Page 34 of Secrets of Riverside

‘Go on then, show me what you speak of, or forever hold your tongue.’ Her attempt at a posh accent failed miserably, cracking both of them up.

As he recovered from his moment of mirth, he didn’t waste another second before seizing her and pulling her into his arms. There was only the slightest hesitation before she rested her cheek against his chest, and then her arms came around him. And just as he’d imagined, she fitted into him perfectly. As if they’d been made for each other. He heard her gentle sigh, felt it flutter against his heart. Then something inside him melted and disappeared. He somehow felt lighter, unshakable, grounded, as if he’d just discovered the quintessential meaning of life. His reason for living. And it was Millie. And although that awareness shocked him, he didn’t want to overthink anything right now. He just wanted to enjoy this, her, them. It stunned and delighted him that she didn’t feel the slightest bit tense in his arms. He wondered how long it had been since someone had engulfed her in a genuine, warm hug. Then, without his consent, his mind started to wander to places it shouldn’t and his body began to respond to her closeness. Thankfully, at the same time she untangled from him and stepped back a little, her gaze coy and her bottom lip between her teeth.

‘So, out of ten, for the hug?’ He had to step away just a little too, as he regathered the pieces of himself she’d unravelled.

‘I’m going to be generous here,’ she smiled now, so big, so beautifully, ‘and give you a nine out of ten.’

‘See, I told you my hugs were awesome.’ He frowned lightheartedly. ‘But why wasn’t it a ten?’

‘There always has to be a little wriggle room, just for improvement.’ Her smile turned sassy again. ‘Don’t go getting a big head on the high score, though, will you?’

‘Ha, too late.’ He managed close enough to a deadpan expression. ‘Because according to Mack, Tom and Graham, I already have one.’

Her confused frown gave way to a sudden look of comprehension. ‘Ah, yeah, that’s right … they’re funny, those three old buggers.’

‘They sure are. I couldn’t imagine this place without them.’ Before he could think better of it, he jumped the gun and added what he felt shouldn’t be left unsaid. ‘The same as I can’t imagine this place without you around, Millie.’

Blinking faster, she swallowed, and squared her shoulders. ‘I’ll miss here, and you too, Jarrah.’ A flicker of regret crossed her face. ‘It’s going to suck, leaving.’

‘Then please, stay, Millie.’ He sounded desperate, but he didn’t care, because he was.

She hesitated, inhaled deeply, seemed to consider her response. ‘I think we both know, for whatever reason, Tommy begrudges me, and that’s not ideal working conditions, for me, or for him.’

‘Yeah, about that.’ His heart was galloping, so he took a breath. ‘Like I told you, I’m going to get to the bottom of it.’

‘The bottom of what, exactly, Jarrah?’ Along with the shimmer of tears, her green eyes filled with questions that he didn’t have the answers to.

He didn’t want to lie, so he remained silent.

Brushing past him, she offered a small, sad smile. ‘I’ll be gone before you get to the bottom of whatever is going on with your nephew, I’m one hundred percent sure of it.’

Before he could find the right words, any words, to reassure her, she padded out of the kitchen, and he was left standing there, wanting nothing more than to follow her so he could show her just how deeply he was falling for her.

CHAPTER

11

Monday came around way too quickly. Once the lunch rush had been and gone, things slowed down considerably. Almost finished with tidying up the kitchen, and looking forward to the public holiday the next day, Millie heard footsteps coming up behind her. She spun, expecting it to be Tommy, which meant she’d likely be defending herself from one thing or another, only to find Jarrah staring back at her. His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of her and it made her feel attractive, liked, cared for.

And then stupid for feeling all these things …

‘Hey, there.’ His North Queensland drawl was sexy as.

‘Hey there, yourself,’ she replied, with as much nonchalance as she could muster.

He filled a glass from the tap and sculled it. ‘Is everything okay, because you look like you’re about to batter me to death with that wooden spoon.’ His slow and sexy grin sent a surge of longing through her.

‘Ha, not likely, the only thing this spoon is good for,’ she held up her apparent weapon of choice, ‘is stirring batter.’

‘Fair enough,’ he chuckled. ‘So what’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?’

‘I’m not sure yet.’ As he brushed past her, her pulse raced in reaction. It made her step back in a bid to stop from reaching out for more of that heady feeling that she’d felt when he’d hugged her the day before. ‘Without a car, there are not a lot of options, really.’

‘I have an idea.’ He studied her with a gentleness that had the power to undo all the part of herself she had tied up nice and tight, so nobody could see through her. ‘How about we meet up when I’m finished, say,’ he glanced at his watch, ‘around five, and enjoy a couple of beers the good old-fashioned way.’

‘What do you mean by …’ There was a little twinge in the veiled areas of her heart. ‘… the good old-fashioned way?’

He waggled his brows. ‘Camped out on the back of the LandCruiser, watching the sun bow out to the moon, from the best vantage point of Riverside Acres.’

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