eyes darkened with some burden that would have to remain nameless because she had no intention of asking about it. ‘Rumour has it that things on that front are going to take...’ his shoulders sagged ‘...time.’
She winced.
‘Mrs Laverty?’ A man bounced out from behind the wheel of a white station wagon. ‘Your car.’
She nodded as he handed her the keys with a cheery, ‘Safe driving.’
‘Thank you.’
Mr Fairhall rose. ‘You boys have a great journey, okay?’ And as he spoke he lifted their backpacks into the back of the wagon.
‘Can I sit back here with the backpacks?’ Chase asked, climbing in beside them.
‘Most certainly not,’ she countered, lifting him out again. ‘Thank you,’ she said to Mr Fairhall as he closed the wagon.
‘Where are you going when the planes work again?’ Chase asked as Quinn ushered him around to the back seat.
‘Sydney.’
‘That’s near where we’re going,’ Robbie said. ‘We looked it up on the map.’ He pulled out the map he’d been keeping in his shorts pocket.
The swift glance her polite politician sent her then had her stomach tightening.
‘You’re going to Sydney?’
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. ‘A couple of hours north of Sydney.’
‘You wouldn’t consider...?’
He broke off, no doubt in response to the rictus of a smile that had frozen to her face.
‘No, of course not,’ he said softly, as if to himself.
The boys glanced from her to him and back again.
Darn it! This was supposed to be a family trip. This road trip was about giving the boys a holiday...with the opportunity to ask her whatever questions they wanted about this new life they were embarking upon. In a relaxed atmosphere. Another person—a stranger—would throw those dynamics out completely.
She made herself brisk. ‘C’mon, boys, in the car. Seat belts fastened, please.’
Aidan Fairhall nodded at her. ‘Safe trip.’
‘Thank you.’
Darn it. Darn it. Darn it.
He moved back to the bench. She stowed her handbag, made sure the kids had their seat belts fastened and then moved to the driver’s seat. She glanced at Mr Fairhall and bit her lip.
‘He wanted to come with us,’ Chase said.
Why did children have to be so perceptive when you didn’t want them to be and so obtuse when you did?
‘You always tell us we should help people when they need it,’ Robbie pointed out.
She turned in her seat and surveyed them both. ‘You’d like to invite Mr Fairhall along on our journey?’
Robbie stared back. ‘How’d you know his name?’
‘I’ve seen him on the television. He’s a politician.’
‘Would he come all the way with us?’
‘I’m not sure. As soon as the plane strike ends he might jump ship at any place that has an airport.’
‘He’s a nice man,’ Chase said.
She had a feeling Chase was right.
Robbie studied the object of their conjecture and then turned back. ‘He looks kinda sad.’
‘Yeah.’ She tried not to let those slumped shoulders pluck too hard at her. It was just... She knew exactly how that felt—the defeat, the worry and the helplessness.
‘It might make our trip luckier,’ Robbie said.
She couldn’t mistake the hope in his eyes. She bit her lip to stop from saying something rash. Her eldest son ached for a male role model and the knowledge cut at her. Not that she expected Aidan Fairhall to fill that role. Still...
She blew out a breath and wound down the passenger side window. ‘Mr Fairhall?’
He glanced up.
‘We’ve just had a family conference.’
He stood. He wasn’t terribly tall—he might be six feet—but he had a lean athletic body that moved with effortless grace. She watched him approach—stared as he approached—and her mouth started to dry and her heart started to pound. She tried to shake herself out from under the spell, only she found she’d frozen in position. She wished now she hadn’t called him over. With a superhuman effort she cleared her throat. ‘As we’re...uh...all headed in the same direction we thought if you would like a lift all or part of the way...’
He blinked. Hope lit his face, making it truly beautiful, firing his brown eyes with a light that made her swallow. They weren’t a boring brown, but a deep amber that brought to mind blazing hearth fires, fine brandies and rich caramel.
Then the light in those beautiful eyes faded and for some reason her heart sank too. Maybe it was the unspoken judgement she recognised in those deep amber depths. She sat back a little. She swallowed. ‘I’m not given to recklessness, Mr Fairhall. I recognised you and I like your public persona. I like your education policies more.’
His lips twisted but the darkness faded from his eyes. His fingers drummed against the roof of the car.
‘But, as I don’t actually know you, and if you do take us up on our very kind offer, I’ll be informing the manager of this car hire company that you’ll be accompanying us. I’ll also be ringing my aunt to tell her the same.’ He didn’t say anything. She shrugged and forced herself to add, ‘But if we can help you out in any way then we’d be happy to.’
‘Why would you do that?’
‘People should help each other out always,’ her earnest eldest son said.
‘And you looked sad,’ Chase added.
The light in those amazing eyes faded again, although the lips kept their smile.
Quinn rushed on. ‘Also, it’d be nice to share some of the driving...not to mention the fuel costs. I’m afraid it wouldn’t precisely be a free ride.’ She’d sensed that would go against the grain with him.
There was a long silence. Quinn kicked herself. ‘I’m sorry we have you at a disadvantage. I’m Quinn Laverty and these are my sons, Robbie and Chase.’ She fished her licence out and handed it to him as proof of both her identity and the fact she could drive. ‘If you decide to accompany us I’d want you to phone someone to let them know about your plans and who you’re travelling with.’
He handed the licence back to
