by Karly Lane
‘So, are you coming to the pub?’ Hadley asked as they headed towards their cars.
‘I wasn’t planning on it,’ Cash said honestly. She was on a Christmas carol high and wasn’t sure she was in the mood to handle drunken farmhands and loud pub music.
‘Come on, it’ll be fun,’ Hadley urged. ‘Linc’s there.’
Cash had assumed carols weren’t Linc’s thing, or his brother’s for that matter … Actually, come to think of it, there’d been very few males under the age of thirty at all there tonight. Of course, they’d all be across at the pub. The night before, Linc and Cash had agreed to do their own thing tonight. She didn’t really want to be seen by the entire town with Linc at the carols, and although she felt a little bad, she still believed it had been the right decision not to tell anyone about their fling. It was bound to cause drama and that was something this family seriously had enough of at the moment. What would it prove? It wasn’t going to last, so why create problems if there was no need to.
However, knowing he was at the pub only a few hundred metres away made it very hard to say no. Damn it, she missed him.
‘I suppose I could stop in for one drink.’
‘Great! Let’s go.’
Cash put her chair in the back of her car and locked the door, hoping her mouth didn’t drop open when she saw Harmony had joined her younger sister and Olivia by the time she caught up to them.
The pub was crowded. Clearly this was a general meeting place and on a night like this, when everyone was in town for the carols, it was a good time to catch up with people you hadn’t seen in a while. Everywhere she looked people sat in groups laughing and smiling. The roar of conversation outdid the music from the jukebox and it was almost impossible to hear anything without shouting. Within moments of coming through the door, Hadley was swept into a nearby group of people about the same age, and Cash gathered they were all old schoolfriends. She didn’t want to gatecrash the reunion so she continued walking towards the bar. She glanced around to see where Harmony was but couldn’t see her anywhere. Great, ditched as soon as possible. As Cash debated whether she should bother ordering a drink or just go home instead, a hand slid around her waist and she jumped as a slurred voice greeted her.
‘Cash! You’re here. This is Cash,’ Griffin said, turning her to face a small group of men who’d been standing behind her. She recognised Oliver Dawson, who gave her a friendly enough smile, but she didn’t know either of the other two men who weren’t bothering to hide their leers. Cash instantly recoiled. Griffin still had his hand on her waist and while she wasn’t repulsed by the action, she was getting an uncomfortable feeling that it was a little too intimate and was about to move away when Hadley and Olivia joined the group.
Over the last few times they’d met, Olivia had begun to warm to her, or so she’d thought. The look she was sending her right now was cold enough to rival even Harmony. Now what? She couldn’t possibly have done anything within the short space of time from the park to here. However, when Olivia’s gaze shifted to Griff, she looked wounded and suddenly it became clear. Olivia had feelings for Griff.
In an instant the moment was gone and Olivia had turned to join another group. Griff dropped his hand from her waist and announced that it was his shout and headed for the bar.
‘How were the carols?’ Linc’s question startled her and she turned around to the slightly dishevelled but undeniably hot man who now stood beside her. How did a man in a wrinkled shirt and cargo pants manage to look this damn good? God help her, she swallowed past the sudden dryness of her throat as her gaze fell onto the tuft of dark chest hair that poked out from the undone top button of his shirt. She wanted to tear off his clothes right here and now. ‘Sorry? What?’
His lopsided smile told her that, somehow, he’d managed to read her thoughts. ‘The carols? How were they?’
‘They were great. I had a good time,’ she said, raising her voice over the noise, although with him standing this close, she was surprised she had the strength. The warm smell of his body made her legs go weak.
‘That’s good,’ he said, nodding. His eyes held hers with an intensity that anyone nearby who hadn’t been drinking most of the night would have recognised as lust-fuelled. They had to knock this off now, before someone did see.
‘I think I’ll head home.’
‘I don’t think I’ll be hanging around either,’ he said, holding her gaze just a little longer than was acceptable for polite strangers. She was pretty sure the message was clear: he’d follow her home shortly. The prospect made her stomach do flip-flops.
