She nodded. “Sorry. Did I yell or anything?”
“No, no. Just the odd twitch.”
“And dribble.” She touched her hand to her chin, half-worried she’d lower it to find blood, but it was just standard drool. She gave the old man a rueful smile as he chuckled.
“Nearly there.” He gestured out of the window.
Genie pressed her nose against the glass and looked down at the vibrant landscape of the Northland of New Zealand. It was a beautiful evening. The scenery was so different from the part of Afghanistan in which she’d been stationed. There, the flat, dusty countryside had been ringed with mountains, beautiful in its own way, but so different from home. The sight of the rolling hills, thick forests, and the sparkling blue of the Pacific Ocean in the distance was as refreshing as a glass of cool water in the desert.
She should have been joyful, but the brief swell of pleasure was quickly overridden by sadness and guilt at the thought that Ciara should have been returning home with her. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. Although it felt good to be home, returning to the Bay of Islands brought with it a whole new set of problems. She wouldn’t allow herself the luxury of mourning Ciara until those problems were resolved.
The plane descended, and she readied herself for landing, putting away her tablet and adding a smear of gloss to her lips. She hadn’t had a shower for…jeez, was it twenty-four hours? Yuck. But there was no time if she wanted to make it to the party.
She watched the small airport appear beneath them and the tarmac loom, and then the wheels touched down. The plane taxied around and headed back down the long, single runway to the lone terminal. A few people stood in the arrivals yard. She recognized her brother immediately, tall and slender, his long, light brown hair that probably hadn’t seen a comb for days fluttering in the wind.
The plane drew up and stopped, and a woman wearing a fluorescent vest ran across to shove blocks beneath the wheels. The old man next to Genie got to his feet and turned with a smile. “Would you like me to get your cane for you?”
Her cheeks warmed. He must have been at least seventy, but there he was, asking her if she needed help. As if sitting in the disabled seats hadn’t been bad enough.
“I’m sure the flight assistant will get it for me,” she said. He waved a hand, opened the overhead compartment, retrieved the cane, and handed it to her. “Thank you,” she said, trying to sound gracious.
“After you.” He stepped back and gestured for her to precede him.
Genie hesitated. She’d planned to wait until everyone had disembarked before she struggled down the steps. Glancing behind him, she saw the other passengers waiting for her, too polite to ask her to hurry up, but their faces were etched with impatience.
Screw them. She smiled at the old man, pulled the strap of her hand luggage over her head so it rested on her hip, and limped to the door of the plane.
Getting down the steps proved a trial, but she refused to think of everyone watching her and negotiated them carefully. A sigh of relief left her lips when she made it to the ground without falling flat on her face.
Several people dashed past her as she walked across to the arrivals area, but she fixed her gaze on her brother and pinned a smile on her face, raising her free hand. He crossed the tarmac, pointedly ignoring a sign that told visitors to wait behind the yellow line, and saluted.
“Lieutenant,” he said formally. “Welcome home, ma’am.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t be an ass.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. “Christ, I’m glad you’re home.”
“Jonah.” She buried her face in his shoulder. He smelled of sun lotion with a faint whiff of ash—he must have been out on a call that day, saving a helpless blonde from roaring flames, no doubt. She swallowed hard. “I’ve missed you.”
“Damn, I wish I’d recorded that. Never thought I’d hear those words coming out of your mouth.”
She gave a half-hearted laugh and pushed him away so she could look up at him. “Have you missed me?”
“Nope.” He kissed her forehead, then hugged her again, belying his words. They’d always been more likely to arm wrestle than cuddle each other, so the hug was extra poignant.
He pulled back and cupped her face. His green eyes bored into her. “You okay?”
She nodded, touched by his concern. Someone was glad to see her, at least. “Yeah. Good to be home.”
“Come on, let’s get your bag and then we can head off.”
