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‘Badly hurt?’
‘Stable. Thing is, toxic fumes are leaking. The police are evacuating the locals.’
Della swore under her breath. This was the last thing they needed—more ammunition for the residents’ protest group. If they could convince the state government the chemical plant should be reclassified as heavy industrial, Dermont’s would be forced to move operations to the outer suburbs, well away from residential areas. Such a move would cost Dermont’s a fortune, and could even mean the end of their operations if Tom Dermont decided to pull the plug and cut his losses.
‘Thanks for letting me know, Melanie. I’m going to speak to Tom now. He wants to run the media conference, and I need to talk him out of it.’
Melanie snorted. ‘Good luck.’
‘I thought I’d suggest Dan Barlow as the ideal person to take his place.’
‘Perfect. He’ll come across as a good guy. Plus, he knows what he’s talking about. He won’t try to bluster his way through like Tom would.’
That afternoon, Della flicked through one of the media kits Jason had piled on a table near the entrance to the large room. As well as her media release, he’d included background details on the Dermont products, a piece on the company’s contribution to the state economy, a fact sheet regarding a proposed project to clean up the production process—if Tom Dermont ever approved the expenditure—and other bits and pieces. They’d hired a large conference room at a city hotel and sent out the media advisory notes. Now all she could do was hope Tom stayed away as he’d promised in their phone call.
Dan Barlow entered the room, and she hurried over to him. ‘Thanks for agreeing to do this, Dan,’ she said.
‘Not a problem. Glad to help.’
She chatted to Dan for several moments then, as she swung around, doing a speedy check of chairs available for the stream of media representatives coming through the door, she spotted Luke. He caught her eye as he took a seat in the back row, and his smile made her empty stomach go into freefall. She made her way to the back of the room.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, standing close behind his chair.
He twisted to face her. His gaze drifted from the top of her head to her toes and back up to her face. A blatant inspection. She had to stop herself gasping out loud. He’d never looked at her like this before.
‘I like the way you dress for work,’ he said. ‘Very smart, but not too corporate. There’s still a touch of the old Della there.’
Absurdly pleased, she smoothed down her tailored black skirt, straightened her silk shirt and lifted her chin. ‘I’m glad to see an improvement in your clothes.’
In fact, he looked incredible, treading the line between smart and casual in his olive-green combat trousers and a white, short-sleeved shirt. Clean-shaven, he’d also had a haircut.
‘You haven’t said what you’re doing here,’ she said.
‘Just checking out the local news scene.’
‘You’re not working, are you?’
He shook his head.
‘Then, how did you even know this was happening?’
He hesitated. ‘I still have contacts in the local media.’
‘Oh. Of course.’ She glanced at her watch. Running late was not an option with the evening news crews facing broadcast deadlines. ‘I’d better go. Time to start.’
‘Sure. See you tonight.’
‘Not tonight. I’m going out with Lyn, remember?’
He nodded.
Della walked calmly to the front of the room. She should have known he wouldn’t be able to stay away from a media conference like this. Renowned all over the world for his hard-hitting exposés of exploitation and corporate greed, he was a media favourite here in his home town. Of course he still had contacts, and as soon as he got in touch they’d fill him in on the biggest story of the day.
She glanced Luke’s way from time to time—and each time she did he caught her. A raised eyebrow, a wink, a cheeky half-smile. She had to force herself not to look in his direction again or she’d burst out laughing and wreck the media conference, not to mention her own reputation as a self-possessed professional.
She lost sight of him in the mass exodus, and by the time she’d dealt with the debriefing, prepared the action plan for the next few days and returned to her office, the adrenalin high she’d been on all day started to subside. She scanned the messages strewn across her desk, and sighed when she spotted one from a client in the wine industry. She’d have to delegate the remaining work on their annual report or it wouldn’t be ready in time for the printing deadline.
Her mobile phone beeped and she read the text message on the screen:
ok for tonight. be here @ 6. lyn
With mixed feelings, she cleared the screen. She enjoyed any time spent with Lyn, but tonight was going to be tough.
CHAPTER THREE
DELLA drove to Lyn’s house. She’d put in a superhuman effort, clearing a mountain of work so she could leave without a guilty conscience. When she reached Lyn’s, she saw an unfamiliar car parked in the driveway. A Saab. Visitors? Would Lyn be obliged to stay home? Della almost hoped she would. Almost. But that would be the coward’s way out, and she was no coward.
