by Gina Kincade
“Oh!” she stammered. “I…um… wasn't aware you were behind me.” She held her backpack with her good hand and lightly braced her other palm against his chest to keep herself from being knocked off balance. The only thing between their bare skin was the thin material of his white shirt.
He stared into her eyes. His aquamarine orbs bored into her with an intensity that made her heart drop to her stomach. “This terrain is difficult,” he told her. “I know your natural inclination is to challenge everything I say, but you'll need to listen to me, pay attention, and stay alert. There are plenty of wild animals out there and conditions you're not used to. We’re going to be roughing it.”
“I’ve been roughing it for the past two days, but you haven’t heard me complain, have you?”
His lips tilted down into an agitated slant. “I'll give you that. You haven’t complained. That's one thing in your favor. I’m just wondering how much of this you can handle.”
“Trust me. I can handle whatever you throw my way, and then some.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
She felt his hot skin beneath the palm of her hand. One of his pectoral muscles twitched in response. She itched to stroke the hard planes of his chest—a feeling she quickly reined in.
He licked his lips as his eyes dropped to her mouth. For one split second, she wondered what his lips would feel like covering hers, softly nibbling at the corners, and ultimately prying hers apart with his tongue. Was it wrong to want to feel him lick her neck? Drag his mouth against the hollow of her throat? Suckle until he left his stamp of passion on her?
Oh my God! I cannot believe I’m having these nasty thoughts about him. He's been nothing but ornery, cantankerous, and condescending. How could I be attracted to those qualities? I’m sex-starved. That’s it! It’s finally kicking in after five years.
Time to pull back before she made a damned fool of herself.
“What about your animals?” she asked. “Who's going to look after them?”
He took a step back. “Olivia will stay here until we return. She knows how to take care of them and give them what they need.”
“That's awfully sweet of her to sacrifice her time.”
At that moment, Olivia walked into the room. “I wouldn't have it any other way,” she sang. “That's what families are for.”
Nicola nodded, even though she didn't have much experience in that area. She had one sister and one brother. The two were so self-absorbed they never thought of anyone but themselves. She wished she had the same type of relationship with her family that Leif and Olivia had. But wishing wouldn't make it so.
She turned to Olivia. “Thanks for everything you've done for me these past few days.”
“It's me who should be thanking you,” Olivia said. “I've enjoyed your company.” Olivia hugged her. “You be safe out there and listen to what my brother tells you—even if it sounds boneheaded. He's pretty smart when it comes to navigating this terrain.”
“Hey…” Leif complained.
Nicola smiled, grateful his perpetual frown was directed at someone other than her. “Thanks for the advice,” she told Olivia.
Moments later, they were on their way. Leif helped her into the back seat of the vehicle, where she could stretch her legs out. They drove for about forty minutes, while Leif kept up a lively conversation with the driver, Jim, regarding everything from Australian politics to weather to the rise in coffee prices. Soon, the dirt road gave way to a graveled road that widened and snaked up to a massive Cape Cod-style home. With a wraparound porch on both levels, flower boxes in the windows, and white painted trim, it looked like something out of a real estate brochure. For a moment she thought they’d arrived at another resort. Then, she realized it was a lavish home. A Mercedes, a Range Rover, and a Jeep were parked out front.
The vehicle came to a stop near a paved driveway. “Thanks for the ride,” Leif told Jim, as he hopped out.
“Anytime, mate.”
Leif opened the back door to help Nicola get out. “I don’t understand,” she said. “I thought we were going to the Great Barrier Reef.”
“We are,” he replied. “But I had to make a stop first.”
“Whose house is this?”
“Mine.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Feelings of nostalgia and regret washed over Leif. It had been a month since he’d last been home. That was far too long to be away from his parents, but each time he thought of this house and the blood, sweat, and tears that came with it, a sense of melancholy took root so deep that it took days for him to shake it. There was only so much he could stand. The good thing was each time he visited, the pain became less of a factor. One day, he might actually be able to come here and be totally unaffected. In the meantime, he visited whenever he felt his emotions could handle it.
