Call On Me (15 page)

He followed it
up, trying to talk. “I just wanted to apologise. I didn’t mean to
upset you.” The last part was muffled due to the now closed window
having cut him off completely.

He tapped on
the window. “Alissa?”

She glared at
him. “Go away.”

“Alissa,
please.”

Jesus, couldn’t
the man take a hint? Ali pointedly looked away, only to find
herself gazing into the bemused eyes of Old Man Parker. She
flushed.
Oh goody
.

Tap tap
tap
on the window.

Eyebrows
shooting upwards, Parker looked from her to the man tapping on her
window.

Turning back to
the window, Ali wound it down a crack. “I don’t want to talk to
you, Chris. Now leave me alone.”

“If I could
explain-”

Oh sweet baby
Jesus! She was so not in the mood for this! Grabbing the key in the
ignition, she started the car, put it into reverse and backed out
of the parking bay, gratified beyond belief to see Chris leap out
of the way. For good measure, she gunned the engine before taking
off down the darkening street.

Feeling better,
if only a smidgen, she suddenly realised she’d left Lori at the
restaurant. Damn it! Not wanting to go back to the restaurant and
wait in case Chris Dickhead Smith was still lurking, she decided
she’d phone her sister and tell her to call when she was ready,
then she could swing by and pick her up. Cursing, she swung around
the nearest corner and spun quickly into a parking bay. Reaching
for the mobile in her bag, she caught sight in the rear-view mirror
of the patrol car pulling in behind her. Adam Moor, old school
friend, hopped out and ambled up to her window.

“Hey,” she said
as he leaned down, resting one brawny forearm on the
windowsill.

“Hey,” he
drawled back in his easy-going, friendly manner. “You in a bit of a
hurry, Ali?”

“Pardon?”

“Saw it all.
Arguing with a man, almost running him over, tearing through town.”
He nodded slowly. “Yep. Regular hoonish behaviour.”

Her cheeks
flushed. “Um…”

“Hooning can
cost you your car, Ali.”

“Come on, Adam,
surely-”

“Reckless
driving, public brawling-”

“What? I was
not publicly brawling!”

“Disturbing the
peace.”

“Look,
Moor-”

“I could arrest
you right now,” he continued, his tone lazy and measured, his eyes
glinting wickedly.

Ali glared at
him.

“What would you
do if I asked you to step out of the car, Ms Mackay?”

“Kick you in
the nuts, probably.”

“Threatening a
police officer. My, you have fallen into criminal activities.”

None of this
was his fault even if he was enjoying himself at her expense. With
a sigh, Ali opened her purse to retrieve her license.

Before she
could hand it to him, he reached in and closed his big hand gently
over hers. “You put that away, Ali. I’m only teasing you.”

“I’m sorry,
Adam.” She tried to muster a smile but going by the gentle concern
on his face, it wasn’t cutting the mustard. “I really am.”

“It’s not okay
to drive when you let anger take the steering wheel,” he admonished
quietly.

“I know.” Shame
prickled through her.

“I heard what
happened last night,” he continued. “Saw what happened just now.
Are you all right?”

“Apart from
being a hoon?” When he didn’t smile at her rejoinder, she said,
“I’m fine. I just let my emotions get the better of me, that’s all.
Stupid thing to do. I promise I’ll be careful. No more hoon
behaviour.” She smiled again, hoping he’d smile in return.

Nope, not one
glimmer of a smile, just that slow, steady gaze into her eyes.
Nothing romantic about it, simply a long look that had her
wondering what he really saw.

With a small
nod, Adam looked back down the street. “Want me to have a word to
Chris Smith?”

“What? No!”

This time there
was a glint of humour in his eyes when his gaze shifted back to
her. “I don’t mean threatening, Ali. Just a friendly word in his
ear.”

She dropped her
purse back into her bag. “No, it’s all fine. I’ve handled it.”

“Okay. You
drive carefully now.” Straightening, he walked back to the patrol
car.

She waited
until he’d pulled out and passed her before indicating and pulling
out as well.

Great, just
great. She’d made an exhibition of herself in front of the
restaurant, got warned off by a cop, and stranded her sister. The
exhibition she’d just have to let the dimming of time take care of,
the warning she tucked into her mortified mind, and her sister
she’d face right now.

