Someone Like You(36)

Thinking of her was hard. He'd let her down. Shouldn't have got involved  with her in the first place while he was still so low himself. All he  knew was that when he looked ahead, through the murky days he knew would  still come, he hoped she would be there. Maybe one day he'd get through  the fog to see clearly enough to make it up to her.

The embarrassing sound of cheesy Christmas carols filled Ry and Julia's  home. A six-foot tall tinsel Christmas tree, white, of course, sat in a  corner decorated with matching silver and white baubles. Underneath it,  presents were laid out on colourful display.

Lizzie sipped her champagne and tried to relax on the white leather sofa  while Ry and Julia bantered with each other in the kitchen. Every time  they passed one another, they exchanged a quick kiss, like a relay race  with lips instead of batons.

'It looks quite peaceful over here, Lizzie. Mind if I join you?' The  force of nature that was Ry's mother Barbra eased into the sofa next to  her. She was wearing a multicoloured long shirt over white linen  trousers and huge hoop earrings, which dangled precariously on either  side of her silver grey hair and warm smile.

'Of course not, Barbra. Please join me. I'm enjoying Ry's champagne.'  Lizzie held up the flute in a salute and smiled. She was on to her third  glass on an empty stomach and the mellow buzz of being slightly drunk  was starting to settle in.

The older woman winked. 'It's not French, but it'll do. You must be  exhausted, darling. Ry tells me you had a full house last night.'

Lizzie yawned just at the thought of it. The pub had been fully booked  on Christmas Eve and she hadn't left until midnight. The hard work and  long hours were slightly easier to bear knowing that the pub was closed  on Christmas Day. Ry had decided to keep up the tradition so everyone  who worked for him would have time to celebrate with their own families.  Since it was her first Christmas back in Middle Point and her first  with Ry, Julia had insisted that everyone gather together in the glass  palace for a yuletide feast. Lizzie didn't argue. Julia had all the time  in the world to do a Nigella and prepare the Christmas banquet. Lizzie  had barely managed to drag herself out of bed at midday and had remained  flopped on the sofa next to Joe for the rest of the afternoon. After a  reluctant shower, she'd pulled on a red dress, to fit in with the  Christmas theme, and wandered down for the party. Now, at six o'clock,  she was happy to chill on their sofa while they finished off  preparations for dinner.

'I'm still recovering, actually,' Lizzie told Barbra.

'You just sit here, darling, and let them do all the work. That's my plan, anyway.'

The front door opened and Joe entered with Harri, who was tentatively  walking with a stick. He gently held her elbow and slowed his pace to  match hers.

'Where should I put the old lady?' Joe called out.

'Over here with us,' Lizzie called, waving from the living area.

'Ooh, you're a cheeky sod, Joseph. Always were.' Harri held his hand as he eased her backwards into a sitting position.

'Harri … Harriet Byrne, may I introduce you to Barbra, Ry's mother. Barbra, my neighbour Harri.'

They shook hands and smiled at each other. 'Having hip trouble?' Barbra asked.

'It's a shocker. And getting worse.'

'Have you tried yoga? It helps my lower back pain enormously.' Then  Barbra stopped, narrowed her eyes quizzically. 'Hold on a minute. I  recognise you. Didn't you used to be in State Parliament?'

Harri smiled proudly. 'Yes, I did.'

'I thought your name was familiar. I used to volunteer at a women's  shelter and I think you helped organise some funding for us.'

Harri's eyes lit up and Lizzie smiled. Her neighbour had clearly found a kindred spirit.

As Harri and Barbra fell into animated conversation, Lizzie wandered  over to the kitchen. She'd been tense all day about exactly who was  going to be there for dinner, which was why she'd guzzled so much  champagne so quickly. Apart from the beautiful flowers, she'd had no  contact with Dan. She'd not heard his voice, or seen his gorgeous smile.  She was on tenterhooks. When she arrived, she'd surreptitiously checked  out the place settings and had counted to seven. Ry, Julia, Joe, Harri,  Barbra and her made only six.

'Need a hand with anything?' Lizzie slid onto one of the stools along  the marble kitchen bench. She felt obliged to ask since she was in the  vicinity of all the culinary action.         

     



 

'No, it's all sorted,' Julia said, tucking her hair behind her ear. 'The  roast pork is in the oven and the crackling looks just about right. The  salads are all done and in the fridge and,' Julia checked her watch,  'Dan should be here any minute with the prawns.'

