Ignoring her rapidly beating heart, she held out a hand. “Welcome, Ryan. I’m Hannah.” His hazel eyes had mesmerised her when she was eleven, but there was no recognition now – not that she expected him to remember her. She’d been so much younger than him.
“Nice to meet you.” His grip was strong, firm and he held on a little too long.
Nerves flooded her body, swamping the attraction. “Where’s Lincoln?”
“He got recalled to duty – a car crash in town.” His voice was the same gentle, calm tone. “Thanks for letting me stay.”
The tension leapt to Hannah’s shoulders and she moved away. Lincoln wasn’t here. She was alone with Ryan. Where was Joe?
“Dad, is that a dog or a horse?”
The voice startled her. She hadn’t noticed the young boy get out of the car. He was the spitting image of his father and he was staring wide-eyed at Joe, who was sniffing at one of the newly planted kangaroo paws. Hannah whistled and the dog trotted over. “This is Joe. He’s a dog – a big one. He likes to be patted, if you want to say hi.”
The boy inched forward and then patted Joe’s coat. Joe sniffed him and licked his hand.
“You’ve been given Joe’s seal of approval,” Hannah told him.
The boy laughed and wiped his hand on his pants.
“This is my son, Felix,” Ryan said.
“How’s it going, Felix?” Hannah asked.
“Pretty good. Are we staying here?” he asked his dad.
“Yeah, for a while,” Ryan told him.
Felix glanced around, and then nodded.
Hannah smiled. “Why don’t you come inside?” She was careful to keep Joe with her as she led them into the cabin.
“This is nice,” Ryan said.
She warmed at the compliment. “There’s a bedroom with a bathroom at each end, and the kitchen has all the essentials.” She handed him a card with the key. “There’s a lookout near the beach that I haven’t fenced off yet. If you go up there, don’t go too close to the edge. If you have any problems, you can find me at the Blackbridge Holiday Park.”
Their fingers brushed as Ryan took the card and put it in his pocket. He was so very male and awareness hummed along Hannah’s skin, startling her. She needed to go.
He could easily overpower her. He was taller than her and the muscles in his arms were well-defined. All he had to do was grab her and she wouldn’t be able to get free. Her breath quickened. There were two exits and she had room to move. She placed a hand on Joe’s head, letting the softness of his fur under her palm calm her. She could do this. “Have you got any questions?”
“No.”
“All right.” Relief flooded her. “I’ll leave you to get settled in.” Saying goodbye to Felix, she left, hurrying up the path to the next cabin.
She was OK. Nothing had happened. She was safe, and she had Joe with her.
Still, when she entered the isolated cabin, she checked that all the doors were locked before she continued tiling.
Hannah walked out the door and Ryan admired the way her hips swayed in a natural, sensual way. It was the only thing overtly feminine about her. She’d not cleaned up to greet him, wearing a blue T-shirt two sizes too big and baggy black shorts that were covered in smears of cement. The clothes hid any shape of her figure. Her hair was held off her face in a headband that made the short blonde strands poke out in different directions. She obviously didn’t care about her appearance, but her face was pretty.
There was something both familiar and odd about her. He would have to ask Lincoln if Hannah had lived in Blackbridge when he had. She seemed nervous around him. She’d checked where her dog was a number of times during their very short conversation. Why would she build a retreat if she wasn’t comfortable around people?
“Dad, can I have this room?” Felix called.
Ryan wandered through to the bedroom that had a double bed in it. It was nicely made up with a pastel-green bedspread and mountains of pillows at the head, and a modern steel lamp on each side table. He had an urge to flop onto it and go to sleep. It had been a tiring few days.
“Let me check the other room first.” He went across the living area. Both bedrooms had double beds and his ensuite included a spa bath. Felix would love having such a huge bed to himself. “It’s all yours, champ,” he called.
“Yes!”
Ryan smiled at his son’s enthusiasm. Felix had far more energy than Ryan had at the moment, but he needed to get some of their things unpacked, including the few groceries he’d bought.
“Come and give me a hand,” he called and went out to the car. He handed Felix the lightest of the grocery bags, and he carried the rest. On the next trip in, he brought Felix’s toy bag and left it in the living area, where Felix dived straight in. Ryan was happy to let him play. The rest of the stuff was too heavy for him to carry. He wandered back out to the four-wheel drive and stared at the boot and roof rack full of containers. Nine years of his life and it all fit into one car.
This was all he needed. He had escaped Paula’s barbed tentacles and he had his son. They could easily buy more things, and he would make sure Paula never hurt either of them again.
A couple of hours later, he tucked Felix into his new bed. He picked up the book they were reading together and opened to the chapter they were up to.
“Dad?”
“Yes, mate?”
“Will Mum be able to find us here?”
Ryan put down the book. He couldn’t read the expression on Felix’s face. “I have to let your mum know where we are.” He hoped that she didn’t want to contact them. “Are you all right with that?”
Felix shrugged. “She won’t be able to take me away, will she?”
