The House At the End of the Street

by Jennie Jones

  ‘So how did you end up sailing?’

  ‘Left Swallow’s Fall. Got a job in Queensland.’

  ‘Doing what?’

  He kinked an eyebrow. ‘Pulling pints. What else did I know best?’

  Gem tutted. ‘Plenty.’ Like carpentry, and business and being an all-round good sort and the love of her life. ‘What happened then?’

  ‘Met a bloke who sailed yachts for a living. He took me with him on his next trip. Ended up in Florida.’

  ‘Wow. What did you do in Florida?’

  ‘Pulled more pints.’ He grinned. ‘We seem to be getting along, Gem. Fancy that.’

  The cymbal clanged and the music swelled. Josh looked up and around, exasperation in his features. ‘Are they doing this on purpose?’

  Josh stood and followed the guy in front of him. Apart from the terrible music choice and the ear-bashing clang of the cymbal, he was enjoying himself. Looked like the pushy minx had got herself sorted for later in the evening too. She didn’t walk around the table so much as prance, eyeing up the guy in front of Josh, swishing her pink dress and flashing her smile and her—yeah. Those.

  He slowed his pace and glanced at Mrs Tam, who was smiling at him. He grinned back and slowed even more, to see what she would do. Mrs Tam looked over Josh’s shoulder and struck her cymbal.

  Josh stopped, turned to the table and smiled at Gem, directly opposite him. He sat.

  ‘I think there’s definitely something iffy going on with the music and the cymbal,’ Gem said as she got herself settled. ‘Have you noticed?’

  He’d noticed plenty. Like how pretty she was up close. How she’d grown into her body in a spectacularly feminine manner: a blend of natural and unaffected, topped with a brazen, spicy temperament. A provocative package.

  ‘Stop staring at me like that,’ she said.

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like you’re thinking bad things about me.’

  He leaned on the table. ‘Very bad things.’ Indecent things. ‘So. What’s your next question?’ He might as well use this time to let people know what he’d been doing over the years. It seemed senseless that he hadn’t.

  ‘Did you get married?’

  ‘No. Did you?’

  ‘I thought about it once.’

  Josh’s gut twisted.

  ‘I nearly asked him,’ she said. ‘But that was before he stole seven thousand dollars from me.’

  ‘Jesus, Gem.’ He straightened in his chair and put his hands on the table. ‘Did you get it back? Do you know where he is?’ He wanted to kill the bastard. Had double the reasons to kill him: one because Gem had considered marriage with him and two because he’d stolen from her.

  ‘My love died quick smart.’

  She’d been in love with this guy? His gut didn’t like that either.

  ‘I didn’t get the money back. He scarpered to Tenerife.’

  Josh had been to the Canary Islands a thousand times. He might have even had a beer in some bar with this man.

  ‘I love that you’re opening up,’ she said suddenly.

  Josh loved that she loved that he was opening up. She forgot to haul the neckline of her jumper up when she listened to him, and he got to look at her bare shoulder and the swell of her breast.

  ‘It’ll make it easier for us to settle the deal.’

  ‘What deal?’ he asked.

  ‘The shop. The sale. You know, Josh, you could leave town tomorrow morning if you wanted to. I mean, now that we’re getting on so well.’

  ‘I can’t leave tomorrow.’ He had too much on his plate. The shop, his mother’s house, Grandy’s farmhouse—his farmhouse—and Gem. Oh yeah, he had Gem on his mind.

  ‘Sure you can leave,’ she said. ‘Anytime you like. So why did you leave?’ She jutted her chin at him. ‘Back then.’

  Bit tricky to answer that without telling her about her father’s choice words, which, he figured, she didn’t know about. ‘I went panning for gold.’

  ‘Panning for a golden life, huh? Looks like you found one.’

  ‘And you think you’ve got yours here? The old couldn’t-careless, girl-next-door routine?’

  ‘That’s me,’ she said with smug grin. ‘That’s what men find so attractive about me. I’ve got three guys interested now.’ She had the audacity to wink at him. ‘You have to take me as I am, Josh.’

  ‘Oh yeah?’ He’d take her any time. ‘Are we flirting here, Gem?’

  Her eyes nearly popped out of her face. ‘I thought you had a thing going on with Miss Boobalicious.’

