You're the One (24 page)

“Geez.” She
grinned while inwardly giving a shiver of delight.
Whoa
honey.

“I’m
serious.”

“Oh, I believe
you. I’d be threatening dire consequences, too.”

“I thought my
name wasn’t that bad?”

“I’m
supporting you, being a good girlfriend.”

“Because you
don’t like my name?”

“Because I
like you.”

“For that,
baby, I am cooking you my famous beef and mushroom pie
tonight.”

“Let’s go,
Montgomery.” She jumped when his palm connected with her bottom.
Not hard, but definitely firm. “Holy heck!” Then she laughed.
“Okay, Moz, I got the hint.”

“Better
believe there’s more where that came from if you ever spill the
beans, baby.”

She dimpled up
at him. “Promise?”

That made the
big lug miss a step. He almost brought her down with him.

Laughing,
clinging onto each other, they staggered out into the clearing
where Moz stopped and looked around. “Hey, where’re Elissa and
Simon?”

“Sucking face
behind those trees,” Ryder replied from where he was sitting on the
grass with Lily crawling over his legs.

“Gah. I did
not need to hear that.”

“Serve you
right for trying to kill him earlier.”

“I didn’t try
to kill him. He needs to bulk up.”

“Not everyone
wants to be a walking brick shithouse.”

“If you
weren’t hiding behind the baby, I’d pound you into the ground for
that.”

“I’m no fool.
Lily, don’t go too far from Uncle Ryder.”

Grinning, Del
left the men to trade insults and went to join Ash and Dee who were
packing up.

Grant was
standing a little way off speaking into his mobile. Noting the
frown on his face, she wondered if he’d have to return to the
clinic for an out-of-hours call out, but instead he motioned Moz
over and handed him the phone. Moz spoke into it, turning away and
walking a little further out before stopping, hand on one hip, head
dipped forward as he nodded, shook his head, spoke some more.

“What’s going
on?” Dee queried.

“No idea.” Del
put the lid on the esky, her attention on Moz and Grant. “But
whatever it is, they don’t look happy.”

“Hello.” Dee
jerked her head to the side. “Look who’s moving.”

Kirk walked up
to them, all three men talking amongst themselves. Kirk nodded as
Moz handed the phone back to Grant.

“Looks pretty
intense,” Dee commented.

“Yeah.” Del
straightened, a packet of unused napkins in her hands. “Something
is going on, but Moz isn’t saying what.”

“Nor is Kirk.”
Molly appeared by their side. “What do you think it is?”

“I’d sure like
to know.”

“Maybe we can
find out,” Dee mused.

‘What I
think,” a deep voice said from behind them, “is that you girls
should keep your pretty little noses out of it.”

They turned to
find Scott watching them from the other side of the table.

“Shit,” Dee
said. “You know something.”

“I know you
three are trouble.”

“You going to
fill us in?” Del asked.

“If Kirk, Moz
and Grant wanted you to know something, they’d tell you.” Reaching
over, he plucked the packet of napkins from Del’s hand. “Take my
advice and don’t go there.”

“Hey, we’re
just curious.”

“And you know
what happens to curious cats.”

“I don’t like
that saying.” Molly squinted across at Kirk. “Maybe if I bribed him
with a blow job…”

Scott grinned.
“Wouldn’t save your arse, honey, trust me.”

“You have sex
anyway,” said Dee. “Hells bells, why are we back to sex again?”

“I don’t
know.” Molly shrugged. “It just happens.”

Tuning out her
friend’s squabbling, Del watched Moz. He was not a happy camper.
None of the men were. Her gaze switched to Ryder but he was
focussed on the baby. Simon and Elissa came wandering back from the
opposite direction, Simon’s head bent forward as he listened to
her. Del looked back over her shoulder at Scott, but he was now
talking to Ash, his arm around her waist.

Hmmm. How much
did he know? And what, exactly, did he know?

Returning to
packing, she knew Scott was right. It wasn’t their business, but
she still couldn’t help but be curious, especially as she knew it
had to do with dogs. It definitely had something to do with Harding
and Dawson, she’d bet her arse on it.

