Meet Me in the Middle
Jacquie Underdown
romance.com.au
Meet Me in the Middle
Jacquie Underdown
When love is their only common ground, will they have the courage to meet each other in the middle?
Neve’s battered heart isn’t ready to love again. But when she accidentally charges in on her brother’s best friend while he is buck naked, she starts to see him in a new light—far from the brother-figure he used to be.
For Anders, fighting the demons that tell him he’s not deserving of love is an ongoing battle, but he is ready—he wants marriage, kids, the whole package. He just never thought he would want all of that with Neve. She is his best mate’s little sister and, for that reason alone, she is off limits.
But falling in love is always a risk. Will Neve gain the courage she needs to open her heart again before it’s too late? And can Anders be confident enough in himself to fight for what he deserves?
Set in the small town of Wattle Valley, a new rural romance about taking big risks for the sake of love from up-and-coming star Jacquie Underdown.
About the author
Jacquie lives in Central Queensland, Australia, where it’s always hot and humidity coats the skin, summer or winter. When she wrote her first novel ten years ago, she was working as an accountant. But it didn’t take long for the writing bug to take over completely and she happily did away with her business career.
Now she spends her days wrapped up in her imagination, creating characters, exploring alternative realities, and meeting a host of characters who occupy her mind at first, then eventually her books.
She has a business degree, studied post-grad writing, editing and publishing at The University of Queensland, and earned a Master of Letters (Creative Writing) from Central Queensland University.
Acknowledgements
Thank you, Johanna Baker and the rest of the Harlequin and HarperCollins Australia team for taking a chance on this story and seamlessly completing all the functions necessary to see it through to publication. Johanna, your keen structural input really changed this story for the better.
Thank you to my friend Lea Darragh for being a strong writing support—always there to hear my ideas and struggles and offer much-needed, practical advice.
Karen Smith, much thanks to you for your hilarious ‘dog story’. I hope I’ve done it justice. And my sister, Jemma Wildermuth, who inspired the ‘grasshopper story’. It was a perfect inclusion in this book.
Brooke Halliwell, I am so lucky to have worked with you for many years now. You always do a wonderful job with copyedits, and this time is no different. Thank you.
As always, much thanks go to my husband, Brad. Without you, I would not be able to write as I do. You never tire of hearing me discuss my books and story ideas and allow me to vent and give up and then support me as I inevitably get back on the horse.
For Cathy Parter, Lisa Kelson, Sharon Ghee and Michelle Prothero, my lifelong friends, it breaks my heart that you lost your beautiful mother, my godmother, Helen, while I was writing Meet Me in the Middle. I hope this story accurately portrays the love children hold for their mother and the bravery required to endure each day after she has passed.
For my godmother, Helen.
26 January 1949 – 18 November 2018.
Contents
About the author
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing …
Chapter 1
Neve fell into an easy jogging rhythm, passing cosy homes set upon huge properties. Plumes of smoke puffed from chimney stacks, filling the air with a subtle smoky scent.
Wattle Valley was waking to the chirping melody of rosellas and cockatoos. The distant chug of tractors drifted on the frigid wind. As Neve wended through the long, broad streets, each jerky outward breath was synced to her footfalls on the frost-bitten road.
She rounded onto Wattle Lane, the longest road in this small town, where many of the original homesteads still stood. But halfway down the street, a dark, four-legged creature caught her eye.
To find kangaroos or wombats on her morning run was not unusual, but the subtle clench in her belly told her it was neither of those animals.
A cattle dog loped out from the early morning shadows cast by a tall eucalyptus. The dog lifted its head from a patch of grass it was idly sniffing and looked at her.
Neve stopped dead.
Her body tightened, heart raced. A dog off the leash, with no owner in sight, was not what she needed right now. Especially a cattle dog. Only a year ago, one had barked at her then chased her, puncturing the back of her thigh with its sharp teeth before the owner noticed and called it back. Needless to say, she didn’t run that route anymore.
But Neve didn’t know if this dog was dangerous. She hesitated, lightly stepping from one foot to the other, trying to decide if she should keep going or turn back in the direction she had come and hope it didn’t chase her.
She calmed her breathing as best she could and took one slow step forward. It held her gaze steady, but upon her step, its ears pricked.
All of that old fear she had held about dogs, this type of dog, had her skin prickling. This breed was protective. A working dog with boundless energy. Was she about to encroach on this dog’s territory? A territory it wanted to guard with its teeth?
Outsprinting this beast was impossible.
One house back was her brother’s good mate’s home. She glanced behind her to see if any lights were on. A dull glow illuminated the front windows. Anders was awake. If she could make it there and get inside before the dog was upon her, she would be safe.
But what if his door was locked or he took a long time to answer it? Meanwhile, the dog could latch onto her front leg and be halfway through chewing it off.
