Maybe she trusted him because of her friendship with his sister. Or maybe she was just a good judge of character. Or again, maybe she was good at hiding her thoughts.
That was a lot of maybes. He just had to figure out which one it was. Or here was a maybe for him - maybe he should stop wondering and just enjoy the evening.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
Interrupted from his silent musings, Moz cast her a surprised glance. “Pardon?”
“You’re doing a lot of thinking there, Moz.” Partially turned in the seat, she regarded him. “Is there a problem?”
“No problem. Why?”
“I get the feeling there’s a whole lot going on inside your head.”
“Just thinking.” Spotting the pub ahead, he pulled into one of the angled parking bays in front of it.
“Okay.”
The way she spoke caught his attention. The pleasantness was gone from her face, the faintest of frowns replacing it. Crap, he wanted to see her smile, not frown.
Reaching out, he took her hand. “Truthfully, Del, I was thinking how nice it is that you’re so relaxed.”
Del looked at him blankly.
“After last night I thought you might be wary.”
Oh, her cheeks flushed now, but her gaze remained steady. “This is a date to get to know each other. Why would I be wary?”
Why indeed? “Forget I mentioned it.”
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“What? No.” He squeezed her hand. “Seriously, no second thoughts. I guess I’m just not that used to girls who are as straightforward as you.”
“This is me, Moz,” she said soberly. “It’s how I am.”
“I know.” He flashed her a grin. “And I like it.”
“I’m not that different to Dee, Ash and Molly, even Elissa. They’re all honest.”
“Yes, but you’re all honest and straightforward in different ways.”
“If you say so,” she said doubtfully.
“Ash is honest in a sweet way, Molly in a - er - shall we say slightly debauched way, Elissa in a shyer way, Dee in a…well, yeah, she’s like you.” Moz nodded. “Yep, definitely cousins.”
“Ryder loves her just the way she is.”
“And I love you just the way you are.” At her raised eyebrows, he realised he’d said ‘love’ instead of ‘like’, but figured it was stupid to make a thing of it.
Then she said, “That’s all right then” and he relaxed. Catastrophe diverted. Until she added, “And I like you even if you are a hard arse with an attitude problem.” With that stunning announcement, she hopped out the car and left him gaping in astonishment.
By the time he gathered his wits, she was standing at the ‘roo bar chatting to Ash and Scott. Getting out of the car, he beeped the locks closed and walked around to stand beside her.
One arm around Ash’s waist, Scott was looking from Moz to Del with the same speculative gleam in his eyes that Simon had had.
“Evening,” Scott said.
“Evening,” Moz returned, placing his hand at Del’s back.
Yep, Scott’s gaze zeroed right in on that move. “Having a drink?”
“Dinner, actually.”
“You don’t say.” Scott grinned.
Del looked at him.
“Nice to see you both,” Ash said sweetly. “We were just leaving.”
“We were?” Scott asked.
“Yes.”
“We could stay and-”
“Scott.” Ash looked up at him.
Scott, like the lovesick prawn he was, sighed. “Okay.” He nodded to Moz, winked at Del. “Be good.”
Moz’s date, being such a lady, flipped Scott the bird.
“Did you see that, honey?” Scott asked Ash.
The bastard was out to tease.
Going up on tip toe, Ash gestured to him. Scott bent down so she could place her mouth at his ear, listened to what she said, got a really hot gleam in his eyes and straightened. “Okay, gotta go. Have fun. Bye!”
Moz watched him practically drag a laughing Ash to his car. “I don’t think their evening is finished yet.”
“Those two?” Del grinned as she stepped up onto the footpath. “They’re never finished.” She threw a wink over her shoulder at Moz. “Just like Ryder and Dee, Molly and Kirk, Simon and Elissa. Add to that Ryder’s parents, Dee’s parents, my parents, and some more people, and I think you might want to be worried about drinking the water here.”
“Is that so?” Reaching over her head, he pushed the pub door open.
“Yep.”
“I reckon I just might like drinking that water.”
“We’ll see,” she replied pertly before walking ahead of him into the pub.
The music wasn’t too loud, and being a week day the bar wasn’t crowded. Del led the way into the small dining room.
Close behind her, Moz glanced around. He’d been here a couple of times with Elissa and Simon, and he liked it. Warm, cosy atmosphere, just perfect for a couple of quiet hours.
“Where do you want to sit?” he queried. “The place is ours by the looks of it.”
“It surely is,” a voice greeted from behind them. “You’re our second customers. Scott and Ash have already eaten and left.” Sally, the waitress, moved past them and swept out her hand. “Tables for two are along the wall, but you can choose anywhere.”
“We’ll take the wall.” Moz looked down at Del. “All right?”
“Fine by me.”
Within minutes they were seated with menus in their hands and Sally off to get drinks. By the time she returned they’d made their choices. She took their order, divested them of the menus and left.
Moz looked at Del.
She looked right back at him. “Right, let’s start.”
Chapter 7
Amused, Moz replied, “Start?”
“Getting to know each other.”
“Sure. I’m a Scorpio and my favourite colour is blue, which is kind of odd when apparently my colour is supposed to be red. I have a cat called Mozart but I don’t particularly care for that kind of music. When I grow up, I want to be a pilot.” He beamed.