‘It was nice to see you,’ she smiled and nodded before turning away from his knowing grin. The others were all deep in conversation, or nowhere to be found in Harmony’s case, so she decided to leave without interrupting.
Outside she could still hear the noise, but it was muted and her ears had to adjust to the quiet. The wide empty road through town stretched off into a black abyss in both directions. The evening air was warm, but much cooler than it had been through the day, and Cash breathed in deeply, filling her lungs with the sweet scent of blossoms and gum trees that surrounded the area in a green oasis. A movement and sound drew Cash’s attention across into the relative shadows where a bench sat, mostly hidden from the glare of the streetlights. She could make out the silhouette of a couple deep in conversation; the larger, a man she assumed, was comforting the smaller figure of a woman.
Cash trod carefully, hoping her footsteps wouldn’t disturb the intimate moment, but it was obvious that the couple were too absorbed in each other to hear anything other than their own low murmuring. As Cash drew level with them, a beam of moonlight hit the woman’s arm and Cash caught the flash of something green and gold before the light shifted and she passed by, unnoticed.
She hurried the remainder of the way to the car and unlocked her door, feeling ridiculous at how stealthy she was being. As she reversed and headed onto the road towards home, she glanced across at the park bench, but no one was there. An uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach. She could, of course, be mistaken, but that flash of colour on the woman’s wrist had looked remarkably like the emerald and gold bracelet Harmony had been wearing tonight. And she was pretty sure the man sitting on that bench had not been Don.
Twenty-one
‘Your mum’s invited me over for Christmas Eve drinks,’ Cash told Linc as they lay quietly listening to the night sounds outside her bedroom window.
‘Pretty sure you’ve wrapped both my parents around your little finger.’
‘Your parents are great.’
‘Yeah, they are. I don’t know how they’ve made time for everything they’ve done over the years. Dad’s worked the farm and is in the rural fire brigade,’ he said. ‘They’re both involved in the Farming Federation, the hall committee and the race day committee.’ He shook his head. ‘Mum’s always been on school and sports committees, plus raising us four kids. They’ve always been there for us.’
Cash couldn’t even imagine how they managed. ‘It blows my mind how many roles they take on around here.’
‘In small places like this, you have to if you want to keep things like sports groups and events going. As kids grow up and leave, the parents who volunteer also drop out, so there has to be a constant handing down of the reins to keep things going. There’s been a lot of changes over the years and people just don’t want the responsibility, so the committee members feel like they need to stay on longer and longer. I think Mum and Dad just can’t bear to see all their years of hard work lost if things close due to lack of volunteers. It’s a shame, because they should be able to retire and take it a bit easier.’
‘Maybe they’d be lost if they didn’t stay busy. It’d be hard for them to suddenly find themselves with nothing to do.’ ‘Yeah, that’s a part of it too. Mum in particular—she’s only happy when she’s busy. I think she thrives on stress myself.’
‘Some people are like that,’ Cash agreed. ‘Harmony reminds me a
lot of your mother.’
‘Yeah, she’s grown up around the whole community thing, I guess.’
‘She doesn’t like me very much.’
‘Don’t take it personally. I don’t know what’s going on with Mon lately. She wasn’t always this …’
‘Bitchy?’
‘Yes,’ he conceded. ‘I’ve tried to talk to her, but she’s not exactly opening up. I guess I haven’t really been around enough to figure out what’s been going on. I’m pretty sure Griff knows more than he’s letting on. But then he’s not exactly into having any kind of meaningful conversation with me either.’
‘I think you need to try again. You guys have to get this sorted.’ She really wasn’t sure why this upset her so much—it wasn’t any of her business. There was just something sad about watching a family that contained so much love fall to pieces like this. If only they realised how precious a gift it was, to be born into a family like theirs.