No choice. She had to try. Neve spun and sprinted, faster than she had ever run in her life. Images flashed in her mind of calves being bitten from bones and frenzied growling as the dog tore at her flesh. This spurred her on.
She bounded off the road onto the green lawn to take a shortcut across the yard. The front door was ten metres ahead. She propelled towards it like it was life or death.
One glance over her shoulder to see the dog, his open mouth, ears pinned back and fast sprinting legs. For a medium-sized dog, it sure looked enormous to her now as it charged across the grass towards her.
A squeal sprang from her throat as she shoved down on the front door handle. It swung open and she staggered inside, then slammed the door shut behind her. Silence but for her breathing and drumming pulse.
She leant her head back against the door and sighed.
‘What the bloody hell a
re you doing?’ came Anders’ deep, frantic voice.
His eyes were wide and his mouth was parted in surprise. His dark hair was wet and he was, completely, as the day he was born, naked.
Just long, tanned flesh, fully exposed.
In that split second, as they stood there frozen, she saw everything.
Ev-er-yy-thing!
He flinched and cupped his hands over his …
Her hands flung to her face and she covered her eyes before quickly spinning around. ‘There’s a dog out there. I was so scared …’
Anders cleared his throat. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
Her mouth was parched. Her breathing fast, and not only because she was almost eaten alive. She spun back to face him tentatively. He had managed to cover himself with a couch cushion. Her cheeks flooded with heat, so she turned back to face the wall.
‘A dog chased me here. It nearly tore my throat out.’ Despite her best efforts, her voice cracked. Her eyes were misting.
Shock. Too many unexpected encounters in the one morning.
‘Did it hurt you? Are you okay?’
She shook her head. Nodded. ‘I managed to get away from it. Just.’
A long exhalation. ‘Let me get some clothes on, and I’ll deal with the dog.’
She nodded. ‘Thank you. I’m so sorry to come barging in … but there were no other options … I didn’t know you’d be n-naked.’ She turned again and peered at the beige cushion held steadfastly against him and narrowed her eyes. ‘Why are you naked?’
He pointed up the hall, then to the pile of washing sitting on the dining table in a basket. ‘I just showered. My clothes are down here.’ His eyes were wide and his words were fast. Every muscle in his body was flexing as he tried to conceal himself. His expression was one of mortification, shock and …
A laugh exploded from Neve. Of all the moments she had to storm into this house unexpectedly, it happened to be the moment he dashed from the bathroom to the dining room—naked.
‘What’s so funny?’
She laughed even harder until she could barely breathe, let alone answer him. She pointed to the cushion and back to her chest, giggles bursting from her. ‘This,’ she managed, breathless. ‘Now. You. Naked.’
He narrowed his eyes, raised his finger and circled it in the air. She turned around again, her shoulders still shuddering.
Rapid footsteps followed by the hasty sliding of clothes over skin. ‘Okay,’ he said.
When she spun back to face him, her delirium had eased somewhat, though her eyes still watered. Anders was dressed in a pair of jeans and a pale blue long-sleeve jumper that hugged his biceps and accentuated his deeply tanned skin.
Her mood sank a little. Strangely, even under such circumstances, she much preferred him naked. She shook her head, banishing those wicked, utterly absurd thoughts.
Anders was her older brother’s best friend. He had been a familiar face to their family for as long as Neve could remember. In all that time, she had never seen him naked. Of course she hadn’t. Why would she have?
She tried not to think how that was a damn shame because Anders was a lean, tanned and muscled specimen from his face all the way down to his toes.
She shook her head to clear those inappropriate thoughts away. Anders was her brother’s best friend. Going there, anywhere there, was ridiculous.
He pulled his shoulders back. ‘Now, where’s this dog?’
Her heart thumped harder again, remembering what had chased her here. She pointed to the door. ‘Outside.’
He nodded, his brows lowering and his lips drawing into a serious line, then pointed to behind the lounge. ‘Stand back there.’
She stood directly behind him instead, peeking around his shoulder as he opened the door.
Sunlight burst through first. She squinted.
And sure enough, there it was. The dog. Sitting on the front step, tongue hanging out of its mouth, panting hard.
It didn’t move when it saw Anders, thank god.
Anders looked back at her. ‘Is this the dog?’
She nodded. Her heart rate was speeding out of control.
Anders narrowed his eyes as he faced the dog, then looked at Neve again. A small smile crept over his lips. ‘This dog? This happy dog wagging its tail?’
She peeked further around his shoulder and noted the tail wagging and the joyful demeanour the dog now had. She grimaced and shrugged. ‘I think so. It looks the same, but I’m certain it was after my blood a moment ago.’
Anders crouched and patted the dog around his ears. ‘What are you doing outside, boy? Chasing girls up the street?’ His voice was a coo. The dog wagged its tail harder, so his entire backend was moving from side to side. ‘Come on—’ he gripped the dog by the collar, ‘—let’s get you back home.’