Moz appeared
by her side with a smile on his face but a distinct solemness in
his eyes. “Sorry, baby, I have to go.” He took the box from her.
“Scott will take you home.”

“Work?”
Following him to Scott’s car, she couldn’t help but notice that
Kirk had returned to Molly’s side while Grant waited beside his
car.

“Afraid
so.”

“Is it the
dogs?”

The smile left
his face. Silently he placed the box in the back of the car before
turning to face her. “You know I can’t say anything.”

“I know.
Sorry.” Slightly ashamed, she slid her hands into the pockets of
her shorts. “It slipped out. I’m not really pressing you for
details.”

His face was
set. “I’m not keeping secrets for fun.”

Stung, she
straightened her shoulders. “I know.”

He glanced
away, jaw tight, before sighing and looking back down at her.
“Del-”

Crap on a
stick, it was unfair to make him feel guilty. “I know, you’re doing
your job.” She touched his arm. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell
me, you won’t tell me, and I understand. Doesn’t stop me being
curious, but its okay.”

His shoulders
relaxed a little. “Okay.”

“We good?”

His tight
mouth curved slightly. “We’re good.”

“Are you going
to be home in time to cook that pie?”

“I’m not sure.
I’ll ring you.”

Seeking to
lighten the mood, she smiled whimsically up at him. “If you’re not
going to be home in time, can I eat the mushrooms?”

He winced.
“Last time you burnt the living hell out of them.”

“I still ate
them.”

“I still can’t
believe you did that.”

She fluttered
here eyelashes at him. “So can I?”

“No.”

Del
pouted.

“Yeah, cute,
but still no.”

“What if I
said I’d trade sex for the mushrooms?”

His eyebrows
shot up. “Really?”

“No, so don’t
look so hopeful.” Going up on tip toe, she reached for him.

Moz obliged by
bending down, his hand sliding around to the small of her back.

“Just be
safe,” she murmured before kissing him lightly. “You promised me
pie, I want pie. If not tonight, then tomorrow night. I will have
my pie, Montgomery Percival Baylon.” His hand slid to her bottom
and she amended hastily, albeit with a giggle, “Moz. Moz Baylon.
Moz
.”

“You just
remember that, baby.” Chuckling, he hugged her, kissed her quick
and sweet, and let her go. “I have to go. I promise to ring.”

Nodding, she
stepped back. “Just stay safe.”

The smile he
gave her was so warm she felt it slide through her entire body,
then he was walking away, scooping up his shirt from the bonnet of
his car. Grant got into his own car and with a wave, they both
left.

Returning to
the friends who had stayed behind, Del looked at Molly who shook
her head. Nope, Kirk had said nothing to her.

The happy
afternoon seemed strangely empty without Moz, but Del still enjoyed
herself, though she wished he could be with them.

Moz didn’t
come home, but he did phone briefly several hours later to say that
he and Grant were caught up on the highway with an overturned truck
that had been taking a load of sheep to the sale yards. The driver
was shaken but fine, some of the sheep didn’t fare so well.

That had Del
grimacing. That meant some of them would have to be put down. For
men like Grant and Moz who loved animals, that was a huge downside
to their jobs. But it was part of the job nevertheless.

Taking a
generous chunk of quiche that Moz had cooked the previous day, Del
zapped it in the microwave and ate it on the couch while Missy and
Mozart darted around the furniture and up and down the hallway. If
Moz had of been there, it would have been a perfect end to a
perfect day.

Still, she
enjoyed having the cats playing. It made her realise how quiet her
home had been without them.

Retiring to
bed early, she lay back reading, eventually falling asleep with the
book on her chest.

The sound of
dogs barking roused her. Propping up on one elbow, she groggily
looked at the clock. Two in the morning. What the hell? Both way
too early and way too late for people to be walking their dogs.

Voices, the
sound of a truck.

Feeling a
sense of déjà vu, she got out of bed, padding across to the window
to peer out, which was a waste of time as the bushes blocked her
view of the road. Pulling the curtain aside, she unlocked the
window and opened it wider to listen.

