I needed to thank him.
I cautiously approached the guest room and knocked, but there was no answer. I pushed the door open slowly, glad that it was too new to creak, and stared at the made bed in an otherwise empty room. No Nathan.
Bathroom, maybe? I'd been too intent on my shower in the ensuite to notice if the other bathroom was occupied.
Nope.
I searched the house and even the parking lot downstairs before I knew for sure that Nathan had left and taken his car with him.
Did he think I was so shallow that I'd throw him out for not sleeping with me? He was my friend before he was anything else. Surely he knew me better than that.
Would he still come on holiday with me?
Doubt niggled, but he'd promised, and I knew Nathan kept his word. That much couldn't have changed in five years, even if everything else had. So sex with him was out. That was fine. I could live with that. I'd ignore my feelings and be what I needed to be – a friend who was helping him deal with the traumatic memories that plagued his dreams. And one who took him on holiday when he needed it.
I donned a dress and packed my things.
FORTY-TWO
I knocked on the door a second time. His car was here, so I knew he was home. He might be asleep, though, given how little sleep either of us had gotten the night before, so I knocked harder in the hope that he'd hear me, wake up and come to answer the door. Just as long as it wasn't...
The door flew open and his angry little sister glared at me. "YOU! What are you doing here?"
I gave her my most professional smile, the one I gave difficult patients right before I decided only a rectal thermometer would suit my observations. "Good morning. I came to check on Nathan, to make sure he made it home okay last night."
Her lip curled in a sneer. "You're the slutty doctor who kidnapped him from hospital so you could suck his dick without losing your job? Figures. You're a selfish bitch, you know that? My brother is a sick man. You have no idea what he's been through. If you ever come back here again, I'll call the police and you can suck cock in a cell instead. I hope they charge you with kidnapping and send you to prison. The other prisoners will be queuing up to break a snotty bitch like you – I'm a lawyer and I've heard the stories. You'll be begging for mercy in a day and the hard cases in the women's prison don't know the meaning of the word."
I felt nauseated by her rant, but I swallowed my ire. Nathan's messed-up sister wasn't my problem. "Nathan's a grown man and perfectly capable of making his own decisions. Now I see why he was so eager to come home with me. Fetch him, please." I barely reached her shoulder, but I knew I was more than a match for her physically, though I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Evidently she didn't share my sentiments as she braced herself in the doorway. "Go away. He's not home."
I blinked. "His car's here. So where is he, then?"
Her eyes darted around as she thought up a lie. "With his girlfriend. At the gym. At work. I don't fucking know. He's a grown man who does what he damn well pleases. And now he's already fucked you, he won't do it again, so just go away and don't waste my time. He doesn't want to see you."
I heard the sound of a door creaking, then the flow of liquid under pressure.
Nathan or her boyfriend. No, a shrew like this wouldn't have a boyfriend. "Sounds like he's here and he's awake, too. I suggest you ask him what he wants. If Nathan wants me to leave, he's more than capable of saying so." I winked. "I wasn't too hard on his tongue last night."
She reacted just as I expected. A shrieked stream of insults brought Nathan to the door, dressed quite demurely for him of a morning, with a pair of boxer shorts covering the essentials that he felt the need to draw attention to with a vigorous scratch.
"One of your ex-boyfriends, Chris? Or one of the girls who stole him from you?" he asked, peering over her shoulder.
I beamed and burst out laughing. "Not exactly."
"Angel," he breathed, disbelief written across his face. "You shouldn't be standing on the doorstep. Come in." He wrapped a hand around my upper arm and pulled me inside, shoving his irate sister out of his way. Behind me, he bumped the door shut. "What are you doing here so early? I didn't think you'd want to see me so soon after last night. I figured I'd call tomorrow or the next day to apologise. I meant to tell you, but I didn't know how..."
"I won't have that bitch in my house, Nathan!" Chris shrieked, pointing at me.
Nathan's arm curled around me. "Don't call her that. It's my house, too, and I've put up with enough of your douchebag boyfriends. More tattoos than brain cells and worse at keeping their dicks in their pants than I am, and that's saying something."