Turning into
the parking bay of the restaurant, she saw Lori waiting outside the
closed door. Just standing there, the bag of takeaway in one hand,
other hand in the pocket of her baggy shorts, face totally
expressionless.

Chewing her
bottom lip, Ali watched her step off the footpath and cross to the
car, opening the door and getting in without saying a word. The
silence stretched as she clipped on the seatbelt and settled back
in the seat.

“So,” Ali
finally said.

“Do I want to
know?” Lori asked.

“You probably
saw the whole thing, right?”

“No, actually,
but Old Man Parker had great relish in filling in the details.” She
glanced sideways at Ali. “I was sort of curious why my sister
ditched me.”

“I came back
for you.”

“Or was it the
Chinese food?”

“Do I really
have to answer that? ‘Cause you might get mad.”

“True.”

“I was sort of
running.”

“Sort of or
was?”

“Was.” She
could feel her cheeks heat. “Ummm…did you hear anything else?”

“No. Why, did
something else happen?”

“Not at all.”
Ali put the car into reverse but before she could move, Mrs Swanson
hurried out of the restaurant and waved at them.

“Maybe she gave
you the wrong change,” Ali murmured.

“Nah, it was
correct.” Lori wound down her window but Mrs Swanson came around to
Ali’s instead.

Curious, Ali
looked out at her.

Mrs Swanson,
her hair in the usual tight curls haloing her head, leaned down to
look directly at Ali. “Are you all right, sweetie?”

“Absolutely,”
Great, who else had seen Chris approach her? Curse her very first
encounter with the jerk. “Look, it really doesn’t bother me-”

“I hope Adam
wasn’t too harsh with you,” Mrs Swanson cut in.

“Adam?” Lori
echoed.

Keen to cut
this particular subject off, Ali replied hastily, “Oh, it was
nothing. It-”

“Apparently he
went after you, lights flashing, siren blaring,” Mrs Swanson
continued with relish, the gleam of a true gossiper in her eyes
warring with true sympathy.

“Oh, gosh, it
wasn’t anything like-”

“I heard he
forced you off the road into the parking bay. Adam doesn’t like
hoons, you know.”

“I’m not a
hoon!” Catching Lori staring at her, she repeated fiercely, “I’m
not. Sheesh.”

“Dragged you
out of the car,” Mrs Swanson declared. “Almost had you in
handcuffs.”

“Good grief! It
didn’t-”

“That boy takes
his job seriously.” Reaching in, Mrs Swanson patted her arm
comfortingly. “Too seriously. I remember smacking his bum myself
when he was a kid and I caught him stealing chocolate from the
grocery store when we owned it.”

“Really?” Ali
couldn’t help but ask before she caught herself. “I mean, never
mind. Mrs Swanson, it didn’t happen like that, I swear. I-”

“Now, now,
dear, I understand.” She patted Ali’s arm again. “Embarrassing, I
know. But it’s okay, dear, we all understand how torn up inside you
must be after that episode with, you know, that new mechanic in
town.”

“Mrs Swanson, I
swear-”

“You just go
home. Being arrested will shake the nerves up of any decent woman,
hoon or not.”

Sweet baby
Jesus. This could not be happening.

Straightening,
Mrs Swanson stepped back. “Lori, you look after your sister, okay?
Tuck her into bed with a nice cup of tea. I’ll speak to that Adam
boy myself.”

“What?” Ali was
horrified. “No, Mrs Swanson, really, you have to listen to m-”

Too late, Mrs
Swanson was barrelling back to the restaurant with righteous
indignation in every line of her lean frame. The door swung shut
behind her. Great, just great. Knowing Mrs Swanson, she’d ring Adam
up, give him an earful, and then ring her mates to tell them all
about the not-quite-true happenings of the evening.

Fingers
gripping the steering wheel, Ali took several deep, calming breaths
before putting the gear into reverse and backing out onto the
deserted road.

Lori remained
quiet until they were halfway home. “Care to share?”

“No.”

“Okay, then.”
Several second passed before she added, “I’ll find out tomorrow
night at work anyway.” When Ali refused to answer, she continued
smugly, “Nothing like the grapevine of a small town.”

