‘She’s noticed that we don’t seem to stay over at each other’s houses.’ Ava grimaced. ‘I’m sorry, Liam. That is a huge detail and I overlooked it.’
‘That’s OK.’ In truth he knew why she had, why they both had. Neither of them wanted to risk the intimacy of a ‘sleepover’. ‘So did I. The important thing now is damage limitation.’
‘Yup. I thought maybe I could stay over at your house at the weekend? My flat only has one bedroom so... You’d need to sleep on the sofa.’
‘That’s fine. But to make a bit more of a splash, shall we go away for a night? Then return to my place? You look like you could do with a break.’ She looked tired, he noticed with a flash of guilt. The effort of maintaining this charade was perhaps taking its toll. She didn’t even like parties, was doing this for him. As she had for Nick. He pushed the guilt down. This was a finite time plan.
‘I’m fine. Really.’
But the words didn’t ring true and he frowned. ‘I’m not buying it. I’ll arrange it. Surprise you. I’ll pick you up after work tonight. Think how good it will look on social media. And it will hopefully stop this reporter before she gets too close.’ He frowned. ‘I’m willing to bet that AJ set her on the scent.’
‘Then we’d better head her off at the pass. The night away and staying over are great up to a point, but we need something more...girl next door.’ Now she glanced at him. ‘We could—’ She broke off, a troubled look in her amber eyes.
‘Could what?’
She shook her head. ‘It occurred to me that we should do some more family things and then I thought I bet Max would love it if we went skating where he works as a volunteer skate guard. But I don’t want to use Max and I don’t want to raise his hopes that this would be the start of something. If we do it we need to keep it very casual and you should only do it if you are truly willing to engage with him.’
Liam looked at her and for the first time he wondered if Ava could be right. Was it possible that Max wanted a better relationship, any sort of relationship with Liam? The thought was scary but also...tempting? He forced himself to think—the one thing he wouldn’t do was risk anyone being hurt, wouldn’t raise expectations he couldn’t fulfil.
‘Let’s see if we can think of anything else. You’re right. It doesn’t feel right to use Max.’
Ava thought for a moment. ‘How about I organise something? Your mum says she watches that dance programme on TV. Do you think she’d like to meet one of the contestants? Anna Lise is a mate of mine from my modelling days.’
‘She’d love that.’
‘I’ll sort it out. I’ll take your mum out for a drink with Anna Lise.’ She looked him straight in the eye. ‘That way you don’t have to be involved at all. If that’s what you prefer.’
He could see challenge and sadness in her eyes, a sadness that reflected his own, that came straight from the part of him that wanted to be in a family unit, to be part of his mum’s life, and for a moment he was tempted to go skating, to go for a drink, to...get involved.
Then common sense reasserted itself. Too risky. Involvement was complicated, painful, scary. It would invoke responsibility.
‘That’s what I prefer.’
The sadness intensified in her eyes and she nodded. ‘OK. I’ll speak to Anna Lise and your mum.’
‘And I’ll sort out a weekend getaway.’
Once Ava had gone, Liam sat at his desk, stared at the doorway for a while as guilt niggled him again. There had been shadows in her eyes and he had the feeling he’d put them there. Dammit! The least he could do was find the perfect getaway, give Ava a chance to recharge and maybe bring a genuine smile to her face.
* * *
By Friday evening Liam was confident he’d achieved his aim, sure that he’d found the perfect place to chase away the shadows from Ava’s eyes. He looked sideways at Ava, pleased to see that she was fast asleep, had been since they started the journey.
He pulled to a stop and anticipation buzzed inside him as she stirred. For a moment sleep-clouded eyes dreamily stared at him and he saw something there, an elusive happiness that warmed something in him. The idea that someone could look at him like that triggered a strange sense of lightness.
Then Ava blinked and the look was gone, so ephemeral that he might well have imagined it. Knew he should hope he had.
‘Here we are.’
As she took in the scene her amber eyes lit up and a sudden shaft of happiness touched him. ‘It’s like a tree house,’ she said as she gazed at the wooden structure on stilts, whose roof peaked and nestled in the boughs of the trees.
‘A tree house with five-star luxury guaranteed. Let’s go check it out.’ His lips were upturned in a grin that he suspected held a hint of goofiness and he didn’t care. Just once he would give in to this unfamiliar sense of exhilaration, the precarious lightness of being.
He opened her car door and they headed to the stairs that led to the edifice, climbed the planks to the wooden door. Once inside they both paused on the threshold and gazed at the airy, sumptuous interior.
‘I love it.’ Ava gestured towards the spiral staircase that twisted up from the centre of the room, then at the iron wood-burning stove, replete with logs. She walked over to the window and glanced out at the view. ‘It’s beautiful. Sprawling fields, and a farm.’
Over to one side a simple Shaker-style kitchenette boasted a state-of-the-art oven and gleaming wooden worktops overhung with copper pans suspended on hooks. A separate section had been designated the dining area, complete with an oak dining table and matching chairs, whilst the other side of the spacious floor was the lounge with a soft, squishy sofa and a large television.