His throat tightened. “Not if I can help it.” He sighed. He should be honest with his son. “She’s still your mum, and that means she has a right to see you.”
“But she won’t want to, will she? She said she didn’t want me.”
He hated that Felix had heard one of Paula’s rants – this one about Felix ruining their life. He hated that his ex was manipulative and cruel, hated that he’d stayed with her for so long, hoping she would learn to love them both. “I hope not.”
“Good. It’s better when it’s just you and me.” Felix snuggled down in bed. “Where did we get up to in the story?”
Ryan was more than happy with the change in subject. He began to read.
Later, after he’d switched off the light in Felix’s bedroom, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and went outside to sit on the narrow verandah. The light was beginning to fade and something moved in the bushes. As his eyes adjusted, he spotted a kangaroo grazing. He debated waking Felix, but there were likely to be other days when they would see them. He relished the scent of eucalyptus and dirt.
He was here.
After six months of planning and four days of driving, he was finally back in Blackbridge. The town was as he remembered it and the Zanettis had welcomed both him and Felix the same way as they’d welcomed him a decade earlier. This was a place of family, of community and he’d wanted to return years ago.
But Paula hadn’t wanted to leave Karratha.
He scowled. He’d wasted too much of his life on his ex already. Still, he couldn’t ignore the ache in his heart. He’d failed at the one thing he wanted desperately to be good at – being a family. He’d wanted Felix to have the security, support and love he’d never had growing up, but it hadn’t worked. Paula had only cared for herself.
Ryan sipped his beer as he forced his thoughts elsewhere. He’d be starting work tomorrow, and Mrs Z had agreed to take care of Felix during the school holidays. Felix would adore playing on the small hobby farm and Mrs Z had promised to introduce him to kids his own age so that when he started school next year he’d have some friends.
He’d made the right decision, bringing Felix here – he was almost positive of it. Paula had become increasingly manipulative, making threats and accusations that made Ryan worry about
her mental health, but he hadn’t been able to convince her to seek help. Now she was too far away to hurt either of them.
Felix needed a more stable influence in his life and Ryan could give him that in Blackbridge. Here, he had the Zanettis for support and a decent work roster so he’d be available when Felix needed him. He would be able to make it work. This would be good for Felix.
He hoped.
As he played with the label on his beer bottle, the gravel crunched in front of the cabin. They were a good ten minutes’ drive out of town, so it could only be Hannah. Still, he got to his feet to check. He walked around the cabin as Hannah and her dog passed. “Finished for the night?” he called.
Hannah shrieked and whirled as Joe let out a low growl.
Ryan held up his hands. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Hannah put a hand on her dog, but he continued to growl. “Did you need something?”
“No. I heard footsteps and was checking it out.”
“Ah, well I’ve finished at the next cabin over and I’m heading home.”
“You walking back to town?”
“No.” She hesitated before she added, “I’ve got a place on the property.”
He hadn’t noticed any other cabins on the drive in. Though he couldn’t see the cabin she’d been working on either. It was as if they were in the middle of nowhere, on their own private property. “Do you need a lift?”
“No!” She took a step back and stuttered. “It’s a-a nice n-night for a walk. I’ll see you later.” Without waiting for a response, she hurried away, almost at a jog, checking over her shoulder before she disappeared from view.
What was wrong with her? She seemed almost scared of him. It made no sense. He had done nothing to threaten her and he was a police officer.
Did she have something to hide?
Chapter 2
Hannah slept poorly. When she’d arrived back at her shed, she’d double-checked the locks, made sure all of her windows were shut and kept the curtains closed. She’d been stupid to agree to let Ryan stay at the cabin. She wasn’t ready, she hadn’t had time to mentally prepare for her first guest to be a single male – and a gorgeous one at that. Such a bad idea.
She didn’t want to be attracted to him, but her mind had refused to cooperate, filling her head with childish romantic fantasies, which then had morphed into real nightmares.
She’d tossed and turned, waking at the slightest noise. Normally, the possums scrambling over the roof and the owls’ hunting cries didn’t disturb her, but last night every single sound had her waking with her heart racing.
She got ready and drove to the holiday park office. As soon as she unlocked the door, she went straight to the coffee machine. She needed a double shot today. There was still a stack of work to be done around the grounds before the summer holidays began and the park would be inundated with holiday-makers.
Joe settled on his dog bed behind the counter and she gave him a treat. She’d take him with her when she went to check the reticulation on the lawn that had been playing up, and later they’d go to the beach so he could stretch his legs.
Hannah fired up her computer and checked her list of bookings for the day. There were three people leaving and another two arriving. There should be enough time to clean the ensuite toilet blocks in between. She also had a couple of groups booked into the cabins – getting away down south before the crowds hit.
The door chimed as it opened, and one of the grey nomads who’d been staying with her for the last week walked in.
“Getting off to an early start, Daniel?” she asked.
“Yeah. We promised the kids we’d be home for Christmas and don’t want to rush across the Nullarbor.”
“Good idea. Make sure you take it easy.” She took the ensuite key he handed her. “Did you have any issues while you were here?”
