Just This Once (30 page)

“How did the earrings work out?” Emery asked eagerly. “I
can’t really see them in this picture. Send me a closeup of you wearing them,
sweetie. I want to admire them. I do such good work.”

“So modest, too,” she said admiringly. “Wait, Drew wants to
talk.”

“Emery,” Drew began, once she handed him the phone. “Thanks,
mate, for the shopping help. And for getting my girl togged up.” He grinned
across the table at her. “She looked awesome.”

He listened a moment, then smiled again. “More,” he said
succinctly, then, “Here’s Hannah back. Cheers.”

“What did you ask him?” Hannah questioned Emery
suspiciously.

“I asked him if you looked as smoking hot in person as in
that picture. He thinks you did.”

Hanging up, Hannah looked across at Drew. “That was nice of
you, thanking Emery like that. Not to mention the ‘smoking hot’ thing. That’s
not something I’ve heard a lot, I have to say.”

“Thought I made that dead clear the other night,” he
protested. “Maybe I need to remind you again.”

“Maybe so,” she said happily. “But if you remind me now, I
won’t get to work this morning. I’m sure nobody wants to lose the chance to
comment on my being in the paper again. Better go get it over with, I guess.”

And she would just head Lisa right off at the pass, she told
herself firmly. The last thing any of those boys needed was another predatory female
hunting them down.

“I couldn’t believe it, when I saw the pictures,” Kristen
exclaimed over the phone the next weekend. “I’ve never seen you so dressed up.
How exciting.”

Hannah laughed. “You’d better enjoy looking at it while you
have the chance. Because that’s not happening very often. There’s a reason
you’re the glamour girl in the family. Too much work for me.”

“It’s hard to believe you’ve only been gone, what, four
months?” Kristen said wonderingly. “It seems like your life has changed so much.”

“It has,” Hannah admitted. “I still work a lot. But that’s
about the only thing that’s the same.”

“Yeah, I noticed. I just wish I knew how you did it. How you
found somebody so great. Do I have to come to New Zealand to find a guy like
that?”

“I don’t know,” Hannah answered honestly. “I’d say I had to
kiss a lot of frogs. Or maybe I’d say I
didn’t
kiss a lot of frogs. I’ve
always been so picky. You know that.”

“I really don’t have the answer,” she admitted, giving up.
“Just luck, is all I can say. So far so good, anyway. How’s it going for you?
You haven’t said much lately.”

“I’ve been trying not to kiss frogs too, now that you put it
that way. That therapist I’ve been talking to has helped me see that I’ve been
looking for a guy to fill something that’s missing in me. Which is why it never
works.”

“And I know,” Kristen hurried on, “that’s what you’ve been
telling me all along. But somehow it’s easier to hear it from her. So I’m
taking a break. That was her suggestion. I’m not dating at all, for six months.”

“Wow. Six months. That sounds like a big change. How’s it
going?”

“It’s weird. A little lonesome and boring so far. It’s only
been a month, though. I didn’t want to tell you about it at first. I guess I
didn’t want to admit you were right.”

“I’m really pleased. That doesn’t sound easy. I’m proud of
you for trying it.”

“I think a lot of it, the man thing, is not having had a
dad, don’t you?” Kristen asked. “I mean, you were closer to Daddy. And you were
older. But for Matt and me . . . I don’t even remember him that well,” she said
sadly.

“I know, honey,” Hannah sympathized. “You’re right, I have
more to remember. But I miss him too. All the time. It was Mom too, though. She
didn’t exactly give you a lot of validation for anything except being pretty.
So it’s no wonder if you’ve looked to get that from outside, from a guy.”

“That’s another thing Barbara and I have been talking about,”
Kristen confirmed. “But you know, I’ve been lucky too, that I’ve had you. You’ve
always cared about me. And I know I’ve disappointed you.”

“No,” Hannah said firmly. “You’ve never disappointed me. You’ve
had a tough time. I’ve been sad when you were unhappy. But I’m really proud of
you now. I want you to know that.”

“I’m proud of you too,” Kristen answered, a catch in her
voice. “Having you gone, I’ve realized how much I count on you. I miss you. And
I know I sometimes say nasty things. I’m sorry about that. It just seems like
your life is so easy, sometimes. Like you always know exactly what to do, and
then you go ahead and do it.”