Ali cut her a
narrow-eyed look to find her sister biting her lip to stop the
laughter that was threatening to break through. Meeting her gaze,
Lori mimed zipping her lips closed and throwing away the key. It
didn’t stop her shoulders trembling now and again with suppressed
amusement.

Normally able
to see humour in almost anything, Ali was instead annoyed. Now she
would be the subject of gossip and her disastrous date with Chris
would rear its head once more. And the cause of it. She just wanted
this whole thing over, done and dusted, but the rate she was going
it was going to be the major town buzz for a few days yet.

Pulling into
the driveway, she kept a watchful eye on Ghost’s house while Lori
opened the garage door, but he didn’t appear. Even his front
veranda light was turned off. A glance upwards showed the light on
in his writing room, making her relax. If he was caught up writing,
he’d probably forgotten all about her by now. She could only hope.
The last thing she needed right now was Ghost coming over wanting
to discuss the happenings at the river.

The very hot,
decadent happenings.

Cheeks hot, she
glanced up to find Lori waiting patiently. Forcing her wayward
thoughts aside, she parked in the garage and got out, walking up
onto the veranda to unlock the front door while Lori closed the
garage.

“Hi girls,” a
deep voice greeted them from the other side of the fence.

Glancing over,
Ali saw Matt standing next to his car.

“Hey, Matt,”
she called back.

“Hi.” Lori came
up behind Ali.

“You all right,
Ali?” he asked.

Holy cow, that
hadn’t taken long. “Fine. It was all a huge exaggeration.”

“You mean you
didn’t get slammed down on the car bonnet and cuffed?” The shadows
might hide his face, but it couldn’t hide the laughter lacing his
words.

“No, I didn’t.”
Sheesh!

A snort of
laughter came from behind her and she jabbed her elbow back
sharply, rewarded by a muffled ‘oofff!’ from her sister when she
made contact with her midriff.

“Hey now,” Matt
said lightly, “Don’t go bashing your lovely sister just because
you’ve joined the criminal elements of the town. That would make me
have to come over and rescue her.”

“The only
reason I’m not coming over there to hit you, Matt, is because
you’re new to town and I try to be nice to my neighbours.” Ali
shoved the key into the security screen. “That gives you a couple
of leniency cards, but you’ve just used one, so that leaves you
only one more chance before you’re on my shit list.”

“Bu if your
sister still likes me that would cancel it out, right?” Leaning one
arm on top of the car door, Matt’s teeth were a white flash in the
shadows when he smiled widely. “And you still like me, don’t you,
Lori?”

Ali didn’t have
to look over her shoulder to know that Lori was blushing madly. She
could practically feel the heat searing her back.

“Sure,” Lori
managed to reply.

“Then that’s
all that matters.” He raised one hand. “I gotta go, girls. Have a
good night.” He got into the car.

Turning back to
the door, Ali smirked at Lori. “So, you
like
Matt, huh?”

“Don’t be
juvenile.” Lori cleared her throat. “Can you please open the door?
I can hear Minx meowing.”

“Minx always
meows at the sound of us.” Unlocking the wooden door, Ali waited
until Lori walked inside before following, re-locking both doors
behind them. “Now come on, Lori, you know you think Matt is
cute.”

“He’s okay.”
Her sister headed into the kitchen.

“He’s a hunk.
And you
like
him.”

Placing the bag
on the kitchen bench, Lori picked up Minx and handed her to Ali.
“He’s okay. You like him, too.” Taking a tin of food from the
pantry, she emptied the contents into Minx’s bowl.

“But he doesn’t
make me blush.” Grinning, Ali placed Minx down beside the food
dish.

“I’m not
blushing.”

“Your cheeks
look like you went wild with rouge.”

“As red as
yours must have been when you got
hauled
out of your car and
handcuffed
?”

Ali thought for
a moment. “Touché. How about we forget the whole thing and
eat?”

“Good
idea.”

The food was
good, as usual, but Ali didn’t totally relax, wondering if Ghost
would come across, but tea time came and went and he didn’t appear.
She only relaxed when she was ready for bed and he still hadn’t
come knocking on the door. No doubt he’d taken the hint earlier.
One thing he did well was read people, he’d have known as soon as
she reversed out of the driveway that she was avoiding him. It
certainly didn’t mean he’d let her have her way, but he was giving
her breathing space. Until it suited him.