Clandestine Lovers (Friendship Chronicles Book 3)

by Shelley Munro

  Her area of the forum remained empty, but she saw she’d received emails already. The first message made her stomach buck and not in a good way. With a shaky hand, she hit delete. She shuddered and rubbed her hands together, imaginary cooties crawling over her arms and legs.

  Her trembling fingers communicated with the cursor, and she had to concentrate to hit the next email in her inbox.

  Dear Susan,

  My name is Tyler Penrith, and yes, the name should be familiar to you—I’m Nolan’s younger brother.

  I want to apologize for my brother’s rudeness, and I can’t believe the numbskull flashed your butt to national television viewers. While most men—if they are gentlemen—would apologize and assure you they didn’t peek, I’m gonna hit you with honesty. I looked and loved the view. You’re an attractive lady. Learning about your job just intrigued me more. You possess layers and are like a complex perfume and I find myself wanting to learn more.

  Susan found herself grinning. No one had ever compared her to a perfume before, and she rather liked the contrast.

  If my idiot brother doesn’t choose you during the next elimination, would you consider me?

  I am a widower with a four-year-old daughter. My wife died of cancer over two years ago now, and as much as I love my daughter and have incredibly supportive in-laws, I find myself wanting more. Sure, I have friends in Clare, and I get out occasionally, but seeing you on television tonight was the first time I’ve found myself attracted to a woman. Go figure! The woman I’d like to get to know better is out of bounds because of my brother.

  If you’d ever like someone to talk to, I’m here. I’m not a gossip and would never pass on any confidential information should you care to use me as a sounding block. I’m including my phone number along with my private email address if you’d like to contact me. If you’re as savvy as I think you are, you’ll want to check me out. The number is in the phone directory under my in-laws name. Katey and I live with my in-laws, Eric and Josie Murdoch.

  Eric and Josie own a farm and I work as a general hand for them, doing a bit of everything. I’m twenty-five years old—yeah, a little younger than you, but don’t let that put you off. In life experience, I’m older. I grew up quickly with a child and a sick wife because I had to. In my spare time, I enjoy rugby and like to draw and paint. Like you, I’m looking for that special someone who gets me, despite my flaws, someone who is sexy and honest and not afraid of the hard work necessary to make a successful relationship.

  I hope you’ll take my offer seriously, and at least take pity on me, letting me down gently if you’re not interested. I won’t like it, but my ego will no doubt recover. My daughter is a handful and keeps me busy. I won’t have time to sulk.

  Since I know what you look like, I’ve attached a snapshot of me and Katey. Nolan and I don’t look much alike. My mother says I take after my father’s side of the family.

  Best wishes,

  Tyler Penrith

  Susan found herself holding her breath as she clicked on the attachment. The photo appeared on the screen and her breath whooshed out. Tyler Penrith was a cutie with dark chocolate brown hair and brown eyes. One dimple flashed at the right side of his impish grin. The child in his arms had the same mischievous smile twinkling in her brown eyes but had blonde hair. Their heads were close together, and they were both staring into the camera.

  Tyler didn’t look anything like Nolan. Together, the two brothers would be like night and day. A cliché—sure—but Nolan was a burly man with brown hair and sun-streaks of blond from working outdoors while Tyler brought to mind dark nights, silky sheets and…

  Stop right there, Susan. She was committed to the show. Yet every instinct told her to email Tyler back. No, she needed to think about her next step first. She’d jumped too soon before and landed in a pile of steaming crap. She’d talk to her friends tomorrow, show them the email and hear their thoughts.

  To distract herself, she clicked on the next email. Eew! That was disgusting. She hit delete and steeled herself for the next one. Hit delete. The last two emails were from church groups, decrying her profession. They went into the trash.

  Unable to help herself, she clicked on Tyler’s photo again, smiling in response to his happy expression. The humor in his eyes and the echo in his daughter’s face wiped away the filth from the other emails and brought a surge of hope. She wasn’t a lost cause, despite what her family thought. Her friends believed in her, and even better, she believed in herself.