I smothered a laugh. The mental image of Chris's dissatisfied biker boyfriends was just too funny. Little Miss Bitchy Lawyer buckled down in the bedroom for bikers...or maybe she didn't, and that was the problem. I bet they didn't like her sharp tongue, either. Oh God, I couldn't hold in my laughter for much longer. Even the thought of this proud harpy on her knees for some bloke in sweaty leather pants...
"I'm going out," Chris announced. "She better not be here when I get back." She grabbed her bag, flounced out and slammed the door behind her.
Nathan led me to the couch. "I'm really sorry. I've never seen her like this. I mean, she screams at me occasionally but never at someone she doesn't know. I'll talk to her when she cools down and get her to apologise."
Now the girl was gone, I summoned a real smile. "How about we leave her to cool down for a bit longer? I'm heading down to Busselton today. Are you still coming with me?" I met his surprised eyes. "I really want you to come."
He flushed as if he'd caught my double meaning. His unfortunate problem last night was too fresh in both of our minds for him not to. "Are you sure? I might not be the most cheerful holiday companion. I'd only drag you down."
"I haven't been on a holiday in ages, Nathan, and you need a break as much as I do. You said you'd come and I've really been looking forward to spending the time with you." I glanced at the front door. "Without anyone else interfering."
"I still want to, but Chris will hit the roof when I tell her. It'd probably be best if you're not here for that."
I laughed softly. "I think it'd be best if you're not here for that either. Pack your things and leave her a note. She's your little sister, not your keeper, and she doesn't own you. My bags are in the boot of the car. As soon as you throw your stuff in, we can go." I gazed into his eyes as I saw the glimmering of his acquiescence. "I promise I'll take care of you."
He grinned. "Angel, if I'm coming with you, it'll be me taking care of you, not the other way 'round." The look in his eyes mystified me for a moment, until I identified it as gratitude.
"Then get some clothes on so we can go. Check-in's at two, so we have three hours to get there. I want to watch the sunset from the end of the jetty with you."
Half an hour later, he locked the front door and stared wistfully at my car. "Can I drive?"
FORTY-THREE
Gravel grated under the tyres, startling me from sleep. I peeled my tongue from the roof of my mouth as I twisted my neck to ease the kinks out of it. How long had I slept?
Nathan’s hand touched my shoulder. “Angel? We’re here. This is the guesthouse.”
I pried my eyes open and was surprised to find that he was telling the truth. Nathan wouldn’t have kidnapped me again, I scolded myself. He’s a good man and one of the few I trust. I was safer with him than with anyone else I knew. I just needed to get used to trusting someone again.
His eyes told me he knew about my doubts, though not the reassurances I banished them with.
I leaned over and kissed his cheek, but he pulled away before I could take it any further. Annoyed but understanding, I also got out of the car and stretched my legs.
"I haven't been here since I was a kid," Nathan said, peering through the front door. "Chris was only a baby and Alanna and I shared a room, so we must've been about five or six. Dad took us fi
shing off the jetty, we went down the beach for a swim every day. Mum said this is where her parents came on their honeymoon. And it's still a guesthouse, more than fifty years later."
"Actually, the buildings were brought from the old RAAF World War II airbase over near Bunnings. Three buildings and you can still see where the joins are, too," a new voice said as the door swung open. The blonde woman grinned. "Beth. My husband and I run the place now." She stuck her hand out and looked expectant.
Nathan saved me by shaking her hand. "Nathan and Alana Miller. We had...two rooms booked? Next to each other, please."
Beth looked from him to me. "Are you expecting anyone else?"
Shit, I'd never thought that now we had the same last name, but didn't look alike, people would assume we were married. "No," I answered.
