‘What about tonight? Surely you’re not working again tonight.’
She shook her head. ‘I told them I wouldn’t be available for the rest of the week.’ He looked relieved and she took the opportunity to change the subject. ‘So what are you doing here? Why didn’t you say yesterday morning that you were coming out today?’
‘I didn’t know I was. But when you get a summons from head office . . .’
‘The project’s not in trouble, is it?’ She turned her head sideways and studied him.
He shook his head.
‘I had my interview this morning, and guess what? They made me permanent! I was shocked, and I think Crawley was as well.I thought after the Frank thing —’ She grazed her fingertips across her healing lip.
‘Congratulations, Leah. I know how much the job means to you. No one deserves it more than you.’
She reached forward and put her empty mug on the coffee table. ‘Thanks,’ she said.
‘For what?’
‘I’m not stupid, Alex. You must have given me a glowing report. After the shirts, and all the stuff with Frank, I genuinely expected to lose my job. I figured they’d think I was too much trouble, even though that wouldn’t have been fair.’
‘I didn’t tell them about the assault.’
Leah’s eyebrows disappeared into her fringe. ‘You didn’t do an incident report?’
Alex shook his head.
‘Why the hell not? It’s company policy. How will you explain —’
‘I hope I never have to explain. But I’ll stand by my decision if it gets out. I discussed it with Ben, Ruby and Syd. I trust them. They’re the only ones who know the whole story and they agreed with me that you’d been through enough. They appreciate it’s often not the guilty person who pays the highest price. Frank Ballard has gone, and he’ll never, ever be back.’
‘Oh,’ was all Leah could say. She fidgeted with a loose thread on the sleeve of her t-shirt. Alex had surprised her, again. He’d contravened company policy because he knew the outcome would be unfair, and not in her favour.
Her eyes awash with unshed tears, she opened her mouth to speak. ‘I’m s—’
He cut her off. ‘Don’t you dare apologise, Leah. For anything.I should have listened to what you and Ruby said about Frank, way back. And I’m rapt that they gave you a permanent position, really.’
She stared at him. First one tear, and then another squeezed through. ‘But now we’ll never have a chance of being together,’ she wailed.
His expression lightened. ‘And you want that?’ Alex held his breath.
She nodded.
He smiled. ‘Claire sort of had her facts straight about one thing, although I’ve no idea where she heard it. You know Paul is retiring.’
Leah sniffed. ‘Yes, I know.’
‘He wants to finish up earlier than he’d originally planned. They want me to step into his position.’ Alex studied her face as he said it.
Her eyes widened slightly and she shuffled around on the sofa so she didn’t have to look sideways at him. ‘How do you feel about that?’
He wiggled his hand from side to side.
‘You’d hate it, Alex. Suits, daily commutes and lattes in trendy little cafes?’
‘You’re right, that wasn’t on my radar, never has been. In fact, the whole idea used to make me as twitchy as hell. But —’ His gaze locked with hers. ‘I care about you, Leah. Actually, I’m crazy about you, and I want to turn this thing between us into something real. And if that means all of the above, then I’m willing to give it a try.’ He coughed, clearing his throat. ‘I’ll even give the reversal operation a go, if you decide you’re that desperate for kids.’
She was stunned; he’d rendered her speechless. She scooted across the sofa and onto his lap, where he gathered her into his arms, pressing his face into her hair.
‘But you love what you do. You mustn’t give it up.’ Leah eased back to look at him. ‘We’ll make it work, somehow.’
‘No,’ he said vehemently. ‘It’s too difficult. I can’t be around you and not want to touch you. I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work.’ He laughed as she blushed. ‘And you were right when you said that if Stacey had figured it out, it wouldn’t be long before others did. I think Ben already suspects. How could either of us do our jobs with integrity when everyone knew the site supervisor and the safety advisor were in bed together?’ He rested his forehead against hers. ‘It’ll be better this way.’
‘So you’ll take Paul’s job?’
‘That’s 100 per cent up to you, Leah. I flew down today for one last talkfest. Travis Marshall, you know, the suit who fancied you, well he wants it, but they’ve offered it to me. I’ve told them I’d give them an answer in the morning, before I fly back up north.’
‘What if you hate it?’
‘I’ve thought about that too, but I’d have you to come home to for a week every month. I’d see you Fridays at the management meetings, and I’d try and wangle it so that I stayed over as often as I could. I’d have three out of four weekends that I could be with Liam and Connor, and more time to spend with Dad. That would be enough to make it worthwhile. Besides, the project is past the halfway mark. Another four, five months to go, and then maybe they’ll find you another job closer to home and you’ll be here every night.’
‘You’ve really thought this through.’ Leah didn’t know what to say.
‘Yep, I have. I want you, Leah. I need you. I need us. I’ll do whatever it takes.’