Anders turned to her as he started out the door. ‘He belongs to the old man next door. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Though, he’s never usually out on the street like this. He must’ve escaped without Don knowing.’ His hazel eyes found hers. ‘You coming with me or are you going to cower inside?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll come too, I guess. Now that I know he’s not going to rip my throat out.’
Anders laughed. Neve followed him next door, skipping to keep up.
Anders looked at her and spoke calmly, though there was an underlying urgency. ‘Take the dog.’
She did, unthinkingly, linking her fingers under the dog’s collar.
He pointed ahead to the side of the house. ‘There’s a gate. Put him behind there. Then call an ambulance.’
She blinked. Shook her head. ‘What?’
Anders raced towards the left side of the yard where the long gravel driveway was. She glanced to where he was headed. A body was lying on the ground, blood pooling from his head staining the gravel red. A man, eighty or so years old, not moving.
She gasped and threw her free hand over her mouth. The edges of her vision blurred. Breaths were hard to draw in. Myriad memories of her mother collapsed on the ground, drool sliding from the side of her mouth, filled her mind.
‘Dog behind the gate. Ambulance,’ he said over his shoulder as he picked up the pace and jogged towards the body.
His words penetrated through her shock. She ran the dog up to the fence and shoved him into the backyard before closing the gate hard behind her. Her phone was strapped to her arm, so she grabbed it out of its case, dialled triple zero with shaky hands, and was directed to the correct area.
Her heart was hammering and her head was light as she made her way over to Anders.
‘I need an ambulance to … to …’ She looked around for a house number. A big black 2 followed by a 5 was stuck to the façade of the house near the front door. ‘Twenty-five Wattle Lane.’ She was willing, forcing herself to be calm, but she couldn’t hide the jumpiness in her voice. ‘An old man has fallen over on his driveway. It’s steep. He’s hit his head.’
She remembered the same conversation nearly two-and-a-half years ago about her mum. The fear that had consumed her from the inside out to see her beautiful mother in that defenceless, defeated condition.
‘Is he conscious?’ asked the nasal voice on the end of the phone, snapping her out of her reverie.
Anders was assessing the man, feeling his pulse, and checking his airways. ‘Is he conscious?’ she asked him.
‘He’s got a pulse. Unconscious. Looks like a head injury. I’m performing first aid now.’
Neve repeated what Anders said to the calm voice on the other end of the line. A voice so contradictory to how she, herself, felt.
‘An ambulance has been dispatched. If you could have a list of any medication he is on ready for the officers when they arrive.’
She nodded, then remembered she had to actually speak. ‘I’ll see what I can do. Thank you.’
After the call ended, she shoved her phone down her bra, unsure if her shaking hands would see it back into her running pouch. She stared at Anders as he applie
d first aid to the man with unflinching professionalism and compassion. So calm. Neve was the exact opposite, so she stood back.
Sirens sounded in the distance and she sighed with relief. ‘They’re on their way. I can hear them.’
‘Good work, Neve.’
The ambulance pulled up a few minutes later and Anders assisted the crew, explaining what he could about the man’s state. The man woke as he was being hoisted onto the stretcher and groaned.
‘Don. Don?’ Anders asked, leaning over him as the paramedic unwrapped a green whistle and shoved it in the old man’s mouth. He inhaled hard but shakily on it.
Don’s rheumy eyes looked at Anders.
‘You’ve had a fall, mate. The ambulance is here and is going to drive you to the hospital. They’ll take good care of you there.’
Don nodded and sucked hard on the whistle.
‘Do you need me to call anyone for you?’
A tear fell down the man’s face, and he shook his head.
Anders put his hand over Don’s. ‘That’s fine. I’ll pack some clothes and toiletries for you and bring them up soon. I’ll take care of your dog, all right?’
Don nodded.
The paramedics pushed the stretcher into the back of the ambulance. One jumped in to sit next to Don for the trip. The other shut the doors, thanked Anders and climbed in the front before driving away slowly.
‘Oh my god,’ Neve said. She held up her hands; they were trembling. ‘Will he be okay?’
‘I hope so.’
‘How are you so calm? I feel like crying.’ As she said the words, a film of tears clouded her eyes.
He shook his head. ‘I’m not sure. I just did what I had to do.’
She wiped at her cheeks, knowing the truth in those words. When her mum had her stroke, Neve was the one who found her. Nerves or not, she was the one that had to call the ambulance and keep Mum company until they arrived. She was the one who had to travel in the back of the ambulance to the hospital. She had to do what she had to do.
Anders slung an arm around her shoulders. ‘Come on, I’ll make you a cup of tea. You’ve had a rough morning.’
Meet Me in the Middle (Wattle Valley, #2) Page 1