Shadows of Hunters Ridge

by Sarah Barrie

‘About how you feel about her? No, I’m not.’

  He pulled up at the house. ‘Mia, please just … drop it.’

  ‘Okay, but you asked me straight out what I mean, so I’ll tell you. I think you believe you’re being noble, when all you’re really doing is taking the easy way out.’

  ‘Of what? Ebs isn’t interested in – where are you going?’ he asked as Mia climbed out and grabbed the pizzas.

  ‘I’m dropping it,’ she said, shutting the door then sticking her head back through the window, ‘just like you told me to. Pizza’s getting cold.’

  He sat there until she disappeared through the door. If Mia had figured it out, did Ebony know? Was that why things had changed between them? And if she did know, what was she thinking? Was that why she’d kissed him? To test out the theory? No, it hadn’t been that calculated. But … would she have kissed him if she’d guessed how he felt and she didn’t feel the same way? He doubted it. And suddenly, despite all the arguments he’d built up in his head, and despite not knowing what the hell he’d do with the answer – whatever it was – he needed to know. He stared at the door again. Mia wasn’t going to tell him. And sitting in the car wasn’t going to get him anywhere, either.

  They ate pizza and Cam put the football on. A night like any other Friday, even under the circumstances. But he wasn’t overly interested in which team won, nor in the beer he’d been sitting on since getting back with the pizza. Mia’s words were still spinning around in his head.

  ‘You want another one?’ Cam asked.

  ‘Sorry, what?’

  ‘Your beer’s flat. You want another one?’

  ‘No, I’ve got to drive. I should probably get going.’ He got to his feet, took his flat beer to the kitchen.

  ‘What’s up with you tonight?’

  ‘Just a bit restless.’

  ‘It’s all this bullshit going on. Ebs is the same.’

  He looked around. ‘Where is she?’

  ‘Wearing the dogs out,’ Ally said, ‘which is code for having five minutes to herself.’ She got to her feet, kissed his cheek. ‘I’m going to call it a night, too. See ya.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Mia agreed, ‘I might take my laptop back to my room and do a bit more work in bed before I crash.’

  ‘See you tomorrow,’ Lee said, and lifted a brow in enquiry when Cam followed him.

  ‘Just gonna wait on Ebs before I follow suit,’ Cam explained.

  ‘I’ll catch her on the way out – make sure she’s locked in before I leave.’

  Cam nodded. ‘Thanks.’

  She was standing on the lawn, pitching a slobbery tennis ball in the moonlight. As he watched, she sent it flying towards the back fence and Luna bolted after it. Millie ran a few steps, changed her mind and, already puffing, came back for a drink before flopping onto a large dog bed with Bess.

  The cicadas were loud, the scent of jasmine was close to overpowering. Stars blanketed the sky. It was a perfect night. He would have enjoyed sharing it with her, but couldn’t help searching the darkness beyond the fence for any threat.

  Luna came back, ready to go again, so Ebony gave the ball another good throw.

  ‘That’s not a bad arm you’ve got there,’ Lee said eventually.

  ‘I think I’m pretty safe here, no need to shadow me.’

  ‘Everyone’s heading to bed, I’m going home. I told Cam I’d see you inside and locked up before I left.’

  ‘Oh … sorry. Thanks.’

  ‘I’d be feeling that way – having someone watching me every second. You’re entitled.’

  ‘To feel that way? Yes. To snap at you for it? No. I’m grateful, just not used to it. Luna, that ball is disgusting.’ The ball was sitting between the dog’s teeth, drool running out of her mouth. ‘It’s almost too slippery to get a good enough grip to throw.’

  ‘And she never gets tired.’ Lee took a turn, pitched the ball much further than Ebony had, then turned on the garden tap to wash his hands. Ebony did the same.

  ‘Well … goodnight,’ she said.

  He wanted to know what she was thinking, and finally saw the opportunity. So why was it so difficult to ask? There had to be a reasonable way to approach the conversation.

  When she turned to go inside, he put his hands on her arms and turned her back. Left them there.

  ‘Ebs, can we talk about what’s been going on with us?’