She waited as if she expected me to say more, then hitched her smile back up. "Well, I've given you three and four. They're not quite next to each other, as the linen room's between them, but they're across the hall from each other at the end." She led us inside, pointing as she went. "That's the TV room. Through those double doors to the guest dining room, where your breakfast will be served. There's a fridge and microwave in there for you to use, and tea and coffee all day. Games room and reading nook's through there. Outside is that way, to the back deck and the spa. And these are your rooms." Behind her, the passage ended in an alcove lined with linen-filled shelves. Her spread arms indicated the numbered doors on either side of her.
I peeked into one at the same time as Nathan. He wheeled my little suitcase inside. "You take this one. I'll have the other one." I nodded.
"Breakfast menus are on your dresser. Leave them in the kitchen tonight and I'll have everything prepared for you tomorrow. If you need anything, just let me know," Beth finished with a final smile before she left.
I unpacked quickly, kicking my suitcase under the sofa so it wouldn't be in the way, before heading across the hall to see Nathan's room. His was much smaller than mine, with just a bed and no sofa. I hadn't known we'd get such disparate rooms – I thought they were both the same. I opened my mouth to apologise and offer him the better accommodation.
"You're funding this trip, so you get a better room. Closer to the car, too, if for any reason we need to leave in a hurry."
I stared at him in alarm.
"Your stalker, remember? If he tracks us here, I want you to go out the window and drive off. Don't wait for me."
Slowly, I nodded. "Trevor would say that, too." I wet my lips. "He'd also lock my door when I retire for the night, so he'd be the only one with a key. I want you to do the same." Suddenly, the thought of a stalker here even on our holiday made the whole thing seem like a terrible idea. Would this never be over?
Nathan's arms slid around me, pulling me against him. Warm, firm and safe. "No one followed us, angel. Believe me, I half expected someone to, but not a single car from Perth was with us when we turned off the highway for Busselton. I'm just protecting you, like I said I would."
Yes. And I couldn't ask for a better protector than the man who saved my life. My hero.
FORTY-FOUR
A gentle knock sounded on my open door. I looked up to meet Caitlin's smile. "Want to go for a walk along the jetty to see the sunset? Apparently, there's an underwater viewing deck at the end and everything."
It was hard to resist her enthusiasm. "Sure. I probably need to stretch my legs after that long drive, anyway. Even if your car is so much nicer to drive than mine. I'll warn you, it's a long walk, though – the jetty's almost two kilometres long and the observatory's at the deep end."
Her smile only brightened. "After walking the wards all day and night at work, it sounds like a lovely stroll. C'mon, let's go be tourists."
I shoved my feet into my sneakers and followed her out. "Do you want to drive or should I?" I asked, raising the remote to deactivate the central locking.
"You can drive if you want, but I'm walking," she replied, heading toward the sound of breaking waves. I couldn't see the beach, but there was no mistaking it. I hurried to catch up.
Caitlin reached for my hand and I clasped her cold fingers in mine. I couldn't take my eyes off her and I know she noticed, but she didn't seem to mind.
Whatever we had was weird, I decided. We'd been through hell together, she'd saved my life and I'd done the same for her, even if I'd been the one who put her in danger in the first place. Yet I'd never taken her on a date. No movie, no dinner...well, there was that disastrous drink in a nightclub that I'd prefer to forget, but that didn't count. My love for her was forged in blood and pain, and it would be a part of me for as long as I lived. But I'd hurt her too much for her ever to see me in the same way as I saw her. Maybe when her security guy retired, she'd let me take his place. Then at least I could protect her and keep her safe. Shit, I'd probably need a lot more training before she'd agree to that. After all, she could afford her own bodyguard. Why would she settle for me when she could have the best money could buy?
Caitlin pressed against my side, pulling my arm around her to hold her against me. "The ocean breeze in winter...I should have brought a coat."
Automatically, I opened my jacket to share its warmth with her. With her nestled against my shirt, hope flowered in my heart. Of course I'd protect her. Keep her warm. Whatever she needed me to do. I'd give my life for her, now, because I knew she'd be all right without me. But that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy her closeness while it lasted.
Cloudy skies turned the water grey, capped with white as the wind churned up waves that washed over the short jetty beside the much longer one. It wasn't the welcoming water I remembered from my childhood, but this bleakness suited the stark reality of adulthood. Life was no longer a stream of sunshine and sandcastles, shared with a sister I'd never see again.
