Chapter Four
Liam looked at Angie over the table in the small Chinese restaurant, still finding it hard to believe she was here with him. In Spring Downs, half an hour away from the farm he’d been living on for the past ten months. She’d lost weight since he’d last seen her more than a year and a half ago. Her face was finely boned, yet her high cheekbones were more pronounced than they had been. Her blond hair was pulled back in a high ponytail but the usual stray curls were hanging in tendrils around her face. Her almond-shaped blue eyes were looking down, not meeting his intent gaze. There was a fragility about her and it brought out the protective streak in him.
God, she was so beautiful. Another good thing he’d blown in his life. He’d let her go. He should have come home with her when her visa had expired. Now it was too late. She’d met someone else.
Angie’s face had always had a gentleness that reflected the person she was. The minute he had first seen her, he had fallen hard.
Love at first sight? The logical, rational part of him didn’t believe in that. Hell, he once hadn’t really believed in love, let alone at first sight. But he and Angie had had something good going—bloody good—and if it hadn’t been for her visa running out, they would probably still be together. Call it love, call it what you like. It had been special and it had hurt, like a damn sore tooth, when she’d left.
He pushed away the niggling thought that if he’d been willing to leave London when Angie had, they would have had a chance. They could have still been a couple.
But no. He’d wanted to be the big famous Australian journalist in London. It was too late now. She’d moved on already. Of course she had, a beautiful woman like Angie attracted attention wherever she went. He just hoped that this new guy was good enough for her, and that he was looking after her.
Better than I ever did.
“So…” He picked up the fork and twirled it in his fingers as they waited for their meals to come to the table. “Tell me about the past year or so. We did lose touch quickly, didn’t we?”
“Not really. We didn’t lose it. There was no point staying in touch. Our lives have simply gone in different directions.” Angie stared at him across the table, and he ignored the warmth that settled in his chest. She’d always done it to him. He’d been a hard bastard; he should have insisted on taking her to the airport for her flight home but deep down, he’d known he wouldn’t have been able to let her leave when it came to the crunch. Instead of going to work that night, he’d gone out and gotten rip-roaring drunk.
“So how do you like living in my old hometown?”
“It’s fine.”
Heck, he’d interviewed unwilling politicians for news articles, but this was like pulling teeth.
“Why Spring Downs?” Liam knew he’d never mentioned to Angie where he’d grown up. The country background of the Pilliga Scrub had been a bit of an embarrassment to an up-and-coming international journalist. He’d always told everyone he was from Sydney. Bloody fool snobbery.
“I went to uni with Rod in Melbourne, and when he decided to move to the States, he called me to let me know the practice was for sale. He knew I was back in Australia. And here I am.”
“Yes,” he said slowly. “Here you are. Here we are.”
“So why are you here, Liam?” Angie looked over his head and didn’t meet his eye. Her mouth was set in a straight line and her voice was disinterested. He knew her well and she looked bored. Maybe she felt awkward about being out with him in public.
Liam shook his head slightly. Not that it was terribly public. A typical night in the dead hub of Spring Downs. They were the only customers in the Chinese restaurant and the main street had been deserted when he’d waited outside the restaurant for her. Angie had insisted on walking from the hospital which was only a few hundred yards up the road. Apparently her car was still at her house. The beauty of Spring Downs. Two cross streets and you could go anywhere without a car.
“My grandmother called us all home a few months back.”
“And you jumped to her bidding?”
“Yes, I did.” It was easy to understand why her tone was terse. Angie had been disappointed when he had decided to stay in London when she came back to Australia. His job had been more important and it had given him some great experience with the new technology in the newspaper world. Though she hadn’t tried to talk him into coming home with her, and although he’d appreciated it at the time, he had wondered if maybe she hadn’t really wanted him to go home with her.
“And you’ve obviously stayed.”
“Yes. But it’s only for a short while longer. I’ll be going back to Sydney before Christmas.”
“Sydney? Why not back to London?”
Is that relief in her voice? “I’ve got a contact at the ABC network. My London experience should secure me a spot at the studio or in radio.” He had his hopes pinned on this job coming through. He had a good chance and this position wasn’t coming up until the New Year, and then he’d be able to get back to his real career.
“That will be nice for you.” Angie sounded bored stiff, and Liam’s temper started to fire. They’d been close once, surely she could at least pretend to be interested in his life now. Hell, he wanted to know all about hers. If he was honest, he’d admit to himself that she’d been in his thoughts constantly since he’d come back home. No, scrap that, since the day she’d left him.
If it hadn’t been for him knowing she had a new love interest, he might have contacted her as soon as he’d arrived back in Australia. He’d considered it, but he’d always hesitated. It was better to sever ties completely. Even now, there was no point resuming their relationship because once he left the farm, he’d be working in the city again, and Angie’s job was country-based.
“I’m sorry if I’m boring you.”
“You’re not.”
“Well, it sure sounds like it.”
“Still need to be the centre of attention, Liam?” This time her voice was cruel but he knew he deserved everything Angie dished up.
He reached over the table and took her hand, flinching when she jumped. “I’m sorry, Ange.”
“What for?” This time she looked up and held his gaze.
“For letting you go like I did.”
“No need to lay it on.”
“I’m not. I mean it. I could have looked after you better those last few months.”
“Yes, you were a right proper arse.”
And he had been. When Angie had announced she had to go back to Melbourne, he’d tried to put some distance between them and had spent more time at the local pub after work. He had tried to get used to being without her. He hadn’t known how he was going to cope without her in his life.
