put her head back and let the wind blow through her hair, the warm afternoon sun on her face and she was reminded of her great-aunt Celia who regular admonished her for not taking care of her skin. That memory brought a grimace to Alex, Celia could be an old battle-axe or a guardian angel in the space of a minute. Still, it was Celia’s love of gardening that had inspired Alex’s love for plants and all things green.

Lost in her reflections of the past, she was surprised when she noticed the ferry was already well clear of Rangitoto and she could see the wharf at Matiatia in the distance. How did that happen, she wondered? She must have been well and truly ensconced in her memories for the time to have drifted by so effortlessly. The sun passed under a large cloud, and she shivered. She looked around at her fellow passengers, nothing out of the ordinary, a couple with a baby, two teenage lovers – probably how she and Blake had been all those years ago, and a middle-aged couple. So why did she feel she was being watched. She didn’t want to admit to paranoia, but not for the first time in the last few weeks, she looked forward to seeing Blake at the other end.

Blake leaned against Alex’s SUV watching the ferry approach Matiatia. He and Jack had arrived home just after midday, put a load of washing through and generally tidied up as best as two men could. John had sent him a text letting him know Alex was on the ferry and he’d walked down to Matiatia. In a car the distance was nothing, but the walk was longer than it seemed. The weekend spent with Jack and his friends on Motutawa was a lot of fun, at least he thought the teens had enjoyed themselves. Lucas’s father, Xavier had joined them, telling Blake that Marron was sceptical one man could keep four teenage boys in check. The boys were a breeze, Blake found, and he envied how relaxed and happy Jack was in his life, his world, with good friends and a supportive family. He spotted Alex hurrying up the gangway and he pushed himself away from the car and walked toward her. Her rich auburn hair was loose, the abundance of curls bouncing on her shoulders.  He stopped when he saw a couple approach her, greeting her warmly, they talked for a few moments, before they moved off towards the ferry. He waited where he was for her to join him and that was when he saw the guy with the camera. Tucked in behind a group milling around in front of the ticket office, he was doing his best to fit in but, he stuck out. Big time. Blake couldn’t decide whether the guy had come off the ferry or if he’d been on the wharf all the time.

“Hey!” she broke into a smile, “This is a surprise although not that much of a surprise seeing as Dad let you know when I left.”

He leaned down, cupping her face in his hands,

“Don’t turn around, there’s a guy taking photos, so I’m going to have to kiss you.”

He smothered her laugh with his lips, and she wound her arms around his neck. When he released her, her arms stayed where they were,

“Maybe you need to kiss me again?” she inquired, batting her eyelashes at him.

“If I have to,” he sighed and pressed his lips to hers then lifted his head. No sign of the guy with the camera and the ferry was making its way back to Auckland.

He lifted the backpack from her shoulders and, taking her hand, walked to the car.

“Is he gone now?” she asked.

“Can’t see him and with the ferry gone, the place is all but deserted.”

“I thought someone on the ferry was watching me, but I couldn’t see anyone. I thought I was being paranoid.”

Blake lifted her backpack into the rear of the SUV and opened the door for her,

“I want to hear all about the weekend, did they drive you nuts?”

He eased himself behind the wheel, turning to face her,

“We had a great time, got a lot done, those boys aren’t afraid of hard work. Lots of swimming,” he fired the ignition, “They had a lot of questions about creating electronic games, that sort of things.”

“Well, go you.” Alex murmured.

“Go me and Xavier. Marron signed him up because she didn’t have any faith in my ability to cope with four teenage boys.”

She threw her head back and laughed that sexy, throaty laugh she did, “Who cooked?”

“We had two teams, Xavier with Lucas and Leo, I had Jack and Mason. So, we had one night of cooking and one night of cleaning up each.”

“Wow, so organised. Bet they never went to bed, is that where Jack is right now, catching up on sleep?”

Blake steered the car through Oneroa and then on toward Cactus Bay,

“We were totally knackered by the time we’d eaten and tidied up. They were in their tents before ten.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope. Mightn’t be so lucky next time, beginners’ luck and all that.” He glanced across at her, smiling.

“Next time?”

“Yeah, in a couple of weeks, just depends on the weather and their availability.”

He slowed the car as large bus needed most of the road to get around a corner,

“God, I hate those things,” she grumbled, “They used to have small buses that fit just nicely on the roads here, but I guess some middle management person who has never been to Waiheke, thought bigger buses equal more people.”

“Are they operating all the time or just during heavy tourist demand?”

“The company operating the ferries also owns the buses, so they sell a ticket that combines the cost of the crossing and a sightseeing tour.”

“Competition?”

“Up until recently there was none, but there is another ferry operator now.”

After three attempts at taking the corner, the bus finally moved and they were underway, Alex put her hand on his thigh,

“Please tell me you’re not thinking of buying a fleet of buses or a ferry service.”

He gave a short laugh, “Unlikely. This is a small island; the competition is well established and what do I know about either buses or running a ferry service?”

“Thank goodness. I can’t even begin to imagine what you paid for Motutawa.”

“It was going for a bargain because the previous owner had been waiting a decade to find a buyer.”

“Mm, not sure whether to believe you on that.”

