Return to Stringybark Creek

by Karly Lane

  He knew he was already too attached but, then again, he hadn’t expected anything less. Sure, he’d said he’d be happy to take whatever came out of this, but in truth he wasn’t sure how he was going to cope when Hadley left. He could deal with a long-distance romance if he had to, but he wasn’t sure how he’d go if things simply ended between them as though nothing had even happened. They were going to need to talk but right now he was too scared to bring it up in case she told him something he didn’t want to hear.

  He didn’t like the sneaking around though. Hadley was right, it would complicate things if their families all got involved, and he’d already had to lie to Griff about meeting up last night, which sadly, thanks to his unexciting social life, had immediately sparked his mate’s curiosity.

  He wasn’t sure how Griff would take the news if they told him. The Callahans were funny like that—Griff and Linc had always been fiercely protective of their sisters growing up. Ollie knew that a number of potential boyfriends had, without Hadley’s knowledge, been given a detailed description of what would happen to them if they did anything to hurt her. Hadley hadn’t had very many long-term relationships in high school. He was probably overreacting. Griffin was engaged to Ollie’s sister for goodness sake. It’d be a bit pot calling the kettle if he did, and yet Ollie had a funny feeling Griff wasn’t going to be overjoyed by the news. He hoped he wasn’t going to lose his best mate over it.

  Yeah, there was a lot riding on a relationship that had no real name yet. A hell of a lot.

  ‘Is it just me or is it kind of boring not to end up with a broken nose and black eye?’ Hadley said, turning her head on the pillow to look over at Ollie.

  ‘Boring?’ He lifted an eyebrow at her.

  ‘Okay, poor choice of words. Anticlimactic?’

  ‘Woman, if you’re trying to castrate me, you’re going about it in the right way.’

  Hadley chuckled and slid her hand into his. ‘I wouldn’t want to do that. It’s just a relief there were no trips to Emergency and awkward explanations. I was worried after the first attempt that it could become a thing.’

  Ollie looked down at her hand inside his. It looked incredibly small and delicate. It was such a small hand to be holding his whole heart. Whoa. Part of him wanted to pull on the brakes. He wasn’t even putting up a fight? A saner part of him just shook its head—what was the point? Seriously? He’d been in love with the woman forever.

  ‘I wasn’t sure if this would happen again,’ he admitted quietly, hoping he wasn’t pushing his luck opening this conversation.

  ‘You had second thoughts about your physical safety?’

  He grinned but shook his head, ‘No. I was half-expecting you to realise you’d made a terrible mistake.’

  ‘Why? Have you? Realised you’ve made a terrible mistake, that is?’ she asked slowly.

  ‘God no,’ he answered quickly and felt her relax slightly. ‘Just when you called earlier, it crossed my mind.’

  ‘I don’t regret this,’ she told him earnestly. ‘It’s taken me by surprise,’ she admitted. ‘I mean, the last thing I expected when I came home was to discover I had all these weird feelings for someone who I’ve always thought of as a—’

  ‘Do not say brother,’ he warned her darkly.

  ‘Cousin?’ she said helpfully.

  ‘That’s still pretty much frowned upon in most places too.’

  She chuckled and rolled over on her side to look at him and he instantly felt a stab of attraction all over again. She was so damn beautiful. Messy hair, no makeup and all.

  ‘This is all so new and unexpected, Ollie. It’s really taken me by surprise.’

  ‘But not in a bad way, right?’

  ‘Definitely not in a bad way,’ she agreed, sliding a leg along his thigh under the sheet that covered them.

  Okay, so she might be using sex to distract him from continuing along the path of serious conversation, but who was he to complain? He could wait to talk about all this … as long as she wanted.

  ‘Morning.’

  Hadley jumped, letting out a muffled curse as the whispered words seemed to echo in the quiet room. ‘Jesus, Cash. You scared the hell out of me.’

  ‘Sorry,’ she said, smiling serenely as she fed Mia in the dark room.

