Love or Money by Peter McAra

Author:Peter McAra
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857990570
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd
Published: 2013-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Hamish drove Dwayne home hoping that Honey would be there, hoping they could work at unscrambling the tortured mess of their relationship. They’d had some golden days as a couple — mother, father, and cute babe in arms. As he pulled up outside her house, Hamish spotted Honey’s car parked on the lawn. He scooped his son from the back seat, cradled him in strong arms, and headed inside.

‘That you, darl?’ The slurred voice came from Honey’s bedroom. He carried Dwayne down the hall, saw his partner lying on the bed in the semi-darkness, wearing only lurid bra and panties.

‘I brought our son back,’ he said, lowering Dwayne to the floor. The child clung to him, eyeing his mother nervously. ‘You left Dwayne today.’ Hamish choked back the judgemental chill that washed through his brain. ‘Again. You went out drinking. Why?’

‘No worries, Hamey. Dwayney was having his sleep. His afternoon sleep. I just went into town. For a coffee.’

‘Tell it like it is, Honey. You went out drinking. Abandoned our son. Why?’

‘A girl’s gotta have a little drink now and again.’ She flexed her near-naked body, smiled. For a split second, Hamish felt a part of him seduced by that body, as he had a thousand times before. He batted the feeling away.

‘Neglecting Dwayne like that. It’s a criminal offence.’

‘I told you, darl. He was having his sleep.’ She giggled. ‘Okay, it wasn’t exactly a coffee. I was coming back real soon. Before he woke.’

‘This afternoon, around three, Dwayne was found hysterical, screaming, running around the yard. By a client of mine. She brought him into the office, soothed him, cared for him. I was away on a call.’

‘Sorry Hamey. Sorry Dwayney. Hop into bed, boys. Big, big cuddles.’

‘Honey. This sort of behaviour absolutely has to stop. You’re breaking the law. Ripping away our last shreds of respectability as a family in this town.’

‘I don’t care about respectability in this bloody town. I don’t care about anything in this bloody town.’

‘I know that. I’ve seen the way you behave. So has everyone else. But what about our son? Don’t you care that you hurt him so much? That you could be damaging him? Making him grow up with all kinds of pain?’

‘Come to bed with Honeypie, darl.’ She flexed her body again, smiled up at him ‘Don’t be cross at me now, darl.’

‘You’re too drunk to care. About me, or about Dwayne. About anything.’

‘I love my Dwayney. Heaps. Course I do.’ She turned towards her son. ‘Here, Dwayney baby. Come and cuddle Mumsy.’ Dwayne looked at her, eyes wide, then gripped his father’s trouser leg harder. Hamish lifted his son into his arms.

‘I’m going to make Dwayne’s dinner. If you want to join us, fine.’ He turned and headed for the door.

‘Wait, Hamey.’ Her voice rang with sadness. ‘Come back a minute.’

‘No.’ To give in to her would kill the message he desperately wanted to get across.

‘I’m sorry, love,’ she sniffed. ‘I’ve been a naughty girl. Don’t be mad at me.

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