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CHAPTER ONE
‘RELAX, BEA, YOU look great.’
Stopping outside the doors to the nightclub, where a muffled bass beat was already audible, Bridget Gardiner smoothed down the shimmery short dress she’d borrowed from her friend and tried not to look awkward or out of place.
Not feel like some scraggly stray next to the strikingly sophisticated Mattie Brigham.
‘You’re sure?’ Bridget shifted uncertainly.
‘I’m definitely sure. Perfect for finally breaking out of your shell and trying something a little bit crazy.’
‘Yeah...about that...’
‘Oh, no. You can’t back out now, Bea. Weren’t you the one who originally said that tonight was about having fun?’
‘Yes...’ Bridget trailed off uncertainly.
Tonight was supposed to be about fun. Only wanting to do something crazy and actually doing something crazy were two very separate things.
‘Weren’t you also the one who said that we spend most of our careers being serious?’ Mattie continued. ‘Too serious sometimes. Tonight is about just cutting loose, right?’
‘I know...’
‘Got to take a few chances. Life’s too short not to. Trust me.’
Bridget eyed her friend for a moment. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but Mattie seemed different tonight. Perhaps a little...agitated? Not obviously so, just flashes every now and then. Certainly not the cool, collected army major and doctor that Bridget was accustomed to seeing.
‘Everything okay, Mattie?’
Mattie hesitated and, for a moment Bridget thought she was going to say something. But then her friend seemed to pull her shoulders back and roll her eyes.
‘Ghosts from the past.’ She shrugged, back to her usual self. On the outside at least. ‘Gotta shake them off. Maybe I should try something crazy too, just so you’re not alone.’
‘It’s fine.’ Bridget plastered a bright smile on her face and tried to look earnest. ‘Actually, I’m looking forward to tonight.’
‘Liar!’ Mattie laughed softly, reaching for the door handle and pulling it open as the thrum of music spilled out into the street. ‘I know you’d be ten times more at home in some aid post in a disaster area. And a hundred times more confident. You can handle rebels and guerrillas in the middle of some refugee camp thousands of miles from home, Bea.’
‘You make me sound a lot cooler than I really am...’ Bridget wrinkled her nose.
‘You are
cool, Bea. But the fact that you’re practically quaking at the idea of meeting a bunch of my army buddies, not to mention my thorn-in-my-side big brother, isn’t so cool. In fact, it’s daft.’
‘I know that, too,’ Bridget admitted.
Although, to be fair, it was meeting Hayden that was worrying her most. Mattie might grumble about her brother—also an army officer—but there was absolutely no mistaking the fact that she loved him without reservation. How many times had she lamented the fact that their respective army careers meant they didn’t see each other—or their retired army brigadier father—enough?
And then, as if on cue, the doubts began creeping in. As familiar and painful as ever.
Bridget gritted her teeth and tried to shut them out, but it was impossible.
What if Hayden didn’t like her? What if he told Mattie that she wasn’t good enough to be Mattie’s friend?