Caitlin tugged on my arm. "Let's get tickets to the observatory before the ticket office closes." She pulled me inside the shop that housed the ticket office, a strange selection of maritime-themed knickknacks and a small museum with the history of the jetty.
The black and white photos of sailing ships and steamships caught my attention, alongside some large, colour pictures of broken-off pylons where chunks of the jetty were missing. The forlorn pylons tugged at my memory – I was certain I'd seen them. A placard beside them described how a cyclone had destroyed the jetty in the seventies, years before I was born. How could I remember it, then?
"Look at this!' Caitlin exclaimed, holding up a statue of a buxom mermaid whose breasts were barely restrained by two tiny, strung-together seashells. "I don't know why anyone would wear such an uncomfortable bra. If mermaids exist, I hope someone's told them about women's liberation." She set the figurine carefully back on the shelf.
"Good thing they're just mythical," I replied. There was something in the statue's expression that looked like proud disdain. I wouldn't want to tell her she couldn't wear whatever mermaid fashion she wanted.
"Can we get two tickets for the observatory, please?" I heard Caitlin ask and realised she was speaking to the women behind the shop counter.
Both exchanged glances and shook their heads. "It's closed for today. Visibility isn't all that good with the waves stirring everything up at the moment, anyway." The older woman pointed at the screen on the wall, which showed a murky green picture. The shadow of something tall and straight seemed to move in and out of focus. "See? You can barely see the pylon. Come back tomorrow or on the weekend, when the weather's meant to be better. Or summer, when visibility's the best."
"But the sunset looks pretty from the end of the jetty, if you're up for a walk," the younger one added. "Romantic and all." She eyed me with a certain degree of calculation.
I knew that look. Years ago, I'd have winked and grinned, but now I turned my gaze to Caitlin. "Do you still want to walk along the jetty?"
Caitlin beamed. "Of course. We've come this far. It'd be a shame not to enjoy the view and a leisurely stroll."
FORTY-FIVE
; Caitlin took my arm and we set off through the gate. Our footsteps thumped dully on the concrete, jarring with the hollow-sounding timber boards in my memories.
"This isn't how I remember the jetty," I blurted out. "It was wood – I remember, all timber, and old timber, too. Grey from age, not because of concrete." I tapped the railway track with my shoe. "And it was narrower, too. There wasn't space to walk beside the tracks. And there weren't handrails on both sides, either. I remember walking on the edge of the boards, having to put one foot in front of the other like I was on a balancing beam, until Alanna shouted at me and Dad made me get away from the edge. She walked right in the middle of the tracks – she was afraid of falling in." I laughed softly. "She wasn't as tough back then."
How tough had she really been, though? If Caitlin had survived her kidnapping, and Alanna hadn't? With Caitlin so delicate, Alanna should've had more of a chance against them. But somehow she gave up and left me to deal with the consequences. Identifying her dead body. Coping with her loss. Seeking vengeance for her murder. And having to watch as they took Caitlin...
I stumbled over a dead fish, which demonstrated that it wasn't quite dead yet as it ballooned into an angry, fishy ball. I kicked it, launching the blowfish back into the water.
"Dad took us fishing off this jetty. Just Alanna and I – we left Mum and Chris at home. I had to bait up her hooks with the squishy little prawns because she wouldn't touch them. They were too yucky, she said. We just had those little handlines – you know, round, plastic rings with line wrapped around them, and a hook and sinker on the end. Dad had a rod and reel, but he was so busy helping us pull our fish off the hooks and baiting them up again that he didn't get to use it much. I think I caught forty blowies that day – they just kept biting. I didn't understand why Dad wouldn't put them in the bucket, though. Instead, he just unhooked them and let them flap around, blowing themselves up on the jetty until I kicked them off the edge." I peered over the side, but I couldn't see the one I'd thrown back. Maybe it'd swum away to enjoy its good fortune.
Afterlife of Alanna Miller Page 14
