Savannah pressed her hands to her cheeks. Her jaw rested on her thumbs. She stared into her cup of tea. She was not a big drinker. Never had much opportunity in her teens, then came her fitness work and then the accident. There’d been too many pills in those years. She did like a beer from time to time and the odd glass of wine or sparkling.
She flopped her hands and head to the table. She’d enjoyed Belinda’s company but just the thought of bubbles made her stomach churn. Thankfully she hadn’t made a fool of herself in front of her new acquaintance. Only Ethan had witnessed her disastrous state.
She sat up again and ate more of her toast. No point wallowing in self-pity. It got you nowhere. She’d learned that the hard way. On the bright side it had been a bit of fun trying to show Belinda some exercises. Savannah wasn’t sure if Belinda really wasn’t much good at exercise routines or if she’d deliberately foiled Savannah’s attempts to help her.
Whatever the reason, it had been worth the surprise on Ethan’s face when he’d found them sprawled on the verandah. Not that she’d spent too long looking at his face. She had to admit she liked well-toned male bodies, even if she only checked them out from afar. And last night Ethan was the perfect advertisement, his buff body encased in snug-fitting clothes and his hair still damp.
Her stomach did a small flip and this time it wasn’t because of her alcohol binge.
“Damn it, girl,” she muttered to herself. “He’s out of bounds.”
Anyway, after last night he’d probably think her a fool. She drank the rest of her tea and carried her dishes to the sink. Time to do some work. It would clear her head of the alcohol haze and any thoughts of Ethan.
She went to the cupboard under the carport where she’d discovered Jaxon stored all kinds of cleaning equipment for the houseboats. It was stocked with every kind of cleaning product and explained why there’d been so little in the house. No need to have two supplies. She took as much as she could carry and set off down the path to the river. The sundecks of each of the three remaining boats needed a going over. That would keep her busy for some time.
The late afternoon sun was warm and the sky was filling with heavy grey clouds that trapped the balmy air. River Magic was the last of the three boats and by the time she stepped on board Savannah had worked up a sweat.
She climbed the steps to the sundeck with less enthusiasm than when she’d started. As she ascended to a point above the floor level of the deck she paused. Each of the boats had an outdoor table of some description and at least eight chairs. River Magic was no different, except in its case the heavy chairs were stackable and the last time she’d been up here they were in two stacks at the side of the deck. Now one of them was standing alone in the front right corner.
Savannah took the last few steps, put down her cleaning equipment and gazed around. Nothing else was different. There were no other items of furniture on this boat to be out of place. The deck was dusty and littered with leaves like the other two had been. Apart from the chair, all looked as it should.
She crossed the deck and stood near the chair. The back of it was slightly lower than the protective glass that ran across the front of the deck. She looked up and goosebumps prickled between her shoulder blades in spite of the warm afternoon. From here she could see to the glassed front of Jaxon’s shack and nearly the full length of the verandah including the nook with the outdoor furniture.
She lowered herself to the chair. Anyone sitting here would be hard to see behind the darkened glass. She looked ahead. And they would have a clear view of Jaxon’s shack. Goosebumps prickled down her back again. Who would have sat here? Who would have access?
She looked around. The closest house was Ethan’s. The tall trees along their shared fence line only allowed glimpses of it. Obviously whoever had sat in this chair was watching Jaxon’s place not Ethan’s. And the only person she could think of was Ethan.
A gust of wind swirled along the river. It ruffled the water and stirred the branches of the trees. A shudder coursed right through Savannah this time. She stood up and carried the chair to the stack. She wasn’t mistaken. The last time she’d been on this deck all the chairs had been stacked.
The wind grew stronger. The boat creaked beneath her. Birds swung across the water and circled the trees. A leaf blew in and dropped at her feet beside two others. She blinked as an eddy of air carried more leaves and dust this time. Anger surged through her and she let fly with some choice words. Her afternoon’s work was about to be undone.
She snatched up the broom and dusters. At the top of the steps she turned for one last look towards the shack. Why would Ethan sit up here and watch? Perhaps he was some kind of pervert. She didn’t like the thought of it but he could be moody and aloof. The friendliness might be just an act to woo her into a false sense of security. Whatever his reason, she couldn’t think of anything that was reassuring.
She let herself off the boat, slid its gangplank into place and made her way up the path. By the time she reached the carport the sky was covered with grey clouds and she was battling the wind. She stowed the cleaning equipment in the cupboard, certain now she had wasted her time. Dirt and debris swirled through the air.
There was a crash and a clink from the front verandah. She hurried around to find the two empty wine bottles had fallen. The sound of Jaxon’s landline phone startled her. It was the first call she’d had for days. She stepped inside, slid the glass firmly shut behind her and snatched up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Is that J&S Houseboats?” The female voice was young.
“Yes, I’m sorry I should have said.” Savannah still didn’t have her head around this business.
“My name is Tara. My friend is getting married and we’d like to celebrate with a girls’ weekend.”
Savannah hesitated. That was code for a hens’ weekend. Did Jaxon allow that kind of booking?
