Page 10 of Outback Secrets

‘I bet I could find you someone,’ Grant said, as if he hadn’t heard a word of what she and Frankie had just said.

‘Ooh yes,’ Stella exclaimed as the others nodded in excited agreement. Even Frankie.

What the hell?

Before Henri could restate that she wasn’t on the lookout for love, sex or marriage, Grant beamed. ‘I’ve become Bunyip Bay’s unofficial matchmaker.’

Ruby nodded. ‘It’s true. He’s already married off Sally the vet, three teachers and a number of lonely farmers.’

He shrugged—‘I can’t help myself. I’m considering setting up a business on the main street’—and then winked.

‘But since you’re a friend of mine,’ Ryan said, smiling at his husband, ‘he’ll be happy to give you mate’s rates, won’t you?’

Grant nodded. ‘Of course. This’ll be fun. I have a few ideas of potential beaus already. I could have you married off by Christmas.’

Once again everyone laughed and James said, ‘If you succeed, you’ll make my mother-in-law one very happy lady.’

Henri gritted her teeth—what part of ‘I’m not really the settling-down type’ did they not understand? Ninety-nine per cent of her socks were single, and you didn’t see them crying about it! There was nothing worse than hanging out with a bunch of happy couples who didn’t think anyone could be happy and content by themselves. Or thought her career so unimportant that she’d happily toss it in to return to the Bay to be somebody’s Mrs, barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. She didn’t need her mum, her sister, or some guy she’d only just met sticking their noses in where it wasn’t wanted.

Why on earth had she thought coming home so early was a good idea? She’d barely been back a week and already she was feeling claustrophobic and homicidal. And she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Frankie about her problem. She should have gone to Bali and treated herself to a month at a spa, then flown home on Christmas Eve.

Ah, the benefit of hindsight.

‘Thanks,’ she said, ‘but I’m not looking for marriage so I wouldn’t want to waste your time. Anyone need another drink?’

Not waiting for their replies, she pushed to a stand and made a beeline for the bar.

‘Another pint?’ Liam asked.

Henri was about to say yes, when she changed her mind. She suspected she was going to need something stronger to get her through the rest of the evening. ‘Actually, make it a whiskey. On the rocks.’

‘Single or double?’

She glanced back towards the dining room where her sister and friends were no doubt plotting her wedding to some guy she hadn’t even met, or worse, someone she had.

‘Better make it a double.’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘Not enjoying dinner?’

‘Dinner’s fine,’ she replied, ‘it’s the company that’s pissing me off.’

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