Yeah, that was
definitely Cutter’s voice, and he sounded close. Though that was
more than likely the time, voices carried at night with nothing to
drown them out. Or possibly the breeze was blowing in her direction
and carrying the voices.

Another dog,
snarling, a harshly bellowed command. Then silence.

Leaning her
forearms on the window sill, Del strained to hear. Muffled voices
now, another sound of a truck leaving, the engine fading in the
distance. Lights put pin-pricks through the gently moving bushes
but she knew whoever was on the other side wouldn’t see her in the
window, not with the dark -
oh shit!

Realising she
had the lamp on still, silhouetting her against the window, she
leaped back, whirling to dash to the bed and flick the lamp off.
Holding her breath, she looked at the window.

Well, crap on
a stick. She’d left the window unlocked and wide open in her panic.
The light was still pin-pricking the window, moving slightly before
shifting away.

Tip toeing to
the window, hoping she didn’t step on Missy or Mozart as she
couldn’t see the floor properly, Del reached out and slowly pulled
the window closed.

There was a
sound outside, the snap of a twig. A shadow raced across the front
yard, scaring the crap out of her. Leaping backwards, she pressed
her hand to her chest, right over top of her wildly beating
heart.

Then anger
slid through her. Damn it, if someone was lurking in her yard-

“Where’ve you
been, you bloody useless mutt?” Brand’s voice cut through the
night. “Get here!”

A dog. It had
just been one of the dogs.

Relief slid
through Del, but her heart still pounded as she moved to the window
and snipped the lock shut. Just about to pull the curtain across,
she saw movement in the bushes. Freezing, she watched. The breeze
rustled the bushes but apart from that nothing moved, the night
remaining dark.

“Cutter?”
Someone called.

Crap on a
stick, was he in her yard?

Breathing
shallowly, she watched the bushes. The breeze continued to stir the
bushes but apart from that, nothing. As minutes ticked past with
nothing further happening, she relaxed. Man, Brand was going to get
an earful next time she saw him. If he didn’t keep his dogs off her
property she’d call the rangers, that’d give that drongo something
to think about.

She thought
about ringing the cops but it was too late, the sound of men, a dog
and the truck was gone. They’d find nothing. She should have done
it immediately, not waited to see if she could hear or see
something. Mentally she slapped herself upside the head.
Idiot.

Closing the
curtains, she went back to bed.

Mozart curled
up behind her knees while Missy snuggled into the crook off her
neck, their combined purring a comforting sound in the
darkness.

It’d be even
more comforting if Moz was beside her in the bed, his strength at
her back, his quiet confidence helping to relax her.

Well, he
isn’t, and that’s your fault. So suck it up, princess, and go to
sleep
.

Chapter 8

Sorting
through the box of lacy bras, Del admired them. Pretty colours -
pinks, whites, blues, lilacs, red, dotted, flowered, patterned, and
even better, an array of sizes to suit a variety of sizes - small
enough for those women with an A cup, large enough for those with
an F. And yes, she nodded approvingly, they were all available in
an assortment of sizes from the very slim to the generously plus
sized.

Just what she
wanted, something pretty for every woman in town looking for it. It
was what made her so successful in the lingerie department.

Setting out
different size piles, she glanced around the shop. Where her father
had had the basics, she’d extended to have a variety of sizes in
pretty colours and patterns for the variety of women that made up
Gully’s Fall. Slowly but surely, her shop was becoming know for the
fact that she catered for all sizes and shapes. She’d even had some
customers from Ellor’s Loop and further towards the coast. And this
morning she’d received several email orders from the on-line
website she’d just had set up.

It wasn’t just
women she was catering for, but men of all shapes and sizes as
well, and she strove to have a variety of clothing available in
different sizes. Not every man was tall, broad shouldered and
muscular. Some were lean, some were skinny, some were short and
some were plus sized.

Besides which,
she never lost sight of the fact that Gully’s Fall was primarily a
farming community, so she ensured she had the everyday work clothes
a farming community demanded.

Louise Hempton
had agreed to be the shop’s seamstress for any clothes needing to
be altered for customers who couldn’t do their own alterations.
Things were looking up.