“We’d like to hire a houseboat,” Tara continued.
Savannah flipped opened the black diary. Jaxon had left everything up to her and a booking was a booking.
“What date were you looking at?”
This time it was Tara who paused.
“And how many nights?” Savannah added.
“We were hoping for two.”
Savannah checked Jaxon’s list of rates. “Three is the minimum,” she said.
There was another pause. “Do you have anything for next weekend?” Tara asked.
Savannah stopped flipping the diary pages forward.
“I know it’s short notice,” Tara babbled. “We’ve tried a few places with no luck. We’re just desperate to organise something special for our friend. She wasn’t going to do anything. She’s recovering from major surgery. We never thought she’d make it to the wedding but she’s recovering well. We think she needs some pampering before her big day.”
Savannah knew what it was like to go through gruelling times. She turned the diary to the dates Tara wanted, just over a week away. There were two boats available although one of them was out until the Friday, which would leave her little time to get it ready. She hadn’t experienced it yet but she was beginning to understand there was a lot to do when a boat came back. Our Destiny was the only option but it was the smallest of the boats. It could only sleep six, Tawarri eight and the other two were ten-berth boats.
“How many people?”
“Six of us.”
“I’m assuming you want Friday to Sunday?” she said.
“Yes.” Tara gave a tiny squeak. “Do you have a boat available?”
Once more Savannah hesitated. So long as Tara and her friends paid, what difference did it make what their reason for hiring was?
“Two of you would have to share a sofa bed.”
“That’d be fine.” Tara’s excited voice squealed in Savannah’s ear. “So you can book us in?”
“Yes, if you pay the deposit today.”
“Credit card ready,” Tara said.
Savannah went through the
details with her. By the time they’d finished she was full of admiration for what Tara and her friends were doing for their friend, the bride. Savannah couldn’t help remembering her own long painful recovery and wondering if it might have been speeded up or at least made more bearable if she’d had that kind of support. Still, it was no use speculating about what could have been. She’d pushed her friends away instead of accepting their help.
“There’s just one more thing.”
Tara’s voice snapped her out of her self-pity.
“None of us can drive a houseboat. Is it okay if we just stay moored at the bank?”
Savannah had no idea. She quickly thought back through all the notes Jaxon had left her. There was nothing she could recall about having to leave the bank.
“Of course,” she said.
When she hung up she became aware of the sound of the wind again. It was buffeting the shack and there was an occasional clatter on the tin roof as leaves and debris were flung about.
She left the office and went to stand in front of the sliding door. Thick clouds covered the sky. Evening had come early. She flicked on the light.
Small waves, stirred by the wind, disturbed the normally calm surface of the river. Dirt and leaves swirled past and large raindrops began to splatter the concrete floor of the verandah. She cast a look over the houseboats. All her hard work would definitely be undone. She would have to clean them again before they went out on Friday.
The rain became heavier, striking the roof. Savannah’s gaze stopped at the upper deck of the last houseboat. She pictured herself up there, sitting in the chair behind the smoky glass. Whoever sat there would be almost invisible and would have a clear view, right into the lounge where she stood. She shivered and closed the blinds on the gloomy evening.
It had to be Ethan who’d sat there. It was the only explanation. But why? And if not Ethan then who? That troubled her more than thinking it might be her neighbour.
CHAPTER
18
Ethan glanced at Gnasher’s gate. Jasper was spending a lot of time there sniffing. Finally he lifted his leg then moved on, nose to the ground. Something had caught his attention, perhaps a fox had been through this morning. The wind and rain of last night would have washed away any previous scents. Ethan tossed a broken branch from the road to the bush on the side. The wind had scattered debris everywhere.
He moved his shoulders up and down and rubbed his hands together against the cold. It had been a while since he’d visited the old war vet. He’d try to get over there on the weekend. Trouble was there were no quick visits when it came to Gnasher. He liked to talk and Ethan’s time was filling up with jobs. Once he got back he had to ring his father. Blake had berated him yesterday for not doing it already. Who knew how much help Mal would need with the shearing? Ethan could feel the tension building inside him. Working with Mal was similar to the pressure of working in a war zone. It felt like he was preparing for a trip outside the wire.
He pushed the thought away and set off again. First he’d enjoy his morning walk then he’d think about Mal. Jasper was up ahead on the other side of the road now, following the fence line that led to Belinda’s gate. Once again the dog stopped, sniffed around and lifted his leg. It was going to be a slow walk at this rate. Ethan urged Jasper forward.
They made it as far as the fancy white gates before Jasper stopped again. Ethan went closer. The new gates had appeared flimsy in the headlights but up close he could see they were far from that. The chain and padlock were also heavy duty, as was the wire fence that met the gates on both sides. This was not a mere marking of a boundary. It was designed to keep people out.
Ethan thought about the Rottweiler that had come to meet Belinda. Perhaps the fence had been built to keep him in. That would make a very expensive dog fence. Still, Belinda had given the impression she had money. He smiled now at the thought of her obvious proposition the other night. He got that a lot when he was in the army. A night out on The Strand in Townsville was always a good night for him with the ladies. It was reassuring to know he was still appealing without the uniform. Just a pity it was the wrong woman who’d noticed.
