Prudence, p.15
Prudence, page 15
“It looks like things are only going to get more intense,” I said as the crowd went wild for the band’s first song. “There’s a bar upstairs that’s probably completely empty right now. Why don’t we go and get a drink? I think Deirdre and Gigi should be okay on their own for a little while.”
Derek looked at me, then scanned the crowd, locating our daughters. He rubbed his jaw, seeming to decide, then said, “Sure, let’s go get a drink.”
His hand returned to the spot on my lower back as he guided me upstairs. So, yeah, he definitely wasn’t averse to touching me. I didn’t know what to make of the contact. Then again, this was probably just how Derek acted when he was alone with a woman. He was protective even if he had zero romantic intentions. It was just his personality. He’d probably been the exact same way with his cousin’s friend, Kayla, when he’d taken her on a tour around his neighbourhood. A swift bolt of jealousy swept over me at the thought, but I pushed it down. No point feeling jealous over a man who literally had to tolerate my company for the sake of his daughter. Then again, he was acting much friendlier towards me tonight. Maybe this was progress towards something resembling a friendship?
“What will you have?” Derek asked as we each took a seat by the bar. As expected, it was empty, with just a handful of other people around our age who looked like parents on chaperone duty.
“A chardonnay if they have one,” I replied, and Derek snagged the attention of the bartender.
“A glass of chardonnay and a San Pellegrino, please.”
I peered up at him. “You’re not drinking?”
My question seemed to take him off guard momentarily before he answered, “No, I, uh, I’m driving.”
“Ah, right, yeah, best not to chance it.”
The bartender was quick to deliver our drinks to us while Derek handed over his card. A few moments of somewhat awkward silence passed. I faced forward, taking a sip of my wine as I studied the bottles of liquor behind the bar, aware of Derek’s attention on my profile.
“My sister tells me you’re starting a new job at the end of summer,” he said then, breaking the quiet.
“Yes.” I placed my glass down. “I secured a teaching position in the radiography programme at UCD. That’s the area I ended up specialising in.”
“What made you decide to start teaching?” Derek’s brown eyes were keenly focused as he rested his arm on the bar, his body turned towards me.
I blew out a breath. “I worked in a very busy hospital for almost ten years, and life had started to feel like a bit of a hamster wheel,” I answered honestly. “I felt like Deirdre was growing up so fast, and I was barely getting to enjoy my time with her. I applied for the teaching position on a whim, never imagining I’d get it, but when I did, it was a surprisingly easy decision to move home. It meant getting to be close to my parents again, and with both of them in their seventies now, I feel better living nearby. My sister, Jane, is in Kilkenny, which isn’t a million miles away, but it’s still a long drive for her to reach Mam and Dad if anything happened. Donna has an apartment here in the city, but she’s not very reliable when it comes to our parents. She’s never been the kind of person who’ll check in on them or show up first during an emergency, you know? She’s more the kind to tell you she lost her phone and then appear days later after someone else has taken care of all the stressful stuff.”
“That sounds a little selfish,” Derek commented.
“It is, but I think she just finds it difficult handling tough situations. She tends to check out if she gets overwhelmed.”
“And what about Deirdre’s father? Is he going to come live here, too?”
I was surprised he asked the question since it was veering into pretty personal territory. I took a sip of wine before I answered, “No, he’s staying in London. He’s a surgeon, so his work is his life. He’s always been good to Deirdre, though. Colin and I, we weren’t together for very long. I met him about two years into my college career. He was the son of one of my aunt’s acquaintances, and we were seeing each for a couple of months before I got pregnant.”
I paused, unsure why I was telling him all this. Strangely, though, I wanted to him to know a little about my life, what had happened during the years we’d been apart, and I wanted to know about his life, too. I hoped that revealing some things might encourage him to open up in return. It would be nice to get know him again, especially with Deirdre and Gigi becoming so close.
“I’m sorry,” he said then, taking me by surprise.
“For what?” I questioned, confused.
