Minx continued to purr and blink slowly at him.
If anything happened to the old ginger cat it would devastate Lori. They were close.
Reaching out again, Matt rubbed under Minx’s chin, smiling as she arched her neck up to take full advantage of the caress. “She’s a cutie, all right.” His gaze switched to Lori. “She’s had a good innings, Lori.”
“I know.” Lori lifted her chin. “I’m fine. So, you aren’t working tonight?”
It was a definite switch of topics that Matt accepted without comment. “I am, actually.”
“What time do you start?”
He glanced at his watch. “One hour.” Which meant he had to leave so he could shower and change, have a bite to eat and get to the substation on time. Damn it. This was the first chance he’d had in a while to talk to Lori and it was already over, thanks to duty calling. “Guess I’d better go.” He started to back away.
“You could come through the house.” She gestured to the door behind her.
“And drip all over your floors? Not likely.” He grinned. “I would never forgive myself.”
“It’s no problem.”
“Nah. I’ll just pop over the fence.”
“You’ve been spending too much time with Ghost.” Amusement glimmered in her eyes.
Those beautiful green eyes he’d like to see glimmer with passion. But he’d go with amusement for now, it was a hell of a lot better than the wariness with which she’d regarded him earlier. He’d take it as a sign of progress.
“I know. He’s a bad influence.” Heaving a mental sigh, he turned and strode down the veranda steps. “Night, Lori.”
“Goodnight, Matt.”
Striding over to the fence separating their backyards, Matt braced his hands on top of it and pulled himself up and over easily, landing in his backyard and right into a puddle.
Muttering to himself, he trudged to his house, pulling the keys from his pocket as he climbed up onto the veranda. Unlocking the door, he toed his wet sneakers off before entering the house.
Work called. Duty beckoned. Lives to save, sick people to help.
And one beautiful neighbour that would be waiting for him when he returned home.
Okay, that last was a daydream, but he wanted it to come true.
Letting the hot water from the shower chase away the chill, he slid the soap over his body and contemplated the dilemma. Everyone told him how shy Lori was, how she avoided dates, how it didn’t take much to make her wary and retreat. He just had to figure out how to get her to give him a chance without spooking her.
~*~
Standing at the security screen door, Lori watched Matt haul himself easily over the fence.
There was no way she could miss the impressive flex of biceps as his sodden, long-sleeved t-shirt stuck to his body. In fact, that sodden t-shirt was stuck to every inch of his chest and back…every luscious, muscular inch. Not one flex, not one bunch, not one movement of muscle was missed.
Nice. Very nice.
Stroking Minx in her arms, Lori sighed in appreciation. Matt Winters was gorgeous in every sense of the word. Tall, dark-haired, dark-eyed, with a killer smile and a body to give a woman hot dreams on a cold night. Or a warm night, for that matter. Matt had arrived in the summer months and now the chill of autumn had arrived, and she’d certainly had some hot dreams during both seasons.
Yep, dreams of Matt Winters had certainly kept her hotly entertained at night, or given her mix of shift work, days. Close her eyes and at least four sleeps out of seven, there he’d be with his killer body, killer smile, and dark, dark eyes.
How could a girl not look forward to bedtime?
Unfortunately, dreams were not reality. Reality was that Matt was a hot paramedic while she was a dumpy little chick who pumped fuel for a living. She was neither outwardly confident like her sister, Ali, nor beautiful or anything else that would attract a man like Matt. Or any man she was interested in which, to be truthful, there had been none in all her years.
Returning to the kitchen, she gently set Minx on the floor and crossed to the stove where a saucepan bubbled, the delicious smell of stew filling the air. Lifting the lid, she took the wooden spoon off the kitchen sink and gave the stew a stir.
Nope, no man had ever captured her attention. A couple had tried, true, but after several disastrous dates she’d rebuffed the rest. Not that she’d actually had many offers anyway, and she was sure it had nothing to do with her rebuffing a couple. In her experience, not many men cast a woman built like her a second glance, much less even bothered with a first good look.