Del turned around, held up her hand. “Sally, can we have the bill now, please?”
Moz laughed. “I don’t think she heard you.”
“Lucky for you.” Grinning, Del took a sip of Diet Coke. “So, Mr Scorpio with a cat named Mozart, a pilot, huh?”
“I might have made that last part up.”
“So, lie number one.”
“I’ll try harder, I promise.”
“You’re not scoring too well at the moment.”
“What about the Scorpio bit? I’m supposed to be sexy and smouldering.”
“I’ll give you that.”
“And I do have a cat named Mozart.”
“Fine, you can have that as well.”
“And your dress is blue and I like the colour blue.”
“Don’t stretch this too far, sunshine.”
Taking a mouthful of light beer, Moz grinned. “Okay, ask away.”
Leaning back in the chair, Del folded her arms beneath those magnificent bosoms, but he kept his gaze on her face. Being a gentleman wasn’t always easy, but hey, he had a good visual field so he wasn’t missing too much.
“Why did you come to Gully’s Fall?”
That was easy. “Elissa was here, so originally I came to visit her, got to liking the place and was offered a job here, so I took it.”
“Actually, you originally came here to check Simon out.”
“Because of Elissa,” he pointed out.
“Okay.” She nodded. “So why the RSPCA?”
“I was already an inspector, it was just a matter of switching states and towns.”
“Why animals? Why not the pilot? A cop? A Navy man?”
Moz smiled. “I like animals. They’re creatures who don’t demand, who don’t like you based on what you have or who you are. It wouldn’t matter if you were th
e richest man in the world, or the poorest, they love you for who you are. You be kind to an animal and it’ll be your companion for life.”
“That’s nice, but what about wild animals?”
“They all have a place in this world and its our duty to see that they’re not treated cruelly.”
“Which is where you come in.”
“Baby, someone doesn’t treat animals right, I am so there.”
Del smiled. “I’m surprised you didn’t become a vet.”
“I admire vets, but there’s no way I could slice and dice in an OT. I prefer to rescue them.”
“You’re good friends with Grant.”
“He’s a good bloke.”
“Did you have many friends back home?”
Moz shrugged. “A couple. We keep in touch but you know how it is, distance erodes friendships.”
Del studied him. “You’re speaking from experience. I’m betting that has something to do with your childhood.”
Another shrug. “Like Elissa told you, our family shifted around a lot. We made friends, lost friends. I soon learned to make causal friends. I put most of my focus on school work and joining the PCYC, working out at their gyms.”
“Ah.” Her gaze slid over his shoulders, down his arms, back up his chest. There was no lust in her eyes, just an acknowledgement. “I’m guessing that is something you took into adulthood.”
“I like to lift weights. Helps me think, helps me unwind. Lets me blank out and just work.” He flexed his hands unconsciously. “That and cooking.”
“Yeah, that cooking thing, where did that come from?”
Moz grinned. “One of my regular babysitters used to bake, she let me help. I’ve taken cooking lessons. Cooking is therapeutic, also rewarding.”
“Simon agrees.”
“That’s a bit of an insult. Simon will inhale anything that can be eaten. I swear, if we were the only two people on a deserted island he wouldn’t decide to switch teams and become my lover, he’d just eat me.”
Del laughed.
Smiling, he waited until she settled back into question time.
“Elissa told me that you were pushed aside, the focus was all on forcing her to be the singing star.”
“Yeah.” His smile faded. “Everyone thinks poor me, but really she suffered a lot. She had to go to auditions, try to lose weight, be more, do more. No part of her life was scheduled for fun and relaxation. I got to make friends, run and join clubs. I think I was better off than my sister.”
“Some wouldn’t think so.”
“They weren’t there to know. She only had my parents, and their love was purely based on what she could do, not who she was.” Moz’s mouth tightened in memory. “I was there for her when I could be, but not enough.”
Del’s eyes softened. “She holds you in high esteem, Moz. You’re her hero.”
“I should have taken her away.”
“Under eighteen? She was her parent’s responsibility. Over eighteen? She had to make her own choices. It took awhile but she made the right one, and it was you backing her up that helped her. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I guess.” Moz leaned back in the chair, hearing the faint creak of the wood.
“Guess my arse,” she shot back. “She knew she could go to you at any time. She’s told us stories of things you did for her, how you were there for her. No pity party, Moz, you did what you could. Own it.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Oookay.”
“Sorry, I call it how I see it.” Unexpectedly, she grinned. “So far, I like what I see. When you’re not being a bully, that is.”
“I don’t bully,” he replied indignantly.
“You give orders.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Oh, come on. You threaten.”
“Nope.”
“Fine, you call it ‘making a promise’.”
“See? Big difference.”
She snorted.
Moz swirled the beer in the glass, gaze on Del. “Now you.”
“Huh?”
“Tell me about you.”
She thought for a second before a slow smile curved those lush lips. “Sure. I’m a Scorpio and my favourite colour is lilac, which is kind of odd when apparently my colour is supposed to be red. I have a kitten called Missy and I love horror movies. When I grow up, I want to be a ballet dancer.”
