A Spanish Engagement (2 page)

She hesitated before answering that question.

‘I’m not in the advertising business,’ he assured her with a grin.

‘What business are you in?’ she asked, suddenly aware that he seemed to be asking her a lot of questions.

‘I’m a lawyer.’

‘Really?’ She paused for a moment, and felt like asking him if he knew anything about adoption laws, then pulled herself back. It was one thing discussing her work, quite another launching into a discussion about Molly with a total stranger.

She was surprised he was a lawyer; he didn’t look as if he worked indoors. He had a wonderful physique. She wondered if he worked out in a gym—it wasn’t that he was overly muscular, but he just seemed extremely fit. She gauged him to be about six years older than her, about thirty-five or six, but he obviously looked after himself. His body was very well honed.

‘I work in corporate law, so it’s mostly big businesses that I deal with.’

‘Oh, I see.’ She nodded, glad she had refrained from asking him about her dilemma. Not that it was going to be too much of a problem, she assured herself hastily. Once she met Molly’s grandmother and allayed her fears,
the adoption would probably go ahead without any problems.

‘We should introduce ourselves,’ he said smoothly. ‘I’m Max.’

‘Carrie Michaels.’

He smiled. ‘Pleased to meet you, Carrie.’

The air stewardess came along to collect the trays, leaving them with just the bottle of wine between them.

‘So, you were telling me of your plans for Santos Wines,’ he prompted gently.

He looked genuinely interested and Carrie found herself expanding on her ideas. ‘Well, it’s a family business and I thought we should work on that angle.’ She took out a rough childish drawing that Molly had scribbled on one of her business papers last week. ‘This gave me the idea, actually.’

He took the drawing and studied it intently. It was of matchstick figures dancing through what looked like vines with a big yellow sun above their heads.

‘Very artistic.’ He grinned. ‘Is it all your own work?’

She smiled. ‘My four-year-old niece did it last week. I wasn’t too happy at the time, but then I looked at it and thought…that’s it—it’s perfect. Santos Wines need to change their image and expand on the idea of the family, and at the same time make it young and trendy.’

He was very easy to talk to and he asked very pertinent questions—questions she was sure the director of the company would ask when she went to meet with him tomorrow.

It wasn’t until the seat-belt sign came on and the pilot told them they were preparing to land that she realised just how much talking she had done.

‘That time seemed to go very quickly…’ she murmured. ‘I hope I haven’t been boring you too much about my work.’

‘On the contrary, I’ve found it fascinating.’

She wondered if he was being very polite. Nobody could really have been as genuinely interested in the subject of advertising wine as he seemed to be.

The flight touched down smoothly and Carrie felt a pang of regret that she hadn’t found out much about him. He had been adroit at drawing her out but very reserved when it came to revealing things about himself, she realised.

The seat-belt sign went out and as everyone stood up to collect their belongings she noticed how tall he was—well over six feet two.

She glanced at her watch, trying to close her mind to him. He was just a passing stranger; they would probably never see each other again. What was more important was the time. She should just about make it to the school for Molly.

‘It’s been a very interesting flight. I’ve enjoyed your company,’ he said casually as she stood up and gathered her belongings.

‘Yes, me too…’

He stood back and allowed her to precede him off the plane. Carrie noticed that the air stewardess only had eyes for him as they passed at the door.

Curiously Carrie glanced back and noticed she had put a detaining hand on his shoulder and was saying something to him.

Probably something along the lines of, Would you like to take my number? Carrie thought dryly.

For a moment she was reminded forcibly of her ex-husband. He’d been like that; everywhere they had gone women had fallen over themselves to get his attention…it hadn’t even seemed to matter that she was with him.

The memory made her keep on walking without looking back.

The heat of the Spanish sun hit her as she stepped out of the aircraft and onto the steps. The sky was an amazingly clear azure blue, and the breeze that ruffled her hair was dry with dust from the arid ground that blew over the runways.

It didn’t take long to clear Immigration; Carrie just held up her passport as she walked through into the modern airport. She had no luggage to collect so she went straight outside.

Usually there were plenty of taxis waiting outside the terminal, but today there was only one. Hurriedly she made her way in its direction, only to notice that there was already a passenger in the back seat. He turned slightly as she approached and she noticed it was the man who had sat next to her on the plane. How on earth had he got out here so quickly? she wondered in surprise.