He cleared his throat. “For what I said that night when you came to collect Deirdre. It was low of me, and I just wanted you to know that I didn’t mean it. I’ve gotten to know your daughter over the last few weeks, and she’s a testament to you. She’s an incredible young woman, and having her around has made the world of difference to Gigi.”
His compliment made my cheeks heat a little. “Well, um, apology accepted. And the pregnancy wasn’t planned, obviously, but yeah, I don’t regret it for a single second. Although I do still think of the irony of two medical students failing to use proper contraceptives,” I laughed softly, and the faintest smile touched Derek’s lips. “Things didn’t work out between me and Colin romantically, and we split before Deirdre was even born, but we’ve always managed to remain good friends. Colin’s a great co-parent, and he’s always been happy for me to have the main custody of Deirdre while still doing his best to be present in her life.” I paused to shrug. “It works for us.”
When I looked to Derek again, he was studying me in a very intense way, and I found myself blurting, “What about you and Gigi’s mother? How did you meet?”
He blinked himself out of whatever thoughts he was having and sat back a little. “Paloma and I met when I was travelling around Europe the year I finished college. She’s originally from Seville in Spain, but we met in Bilbao. I was staying there for a few days, and she was travelling through with a group of musicians who were touring the country.” He paused to rub at the stubble on his jaw.
“We, uh, we ended up having a one-night stand, and the next day, she invited me and my college friend, Justin, to travel to San Sebastian with her group for the next spot on their tour. Justin was taken with the cellist, so we didn’t hesitate to change our itinerary. In the end, we travelled for the next two months with the group, going from city to city. It was a bit of a whirlwind.” Derek paused to cast me a glance before he continued, “Anyway, we parted ways at the end of the tour, and Justin and I flew home to Ireland. I’d started working full-time for my dad when, a couple weeks later, Paloma showed up on our doorstep announcing she was pregnant.”
“Oh, my goodness, that must’ve been a shock.”
He gave a low chuckle. “You could say that again. I got quite a talking to from my parents, especially my dad, but they ended up loving Paloma and invited her to live with us.” His expression was thoughtful, like he was casting his mind back to those days. “She liked it in Ireland and decided she’d stay and raise our child here. A few months into the pregnancy, she proposed.”
My eyebrows shot up. “She proposed to you?”
“I should’ve been the one to do it, especially with a baby on the way, and my dad kept saying how it was important that I step up to my responsibilities, but I …” His words fell off as his gaze met mine, and my throat thickened because I had an inkling of why he’d been reticent to ask Paloma to marry him. He’d proposed once before, and it hadn’t gone as he’d hoped. The idea of Derek being scarred by my rejection when he was so young made me feel like the worst person in the world. “Anyway, we’re divorced now, so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much.”
He lifted his drink and knocked back a gulp before standing from his stool, “We should probably go check on the girls.”
“Yeah,” I replied, gathering my handbag to follow him from the bar, all the while my heart was in my throat as I thought of how I’d hurt him so many years ago.
The most troubling part was a yearning built within me to make right a past mistake.
15.
Milly
A tension lingered between us as we returned to watch over the girls. Deirdre and Gigi looked like they were having the time of their lives. Their carefree joy as they sang along and danced to the upbeat pop songs had me smiling despite myself.
The crowd swelled around us, more energised now that the concert was in full swing, causing Derek to stand close behind me. I felt his heat on the back of my neck, his tall presence almost shielding me from the excitement of the other concertgoers. My face heated, and a buzz filled my ears at his proximity, and when a young woman who looked a little intoxicated moved by us, a plastic cup of beer sloshing about as she clumsily made her way past, I felt Derek’s arm go around my middle, pulling me close so the beer didn’t spill on my shoes. His hand gripped my hip, causing a flutter in my belly.
When I chanced a peek at him, I saw he was smiling as he stared ahead, eyes on his daughter. It warmed my heart because he clearly loved Gigi very much, and seeing her happy obviously meant a lot to him. Suddenly, his gaze flicked down, his fingers flexing on my hip when he seemed to realise he was still holding onto me. Had it been so instinctual for him to move me to safety? It was like he did it without even thinking, and my pulse thudded at the thought.