“I don’t always know the right thing to do, though,” Hannah
protested. “Lots of times I just do the safe thing. There’s a difference. I’m as
confused as you are, a lot of the time.”

“Really?” Kristen said doubtfully. “You always seem so sure.
So confident.”

Hannah laughed ruefully. “Not exactly. Some of that’s an
act. You know, fake it till you make it. It works pretty well. But it isn’t
always how I’m feeling inside.”

“I never knew that. That actually makes me feel better,”
Kristen said more cheerfully. “I mean, if you aren’t as perfect as I always
thought, maybe there’s more room for me to catch up.”

“Plenty of room. I’m glad you have that straight now,
anyway. I hope it helps.”

“What would you think about crossing the Ditch, seeing the
last All Blacks game against the Wallabies Saturday night?” Drew asked her a
few weeks later. “I’ve hardly seen you these past couple weeks. I won’t be able
to spend time with you until Sunday. But I’d like you to be there all the
same.”

“It’s in Brisbane, right?”

“Yeh. Think you’d like Brissy. You could have a bit of a
wander round, anyway. It’d be a nice holiday for you. Warmer, too.”

“I’m not sure I’ll enjoy myself that much at the game,” she
said. “Unless you blow them away from the beginning. Since whoever wins this
one wins the Rugby Championship, now that the Springboks and the Pumas are out
of it. I’ll be really nervous for you.”

“It’ll be a pretty physical encounter,” he warned her.
“Can’t promise a blowout. We’re ready to get stuck into business, though.”

“My mum and dad will be there too,” he added casually.
“They’re flying out as well. Give you a chance to meet them.”

“But you won’t want me there, then,” she protested. “Not if
your parents are coming. They’ve hardly seen a game all season. They’ll want to
focus on you. And they don’t even know me.”

“This would be the chance, then, wouldn’t it? I’ve met your
family, remember?”

“That was just my brother and sister, though,” she tried to
explain. “This is your parents. I don’t think I’m ready to meet them.”

“They’re not so bad. They don’t bite. And you don’t have to
spend the weekend with them. May sit next to them at the game, that’s all.
Watch me run round the paddock. Admire my form,” he joked, trying to reduce her
tension.

“You know I do that,” she told him sincerely. “But won’t it
bother them, not having you to themselves?”

“Grown up now, aren’t I. They haven’t had me to themselves
for a fair bit now. I’ll get you sorted with your plane and hotel, then, let
you know.”

She hesitated. “I’d like to come. I love to watch you play,
even though it does make me anxious. But I can get myself there.”

“Hannah.” He expelled his breath in frustration. “I’m inviting
you. I promise, you don’t have to sleep with me in return,” he went on over her
protests. “This isn’t prostitution. But I don’t want to worry about where
you’re staying, how you’re getting there.”

“You know that’s not what I meant. But other people go to
games. They travel to Australia, too. I can afford the trip.”

“And what about the World Cup?” he retorted. “I’d like you
to come to as many of the pool games as you can manage, and the knockout rounds
too. All three of them, I hope. That’ll be a lot of trips to Aussie, and I know
you can’t afford that. I think you’re going to have to resign yourself. Think
of it as a date.”

“Some date. Like those millionaires who take women out to
dinner in Paris. It’s a lot for you to do.”

“Nah,” he countered. “It’s me being selfish. I’ll be in
Aussie for two months running. If we want to see each other at all, I’ll have
to get you there.”

Drew had been right, Hannah thought the next Saturday as she
explored Brisbane. The capital of Queensland, Australia’s northeastern state,
was a beautiful city built around a river that wound through the town. Even in
winter, the subtropical climate was pleasant, the gardens lush with foliage and
noisy with exotic birds. She set aside her nervousness about meeting Drew’s
parents and tried to enjoy her day.

She normally got to the stadium early for a game, enjoying
watching the seats fill and anticipating the evening ahead. Tonight, though,
she found herself delaying in setting out. When she finally arrived, she
thought she would have recognized the man in the seat next to hers as Drew’s
father even if she hadn’t known he would be there. Sam Callahan had the same
strongly-marked features as his son, his body equally tall and sturdy, if a bit
thickened by age.

“Hello,” she ventured shyly as she finished edging her way
through the packed row of spectators to find her seat. Brilliant opening, she
thought disgustedly, and felt the heat rising to her cheeks.