So he was coming. And it was Dan singular, not Dan and Anna, plural.

Julia slapped a hand to her mouth. 'Oh hell. I forgot to tell you,  didn't I? I'm so sorry. I've been a little stressed about all this  cooking and you've been flat out at the pub.' Julia rounded the bench  and threw her arms around Lizzie. 'And we really haven't had a chance to  talk lately, have we?'

Lizzie held on tight. 'I know you're here for me if I need you.' Julia  released her hold, tipped up Lizzie's chin. 'I want you to remember  something. You are with all the people who love you most in the world.  You look stunning. Relax and enjoy.'

Lizzie tried to smile. 'I will. I promise.'





CHAPTER


19


A car horn tooted from the driveway and Ry marched to the front door.

'Give us a hand will you, Joe? That'll be Danny Boy. I asked him to grab some extra ice on his way down from Adelaide.'

Lizzie downed the rest of her champagne, placed her glass carefully on  the bench and walked over to the sofa where Harri and Barbra were  laughing and swapping war stories. She perched herself on the soft, flat  arm rest and waited. A wooziness suddenly hit her and she realised it  would perhaps have been sensible to have had something to eat along with  the bubbles. Too late.

When she looked up, three of the handsomest men she knew were in convoy.  Ry was lugging a bag of ice in each hand. Joe had a styrofoam box in  his arms, heavy with prawns packed in ice. Dan came in last, carrying a  huge cardboard box, Christmas-paper wrapped parcels visible at the top.  While Ry and Joe made their way through the house to the kitchen, Dan  stopped at the tree and placed the box on the floor near the other  presents.

Barbra leapt to her feet. 'Danny, darling!'

Dan looked up, took in the scene. He gave Lizzie a brief, unsmiling  glance and then turned his attention to Barbra, quickly reacting to her  jog across the room and her outstretched arms. Lizzie felt her heart  lurch at the loving smile he gave Barbra and she couldn't contain the  ache she felt when he hugged the woman fiercely. God, she needed another  glass of bubbles.

'Barbra. You look gorgeous as always.'

She pulled back, looked up to see his face. 'And you look … so much  better, darling. This sea air obviously agrees with you.' She smacked a  loud kiss on his cheek. 'Come and meet Harri.' Barbra grabbed Dan's arm  and motioned him towards the sofa in which Harri was lounging elegantly.  Lizzie tried to maintain her calm and straightened her back.

'Harri, this is the delectable Dan McSwaine. Ry's best friend and best man at the wedding next year.'

'I've heard a lot about you, young man.' Harri held out a hand to Dan  and, instead of shaking it, he leaned over and kissed the back of her  hand.

'All good I hope,' he said.

Dan was sharing a grin with Harri that made the older woman blush. Harri  was a tough old bird but even tough old birds weren't immune to the  charms of a handsome young man. Lizzie bit her lip.

Was there a woman in Middle Point who wasn't half in love with Dan McSwaine?

She huffed out loud, crossed her arms over her chest.

'Merry Christmas, Elizabeth.'

And there he was, eyes trained on her, all handsome and smiling. It  wasn't the same version he'd just flashed at Harri to magnificent  effect, she noticed. This one was different. He'd turned down the  flirt-o-meter and presented a different face to her. Was it guilt, she  wondered? It damn well should be.

Maybe it was the champagne. Maybe she'd let her anger get in the way of  her good judgment but she decided to turn the pressure back on him, make  him squirm just a little. So she checked him out, slowly, languorously.  Her eyes dropped to his chest. His shirt was the exact same colour as  his emerald green eyes and he'd teamed it with black trousers. The  sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and there were just enough buttons  undone for her to peek inside the fabric and check out his pecs. She  made no secret of the fact that she was perusing the merchandise.

'Why Dan, so nice to see you again.' Before Lizzie realised what she was  doing, she lifted her hand to him, propped it up in the air like a  southern belle, and waited for the back of it to be kissed. Her ruse had  worked. He looked nervous, his eyes moving from her hand to her face  and back again, as if he was considering it, but then shoved his hands  into the pockets of his trousers and took a step back from her. When  Lizzie realised her hand was hanging in the air like a forlorn tree  branch, she quickly pulled it back into her lap. A swell of  embarrassment thudded in her chest.