“You’re also a smart arse.”
She looked modestly down at the table. “Thank you.”
A thought struck Moz. “Wait. You’re a Scorpio, too?”
“I know. How spooky is that?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” His smile grew a whole lot hotter. “Both of us sexy and smouldering? We should burn up the sheets no worries.”
“You, maybe. I’m a lot more inhibited, remember?”
“Actually, that’s not how I remember it.” He couldn’t help it, he just knew there was a lustful gleam in his eyes.
Apparently she noticed it, going by the way her cheeks pinkened, but before she could retort a voice hailed him. “Moz!”
Recognizing the voice, he looked up to watch Grant approach. Beside the tall, broad-shouldered vet was a slighter man with a receding hairline wearing a city ranger’s uniform. Having both of them show up could mean only one thing - work. Damn it.
Then again, it had to do with animal cruelty as well, and the ranger being present meant news on the dog fighting ring. Instantly he was on the alert, nodding to the ranger. “Hey, Joe, Grant.”
“Moz.” Grant’s eyes flickered to Del, back to Moz. “Sorry to interrupt your date.”
With Del listening, he couldn’t exactly say ‘No worries’, so he just nodded.
“Joe’s on his way back to Ellor’s Loop,” Grant explained. “He has some information he wants to give to you.”
“Okay.” Moz looked at Del. “I’m sorry, Del. Can I just take this?”
“Sure.” Curiously, she studied the ranger and Grant before her gaze slid back to Moz. “Go ahead. I’m just going to the bathroom anyway.”
They all watched her leave the room. Man, slim as she was she had curves in all the right places. Curvy hips swayed unconsciously with every step, blonde ponytail bouncing, the long ends flicking the middle of her straight back. Long legs drew his gaze, making him frown when he noticed those same legs also drew Joe and Grant’s gazes.
Clearing his throat, he glared at them as they turned hurriedly back to the table.
“Nice figure,” Joe commented, completely unaware of Moz’s annoyance.
“Playing with fire,” Grant commented.
“Huh?” Joe looked from the vet to Moz. “Oh, hey, is she your date?”
“Does sitting in a restaurant having dinner not clue you in?” Moz queried.
“A pub restaurant?”
“In Gully’s Fall, it’s a restaurant.”
“Go figure.” Joe grinned.
Grant nudged him. “Del will be back in a minute, I suggest you get a move on.”
“And I thought country blokes were slow and easy-going.”
Moz flexed his hands. “Haven’t done any bag punching today.”
“Geez, settle down.” Joe placed the envelope he’d been holding onto the table. “Got these photos from the rangers in Marcor Downs, three hundred kms north of here. The cops believe this is part of a major dog fighting ring, the same one we’ve been getting reports from in Ellor’s Loop.”
Picking up the envelope, Moz slid out several photos, his gut turning at the pictures. Poor little bastards. He flicked through the photos, trying to concentrate on what he was seeing rather than dwelling on the animal victims. “I’ve heard nothing about dog fighting in Gully’s Fall. I don’t believe its centred here, or that dogs are even fighting here.”
“They could be nearby, though.” Face sober, Grant slid his hands in his pockets. “I’ve heard from a couple of clients that they’ve heard dogs barking and voices at night. We’re wondering if the dogs are being shipped through here, kept
here someplace maybe until the next place is chosen for the dog fights.”
“What’s Kirk saying?” Moz frowned. “He hasn’t said anything to me.”
“The cops here have just been given a copy of these photos,” Joe replied.
“And I’ve let them know what I’ve heard.” Grant looked grimly at the photos. “They’re doing some searching out in the areas dogs have been heard.”
“They’ll get in touch with you tomorrow.” Joe scowled. “If I get my hands on those bastards… Honest to God, why do people do such cruel things?”
“Nature of the beast,” Moz replied heavily.
“It ain’t nature that makes people like this, its twistedness.” Joe looked around. “Here comes your date, we better go.”
Grant nodded. “Drop in tomorrow.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks for this, Joe.” Sliding the photos back into the envelope, Moz folded the top over securely and placed it on the side.
They walked away, nodding to Del as they passed her.
Del dropped gracefully into the chair. “Bad news, I’m guessing.”
“Work. Sorry.” He shrugged. “Sometimes there’s no escaping it.”
“Being the only inspector for hundreds of kilometres means a heavy workload.”
“Yeah.” He smiled at her. “Hope you’re still hungry.”
“Why?” Her gaze was assessing. “Aren’t you?”
The photos had put him off eating but no way was he cutting this date short. Right now there was nothing he could do but wait until morning when the cops had done investigating and brought him up to speed.
Meanwhile, Del was like a breath of fresh air. A canny breath, because she just kept eyeing him off.
“Like what you see?” He arched an eyebrow at her.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“My hotness?”
“What’s put those shadows in your eyes.”
Whoa, she was seeing more than he’d thought. But he couldn’t tell her anything, so he went for the truth. “Can’t. Work, confidentiality.”
“Okay.” She surprised him by nodding. “But if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me. I know how to keep my mouth shut.”
You're the One Page 16
