It was as quick as the flick of a horse’s tail, but she knew she hadn’t been mistaken. It made her wonder about all the birthdays Reece had spent alone here with Michael and she felt the strongest urge to reach out and hug him.
Just thinking about it, she felt her skin heat again. To cover the moment, she said, ‘Would you like another piece of cake?’
He laughed. ‘Why not? Will you join me?’
It was deliciously intimate, sitting alone in the candlelight with happy memories of the party warming them as they ate second helpings of the luscious layer cake.
‘So, how long is it since you had a party?’ Jess couldn’t resist asking.
‘Twenty-eight years.’
‘Really?’
‘My last birthday party was when I was five.’
‘Oh, my gosh.’
Reece shrugged, sliced a chunk of cake with his fork. ‘Dad never managed to produce cakes or parties. Each year he’d put money in my bank account instead. I guess he hoped it would make up for the lack of a present.’
He gave a smiling roll of his eyes, as if he was trying to make light of it. ‘I wanted toys, though.’
‘Of course you wanted toys.’ Jess’s heart ached for the lonely boy he’d been. Her own childhood hadn’t been too flash with a cash-strapped single mum and the itinerant ‘uncles’, but at least she’d always had presents on her birthday. Dolls, books, a bike, perfume.
‘What about your mum?’ Jess had to ask. ‘Did she remember you?’
‘Sure. She used to send me clothes. I’d make Dad take a photo of me. To send back to her.’
‘Oh.’
Clothes, not toys. So not what a boy wanted.
Once again Reece smiled, but Jess could feel the pain behind his smile. She was so glad they’d made an effort today and she vowed there and then that she would always make a big fuss of Rosie’s birthdays. She wouldn’t spoil her little girl, but she definitely wanted her to grow up feeling loved and special and secure.
They put their cake plates and forks in the sink. Went down the silent passage to their rooms.
In the hallway they paused, inches apart, and Jess could feel her blood pumping. Thundering. She was sure Reece swayed towards her, and once again she could sense the same killing tension in him that was torturing her. Tonight, her emotions were brimming over. If he wanted to kiss her, she was ready.
So ready and waiting.
More than ready, truth be told.
‘Goodnight, Jess,’ he said gruffly as he pushed his bedroom door open.
‘Goodnight, Reece.’
She was talking to the door.
* * *
Perhaps it was just as well, Jess decided much later after she’d finally, finally cooled down. If Reece had made a move to kiss her, she might have climbed all over him and made a fool of herself. Much better to have retreated back into their corners.
Their caution was sensible. They’d become closer friends this evening without tipping the delicate balance and finding themselves in a complicated relationship. This was good, Jess told herself, although deep down she was torn between needing to know how Reece really felt about her and knowing they shouldn’t and mustn’t change anything.
* * *
Everything had changed tonight.
Reece stood in his room, looking at the familiar furniture he’d known all his life and knowing that he would never be quite the same again.
Jess probably had no idea how much she’d touched him. For her, the party was a small gesture of kindness, but she’d held out a true hand of friendship. He felt unbelievably happy, as if she’d magically erased the decades of disappointment that had blighted this dubious anniversary.
And Jess had done more than simply throw a party tonight. She’d made entertaining at Warringa look miraculously easy. This evening’s simple dinner had been so much fun, and Reece found himself wondering why he and his father hadn’t made a bigger effort to socialise. The last thing he wanted was to become a surly recluse like his dad.
But perhaps the biggest thing he’d learned tonight
Just thinking about it, she felt her skin heat again. To cover the moment, she said, ‘Would you like another piece of cake?’
He laughed. ‘Why not? Will you join me?’
It was deliciously intimate, sitting alone in the candlelight with happy memories of the party warming them as they ate second helpings of the luscious layer cake.
‘So, how long is it since you had a party?’ Jess couldn’t resist asking.
‘Twenty-eight years.’
‘Really?’
‘My last birthday party was when I was five.’
‘Oh, my gosh.’
Reece shrugged, sliced a chunk of cake with his fork. ‘Dad never managed to produce cakes or parties. Each year he’d put money in my bank account instead. I guess he hoped it would make up for the lack of a present.’
He gave a smiling roll of his eyes, as if he was trying to make light of it. ‘I wanted toys, though.’
‘Of course you wanted toys.’ Jess’s heart ached for the lonely boy he’d been. Her own childhood hadn’t been too flash with a cash-strapped single mum and the itinerant ‘uncles’, but at least she’d always had presents on her birthday. Dolls, books, a bike, perfume.
‘What about your mum?’ Jess had to ask. ‘Did she remember you?’
‘Sure. She used to send me clothes. I’d make Dad take a photo of me. To send back to her.’
‘Oh.’
Clothes, not toys. So not what a boy wanted.
Once again Reece smiled, but Jess could feel the pain behind his smile. She was so glad they’d made an effort today and she vowed there and then that she would always make a big fuss of Rosie’s birthdays. She wouldn’t spoil her little girl, but she definitely wanted her to grow up feeling loved and special and secure.
They put their cake plates and forks in the sink. Went down the silent passage to their rooms.
In the hallway they paused, inches apart, and Jess could feel her blood pumping. Thundering. She was sure Reece swayed towards her, and once again she could sense the same killing tension in him that was torturing her. Tonight, her emotions were brimming over. If he wanted to kiss her, she was ready.
So ready and waiting.
More than ready, truth be told.
‘Goodnight, Jess,’ he said gruffly as he pushed his bedroom door open.
‘Goodnight, Reece.’
She was talking to the door.
* * *
Perhaps it was just as well, Jess decided much later after she’d finally, finally cooled down. If Reece had made a move to kiss her, she might have climbed all over him and made a fool of herself. Much better to have retreated back into their corners.
Their caution was sensible. They’d become closer friends this evening without tipping the delicate balance and finding themselves in a complicated relationship. This was good, Jess told herself, although deep down she was torn between needing to know how Reece really felt about her and knowing they shouldn’t and mustn’t change anything.
* * *
Everything had changed tonight.
Reece stood in his room, looking at the familiar furniture he’d known all his life and knowing that he would never be quite the same again.
Jess probably had no idea how much she’d touched him. For her, the party was a small gesture of kindness, but she’d held out a true hand of friendship. He felt unbelievably happy, as if she’d magically erased the decades of disappointment that had blighted this dubious anniversary.
And Jess had done more than simply throw a party tonight. She’d made entertaining at Warringa look miraculously easy. This evening’s simple dinner had been so much fun, and Reece found himself wondering why he and his father hadn’t made a bigger effort to socialise. The last thing he wanted was to become a surly recluse like his dad.
But perhaps the biggest thing he’d learned tonight
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