She rang the doorbell. Lyn flung open the door, Cassie cradled in her arms. ‘I’m nearly ready,’ she said before Della could speak. ‘Here, take Cassie and I’ll finish my make-up.’
Della cuddled Cassie into her shoulder. Assuming the car belonged to one of Patrick’s friends, she headed through a door off the hallway. She came to an abrupt stop when she saw Luke sitting on the floor, playing a game with Jamie.
‘Hi.’ He looked up, giving her a wry smile. ‘Want to play?’
She tried to squash the excitement bubbling up at seeing him again, and shook her head. ‘Just waiting for Lyn. I expected to see Patrick.’
‘He had to work. I offered to babysit.’
‘You? Babysit?’
‘Don’t look so shocked. It will give me an opportunity to get to know my cheating nephew better.’ He tweaked Jamie’s nose. ‘And my beautiful niece.’ He reached up and jiggled one dangling foot as Cassie snuggled further into Della’s shoulder. ‘Besides,’ he said, ‘I couldn’t have you putting me off indefinitely and using Patrick as an excuse.’
She blinked. ‘Right.’
He must really need to talk if he’d gone to this trouble to make sure she’d be free. She had better be prepared for the floodgates to open.
Jamie demanded his attention, and he answered the little boy patiently. It shouldn’t surprise her. He’d been good with Megan and Poppy when they’d been little. But somehow the scene cut right to her core, causing a sharp ache deep inside.
He looked up. ‘So, dinner tomorrow night, then? Shall I pick you up? I have a car now.’
‘The Saab outside? You bought it?’
‘Yup. Like it? I decided to treat myself. I’ve never had a decent car. Tell you what, we could eat at your place. Don’t worry about cooking, I’ll bring dinner and wine.’
She was still stuck on the fact he’d bought a car. He really was settling down. Next thing she knew, he’d be buying a house. ‘Sorry, what?’
‘I said, I’ll bring food and we’ll eat at your place. You’re still a burger freak, I assume?’
She nodded.
‘Ready?’ Lyn called from the doorway.
‘I’ll be there at seven,’ he said.
‘What’s this?’ Lyn asked. ‘You two going out without me?’
‘Lynnie, you wrecked our gang when you married Patrick. Now you have to suffer the consequences,’ Luke said.
She pouted. ‘Well, just you look after my kids, Uncle Luke. Come on, Della, let’s leave him to it. I’ve given them both prunes for tea, so he’ll have a lovely time.’
Della grinned at the look of horror on Luke’s face as she handed Cassie to him.
‘Not really,’ Lyn mouthed as she shut the door behind them.
Mamma Marcella’s, their restaurant of choice, was busier than normal, but they found a table in the back corner near the kitchen. Della liked the relaxed ambience, and the owners let them linger long after they’d finished coffee. The perfect place for a catch-up chat.
They ordered at the counter and bought drinks before settling at their table.
‘Right. I’ve been a very patient friend, but I’m dying to know. What did the doctor say?’
Della steeled herself. She knew she had to talk about it. She might as well get it over with early then she could relax for the rest of the evening.
Relax? Ha! She didn’t know the meaning of the word.
‘It’s definite,’ she said. ‘As suspected, I can’t have children.’
‘Oh, Della.’ Lyn’s face contorted. ‘I’m so sorry. Are they sure? Is there nothing they can do?’
Della shook her head, swallowing past the cricket ball in her throat.
‘IVF?’ Lyn suggested tentatively.
‘No. She said the ovarian follicles won’t respond to the stimulation.’
‘Bugger, bugger, bugger.’ Lyn took a gulp from her glass. ‘It’s so unfair.’
Della shrugged, trying for casual. ‘I always knew the chemo could do this.’
‘I know, but there was hope. Until now.’ Lyn took another deep drink. ‘God, I can only imagine how you feel.’ She gave her friend a long look. ‘How do you feel?’
Della took a moment to choose her words. ‘I feel…diminished.’
‘Oh, my God. No.’ Lyn squeezed Della’s hand.
‘I don’t even understand why I feel this way,’ Della rushed on. ‘I mean, it’s not like I’m planning to get married in the foreseeable future, and chances are I never will.’