Blake turned the car into the driveway and pulled up in front of the house. Jack opened the door, a grin on his face. He gave his mother a hug when she was out of the car,

“Did you have a good time with the Grandma and Granddad?”

“I had a lovely time. Grandma and I worked out that the last time I spent a weekend at home with them was before you were born.”

“Wow. We had the best time on Motutawa,” he explained, his enthusiasm bursting out of him, “And, good news, we’re doing it again. Soon. It was blood –,” Jack stopped mid-sentence, a sheepish look on his face, grinning he said, “It was extremely hard work, and we were so tired we couldn’t stay awake. We had to cook as well, which was a lot of fun so I was thinking maybe I could cook sometimes?”

Alex turned to Blake and chuckled, “Cooking? Cleaning? Is there a magic word?”

“No, beginners’ luck, like I said. And we’re not cooking tonight because Marron has invited us for a barbecue.”

Blake thought she looked happy with that, in fact he thought she looked relaxed, apart from the slightest tension he’d picked up when he mentioned the guy taking photos. They followed Jack into the house, Alex took her bag and headed upstairs to her bedroom.

“I’ll be in the study,” he told Jack, “A couple of project things I need to check.”

Jack shrugged, “Sure. I’ll put the kettle on, I bet Mum’s hanging out for a cup of coffee.”

Blake entered the study and closed the door, he pulled his phone from his back pocket and called his investigator, explaining the situation with the guy taking the photos.

“Couldn’t have been the same guy as before, I met him today because he had some information for you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Can we meet?”

“Next week, unless it’s urgent.”

“Not urgent, no. But there are a few things you need to know.”

“Do you have my address in Devonport?”

“Yeah. I can do Tuesday.”

“Okay. Eleven?”

When he ended the call, Blake wondered what sort of information? He was about to return to the kitchen when his phone buzzed. Gabriella? They had met a few days ago, just for a coffee, and at first conversation was limited to the weather, that sort of thing but after twenty minutes he discovered they had a lot to talk about and his plans for a quick meeting turned into a couple of hours. She was softly spoken, pretty. He didn’t pry into her past or her marriage, he sensed there were matters she wasn’t ready to talk about and he knew how that felt. Alex had wanted to know all the details, from go to whoa and he, being a man, learned he was completely ignorant when it came to understanding what that meant. Alex had declared that next time she would go with him or, better still she would invite Gabriella here. Blake wasn’t sure if there would be a next time, they got on okay, but he didn’t know if he ought to make the first move and suggest another meeting. He brought his phone to his ear,

“Gabriella?”

“Hi, Blake. I’m not interrupting you, am I?”

“Not at all. Is everything okay?”

“Yes. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to meet again or not but did want you to know that I enjoyed talking with you and if you were interested, I’d like to invite you and Alex to dinner, here with my daughter and I.”

Blake scrubbed a hand over his face, dinner? Yeah, he could do that, and Alex would be in.

“That’s genuinely nice of you, thank you. Could we bring Jack?”

“Oh, of course! I don’t know about you but I’m having trouble getting my head around having a nephew.”

“Yes, I must admit I’m getting used to having a niece. I forgot to ask, is she in school here on Waiheke?”

“No. I didn’t want to move her out of her old school-,” she paused, “With my husband and I agreeing to separate, I didn’t want to put her through any more upheaval. She boards at St Cuthbert’s.”

Money wasn’t an issue then, he thought, “Comes home on weekends?”

“Yes. She hates her school; I’d love it if she was going to school here but she’s a quiet girl and I’m worried about her being able to make friends.”

“I get that. Maybe you can talk to Alex about the high school here on Waiheke?” He thought for a moment, “You know what? Give me ten minutes to make a call, okay?”

“Sure.”

He ended the call then keyed in Xavier’s number,

“Can you feed two extras for tonight?” he asked.

Xavier laughed, “Are you kidding? You know Marron will have catered for twenty. Who’s coming?”

“My sister, Gabriella and her daughter, Allegra.”

“Not a problem. Leo’s mother, Olivia will be here.”

“Perfect,” Blake muttered to himself, ending the call.

He made the return call to Gabriella, gave her the address, and told her that the high school principal would be there as well.

By the time he reached the kitchen, Blake was feeling darned satisfied with his efforts and sincerely hoped Alex was impressed. He entered the kitchen where Jack was placing a plate of biscuits on the table, emerged from the deck,

“Business all sorted?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’m having a meeting in Devonport next week.”

“Good. Don’t forget to call in on Mum and Dad, otherwise she’ll be there banging down the door.”

“Noted. Gabriella also called me just now. I checked with Xavier and she and Allegra will be coming tonight as well.”

“Allegra?” Jack asked.

“Your cousin.” Blake and Alex said in unison.

“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting I have a cousin. My only cousin.”

“Well, I think you are her only cousin as well.”

“Cool.”

Blake met Alex’s gaze, “See, I’m learning.”

“That you are. Proud of you.” She winked, a mischievous grin spreading across her face and if Jack hadn’t been at home, he would have carried her upstairs to her bedroom and made crazy love to her. As it was, he was going to suppress that urge and think of something boring as most of blood supply had gone south, thrusting his libido into full throttle. Alex handed him a cup of coffee with a knowing smile.