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The fish and chip shop was warm and bright, a stark contrast to the cold street outside. Sierra noted the queue of people waiting to be served. Obviously, she wasn’t the only one who was hungry and cold after the search. In her periphery, she saw a person detach themselves from the crowd and come towards her.
Reed.
Her heart did a little flip-flop at the sight of him. What was he doing here? He smiled at her, lighting up that dimple in his chin and the lump that’d sat cold and hard in her chest all day melted a little.
“Looks like we had the same idea,” he said, coming to stand next to her at the back of the line.
“They do the best fish and chips on the island. Perhaps even in the whole of South Australia,” Sierra said.
“Wow, big call.” He grinned, showing off straight white teeth.
“How did the rest of the afternoon go?” she asked.
His full lips pulled down and he scowled. “Not good. Still no sign of the girl. The mainland cops are already pointing fingers and trying to take over. Don’s not happy. He’s told us all to go home and get a few hours’ sleep and some food, and then come back in early tomorrow.” He said this in a low voice, so as no one else in the lineup could hear. Her momentary happiness at seeing Reed again turned sour.
“I’m going to need to call in that favor from you tomorrow morning. The media have gotten wind of the situation and they’ve swarmed onto the island.”
Sierra could just imagine. It would be like a feeding frenzy at the zoo, with everyone vying for the latest scoop, the best sound bite, the most sensational photo.
“Where were you planning to eat?”
She was surprised by his change in topic. “Probably just in my car,” she admitted. At least it would be warm in there and then she could call Kylie afterwards.
“Come to my place. I’m at the guesthouse a few streets back. I’ve got a little self-contained flat out the back. It’ll be warmer than your car. More room. And I’d love your company, if you can spare it.”
“Um…” Sierra hesitated. Was that really a good idea? To be alone with him, even for a short while? But then, what could the harm be? She was a big girl, and just because she was physically attracted to him didn’t mean she wasn’t in full control of her own urges. She’d love to find out more about the search, see if they’d found any more hints as to where the girl might be. “Sure, why not?”
“Great.” His smile came back, the one with the dimple, and hit her full force. She felt like she’d been shot with a bolt of electricity.
* * *
Reed turned the key in the lock and opened the door into his little one-bedroom flat, Sierra following close on his heels. He dropped his parcel of fish and chips on the kitchen counter, then went over to flick the gas heater on. It was cold inside, but the little heater did a great job, and the room would soon warm up. He picked a dirty shirt off the back of a kitchen stool and bent down to clear a mug and bowl from the coffee table. Then he caught himself. Why was he acting like a nervous teenager? Sierra wasn’t a date, she wouldn’t mind that his place wasn’t spotless. It was a spur of the moment thing; he’d never thought Sierra would ever come and visit him here. Not that it wasn’t a nice surprise when she had agreed to come.
“Make yourself at home.” He gestured to the couch. “I’ll get us some plates. What would you like to drink? I’ve got beer, soft drinks, and water.”
“Water will be fine, thanks. I need to re-hydrate. Don’t worry about a plate, I’ll eat it straight from the wrapper.”
Reed hesitated, about to grab himself a beer from the refrigerator. He should drink water, too. Even though it was cold on the island, with all the walking he’d done today, he knew he hadn’t drunk enough. He took off his uniform jacket and unstrapped the heavy belt from around his waist, and laid them both on one of the kitchen stools.
When he returned to the living room, Sierra already had her meal unwrapped and spread out on the coffee table. She’d taken her Gortex coat off, and hung it over the back of the couch. Her long legs were stretched in front of her as she sat on the floor to eat. He couldn’t help but notice how firm and muscular they were, sheathed in black leggings. Nicely shaped thighs tapering to slim calves. How would they feel wrapped around—
“Sorry, I’m starving,” she said through a mouthful of grilled fish, interrupting his train of thought. Which was lucky, because his mind didn’t need to dwell on how it might feel to hold her against him. It was the last thing he should be thinking about.
The smell of the hot food made his stomach growl. It’d been a long time since breakfast this morning. He sat down on the couch near her, and opened his parcel of food. His leg was aching like a bitch after all the walking and standing he’d done today. It would need to be iced tonight, if he had any hope of not walking with a limp tomorrow. Which was the reason he chose the couch instead of the floor; he didn’t think his leg could handle that kind of strain of being stretched out for too long. The injury had damaged his calf muscles, and he didn’t have the flexibility to sit with his legs out straight for long periods anymore without it cramping up.
As he sat, he flicked the TV on and turned the volume right down, to see if there was anything on the late news about the missing girl. All the news channels originated from the mainland, and he wanted to know what information they were broadcasting. They both sat in silence for the next few minutes while they assuaged their hunger. It was nice to have someone in the flat with him. No, scratch that. It was nice to have Sierra in the flat with him. He liked the feel of her presence as she sat next to him. Warm and reliable and real. Their silence was companionable, not awkward.
Sierra was the first to speak. “So, what’s the news? Is there anything new you can tell me now we’re away from public ears?” She glanced up at him, her smile drawn as she pursed her lips. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me anything if you’re not allowed to talk about it.” She popped a hot chip in her mouth and chewed as she waited for his answer. His gaze caught on her sultry mouth and he had to physically pull his eyes away as her tongue came out to lick away a grain of salt. They were oh, so tempting. Behave. It was the second time he had to rein in his libido. This was not what tonight was about. Corralling his thoughts, he turned his attention toward the TV, so he wouldn’t be distracted by her lips.
“There’s been no more sign of Jessica, but I guess you probably knew that. There was one interesting thing I learned tonight at the debrief meeting. You know how I told you they were bringing in a tracker dog to see if they could follow Jessica’s trail?” He risked another glance at her.
She nodded, a fascinated look on her face as she chewed slowly on another chip.
“The dog supposedly picked up Jessica’s scent. Followed it down the road toward that open field where the kangaroos graze. The same direction we went in.”
Sierra sat back, eyes wide. “And…?” she prompted.
“You’ll never guess where the dog lost the scent again.”
