you can’t—’
Ignoring her, he hurled himself at Dino, who caught him with a laugh, swung him round and then lifted him onto his shoulders and carried him to the car.
Gripped by a fear that she couldn’t control, Meg watched as cracks appeared in her tightly controlled life. Jamie’s delighted giggles cut through the night air and she plunged her hands into the pockets of her coat, resisting the temptation to snatch him back. Keep him from harm.
‘Dino is good with him.’ Her mother handed her a mug of soup. ‘I can’t believe he’s actually managed to get Jamie to wear a coat. It’s more than I’ve been able to do all day. This is worse than the Tarzan phase when he ran around in nothing but his underpants for two whole months.’
Meg found it difficult to move her lips. As much as it pained her to admit it, she agreed—Dino was brilliant with Jamie, and that was a whole big problem in itself. ‘Yes.’
‘It’s a pleasant change for Jamie to have a man about the place. They look good together, don’t they? Doesn’t it warm your heart to see it?’
‘No, actually.’ Meg had never felt colder in her life. ‘It just reminds me how little Jamie knows about the real world.’ How easy it was to be hurt. The more you gave, the more you could lose.
‘Chill, Megan.’
Meg turned her head to look at her mother. ‘Since when did you start speaking like a teenager?’
‘Since I started working at the youth group,’ her mother said cheerfully. ‘I love it. They’re so vibrant and full of hope. Gives me something to do when I’m not helping you with Jamie. Oh, look at Jamie jumping in the seat! He’s enjoying himself, Meg. He likes Dino. And Dino likes him.’
‘Yes, because it suits him right now. And will until the next female distraction walks across his path and he has someone better to play with than my son. What then?’ Meg’s tone was savage. Her worries suddenly overflowed, like a river bursting its banks. ‘Presumably I’m the one who is going to have to explain to Jamie why Dino doesn’t have time for him any more. I’m going to have to break it to him that men often have a short attention span.’ She shivered as Dino fired up the engine, indulging her son’s passion for supercars. The Lamborghini gave a deep, throaty growl and Jamie bounced around in the passenger seat in paroxysms of delight.
Aware that her mother was staring at her in astonishment, Meg licked her lips. ‘Sorry,’ she croaked, ‘I’m tired. Maybe that was a bit of an overreaction.’
‘Just a bit? Megan, you’re a basket case when it comes to men.’
‘I know.’
‘Just because Hayden couldn’t keep his trousers zipped, it doesn’t mean all men are the same. You need to move on, Megan.’
‘I’ve moved on. I’m living a good life with my child.’ Huddling down inside her coat, Meg watched as Dino switched off the engine and let Jamie play with the wheel for a few minutes, pretending to be a racing driver. ‘Why does Jamie have to be interested in cars? It’s the one thing I know absolutely nothing about.’
‘He’s a little boy.’ Her mother’s face softened. ‘A gorgeous, fantastic boy and you have to help him grow into a gorgeous, fantastic man. That’s your job. Part of that is letting him mix with men.’
‘He does mix with men.’
‘I’m not talking about the mountain rescue team. They treat you as one of the lads. I’m talking about man-woman stuff. He needs to see men as part of your life. When did you last go on a date?’
‘You know I don’t go on dates.’ She blew on her hands to warm them. ‘And there’s no way I’m introducing a string of men to Jamie. What happens when they dump me? Jamie gets hurt. No way.’
‘Maybe they wouldn’t dump you. Have you thought about that?’
Meg stared straight ahead, her breath forming clouds in the freezing air. Her brain fielded the memories that came rushing forward to swamp her. ‘My job is to protect my child. That’s what mothers are supposed to do.’
‘Are you protecting him? Or are you protecting yourself?’ Her mother’s voice was casual. ‘Talking about protecting yourself, it’s lucky Dino was able to find you and help you out on the mountain today.’
‘I didn’t need his help. I could have managed on my own.’
‘Megan, when are you going to realise that you don’t win awards in this life for managing on your own?’ Her mother looked tired suddenly. ‘You’re a fantastic mum, but Jamie needs a man in his life and, frankly, so do you. It’s time you stopped shutting everyone out. If you can’t bring yourself to trust another man quite yet, at least make a New Year’s resolution to have sex.’
‘Sex?’ Scandalised, Meg shrieked the word just as Dino scooped Jamie out of the car.
It echoed through the silence, the sound somehow magnified by the cold emptiness of the night.
Across the snow Dino’s eyes met hers.
And she knew she was in trouble.
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