Copper Creek: The Complete Boxed Set

by Smith, Wendy

  It worries me. She’s a little girl who just lost both her parents, and I’m feeding her up on sugar. But what the hell else am I supposed to do?

  At least she’s not crying right now.

  * * *

  An hour later, I sit at the station, the little girl still clinging onto me. Her small arms are around my neck, and I think she’s finally fallen asleep.

  She’s cried twice, called for her mother, and won’t let go of me. I can’t blame her. That it’s Cara who died makes me want to hold onto her tighter. She’s all of her family that’s left.

  “We managed to get a social worker over from Carlstown. She’s here to take the girl.”

  I look up to see Graham Taylor walking toward me. He’s the senior sergeant at the Copper Creek police station, and he’s being followed by a tall, blonde woman. She smiles at the sight of the girl in my arms.

  “Where’s she taking her?”

  Graham sits on the bench beside me. “You knew Cara pretty well. Do you know of any family?”

  I shake my head. “I know she didn’t have any. Her parents both died of cancer. Not sure about Ryan.”

  “We haven’t found anyone yet. No one who will take Ava.”

  “So what happens to her?”

  The blonde woman looks at me. “She’ll go to a family for care. Until we can work out a permanent solution.”

  “What family? Will it be in Copper Creek?”

  She shakes her head. “I’ve got a family lined up in Carlstown. It’s the closest we can—”

  “The only home this kid has known is Copper Creek. Her parents are gone. You seriously have to take her to another town with no idea what to do with her?”

  Graham puts his hand on my shoulder. “Owen, she’ll be okay.”

  “Cara’s gone. Everything Ava’s known is gone. You want to take even more away from her?”

  “What do you suggest we do?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. I can call Adam and Lily. They’ve got kids.”

  “They do, but they have to be approved carers. Approved by the state.”

  I roll my eyes. It’s so hard thinking of just handing her over. This is the last piece of Cara left in this world, and I’m reluctant to let her go.

  The blonde woman reaches for Ava, and despite my feelings, I hand her over. Ava rubs her eyes. “Owen?”

  “Hey, little lady.” I reach for her hand, and plant a kiss on it. “You gotta go with this lady now, and she’s going to take you somewhere you can get some real sleep. And she’s gonna take really good care of you, or I’ll kick her arse.”

  Ava smiles, and Graham rolls his eyes. “She’ll be fine, Owen.”

  “She’d better be.”

  My heart feels empty as they walk away. What that kid will go through is incomprehensible to me. Ava’s an only child. Even when my parents pissed me off, I still had my four brothers.

  She’s alone.

  * * *

  It’s a little after nine by the time I’m finished, and I head back to the wedding reception just in case there are people around and the alcohol’s still flowing.

  Part of me wants to drink myself into oblivion after tonight. There’ll be somewhere I can crash at the cove, or I could even get Dad back out to get me.

  Drew and Hayley are long gone, and I spot Corey in the corner of the marquee with the blonde still hanging off his every word. Mum and Dad aren’t here either, and I assume James is with them.

  To my surprise, Adam, Lily, and the kids are still here, but Lily’s picking up rubbish and chatting with Ginny while Adam’s sitting at a table with Rose and Max.

  “I thought you’d be long gone,” I say to Lily, smiling at both her and Ginny.

  “The caterers left, and the marquee’s not being taken down until the morning, so I thought I’d clear some of the paper napkins and cups. They’ll end up all over the cove otherwise.”

  I nod. “Good thinking.”

  Ginny touches my arm. “The accident. Was it bad?”

  I let out a loud breath. “Yeah.”

  “Who was it?” asks Lily. “Anyone we know?”

  I look around. Chances are the news will be around the town by morning. “Cara and Ryan Mitchell.”

  Lily’s mouth falls open. “Both of them?”

  I nod. “Their little girl was the only survivor.”

  The bag in her hand drops to the ground, and she slides her arms around my neck. “Oh, Owen, I’m so sorry,” she whispers.