  Susan waited until after their usual Saturday dance practice. She, Christina and Julia were relaxing with a cup of peppermint tea when Maggie and Connor breezed into the club.

  “Do you guys have time to watch Connor’s game?” Maggie asked. “It’s a beautiful day outside and I could do with the company.”

  “I’m in, but I’ll have to bring Alex with me,” Julia said.

  “We can help keep an eye on him,” Maggie said.

  “Count me in,” Christina said.

  “Are you okay?” Susan asked. “You look tired.”

  Christina gave a heartfelt sigh and took off her glasses to rub a smear from the lenses. Without the disguise, it was easy to see she wasn’t sleeping. “I’ve been staying with my godmother. She’s not well again, and I’m worried about her. She refuses to go to the doctor.”

  “Anything we can do?” Maggie asked.

  Christina shoved her glasses back into place. “Not really. I need to persuade her to make a doctor’s appointment. I’m working on it. I’d like to go to the game. The fresh air will probably do me good.”

  “I did my first blog last night,” Susan said. “And I’ve already had half a dozen emails.” She screwed up her nose. “Most weren’t very polite.”

  “Most?” asked Connor.

  Susan grinned and picked up her phone. She thumbed to the photo of Tyler and his daughter and handed it to Christina. “This is Tyler, Nolan’s younger brother. He wrote me a really nice email offering himself as a prospective candidate if his older brother rejects me at the next stage.”

  “Cute,” Christina said, passing Susan’s phone to Julia. “What happened to the kid’s mother?”

  “He said his wife died of cancer a few years ago,” Susan said.

  “Are you sure he’s who he says he is?” Connor demanded.

  “He gave me his phone number and his email address, told me his name and gave me personal details. He didn’t come across as a creep, but he told me I was welcome to check him out.”

  “Send me his details,” Connor said. “I’ll do it for you.”

  Susan nodded, happy to accept the offer. Connor was the computer wizard, and he’d know exactly where to look.

  Julia cocked her head, her blonde curls swinging against her cheek with the action. “You like him.”

  “Yeah. I shouldn’t. He’s three years younger than me,” Susan said.

  “Three years is nothing,” Maggie said. “You seem more excited about him than his brother. I say go for it.”

  “After I’ve checked him out,” Connor said in a stern voice.

  Susan gave him a cocky salute. “Yes, sir.”

  “I’ll do my searches tonight and let you know by tomorrow at the latest.”

  “Thanks,” Susan said. “I appreciate it.”

  “You’re going to cheer my team on this afternoon,” Connor said. “It’s the least I can do in return.”

  “Tyler Penrith is who he says he is,” Connor said the next day after yet another dance practice. “Nothing bad jumped out at me during my searches.”

  “So what are you going to do?” Maggie asked.

  “I’m not sure. I have my group date on Wednesday afternoon. We have to meet Nolan at Downtown and were told to wear comfortable clothes and footwear.”

  Julia frowned. “You don’t know what you’re going to do or where he’s taking you?”

  “No, which makes it difficult to know what to wear,” Susan said.

  “Do you know where the
other farmers are taking their dates?” Christina asked.

  Susan jumped to her feet and started pacing. “No, I asked, but they’re not telling us anything.”

  “The comfortable shoes direction makes me think there will be walking,” Connor said.

  “Wear your runners—the black ones or a pair of comfy boots,” Christina said. “The weather could do anything, but check the forecast. I’d go for layers. Jeans and a shirt with a vest and a waterproof jacket. A colorful scarf and maybe a hat.”

  “Take a small daypack instead of a purse,” Maggie suggested. “That way if you need to peel off layers, it will be easier to carry them.”

  Susan discovered the women’s idea of comfortable dress varied considerably when she joined Nolan’s group at Downtown, not far from the Britomart train station. Only three of them wore flat shoes. Susan had kept her makeup light and natural and wore a sage green beanie to counteract the wind whistling along Quay Street.

