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I shrugged. “Women with half a brain?”
Nathan smiled, realising I was teasing him. “Alright then, what type of man are you interested in? Prince Charming?”
I shrugged again. “So what if I am? What’s wrong with a little romance? What’s wrong with a man who will treat you like a princess, value your opinion, and love you unconditionally?”
“Rose really, you’re living in a dreamland. Relationships aren’t like that in real life, trust me.”
I looked at him, trying to read his eyes like he did to me so often. They were just as emotionless as his voice. “What do you have against relationships, Nathan? Have you ever been in one?”
Nathan frowned at me and stood up. “I’ve had enough sharing for one day. Let’s go and make something for dinner.” He walked into the kitchen and started pulling things out of the freezer.
I decided to let the conversation end. I was tired of arguing with Nathan and I was starting to enjoy his company a little. I followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast bar.
“Are you a good cook?” I asked as I watched Nathan put two steaks in a frypan.
Nathan smiled, his face relaxing. “I only cook when I come up here. I enjoy cooking, but you’ll have to tell me after dinner whether I’m a good cook.”
I sat and watched him crush some dry herbs and sprinkle them on the cooking steaks. I loved watching his hands. They were so strong, I could still feel his touch on my skin. I felt my cheeks flush at the thought.
“You alright, Rose?” Nathan asked, looking up from the stove. “You look a little flushed.”
“I’m fine, I could do with a drink. Do you want one too?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
I walked over to the fridge and got out a bottle of red wine, then I went to the cupboard and got out two wineglasses and poured us both a drink. Nathan took a mouthful and continued cooking, looking more relaxed with every passing minute.
“How long have you had this place?” I asked.
“A few years. I was feeling a little over the city and just felt like I needed a break. I saw this place advertised and thought, why not? I’m glad I brought it. I think I would have gone insane without some place to get away to every now and again.”
“Yeah? I didn’t picture you as the sort of guy who takes a break.”
Nathan smiled. “It’s more for everyone else. I tend to have a very short fuse when I’m tired. I only have time to spend a night up here at a time, sometimes only a couple of hours, but it’s enough for me to relax a little and unwind.”
I had noticed a change in him since we’d been here. His movements were more relaxed and his face no longer had the creases on his forehead.
Nathan finished off the cooking while I set the table. After he’d served up our food, he carried the plates over to the table where I was waiting with a smile on my face. I was beginning to enjoying myself. It had been a long time since anyone had cooked and served me dinner, apart from Jane. I’d always been the one looking after everyone else. If anything, my time with Nathan had given me a time out, to take stock of just how much time I spent on everyone else. It was nice to be the one just along for the ride.
Halfway through dinner I heard a phone ringing. “I thought you turned your phone off,” I remarked.
Nathan frowned. “I did, that’s the house phone.”
I hadn’t even noticed a phone. Nathan walked into the lounge room and picked up a small cordless phone hidden behind a stack of books. He listened quietly and I tried to read his facial expressions, but his face, like always, was unreadable. After a few moments he said goodbye and hung up.
“That was Jane. She said Charlotte’s mother just rang and Charlotte has gone into labour,” Nathan said, his voice calm.
I felt worry course through my body in an instant. “What? She’s only thirty-six weeks pregnant.”
“Her mother has taken her to Sydney Women’s Hospital. We have to get Liam and take him to the hospital.”
“Liam’s nearby?”
“Yes. Go and get changed.”
We walked into the bedroom and got changed into our clothes from earlier. I was so worried that I didn’t bother feeling embarrassed at stripping off in front of him. Nathan quickly cleaned up the kitchen and threw out the rubbish, then we both ran though the pouring rain to Nathan’s car.
Nathan took off down the winding track from the cabin to the main road. The road was wet and slippery and Nathan took the drive slowly and carefully, frustrating me.