  Hadley moved across to her and eased down into the chair opposite, trying not to make any noise and disturb her niece from feeding. ‘Bit early for breakfast, isn’t it?’

  ‘This is the pre-breakfast breakfast,’ Cash said, looking down at her child’s face tolerantly. ‘And where have you just come home from, missy?’ she asked, glancing up.

  ‘Ah, nowhere. I was just out … for a walk.’

  ‘Really … and wearing the same clothes you were in yesterday? Come on, Hads, my entire life right now revolves around feeding and changing a baby. I’ve got cracked nipples and stretch marks. I need to hear something adult and juicy right now before I lose my mind.’

  Hadley studied her sister-in-law silently for a few moments before letting out a long sigh. ‘Fine, but you can’t tell Linc.’

  ‘Okay. Now spill. And don’t leave out any details.’

  ‘There are no details. I’ve just recently developed feelings for someone I’ve known for a long time. It’s still new and I don’t really know where it’s going.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘I’d rather not say. I mean there’s no point if it doesn’t go anywhere. I’d rather not have everyone know.’

  ‘It’s Ollie, isn’t it,’ Cash said.

  ‘What?’ Hadley hurried to adjust the level of horror in her tone. ‘Why would you think that?’ What the hell?

  ‘Just a hunch,’ Cash shrugged, before switching the baby to her other breast and settling back once more. ‘I remember seeing him at your wedding. I thought then that maybe there was something going on with you two. He just seemed … different that night. I’d never seen him quite that drunk before. Actually, it was only a guess until I saw the look on your face just now.’

  She must be getting out of practice if she was giving away her thoughts so easily. She’d interviewed more than her fair share of difficult people over the years, and she had been pretty sure she had the ability to hide what she was really thinking.

  ‘You can’t breathe a word of this to Linc,’ she said finally.

  ‘I won’t, but I doubt he’ll figure it out,’ Cash dismissed. ‘Men rarely pick up on the obvious.’

  ‘It’s not that obvious,’ Hadley protested.

  ‘So?’ Cash drawled. ‘Details?’

  ‘There’s not that much to tell. I was there for Ollie at Luke’s funeral and things just kinda progressed.’

  ‘How long have you been together?’

  ‘Not long … and we’re not really together,’ Hadley clarified. ‘It’s complicated.’

  ‘Of course it is. All the best relationships are.’

  ‘I don’t do complicated. In fact, I’ve always had very uncomplicated relationships.’

  ‘And how’s that been working out for you?’ Cash asked, lifting an eyebrow. The early morning sun was beginning to peek over the horizon and a faint glow was creeping into the room.

  Hadley gave a small surprised snort. From anyone other than Cash, she’d probably have taken offence, but it was hard to be offended by the woman who’d won her brother’s heart and with whom her whole family had fallen in love. ‘I don’t know how it can go anywhere.’

  ‘You said it’s only new? Maybe just don’t think about all the complications right now and just enjoy being together and getting to know each other.’

  ‘We’ve known each other all our lives.’

  ‘You’ve known each other as friends,’ Cash said with a shake of her head. ‘This is different. You have to start all over again.’

  ‘I don’t know, Cash. If there’s no point in it, why put ourselves through all this?’

  ‘You don’t know that there’s no point. Trust me, once you find the right person you can open up to, it’s l
ife-changing.’

  ‘That’s the bit I’m worried about. I’m not sure I want my life to change.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Hads. Change doesn’t have to be scary. It can be a good thing.’

  ‘I’m a foreign correspondent, Cash. I’ve had to work hard to get where I am. It’s not a job that you just turn your back on.’

  ‘Do you have to? I mean, is there some kind of rule that says if you have a relationship you have to give up your job?’

  ‘You know how crazy my work schedule is. I’m away for months at a time. That’s no way to live in a relationship.’

  ‘You won’t know until you try. I think you’re putting all this pressure on yourself, and thinking of all the negatives, when you haven’t even given the relationship a chance. Don’t write it off too soon. I’m telling you, the hardest opportunities are the ones that ends up being the most worthwhile.’ She stood up slowly, a now sleeping baby cradled in her arms. ‘Just do yourself a favour and open your mind to the possibilities before you shut the idea down completely.’