She’d debated about telling Linc what she’d seen on her way home but decided not to say anything. She didn’t want to start anything—particularly if she’d made a mistake. But she had a sinking feeling that whatever was going on with Linc’s eldest sister, it couldn’t keep going the way it was. Eventually something was going to snap, and it wasn’t going to be pretty when it did.
Cash pulled up in her usual spot at Stringybark Creek and noticed there were a lot of cars already here. She ticked off the Dawsons’ vehicle, and Harmony’s expensive Land Rover, a few bulky farm utes and Oliver Dawson’s flashier sports ute, which had probably cost almost as much as Harmony’s imported monstrosity.
She bought only a box of chocolates this time, after getting in trouble for bringing anything last time and then feeling more than a little intimidated by the quality and quantity of Lavinia’s cooking. She knew there would already be a ton of food.
As she approached the foot of the stairs a hand shot out of the darkness and dragged her into the shadowy well beneath the staircase. Her stifled gasp was lost as a warm mouth closed against her own, and fear instantly turned into fire at the familiar touch.
Linc buried his face in Cash’s neck and she let out a shaky breath, her body liquefying. Behind her the timber boards of the closed-in understorey of the large house pressed into her back, and the cool touch on her skin contrasted the heat from his body which pressed against her from the other side. His roughly whispered coarse words would have earned anyone else a slap across the face, but somehow his deep, gravel-like tone softened the words and sent a shiver of need through her.
The sound of voices coming out onto the deck above them froze Cash to the spot and had her clutching Linc’s arms in warning. He lifted his head to listen and another low expletive left his mouth—this time a soft mutter aimed at bad timing and interruptions. When he didn’t move away, Cash gave him a glare and tossed her head in the direction of the voices pointedly.
‘Stuff ’em,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m over this, Cash. I don’t care if they know about us. I’m pretty sure they already suspect anyway.’
‘Griff doesn’t know, and you can’t let him find out like this,’ she said urgently, genuinely worried about how such an announcement would affect the rest of the evening’s festivities. ‘You know how much your mum’s been looking forward to Christmas, we can’t risk ruining it if Griff gets angry.’
‘Bugger Griff. He’s a grown man, he can take it. He’s invited a date tonight, so I’m pretty sure he’s moved on. In fact, the more I think about it, the stupider I feel that we didn’t just tell him from the beginning.’
‘It’s not about whether he’s moved on or not. He’s going to think you were the reason he and I didn’t work out.’ Confrontation had always made her anxious and somehow she knew that Griff wasn’t going to take the news of their dating, or whatever this was, too well.
‘Okay, fine,’ he sighed wearily. ‘But I’m not pandering to Griff forever. He’s going to have to find out sooner or later. I’m getting too old for this shit.’
A slow smile spread across Cash’s mouth as she took in his angled eyebrows and fierce expression. ‘Has anyone told you how sexy you look when you pout?’ she teased quietly.
‘I don’t pout,’ he growled, dipping his head back down to nuzzle at her neck, wiping the smile from her face in an instant.
‘My mistake,’ she sighed, before reluctantly sidestepping from his embrace and straightening her outfit. ‘If you behave yourself for the rest of the night, I might let you explain what you were doing,’ she told him.
‘You like it more when I don’t behave,’ he said, flashing her the cocky grin that seriously made her knees buckle—not that she’d ever tell him that, though.
‘Oh, there you two are,’ Hadley said with a wiggle of her eyebrows as they reached the top of the steps. ‘Gran’s serving the eggnog.’
‘I don’t think I’ve ever had eggnog before,’ Cash said.
‘For real?’ Hadley said, giving her a double-take.
Cash shook her head. ‘Christmas wasn’t quite the same as this in my house.’
‘This family does Christmas to the max,’ she said dryly, swapping a look with her older brother. ‘Oh well, at least your first eggnog will be memorable. A word to the wise,’ she said, dropping her voice a little. ‘Go steady. At first they seem harmless, but they have a nasty habit of sneaking up on you and, before you know it, you find yourself half-naked in the back of Tezza Ashcroft’s ute singing “Six White Boomers” as you do circle work around the paddock at three in the morning.’