  A cameraman—the same one who’d delighted in her mishaps—stood beside Nolan, his camera already panning their faces and recording their reactions to Nolan. Susan stood quietly, surveying her competition.

  “Put us out of our suspense,” one of the women demanded.

  “We’re catching the ferry to Rangitoto and will do some exploring,” Nolan said. “I’ve organized water bottles and a snack pack for us. When we come back we’re going to the top of Sky Tower for dinner.”

  The woman standing next to Susan gave an audible groan. “I hate walking. I’m gonna freeze my butt off.”

  Susan snuck a glance at the woman’s shoes and mentally added sore feet to the equation. She listened to the other comments and smiled inwardly. This outing was a clever way of weeding out the candidates who wouldn’t cope with living in the countryside. If they couldn’t handle a little walking, they sure as heck wouldn’t hack it in Clare where Nolan lived and farmed.

  “The ferry is this way,” Nolan said.

  Susan followed the group with a sense of anticipation. She hadn’t visited Rangitoto Island for years, not since a long ago school trip. The views of the city from the summit were wonderful, and she was glad she’d listened to Connor and packed her camera. A few snapshots would make a welcome addition to her blog.

  Nolan made a point of speaking with all of them individually and did well with recalling their names.

  “Susan,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.” His gaze took in her clothes and she thought she caught a flash of approval. “You’ve created a tempest in Clare. Most people think I should give you a wide berth.”

  And just like that he dispelled her happy bubble. Susan lifted her chin and met his gaze with a glare. She was trying hard not to slip into her old judgmental ways, but this man poked holes in her confidence.

  “You’ll have to decide if you agree,” she said. “This is a nice treat. I haven’t set foot on Rangitoto in years.”

  His direct gaze sliced and diced again until one of the other women claimed his attention. Susan fell into step with Cherry and offered her a smile.

  “You’re the dancer,” she said.

  “That’s part of my job description.” Susan could feel her good mood taking a wet ’n’ wild slide toward insecure.

  “I couldn’t do what you do. I’d feel so exposed.”

  “Dancing is a rush, and I’ve never been in such good shape in all my life.” Enough about her job. “Have you always lived in the city?”

  “Yes. At least Clare doesn’t seem too isolated. Some of the farmers live and work in really remote areas.”

  “Nolan said the farm is still half an hour from the township.”

  “That far?” The woman frowned. “He told me about the beautiful scenery. I assumed the town was closer.”

  “Is that a problem?” Susan asked.

  “I guess not. I mean Nolan is gorgeous. His boots are welcome under my bed any time.” The woman whispered the last and cast a sidelong glance in Nolan’s direction.

  “Yes, he is attractive. I’m looking forward to learning more about him.” She wondered if she could slip in a few questions about his family. Connor had given Tyler a genuine stamp. The information on him was patchy, though, and not enough to quench her curiosity.

  The ferry ride was a short one, and Susan stood at the stern, enjoying the fresh sea air and watching the flit of yachts as they zapped back and forth across the waves, their colorful sails billowing in the gusts of wind. The panoramic view of the city buildings, bathed in autumn sun, caught her eye and she fumbled inside her pack for her camera.

  “I have to say,” Nolan said, coming to stand beside her, “that the city looks good from this angle.”

  “As nice as the view from your house?” Susan asked.

  “They’re each pretty in their own way.”

  There was a moment of companionable silence between them.

  “Do you have brothers and sisters?” Susan asked finally.

  “A younger brother. Tyler.”

  “Does he work on the farm with you?”

  “No, he lives with his in-laws and works on his father-in-law’s farm.”

  “He’s married?”

  “A widower. His wife died a few years ago.”

  Susan nodded. “That must have been rough.”

  Nolan shrugged, and Susan knew she couldn’t ask more questions without him asking questions in return.

  “I have two sisters, both married.”

  His expression sharpened. “Older or younger?”

  Susan sighed, knowing exactly where this conversation would head. “Both younger than me, married with children.”

  “But you’re not married.”