Then again, her sister, Ali, was a big woman, and she’d dated a lot before she’d realised that Ghost was the one for her.
But that was life. She shrugged inwardly. Besides, she wasn’t interested, not one man had made her heart pick up pace or her pulse flutter, not one had had her giving him a second glance. Except Matt, and he was just a fantasy. Even if a man was interested - and that would be a miracle - it seemed a waste of time to go out with someone who didn’t attract her. Besides, she just wasn’t that good with dating, she always felt like she was lacking, like she had something to prove.
“Which I don’t,” she informed Minx, who sat watching her from beside the kitchen bench.
Replacing the lid on the saucepan, she looked through the window at the house next door. Matt’s house. And the puzzle that was Matt. Why had he bothered to come into her yard in the driving rain to simply inform her it wasn’t wise to go out in the rain? He’d certainly seemed a little embarrassed when she’d questioned him. Maybe that was the thing, maybe it had been a spur of the moment feeling sorry for the spinster standing in the rain with her cat.
Shaking her head, Lori looked down Minx. “Men, sweetie, are weird. Seriously weird.”
Minx just did her slow blink before looking at her empty food bowl in an unsubtle hint.
Laughing, Lori retrieved a can of cat food from the cupboard and opened the tin, spooning the contents into the bowl. With a small mrrrp of pleasured anticipation, Minx trotted across and sat down to eat primly.
Pushing all thoughts of Matt to the back of her mind, Lori turned the stove off and spooned stew into a bowl, setting on the table to cool. Glancing at the clock, she wondered if Ali was going to be home soon.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the front door slammed and the sound of Ali’s high heels clicked across the lino as she walked down the hall. “Honey, I’m home!”
“You know, Ghost is rubbing off on you,” Lori called back.
“In more ways than one.” Ali peeked around the corner of the doorway with a smirk. “And while we’re away for the week on holiday, I’m hoping for a lot more rubbing.”
“Yeah, let’s not go there.” Lori gestured to the saucepan. “Are you eating home tonight, or going to feast on Ghost?”
“Are we talking metaphorically feasting on Ghost?”
“What do you think?”
Ali pursed her lips. “Hmmm. Metaphorically isn’t as much fun.”
“And there are some things sisters just don’t share.”
“I don’t share Ghost.”
Lori levelled her a look.
Ali grinned.
“Stew?” Lori asked.
“Seeing as I can’t eat Ghost, yes please.” Ali disappeared back into the hall. “I’m going to shower quickly and change. Do I have time?”
“I’ll leave yours in the saucepan to stay hot.”
“Thanks.”
Sitting at the table, Lori stirred the stew with the spoon. One day soon she’d be sitting at the table on her own. Ali would be married to Ghost and she’d live over in his house, popping over only for a visit. It’d just be Lori and Minx living in the old house that had belonged to their grandmother. No Ali and her disastrous dates to entertain and amuse.
Oh, she was more than glad that Ali and her best friend, Ghost, were going to marry. They’d known Ghost for most of their lives, and he and Ali wer
e a perfect match, but it would change some things. It had to, it was a part of life.
“Blah.” She knocked the spoon against the side of the bowl. “Just gotta suck it up, Minx.” She watched the old ginger cat carefully washing her face. “But we’ll be fine, you and me. We’ll always be fine.”
Pausing in her ablutions, Minx studied Lori’s face before getting up slowly and walking across the floor to sit at her feet.
Smiling, Lori picked her up carefully and set her on her lap, where Minx settled down, purring. It didn’t make eating very comfortable, but Lori didn’t mind.
It wasn’t long after that Ali entered the kitchen wearing comfortable winter pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. It didn’t fit her as interestingly as Matt’s had fitted him, though Ghost would have disagreed.
The sisters spent a pleasant time eating and chatting about the day before Lori finally stood up, sitting Minx on the dining room chair as she did so. “Okay, I better go and shower, get ready for work.”