  She swallowed, shifted position, her eyes avoiding his. The nerves were there, he knew, but were they the right sort? He had to be careful not to misread the situation – he couldn’t afford to stuff this up.

  ‘I know you’ve had some terrible things to deal with, but this started before most of that. That night you stayed at my place. You didn’t want to come back with me, then the next morning, you couldn’t wait to leave. I know Fiona said something, something nasty and unwarranted, but there has to be more to it.’

  ‘There’s no point bringing all this back up.’

  ‘No point? You kissed me. I know you said that was temper, and maybe it was, but you don’t go around kissing men because you’re pissed off, Ebs. You wanted to get my attention. You got it. Talk to me.’

  Ebony dropped her gaze to the ground. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

  He threaded his fingers through her hair and with a gentle tug, pulled her head back. ‘Eyes, Ebs. Here. It matters.’

  ‘I didn’t want to go to your house because you were with her. I kissed you because … because I …’

  His jaw tightened. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Can’t you figure it out?’ she finally whispered.

  ‘You want me to figure it out?’ He moved one hand to gently rest on her cheek. His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth and he felt her tremble. ‘Are you sure?’ Everything inside him heated as he cupped her face in his hands. ‘Ebony, I told myself I’d never make a move. That you could do better, deserved better. But if we cross this line, there’s no going back for me.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘You wanted – you were thinking –’

  ‘Of course I wanted. Of course I was thinking.’ He heard the roughness in his own voice, made sure his touch stayed gentle as slowly, so tormentingly slowly for both of them, he lowered his head. Their lips touched once, twice. Her eyes closed and her hands rested lightly on his chest. His tongue traced her bottom lip before his lips nuzzled against hers. When her breath shivered out, he took the kiss deeper but still held on to a tight thread of control. When he felt that control slipping, he stepped away from her in an attempt to regain it.

  ‘I shouldn’t –’

  ‘Like hell.’ She dragged his mouth back down to hers and his control snapped.

  When eventually they broke apart again, he was breathing as heavily as she was, and every cell in his body was charged and pumping liquid desire through his overheated system.

  ‘Okay …’ He took a deep breath. Two. ‘Okay. Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?’

  He saw her momentary confusion. ‘Dinner? Um … sure. Where?’

  ‘I’ll make you something at my place.’ He lifted a hand to her face. Dropped it. ‘We should talk about this before we …’

  ‘Before we what?’ She slid her arms up his chest to circle his neck.

  He cleared his throat. ‘Go in and lock up. I have to be in Mudgee most of tomorrow, then I’ll pick you up – around six thirty?’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘Okay.’ He hesitated, then unable to help himself, he leant down and kissed her again. The kiss went on and on. And then he was striding back to his car.

  ‘Go lock up,’ he repeated as he got in.

  CHAPTER

  29

  Ebony woke up with a smile on her face and replayed the night’s events in her head. Where had that come from? Where had it been? And God – why had it taken so long? Her body was still tingling at the memory of his hands on her. She wanted to see him again. Now. She wanted him to do something about this ache she felt.

  The sounds of movements in the main l
iving areas made her check the time – six thirty. She threw back the covers and climbed out of bed, dreamed her way through her shower, then practically danced her way to breakfast, humming as she made herself cereal. There was general breakfast conversation, something about Cam ducking out for a couple of hours, because he wanted to give Lee a hand finishing off the last of the work on the flat. Then her brother was gone.

  The moment the door clicked shut behind him, Ally and Mia practically pounced.

  ‘Okay, out with it,’ Mia demanded.

  Ebony wasn’t surprised by the ambush. She was aware Ally and Mia had exchanged more than one suspicious look thanks to her happy mood since she’d joined them this morning.

  ‘I’m having dinner with Lee tonight. At his place.’

  ‘Because?’ Ally prodded.

  ‘Because he wants to talk to me about last night.’

  ‘How about you talk to us about last night?’ Mia said. ‘What happened last night?’

  ‘When you all conveniently went to bed and left Lee to wait for me to come in and lock up, he came out to talk to me.’