  “No.” She’d come close, thought she’d found the one. Twice. And both times she’d regained possession of her trampled heart with her confidence in tatters.

  His brows rose, a silent prompt for her to continue. “If I were married, I wouldn’t be on Farmer Seeks a Wife,” she said. “What do your parents think about you being on a reality show?”

  “What do yours think about you?”

  “Snap,” she said. “My mother loathes the publicity caused by her delinquent daughter.”

  “My mother, on the other hand, is following proceedings closely since she was the one who sent in my application.” His dry tone filled in some gaps. Namely, that he hadn’t come willingly.

  “You don’t want a wife?”

  “I’m not averse to the idea,” he said. “But I like to do my own choosing.”

  “I hear you. My mother and sisters are always trying to fix me up with suitable men when I go home to Hamilton. Blind dates are awkward.”

  “On that we agree.”

  “I’m like most of the women who applied for the show. I’d like someone to share my life, but if it doesn’t happen I’ve realized that’s okay too. I have great friends—ones who’d go the extra mile for me if I asked for a favor. Settling for second best to make my family happy won’t do much for my contentment.”

  He nodded and moved out of the way of a deck hand as the captain backed the ferry up to the wharf. “That’s true.”

  Susan disembarked with the rest of the women and moved aside to take photos. She strode back to the hovering group. “Can I take a group shot?”

  The women clustered around Nolan. “Say sexy farmer,” Susan said and clicked the shutter when everyone laughed. She examined the shot. “Nice photo.”

  “Everyone ready to walk to the summit?” Nolan asked.

  “I’d like to catch the cute train,” one of the women said.

  A couple of the others agreed and went off to buy tickets. The rest of them started the walk along the scoria paths. Weird lava shapes studded the landscape, remnants of the eruption over six hundred years ago. Native pohutukawa trees poked from crevices and Susan snapped a photo of a rock that reminded her of one of the Lord of the Rings movie characters.

  Gradually their group broke into twos and threes with a couple of the women sticking to Nolan
and peppering him with flirtation. Susan didn’t bother to compete, merely enjoying the walk and stopping to take photos whenever tempted.

  But the giggles of the other women eventually intruded and tumbled her back into the present. She shot a glance to her right and saw Nolan grinning down at a shapely blonde—Cherry or Anna. Susan couldn’t remember her name. While the man was smiling, he managed to distance himself as well. Despite putting on a good game face, he didn’t want to be here, she thought. Yet he’d gone ahead with the reality show anyway to please his mother.

  Another reason to avoid him.

  She did not want a mommy’s boy.

  Frowning at her discovery, she took a moment to stop and capture the view of the central city and the thrust of the Sky Tower. A penis-symbol for sure. The tower jolted her mind in the direction of men and her current man-drought. There came a time when a vibrator wasn’t enough and only the solid weight of a man moving against her body would dissipate her hunger.

  Since she seemed to put her foot in her mouth every time she spoke with Nolan, she’d have to look elsewhere.

  But where?

  Tyler.

  Her inner rebel came out to play. Tyler’s face floated into her mind, his grin, his protective arm around his daughter. Connor vouched for him, and Nolan had confirmed some of the details. Still, she hesitated. He was Nolan’s younger brother, and that felt weird.

  They’d continued to correspond—just friendly notes about their interests and their daily routines. Tyler worked hard on his father-in-law’s farm and seemed to be fully involved in his daughter’s life, although he admitted that if it wasn’t for his mother-in-law, he’d be in trouble. He spoke fondly of Eric and Josie, and it was obvious he liked and admired his in-laws.

  More telling perhaps was that he seldom mentioned his own parents or Nolan. Instead she learned about fencing, sundry farming chores and Tyler’s painting. He seemed passionate about art.

  Aware she was lagging, Susan put on a burst of speed, jogging up to the crest of a small hill. At the back of her mind, she realized she wasn’t even puffing and pride surged with an inner cheer. Julia might act the stern taskmaster when it came to dancing, but all that training was paying off big time.