“Uncle Leif! You’re just in time for brekkie!”
Leif turned to see a cute, tow-headed little boy standing on the downstairs porch. He waved to his nephew. It seemed just yesterday the boy was teething and crawling. In a few months, he’d be starting second grade. “G’day, Petey!”
Leif helped Nicola from the van, careful not to accidentally bang her wrist or her ankle.
“Hold on,” she protested. “Are you telling me this is your house?”
“Yes.”
“You made me stay at that godforsaken dirt ranch, working my fingers to the bone, when I could have been here, with running water and all the comforts of civilization?”
He flinched at the accusatory tone in her voice. “Technically, you only used half of your fingers, since one hand was incapacitated.”
“Still, I could have been here, instead of mucking out the pigsty.”
“You make it seem like I did it to punish you.”
“Well, didn’t you?”
“Of course not. You were healing. I didn’t want to move you too much.”
“You never even told—”
“Uncle Leif!” a high-pitched squeal pierced the air. His ten-year-old niece, Della, burst from the front door, practically barreled over Petey, and ran toward Leif. She flung herself against him and wrapped her long, skinny arms around his waist. “Can I drive your truck now that you’re back? My dad said I could, but only if you rode with me.”
Leif chuckled. “I think you’re a little young for that, Dell. You have to get your license first.”
He made the mistake of glancing at Nicola. Her full lips scrunched into a scowl. “I thought you said you didn’t have a vehicle.”
Leif pulled the crutches from the back seat and handed them to her. “I never said that. I said I didn’t need a vehicle out here.”
“You’re mincing words, doc.”
Petey joined the group and tugged on Leif’s arm. “Will you sit by me, Uncle?”
“Sure,” Leif answered, ruffling the boy’s hair.
“Bugger off!” Dell told Petey, as she clung to Leif. It was apparent these two were competing for his attention.
“Who’s she?” Petey asked, pointing a chubby finger at Nicola.
“This is Ms. Mills,” Leif answered.
“Just call me Nicola,” she offered.
“I’m Peter, but everyone calls me Petey.”
Dell teased. “They call him Stinky Pete.”
“Do not!” Petey yelled at his sister. “I’m telling Mum you said that.”
“You better not!”
Petey raced toward the house with Dell flying behind him.
By the time Leif and Nicola entered the house, a cyclone of activity swirled around them. Everyone was congregated in the enormous kitchen, where a long table had been set. This was exactly what he’d envisioned when he had the house built nearly eight years ago—all of his family enjoying themselves under one roof. Unlike other screw-ups in his life, investing in this house was one of the best decisions he’d ever made. The fact that his parents and grandparents lived here made it all the sweeter.
“Leif!”
his mother called out, nearly dropping the platter of eggs she carried to the table. “What a wonderful surprise. And you’ve brought a…friend?”
The rest of the family gaped in his direction, but really all eyes were on Nicola. He knew she must have felt like an exhibit at the zoo, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Nicola Mills. Nicola, meet my family.” He rattled off their names, introducing his parents, grandparents, his only uncle, his brother, Blake, his other sister Mindy, and her husband. “You’ve already met Olivia. My youngest brother, Noah, is away at university in Sydney.”
His mum zeroed in on Nicola’s crutches. “What happened to you, dear?”
Leif spoke. “A koala atta—”
“I…uh, tripped and sprained my ankle and my wrist,” Nicola cut him off and then slid him a glare in warning.
He leaned over and whispered to her. “Fine, I’ll keep your dirty little secret.”
“You owe me,” she whispered back.
Leif’s father grinned at Nicola. “Well, as long as you have at least one good hand, you can eat. We’ve got plenty.”
