A Bride For Barra Creek. Jessica Hart

she was doing defending Tye Gibson.

      ‘Nobody except you would have thought they had to fling themselves into his arms just to be polite!’ her mother had retorted, clearly baffled by Lizzy’s behaviour. ‘It’s absolutely typical of you, Lizzy! You always go too far!’

      Lizzy had given up then. She did feel a little guilty about having caused a scene at Ellie’s wedding, but it wasn’t as if she had hurt anyone’s feelings. And she certainly didn’t feel guilty enough to give up her best chance yet of a real job.

      Muttering vaguely about the possibility of a job in Sydney as she’d left, Lizzy had prudently kept Tye Gibson’s name out of it. Her mother would have a fit when she heard, but Lizzy would deal with that when—if—she got the job.

      ‘She doesn’t approve of me?’ Tye broke into her thoughts. It was more of a statement than a question.

      Her mother’s words rang in Lizzy’s ears: ‘That Tye Gibson is no good! He never was and he never will be! He broke his poor father’s heart, Lizzy, and he’ll break a lot more hearts before he’s finished, you mark my words. Don’t you have anything to do with him!’

      ‘Well…not really,’ she said cautiously.

      ‘Good,’ he said coolly. ‘I have to confess when I met you at your sister’s wedding I thought you would be too nice. I had you down as the kind of person who has to be liked, but if you’re prepared to meet me again in the face of family disapproval, that means you’ve got what it takes after all.’

      Lizzy couldn’t imagine anyone else being pleased to hear that they were thoroughly disliked. ‘It means I need a job,’ she told him honestly.

      ‘I know.’ Tye leant forward and looked straight into her puzzled blue eyes. ‘I’ve got a feeling that it also means you could be just the girl I’m looking for!’