Page 87 of Wings Above the Mallee

Heath’s face darkened. ‘The accident messed up my leg, but there’s nothing wrong with my stamina.’

Did he infer what she thought? In which case, his flirtation was both infuriating and, if she was honest, a little exhilarating.

‘I figured Dusty would enjoy turning the flowers into confetti.’

Her heart twisted. Heath was determined to minimise the gift, set the parameters of what could be nothing more than a friendship. ‘Very likely.’ Her eyes narrowed on Sean’s back as he strode across the room. He approached a contingent of women and she wondered who had caught his fancy.

Twittering like overexcited birds, the group broke apart, opening their circle to enfold Sean.

‘Bugger,’ Amelia muttered. ‘I wanted to see what he’s up to.’

‘You and me both,’ Heath said. ‘Let’s go pretend to socialise, so we can spy.’

‘Oh, you did come, Heath,’ Tracey exclaimed, joining them as they trailed Sean. ‘We weren’t sure whether you’d be a no-show.’

‘Here, front and centre,’ Heath said with a tip of his hat. ‘Though that’s not where I plan to stand. I’ll be right behind you, Tracey, so I can copy your moves.’

‘I’ll show you the moves,’ a woman purred.

Amelia stiffened as she recognised Roni’s mother.

‘I think Amelia has Heath well in hand, thank you, Denise.’ Tracey staked a claim on Amelia’s behalf as Lynn and Sam both moved toward Heath, cutting Denise from the group as efficiently as any predators protecting their pack.

‘Lynnie,’ Sean boomed. He held out the flowers. ‘I have your corsage.’

A communal gasp was followed by a hush as the women glanced from Sean to Lynn.

Amelia frowned. Everyone knew Lynn and Ant from the pub were an item. Why would Sean interfere?

Lynn reached toward the flowers, but then dropped her hands uncertainly. ‘They’re lovely. But I think … I can’t …’ she stammered.

Sean lifted his gaze toward the entry door. ‘And here, right on cue, is your date. Apparently Ant suffers from hay fever, so he needed a wingman.’

‘Anthony!’ Lynn whirled around.

His baldness hidden beneath an Akubra that clearly existed for use, not looks, Ant hovered in the doorway. ‘Adam’s filling in for me at the pub. Thought it was about time I came over to see what all the fuss is about this dancing stuff you’re into,’ he said gruffly. ‘You’ll have to lose those flowers before I come near, though.’

‘Well, I’ll be.’ Lynn clapped a hand to her pink cheek. ‘Hay fever, you say?’

His eyes twinkling, Sean tossed the bunch of flowers onto one of the pews lining the walls.

‘So, where’s your bow and arrows, Dad?’ Heath asked.

Sean cocked an eyebrow.

‘Cupid.’

‘Ah, yes, well.’ Sean grinned. ‘A little jealousy is good for any relationship. Besides, we can’t put all our energyinto fixing the town—we need to look after the people, too. Right?’

As the MacKenzie brothers reached the end of the song, a series of sharp cracks of clapped hands—Mandy’s way of getting their attention—cut the air.

‘Places, please.’

‘Okay, now I’m actually nervous,’ Heath muttered as they joined the centre of a quickly forming line.

Amelia realised that she felt pretty in the clothes Charlee had chosen for her—tooled boots and a floral dress that swirled around her mid thighs, paired with her old, grease-stained stockman’s hat. As they laughingly navigated the steps of the first few dances, Heath’s gaze rarely strayed. She frowned. Was he right, should their relationship remain on this safe plateau? Could a close friendship, where they shared everything but love, be enough? It would mean she could stay here, in Settlers Bridge, where she’d found a home. And such a friendship would still be more emotional involvement than she’d allowed for years. Surely she should embrace what life offered, instead of wishing for more, for something to fill the emptiness in her heart.

Boots stomped with enough force to tremble the chandeliers, hands clapped and dancers collided, chuckled and applauded. Although the pervasive energy elevated her mood, the tempo also stirred something within her. She was wrong: settling for a platonic relationship with Heath would be a placebo, treating her desire like an addiction to assuaged. She deserved more. Shedemandedmore.

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