‘Don’t say that.’
‘Why not? It’s a fact.’ She paused, dragging in a deep breath and making an effort to slow down. If she allowed herself to gabble, the next thing she knew she’d be in tears. Slowing her speech always helped her to appear calm.
‘The point is,’ she said, ‘it was a fact before I saw Dr Morgan, and I didn’t feel any less a person then.’
‘Nor should you now. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t find a man to marry. A man who doesn’t want children. I mean, the right man. Not like those losers you’ve dated over the last few years.’
‘Losers? They weren’t all losers.’ Okay, some were. But as for the others, well, it wasn’t their fault she couldn’t love them. It was hers.
Lyn gazed at her for several moments. ‘It’s strange you’ve never found anyone. I mean, I fancied myself in love something like half a dozen times before I met Patrick. But you, you’ve never even considered the possibility, have you? Or, if you have, you’ve never mentioned it.’
Della looked away. She stared at the menu boards on the wall, but the chalk letters turned to squiggles before her eyes. She’d considered love all right. Very long and very hard. She hadn’t wanted to ruin their friendship by telling Lyn she’d fallen in love with her brother all those years ago.
He was so obviously not interested in her as anything but a friend; she hadn’t wanted to run the risk of his rejection. God, she could only imagine the mess it would have caused, the awkwardness when she’d gone to Lyn’s home. The embarrassment. And Lyn’s friendship was so very, very important to her. They were both important to her. What would her life have been like without them? She hadn’t wanted to lose either of them. So, her considered response had been to hide her feelings.
Her resolve had firmed when she’d realised he wouldn’t be sticking around. For a short space of time, she’d suspected he was looking at her in a different way. As if he, too, had been having thoughts that went deeper than friendship. But she’d convinced herself it was just her imagination. And, even if it hadn’t been, he’d had so many plans, so much desire to make a difference, such a driving sense of right and wrong.
She would never have put any obstacles in the way of him achieving his goals. Keeping her feelings to herself had been the right thing to do. A relationship with her would have been an obstacle. If he’d stayed, he’d never have felt fulfilled. He’d needed to be completely free to pursue the life he dreamed of. The lonely life of a solo-journalist was what he’d wanted and, because she’d loved him, she’d wanted it for him too.
But now, he’d done it all. And more. She had the evidence, if she needed it, that he’d never had any serious attraction to her. The fact that he’d married Yvonne was proof positive. What she didn’t understand was why her own feelings had remained as strong as ever. Despite his marriage, despite the length of time he’d stayed away, she was still in love with him.
‘Do you think it’s because of your parents?’ Lyn asked softly.
Della started. ‘My parents?’ She narrowed her eyes at her friend, not sure what she was getting at.
‘I mean…’ Lyn cleared her throat. ‘Do you think a lack of affection during your childhood has made it impossible for you to love now? I suppose it’s the old question of nature versus nurture, isn’t it? How much of our personality is the result of our upbringing, and how much due to innate character?’
Della tilted her head. ‘I see what you’re saying, but I really don’t think…I mean, I’m sure I could love him, if I found the right man.’
Lyn smiled. ‘Well, he might be just around the corner,’ she said in an encouraging tone.
Della lowered her eyes. Several corners—there were several corners between the restaurant and Lyn’s house. She gave her head a slight shake.
Lyn sighed. ‘So, if you don’t see yourself getting married, what do you think you’ll be doing in, say, ten years’ time?’
She looked up. This she could answer. She’d given it plenty of thought. ‘When I, or rather if I get the promotion, I’ll be the youngest partner in the firm, as well as the first female. I want to make a success of the role. That will take ten years, easily.’
‘Right. Blazing a trail for other women and all that. Hmm, it’s all very well, but there’s more to life than work, you know.’
A waiter arrived at their table with two plates of food. ‘Hi there,’ he said. ‘Nice to see you back again.’
They both smiled up at him. He was related to the owner, and always had a friendly word for them.
‘Enjoy!’
Lyn watched him walk off. ‘That is one very cute guy. Pity he’s too young for you.’
‘Lyn! He’s like half my age.’
Lyn laughed. ‘He’s not that young.’ Unwrapping her cutlery, she said, ‘I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I do worry about you.’
‘You don’t need to. I enjoy my work.’
