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CHAPTER ONE
JODI HAWKE SWUNG the budget rental car against the kerb and hauled the handbrake on hard Her heart was in her rease-smeared windscreen towards the small, neat semi-attached town house she’d finally found after an hour of driving around, through and over Parnell Auckland was not her usual playground But that was about to change—for a ti
A chill lifted goosebumps on her skin ‘I can’t do this’
Brushing her too-long fringe out of her eyes, she turned to glare at her guilt-ridden reflection in the rear-vision mirror, and snapped, ‘You have to’
Think what’s at stake ‘Jaht This day has always been hovering in the background, waiting for show time’
Before she could overthink the situation for the trillionth time Jodi elbowed the door open and slid out onto the road The unassu in on the front door with the precision of a ruled line The lawn had been ardens were bare of anything other than soround cover
‘So Mitch’s still too busy working to put ti else’ It followed that he’d still not be taking care of any relationships either
‘Soe’ Which was unfortunate because, like it or not, big changes were on Mitch’s horizon She was about to tip his world upside down, inside out For ever
Whatever his reaction he would never be able to forget what she was about to tell him Mitchell Maitland, the o, was about to get the shock of his life The man she’d walked away from in a moment of pure desperation when it had finally hit hoe Not for anyone, and especially not for her
Unfortunately she’d needed his total coiven her in a week Growing up, she’d learned that when people were busy getting ahead they didn’t have ti out love and affection Except, silly woht’ve been different despite all the warning signs to the contrary She’d believed her love for hi
Lately she’d learned the hard way that there was more to a relationship than love and affection There was responsibility, honesty and integrity Things she’d overlooked in Mitch Because of that, Mitch wouldn’t forgive her in a hurry—if at all And noas payback time for what she’d omitted to tell hio
Stepping up the path, she ignored the butterflies flapping in her belly, and went for bravado ‘Hello, Mitchell Reot away still mostly intact Left you when it became apparent you had no ood bonk’
At the very moment her palm pressed hard on the doorbell she noted the open s, the curtains ht breeze, heard music inside somewhere Not Mitchell’s preferred heavy rock but a country tune
She closed her eyes and hauled a lungful What if he’s got a wife now? Or a live-in partner? But the answers to the few questions she’d felt safe asking of a colleague froround, had reassured her he was still single and playing the field as hard as ever But what if the information was incorrect? Maybe she should ask around soo and hide froain That would help heaps Not
In truth, she didn’t want to hurt Mitchell—at all Too late You already have He just doesn’t know it Yet But if there had been another way around the problem she’d have found it
‘I need to do this,’ she said under her breath ‘It’s life or death Ja her shoulders, she pressed the bell again And gaped at the waif-like woed the door wide
An open face with a beautiful s brown eyes filled with friendliness ‘Hello?’
Jodi’s fingers coly tufts t
hat looked as though she’d taken the wool clippers to the for inessentials such as hair A twist of envy wound through her as she studied this wo herself Mitch wouldn’t be alone Good-looking, highly sexed, streetwise men like him never were ‘Hello, I’m Dr Jodi Hawke Is Mitchell at home?’
The woman se female’s sudden appearance on the doorstep ‘Sorry, but he’s at work, even though it is Saturday I’d say coet ho extra shifts’
I know That was the problem One of the problems, she corrected herself ‘He works at Auckland General Hospital, right?’ Just checking she had that fact correct
‘Isn’t he wonderful? Helping all those sick kids? He’s got such a lovely ith them When our Lilly broke her arh while he was doing it’
Our Lilly Mitchell had a daughter? The guy who’d sworn off having his own kids for ever? Jodi’s head spun and she groped for the wall to gain some stability as darkness crashed down over her eyes This was turning out an even bigger nightmare than she’d believed possible
‘Hey, careful You’re going to fall in a heap’ A hand gripped her elbow fir her over the doorstep and into a small entranceway ‘What’s the host Or as our Lilly would say, seen a vampire Here…’ The wo for such a small woet you a glass of cold water’
‘I—I’ wo in the air’ Yeah, sohen up You’re a ’
A shadow crossed the floor in front of Jodi Carefully lifting her head, her eyes aze
‘Here, drink this My name’s Claire, by the way’ The wolass to Jodi’s lips ‘What happened? Gee, onelike a sack of spuds’
‘I’ I ate earlier’ Her voice dwindled off as she sucked in her lie The half piece of toast at six that lass fro water, and aze of this kind woet out of your way’ Suddenly in a hurry to leave, she stood up, and swayed on her feet Once rabbed at her, pushed her down on the chair