They waited for the luggage to arrive—no moving belt here, just a guy lifting the cases onto a trolley he then drove the ten yards or so from the plane into the lounge. Jonah found her bag—distinctive with the NZ Army tag clipped to the handle—and carried it outside.
“Stay here. I’ll get the car.” He left the case by the bench.
“No, I can walk to the…” She bit her lip as he strode off, ignoring her. The sooner she got used to be treated like a cripple, the better, because clearly that was how everyone was going to label her from now on.
Jonah brought the car around and parked in the disabled space, making Genie roll her eyes.
“You’re supposed to have a badge to park there,” she told him as he came to get her bag.
“Don’t care.” He lifted it into the back, rebellious as ever.
“Good to see you haven’t changed.” She raised an eyebrow as he opened the passenger door for her, and she snapped, “For God’s sake, Jonah. I can get in the car myself.”
He hesitated, and she saw it then—a glimpse in his eyes of uncertainty, of pain, even, at seeing his sister wounded, and of not knowing what to say or how to treat her. It disappeared quickly, though. He didn’t want her to think he was worried about her. “Get in and stop moaning.” He took the cane from her and laid it between the front seats. “And don’t think you’ll be getting special treatment because of this.”
She pushed away her resentment and touched his cheek as he moved back to let her get in. “Thank you.”
He didn’t reply, but he did offer her an arm to hold as she maneuvered herself into the seat, bending her right knee awkwardly.
She clipped in her seat belt and waited for Jonah to get in. Her stomach was still fluttering from both the dream and the notion of the coming confrontation, and she felt the familiar hard knot inside her as if someone had reached in, grabbed her solar plexus, and squeezed it. Her heart raced. She had to distract herself or she was going to have a panic attack.
On her right wrist, she wore a simple bracelet made of colored beads joined with elastic. Closing her eyes, she ran her fingers over the beads, counting them. First in twos, then in threes, then in fours… Gradually, like an autumn leaf floating to the ground, her stomach settled.
Conscious of a rising silence, she glanced over to see that Jonah had got in and started the car. He was watching her, frowning, but he smiled now. “Ready?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
He took the road out of the airport, and they were soon on the state highway, heading for the Bay of Islands. They talked for a while about nothing—the weather, the rugby. He told her about the call he’d been on that morning, a fire in a warehouse, nobody hurt, just a lot of burned stock.
“No blondes to rescue?” Genie asked him.
“Nah. Much to my disappointment.”
“Who’s your latest conquest? I’ve lost track.”
“Meh. I’ve given up on women.”
“Really?”
He laughed. “No.”
“I didn’t think that sounded like you. So what’s her name?”
“Who?”
“Your latest conquest?”
“Well, actually I haven’t seen anyone since Ciara died.”
Her eyebrows rose. True, it had only been six weeks, but she’d never known Jonah go longer than a few days without a date. He always had some girl in tow. “Why not?”
He shrugged and didn’t say anything. Genie’s gaze lingered on him for a moment. Ciara had ne
ver said anything, but Genie had wondered if her best friend was sweet on her brother. Had Jonah known—was that why he wasn’t dating?
He cleared his throat. “What about you? Met any muscular army dudes while you’ve been away?”
She thought briefly of Ethan, considered whether to mention him, then discarded the option. “Nope.”
“No one at all?”
“Not high on my list of priorities either. Especially lately. Pickings in the hospital were pretty slim, and walking with a limp isn’t exactly a turn on for me or the guy.”
Jonah gestured to the cane lying between them. “You won’t have to use it forever, though, surely?”
“Probably not, although I think I’m stuck with the damn thing for a while.” It was impossible to stop resentment creeping into her voice, and she winced, tempted to slap herself. It could have been a lot worse, Genie, stop complaining. You were luckier than some.