“Ill clean up, shall I?” Ali eyed the empty bowls.
“So nice of you to offer.”
“Ha ha. Just imagine, a week away starting tomorrow, me and Ghost and those haunted houses he wants to check out. Eating out every night-”
“Paper plates and plastic knives and forks?”
“You betcha.”
Laughing, Lori headed for the doorway. “You going over to see Ghost later?”
“Yep.”
“Can you make sure Minx is settled with a hot wheat pack first? She’s a little stiffer than normal.”
Ali stroked the old cat, concern on her face. “She’s had her medicine?”
Lori nodded. “Just make sure she’s settled warm and comfy before you go over, just in case you don’t come back tonight.”
A smile curved Ali’s mouth. “What makes you think that?”
Lori rolled her eyes while Ali laughed.
By the time Lori left the house, Ali had the wheat pack in the microwave and Minx was already ensconced on Lori’s bed.
Lucky cat. Standing on the front veranda, Lori held the umbrella up and sighed. Nights like this were meant to be spent in bed, warm and cosy with a good book.
Sure as hell wasn’t going to be with a good man.
Shaking her head at her thoughts, she jumped down off the veranda and sprinted for the car, beeping it open with the lock control on the key so she could open the door without hesitation. It didn’t stop her from getting a little wet as she battled the umbrella, but finely the door was shut and she was safe from the rain.
The drive to the service station was done slower than normal as the rain drove down with a vengeance. Pulling in behind the service station in the staff car park, Lori took a deep breath before opening the door, popping open the umbrella and making a run for the servo.
Unfortunately, even the umbrella couldn’t stop her pants from getting wet and she arrived in the small service area dripping wet and breathing heavily.
“Bit wet out there?” Shaun asked, peering over his glasses at her.
Whatever gave you that idea?” Lori shook the umbrella out.
The middle-aged owner of the service station smoothed one hand over his bald head as he leaned forward in his executive chair to study the floor. “Floor’s wet. You’re dripping all over it.”
“It was already wet before I came in,” she replied. “I’ll just put this away and get the mop.
“Grand idea. Just grand.” Shaun disappeared back behind his newspaper.
Knowing that was all she was going to get from her employer, Lori padded into the back room and through to the sheltered little porch. Propping the umbrella against the wall, she returned to the backroom and retrieved a spare pair of pants from her locker, going into the staff toilet to change. Her wet pants she took back out to the porch and slung over one of the hooks on the wall to drip dry.
Leaving her car keys in the locker, she returned to the service area and peered out through the window. At least she’d be sheltered from the rain when she went out to fuel up cars, the huge verandas covering the service lane and bowsers extending to the service station itself. Small blessings.
No sooner had she thought that than a car pulled up, the small bell sounding as the tyres went over the cable.
“Car,” Shaun announced unnecessarily, just as he always did every time. His newspaper didn’t move, the only thing showing the faint shine of his bald head partially above it.
After having worked at the servo for a number of years, Lori was well used to her boss. Opening the door, she shivered slightly as a cold gust of wind blew inside, sending Shaun’s newspaper rustling.
“Door,” he said without moving.
The rain was pelting down, thundering above on the veranda roof, yet Lori had to admit that she rather liked this kind of weather. Wild, untamed, marooning everyone in isolation. In an odd way, she found it peaceful.
Recognising the car, Lori walked around to the driver’s window and leaned down. “Mrs Swanson? What are you doing out on a night like this?”
“Picking up bread rolls.” Exasperated, Mrs Swanson rolled her eyes. “Can you believe it? A restaurant with no bread rolls. Our delivery this morning was short but the cook forgot to mention it to me. Her son had just phoned to say that his wife was in labour and cook left in a flap, completely forgetting to tell me about the bread rolls. Can you imagine?”
Actually, Lori could, but she wisely just shook her head. Seeking to smooth things down a little, she asked, “Are you sure you’ll have customers on a night like this?”
“One must always be prepared, dear.” Mrs Swanson glanced pointedly at her watch. “I must get back.”