***
Nicola had never met such a raucous bunch of characters in her life. Leif’s family was like something straight out of a Hollywood comedy. Grandma said whatever was on her mind. Grandpa related everything back to sex. Leif’s Uncle Joe flirted with her. Blake talked non-stop about sports. His younger sister, Mindy, and her husband had their hands full with their kids, Pete and Dell. Leif’s father laughed a lot. And Leif’s mother tried to keep them all in line. It was like corralling cats.
She sat beside Leif and accepted the plate of food he passed her. “Try whatever you like,” he told her.
It was obvious she’d get a chance to sample everything at the table. There were whole grains, plenty of green things, something that look liked coconut yogurt, exotic fruits, ripe avocado on seedy toast, fregola with creamed corn, poached eggs, bacon, corncakes with honey, brown rice porridge with hazelnuts, and orange and carrot juice.
She bit into one of the corncakes. The flavors exploded in her mouth. At home, all she ever had time for was coffee and a bagel for breakfast. She usually worked through lunch. For dinner she’d be lucky if she found some hummus and cheese in her fridge. She hated grocery shopping. Maybe she should start cooking again. This food was delicious!
“Dad, did you see that?” Dell complained. “Petey just stuck his tongue out at me.”
“Petey, cut it out,” Dell’s dad warned.
“Can we have one breakfast without you two fighting?” Mindy asked.
Grandma shook a knobbly finger in Mindy’s direction. “Where I grew up in Perth, there was a little boy in our neighborhood who would stick his tongue out all the time. I think he grew up to be a male prostitute.”
“Grandma!” Mindy shrieked.
Leif laughed. “Watch your language in front of the ankle biters, Grandma.”
“Since when did ‘prostitute’ become a bad word?” Grandpa asked.
Leif’s dad chortled so loud, it was contagious. Nicola laughed too.
“Okay,” Leif’s mom cautioned, “that’s enough.”
“We come from a long line of poo men,” Grandpa told Nicola. Leif was the first to step out and do something different.”
Nicola’s gaze locked with Leif’s. She didn’t think he was serious when he made his plumber remark earlier.
“Nicola doesn’t want to hear about poo,” Uncle Joe said, before shooting her a rakish grin. She nodded and then looked away.
“Nobody wants to hear about poo, especially while we’re eating,” Mindy added.
“Can I help it if I'm proud of him? I can brag on him if I want to.”
“We're all proud of him,” Leif’s father told Nicola. “Did you know he lived in New York City for a while? Made lots of money, too. That's how he was able to buy this big house that we all stay in.”
Nicola turned to Leif. “You lived in New York?”
He swatted the air. “It was no big deal.”
No wonder he was so pissy toward Yanks. If he was using New York as his measurement stick, no American would ever pass the test!
“Have you ever been to New York?” Uncle Joe asked her.
“I traveled there once for business,” she told him. “My rental car was towed and impounded by accident. I never went back.”
Grandma cackled.
“Leif hasn’t brought a girl home since he got engaged to Lisa,” Leif’s dad said.
“In case you haven’t noticed, Nicola is not a girl,” Grandpa shot back.
Uncle Joe jumped in. “Oh, I definitely noticed!”
Nicola sank down in her chair a bit. Uncle Joe was looking at her like he wanted to put her between the slices of his vegemite sandwich and gobble her up.
Leif protested, “I’m not bringing anyone home. It’s not like that. I simply came here to get my Jeep. Is there any petrol left in it?”
Instead of replying, Grandma addressed Nicola. “You’re nothing like Lisa. Can’t say I liked her much.”
Leif shook his head. “Grams, I told you, Nicola is a friend.”
“You never really clarified her status,” Mindy said.
Nicola spoke. “I’m happy to clarify it. There’s nothing going on between us.”
“Good,” Uncle Joe said, grinning from ear to ear.
“What about Lisa?” Grandpa asked Leif. “You’re not getting back with her?”
“Bloody hell, no. Can we stop talking about Lisa?” Leif demanded.
Leif’s brother made a motion as though he were zipping his mouth.
A loud chime dinged in the air.
“No gadgets at the table,” Leif’s mom said. “How many times must I remind you kids?”