Joy bubbled up inside her. She scrutinised every centimetre of his gorgeous face.
‘So, what shall I tell them tomorrow? Or do you need more time to think it through?’
‘No, I don’t need time to think it through.’ She lifted her hand, smoothing her fingers across his stubbly jaw. ‘I’m humbled by what you’re willing to do for me . . . for us. I think you’re amazing.’ She tilted her head to one side. ‘I think I started falling for you that day I had the tyre blowout. You were so grumpy. But my god you were sexy.’
‘I remember that day. Vividly. I couldn’t believe what a smart mouth you had.’
She wiggled her eyebrows. ‘Man, you haven’t seen the half of it. You wait until this lip has healed.’
He kissed the intact side of her mouth. ‘Mmm, I think I’ve already had a taste . . .’
‘You know,’ she said, bracing herself against his chest so she could look him in the eye, ‘after my outburst on Monday, and those other times when I was a real pain, I thought you’d probably never want to see me again. I know I can be stubborn, and maybe a little headstrong —’
‘Noooo, surely not! And Monday, I needed to know you were safe.’
‘I get it, now I’ve had a chance to process everything. I’m so glad I met you, Alex. And having kids? Knowing I’ll never have a family of my own is sad, but I’d kind of resigned myself to the fact already.’
‘Dad will be pleased.’
‘Really?’
‘No, no, not about that. Dad would have more grandkids in a flash. No . . . what I was going to say is that Dad will be pleased I’ve found somewhere else to live. His house is on the market and he’s made an offer on a one-bedroom unit near the beach.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘And where exactly have you found a place to live?’
‘Oh, I was thinking you could use a lodger, you know, to help make ends meet and to water the garden and dog-sit while you’re away. And perhaps, down the track, if we’re happy with the arrangement, you might feel comfortable letting me buy a share of this beautiful house.’
Leah gaped; Alex laughed. ‘Something to keep in mind,’ he said. ‘No rush. I thought I’d put it out there so you wouldn’t feel the need to work yourself completely into the ground in the meantime.’
‘I will, keep it in mind that is. And I have considered taking in a lodger. A lodger . . . Isn’t that such a quaint and old-fashioned term. And, when is all this going to happen?’
‘Dad’s given me a mont
h’s notice. When I tell them tomorrow morning that I’ll accept Paul’s job, we’ll confirm a starting date.I know Paul wants to leave as soon as possible. I’d say you’ll have me for another week or two up north, and then I’ll spend a couple of weeks working down here alongside Paul before he finishes up.’
‘Who’ll take over your job? Surely not Travis Marshall?’
‘No, it won’t be Travis. My replacement will be Sam Templeton.’
‘I’ve never heard of him.’
‘Her,’ Alex corrected, his eyes alight with amusement.
‘You are joking?’
‘No, I’m not. Sam’s an engineer, same as me, with experience in the oil and gas industry. I think you’ll like her. She’s been with the company about six months and she’s more than ready for it. What a team the two of you will make. No man will be safe.’
Leah threw back her head and laughed, not stopping until Alex trailed his lips down the column of her neck and slipped his hand under her t-shirt to cup one smooth, silky, bare breast.
‘Unfortunately, I’m only here for tonight,’ he said between kisses. ‘Should we make the most of it?’
Leah laughed. ‘Of course we should! After seven hours’ sleep I have plenty of energy. We can start here on the sofa, then move to the bedroom if you like. I may need food and drink at some point.’
‘You’ve given this some thought, haven’t you?’
‘Yep,’ she said, and began unbuttoning his shirt.
To my readers – another huge thank you. I’ll keep telling the stories as long as you keep reading them! Thank you again, Ali Watts, Amanda Martin and the team at Penguin Random House. A special thank you to my husband and former safety advisor, Ken Bemrose: research is easy when all you have to do is yell down the passage. Thanks to my family, especially my sister Sandra Appleyard: she gets to read and comment first. Writing is a solitary pursuit – it’s one of its appeals – however, I am also eternally grateful for the counterbalance provided by my friends and writing colleagues. Thank you all.
ALSO BY MEREDITH APPLEYARD
The Country Practice
The Doctor Calling
MICHAEL JOSEPH
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Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies
whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published by Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd, 2017
Text copyright © Meredith Appleyard 2017
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Cover design by Louisa Maggio © Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd
Text design by Louisa Maggio © Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd
Cover photographs: Woman: ERainbow/Shutterstock; Flinders Ranges: OskarWells/Shutterstock; Sunset: Pushish Images; Purple sunrise: Pushish Images/Shutterstock; Sky: barb_wire1/Shutterstock; Power lines: SSSCCC/Shutterstock; Orange sunset: ESOlex/Shutterstock
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ISBN: 978-1-76014-206-3
THE BEGINNING
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No Job for a Girl Page 30