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“Let’s save them for when we get there?” She was here to see Lena. Not crush on some friend of her bestie’s boyfriend. And her bestie was only minutes away.
Something flickered in Lachlan’s expression—disappointment? Or was that just what she wanted to see?—and he slipped the package back into his pocket. When he looked back up at her, it was to offer both hands to help her down from the rock. “Ready?”
She could easily hop off just fine without any assistance, it was what sheshoulddo, but screw it. She took his hands anyway. His grip was firm and steady, and she told herself there was nothing sexy about it, it wasn’t sweet concern or heartfelt consideration or some archaic shred of protectiveness that drove him to want to help her, it was pure politeness. What had he said? His mum would kill him if he was anything other than a good man? That’s all it was: duty. Habit. Good manners.
But her body reacted to those manners like he was a match and she was kindling. And when he kept hold of her hand all the way across the parking lot until they were back at his motorcycle, there wasn’t anything she could tell herself to make her stop from liking it.
She liked being on the back of his motorcycle too.
And as Lachlan swung the motorcycle onto Main Street and she got her first glimpse of the town, she decided it was another thing she liked it. She took in the soldier statue in the centre of the roundabout, and the wreath laid at its base. Swathes of greenery hung criss-cross above the main street, their centres decorated with red and white poinsettias. Further on, the shop windows were all decorated for Christmas—some of them festooned with garlands and dangling ornaments, others frosted with snowy scenes, even though it was the middle of summer. Stretched up between light posts was a banner in festive colours, announcing the town’s Carols By Candlelight, coming up on December 16th. It wasn’t exactly the same thing, but it reminded her of the Victorian Christmas and holiday light parade she’d grown up going to in her little hometown of Shady Draw. For the first time since she’d arrived in Australia, it felt like Christmas really was just around the corner.
They crossed a bridge over a sparkling river and, as Lachlan drove away from town and into the surrounding countryside, she understood Lena’s decision to stay there even more, because it was definitely horse country. It was no secret she’d been initially skeptical of Lena’s plan to move to Australia, and her bestie most certainly hadn’t followed her advice and managed her expectations about what it would be like. But even though the situation Lena had encountered with her long-distance boyfriend had been heartbreaking at first, in the end, it had all turned out for the best because it had led her to Heath.
“How long have you lived in Bindarra Creek, Big Nick?” Lachlan had gone quiet since they’d left the truck stop, since she’d turned down the TimTams.
“I don’t really…well, I grew up not far from here and when I got out of the service, I thought with the army training facility it would be a good home base.”
Something about his answer made her intuition prickle, and she was about to dig into what he meant by ‘home base’ when he turned off the paved road and onto a rough dirt lane.
“Getting close now,” Lachlan said and it made her want to squee with excitement.
The feeling only increased when he pulled onto a driveway that ended in front of a rambling old farmhouse with a wide porch, set under several large shade trees. Off in the distance were the barns. There were no vehicles were parked in front which she took as a good sign—the vet must’ve come and gone.
She was off the motorcycle the instant Lachlan cut the engine, running for the porch steps. “Leen?” She banged on the door, but no one answered.
Of course Lena would be at the barn, and Carissa had been too wrapped up in talking to Lachlan to remember to text an update about her ETA.
She whirled, only to find Lachlan already carrying her luggage up the steps. He was probably in a rush to get back on the road and home to his own place, but for half a second she let herself think it was thoughtful—no,charming—of him. He was definitely not trying to show off his arms, but it was hard not to notice the way his muscles bulged under his shirt and—she needed to stop thinking about him like that.
“I knocked but no one’s answering. I’m sure Lena’s out in the barn, so if you just want to drop my stuff on the porch and get going…” She was rambling, excited to see Lena, and covering for being far too sad about having to say goodbye to Lachlan. “I really appreciate everything—”
“That’s okay, I’ve got the key. I can let us in. Or I can bring your stuff inside and you can go find Lena?”
“I thought you were—don’t you live—?” She’d suddenly lost the ability to form words. Lachlan was Heath’s friend, but… why did he have a key to Lena’s house? She was missing some crucial piece of information. He’d told her he was single, hadn’t he? That he lived with his cat?
“It’s cool. I’ll take your stuff up to your room while you and Lena catch up.”
“Wait. You live here?”
Lachlan shook his head. “I’m sorry, I thought you knew—Pickle and I are staying here, through the holidays.”
“But I thought you said your home base was Bindarra Creek.”
“It is. But the lease on my old place was up and my new place isn’t quite ready yet, so I’m staying here until it is.”
He smiled, and she swore she was going to faint. She’d thought once Lachlan had dropped her off, she likely wouldn’t see him again, that he’d be busy with his own holiday plans. But he wasn’t going anywhere and she didn’t have to say goodbye to him. At least, not tonight.
6
BRING US DELIGHT
Lachlan knew when to make himself scarce, and the moment Lena and her dog emerged from the barn was it.
Carissa was still fish-mouthing on the porch, because no one had thought to tell her she wasn’t the only guest staying at Lena and Heath’s place, but when she saw Lena, she let out the kind of shriek that only excited women made. “Lena! Coppy!”
Even at a distance, the reaction to Carissa’s voice was electric.
Coppy took off at full, butt-lowered, cattle dog sprint, making a beeline for the porch, and Lena charged after him, calling, “Oh yay! You’re finally here!”
