Pleasure slid through her. “Really?”
“Yeah. But there’s hidden depths to you that doesn’t come through them, things you’ve never discussed.”
“One has to be careful what one puts in letters that go through military channels.”
Nick laughed. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Because you’re too good at reading people.”
“Hmm.” He studied her.
“See, that there is a good interrogation technique.’
He raised one eyebrow.
“All that silence and watching and shit. Makes one spill their guts from nerves.”
His smile this time was slow and deliberate.
Bree felt that smile all the way to her core and she cleared her throat. “So, Nick Mason. How about we just go inside and have a cuppa and a chat?”
“Bree Ford, that is one of the top wants on my wish list.” Nick slid back into his seat.
This time when he had the side door open for her, she didn’t feel so resentful. Man, she had to get a grip on herself, especially when she saw his jeans tight across his backside when he leaned in to retrieve the backpack. The man had a great arse.
God, her emotions were all over the place. The man was turning her into a basket case. Or maybe her mother had done that a long time ago, she did have a choice of who to blame. It was just that she thought she had herself sorted, then along came soldier boy with his warm smile, warm eyes, and hot, hot mouth. Oh boy.
Shaking that thought away, she reached for the backpack, but Nick swung it up over one broad shoulder, slung his arm around her shoulders, and deftly guided her over to the veranda.
“You’re doing it again,” she pointed out, half annoyed and half enjoying the sensation of his hard body against her.
So someone shoot her, the man had a great body.
“I have control issues,” he replied.
“You don’t say.”
“It seems to get worse around you.”
“Oh, that’s comforting. And you think I should let you into the house with me after that confession?”
“Honey.” Affection and amusement were mixed together in the one word.
Fitting the key into the security screen lock, Bree looked up at him. “Just remember, I have my own air raid siren for protection.”
“Duly noted, General.”
Nick held the security screen open while she unlocked the wooden door and followed her in, the security screen clicking shut behind him.
There came a scrabble of claws, something fell, and Bast skidded into the hallway, doing her claws-in-the-runner momentum. Spotting Bree, she ran full pelt along the hallway and launched herself onto the hallway table, where she padded her blue paws on the surface and meowed.
“Is this the weapon of mass destruction?” Nick asked, scratching her behind the ears while lowering the backpack to the floor.
“How did you guess?”
“Intuition.”
The man had a lot of that, Bree thought as she went into the kitchen. “What do you fancy to drink?”
“Coffee, please.”
Plugging in the kettle, she set out the mugs and cut several chunks of cake. Placing them on a small plate, she waited for Nick to appear. When he didn’t, she went back out into the hallway to see what he was doing.
Hands in his pockets, Nick was looking with interest at the photos on the wall.
Walking up beside him, Bree looked at the photos. “Parts of my childhood.”
“You lived in a camper van?”
“Yeah. We travelled from place to place a lot.”
“You and your Mum.”
“Yeah.”
His gaze slid to the other photos. “I don’t see your Dad here.”
“That’s because the only photo I had of him disappeared during our travels.” Bree paused. “Thanks to one of Mum’s boyfriends.”
That had Nick looking down at her. “I’m sorry.”
That was unexpected. “Thank you.” When he said nothing further, she raised her eyebrows.
He simply gazed back down at her.
“No further questions?” she queried.
“I figure you’ll tell me what you want me to know.”
“Aren’t you even a little curious?”
“Yep.”
“You’re a strange man, Nick.”
There went that engaging crinkle at the corners of his eyes, that sign of amusement that made her want to smile right back at him.
He looked back up at the photos. “You lived in a lot of places.”
“Yep.”
“Any one in particular was your favourite place?”
“Right here.” Tilting her head back, she took a deep breath. “Whicha. Here is where I’ve chosen to set my roots down, to buy a house, settle down.”
“Different to travelling.”
“Very different. But it feels right.”
“Think you’ll ever change your mind?”
“Nope.” She said it with complete conviction. “I know it. Deep in my bones, I know this is the place for me. This is home.”
“Whicha has that effect on people,” he murmured. “What are these photos? Are they what I think they are?”
She followed his gaze. “Ah. Now these are UFO photos.” She pointed to one. “This one we sighted when we were travelling on one of our hunts across the Nullarbor. Lots of strange things out on the Nullarbor. The photo below it was one we took in the Blue Mountains. People have gone missing there, you know.”
Nick glanced down at her.
“Cross my heart.” Bree made the motion across her chest, startled when his eyes darkened a fraction, the pupils dilating. Before she could think if she’d imagined it, he transferred his gaze back to the photos.
Whoo boy. That was no imagination. But seeing as how he wasn’t doing anything else, she took refuge in continuing describing the photos. “This one we spotted when we were on a fishing boat off the Abrolhos Reef.”
“The Nullarbor one shows a triangular-looking thing, The Blue Mountains a distant disc, and this one,” Nick tapped the Abrolhos Reef photo, “a light.”
“See that stream behind it? It was going so fast it blurred. This was the best we could get after Jackie worked on it.”
“Worked on it?”
“Enlarged it, tried to bring out the spaceship. Didn’t work, the blurring just got worse. But she did the best she could, and here we are.” Pausing, she folded her arms, waited.