  Hadley found herself staring down the hall after her sister-in-law. Maybe Cash was right. There was nothing really stopping them from continuing their lives as they were and still working on a relationship. Only, what if they found themselves falling further into something serious and not being able to make it work because of her job? Wouldn’t that be worse than ending it before it got that far in the first place?

  With a frustrated groan, she tipped her head back against the headrest of her chair and closed her eyes. This wasn’t getting her anywhere.

  Fourteen

  Ollie glanced up as a ute pulled over in the paddock. He turned off the tractor and climbed down out of the cab. ‘You got the day off or something?’ he called as he crossed towards Griff.

  ‘Just brought back the generator.’

  ‘Righto. Thanks.’ Ollie’s eyes narrowed a little as he watched his mate. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something not quite right. ‘You okay?’

  ‘Huh? Yeah. Nah. All good,’ he said, shuffling slightly with his hands shoved in his pockets. ‘I s’pose I should get back and do something before the old man starts jumpin’ up and down.’

  ‘Okay. Catch ya later then.’ Something was definitely up. He turned away as Griff waved, but turned back when he started speaking again.

  ‘Actually. While I’ve got ya here,’ Griff started. ‘Look, it’s probably none of my business, but …’ He paused and then blurted, ‘Is there anything going on with you and my sister?’

  Ollie bit back the denial that instantly sprung to his lips—this was his best mate. He wasn’t going to lie to him. He knew Hadley wanted to keep things quiet till they figured things out, but he’d seen how keeping secrets had caused problems for other people around here lately. They always managed to snowball into bigger lies and before you knew it you were stuck in the middle of a huge shit storm. ‘Maybe you should ask Hadley about that, mate.’

  Griffin straightened at that and his gaze locked onto Ollie’s. ‘I think I’d rather hear it from you.’

  ‘Griff, your sister doesn’t want to make a big deal out it. She asked me not to say anything.’

  ‘So it’s true? You’ve got to be shittin’ me,’ he said, staring at Ollie with a dumbfounded look. ‘And you’re happy to have a fling with her on the quiet?’

  Ollie knew Griff and Hadley were close—hell, he had a twin sister, he knew how protective a bloke got over his sister but Griff was treading a very thin line at the moment. ‘You were right, this is probably none of your business.’

  ‘This is my sister you’re talkin’ about,’ Griff said through clenched teeth.

  ‘Exactly. It’s Hadley. You should know better than to ask something like that. You know damn well I’d never treat her like a fling.’

  ‘Then what the hell? Where did this thing even come from? She’s practically your family.’

  ‘And you’re marrying my sister,’ Ollie pointed out.

  ‘It’s not about that,’ Griff snapped. ‘This is to do with timing.’

  ‘I’m not talkin’ about this with you. If you want to know any more, go speak to your sister.’

  ‘I can’t believe you’d sneak around behind everyone’s back like this. Christ, Ollie, she’s still married.’

  ‘As if you give a toss about Mitch. You’re really reachin’ for straws now.’

  ‘I’m trying to get my head around the fact my best friend has decided to pounce on my sister when she’s at her lowest.’

  ‘Pounce? Griff, I think you better shut your mouth right now before you say something that’s gonna be really hard to ignore.’

  ‘Pretty disappointed, mate.’ Griff turned away abruptly and stormed back to his ute, leaving Ollie to stare after him, clenching his jaw.

  Ollie climbed back into the tractor and slammed the cabin door before starting the engine. How had everything blown up in his face like that? Trust Griff to get the wrong end of the bloody stick. Who the hell was he to come storming over here and get up in his face like that? It was none of his bloody business. He eyed his phone and fought the urge to call Hadley. It wasn’t a good idea while he was still seething, but she had a right to know that her brother was on the warpath. No doubt she’d be hearing from Griff soon enough. Although he was willing to bet Griff wouldn’t get away with calling her out on it the way he had just now. He almost wished he could be there when that particular conversation took place. If he were a betting man, he’d have his money on Hadley. She may be tiny, but growing up with two older brothers, she’d learned pretty fast how to stand up for herself. Nope, he wouldn’t be underestimating Hadley.

