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He shifted in his seat again and changed hands on the steering wheel. “Yeah. Like we are. Living together and stuff.”
I got the impression that wasn’t what he wanted to say.
We pulled into the yard at my Bureau of Meteorology office, and when Tully stopped the car, he gave me a smile that didn’t sit quite right. “Okay, here we are,” he said quickly, and got out.
I wasn’t sure what that was about, but Doreen’s motorbike was under the carport and I didn’t want to keep her waiting.
Quite frankly, she scared me.
Tully bounded up the steps to the office and hollered, “Hey, it’s us,” as he disappeared inside.
I followed, bumbling into the darkened office to find Tully standing next to Doreen. Bruce, the fluffy dog, was on the chair, watching me as if I had to report in to him. Tully was grinning, Doreen was glaring. Her shirt had the Rolling Stones’ mouth and tongue on it withLick a Lesbianwritten underneath.
Nice.
“Huh,” she all but grunted at me. “Surprised to see you came back.”
Why did everyone think that?
“I told you I’d return,” I said. “Not entirely sure why the general consensus was that I’d quit. I’m yet to quit anything. If you believe I lack the intestinal fortitude—”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I can see you got plenty-a that, kid.”
I frowned at her, unsure of how to take her. “Anyway, I’m very grateful you could fill in for me and watch the fort while I squared away my old life in Melbourne.”
“Well, ya gave me two weeks off,” she said. “Least I could do is fill in one day for ya. Just try not to make a habit of askin’. I’m still retired, just not dead yet.”
I nodded, almost bowing to her. “Thank you.”
She clapped me on the shoulder, hard enough to make me have to counter my weight. I really needed to learn how to brace myself better. Then she scooped up Bruce and moved to the door. She pointed to the Doppler radar. “Got a tropical low moving in from Malaysia. They’ve had heavy falls and localised flooding. But we also got a storm cluster moving in across the Philippines. If they meet in some perfect storm scenario bullshit and swing south, and it’s lookin’ likely they will, shit’s gonna get real bad. I’ve been keepin’ an eye on it. Suggest you do the same.”
I looked at the screen. “This front’s moving directly into it?”
She gave a solemn nod. “Mm.”
Well, shit. That wasn’t good. “Okay, thanks.”
With a gruff goodbye, she left, and a few seconds later her motorbike roared to life, and she and Bruce drove away.
“She frightens me.”
Tully laughed. “Which is why you looked her right in the eye and said, ‘If you think I lack the intestinal fortitude.’” He shook his head. “If that’s how you react to people who scare you, I’m not surprised walkin’ into a lightning storm ain’t a problem for you.”
I had to think about what he said, what he meant. “Was I abrasive?”
Tully, still grinning, shook his head, and with his hands to my face, pulled me in for a kiss. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“I didn’t mean to sound unappreciative to her. Perhaps I should—”
“You were fine,” he murmured. “I think she likes you.”
“I didn’t want to have to ask her to come back, even for one day.”
“I know you didn’t. But she didn’t mind. Pretty sure if she didn’t want to help out, she’d tell you.” I sighed, and he pulled me close, brushing his nose to mine. “I’ve missed you.”
“I was only gone for one day—” I began, then when his eyes met mine, I amended, “—thirty-five hours.”
His smile was so serene, but then he looked around. “Well, do what you gotta do. I have plans for you tonight that don’t involve bein’ naked in your office. I’d rather see those plans unfold in bed and not here.”