  “It’s awful. I took care of Ava until a social worker turned up.”

  Ginny’s hand squeezes my arm, and I shoot her a smile to show my appreciation. She doesn’t know the history between Cara and me, but she must realise how tough an accident like that is to deal with.

  “Is there any booze left?”

  Leaning against me, Lily laughs. “There are a couple of cases of champagne in the corner. It’s reserved for family.”

  “I’ll grab some to take home, but I’d kill for a drink now.”

  “Sit down, I’ll get you one.” Ginny lets go of me, and heads toward the bottles in the corner.

  She’s wearing a long, deep blue dress that hugs her curves, and I can’t help but check out her butt.

  Lily drops her arms, following my gaze, and slaps me gently on the bicep. “She’s lovely. Not someone I want to see you get your hands on.”

  I shift my gaze from Ginny to Lily. “That’s not very nice.”

  “Break her heart and I’ll break you.” She wags her finger at me, and I believe her.

  “I’ve only just met her.”

  “I know you, Owen Campbell.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Lily grins. “I can see the look in your eyes. That and your gaze fixed on her arse.”

  “Nothing wrong with looking.”

  “No, there’s not, but she’s a real sweetheart, so none of your love-them-and-leave-them tricks with her.”

  I sigh. “I promise.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about Cara. I know how close you were.”

  Lily knows better than anyone about my past with Cara. Although she didn’t approve of our fling, she snorted with laughter when I recounted the story of Ryan catching us. Thankfully, he didn’t recognise me, as he only saw me from behind. But that was the first and last time I ever messed with a married woman.

  “Thanks. I just can’t believe it. We didn’t have much to do with each other afterward, but it’s weird to know she won’t be around any longer.”

  “Here you go.” Ginny appears with a glass of wine, blushing as she hands it to me. “I guess I should be going.”

  “Don’t. Stay a bit longer.” The words are out of my mouth before I think about them. “You owe me a dance, Miss Robinson.”

  She laughs.

  Lily rolls her eyes and pats me on the chest. “We’re going to get the kids home. See you tomorrow at our place for a barbecue? Drew and Hayley are heading off first thing in the morning so they can make their flight on time, but we thought we’d get the family together before James goes back to Auckland.”

  I nod.

  She turns to Ginny. “We’d love to see you too. Around midday?”

  Ginny nods.

  “See you both tomorrow.”

  Lily waves as she leads Adam and the kids away. Adam carries the cases of wine, leaving the rest of the bottle for me.

  And then I’m left alone with Ginny.

  I drink the wine in two gulps.

  “You really needed that, huh?” she asks.

  “Sure did.”

  “I’ll get you another one.”

  What I want to do is just skull the bottle, but I take the glass she offers. Everything else has been cleared away. The caterers must have missed this, and I’m glad because drinking out of a glass looks so much better than necking the bottle.

  I swallow down the second glass. “Let’s dance.”

  “There’s no music.”

  “Sure there is.” I pluck my phon
e from my pocket and load up Spotify. I pick a random radio station, and the marquee fills with soft music.

  “What’s that?” Ginny asks.

  “No idea, but it’ll do.” I hold open my arms. “Dance?”

  She takes a tentative step closer, and I slip one arm around her waist, clasping her hand in mine.

  “I didn’t think that today I’d end up dancing in a marquee near the beach.” Her soft laughter fills the space.

  “Neither did I, but today has been full of surprises.”

  Her smile warms me after one of the toughest nights of my life, and I close my eyes as I pull her close and we dance slowly.

  “Thank you,” I murmur.

  “What for?”

  “For being here. For staying. For dancing with me. I needed this.”

  She sighs. “I’m sorry you had such a rough night. On your brother’s wedding day, too.”

  “Yeah, not ideal. At least I got to see the ceremony. I’m so proud of him.”

  “It was a gorgeous wedding.”

  I open my eyes and lean back. “I think this is the best part.”