“Of course. How much?”
“Fill ‘er up, there’s a good girl.”
“No worries, Mrs Swanson. Pop the cap.”
Within minutes the local restaurant owner was nothing more than tail lights disappearing into the driving rain.
Knowing that nights like this wouldn’t bring much traffic unless they were travellers determined to push on to the next town, Lori started back towards the service station, only to stop as a grey ute pulled into the petrol bowser.
Swinging back around, she walked around to the driver’s window and bent down once more. “Tommy?”
The café owner did not look happy. His jaw was clenched, a muscle ticking beside his grimly set lips. “’Evening, Lori.”
Not normally one to pry, Lori hesitated. Should she ask? But no, if the man wanted to tell her anything he would, so until then she’d mind her business. “Fill ‘er up?”
“Thanks.”
Moving back down the ute, she unscrewed the old fashioned fuel cap and fit the fuel nozzle into the opening. While she waited, the numbers ticking over on the fuel bowser, she watched from the corner of her eye as Tommy got out of the ute.
The café owner was only a couple of years older than her, she’d known him since primary school. Even a couple of grades ahead of her, Tommy was well known. Heck, everyone who was born and grew up in the small town of Peeron knew each other. Some were best friends, some just good mates, some just nodding acquaintances, but everyone knew everyone else. Some better than most, true, and some a lot quieter and more secretive.
Tommy was a man Lori respected, mainly because he minded his own business and went his own way. But he was normally a man who exuded contentment. Tonight he was anything but, because truth be told, he was as far from content as a man could get. He looked angry, frustrated, his big fists clenching and unclenching, the veins on his forearms popping up.
That brought to her attention the fact that Tommy was only wearing a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Man, he had to be cold.
Returning her attention to the fuel gun, Lori chewed the inside of her bottom lip. Part of her wanted to ask if he was all right but it seemed a moot point when he was obviously anything but all right. Still, if he was in trouble…“Tommy?”
“Yeah?” he growled.
She kept her gaze on the fuel gun. “You okay?”
There was a telling few seconds of silence before he replied, “Fine.”
“Okay.” Not about to push the subject, Lori heard the fuel gun click off and after slowly squeezing the trigger to fill the tank as full as it could go, she re-hooked the fuel gun on the bowser and re-screwed the cap back on. “That’s thirty two dollars, Tommy.”
He handed her a credit card and followed her back to the service office.
Shaun took one look over his newspaper as they came in, his gaze sweeping over Tommy’s face. “Bad night, mate?”
“You could say that.” In no mood to chat, Tommy kept his gaze trained on Lori.
Shaun simply shrugged and disappeared back behind his newspaper, the big chair squeaking as he stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles, his oil-stained boots scrapping along the lino.
Feeling Tommy’s gaze on her, Lori couldn’t stop the faint flush warming her cheeks. People looking at her for too long produced that reaction, and she quickly rang up the sale, handing him the EFTPOS so he could slot his card in and key in the PIN number.
When she handed him his receipt and card, she gave the usual, “Thanks. Have a good night.”
“Yeah.” Tommy hesitated, something he never did, and she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes.
He looked troubled, a touch uncertain, but then with a small jerk of his head his disgruntled expression slid back into place and he swung on his heel and walked out the door, the cold whirling in before it shut behind him.
“Wonder what got up his arse?” Shaun turned a page.
Lori shrugged.
“He say anything to you?”
“Nope.”
“Huh.” Shaun didn’t say anything further.
Giving the floor another quick mop, Lori went through the staff entrance into the back of the small café that catered to travellers and locals just wanting to pick up a bite to eat while fuelling up.
Tracy looked up from where she sat at a table reading a magazine. “Wild night out there, Lori.”
“Sure is.” Walking into the little kitchen behind the food counter, Lori poured a cup of hot coffee and returned to the table, sitting down to sip at the welcome heat. “Quiet here, too.”
Lean on Me (The Mackay Sisters) Page 2