Nick silently regarded the photos.
“How much more do you want to know?” Bree asked.
“However much you’ll tell me.”
“Will you reciprocate?”
“Honey, my life is an open book. You ask, I’ll answer.”
“So you’ll tell me everything?”
His eyes glinted with amusement. “Apart from confessions of our alien conspiracy. That’s top secret.”
“I’d expect no less.” Smiling, she turned around. “I’ll make the cuppas and meet you on the veranda. It’s nice sitting out there listening to the birds. Unless you prefer the lounge?”
“Veranda is fine. I have a liking for swing chairs.”
“Something we have in common.”
However, instead of going out, Nick followed her into the kitchen. “I’ll help.”
It wasn’t long and they were sitting side by side on the swing chair, sipping on the coffee, the plate of cake on the veranda railing. Bast was stalking a butterfly along the other railing and managed to fall off.
“Weapon of mass destruction,” Nick commented.
Sheba let loose with an air-splitting wail from the open doorway.
“And the air raid siren.”
“She’s giving Bast encouragement.” Bree laughed.
Give the man credit, he didn’t cringe when Sheba let loose with another wail before she took a running leap across the veranda and over the rail to drop down into the daisies below. Bast shot straight up into the air and took off around the side of the h
ouse with Sheba on her heels.
Grinning, Nick leaned back, stretching his long legs before him and crossing them at the ankles. Resting one arm along the back of the swing chair, he used his heel to rock it gently.
One leg folded beneath her, her opposite foot dangling inches above the wooden veranda, Bree relaxed with her mug of coffee cradled between her palms. “So, where do you want to start?”
“Wherever you’re comfortable.”
“Okay. Feel free to ask questions whenever you want.”
He nodded.
“But one thing…”
“Mmm?”
“You’re definitely not here to spy on me and report back to some secret government agency, are you?”
“You’re messing with my head again, aren’t you?”
“You think so?”
That had Nick turning his head to regard her. “Yes?”
Bree grinned.
There went that crinkle at the corner of his eyes. God, the way he did that, narrowed his eyes in amusement, the laughter lines fanning out, it just grabbed her.
“Just checking,” she said.
“I swear, Bree, I’m just a regular soldier on leave. No secrets, no conspiracy, no ulterior motive.” He paused. “Okay, there is one slight ulterior motive.”
Oh, interesting. Bree angled her head at him.
For the first time, he looked a little undecided.
“Am I going to like this?” she wondered.
“Debatable.” He took a breath, shrugged. “Ah well, here goes. I noticed your last few letters were from Whicha, when they’re normally stamped from all over the place. I knew you were here.”
“You came looking for me?” Both surprise and pleasure zinged through her, along with a touch of wariness. Old habits were hard to break.
Nick took a sip of coffee. “I was coming here anyway. To be truthful, I didn’t want your goodbye letter, didn’t want to know that there would be no more contact. You were my only real link to a normal life in Australia, and you made me laugh. I looked forward to your letters, waited for them. Except that goodbye letter, that was hard, so very hard to read. Finding out that you might be here was a huge bonus. When I came here it was with the hope that you’d be here, and you were.”
“Wow.” She blinked. “Okay.”
He waited in silence.
Bree pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes. “Well…kinda funny, really.”
“Really.”
“Yeah. Kind of sweet, kind of nice, kind of a little bit creepy.”
“Don’t hold anything back, will you?”
She punched him lightly on one arm, the hard muscle beneath his jumper sleeve more than apparent. “Have you been stalking me, soldier boy?”
“Only since I’ve been here.”
“That’s comforting - in yet another creepy kind of way.”
“Maybe you should forget the creepy part and just go with the sweet and nice.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “I’d never hurt you, Bree.”
“Okay.”
“If you really don’t want to do this with me, I’ll walk right now.”
That had her jerking upright, the swing chair rocking with her movement. “What? No!”
“I’m serious.” His gaze was steady, sincere. “I want to know you so much more. But I won’t upset you and I’d never hurt you. So if you don’t want this, really don’t want this, I’ll go.”
“Then I’d never see you again?” She held her breath.
“I’d still be in town, but I wouldn’t approach you.” He stopped the swinging of the chair with his heel. “I’m dead serious now, Bree. I know what I want. What do you want?”
Her heart started to beat an erratic tattoo. “Why are you saying this now? Have you…are you…changing your mind?”
“No.” He shifted his hand from the swing seat back rest to lay over hers. “But before you start telling me things, I need to be sure this is what you want, too.”
“You know how to pick your times.” She couldn’t stop the tremble of her hand beneath his. The thought of him getting up, walking away, left a gaping, yawning pit threatening in the bottom of her stomach.
Damn stomach was her emotional pit. She always went with her gut feeling, and this one was a doozy.
“I know I’ve come on a bit strong,” he stated quietly. “Being around you brings out feelings in me that I’ve not felt before. Sitting here quietly has given me time to think. I won’t persuade you into doing anything you don’t want to do.”
Sitting sideways on the swing chair, she studied him. Nick was serious, it was in every line of his handsome face, in the steady gaze of his eyes.