  Her cheeks flush with colour. “I’m enjoying it, too.”

  The song finishes, and a new one starts. “It’s probably time to go home. I’ll be crawling if I keep going. Wine does that to me.”

  She laughs. “I’ll give you a lift. I didn’t have a lot to drink, and I haven’t had anything for the last couple of hours.”

  “I’d really appreciate that. Walking home in the dark isn’t really my idea of fun. I’ll come back and get my car tomorrow.”

  She nods. “If you want, I can pick you up before going to Adam and Lily’s.”

  “I’d really like that.”

  “Me too.”

  4

  Owen

  I don’t sleep well.

  Ginny dropped me off outside last night, and we arranged for her to pick me up to collect my car around eleven. I thought after a few glasses of wine, sleep would be easy to come by, but the mangled mess of the car I saw will haunt me for a long time to come.

  That, and the thought of Ava. All she had were her parents. Thinking of her being alone drives a hole through my heart.

  It’s not fair. None of it is.

  There’s a knock on the door a little before eleven, and I pull it open, finding a smiling Ginny on the other side. It’s like seeing her all over again for the first time, she looks so good. Her dark hair is in a loose bun, and her face is free of makeup. My morning’s lit up by her smile. I feel like a mess when she’s clearly so together.

  “Hey,” she says.

  “Morning.”

  Her brows knit. “Are you okay?”

  I nod. “Tired. I didn’t get much sleep.”

  She tilts her head to the side. “I’m sure. Do you want to go to this barbecue?”

  “Yeah. Food might make me feel better.” I give her a smile, but it’s strained. She makes me feel like I should be at my best with her, she seems so perfect.

  “Have you had a shower?”

  I can’t resist. “Why? Are you propositioning me?”

  Her cheeks flush scarlet and she laughs. It’s so endearing that maybe even my stony heart might have dipped. “I just thought it might make you feel better.”

  Shaking my head, I laugh. “No. I just got out of bed.”

  “Go and have a shower. I’ll wait.”

  She’s right, and we do have time. “Okay. Come in.”

  Ginny settles in on the couch as I make my way up the hall.

  “I’m still convinced this is your way of getting me naked,” I shoot over my shoulder.

  Her laughter echoes through my small flat. “Okay. You got me. That’s why I’m sitting out here.”

  As I shut the bathroom door, I grin.

  I really like this woman.

  * * *

  Ginny drives me to the cove to get my car, and I spend the whole trip acutely aware of the woman by my side.

  I don’t know her well, but she doesn’t seem like the type I usually end up with. Though, that’s my own fault. Not wanting to commit leaves me with women who want the same. The occasional fun night with no strings has always been my thing.

  There’s no way Ginny’s like that.

  She’s all kind of sweet and caring without obligation, and it messes with my head. I mean, I know women like that exist—after all, Lily and Hayley are in my family—but a woman like that who seems to like me is pretty special.

  “That shower was a good idea. Thank you.”

  Ginny laughs. “You didn’t need me to tell you to have one.”

  “Seriously, sometimes I’m like the biggest man-baby, and I just need someone to take care of me.” Shit. Why did I say that? Surely the quickest way to put her off is to make myself out to be some kind of emotional cripple. Even if I am.

  “Everybody needs help from time to time. There’s no shame in that.”

  Her voice is so soft, and it does it for me big time. There’s nothing fake about Ginny Robinson. “So, why haven’t I met you before? You must come into the bakery. Everyone does.”

  She shakes her head. “I could eat fresh bread all day, but I shouldn’t eat gluten.”

  “Really?”

  “You don’t have any gluten-free bread, do you?”

  “Uhh.” She’s caught me out there. “No. I did have some for a while, but there was no demand for it. Maybe if I was in the city, it’d be a product that would sell.”

  She shrugs. “I guess in a small town, there are less people who need things like that. Mary at the Four Square orders some in specially for me.”