  ‘So when were you going to fill the rest of us in on your latest news?’

  Hadley glanced up from the wedding magazine she’d been flicking through as she and Olivia decided on bridesmaid styles.

  ‘What latest news?’ She eyed Griffin curiously. Oh, great, what had happened now?

  ‘You and Ollie. Want to tell me what the hell’s going on there?’

  Hadley’s stomach dropped a little, before her brother’s slightly aggressive stance registered. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘Want to tell me why you think you can stand there and demand anything from me in that tone?’

  ‘I’ve just been over to see Ollie. He didn’t deny it.’

  ‘You did what? Why would you think you had the right to do that?’

  ‘Because you’re my sister and he’s my best friend. I’ve had the feeling something’s been goin’ on for a while now. I wanted to hear it from him.’

  ‘It’s got nothing to do with you, Griffin.’

  ‘So it’s true? You and Ollie?’

  ‘It’s none of your business.’

  ‘Okay. How about we all calm down,’ Olivia said, getting to her feet to stand between the siblings.

  ‘Calm down? Where does he get off attacking me like this?’

  ‘Haven’t we had enough secrets in this family?’ Griff shot back.

  ‘It wasn’t a secret—God, is it too much to ask for anything to stay private in this place?’ Hadley snapped, before turning to Olivia. ‘I knew once he found out he’d carry on like this.’

  ‘Coffee anyone?’ Olivia tried again.

  Griffin stared at his fiancée. ‘You knew about it?’

  ‘I told her in confidence,’ Hadley said, eyeing her friend sternly.

  ‘So I’m the last one to know anything around here?’

  ‘Stop being such a drama queen,’ Hadley said, rolling her eyes. ‘Look. Ollie and I … I don’t know where it’s headed. It just happened. I don’t want to make a big deal about it.’

  A loud rap at the front door of the cottage made all three turn around as the screen door opened and Ollie came inside.

  Hadley had that weird stomach flip thing happening as Ollie strode across to her side. Her eyes trailed across his pale blue work shirt and she was momentarily distracted by the tanned forearms revealed by the rolled-up sleeves.


  ‘I figured Griff was on his way here and I wasn’t going to let you take it all alone,’ he said before Hadley could ask what he was doing here. ‘Griff, despite what you think, you don’t have to know everything that’s going on in your sister’s life … or mine for that matter. You’re my best mate and I don’t want anything to change that, but if Hadley wants you to back off about this, then I’m gonna make sure you do.’

  ‘Whoa. Hold up,’ Olivia said, stepping in between her brother and soon-to-be husband like a human shield. ‘That’s enough. No one is going to make anyone do anything,’ she said, glaring at the men sternly. ‘This is getting ridiculous.’

  ‘Ollie,’ Hadley said gently, putting her hand on his arm and feeling the solid strength beneath her fingers. ‘Thank you, but it’s okay.’

  ‘It’s not okay that you have to deal with everyone asking about us. We’re in this together.’

  The way his voice dropped would have made her knees tremble if she’d been that kind of girl. Wait a minute. Turned out she was that kind of girl. Where had this strong, stoic Ollie come from?

  The tender way he was looking down into her face made her swallow over a surprised lump in her throat. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d had someone this protective hovering over her. Mitch certainly had never had this streak. It wasn’t altogether unpleasant, despite the fact it was her brother whose arse Ollie was getting ready to kick, and she was more than capable of kicking his arse herself.

  This was a man you could depend on. The thought came like a blinding flash of light. He didn’t deserve to be kept hidden like some dirty secret. Ollie had never wanted to keep this a secret, and the fact he was willing to do whatever it took to keep it quiet for her, proved just how selfless he was. Hadley didn’t think about what she was doing as she leaned up and kissed him.