  ‘Is this going to take all day?’ Mia asked. ‘Because I went to bed a full hour earlier than I otherwise would have for just that reason. Get to the good part!’

  ‘He wanted to know why I kissed him when we were in the city.’

  ‘And you told him?’ Ally asked.

  ‘He kind of … figured it out,’ Ebony said with an even bigger grin. ‘Like really figured it out.’ She felt a flush rise as she thought of it. When Ally and Mia just stared in anticipation, she took a deep breath and began at the beginning.

  Lee stood back and took a look at the new bathroom. Not bad. It had taken long enough.

  ‘Morning.’ Cam walked in and looked around. ‘It’s finished?’

  ‘Almost. I turned the water on before and got a drip under the vanity, so I need to take another look at that, and we need to assemble the shelving in the wardrobe.’

  The look Cam gave him was about what he expected – he could have done that himself, no problem, but he’d needed to get Cam out here and away from the girls to say what needed to be said.

  ‘You want to go turn that water back on then? I’ll look at the leak.’

  ‘Yeah. Right – good.’

  They were just about done before Lee finally brought up what had been on his mind since last night. ‘Mate, about Ebs.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Hi.’ Nick walked in and looked around, checked out the bathroom. ‘This looks great – is it done?’

  Oh come on, not now …

  ‘Yeah. No reason you can’t move the rest of your stuff in,’ Cam told him. ‘We’ll just finish this up and be out of your way.’

  ‘Looks like it’s going to be hectic in the surgery this morning but good to know I can get in tomorrow, if not this arvo.’

  ‘Ebs would prefer to be helping out with Saturdays, you know that, right? But because Indy’s only here through the week, Ben doesn’t want her to.’

  ‘All good – I’ve got it close to under control. Just wanted to check with you about moving in. I’d better get back to it.’

  He left, and Cam went back to screwing a drawer runner into the wardrobe.

  ‘Yeah, so I was saying – going to say, about Ebs.’

  ‘Yeah – toss me that smaller screwdriver?’

  Lee found it, did.

  ‘Ta. What were you saying?’

  ‘I asked –’

  ‘Hi, you two. Glad I caught you.’ Carla breezed in, handed Lee some mail. ‘Forgot to give this to Ebs yesterday. She’ll probably want it before Monday. She likes to get everything up to date over the weekends.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Looking good!’ Carla gave herself a tour while Lee kept a pleasant smile on his face and forced himself not to tap his foot. She took her time and when she was finally finished, he followed her to the door, shut it behind her and locked it, muttering to himself.

  When he turned around, Cam was staring at him like he’d grown another head. ‘Feeling antisocial?’

  ‘No, damn it. I just need to talk to you for a minute.’

  ‘Okay, so talk. I have to get back to the girls.’ He walked into the bathroom and stuck his head under the vanity to make sure they’d sealed the leak.

  Ah hell, may as well just say it. ‘Ebs is having dinner at my place.’

  ‘You locked the door to tell me that?’ Cam said from inside the vanity.

  ‘Like a date.’

  Cam cracked his head on the underside of the porcelain sink. Hard. Which could have been the reason his eyes were shocked and his face was blank, but Lee doubted it. ‘Like a proper one?’

  ‘Define “proper”.’

  Cam skimmed a hand tentatively over his hair. ‘Oh hell, Lee, you know what a date is.’

  ‘Definition is important. The impression swirling around in that head of yours could be the difference between a bloody nose and an induced coma.’

  Cam found the damaged spot on his head, grimaced as he touched it. ‘How the hell did she know? I didn’t see it.’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘Ally. She’s had this idea in her head from the get-go.’

  ‘Seriously? They were all in on it?’

  ‘She bet me six – or was it seven – chick flicks that you two … Well, shit. I owe you a thump just for that. You couldn’t have told me this sooner?’

  ‘I didn’t think she’d be interested. I know I’m not good enough for her. I get it if you want to dish out that punch in the nose.’

