Page 18 of Best Laid Plans

Chastened, Lucy thanked him.

The glorious scent of crushed rose petals filled the truck’s cabin as Will climbed behind the wheel and pulled the driver’s door shut. But the fragrance couldn’t disguise the smell of ancient leather and it couldn’t block Lucy’s memories.

This was the first time in years that she’d been alone in the dark with Will, and stupidly she remembered that embarrassing kiss on the shadowy veranda at Tambaroora. She could remember exactly how he’d tasted, and the warm pressure of his lips, the sexy slide of his tongue…

He turned to her. ‘Are you OK now?’

‘Perfectly,’ she said in a choked whisper.

‘Are you sure?’ he asked, frowning at her, watching her intently.

She pressed a hand against her heart in a bid to calm its wicked thudding. ‘I was hobbled by this jolly dress and I slipped in the stupid heels.’ She sounded more astringent than she’d meant to. ‘After tonight, these shoes are going straight to the Country Women’s second-hand store.’

Will chuckled softly, then started the truck and soon they were rumbling down the street. Lucy buried her nose in the roses, glad that he didn’t try to talk all the way home.

But in the silence, her thoughts turned back to their earlier conversation. Will had shocked her when he’d raised the subject of marriage and babies, but perhaps she shouldn’t have been so surprised. It was, as he’d said, happening all around them. Gina and Tom had their twins. Mattie was married.

She’d been so busy trying to back away from the topic, so scared Will would discover how hung up she was about these very things, that she’d cut the conversation short.

Now she was left to wonder. Had he actually been leading to something he wanted to discuss? She’d always been hurt by Will’s silence after Josh’s death and the miscarriage. He’d never given her the chance to confess why she’d become involved with his brother.

Of course, it would be dreadfully difficult to tell him the truth, but she’d always felt guilty and she wanted to come clean. Perhaps then she would be able to put it behind her at last. She might, at last, stop dreaming about Will.

As the truck rumbled down country lanes, past darkened farmhouses and quiet paddocks, a number of questions bumped around in her head and by the time Will pulled up in front of her house, Lucy couldn’t hold back.

‘Will, what was the point you wanted to make?’

In the glow of the dashboard’s lights, she could see his frown. ‘I’m sorry, Lucy, you’ve lost me.’

‘When we were talking at the wedding, you were carrying on about how old we are now and I got in a huff, but were you actually trying to make a point?’

He turned to face her, one hand draped loosely over the steering wheel. ‘Nothing in particular.’ He smiled shyly. ‘I simply wanted to talk to you – the way we used to.’

A ghost of a smile trickled across his face. Then he looked out through the windscreen and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘We have a lot to catch up on, but it’s late. Why don’t I give you a call some time?’

How could such a simple question send her insides into turmoil? It was so silly to be incredibly excited simply because Will Carruthers planned to talk to her again.

With difficulty, Lucy overcame her desperate curiosity to know what he wanted to talk about. She managed to speak calmly.

‘I’ll wait to hear from you then,’ she said as she pushed the door open.

‘Don’t move,’ Will ordered, shoving his door open too. ‘I’ll help you out. I don’t want you falling again. You’re an accident waiting to happen tonight.’

A hasty glance at the huge step down to the road showed Lucy the wisdom of accepting his offer, but her heart skipped several beats as he rounded the truck and helped her down.

‘Thank you,’ she said demurely. ‘My elderly bones couldn’t have taken another stumble this evening.’

His soft laugh held the hint of a growl. ‘Get to bed, grandma.’

To her astonishment, Will’s lips feathered the merest brush of a kiss against her temple. Her knees almost gave way.

‘Perhaps I should escort you to the door,’ he said.

‘I think I’m still capable of tottering up my own front path.’

‘I’ll wait here till you’re safely inside.’

After years of being fiercely independent, Lucy had to admit it was rather pleasant to have a lordly male watching out for her. With the bouquets bundled in one arm, she lifted her skirt elegantly and took carefully dainty steps as she made her way up the uneven brick path.

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