Starting Over (New Beginnings #1) Read online

  "Yeah, she hasn't been able to afford to take them away on a holiday since the idiot left, and she figures a weekend away is the next best thing; that's how I convinced her to come."

  "She doesn't look like she's strapped for cash. The clothes, the bags. I mean I could be wrong, I'm not sure about these things but they looked designer to me."

  "They are. Courtesy of the ex, apparently he liked her to look the part, but when he left he took everything. All she has now is the clothes she owned and a few incidentals, these days she struggles to pay the rent each week."

  "Surely if he had that much money he must pay her a small fortune in child support?"

  "Not a cent. He disappeared, although I don't think she's all that desperate to find him, she's happier with him out of her life entirely. As I said the guy is an A grade arsehole."

  "Wow. That's pretty tough."

  Hayden nodded.

  "What about the girls though. Doesn't he ever see them?"

  "Nope."

  "Wow," Connor shook his head, "I struggle to understand the mentality of some people."

  "Ain't that the truth. So who'd you bring this weekend? Haven't you got some girl here somewhere?" Hayden asked, changing the subject. He wasn't entirely comfortable discussing Ash's private life. If she chose to tell Connor all about it, then that was her choice, but it wasn't really his story to tell.

  "Nope, no girl this weekend." Connor replied. In truth he was over the kind of women he usually hung out with. Groupies who just wanted to hang out with a musician, even before he made it big. They were clamouring to hang out with him, now it was just pathetic. He had been looking forward to a quiet weekend with the family.

  "What? The great Connor Maise doesn't have a date this weekend?" Hayden taunted.

  Connor raised his eyebrows, "Seriously Cuz, you want to go there, you brought a "friend" and want to razz me out about not bringing a date at all?"

  "You know I'm going to give you shit anytime I can Connor, just because I can."

  "Well that's fine, but just know I'm going to give it back again."

  "I wouldn't expect anything less." Hayden replied as he finished off his second glass of scotch.

  ****

  Ash lay back on the bed, she was tired after the drive up, and would have loved a quick nap, but she was feeling really hungry. She couldn't wait till dinner. She had finally managed to quieten the girls down by threatening to sleep on the top bunk herself if they couldn't sort it out between them. She didn't know what they had agreed to and at this stage she didn't care, all she cared about was that they were sitting quietly on the top bunk, probably too quietly, but Ash just wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

  "Mummy?" and as soon as that the peace was shattered.

  "Yes Beth?"

  "When can we go swimming?"

  "After dinner Sweets."

  "But we've already had dinner!"

  "But I haven't."

  "How long?"

  Ash rubbed her head where a headache was starting to form across her forehead. "I don't know Sweetie. But as soon as I've had something to eat I'll come out by the pool and watch you swim for a little while before bed."

  "Won't you come in with us? Please?"

  "Not tonight Sarah. Tomorrow I will though. Okay?"

  "Will Hayden come in with us?"

  "Maybe. You can ask him at dinner okay."

  "Can we ask him now?" Beth asked, as she jumped from the top bunk down to the floor.

  "Beth, don't you dare let me catch you doing that again. You'll end up breaking a leg and then you'll be in a cast and won't be able to swim at all."

  Beth looked down, contrite, and nodded.

  "Sure, go and ask Hayden now." anything to get them to be quiet and leave her in peace for thirty seconds.

  Sarah climbed carefully down the ladder and beamed at her mother as she followed Beth towards the door.

  "Suck." Beth said quietly when Sarah got to her side.

  "Bethany Rose! Don't you dare speak to your sister like that again. You are on your last warning miss. You'll come straight back in here after dinner and have to listen to your sister having fun in the pool without you."

  Beth lowered her head again but didn't say anything as she left the room. Ash could still hear them arguing though as they knocked on Hayden's door.

  Twenty seconds later they were back.

  "He's not there Mummy, can we go find him? Connor said we were allowed to look around." Beth said.

  "Can we Mummy?" Sarah added.

