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‘You didn’t know?’

Carter’s frustrated groan held a hint of relief. ‘Not specifically. We knew she was travelling to Queensland for a new job, but we didn’t think it’d be that far over the border.’

‘She didn’t tell you?’ He went for the door handle but was stopped from opening it by Carter’s voice.

‘All we know is that something happened that led her to quit her job, break up with her boyfriend, buy a refurbished Kombi and move interstate. When Mum and Jonathan demanded specifics, she plastered a fake smile on her face and told them she wasn’t in any trouble, she just needed a fresh start.’

‘And you believe her?’

‘Piper’s never lied to us. Omitted things, yes, but never outright lied, so I don’t think she’s in trouble, but I don’t know what she’s trying to get away from.’

Concern replaced Emmett’s anger. What could’ve been so bad that she’d moved so far away and was camping in a Kombi? Who hurt her? It had to have been the ex.

Emmett ran a hand across his jaw. He shouldn’t have pushed her to live with him. She was right. Why should she listen to a man she hadn’t seen in ten years? He may as well be a stranger to her.

‘Have you tried talking to her ex?’

‘Heath’s not answering calls from any of us so Jonathan went around to the apartment he and Piper were living in, but it’s been cleaned out. We haven’t been able to catch him at the hospital either. Maybe I should fly up.’

Emmett thought back to the stubborn streak in Piper’s eyes. ‘To be honest, Carter, I don’t think she’d appreciate it. Stubborn Piper struck when I offered her the spare room at my place so she wouldn’t be camping on the banks of the creek. I might’ve pushed her a little too hard but she’s pretty adamant about doing things her way.’

‘Of course she is,’ Carter said dryly. ‘I hate to ask this, given how long it’s been since we caught up in person, but would you mind keeping an eye out for her?’

‘Consider it done,’ Emmett said without hesitation. The Hendrixes’ house had been a second home to him, and he owed them for everything they did for him and his mum. All the precious years they gave them together, not caring when they couldn’t make rent, helping out with appointment transport and visiting her in the hospital. The Christmases. Making sure Piper was both safe and happy was the least he could do.

‘Thanks, Emmett. I knew I could count on you. Piper always used to complain that it was like having two older brothers when we lived in Euronga.’

Emmett’s stomach twisted. Yeah, hereallyshouldn’t have been checking her out. ‘No problem, mate. I’ll let you know if I find out any more about what’s going on for her.’

‘Appreciate it, Emmett. She’s too young for a midlife crisis.’

After hanging up, Emmett threw his phone up on the dash and looked at Major as he twisted the key. ‘Guess we’re going camping.’

Chapter 3

Piper spat her toothpaste out at the base of the tree behind Connie the Kombi, then glanced around as she took a mouthful of water from her cup and rinsed her mouth. There were only two lots of campers tonight. She was thankful the rowdy group of young blokes had moved on. They’d hit the beers hard and when they’d been still singing loudly to Neil Diamond at one in the morning, Piper had nearly relented in her refusal to take the spare room at Emmett’s house. Stubbornness and her AirPods were the only things that held her firm.

She was more than ready for bed tonight after a bigger than expected day in the ED. A badly burnt baker and an elderly couple with dehydration thanks to a nasty bout of gastro kept her mind on her job and not the grumpy paramedic who’d stormed out of her campsite yesterday. She hadn’t seen him at the hospital and was glad he hadn’t been waiting in her camp chair when she’d gotten back this evening from chatting with the young couple staying a couple of sites over. They were still early in their honeymoon adventure of road tripping around Australia and had lots of questions about Connie. Piper had enjoyed chatting with them over the middle-aged man in a swag camped next to his motorbike behind her. His stare still gave her chills.

Heading back around her home on wheels, Piper packed away her dinner dishes from the airing rack and made sure her chair was in the middle of the awning, safe from dew, before she climbed into her van. Sliding the door shut, she hesitated, eyeing the lock.You keep that door locked at night.She hadn’t locked it last night until the third rendition of ‘The Gambler’, but the thought of the middleaged man’s chilling stare made her flick it tonight. Screw Emmett. She was making the choices in her life, not him. If she wanted to camp in her Kombi while she worked at the hospital, then she could. She was only responsible for herself. That way, she couldn’t let anyone else down.

Don’t think of Heath, she commanded herself.He made his choices, I made mine.

She snuggled under the sheets.I’m living my life, my way.

She just wasn’t used to it yet.

Piper jerked awake and lifted her head off the pillow. What had woken her? She peered around Connie’s interior, straining her eyes in the dim light of the fairy lights. Nothing was amiss. Was it a dream? She tried to think through the haze of being woken from a deep sleep.

The snap of a twig under a foot made her heart leap into her throat. It was so loud. Right outside. The empty stare of the man with the motorbike jumped to mind. Piper was suddenly conscious of how loudly she was breathing.

It was just an animal. A goanna or a possum or something. Anything. She was panicking for nothing.

A footstep on hard dirt.

Shit. Should she call out? Threaten them with her boyfriend joining her? It was pretty clear she didn’t have one. Was staying silent the better option? Shit, shit, shit.

If you have any trouble at all, big or small, day or night, you call me, and I’ll be here.Emmett. No, she wouldn’t call him. She didn’t need him. She was a strong, independent woman who wasn’t afraid of an animal.