He let me go, putting the tiniest bit of distance between us but still standing close, leaving me entirely discombobulated.
When the show was over, the girls hurried through the crowd to find us, both starry eyed and breathless.
“Dad!” Gigi exclaimed. “What are you still doing here?”
“I decided to stick around and see what all the fuss was about,” he responded indulgently, and Gigi grinned.
“Well, what did you think?”
“Amazing. I think I might buy one of those shirts they’re selling out front and become a proper fan,” he teased.
“No!” she giggled while Deirdre looked to me.
“Speaking of merch, can I …?” she trailed off, pressing her palms together, prayerlike.
“You can get one item,” I allowed, and Derek handed his credit card over to Gigi so she could do the same. The two of them raced to the merch stand while Derek and I followed after them.
“You’re very good,” I said, and he glanced my way, his look questioning. “With Gigi, I mean. You’re a great dad.”
Something vulnerable flickered across his expression, like it meant a lot to him to hear me say that. Then his jaw worked as he bobbed his head. “Thank you.” His voice was low, rough, and my heart pounded at the way he was staring at me, though I couldn’t quite decipher what his look meant.
A few minutes later, we were headed to Derek’s car. Deirdre had managed to convince me to let her buy two extra items, and Gigi carried two bags stuffed to the brim with band merchandise. I had a feeling Derek still felt guilty about her almost missing the show earlier, so he’d let her go wild with his credit card. He brought us to a drive-thru burger place, all the while Deirdre and Gigi sat in the back and gushed giddily over every aspect of the show. It was late, and I wasn’t too hungry, so I just ordered a portion of chicken nuggets to nibble on.
“Can Gigi stay over at our house tonight?” Deirdre asked pleadingly once we’d finished eating.
“Sure, if it’s okay with her dad,” I replied, and Derek met his daughter’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
“You have a tennis lesson in the morning,” he reminded her.
“I’ll still make it if you come pick me up.”
“All right, then. But don’t forget to set your alarm. I’ll be there at nine-thirty to collect you.”
“Thanks, Dad. You’re the best.”
When Derek pulled up outside my house, he climbed from the car, going around to help Gigi out and giving her a hug goodnight. Watching him had my insides doing strange loops. Seeing Derek be a dad obviously appealed to some part of my psyche. When he let her go, the girls skipped inside while I hung back to say goodnight to him. He stood leaning against the driver side door, his shirt sleeves still rolled up and exposing his distractingly muscular forearms, gazing down at me like he had all the time in world.
A beat of quiet passed as we just stared at one another before I finally spoke, “Thank you again for coming to the rescue tonight.”
His dark gaze gentled. “It was no problem.”
I nodded. “Well, I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
I turned to leave when his voice stopped me. “Camille.”
Tingles tip-toed across the back of my neck when I heard my name pass his lips. It was the first time he’d spoken it since I’d come home, and I had to suppress a shiver at the way his deep voice caressed the syllables. “Derek?”
His gaze softened further as he said, “I didn’t entirely hate spending time with you tonight.” The faintest glint of humour sparkled in his handsome brown eyes.
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “Calm down with the flattery, or my head might explode.”
His deep answering chuckle sent a warm, fluttery sensation through my stomach as he turned and climbed back inside his car. He switched on his indicator, checking his mirrors as he prepared to leave. “Derek,” I said, and he paused to look my way, his window rolled down. Smirking, I went on, “I didn’t entirely hate spending time with you tonight either.”
Shaking his head, I heard him laugh again as he drove away.
I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep that night thanks to the girls keeping me up until the small hours chattering away in Deirdre’s bedroom. Waking up with my alarm, I threw on a bra, a T-shirt and a pair of shorts before going downstairs in search of breakfast.
As soon I entered the kitchen, I heard a dripping sound before I saw the giant puddle of water that had collected on the floor. Worry seized me as my gaze travelled up, up, up to the ceiling where water seemed to be coming through the plaster.