“Well, you always did tell it like it was.” Finally, that elicited a slight lift of her lips. Not quite a smile but close. “So tell me about you. Do you live in town? Has Grant moved here, too?”
“Grant? Who’s Grant?” She screwed up her nose.
“Your new man. I talked to him on the phone last year. Remember I rang you?”
“That was Hugh…and no, he doesn’t live here.” Liam wondered why she hesitated and he kept his eyes on her pretty mouth.
“Hugh lives and works in Melbourne.”
“So does he come to Spring Downs?” Liam’s curiosity was fed by a little morsel of hope.
For Angie, the gaze she bestowed on him was harder than usual. “He’s in Melbourne. It’s really none of your business.”
Angie visibly relaxed as the young Chinese waitress carried two sizzling plates over to the table. “Hello, Lin. How’s that bird of yours?”
“Oh, Angie. He’s much better. I’ve been looking after him just like you told me.”
Liam sat back as the young girl gave Angie a detailed explanation of what she had been doing for the pet the past couple of weeks. Surreptitiously, he glanced down at his watch as the waitress went back to the kitchen. When he looked up, Angie raised her eyebrows at him. He knew exactly what she was thinking; he’d always read her well. Funny, though, when she’d been talking about her partner, her face had been set and he’d found it hard to see past the closed expression.
“In a hurry, Liam?”
“Yes, well, I only planned on being in town for a short while but the wait at the surgery was a lot longer than I expected.”
“You should have rung and made an appointment. You wouldn’t have had to wait then.”
“I didn’t think you would be busy.” Liam shook his head. “Anyway, it’s too late to do anything at the farm now.”
The silence as they ate their meal was far from comfortable.
Liam looked around. The décor of Billy Kee’s restaurant was hideous but typical of the Chinese restaurants that dotted country towns in the outback.
Seventies food, seventies décor.
The once bright red walls, painted to match the long red tassels hanging from the square black plastic light shades, had long since faded to pink. In the end, Liam couldn’t stand the cold silence and he pulled out his phone and scrolled to the photos.
“I promised to show you my new nephew.”
“Are they both well?” She leaned towards him.
Finally, a glimmer of interest.
“Yes, and he is a little beauty. Looks just like Lucy. It’s a shame Gran and Pop are in New Zealand. They’d planned to be home before the baby was born. But I’m sure they’ll fly in when they hear they have a great-grandchild.”
Angie bit her lip. “It sounds like you’ve fit right into the family scene out here.”
“I have.” Liam lowered his voice. “It’s been good for me, Angie. And I want you to know—”
Angie shook her head. “No. Leave it there, Liam. It’s time I was going. I have a few patients in overnight, and some medication to dole out before I go home.” She sat up straight. “What are you going to do about Willow? She’s right to go home, as long as you keep her confined.”
“She’s not my dog. Can’t you keep her there?” Liam frowned.
“No, I can’t. If I kept every stray or abandoned dog—or cat—I would have a menagerie and would have to work twenty-four-seven.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “What would you suggest?”
“Take her home, and I’ll ask around. It shouldn’t be too hard. Boykin spaniels are quite rare, and not really seen much outside their native region.”
“Where’s that?” Maybe he could take the damn dog back to wherever it came from.
Angie’s laugh was light, but genuine. “South Carolina in North America.”
“Oh.”
“Look, I’ll find some breeders for you. Maybe we can track her down. She might have run away and got hit by a car, and then limped along to your place.”
Liam shook his head. “I doubt it. Our farm is a couple of kilometres off the main road and I know all the neighbours. They only have working dogs.”
“Give me your number and I’ll call you.” Her mouth firmed when he smiled. “But I’ll only call if I find out anything.”
“All right. I’m going to be busy, anyway. I’ve got a heap of work tomorrow, seeing this afternoon was wasted.”
He didn’t get the cold reaction he expected. Her smile was wide and her eyes lit up. “It wasn’t wasted. You looked after an injured animal. And your new nephew made an entrance.”
Bloody hell. She blew hot and cold; he didn’t know where he stood with her. Liam pushed back his chair and reached for the bill folder in the centre of the table. “I’ll take her home then. I’ll meet you at the surgery after I pay the bill. Or do you want a lift?”
Angie shook her head and dropped her gaze. “I’ll walk.” She dug into her bag and held out a twenty-dollar note. “There’s the money for my meal.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“I insist.” Angie put the note on the table and stood. Liam watched as she walked to the door, her back ramrod straight.
…
Liam rolled his eyes as the whimpering from the kitchen woke him up for what seemed like the hundredth time. He rolled over and looked at the glowing green numbers on the digital clock. Three o’bloody clock. He pushed the sheet back and climbed out of bed. He’d left his jocks on the last time he’d got up about half an hour ago. He padded quietly into the kitchen and walked across to the basket he’d put near the laundry door. Willow—they’d gotten to know each other pretty well over the past few hours—was sitting up in the basket Liam had retrieved from the hay shed. Her eyes were wide and she whimpered as he looked down at her. His heart softened.
“Come on.” He reached down and scooped her up into the crook of his elbow, taking care not to hurt the leg that Angie had splinted and bandaged. “This is the only way either of us is going to get some sleep.” He carried the small pup into the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed rubbing her soft silky ears. She snuggled into his side and her eyes closed. Liam lay down carefully and placed Willow on his chest.
Before he drifted off to sleep, he smiled.
Liam Smythe, cutting political commentator, nursing a pup to sleep.
He was getting soft.