“Don’t blame them,” Grandpa said. “It’s my Snapchat notification.”
“I don’t care. No gadgets at the table. It sets a bad example for the kids.”
“Aw, bugger! How else am I to communicate with my other grandkids?”
“Try calling them.”
“Oh, look at this!” his eyes widened as he gaped at his screen. “Some Yank got attacked by a koala.”
Blake leaned over to look at Grandpa’s cell phone. The grin spreading across his face made him look almost as handsome as Leif. “Crikey!” he exclaimed. “This woman looks like you, Nicola. Can you believe this video has over forty-thousand views?”
Great! She was mortified.
“Let’s see that!” Leif’s father demanded.
Nicola sat while the entire family passed Grandpa’s phone around the table, watching the video and laughing. All she wanted to do was crawl into a hole. What were the odds a person could actually die of embarrassment?
“Ms. Mills, you’re a celebrity!” Dell declared.
“That’s one way to look at it,” Nicola murmured.
Leif leaned over and whispered, “Please don’t judge me by my family. They’re not normally this rambunctious.”
His warm breath fanning her ear sent shivers tiptoeing down her spine. He smelled of fresh soap and sandalwood. She closed her eyes, committing the erotic moment to memory so she could retrieve it and savor it later.
“I think they’re sweet,” she answered, opening her eyes and snapping back to reality. “I wish I were this close with my family.”
“If you had four siblings you’d definitely want your own space.”
“Hey, Ms. Mills!” Dell called out. “Do you want to see my new puppy?”
Leif interjected. “Nicola doesn't like puppies.”
“I never said that,” Nicola argued.
“Did you or did you not say you don't like animals?”
“I did say that, but puppies are kind of different. They’re little and cute.”
He rolled his eyes. “I hate to remind you, but some puppies grow up to be as big as Bonnie and Clyde.”
“Those two beasts are in a class all their own.”
“Nicola,” Leif’s moth
er interrupted, “you simply must try some of this kangaroo sausage. It's delicious.”
Once again, Leif spoke for Nicola. “She doesn't eat meat, Mum.”
Grandma joined in. “You’re not one of those Greenies, are you?” she asked Nicola.
“Greenie?” Nicola asked.
“Environmentalist,” Leif supplied.
“No,” Nicola answered. “I just—”
“What kind of person doesn't eat meat?” Grandma demanded.
“The kind who’s sitting at this table,” Leif’s father answered. “Now, everyone leave Nicola alone. She’s our guest. She can eat whatever she pleases.”
“Maybe you just haven't had the right kind of meat,” Uncle Joe said, suggestively.
Nicola almost choked. This fool was coming on way too strong!
Grandma swatted the air. “Don’t pay him any attention, Nicola. I love him, but he’s as useless as a hatful of arseholes.”
Leif’s father and grandfather howled with laughter.
“I’ve sampled all kinds of meats and sausages from around the world,” Nicola explained. “I just don't care for the way meat is processed.”
Leif’s mother smiled. “We’ll soon change your mind about meat. Once you taste my kangaroo stew, you’ll become a straight up carnivore.”
Leif chuckled. “Nicola is pretty headstrong, Mum. Not much changes her mind.”
“It appears that you two have that in common.”
“Yeah,” Grandma added. “More in common than you and Lisa ever had.”
Leif let out a long breath and then he stood. “G’day to you all. I promised to take Nicola somewhere. We need to get going before it gets too late.”
“Nicola, will you be back in time for supper?” Petey asked.
Nicola grinned. “Of course. I wouldn't bloody miss it for anything.”
***
Leif steered his Jeep past a large rock as he sped along the Outback. “The easiest place to access The Reef is from Cairns. There are several tour companies that operate out of its marina, with dozens of trips every day. Most will take you out to a pontoon located on The Reef. We’ll board one and from there, it should be easy to drop Daniel’s ashes. Just be quick about it. There’s no law against it, but The Reef is still a protected landmark.”