Jonah’s gaze left the road briefly to glance at her. “You’ll get rid of it. It’ll just take time, that’s all.” He spoke authoritatively, and she cursed herself. She’d forgotten he’d been in the same position. The car accident that had killed their mother when Genie was six had also badly broken his leg. He’d been eight years old. He’d had to learn to walk again, and it had taken years for him to get his fitness levels back to normal. She was so proud of the fact that when he’d applied to be a fireman, he’d not only passed the fitness tests but had come top in several of them—he was an inspiration, and she had to learn to follow his example.
She forced a grin onto her face. “Maybe, but I think I’d miss the cane now. It’s great for hooking around ankles and tripping people up.”
Jonah laughed, because he was supposed to, but his smile soon faded. He dropped a hand from the wheel to grasp hers where it rested on her thigh. “I know you well enough to understand that you won’t want to talk about the accident. But I’m here if you need me, okay? And I’m glad you’re back.”
She looked out of the window. She’d never ask for his help, but it was nice to know he was there, just in case.
A rosella swooped low beside the car, its bright colors dazzling in the evening sunshine—too dazzling. Genie’s head ached, and her eyes were gritty and sore in their sockets. The last thing she felt like was the confrontation she knew awaited her.
As if he’d read her mind, Jonah said, “You must be tired. Are you sure you don’t want me to take you straight to Beck’s house?”
Beck was their older brother, and they were on their way to a party at his cocktail bar, Between the Sheets. He’d called her in the hospital, and it had taken every ounce of strength she’d owned not to burst into tears when she’d heard his deep, calm voice.
Then he’d told her how angry Ciara’s mother was. “I need to warn you—she’s mad at you, Genie,” Beck had said. “She blames you for Ciara’s death.” Even now, the words sounded unreal.
Genie shook her head. She might be dreading this, but she’d never been the sort of person to bury her head in the sand. “No. I’d rather get it over with, and I’m kinda looking forward to the party. I’m just glad I got out of hospital a week early. I’d have missed it otherwise.”
Jonah didn’t say anything, and she glanced at him, her eyes widening when he ran a hand awkwardly through his hair.
She closed her eyes momentarily. “Shit. I’m so stupid. They wanted me to miss it.” Jeez, that stung.
“Sorry. I didn’t want to say anything. But maybe it’s best if you don’t go, eh?”
Despair swept through her. “I have to go. In spite of the fact that my eyeballs are hanging out on my cheeks, I won’t be able to sleep until I sort this out.”
“How do you plan to sort it out, exactly? It’s hardly the time or place for a yelling match.”
She glared at him, hurt by his insinuation that she was going there to spoil the evening. “That’s not fair. I just want to talk.”
“Sinead doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“Well, she’ll have to when I’m standing in front of her.”
“Don’t bet on it.” His voice was harsh, but his features softened as she winced. “Look, she’s lost her only daughter and she’s hurting. The funeral was fucking awful, and this is supposed to be an upbeat celebration with it being Ciara’s birthday and everything. It’s not the right time to confront Sinead.”
“I don’t want to confront her,” Genie said hotly. “But I need to see her. I can’t believe she blames me. She’s like a mother to me—always has been.” Resentment ran through her, raising her heartbeat, warming her cheeks. “For Christ’s sake, I lived with her for twelve years. I can’t believe she’s turned her back on me because of what’s happened.” She stopped for a moment and fought to stop the quiver in her bottom lip. Lifting her chin, she said, “I need to speak to her and hear it from her own lips.”
Even as she said the words, though, a shiver of unease slid down her spine. Deep down, she knew Jonah spoke the truth. Sinead didn’t want to talk to her. She hadn’t called Genie while she was in hospital, had made no attempt to contact her at all. That made Genie both upset and mad. Had Sinead stopped to think how much she was hurting too? Genie had lost a friend who was more like a sister. They’d been inseparable. Like a phantom limb, Ciara’s presence lingered, reminding Genie of what she’d lost, and she ached with sorrow.