  ‘Of course you’re not good enough for her. No one is.’ Cam collected his tools from the bathroom and went back into the bedroom, put them away with the others. ‘But I’ll reserve the punch in the nose for if you hurt her – in which case, mate or not, you’ll be heading firmly into the realms of that coma you mentioned.’ He picked up the box, straightened. ‘And seeing as you’re so set on taking her out, at some stage you’ll be coming to see those chick flicks with us. You can live with that, then we’re cool.’

  Lee stared at his friend for several seconds. He didn’t want to push it because Cam looked uncomfortable with the conversation – and the bump on the head. But he had to be sure. ‘That’s it?’

  Cam scowled. ‘Look, if my little sister has to be grown up and date, I’m not really sure who the hell you think I’d prefer to have taking her out. Honestly? I think your timing sucks, but as Ally and I got together under similar crappy circumstances, I’ll remain nonjudgemental. Just … don’t tell me about it. I don’t want details. Got it? Now grab the other end of this thing. You need to be on site in Cessnock and I need to get home.’

  ‘I really don’t know what to wear.’

  ‘Sweetie, it’s Lee. He’s seen you in just about everything – and close to nothing.’ Mia went to her wardrobe. There wasn’t much in there, Ebony knew.

  ‘I haven’t brought much other than everyday clothes over.’

  ‘These are the black pants Ally brought to the city for you? They’re nice, and … this top … yes. There. That outfit says, “Not overdressed but I still want to look nice.”’

  ‘Thanks, Mia.’ Ebony hugged her.

  Mia gave her a quick squeeze in return then stepped away with a quick pat on the back. ‘It’s just an outfit. I didn’t even have to lend you anything. Get dressed.’

  ‘I mean, thanks for all of it. If I hadn’t listened to you and made a move on Lee then nothing would have happened.’

  ‘You made up your own mind on that. And of course it would have. You just sped things up. Get dressed. He’ll be here soon.’ She headed for the door.

  ‘You’re not screwed up.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You said you were, but you’re the least screwed-up person I’ve ever met. And you said I shouldn’t look up to you, but I do. Because I happen to think there’s a lot of things about you worth looking up to, even if you don’t. So if I want to give you a hug and say thank you, then I will. And
you’ll just have to suck it up and take some credit.’

  Mia didn’t say anything for several seconds. Then she nodded, smiling softly. ‘I’ll leave you to get ready.’

  Ebony stopped fussing in front of the mirror when she heard Lee’s voice. He was talking to Mia.

  ‘Hi,’ she said.

  ‘Hi back. You ready?’ She realised he’d been home and showered before arriving – hadn’t just come straight from work like he usually did.

  ‘Cam and Ally are down at the farm,’ Mia explained. ‘Ally needed some help with something.’

  Thank God. Or thank Ally, she supposed, as undoubtedly Ally had created some problem to avoid any awkwardness with Cam.

  ‘Okay, well … yeah, I’m ready.’

  The car trip over was mostly quiet. Lee seemed to be thinking about something and Ebony wasn’t sure what to say. It was surreal, she decided, this anticipation mixed with nerves.

  ‘I’ve made some dinner – I left it warming in the oven,’ Lee said when they finally arrived at his house. ‘Would you like a glass of wine?’

  ‘Sure, thanks.’ He was nervous, she realised, and couldn’t help but smile. It was so endearingly unlike him that it unravelled some of her own nerves.

  He poured her a glass of her favourite white wine and touched her glass to his. When she put it to her lips, then down on the kitchen bench before taking a sip, his look was questioning.

  ‘You’re not drinking your wine?’

  ‘I was kind of hoping you’d kiss me again first.’

  His eyes blazed. He took a long sip of his own wine and put down his glass. ‘You can’t possibly know how tempting that is, but first we need to –’

  She slid her arms around his neck. He wanted to be sensible. She’d waited years. Stuff being sensible. ‘Need to?’ She moistened her lips, stared at his. He made a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh and wrapped his arms around her.

  His mouth took hers, crushing her to the hardness of his chest as his hands moulded her against him. Her whole body turned to water. She pressed herself even closer, shuddered as she felt his response to her. Then, frustratingly, he was stepping back.

  ‘Ebs … Ebs, honey, we’re gonna have to work together – a bit – if I’m going to be able to do this properly.’