Oh crap, not good.
I leapt into action, grabbing a mop and bucket from the utility cupboard as well as a sponge to try and dry up the area. My efforts were fruitless because the leak was still dripping, and I only ended up with wet hair and soiled clothes.
Panicking, I picked up my phone to Google an emergency plumber when, a second later, the doorbell rang. I hurried to answer it and found Derek on my front step. In my fluster, I’d all but forgotten that he was coming over to collect Gigi. Looking gorgeous with his dark hair messily styled, his blue, short-sleeved shirt displaying his thick forearms, I felt like a hot mess in comparison.
Derek took me in, and I was suddenly aware that my top was plastered to my skin, my black bra peeking through the pale material. Not to mention my nipples had beaded from the wetness, and my hair was all over the place. Derek’s gaze travelled over every disastrously damp part of me, and I was pretty sure his jaw flickered in some kind of discomfort before he asked, “What happened?”
I winced. “Water leak. Um, you’re here for Gigi?” I went to the foot of the stairs, calling up, “Gigi, your dad’s here.”
There was an audible groan followed by movement as she evidently crawled out of bed.
I suddenly became aware that Derek was standing right behind me, his warm chest at my back. “Show me where the leak is coming from.”
I turned and peered up at him, rubbing at the stress ache that was swiftly gathering in my temples. “You don’t have to—”
“Show me.”
“It’s coming from the kitchen ceiling, but I’m not sure what the source is.”
At this, Derek made his way past me and strode right into the kitchen. “Bloody hell,” I heard him mutter. “Is your water mains under the sink?”
“I think so?”
Derek went to the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink and pulled it open. I watched as he lowered to his knees and used a fair bit of elbow grease to turn off the rusty old valve that was stiff with age. He rose back to his full height, his eyebrows drawn together in thought. “I need to check your tank in the attic.”
I nodded and motioned for him to follow me upstairs. When we reached the top, I was vaguely aware of my open bedroom door and the messy, unmade bed before I focused on opening the attic and pulling down the ladder. Before climbing up, Derek turned to me, keeping his gaze trained on my face. Again, I spotted that same flicker in his jaw. “Go clean yourself up. I’ll call you if I need help.”
A blush stained my cheeks because I obviously looked a mess. I was practically flashing him with my wet, almost see-through top, which clearly made him uncomfortable.
“Yes, good idea,” I said, embarrassed, and hurried to my room. I’d finished pulling on a dry jumper and some leggings when Derek called down, “Your tank overflowed in the night. Looks like the ballcock is broken. What room is directly under the tank?”
I scratched my head. “Uh, the bathroom?”
“Go check if there’s leaking water there, too.”
I went into the bathroom and discovered masses of water flowing from the ceiling, along the wall and down through the floor, which was obviously then leaking down into the kitchen. The damage was massive, and I knew instantly it was going to be expensive, not to mention time-consuming, to fix. My blood pressure rose.
“The bathroom’s a disaster,” I said to Derek, stress evident in the high pitch of my voice as he climbed back down from the attic, moving by me to check the damage before swearing under his breath. He pulled out his phone, appearing to scroll through his contracts and then hitting Call on a number and lifting it to his ear.
“Paddy,” he said. “How are things?” A pause as he listened. “Yeah, not too bad either. Listen, a friend of mine has a leak in her house. Tank overflowed. How are you fixed to come over and take a look today?”
He was arranging for someone, likely a plumber or contractor of some sort, to come and repair the leak and water damage? Derek had no clue how grateful I was to him for taking charge. I mean, I was independent when it came to most of life’s challenges, but dealing with this kind of thing wasn’t my strong suit. Back in London, Deirdre and I lived in an upscale apartment building with a maintenance team that dealt with any issues. The rent was exorbitant, but at least I didn’t have to worry about stuff like this happening. Honestly, it probably would’ve taken me an hour to figure out the leak was coming from the attic when Derek had it sussed within minutes.
