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“Sorry,” she apologized. “He’s just doing his job.”
“That he is.” Dave cast her a long look before turning to walk down the driveway. He must have a million questions, but she was thankful he had enough manners not to ask them.
“Drive your truck up here,” she called out after him, and he waved his understanding.
She rubbed her hands together and blew on them to warm them up. The threat of snow had dissipated for now. Reports confirmed that Cradle Mountain still had a dusting of white lying on its peak, but it’d melt away soon enough. Gray clouds hung over the bay as Lacey turned to look out over the ocean. But even with the threat of rain, the bay was still pretty in the morning light. The muted colors of the bruised grays of the clouds were reflected in the darker graphite of the water, tipped with silver flashes as a wave broke the surface. A watercolor painter’s delight.
It was the sort of day that she’d love to take a long walk along the beach and then come back and curl up next to the fire with a hot chocolate. Or even better an Irish coffee with a good slug of whiskey. Lacey glanced toward the house. Would Nico be up for that sort of day? If she went back in and asked him, what would he say? It might be nice to spend one last day together. Then she could make her decision. To stay. Or go.
Dave would be fine out here; he didn’t need her hanging around watching him fix her van. Making up her mind, she shoved her hands in her pockets, waving at him as he reversed his truck in next to her Kombi. Whistling up Smudge, she waited for him to come charging back down from the orchard, where he’d been exploring some fascinating smell, and laughed as he skidded on the linoleum as he ran through the door.
“Hey.” Nico looked up from where he was reading something on his laptop at the kitchen table. Lacey’s heart fell. She’d forgotten how busy he was. He was the lead detective right in the middle of a murder investigation.
“Hey,” she replied.
“I made you a coffee.” He pointed to a mug on the countertop.
“Thank you.” She picked it up and sipped it carefully, trying to gauge his mood. The shutters seemed to still be firmly in place, but she took a chance anyway. “Are you going in to work today?” She hoped she sounded conversational.
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“I thought it might be nice to take Dotti for a drive, and stretch her legs. Maybe stretch my legs as well. I feel like a nice, long walk along the beach. You can join me if you like.”
He tipped his head to the side, his long hair falling over one eye as he considered her. “I can probably take a few hours off. I’ll need to make some calls this morning, and check my emails, that kind of thing. But I could be free around eleven.”
“Perfect. I could make us some lemon slice to take with us.” Lacey had noticed a few lemons on a tree up in the orchard. “As long as the geese let me near them,” she added with a laugh.
“They see you as part of their flock now. They wouldn’t have protected you if they didn’t.” His comment brought an air of seriousness back to the room. Damn, she wished she hadn’t reminded him of the attack.
“True,” she replied, not rising to the bait. “I’ll pick some lemons and leave you to it.” She set off out the back door again, Smudge at her heels. It was good to have a plan, even if it only put off the inevitable. A drive and then a walk on the beach would be good for her. Good for both of them. Afterward, she could make a decision.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“THIS LEMON SLICE thing is amazing,” Nico said, his voice muffled by the sweet treat he was stuffing into his mouth. He licked his fingers and took another piece. It’d been a while since he’d had home-baked goods. Especially this delicious. Sometimes Margie or one of the blue-rinse brigade would take pity on him and bring him a batch of freshly baked Anzac biscuits or a chocolate cake. But this slice was still warm and oozing from the oven. And made from his own lemons, what’s more.
“More coffee?” Lacey held up the thermos full of fresh coffee she’d made on his machine.
“Yes, please.” He held out his cup for her to refill. They were sitting in the little fold-up chairs outside the Kombi in a parking lot in the little township of Stanley, having morning tea before they set off for their walk. Smudge was sitting next to him, hopeful eyes flicking from him to Lacey and back again. No way was Smudge getting any of his delicious slice. It was too good to share. Clouds hung low and somber over the headland at the end of the bay, hinting of rain to come. But Lacey said she had a good rain jacket, and a little rain never hurt anyone. He was wearing his thick woolen turtleneck and a waterproof jacket, as well, and he agreed with her. In fact, it’d be nice to get out into nature for a while.
It was the first time he’d stopped to take a breather in he couldn’t remember how long. Well, not counting last night’s escapades in his bedroom. But that was different. Parts of his body were still tingling from being with Lacey. She’d reignited all kinds of nerve endings he’d forgotten existed. Unearthed all kinds of emotions he’d also thought long buried. Then she’d gone and made it awkward, and he couldn’t figure out why.
He glanced over at Lacey, sketching her profile as she stared out to sea. Her little ski-jump nose and her full mouth, with long, caramel eyelashes fluttering on her cheekbones. The smile on her face hadn’t faded from the drive over here. She was so happy to have her wheels back. And he had to admit the drive in the vintage van, with its restored interior and big wide windshield giving a panoramic view of the road, had been kind of fun. Dotti added an air of gaiety to the whole trip. He could see why Lacey loved her.
It was Nico who’d suggested they come to Stanley. “There’s a loop walk, which takes us through the back of the dunes, and then down onto the beach right near The Nut, and we can walk back to the car. It’s about three miles,” he’d told her as she was packing a small picnic basket in the kitchen before they left.
“That sounds perfect,” she’d said with a smile. That same bright smile he’d first been attracted to a week ago. White teeth and amber eyes alight with joy, cheeks flushed pink. “I really want to see The Nut, so this will be a great opportunity.”
Nico had almost forgotten about the tourist icon. A large rock protuberance, the remains of a volcanic plug, at the end of a headland jutting out to sea. Most people liked to climb to the top, or there was a chairlift for the less adventurous, but this walk went down the beach, showcasing The Nut from afar.
He still had plenty of emails waiting to be answered and he really should pop into the station to collect a few more files, so he could review them tonight. He was also sweating on the analysis results of tests to the knife Constable Hickey had found. But it was Saturday. And even though the knife had been sent to forensics in Devonport, Nico knew he wouldn’t realistically have an answer until at least Monday, even though he’d put a rush on it.
It was Saturday, he reminded himself again. He could afford to take a few hours off on the weekend. He wasn’t a robot. He couldn’t run on fumes forever. Or that’s what Sally-Ann kept telling him. She was constantly scolding him for all the long hours he spent at the precinct, telling him it was no life if you were all work and no play.
So today, he was playing.
“Ready to take that walk?” Lacey stood and emptied the dregs of her coffee onto the grass at the edge of the parking lot.
“Sure,” he replied, even though he’d been quite happy sitting there contemplating nature. He helped her pack up and lock the van, snapped Smudge onto his lead, then they went to find the trailhead. Nico led the way, zipping his jacket up against the sneaky wind, with its cold, probing fingers. Winding their way through the long, coastal grasses, he followed the trail into the rolling dunes.