  For some reason that angers me. I want to take care of that for her. “If it’s from the supermarket, it can’t be that fresh. I’ll bake it for you.” I grin. “Now I know I’ll have one customer for it.”

  “You think I’m silly, right? That’s usually the first reaction,” she says.

  I swallow. “No. You said you loved bread. I don’t think you’d avoid gluten if there wasn’t a good reason for it.”

  “I’m on a special medical diet, and as much as I hate giving up what I enjoy, I think it helps.” A smile spreads across her face. “I did eat that cake yesterday.”

  My heart leaps. “What did you think?”

  “It was beautiful. Hayley was right not to want to cut it, but I’m glad she did. It tasted almost as good as it looked.” She looks around. “Where’s your car?”

  I look up. We’re at the cove, and there are a few cars scattered around where we all parked last night, including Corey’s truck. I smirk at the memory of the blonde hanging off him. It’s not often Corey ventures out in public, and it’s even rarer for him to get laid. To think I went home alone. It’s a weird reversal for the two of us.

  “Uhh, just over there.”

  She pulls up beside my car and smiles. “Here we go.”

  “Thank you, Ginny. I really appreciate it. Maybe I can make you some gluten-free bread to say thank you?”

  Ginny beams. “Sounds good.”

  “It also gives me an excuse to see you again.”

  Her eyes widen, and I think she gets my meaning. I do want to spend time with her, and it’s not about getting laid. It’s just about getting to know her. Maybe it’s because I’ve just had a reminder about how short life can be.

  “I hope the cake didn’t muck things up.”

  She shrugs. “I don’t think so. Plus, it was so worth it. You’re an amazing baker.”

  “That cake had a lot of time and love poured into it. Drew wanted to give Hayley something special, and she’s so good for him, I wanted it to be perfect.”

  “Well, it was. I loved it.”

  I grin. “I’m pretty sure I could sort out some gluten-free cake if you’re interested.”

  “Very interested.”

  Leaning over, I peck her on the cheek. She blushes again, and it leaves my heart in my throat. “I’m hoping you’re not just interested in the cake.”

  I leave
her in the car, watching me with her mouth hanging open.

  Last night was crazy, but Ginny’s presence and the ease between us leaves me a little more optimistic about the future.

  Maybe she could be exactly what I need.

  * * *

  Ginny follows me in her car to Adam’s place, and he’s waiting in the backyard as we pull into the driveway. I don’t know if she notices, but his eyebrows creep up as he watches me usher her through the gate.

  “Lily’s inside,” he says.

  She nods. “I’ll go and find her.”

  I love the way she looks from behind. The view is almost as good as it is from the front. She’s wearing jeans today, and they accentuate her shape even more than the dress did yesterday.

  This feels so much like a date with us arriving together, but I’ve never brought a date to a family event before. Her presence stirs up mixed emotions—excitement, anticipation, and more than a healthy dose of nerves.

  “What’s going on with you two?” Adam asks, nudging my elbow.

  “Who?” I grin.

  “You and Ginny. Arriving at the same time?”

  I smile. “She gave me a lift to the cove to get my car before coming over.”

  “So, you two …”

  I shake my head. “No. Lily warned me away from her.”

  Adam smirks. “Is that going to stop you?”

  “Hell no. But then, I guess Lily is right. If I’m going to hurt Ginny, maybe it would be better if I didn’t go there.”

  Adam’s smirk’s still there, and I punch his arm. “What?”

  He leans over. “Seems to me that if you’re already caring about her feelings, maybe there is something there. It’s not like you.”

  “I think that’s a little unfair.”

  “Says the man who’s left a trail of broken hearts for years.”

  “I’m not completely heartless, Adam.”

  He frowns. “Lily told me about Cara and Ryan. I’m sorry, Owen.”

  “Don’t feel sorry for me. It’s their little girl I’m worried about. She’s gone to stay with a family she doesn’t know.”

  Adam sighs. “Man, that sucks.”