He opened the door just as she was about to walk away. ‘You look like you’re in a hurry,’ he said. ‘Do you want to share this taxi with me?’

Carrie looked into those meltingly dark attractive eyes and for a moment she hesitated; then, remembering Molly sitting in the classroom waiting for her, she nodded. ‘Thanks.’ She smiled at him as she climbed into the vehicle beside him. ‘Do you mind dropping me off first? You’re right—I am in a hurry. I’m on the last minute before picking my niece up from school.’

‘Of course,’ he acceded easily, and then listened as she gave the driver the address.

‘Thank you,’ she said politely to him again, and relaxed back into the seat beside him.

‘That’s okay. I’m going out to the other side of the city anyway, so you are practically on the way.’

Carrie got her mobile phone out to ring one of her friends who had kindly said she would pick Molly up for her if she were delayed today. ‘Hi, Bernadette, it’s Carrie.
It’s okay, I don’t need you to pick Molly up from school. I’ll be a few minutes late but I will be there.’

As she listened to Bernadette’s light-hearted rejoinder, Carrie’s eyes drifted to the man beside her. She wondered if he was married. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but then that didn’t mean anything. A lot of men didn’t wear wedding rings…especially ones who enjoyed flirting with other women. One thing was sure: he was far too good-looking for any woman’s peace of mind.

‘Why is it falling to you to pick up your niece from school?’ he asked inquisitively once she had hung up. ‘Where are her parents?’

‘They are both dead,’ Carrie murmured. ‘Her mother died two years ago and her father…my brother died in a car crash a few months ago.’

‘I’m sorry.’ He shook his head, sympathy in his dark eyes. ‘Poor little girl.’

‘Yes…’ For a moment she couldn’t say any more as grief encroached suddenly upon her. Tony had only been her half-brother but they had been close, and one of the things that had attracted her to working in Barcelona was that he’d lived not far away. She still couldn’t believe that he was dead…it was like some kind of nightmare. ‘But we are managing,’ she managed to say huskily.

‘I’m sure you are. You strike me as an extremely capable young woman. But it can’t be easy.’

‘We’re fine.’ She hastily pulled herself together. ‘Usually I have a nanny to help me, but she is off this week and it has made things a little more difficult.’ She noticed that the taxi was now turning down the street towards the school. ‘Anyway, thank you again for allowing me to share your taxi.’ She glanced over towards the meter. ‘How much do I owe you?’

‘I was going this way anyway—please don’t bother with payment,’ he said quickly.

Carrie was going to argue but suddenly she looked up and saw Molly standing on the pavement outside the school, holding hands with a woman. Leaning forward with a start, she realised it was the little girl’s grandmother, and judging by the thunderous expression on her face she was anything but pleased.

What on earth was she doing here? Carrie wondered frantically. She wasn’t due to arrive until tomorrow.

‘Something wrong?’ Max asked, noticing the sudden pallor of her skin.

‘No…it’s just Molly’s grandmother is here and she looks annoyed—probably because I’m late.’

He leaned forward to glance out. ‘You’re not that late. There are other children just coming out now.’

‘Even five minutes isn’t going to please Carmel, judging by a letter she sent me recently. She thinks Molly would be better off with her and her husband because I’m not married and I have a demanding career. They say they will have more time for her.’

‘That’s as may be, but there are lots of single working mothers. As long as Molly is happy with you, I can’t see the problem.’

‘No, neither can I. I think she means well. She just wants to do her best for her daughter’s child. Hopefully I can reassure her that it’s in Molly’s best interests to be with me.’

The taxi drew up almost level with the unsmiling woman. Carmel McCormack was plump and in her early sixties; she had white hair tied in a bun and she was wearing a floral summer dress. She looked like a very pleasant woman, except for the irate expression on her face.

‘Anyway—’ Carrie reached hastily for the door handle ‘—thanks again for the lift.’

Max watched as she climbed out onto the pavement;
observed how the little girl’s face lit up when she saw Carrie, and how she ran joyously to be picked up by her.

As the taxi started to move he suddenly noticed that she had left her mobile phone on the seat. He told the driver to stop the cab and then wound down the window. ‘Carrie, you have forgotten your phone,’ he called.

