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“Oh no, I’m fine.” But she let him, and he noticed her touch her left leg as she backed away. There was definitely something strange about her gait, that slightly knock-kneed walk she had that was endearing, but clumsy. Had she injured herself?
She continued, “Last night we had the hen’s night, nothing wild, but so much fun. Oh, and the other thing I did was look at a camper Dan’s friend is selling.”
Unease tugged at the centre of his chest. “So you’re still planning to drive over to Sydney?”
“Sure am.” She stepped forward and unzipped her case, and bright pieces of clothing flew out in all directions. She dumped them haphazardly on the bed and he had to fight the urge to go over and fold them neatly. A pair of red lacy briefs topped off the pile. Oliver swallowed hard and focused on her words. “I’ve driven round the French alps and like, god,talk about scary. One false move and frpppppp over the edge of a cliff you go. And the Cinque Terre is just as bad, they all zoom round the bends on the wrong side of the road. Aaron said it’s pretty much a flat, straight road all the way to Adelaide, so, you know, how hard can it be?”
He’d never felt so lost for words in the space of a few short minutes. Two centuries ago, he’d concede, women like Felicity, with slender wrists and bone china skin had arrived on rat-infested ships, stuffed their skirts into their bloomers and set up home in the punishing Australian heat.
So yeah, who was he to judge?
“Have you planned a route?” he asked casually.
“Not yet. I’m not big on planning, to be honest. I’ve got Google maps. But from what I’m hearing, there’s not that many choices. Going through the centre will burn me to a crisp, according to Polly. Which is sad, because I so want to see Ayers—I mean, Uluru. I read that you can’t climb it anymore?”
“Yes, it’s sacred to the Aboriginal people.”
She nodded. “That’s good. Mind you, I wouldn’t have climbed it anyway on account of…” She stopped and gave a little shrug.
“When are you leaving?”
“If I buy the kombi van, maybe in a week. Henry and Gabe are off to visit Gabe’s family in Auckland and with Alice and Aaron on honeymoon, I’m—” she threw out her arms, “—free as a bird. And in case you’re wondering, I do have appropriate travel gear. I’m not going to drive around the outback in a sundress with bows in my hair.”
“I wasn’t thinking you would,” he lied.
Her blue eyes narrowed, not believing him for a second. “Looks can be deceiving, you know,” she said lightly. “I’m a lot tougher than people think.”
* * *
Felicity stoodin the doorway of the marble clad bathroom, took a video on her phone and WhatsApped it to Evie with the wordsmy new bathroom.
A message came back in seconds.
Bloody Nora. Didn’t know the Romans made it to Australia!
Turning on the shower, Felicity took a photo of the water gushing out of the shower head like Niagara Falls.
Felicity:Going in… wish me luck.
Evie:Jammy bitch.
No question, she had to try out this shower immediately. After the dribbling apology of a shower head back home and the hammering taps, this was just too good to pass up. Besides, there was still an hour before Shocky was due to arrive with the Shaggin’ Wagon. Plenty of time to luxuriate in a leisurely shower and wash her hair. Excited at the prospect, she pulled off her dress, slid out of her bra and panties and tugged the ribbons out of her hair. She had shampoo somewhere, but of course there were lovely posh containers filled with shampoo and conditioner and shower gel. Pure unadulterated bliss…
She avoided looking at her body in the full-length bathroom mirror—it wasn’t that she minded seeing it as such, it was just… well, Oliver’s perfect bod had made her feel more self-conscious than usual.
Stepping in, she spent god knows how many minutes luxuriating in the water pulsing over her shoulders, down her back, the joy of massaging expensive jasmine-scented shampoo and conditioner into her hair. And found herself thinking of Oliver as he’d stood in the doorway with his arms bunched across his chest, and yes, okay, shehadnoticed the splice of tanned skin where two buttons of his shirt were undone. How his shirt was perfectly ironed with the cuffs turned casually back. Did he ever wear a T-shirt with holes in it, she wondered, or a pair of scruffy old jeans? Rough it a bit? The idea of a roughed-up Oliver gave her some pleasurable moments as she imagined him looking as hot and steamy as the bathroom.
Coming to, she reprimanded herself. There was a complete river system running down the plughole here. Quickly she turned off the taps and groped for the towel, blinking against the water drops. As she pulled it off the rail something flew through the air and plopped at her feet.
Then scuttled towards her toes.
The. Biggest. Spider. In. The. World.
With a body the size of a dinner plate.
And legs like scaffolding.
Felicity screamed, ramming her back into the corner of the shower. The one thing, really and truly theonlything that terrified the bejesus out of her was spiders. She could put up with multiple surgeries and the hideous pain and the months of rehab and the fear that she might never walk again, but spiders…