His thoughts strayed to Savannah and the suppleness of her body as he’d helped her up from the table. She hadn’t spoken to him or acted in any way that gave a hint she might find him of interest other than to help her with the boats.
He rounded a bend in the road. Ahead of him Jasper gave three short barks. Ethan faltered a moment at the sight of his dog sitting at Savannah’s feet. She had her hands clenched to her chest, her head pulled back, eyeballing the animal.
“Jasper, come,” Ethan commanded.
The dog bounded back to him.
“You should have that dog on a lead.” Savannah put her hands to her hips, glaring at him.
Ethan couldn’t help his sweeping gaze of her body. She wore a singlet top that stretched firmly over her curves and an equally snug pair of three-quarter gym pants. A jumper was tied around her waist. He raised his gaze to the dark patches made by moisture over her breasts. She’d been working hard.
“Are you able to control your dog?”
She was watching him. How long had he been staring at her? He reached down to pat Jasper’s head.
“He’s only young.” As opposed to Ethan, who felt ancient some days. “He was just saying hello.”
“Well now that he has, I’ll be on my way.”
“How are you feeling today?” He smiled.
“I’m fine, thanks.” Her chin lifted and her eyes narrowed.
“That’s good.” Ethan wanted to say more but she didn’t look like she wanted to chat.
“How did you know I’d be here?”
Her tone was accusing.
“I didn’t.” Ethan shrugged his shoulders, perplexed by her hostility.
She moved forward. As she drew level with him she studied him closely. Jasper crept a few steps towards her.
“Stay,” Ethan snapped.
Savannah paused.
“I meant the dog,” he said.
“Of course you did.” She glared at him a moment longer then jogged away. The jog turned into a run and she disappeared around the bend.
“That went well, Jasper.” Ethan scratched his head. “I get the feeling our neighbour wasn’t pleased to see us this morning.” He squatted down and grasped Jasper’s jowls in his hands. “Let’s face it, she’s never pleased to see you but I thought I was at least on friendly terms.” He ruffled the dog’s head and stood up.
“Let’s go.”
Why was he even trying? He’d vowed to distance himself from Jaxon’s sister, only helping when he had to. It had come as a surprise to him to realise he wanted to know more about her. She wasn’t the imposition he’d first imagined.
Dinner last night with Blake and Jenny had really brought his feelings to the fore. Watching his brother so obviously in love had stirred a yearning in him. Ethan wanted that closeness with a woman, something more permanent. It would come as a shock to many that Ethan Daly wanted to settle down. The blokes in Townsville would laugh if they knew. He glanced around as if one of them might suddenly appear but the road was empty – only him and Jasper.
In Afghanistan he’d been confronted by how cheap life could be. Even more so on his second tour when he’d been out among the villages. It had been a shock. It had changed him. Once he was safely back on base in Australia, army life hadn’t been the same. He’d yearned for a place of his own and some peace. He’d found that to a certain extent but now he wanted more. It had taken last night’s dinner with Blake and Jenny to make him realise he needed someone to share it with.
Savannah was different from many of the women he’d known. She was good-looking in an understated way. She could stand on her own two feet. She asked for his help only when it was something she couldn’t do herself. If it was something she could learn and do herself she did, and yet he’d seen the hint of a vulnerable side she tried to hide. She kept fit, seemed to prefe
r her own company, although she’d obviously been enjoying herself with Belinda, and she wasn’t much of a drinker if the other night was anything to go on. She was a puzzle. It piqued his curiosity.
He stopped and called Jasper.
“Time to head home, mate. I’ve got work to do.”
The thought of ringing Mal was a growing tension in his chest. He had to get it over and done with. Besides, there was a glimmer of hope to follow. Soon Savannah would need his help again with the houseboats. He’d have to think up a way that might ease him past the barriers she threw up. He was determined to get to know her better.
Ethan came out of the shed at the sound of a vehicle. Jenny’s car rolled to a stop beside him and Blake lowered the passenger side window.
“Didn’t hear you arrive today,” he said.
Ethan leaned down and nodded a hello in Jenny’s direction.
“I had a few things to do at home first,” he said.
“Like ringing Mal?”
“I rang him this morning.”
“I know.” Blake grinned. “He’s been on to me since.”
“Checking up on me?’
“He usually phones me every other day.”
Ethan straightened up. A ripple of envy swept over him. It was wasted energy.
“Mal doesn’t want me there,” he said.
“Of course he does. He needs help. He’s just not good at asking for it.”
“Where are you two off to?” Ethan changed the subject.
“Jenny’s taking me to look at the crops. Going to see if any damage was done with that storm last night.”
Jenny leaned across to look at Ethan. “Want to come with us?”
“Why not?” He climbed into the back seat. “Thanks again for the meal last night, Jenny.”
“My pleasure. You’ll have to join us again before I leave.”
“You going soon?” Ethan asked.
“Early next week. I have to get back to work.”
Riverboat Point Page 12