She looked around and then walked over to take it from him. ‘Thanks.’ She smiled. ‘My mind is definitely not with it at the moment.’

‘That’s understandable.’ His eyes moved to the little girl who had her arms wrapped tightly around her neck, then to the woman who was looking on so disapprovingly from behind. ‘Hope all goes well for you, Carrie…see you later.’

Carrie watched as the taxi moved away from her. What did he mean by ‘see you later’? she wondered. She probably would never see him again. They were just passing strangers, and she didn’t even know his surname. For some reason a pang of regret stole quietly into her thoughts. He had been so handsome and understanding…and so incredibly easy to talk to. She didn’t remember ever opening up to a stranger the way she had to him.

But as she turned to face Molly’s grandmother she quickly squashed the emotion. She had enough problems in her life without a man complicating things. She needed all her concentration now for Molly.

‘Carrie, you are late picking poor Molly up.’ Carmel’s voice was sharp.

‘Only five minutes, Carmel. It’s nice to see you,’ she added hastily. ‘I didn’t expect you until tomorrow.’

‘I managed to get an earlier flight. My husband will follow tomorrow.’

Carrie nodded and wondered suddenly if the woman had turned up earlier in the hope of catching her out. ‘How is Bob?’ she asked politely, remembering that Tony
had told her his father-in-law had suffered a heart attack earlier in the year.

‘He hasn’t been at all well.’ For a second the angry lines on the woman’s face softened. ‘Otherwise I would have been here sooner.’

‘I’m sorry, Carmel. It must be a difficult time for you,’ Carrie said softly.

‘It hasn’t been easy,’ Carmel admitted with a sigh. ‘I felt bad about not getting here for Tony’s funeral…and I’m worried sick about Molly, the poor little soul.’

Carrie looked down at the child in her arms and cuddled her even closer. ‘You’re doing fine, aren’t you, Mol?’ The little girl nodded and then struggled to get down as she saw one of her friends.

‘I meant what I said in my letter, Carrie,’ the other woman said without hesitation. ‘I don’t think that you adopting her is a good idea.’

Carrie felt a dart of fear at the brisk certainty in the other woman’s voice. ‘I don’t think we should talk about this now, Carmel. But I have to say, I don’t understand your objections.’

‘Well, they are quite clear-cut. My granddaughter needs a stable home life, and I’m not so sure that is with a single girl who jets off around the world at the drop of a hat.’

‘I don’t jet off at the drop of a hat, Carmel,’ Carrie said gently. ‘I just do my job and then I’m back to take care of her. I also employ a perfectly good nanny to help.’

Other mothers were passing them on the pavement, looking curiously in their direction, and, conscious of the fact that this was not the place for such a discussion, plus worrying that Molly might understand what they were saying, Carrie moved forward. ‘Come back to my apartment. I’ll make us tea and we can talk in comfort. This isn’t for Molly’s ears.’

‘I think it’s best she comes back with me to Australia,’
Carmel continued as if Carrie hadn’t spoken. ‘I’ve given it a lot of thought and I know you mean well. But your life is too precarious.’

‘Precarious?’ Carrie frowned. Obviously Carmel was just overwrought with anxiety, first over her husband and now over her grandchild. ‘Really, Carmel, you are quite wrong,’ she said gently.

‘So who was that man in the taxi with you?’ Carmel asked.

‘The man…?’ Carrie hesitated, thrown by the sudden question. Saying he was some stranger she had just met on the plane didn’t sound too good.

‘Some boyfriend, I suppose.’

‘Well, yes…’ Placed on the spot, Carrie thought it seemed the most prudent explanation.

But Carmel didn’t look reassured. ‘You see, this is just what I’m worried about. I don’t think Molly should be subjected to a series of different men in her life. She’s just lost her father; she needs constancy.’

‘And she will have constancy,’ Carrie said, desperately anxious to reassure the woman. ‘My relationship with…Max is very settled.’

‘Really?’ Carmel stopped and suddenly for the first time seemed to be interested. ‘You mean you might get married?’

‘Well…’ Carrie paused; she could sense that a lot was riding on her answer. ‘Well, yes, I might,’ she murmured. It wasn’t exactly a lie; after all, she might get married one day…to somebody.