“I’ll be there.” Her brother spoke firmly. “If you’re determined to do this, I’ll be there with you, and so will Beck. The important thing is that you’re still alive. That, if nothing else, deserves to be celebrated today.” His jaw knotted with held-back emotion.
Even though Jonah was two years older than her, Genie had always treated him like a younger brother because of his boyish nature, his irreverent attitude, and his refusal to settle down. Suddenly, though, she saw how deeply her injury and Ciara’s death had affected him. In hospital, she’d imagined the accident like a massive earthquake that had destroyed her life and undermined her relationship with Ciara’s parents. She’d not realized how aftershocks would shake the rest of her friends and family.
She cleared her throat, desperate to voice the question she’d been itching to ask since she got into the car. “What about Niall? Does he blame me too?” It was tough even to say his name. The thought that Ciara’s big brother might also bear hatred toward her made her feel as if a huge weight was crushing her chest.
Although Genie had two brothers of her own, when she was six—shortly after their mother died—Beck and Jonah had moved farther north with their father, who’d had to relocate because of his job. Sinead—a close friend of their mother—had offered to have Genie live with her and her husband, Garret. The two girls had already been inseparable, and Sinead had suggested it might give Genie some stability. Genie had kept in close contact with her real brothers, but she’d grown up with Ciara, Niall, and Finn, and she’d idolized the two boys, Niall especially. Gorgeous, full of life, and with a wicked sense of humor, Niall Brennan had been the subject of a childhood crush she’d not really grown out of, although she’d never told anyone about it, least of all him. The thought that he might now resent her for causing Ciara’s death made her want to bawl her eyes out. Did he blame her?
Jonah signaled to take the turn off to the seaside town of Paihia, part of the Bay of Islands. “Difficult to say. I haven’t spoken to him about it yet. He’s only just come back.”
“Back?” Her eyebrows rose. “Back from where?”
“Didn’t Beck tell you? After the funeral, Niall took himself off. I’m not sure where he went—Australia, I think.”
“Did Tamsin go with him?”
“Jeez, you’re out of the loop. He and Tamsin broke up.”
Genie pressed a hand over her heart, her jaw dropping. “Broke up? Oh my God, seriously? When?”
“Ah…four or five months ago, I think.”
The news genuinely shocked her. Niall had started dating the red-haired Aussie girl when he was eighteen, had continued thro
ugh university, and after they’d graduated they’d bought a house. They’d been together forever.
“What happened?”
“I dunno,” Jonah said unhelpfully.
Genie shook her head. “I can’t believe it. Why didn’t he tell Ciara?”
“Maybe he did, and she didn’t tell you.”
“Ciara tells me—told me—everything. She wouldn’t have kept that a secret.” The news unsettled her. Everything seemed to be changing. The tectonic plates of her life were shifting and producing deep rifts in some places and insurmountable peaks in others, as if she were still stuck inside the dream, rolling, rolling, and she didn’t know which way was up and which was down.
Jonah slowed as he came to the roundabout where the road split, the left turn leading to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the right to Paihia and Between the Sheets. “You sure you don’t want me to take you home?”
Ahead of them, the Pacific Ocean glittered in the late evening sunshine, a beautiful deep blue. A few families were still on the beach, kids playing in the water, and boats sailed across the short distance to the picturesque town of Russell in the distance.
But she couldn’t enjoy being home, couldn’t think of anything but getting over the obstacle that lay in her path. “No. Let’s get it done.” She gestured toward Paihia, her heart hammering. She needed to see Sinead, and Niall. Please don’t let him hate me. Having Sinead angry with her would be bad enough. But if Niall hated her too… She didn’t think she could bear that.
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A Secret Between Friends (Treats to Tempt You Book 6) is out now at Amazon
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Author’s Note
Thank you for reading this book! I so hope you enjoyed the story. If you did enjoy it, I would be very grateful for a review – even a short one. Reviews are essential for encouraging other people to buy the book, and plenty of reviews are sometimes necessary for the author to purchase promotions, so it really helps!
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