But she had to know. “You’d give up on me?”
He tilted his head slightly to the side in the way she started to recognise as his thoughtful pose as he studied her in turn. “I’ll only sound creepy if I say that I’ll worship you from afar.”
“But you’d give up on me?” she persisted.
He hesitated.
Relief speared through her. “You wouldn’t.”
“God, okay, I think - no, I know I’d watch you from afar, send you flowers on your birthday and Christmas, and have your photo in my wallet.” He winced. “Not creepy at all.”
Bree couldn’t stop the smile that wreathed her face. “Nick, that is almost romantically creepy.”
“You’re a strange woman, Bree Ford.”
“Hey, do you really expect anything else?”
But he didn’t laugh. Instead, he continued to regard her steadily. “Are we good?”
“Yeah.” Relaxing back against the swing chair, Bree turned her hand over beneath his, linking their fingers together. “We’re good.”
“Are we taking this further?”
“I’m not sure.” She wanted to, she realised. Hell yeah.
He waited.
“Maybe you should hear more about me first. You might change your mind.”
“Maybe you’ll change yours when you hear my story,” he returned. “You don’t really know me.”
“Soldier boy, I think I’m getting a very good idea of you. You forget, you’ve written me letters, too, and you say a whole lot more in yours than I do in mine.”
“Is that so?” Curious, he raised his eyebrows.
“Yeah.” Sticking out her foot, she placed the toe of her sneaker on the veranda and set the chair swinging.
Nick immediately controlled the pace with his foot.
“Control issues,” she murmured.
“Hmm?”
“Nothing.” Bree leaned back in the swing chair. “So, let’s get to know each other better, Nick Mason.”
“You first.”
“Why?”
“Gives me an advantage.”
“And you’re all about advantages?”
“Bet your sweet arse.”
That surprised a burst of laughter from her.
Grinning, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze that had her heart fluttering.
Settle, petal. Bree took a mouthful of coffee to give her time to control her wayward thoughts and emotions. “All righty then, let’s start.”
“Can’t wait.”
“Before I begin, would Sir prefer point form or essay?”
Relaxing back, Nick half closed his eyes. “Essay would be much more interesting.”
“As Sir wishes.”
“I’ll remember that later.”
“Huh?”
Those full, yet masculine, lips curved slightly. “Nothing. Continue, General.”
“Okay.” Bree took a deep breath, exhaled. “Mum was an orphan, Dad was estranged from his family. They met at a party, Mum fell pregnant within weeks, and they got married. Mum always loved the paranormal, and Dad, well, from what she told me, he was into anything alternative. She never told me everything, so I’m thinking some of it was pretty unsavoury.” Bree glanced sideways to check how Nick was taking that little tid-bit, but he was still gazing out into the distance through half closed eyes
, totally relaxed, nothing in his demeanour giving away his thoughts. Huh. “Anyway, when I was about five years old Dad vanished, never came home. That same night strange lights had been reported in the sky, and Mum was convinced he’d been abducted. Unfortunately, the aliens never returned him, or if they did it wasn’t where we could find him. Or he could find us. From that moment on, Mum and I went travelling, following the reports of UFOs, looking for my Dad. As I grew older, I became more sceptical that he’d actually been abducted. I found out he and Mum were swingers, had been into partner swapping, and I reckon Dad did a runner. Found another partner or just got tired of us.”
The big hand holding hers squeezed gently, comfortingly. Nice.
“Mum wasn’t convinced, she always said he’d never leave us, that he’d been abducted and she was going to find him. Funnily enough, him being gone and her faith in finding him didn’t stop her sleeping around. I think she shagged about half the UFO hunters we met.”
Nick choked on the mouthful of coffee he’d just taken.
“Shit, sorry.” Bree handed him a paper napkin. “You okay?”
“Fine,” he wheezed, setting the mug on the rail. “Continue.”
“Before you take another sip, I’ll just mention that I know she shagged a lot of unbelievers as well.”
That had Nick coughing again.
“Yeah. Well, just thought you should know.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Anyway, whatever town we landed in or near, I went to school for awhile. I also did correspondence school for the times we were out in the deserts or mountains for months, or travelling a lot. Mum was actually a pretty good teacher, surprisingly enough, especially with the amount of whacky baccy she inhaled behind the camper van.”
This time Nick choked on the mouthful of cake he’d just taken. Crumbs sprayed everywhere and Bree handed him her mug of coffee, which he took and drained. Wiping his eyes, he shook his head and leaned back against the swing. “No more to eat or drink until you’ve finished.”
“Yeah, I kinda get why.” Reaching out a hand, she brushed away a few drops of coffee on his jumper that he’d missed. “Sure you want the rest of the story?’
“Don’t you dare stop now.”
Smiling, she continued, “So we travelled around, meeting up with other UFO hunters, or going it alone. We did that a lot, too. It’s why I’m okay with hunting by myself. When you’re out in the middle of nowhere and your Mum is filled with whacky baccy or rocking the camper van with the latest fling of the night, you kind of get used to roaming around by yourself.”
The Goodbye Girl Page 14