Cash swapped an amused glance with Linc before following Hadley back towards the house.
‘So where have you three been hiding out?’ Harmony asked as they walked into the living room where everyone seemed to be gathered.
Cash was conscious of Griff looking up at their entrance, watching them closely. Thankfully Hadley stepped in calmly and saved the day. ‘We were outside admiring Mum’s decorations.’
‘Here you go, dear,’ Gran said, handing over a glass of creamy eggnog from the tray she held. ‘Take a seat, it’s present time.’
Cash snapped her head around to look at Linc in a panic. ‘Presents? What presents? I didn’t bring any!’ Who the hell did presents on Christmas Eve?
‘It’s all right, it’s just a tradition Mum likes to do, it’ll be fine,’ he reassured her, reaching around her to take his own glass.
Cash looked on in bemusement as a commotion erupted outside, and moments later Lavinia stepped into the room dressed in a short red Mrs Claus outfit, with a fluffy hemline over fishnet stockings, red boots and a red stocking cap on her head. Santa Claus followed, ho-ho-ho-ing into the room and carrying a large red sack.
‘Santa!’ Lavinia gasped as the jolly man in the red suit planted a smack on her bottom as he walked past.
‘Let me check who’s been naughty and nice,’ Bob’s deep, after a few too many Scotches, voice boomed through the room as he pulled out a piece of paper and tried to focus on the writing, holding it at arm’s length. ‘I can’t read the bloody thing,’ he complained. ‘Never mind! I’m pretty sure you’re all on the naughty list anyway. Let’s see who we have here,’ he went on, pulling out the first parcel.
‘Holder, where’s Holder?’ he called in a Santa voice, looking around the room. The reluctant teen put his hand up, looking as though he’d rather be anywhere else but here with his crazy grandparents playing Santa and Mrs Claus in the middle of the room.
‘Here you go, Merry Christmas Eve.’
‘Thanks, Granddad.’
‘No, no young man, it’s Santa Claus,’ Bob insisted with a wink, before turning away to dig back in the bag and missing the young boy’s roll of the eyes as he headed back to his seat to open his gift.
‘Do we have a Harmony here?’ Santa Bob asked, before spotting his eldest daughter and handing over the brightly wrapped parcel.
Cash noticed with interest that Harmony wore a real smile; it was only a small one, but it was the first time she�
��d seen the woman relaxed. Clearly this family tradition must have held some special memories, if the ice woman’s softening was any indication.
Cash noticed that Linc had found a seat, perched on the arm of the lounge beside Harmony and his niece. She wasn’t sure if it was to maintain distance, or just because seating was limited. She caught his look and felt a lick of heat caress her skin at the message she read there: Later, we’re going to pick up from where we left off. She dragged her gaze back to the entertainment in the centre of the room and tried to calm her frantic pulse.
‘Where’s Cash?’ Santa said, scanning the room until he came to rest on her, his white moustache slipping slightly. ‘Ah, there she is,’ he grinned, handing the gift to his wife.
‘Merry Christmas,’ Lavinia said, placing a kiss on her cheek.
‘Thank you,’ Cash stammered, looking up from the red-wrapped square-shaped object. ‘You shouldn’t have—’
‘Rubbish,’ she said, waving off her protest as she moved back to assist Santa in giving out the next present.
Cash stared at the gift a moment, before gingerly placing it on her lap, fighting a barrage of unexpected emotions. Christmas had never been like this for her. Growing up she hadn’t had the luxury of believing in Santa and waking up to presents under the tree. Her father had tried one year, when she’d been about seven or so. There’d been a tree and tinsel and even presents. Looking back, it had been her parents’ final attempt to resurrect their marriage. Things had started well; her dad was home and her mum had seemed happy, the happiest she’d been in a long time. Cash had lain in bed on Christmas Eve, asking Santa to please, please make it last. She missed her dad when he wasn’t there, and Mum didn’t cry as much when he was around. She didn’t sleep all day on the lounge either.