  Ash sat up and slipped her feet back into her thongs.

  "Come on, let's go together." she said resignedly as she pulled the door closed behind them; so much for some quiet time.

  ****

  Hayden heard the girls coming long before they reached the games room where he and Connor were still chatting. He grabbed a beer for Ash out of the fridge so it was ready when she got there. He didn't think it would be too much longer before they got there, and he could already imagine the girls’ reaction when they spotted the pool table, not to mention if they noticed the huge flat screen in the next room.

  Sure enough, the girls’ entry was immediately followed by a few quick squeals of delight that had Connor covering his ears.

  "Seriously, is that necessary?" he mumbled.

  "Waituntil they see the flat screen then, if you thought that was bad." Hayden laughed at Connor’s reaction and held the beer up to Ash as she followed the girls into the room with a seriously pained expression. She smiled brightly and her eyes lit up in answer as she crossed the room quickly to grab the beer.

  "Hayden, do you wanna swim with us after dinner?" Sarah asked quietly.

  "Hey can we play?" Beth asked, referring to the pool table before Hayden even had a chance to answer Sarah.

  "Well dinner is probably ready about now," Connor answered.

  "But we've already eaten." Beth complained.

  "Well we might be able to rustle up some ice cream for dessert." Connor said, hoping that comment wouldn't cause more issues than it solved. He reasoned that if their mum didn't have an issue with them eating MacDonald's, she shouldn't have a major issue with them having ice cream.

  "Yes please." both the girls answered in unison as Connor got a gentle nod of assent from Ash.

  "Just a little bit though, otherwise you won't be able to go swimming after." Ash commented, reminding Sarah that Hayden hadn't answered her question about swimming.

  "What about your mum?" Hayden asked, having picked up on Ash's comments about the girls going swimming as opposed to coming swimming.

  "I'm just going to watch them tonight, I had the early shift this morning so I've been up since four and I'm too tired to swim. Don't feel obliged Hayden, they're both pretty good swimmers so I'm happy for them to be in the water by themselves while I watch."

  "Well let's say probably then." he said to Sarah, "but I'll make a final decision after dinner."

  Sarah stopped in concentration for a minute before answering.

  "That will be acceptable." she answered with a nod, causing Connor to choke back a quick laugh. He raised his eyebrows at Hayden who smiled back at him as he ruffled Sarah's hair.

  "Let's go get that ice cream then," Connor said, "and maybe I'll even join you in the pool after dinner as well."

  ****

  Chapter 4

  Ash was surprised at how quiet it was at dinner. She expected there to be people everywhere, however in addition to her small group and Connor, there were only two other people. A beautiful darkly featured younger woman, Ariane, who was apparently Connor’s ex-girlfriend and current backup singer, a short striking pixie cut that showcased her high cheekbones and sharp jaw line outlined her strikingly beautiful face. Her younger brother, Scott, was the male version of her, dark hair, skin and eyes with broad shoulders and a smaller waist. Ash noticed Scott watching her all through dinner, she wished she could feel flattered, but all she felt was uncomfortable. She really wished he'd go away and l
eave her to lust after Connor in peace, and yes she was well aware of the irony of that thought.

  Dinner itself was a delicious wood fired pizza combination, just the basics, nothing extravagant, some ham and pineapple, basic cheese and garlic, salami and capsicum. The only one Ash didn't try was the egg and bacon, but she'd never been a big fan of egg on a pizza anyway and was feeling so full by the time it came out that she decided to skip it entirely.

  The girls had finished their ice cream by the time the second pizza came out and although they weren't being too disruptive, they didn't exactly fit into the seen-but-not- heard category either.

  Ash noticed that they obviously annoyed Ariane a lot more than anybody else at the table while Connor seemed remarkably patient with them.