Sam stood, offering his hand. “You must be Hannah. Sam
Callahan. And this is my wife Helen, Drew’s mum.”

“We were so pleased when Drew told us we’d meet you
tonight,” Helen said, a smile lighting her pleasant face. “Have you had a good
day, then, in Brisbane?”

Hannah found herself relaxing a bit as they chatted easily
about the city.  Drew’s mother was an attractive, trim brunette with a ready
smile and a warm manner that soon put Hannah at ease.

“I’m sure Drew’s happy you made the trip too,” Hannah
offered. “You must be very proud, watching him.”

“He’ll do his bit,” agreed Sam gruffly.

Despite his parents’ understated expectations, however,
Hannah noticed that they were as keyed up about the game as she was herself.
Nobody shouted louder than Sam when the All Blacks scored a try. And when the
referee finally signaled the end of the long 80 minutes, with the All Blacks
clinging to a 17-10 winning margin over Australia, both parents jumped and
cheered, waving their flags with the rest of the fans. They might not want to
proclaim their pride too openly, but it was clear to Hannah in every intense
gaze they directed at their son as he championed his troops to victory in the
close game, leading the charge against the opposing team.

“Don’t you get so nervous?” she asked Helen, sitting down
again at last as the crowd began to disperse. “I didn’t realize how anxious I
was until after it was all over. In fact, I’m still shaking.”

“I’ve watched a fair few games now,” the older woman smiled,
her blue eyes warm as she squeezed Hannah’s arm in sympathy. “But I’ll admit,
it still makes me hold my breath, watching Drew go in boots and all like that.
He only has one speed, flat to the boards. I’m always worried he’ll be hurt. Must
be a mum thing. I don’t tell him, but I care more that he’s safe than whether
they win. It’s the last thing he thinks about, I know.”

“You’re right,” Hannah agreed. “It seems like the adrenaline
takes over, and he’ll do anything. I don’t think he even notices all the
bruises and scrapes until the next day.” She stopped, embarrassed. Helen didn’t
seem fazed by the thought of Hannah seeing Drew’s various bruises and scrapes,
just smiled at her again.

“We can go onto the field,” Helen offered, once Drew had
made his winning captain’s speech. “Watch them get the trophy from down there.”

“Oh, no,” Hannah faltered. “You go ahead.”

“Are you sure?” Helen asked, eyebrows lifted. “I’m sure he’d
like you to be there too.”

“No,” Hannah insisted. “You’ve come all this way to see him
win. Go have your family celebration.” 

“Where’s Hannah?” Drew looked around after kissing his
mother and shaking hands with his father following the awarding of the trophy.
“She came to the game, didn’t she?”

“She did,” Helen assured him. “Not sure how much she enjoyed
it. She was pretty nervous for you. She wouldn’t come down with us, though. She
thought we’d want some family time.”

Drew exhaled. “I’m glad you could make it, anyway. Got to go
back to the sheds now. Are you still staying on till Monday?”

“We’ll be here. If you have a few minutes before you fly
home tomorrow, ring us and we’ll have a coffee.”

“Thanks, Mum.” Drew gave her a quick hug and trotted off to
the locker room.

“Why didn’t you come down after the game?” he asked Hannah
brusquely, reaching her by phone an hour later.

“I thought you’d want some time with your family,” she
answered, surprised. “You all didn’t need me in the middle of it.”

“I wanted to see you. I was glad to have my mum and dad
there. But I wanted to see you too. Wanted to share it with you. I’ll be with
the boys tonight, till late. But I’ll come by and take you to breakfast.”

“Aren’t you going to eat with the team?” she asked,
surprised.

“You’re pushing me,” he warned her. “I’ll be there to
collect you at nine.”

“I was thinking of bringing Hannah down for a visit next
weekend,” Drew told his parents later the next morning. “I’d like to show her
the place, have her get to know you better, before everything gets mad with the
Cup. Will that work for you?”

“That would be lovely,” Helen agreed immediately. “Please do
bring her, Drew. We can have a barbecue,” she began to plan.

Drew held up his hand. “Mum. No rellies. No neighbors,” he
insisted.

“But darling, everyone will want to see you,” his mother
protested. “Auntie Mary will be so hurt if she isn’t invited.”

“The two of you will be more than enough for Hannah to be
going on with,” Drew told her. “I don’t want to scare her off.” He looked to
his father for support.