Page 74 of Wild Hearts

“Keep it. It looks better on you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Brady

TWO WEEKS LATER, LACHY’Skicked back in the passenger seat next to me babbling on about how good the surf’s going to be for the next week. I’m struggling to keep my attention on the road when all I want to do is stare into the rear-view mirror. Wren is in the back seat with Ivy, dressed in a tight baby pink dress with thin straps, the colour complementing her tan skin. Her makeup is simple–just a touch of lip gloss, mascara and a little pink blush on her cheeks. Her blonde hair cascades over her shoulders in loose waves. She’s absolutely breathtaking.

Jordan honks as he overtakes me in his Kombi, and I realise I dropped below the speed limit as I was daydreaming about Wren.Shit.That’s all I need, to lose control on the road when I only just got the all clear to drive again.

“I’d like to make it to Byron alive,” Lachy says with a wink and a grin–he knows exactly where my mind is at the moment. He drops his voice down to a murmur. “Keep it in your pants, B.”

My eyes flicker back to the rear-view mirror, but Wren’s still chatting away to my sister and isn’t paying any attention to us.

“Shut up, dick,” I grumble, shifting in my seat.

Lachy casts a quick glance at my crotch and snickers. “Who’s the dick?”

“I don’t know what my sister sees in you.” I punch him lightly on the arm.

Ivy chooses that moment to sit forward and stick her head in between our seats. “What are you two talking about?” she asks, her eyes drifting from Lachy to me.

“Nothing babe.” Lachy grins and kisses the side of her head. “Just how lucky we are to be travelling with the two most beautiful women in Blue Haven.”

Wren snorts. “Suck up,” she whisper-coughs.

Ivy rolls her eyes and sits back, resuming her conversation with Wren.

“How’s your mum?” I ask Lachy, slowing down slightly as we follow Jordan’s Kombi around a bend before speeding back up again.

“She seems okay,” Lachy says, picking at an invisible thread on his slacks. “She’s glad to be home at least. She’s still feeling a bit knocked around from the chemo, I guess.”

“That’s understandable. I’m glad she’s happy to be home, though.”

“Yeah.”

He falls quiet and stares out the window, but I don’t push because we’ve just entered the outskirts of Byron Bay and my stomach is starting to churn.

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