  "I thought you said there were going to other kids here this weekend?" Ash said quietly, turning to Hayden who was sitting to her right. The girls were sitting next to each other on her left and were occupied by playing rock paper scissors to see who would get to sleep on the top bunk. Obviously they hadn't sorted it out yet and Scott, sitting opposite them, had suggested that was how he and Ariane had sorted out their problems as kids. That started off the whole "What's that spiel?" So Connor and Scott had demonstrated a couple of games and it had kept the girls occupied for the last ten minutes at least. They were going for a best of seven but kept matching each other more often than not.

  Connor leaned across the table from his seat opposite Ash to answer her question.

  "The others will be here tomorrow. My sister is coming up with her two kids, although Adam won't be very happy I don't think, being the only older boy at nine. His sister, Bianca is six, and my brother is coming with his wife and their little one, she's the baby of the family at the moment, she's an adorable three. Hayden's sister is coming too, and she has a new baby boy. How old is he Hay?"

  "Almost six months now I think." Hayden answered.

  Ash nodded, she had heard all about Hayden's new nephew, he was and still remains excited about the new addition to the family.

  "I've seen lots of photos and videos of Mitch." Ash said in reply.

  "How long have you two known each other?" Ariane asked politely, although Ash didn't miss the scowl that tipped at Ariane's lips and the corners of her eyes.

  "About eighteen months, I think." Ash answered, looking to Hayden for confirmation.

  He nodded and smiled at her, "Yeah eighteen months, when I initially started at Target, although we only started working together about six months ago."

  "You work at Target?" Ariane confirmed.

  "Yeah."

  "I didn't realise they stocked Alannah Hill in Target, or are you an eBay shopper? That top isn't current season!"

  "Ariane, I didn't realise you were such a snob." Connor admonished with more than just a little bit of spite in his words.

  "I'm not, I just don't like fakes." Ariane added.

  "Not that it's any of your business Ariane, and I'm not sure what I've done to cause such angst, but this shirt was bought by my ex husband, new, three years ago. I still wear it, and most of my other painfully expensive designer clothes because I can't afford new clothes anymore and these are exceptionally good quality and last really well; I'll probably still be wearing them in another three years, because I'll probably still be working at Target while I put my girls through school, and they will always be a priority over my ability to wear current fashions anymore."

  "So why did he leave you then? Wanted a younger model?"

  "Ariane!" Connor admonished.

  "That's none of your damned business." Ash stated as she stood up from the table. "Now if you'll all excuse me; I'm going to take my girls swimming."

  Sarah and Beth jumped up quickly from the table and chased after their mother with squeals of delight.

  "Are you coming Hayden?" Sarah called back when they reached the door.

  "You go on; I'll be out shortly." Hayden smiled at her, but his smile quickly turned into a scowl as soon as she was gone.

  Connor watched Ash's fine behind walk through the door before he turned his attention back to the table in time to watch Hayden tear chunks out of Ariane.

  "What is your problem? I know you can be a bitch at times but that's was beyond uncalled for. What has she ever done to you, aside from coming here this weekend with me?" He shook his head and pulled at his hair with his hands in frustration as he stood up from the table. "Leave her alone Ariane, she's been through a tough enough time and doesn't need your shit. So butt out or I'll step in." Hayden left the room to follow after Ash and the girls and get ready for a swim. He needed it now to cool off before he punched Ariane in the head. Not that he'd ever hit a girl in all his thirty-six years, not even his sister, but there was always a first time for anything.

  "What the hell was that about Ariane?" Connor started as soon as he thought Hayden was out of earshot.

  "What?"

  "Why did you attack Ash like that? You don't know her from a bar of soap, how can you be so nasty? It was harsh, even for you!"

  "I don't like her!"

  "You don't even know her."

  "What and you do?"

  "Not as well as I'd like but I'm working on it."

  Ariane raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You'd never steal Hayden's girlfriend, not intentionally anyway."

  "You're right, I wouldn't. But she's not his girlfriend, they're not even staying in the same room."

  "So she's available then?" Scott asked, interrupting the conversation and reminding them he was still there.