  Josh’s eyes wandered to Gem’s breasts. God only knew why she’d dressed in so many colours tonight. She stood out like a parakeet in a coal mine. Her usual mode of dress was more casual, dressing up her jeans and jackets with baubles and scarves. And beneath that jumper she had a cup size that wouldn’t shame the figurehead on the bow of a galleon. He snapped his attention to her face and smiled. That’s who she was—a pirate, swashbuckling her moods and cut-throating her true feelings in order to hide them from the world.

  ‘Want to come out to my car, Gem?’ He had a fancy to tease her back to her real self, and if her clothes happened to come off while he was doing it, so much the better.

  ‘What for?’ She straightened in her chair. ‘What are you laughing at?’

  ‘I just remembered something.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You,’ he said. ‘All that bluff and blow when your dad sold your house and your mum wanted you to move to Perth with her. Did she force you to, in the end?’

  ‘No way. I stayed with Sammy and Ethan. I was almost eighteen anyway.’ She looked away. ‘Shouldn’t the cymbal have clanged by now?’

  ‘So when did you leave town?’

  ‘I stayed for nearly a year. Kate got me a job as a waitress in Paris, next door to an art gallery. I worked my way up from there.’

  They both really had run from town. Different reasons and opposite directions, but Josh felt an affinity. ‘We’re not so different, you and I.’

  ‘Oh yes, we are. I’m being extremely pleasant and you want to take me out to your car so you can throttle me.’

  ‘You have no idea what I’m thinking about doing with you in my car.’

  ‘I can read you. You’re like an open book. You’re worried about something.’

  ‘Bullshit. You think you’re facing the same guy from ten years ago. The one you kind of understood. Well, you’re not, and you don’t.’

  ‘Same guy. Different outlook.’

  ‘Oh yeah? So what am I thinking right this moment?’

  She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, chin down, and studied him. ‘Hard to tell while you’ve got the city-boy look on your face.’

  ‘Really?’ Josh leaned his elbows on the table. He ran his eye over her head, over the tangled blonde hair that made him want to take hold of handfuls and feel it slide between his fingers. He looked at her right ear lobe, a soft and delicate mound. Two piercings, one with a silver stud, the other with a gold loop. Up to her forehead, down her pert nose to the insolent tilt of her mouth. He concentrated on her mouth for the longest time. She’d melted in his arms ten years ago, her slim body pulsing against his. When she’d sighed, he’d thought he was a dead man—totally lost in her and wanting her badly. He still wanted her. Badly.

  He raised his gaze to hers and gave her the hint of a smile, creating an intimacy between them. She blushed. A rush of appreciation for what he was looking at filled his sails. An unspoken sexual currency flew across the table.

  ‘Really?’ he asked again. Maybe there was a chance he’d spend a few days up close and naked with Gemma Munroe. ‘I used to think there was too big an age gap between us,’ he said, holding her gaze. ‘I don’t think that’s a concern any more.’

  Nine

  The love of her life had pull, Gem had to give him that. She was practically breathless. If this was his usual chat-up routine he’d probably never gone without a woman for longer than a day.

 
‘That’s it then!’ Ted bellowed into the mic.

  Gem looked up. The music had stopped.

  ‘Well done, everyone,’ Ted said. ‘Whoever you’re currently sitting opposite—that’s your date.’

  ‘Hey!’ the guy next to Josh said, then glanced down the other end of the table where the butterfly sat. ‘That’s not how it’s supposed to work.’

  Ted ignored him and started clapping. Kookaburra’s rang with cheering, applause and laughter—and some wolf-whistles.

  Gem shot Josh a look. ‘Forget it,’ she told him, and stood.

  Josh stood too, grinning at her. ‘At least let me buy my date a drink.’

  ‘I’m not your date. This whole thing is a farce.’

  ‘Come on, Gem. Don’t leave me alone with Miss Boobalicious. And what about Mrs Tam’s happiness? You know damned well why we were both roped into this.’

  Yes, she did know, and there wasn’t too much she could do about it in case Mrs Tam’s happiness got sucker-punched.

  ‘One drink, Gem.’

  ‘I’d rather have a pint of poison with Dave the bozo.’

  ‘A glass of sav blanc, Gem. One glass. We can discuss my needs.’

  ‘Ask the pushy minx.’