“No. Norma and I had a great time. We loved your Sunday-morning pancakes and will definitely recommend you to our friends.”
Hannah beamed. “Thanks so much.”
Daniel took a couple of the tourist pamphlets for Esperance. “Have a merry Christmas,” he said as he left.
“You too.” She waved and then made a note that they had left on her job list. The morning was one of her busiest times as the guests who were leaving had to be out by ten o’clock and then she needed to clean the bathrooms before the new group checked in at two.
She ate breakfast in between her customers, and made notes of what needed to be done. During the week, Hannah took turns with Shirley and Lynette in the office, as well as doing the cleaning and maintenance around the park. She didn’t mind the work, had been doing it since she’d left university. It was familiar and routine – safe.
The phone rang and she reached over to answer it. “Blackbridge Holiday Park. Hannah speaking.”
Silence.
“Hello?” There was the faint sound of breathing. “Can I help you?”
Nothing.
She hung up. Probably kids messing around, or one of those call centres where the person on the other end hadn’t realised she’d picked up.
By the time Lynette arrived at nine, Hannah was ready for some time out. “Why don’t you take the desk this morning?” she said. “There’s a bit of filing to do and the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. People have realised the school holidays start at the end of the week and are trying to find accommodation.”
“That’d be right,” Lynette said. “But before you go, I want to hear about Ryan Kilpatrick.”
Hannah’s pulse skipped at his name. She shouldn’t be surprised that Lynette remembered he was arriving yesterday. She always knew what was going on in town. “Why?”
“Honey, I might have been a few years older than him, but I remember how gorgeous he was. Tell me, is he still as hot?”
Hannah shrugged. “He’s all right.”
“All right?” Lynette pouted. “Has he grown bald or got a beer gut?”
“No, he looks fit enough.” Her body betrayed her by warming. She wasn’t interested.
“Oh, come on. Give me something. I’m a happily married woman with three kids living vicariously through you. Would you do him?”
Hannah forced a laugh and shook her head, quickly taking her keys from the bench. “I’m not answering that.” She called Joe and hurried out.
Once outside, she took a few deep breaths and rolled her shoulders to release the tension. She did not want to think about Ryan in any sexual context at all. She didn’t want to fantasise about any man. She went cold at the very idea. Justin had well and truly stuffed her up.
She squeezed her eyes closed at the pain. How she wished she could be as casual about men as her friends were. But life had taught her otherwise.
She stopped outside the cleaning storeroom and paused as she went to put the key in the lock. The door had been jimmied open. Again.
She sighed and pulled out her phone. What was it about people who thought it was perfectly acceptable to steal from a caravan park? She took a couple of photos before calling the police station. Lincoln answered. “Hannah Banana, what’s up?”
“Someone has broken into the storeroom again,” she told him.
“Much taken?”
“I haven’t gone in yet. Wanted to check that I could.”
“I can send someone around in half an hour, if you can wait,” Lincoln said.
“All right. I’ll fix the broken sprinkler on the grassed area in the meantime. You can find me there.” She hung up and changed directions, walking to the gardening shed. This was the third time the storeroom had been broken into in as many months – since her grandparents had left to do their own grey nomad tour of Australia. Each time the person had stolen toilet paper, bathroom cleaner and drain cleaner. It was getting beyond a joke. At first, she’d believed it was one of the guests at the park who was low on funds, but now … Was someone in town stealing from her? She hated the idea.
Not wanting to think about it, she took what she n
eeded from the shed and went to fix the sprinkler.
Joe growled just before a man’s voice said, “Hannah? You reported a break-in?”
Hannah startled and lost her balance, sprawling over the grass. She shaded her eyes. She’d been expecting Lincoln, but it was Ryan standing above her, looking incredibly commanding in his blue police uniform. She stared at him, her pulse racing. He was so close and she was vulnerable. Panic fluttered in her chest and she scooted away as Joe got to his feet, his hackles raised. “Joe, stand down.”
Joe sat and Hannah shifted to a sitting position, noticing Adam, the rookie constable standing a couple of metres away.
“Sorry for surprising you.” With a wary eye on Joe, Ryan offered her a hand up.
She forced herself to take it. His grip was firm and strong, and after he tugged a little too hard, she found herself pressed up against his firm chest. He smelled delightfully of some musky aftershave that made her want to take a deeper breath. Hastily she pushed herself away, ignoring the pull of attraction and push of fear. “Thanks.” She gave the sprinkler one last turn and greeted Adam. “It’s this way.”
Joe fell in beside her, her ever-present guardian, walking between her and Ryan, and Adam brought up the rear.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Ryan asked, pulling out a notepad as they reached the storage area.
“I came out this morning to get some supplies and found it like this.” She stepped away from the door so they could get a closer look. “I haven’t been inside or touched anything.”
“This is the third time it’s happened,” Adam commented.
“Yes. I’ve replaced the locks and improved them, but it hasn’t helped.”
“What do you keep inside?” Ryan asked.
“Cleaning products and supplies for the bathrooms.”
Nothing to Fear Page 2