He looked to Cynthia and saw the release of years of worry in teardrops on her cheeks, an almost serene expression on her face. He squeezed her hand as Hayley hugged the life out of him.
‘I knew God couldn’t be that cruel,’ Cynthia said, slipping atissue from her sleeve and dabbing at her eyes. ‘I’m so pleased for you, Oliver.’
‘Mum, it’s getting embarrassing now. You need to put him down,’ Angel said, folding her arms across her chest.
Hayley took a step back and Oliver smiled at her.
‘You OK?’ he asked.
‘I am now. I mean, I tried to concentrate on name places and the balloons and the butterfly net but all I could think about was you!’
‘Come, Angel, let me introduce you to some people,’ Cynthia said, clasping the little girl’s hand.
Angel made a V with her second and third fingers, putting them to her eyes and then directing them at Oliver as she moved away from them. Hayley flinched a little, looking confused.
‘Was that a threat?’ Hayley asked him.
‘Kind of. We made a deal last night.’
‘Oh no. What sort of deal? You know she has a poker face, right?’
Oliver took her hand. ‘I hope the jazz band can play some Maroon 5.’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
He looked at her, savouring the vision and breathing long and deep. It felt like a whole new world had been opened up for him. He didn’t have the rogue gene his brother and father had; he just needed to manage his stress better. He was going to do something he never believed he would be able to do and sign up for some counselling. Because he valued himself and he wanted a new start… with Hayley.
‘I know you’re meant to leave in a few days,’ he stated.
‘Yeah, back to England, jobless and facing a mother who has now read my ten-year diary.’ She was concerned about seeing her mother, raking over old ground, facing up to everything she’d written.But after their heart-to-heart on the phone, she was hoping things could move forward. Maybe notes about the past would forge a new beginning.
‘I don’t want you to go.’
He watched for her reaction, wanting to see how she felt about his statement.
She swallowed, affection for him written all over her face. He kissed her lips, softly, slowly, wanting to melt into the moment.
‘Stay. At least a little longer,’ he begged, smoothing her hair with his fingers.
‘I can’t. Angel has school and we have a ticket home I can’t afford to replace.’
He laughed then, loud and hard. ‘Hayley, I’m a billionaire.’
‘And you’re not going to stay that way if you keep spending it on unnecessary things.’
‘Oh believe me, it’s necessary.’ He smirked.
‘What about Angel’s school? She’s excited about showing off her collection of random objects.’
‘I’ll get her one of Donald Trump’s wigs.’
‘Seriously?’
‘No.’ Oliver laughed. ‘Come on, Hayley. How hard is it to say yes? Whenever you need to go home…ifyou need to go home, I’ll pay for your ticket. I’ll fly you in a private jet if you want, I’ll get a tutor for Angel… unless.’ He stopped talking. ‘Unless you really don’t want to stay.’
He watched her eyes, took in the indecision, prepared himself to be let down.
‘Are you kidding? Of course I want to stay! I haven’t set foot in Bloomingdales yet and I need to get better at ice skating. But I’ll need some proper gloves because the hand-warming couture might have looked cool but it was lacking in just about every other area.’