  ‘She doesn’t have what I need.’

  ‘And what would that be?’

  ‘I need to look at your boobs.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Your financials. For the shop,’ he added. ‘I want to take a look at your books—and I want a kiss.’

  Her books. ‘My books are—you what?’

  ‘We’re going to have a little experiment. A kissing experiment. A test case to prove a theory I’ve got.’

  ‘Which is?’

  He put his hands on the table, leaned across, looked into her eyes and lowered his voice. ‘That you want me to kiss you.’

  She focussed all her energy on making the numbness in her mind disappear. And her chest—she had to fix something in her chest—her lungs; they were at bursting point. There was a slight problem with her tongue too; it had stuck to the roof of her mouth.

  ‘You don’t want to?’ he asked.

  If she said no, he might take her at her word. If he kissed her, she’d get the one thing she’d been dreaming of for ten years. Oh, the dilemma.

  ‘Okay, my mistake.’ He turned for the bar and headed for the guys: Ethan and Dan and the Misters McWade.

  ‘I didn’t give you my answer!’ she called after him. ‘And it was no!’

  He looked over his shoulder, smiled, then winked.

  She yanked at the neckline of her jumper and headed for the other end of the bar. She needed that sav blanc. She’d politely pushed her way through the wind farm guys blocking the bar—they didn’t even notice her—before she realised she’d left her bag in the restaurant area. No way was she going back to the restaurant; it would mean having to walk past Josh. Maybe one of these men would loan her ten dollars, but she didn’t know any of them.

  ‘Understand it’s forty bucks a date. How much for the whole night?’

  Gem sighed. ‘Go away, Dave.’ She eyed Pete, who was standing behind him looking tanked. ‘You too, Pete,’ she said, although Pete hadn’t done anything but stare at her chest. She stepped back from both of them. ‘Don’t go causing trouble.’ They looked like they were waiting for it. ‘This is a family hotel.’

  ‘You alright, love?’ one of the wind project guys asked.

  She smiled at him. ‘Fine. Thanks.’ He turned back to his mates.

  ‘No kids here, Gemma,’ Dave told her. He took hold of her arm and manoeuvred her out of the protection of the beefy shoulders. ‘They’re all tucked up safely in bed. Only people in the bar tonight are adults. So how about a bit of an adult show. You and me. Let’s do the dirty jive, shall we?’

  ‘Dan will kick you out so fast you won’t know what hit you,’ she said, as he dragged her behind him. She wondered if her right hook was enough to floor him. Probably not, but she’d give it a go if she had to.

  ‘Aw, come on,’ Dave said, turning, ‘we’re only having a bit of fun with you.’ He pulled her across the floor to where a square parquet area was used for dances. A few couples were smooching as the evening wore down. ‘First me, then Pete. What d’ya say?’

  Gem didn’t want to cause trouble but he had a firm hold of her arm, pinching her skin, which hurt almost unbearably. She twisted, stopped him, and kicked his shin.

  ‘Christ!’ He hopped backwards then grabbed her hard and hauled her around.

  She was yanked against his stinking chest, being swayed in his ugly arms. She nearly gagged. He smelled of sweat and stale beer. Probably yesterday’s beer. Or last week’s even, given the tang coming off him. She looked for Josh but he’d left their friends. He was in the restaurant area now, sitting next to Mrs Tam. He was watching her though. He stood, putting a hand on Mrs Tam’s arm as she got off her bar stool too, worry visible on her face even at this distance.

  Gem shook her head at Josh. She’d be fine. Two more minutes of dancing with Dave and she’d be able to get out of the bar and head for the shower to rid herself of the beer stink.

  ‘Oh dear.’ Mrs Tam looked more upset than Josh had ever seen her. ‘That isn’t the sort of behaviour we wanted.’ She got off her bar stool and picked up the cymbal. ‘I’ll show him what’s what.’

  Josh put a hand on her arm. ‘Wait here. It’ll be fine—and put that cymbal down,’ he told her, pointing at the weapon on her lap as he walked out of the restaurant. ‘Everything will be fine.’

  Gem yelped; a high-pitched sound of real pain, and Josh upped the pace, pushing through the speed-daters still standing in the restaurant.

  Dave flung Gem from him, and held onto his hand. Gem held onto her hand too, staring down at it in some disbelief, then kicked Dave in the shin. ‘You snake!’ she yelled at him.

