Cherish Collection January 2014 (Books 1-12). Rebecca Winters

the last minute. All right now, though. Nice to see you, Freya. Right, Dad, are you ready to go? Good, then we’ll be off. Goodbye, ladies.’

      Janine opened her arms to her husband. He came into them, but only for a moment, and again Freya saw the sense of unease that he seemed to carry with him these days.

      She was suddenly swamped by an irrational urge to hug Jackson. Despite the hostility that still burned between them it seemed unbearable to part as enemies. Disasters could happen. She might never see him again. Summoning all her courage, she took his arm and said, ‘Don’t I get a hug?’

      His smile had a touch of wryness. ‘Are you sure you want me to hug you?’

      ‘I’ll kick your shins if you don’t,’ she teased, trying to reintroduce some humour into their relationship.

      ‘That’s my girl,’ he said, opening his arms. His hug was brief, but fierce. ‘Goodbye,’ he said huskily.

      ‘Goodbye. Jackson—’

      ‘Gotta be going. Goodbye.’

      Then it was over. The two men were walking away, and the two women watched their retreating figures with hearts that ached. At the entrance the men turned and waved one last time. Next moment they were gone.

      * * *

      Now Freya could really concentrate on putting her life back together. Dan was gone. Jackson was gone. She was free to make a new future.

      She accepted another nursing assignment and when it was finished went out to Monte Carlo. In their phone calls something in her mother’s manner had spoken of loneliness.

      ‘Thank you for coming, darling,’ she said fervently when Freya arrived. ‘You can hold my hand and I can hold yours.’

      Freya hugged her, but said, ‘I don’t need anyone to hold my hand. I’m managing just fine.’

      Janine gave her a worried look, but was too wise to say anything.

      ‘How are they doing in Egypt?’ Freya asked over supper.

      ‘Really well, apparently. Until now they’ve been in Giza, with the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. But soon they’re going to Edfu, where there’s the temple of Horus. Amos is revelling in being a god.’

      ‘Now, there’s a surprise.’

      The two women laughed.

      ‘Jackson calls me sometimes, which I appreciate. It’s kind of him to keep me in the picture.’

      ‘Doesn’t Amos keep you in the picture?’

      ‘We talk, but I always feel that he’s saying what he wants me to believe rather than telling me how things are.’

      ‘And what he wants you to believe is that the world revolves around him—which, after all, is what he’s used to.’

      Janine gave a little sigh. ‘Well, as long as it keeps him happy.’

      ‘What about him keeping you happy? This is the twenty-first century. Men are supposed to worry about us as much as we worry about them.’

      ‘I don’t think many of them know that yet. Jackson’s kind and caring, but he’s still an exception.’

      ‘Yes, well let’s not talk about that.’

      ‘You’re still upset with him? When I saw you hug him at the airport—’

      ‘That was just a sentimental moment,’ Freya said hastily. ‘It came and it went. I’ve accepted reality.’

      She spoke with a bright air that warned her mother to pursue it no further. Janine had hoped to find a softening in her daughter’s attitude, but there was little to ease her mind.

      ‘Freya, darling, can’t you—? Oh, dear, there’s somebody at the door.’

      She rose and went out into the hall.

      Left alone, Freya went to the window to look out at the glorious bay, where the sun was beginning to set. It was eight o’clock here, which meant that in Egypt it would be nine. What was it like as night fell on that mystical land? Was it as beautiful as daybreak?

      She remembered Jackson saying, ‘I’ll never forget standing there as dawn broke, seeing the pyramid slowly emerge from the darkness.’

      It was almost eerie the way he still haunted her, cropping up at odd moments, forcing her to armour her mind against him.

      The shrill of the telephone interrupted her thoughts.

      ‘Can you answer that for me?’ Janine called from the hall.

      ‘All right.’ She lifted the receiver. ‘Hello?’

      ‘Janine, thank goodness you’re there,’ said Jackson’s voice.

      ‘I—no. I’m—’

      ‘I was afraid you might be out and I must talk to you urgently. I’m going to need your help, and I’ll need Freya’s help even more. It’s Amos. He’s started having breathless attacks and dizzy spells, but he won’t admit there’s anything wrong. I’ve told him he should go home, but he won’t hear of it. He won’t go to a doctor here either, so the only hope is for Freya to come to Egypt. He’ll tolerate her keeping a daughterly eye on him.’

      ‘Jackson—’

      ‘And if Freya doesn’t want to see me, tell her not to worry. I’ll keep as clear of her as she pleases, just as long as she looks after Dad. That’s all I’ll ask of her. My word on it.’

      Freya’s head whirled. Since answering the phone she’d uttered only a few words, and as her voice was very like her mother’s Jackson hadn’t spotted the mistake.

      ‘Do you think she’ll accept my word?’ Jackson persisted. ‘After what happened—does she still hate me?’

      At last Freya forced herself to speak.

      ‘I don’t hate you, Jackson,’ she said.

      There was a stunned silence. At last he spoke, sounding shocked. ‘Freya?’

      ‘Yes, it’s me. I’d have told you earlier but you didn’t give me the chance. If you need my help you’ll have it, of course.’

      ‘Do you—mean that?’

      ‘Of course I mean it. Ah, here’s my mother. You’d better talk to her.’

      She handed the phone to Janine, who had just appeared, murmuring, ‘It’s Jackson. He says Amos needs us.’

      While Janine listened to the bad news Freya kept a comforting arm around her mother, supporting her when she seemed about to fall.

      ‘Oh, no!’ she wept. ‘I’ll come at once—’

      ‘Me too,’ Freya told her, taking the phone. ‘Don’t worry, Mum. I’m going to take care of everything.’ Assuming her most professional voice, she said, ‘Jackson, can you help me with the arrangements?’

      ‘Certainly. We’re at Giza, and the nearest airport is Cairo.’

      For several minutes Freya made notes.

      ‘As soon as I know the flight times I’ll call you.’

      ‘Fine. And, Freya, thank you for this. It means so much—I was afraid—’

      ‘You should have known better. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my mother.’

      ‘Oh, yes—of course. Right—’

      He’d got the message. She was doing this for Janine, and only for her.

      As soon as she’d replaced the receiver the two women fell into each other’s arms.

      ‘Thank you, darling,’ her mother said in a choking voice. ‘I don’t know how I’d cope without you.’