the morning. You’re not going to be here to pick him up till lunch-time, I’ll bet. It’ll be you having the late night.’
Lisa didn’t plan on being that late. But she didn’t want to argue the point, for fear of making a slip-up with her story.
‘Oh, all right,’ she agreed. ‘But not too late,’ Lisa added as she picked up Jack’s book and got to her feet. ‘Don’t go taking advantage of your grandmother, young man. And don’t eat too much ice cream. You know what it does to your stomach.’ Cory was lactose intolerant.
Cory’s blue eyes went blank, exactly like his father’s had when she used to nag him over something.
‘Go give your mother a hug,’ his grandmother said, giving Cory a nudge in the ribs.
‘Be a good boy,’ Lisa whispered as she held him to her for a little longer than she usually did.
His weary-sounding sigh made her feel guilty.
‘Love you,’ she added.
‘Love you too, Mum,’ Cory returned. But there wasn’t a great deal of warmth in his words.
Suddenly, Lisa wanted to cry. And to keep holding him. Close.
But she knew he would hate that.
‘See you tomorrow,’ she choked out, struggling to keep back the tears as she let him go and hurried towards the door.
Her mother followed her out whilst Cory dashed off towards the pond with his jar of tadpoles.
‘You all right, love?’ her mother said.
Lisa tossed Jack’s book onto the passenger seat as she climbed in behind the wheel. ‘Yes, of course. Why shouldn’t I be?’
‘You seem a little more uptight than usual.’
‘I’m not uptight at all,’ Lisa suddenly snapped before banging the door shut and glaring at her mother through the open window. ‘Why do you always criticise me, Mum? I’ve been a good daughter, haven’t I? And I’m a good mother to Cory. I support myself and always try to do the right thing. So get off my back, will you?’
Regret at her sharp words consumed Lisa when her mother reeled back on her heels, shock in her eyes.
‘I…I didn’t realise,’ her mother said, obviously shaken by Lisa having a go at her. ‘I only ever want the best for you, love. But I can see I might have been a bit critical on occasions. Sorry. I’ll try to keep my big mouth shut in future.’
Lisa was torn between feeling vindicated at having stood up for herself, and guilty over hurting her mother’s feelings.
‘I’m sorry, too, Mum,’ she said. ‘I know I’m touchy. I…I haven’t been sleeping very well lately.’
‘Then it will do you good to get out,’ her mother said, all smiles again. Nothing ever got Jill Chapman down for long. ‘Who knows? You might meet a man.’
‘Mum…’Lisa warned.
‘What’s wrong with a mother wanting her beautiful daughter to meet a man?’
‘You know I don’t want to get married again.’
‘So? I don’t, either. But that’s never stopped me having a boyfriend.’
‘Or two,’ Lisa muttered under her breath as she started the engine. ‘Bye, Mum,’ she said as she let go of the handbrake and moved off. ‘See you in the morning.’
‘No need to rush,’ her mother shouted after her. ‘Sleep in, if you want to.’
Lisa found herself shaking her head as she drove off. In a weird way, she wished she’d told her mother the total truth about tonight. She would have liked to see the look on her face.
But the consequences were not worth that small moment of satisfaction. Her mother would have asked her all sorts of awkward questions, and jumped to all the wrong conclusions.
No, it was much better this way.
Once out onto the road, Lisa glanced across at the copy of The Scales of Justice lying on the passenger seat. She could not wait to get home and read it. Not the whole book, unfortunately. She wouldn’t have time for that. Not if she was to be perfectly groomed when Jack picked her up at six.
But she could surely manage a few chapters whilst she was soaking in the bath.
Lisa was anxious to find out just how much Hal was like Jack. He’d said on the phone last night how he liked to be prepared. Well, Lisa was going to be prepared too.
For him.
Chapter Seven
AS JACK drove up Tumbi Umbi Road, he started thinking it had been a long time since he’d looked forward to a date as much as he was looking forward to tonight.
Though tonight was not quite like any date he’d ever been on before. He had no expectation of ending up in bed with Lisa Chapman. In fact, he would put his money on that not happening.
His goal this evening was simply to get her to go out with him again. To make her see that she could have a social life without endangering her son’s moral standards. That she didn’t have to live like a nun, just because her husband had passed away and she didn’t want to marry again.
Jack still had no idea whether Lisa had loved the man, or loathed him. But he aimed to find that out tonight as well.
A tricky mission, however, he appreciated. Because Lisa was not the sort of woman who confided easily. She kept her own counsel. Look how she hadn’t told him she owned Clean-in-a-Day. That had been very secretive of her.
Still, a few glasses of wine might loosen her tongue.
There was always a lot of toasting at these award dinners. Surely she wouldn’t say no to a glass or two of champagne.
The large roundabout came up that Lisa had told him about, then the street on the left she’d said to take. Shortly he’d be there, at her house.
A quick glance at his Rolex showed Jack it was one minute to six. Punctuality was one habit from the army which he’d never shaken. As was wearing his hair cut very short.
He did manage to go a few days without shaving occasionally. But that was as sloppy as he could manage. He’d been sporting quite a bit of stubble yesterday, however, something which he’d thought afterwards might not have found favour with the very particular Mrs Chapman.
But his chin was as smooth as silk tonight. So was his very expensive tuxedo, which he’d had made to measure a couple of years back.
Jack hoped his more sophisticated look would spark some sexual interest this evening. Most women liked men in dinner suits.
Unfortunately, Lisa was not most women. She was different. Very different.
Challenging, that was what she was.
Jack
