He started the ute. Out of nowhere, he got the urge not to retreat to his treetop hideaway, where his books, his music, his forest awaited. He hadn’t so much as looked in on park operations in ten months and he hated the thought that Romy would be judging him by the standards she found there when she started work first thing Monday morning.
He opened his window when he was side on to her, and raised his hand in a reluctant farewell. ‘See you Monday, Romy.’
She plastered her hands to her hips and called after him. ‘I thought you didn’t get involved in operations?’
He wondered if she knew how sexy she looked standing slung like that on the verandah of his old family home. Possibly not or she wouldn’t be wasting it on him. She’d made it perfectly clear how little she thought of the military and, by association, him. It wasn’t really too different to how he felt. He pushed his sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose and looked back out at her.
‘Usually,’ he called out, and then accelerated out the driveway.
She shrank in his rear-vision mirror until he turned the bend. When he hit the branch-off for home he kept driving. He had the rest of Saturday night and all of Sunday to play catch-up on what had been happening at WildSprings while he was AWOL from the business side of things.
Come Monday morning he wanted to have a full handle on his business.
It was probably overdue and only had a bit to do with the auburn-haired beauty now living in his parents’ cottage.
Probably.
THE gift shop wasn’t the only part of the wilderness retreat in Romy’s sights during her first week. People were obliging on her first days since a pretty young thing from the city was novelty enough without her walking around with an impressive high-tech satellite phone/GPS combo, a dark blue uniform reminiscent of the police force and taking notes wherever she went.
By day four, her new colleagues were wearying of her tight focus on their operations and her recommendations for change to improve security, but they found it easier simply to comply.
It wasn’t all wins. Justin refused point-blank to consider CCTV equipment for the admissions area, arguing that some of their guests appreciated the low-key and confidential approach WildSprings offered. And the local farmer Romy busted helping himself to avocados from one of the park’s many orchards voiced his outrage all round the district of having to supplement his pigs’ expensive tastes out of his own pocket. It was hardly drug busts and high-tech stakeouts but it was enormously satisfying nonetheless, because it was hers.
New job, new home, new start.
Today’s drama wasn’t too difficult. One of her random perimeter-fence checks had turned up a breach right at the back of the park near a series of deep, crystalline dams. No doubt locals sneaking in to snare the succulent crustaceans living on the dam floor, or kids cooling off in the cold, clean depths. Except kids wouldn’t have vehicles and there were definite tyre tracks coming in off a disused access road.
‘Hey, Simone,’ Romy greeted the admin assistant as she walked into Justin’s office a few doors down from the broom closet she called her own. ‘I’m heading out to do fence repair and I’ll be taking the last roll of straining wire. Would you mind restocking from Garretson’s?’
Simone glared up from her to-do pile and mumbled, ‘Sure. What’s one more boss giving me tasks?’
She kept her voice even. ‘Everything okay, Simone?’
‘No.’ The redhead glared at her, then puffed air through her cheeks, sighing. ‘It’s not your fault. I know you have a job to do. It’s just that my workload has trebled this week what with yourself starting and Mr McLeish suddenly reappearing.’ She gestured to the work stacked on her desk.
Ah. Territory issues. ‘You look like a woman who could use a coffee break.’ She smiled. ‘Come on. I’ll fix you one.’
Simone grumbled as she emerged from behind the stack of files but followed willingly enough to the kitchenette. ‘I kid you not, Romy. I hadn’t seen Mr McLeish for a year before the day you came in for your interview. Then Monday morning I come in to a two-page to-do list.’
Romy poured two coffees. ‘A year? Seriously?’
Simone scooted up onto the kitchenette benchtop. ‘You wouldn’t know, because you’re new,’ she started in a conspiratorial tone, ‘but Clint McLeish is kind of a mystery man around here. No-one but Justin sees much of him at all.’
The last part she could believe. The man’s manner practically screamed, Leave me alone.
‘So now I have Justin and you giving me work and Mr McLeish lurking around in the shadows by day and riffling through the office overnight. It’s unsettling.’
Romy’s spider senses started tingling. He was working alone at night? What on?
‘I get that you’re new and all,’ the redhead grizzled onwards, taking a healthy swallow of instant coffee, ‘but we all have a first week and why he feels it’s necessary to pave your way particularly, I don’t know.’
Pave her way?
Simone moaned. ‘Sorry. That sounds bitchy. This isn’t really about you. I just wish if he was going to get so involved in someone’s workload he might spare a thought for mine.’ She took another swallow of coffee. ‘This is like therapy—I feel heaps better for venting.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Romy casually dropped in, going straight into investigation mode, ‘whose work is he doing?’
Simone blinked at her. ‘Yours. At least, some of it.’
‘What?’
‘He’s coming in at night, Romy. Working on park security. I thought you knew?’
‘How would I know?’
‘We assumed it was something you did. You know, in the city.’
‘Even in the city I’d stop short on spying on my employer,’ she said. Unless there was good reason. ‘No wonder people are keeping me at arms-length.’
Simone’s face dropped as she finally realised she’d said something wrong. ‘Oh. No. That’s not what I meant. We’re all just getting to know you…as best we can…’ she finished a bit pathetically.
Romy winced. ‘Have I come on a bit strong?’
‘Not strong. Just…’
Pushy? Nosey? Determined? She’d been called all three in her time.
‘God. Sorry.’ Simone slid off the bench. ‘I’m making a real mess of this. Quendanup is the country, you know? People like to get to know everything about you. And you’re a bit private, that’s all. People here are already sensitive to that because of Mr McLeish, so…’
Romy relaxed. This wasn’t the first time she’d had the criticism. There was one sure way to end gossip. Satisfy it. ‘What would you like to know about me?’
Simone stopped in the doorway. Chewed her lip. ‘I can ask?’
‘Go ahead. I have nothing to hide.’ Ha! She leaned on the counter and forced herself to relax. ‘Three questions.’
Simone slid her cup into the sink and clenched her hands in front of her, thinking fast. She spun back. ‘Why did you leave the city?’
Straight for the million-dollar question. There was no good answer for that one. Except the truth. ‘There was…someone…I wanted to get far away from. This seemed like a sufficient distance.’ Let them think she had left Leighton’s father. And it would be ‘them’; she had no doubt her private business