  "Stay away from her Scott. Hayden promised her a fun, no pressure, weekend. So both of you back off and leave her alone and let her relax and enjoy herself."

  Thinking that he would not be able to get to know her if she gets upset and leaves, Ariane’s face lit up in the hope that Hayden wasn't actually interested in Ash as anything more than a friend.

  "I think you crushed any last hope you may have had with Hayden though, he likes her and he wants her and your treatment of her might have pretty much sealed the deal for him regarding you. Move on Ariane, you're not going to win this one. Just leave him be." Connor said.

  "Come on Connor, you know I can't do that. And, hang on! What do you mean he wants her?"

  "He's interested in her, she's only interested in being friends. He's trying to change her mind, and I'd guess he's been trying unsuccessfully for at least six months, so I don't think he'll actually be much competition."

  "So you're allowed to chase her, and Hayden's allowed to chase her, but I'm not?" Scott was indignant. "Way to make a guy feel welcome."

  Connor stood up from the table.

  "Where are you going?" Ariane asked.

  "Swimming!" Connor answered with a cocky smile as he sauntered out of the room.

  Ariane loved the guy to death, and they had even tried dating, but the chemistry just wasn't there. There was no spark that ignited her senses when he was in close proximity, so after a few months they had given up and decided to just be friends. It was one of the best decisions she had ever made and he was now one of her best friends, but he didn't hold any punches when it came to telling her the truth and his comments about Hayden cut deep.

  "Where are you going?" She asked Scott as he stood up from the table too.

  "Swimming." He answered, with a double eyebrow raise that almost made her laugh with its ridiculousness. She shook her head as she stood from the table and, wrapping her arm around his shoulder, she pulled her brother out of the room.

  "Nope! You and I have a date with Jack in the games room. We, my dear brother, are going to wallow."

  "But..."

  "Seriously, do you want to take on Hayden and Connor against a woman who is obviously too old for you anyway?"

  "How do you know how old she is?"

  "Well she has seven-year old girls, so even if she had them when she was twenty, she's still at least five years older than you."

  "Maybe she had them when she was sixteen? And five years
isn't a big age difference anyway."

  "Scott, she's at least in her late twenties, trust me, and she was looking at you like you were an annoying bug that she wanted to squash."

  "What?" he exclaimed.

  "You were staring at her all night, and it obviously made her uncomfortable, so even if you were to have some sort of chance with her going up against Connor and Hayden, I'd suggest you steer well clear of her tonight and try a polite friendly conversation with her tomorrow at breakfast… Without staring at her throughout the entire meal, as if she were the main course, I may add."

  Scott just hmphed in resignation.

  "You, my baby bro, have a lot to learn about women." Ariane added as she reached behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of JD from behind the bar. "Mixed or straight up?"

  ****

  Hayden heard the girls splashing in the pool when he came out of the ensuite, dressed in his boardies and nothing else, he'd left his shirt on the end of his bed. He wanted to run out there and bomb the girls into fits of giggles. He knew giggling girls would always cheer up their mum, but he wanted to talk to her first and make sure she was Okay. When he stepped outside into the late dusk he saw her sitting on the edge of a chair in the pool enclosure watching the girls with rapt attention. He walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

  "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

  "Sure, I'll be fine. I don't really understand what I did to upset her!"

  "It wasn't you, it's my fault."

  "What?" Ash asked, confused by the comment.

  Hayden sighed.

  "It's called jealousy Ash."

  Ash just looked at him in further confusion.

  "Ariane has been chasing after me since she split with Connor, but I'm not interested in her. She was being spiteful because she thinks you're my girlfriend."

  "Wow, talk about being childish."

  "She'll get over it as soon as she realises you're just a friend." Hayden laughed. "I did consider asking you to pretend to be my girlfriend so she'd leave me alone for the weekend, but then I realised that would probably just mean she'd take her angst out on you instead. And boy, talk about angst!"

  Ash gave a small smile and a soft chuckle. "Well it's nice to know it wasn't about me, or something I had done, at least."