  ‘Gem!’ Josh called as he crossed the lobby area. By the time he got to the hotel reception desk, Dan and Ethan were pulling their wives away from the scuffle.

  ‘Gem!’ he called again.

  ‘He bit me!’ She turned to Josh, a look of raw shock on her face. Both her hands now being held by Dave.

  ‘What?’

  ‘He bit me!’

  Josh pushed through Gem’s girlfriends, who were also trying to get to her, and through the harder brace of their husbands and fiancés, who were attempting to keep them away. Once he reached her, he yanked Gemma from Dave’s grip with his right hand, pulled her out of harm’s way and punched the idiot in the face with his left. Dave didn’t look in any way debonair as he stumbled back, but he didn’t fall, so Josh released Gem, took a step and punched him again. Dave fell, smashing against a table and distributing a stack of cutlery to the floor with a ringing clatter.

  Senses alert, Josh was aware of people being moved back. He checked for Gem while Dave was still down. Charlotte had her by the arm and was attempting to get her out of the way but Gem was forcing her way back through. Ethan caught her by the arm before she broke through the circle. ‘Stay,’ he told her.

  ‘I’m not a dog,’ she said, scowling up at him.

  ‘No,’ he said, ‘but I still need you here.’ He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. ‘Or you’ll get hurt.’

  Josh saw myriad emotions pass over her features: annoyance, frustration, a yearning to get in among it, then all of a sudden, she looked at him and some kind of recognition passed between them, calm.

  Josh raised an eyebrow. What did she want him to do?

  ‘Take him,’ she said.

  Josh grinned. Excellent choice. He turned. ‘Get up.’ He stepped back to allow Dave room.

  ‘You asked for it, buddy,’ Dave said.

  ‘I’m not your buddy. Get up.’

  Dave stood, rubbed his jaw and waited. Josh let him. He could see the intent in the guy but he wanted to know Dave’s tactics. Looked like he was aiming for the surprise element: get the other man to relax then charge him. Josh was tall but Dave
was heavier, and Josh needed to know just how much power he’d have to pack into a punch to show Dave a lesson without killing him.

  Dave suddenly threw himself at Josh, took hold of him by the shirt on his shoulder and hefted a punch into his gut. Dave had a fair amount of muscle mass in his body-fat ratio. Josh bent, automatically protecting his right side for the follow-up. He lifted his arm and blocked Dave’s next punch, using his elbow to knock him off-kilter, then kicked his leg out from under him. Dave bounced on his backside with a grunt.

  Josh put a hand on his ribcage and forced pressure onto the pain.

  ‘On your right!’ Gem shouted.

  Josh looked over his shoulder and scowled at the man striding towards him, chest wide, shoulders back, fists clenched. Now Pete was into it. Okay, he could take two. They were strong, aggressive, but drunk—neither had the dexterity Josh had from years of strenuous physical jobs, working with and teaching young men full of bravado and bite. Yeah, he could take them both and something inside him welcomed it. He had a fair amount of steam to get rid of himself.

  Pete had momentum on his side as well as grunt. He barrelled into Josh, head-butted him and knocked him to the floor with a quick left to the jaw. Pete walked away, his back to Josh, swaggering and rolling a heavy-set shoulder. Thought it was over, did he?

  Pete held a hand out to Dave, who was still sitting on the floor, and pulled his heavier mate up.

  Josh hauled himself up too. He ran his tongue around his mouth. No broken teeth, no blood. ‘Sorry, Dan,’ he said, glancing at Kookaburra’s owner, surprised that Dan—let alone Ethan—hadn’t put a stop to this fight already. Newly returned to town and here Josh was, carving up the only hotel in Swallow’s Fall.

  Dan crossed his arms. ‘Fine by me. Just don’t the break any more glassware if you can help it.’

  Josh looked at Ethan, expecting a formidable frown but catching a grin.

  ‘Well, you’re evenly matched,’ Ethan said. ‘Just watch out for Pete.’ He pointed over Josh’s shoulder. ‘He looks kind of keen.’

  Josh turned, fists at the ready. Pete was charging him, shoulders hunched as he made his way across the room, looking like an oversized pit bull who’d been kept on a chain up until two seconds ago.