The Goodbye Girl (35 page)

“Don’t sweat it, honey.”  Coming to her side, he took her hand in his and started strolling along the footpath, matching his stride to her shorter one.

“You’re not the one going to be lynched by their families when the seniors die on the frozen moors.”

“There are no moors around Whicha.  Besides,
it won’t go that far.”

“H
ow can you be so sure?”

“Because Alex told me.”

“Alex?  When did he hear about it?”

“He picked me up this morning from your place-”

“I wondered how you’d gotten home.”

“I gave him a call to see if he was heading our way.  Luckily he was driving to the service station to get the Sunday papers.”

“Ah.”

“Anyway, he mentioned that
Alfred from the Seniors Club had told him about his plan to get this SOW thing going.  Alex said he knows the seniors in that club, and they’re more into social events.  This is a social event for them.”

“
Sitting in the cold?”

“
Honey, some of them have bad arthritis.  I doubt they’re all going to be sitting on a  blanket sipping hot tea, not in winter.  However, summer might be a different story, but I think the UFO craze might have disappeared by then.”

“You think?”

“If they see nothing for several weeks at a time, do you really think they’re going to sit in the cold and freeze their backsides off?”  Affectionately, he bumped her shoulder with his arm.  “Not everyone is a dedicated hunter like you.”

Bree inhaled the fresh country air, tipping her head back to indulge in the scent of rain-
freshened earth.  “Maybe not so dedicated.”

Nick looked down at her.

“I lied to David.”

“I heard.”

“Spying on me?”

“
Finished paying for the coffees and stepped out of the café, actually.”

“Huh.”

“And I like spying on you.”

“Because you’re military.”

“Wait until I start interrogating you.”  His voice dropped, became huskier.  “I have some very devious, depraved, sexual positions that will make you talk.”

Bree fanned her face with one
hand.  “I don’t think I’d be able to even squeak.”

“You’ll scream.”

That had her cheeks flaming even while she laughed.  “Pervert.”

“Absolutely, “ he agreed cheerfully.  “So, back to David.  That’d have something to do with not wanting hunters here.”

“Yep.”

“Good cause.”

“I thought the end justified the means.”

“So what are you feeling guilty about?”

“Guilty?”  She cast him a surprised look.  “I don’t feel guilty.”

“
No?”

She looked up at him.  “Another facet of my not-quite-so-sterling
character.  I can lie for a good cause and never feel guilty.”

“Hmmm.”  Nick looked straight ahead, expression thoughtful.

Wondering whether she’d touched a nerve, she hesitated.  “Um…did I just commit a crime?”

“Pardon?”

“Is lying on your ‘no’ list?”

“Honey, I hate to tarnish my good boy image, but everyone lies at some time.”

“So you don’t mind?”

“Not if you believe it was for a good reason.  The only thing I don’t want…” Drawing to a halt, he turned to look down at her.  “Is lies between us.  Truth is important in a relationship.”

“I agree.”  She met his gaze steadily.  “I’d never lie to you.”

He raised one eyebrow.

“You don’t know me well enough yet,” she reasoned, “I get that.  But you know, I don’t know you well enough, either.  I’m going on blind trust here and let me tell you, I don’t trust easily.”  And that was the total, honest truth.

His hand slipped up to cup her cheek.  “Then I’m honoured.”

He said the sweetest things.  She smiled up at him.

“Bree, I’d never betray your trust, ever.  What you see wit
h me is what you get, and I know it’s the same with you.”

“Tw
o pieces of a puzzle.”  At his slightly quizzical expression, she said, “Something a good friend told me not so long ago.  Basically, when you love someone and its right, it’s like two pieces of a puzzle fitting together.”

“Wise friend
.” Nick bent down to kiss her with a tenderness that just wrung her heart.  With a smile he pulled back, pressed a kiss to her forehead and taking her hand once more, resumed walking.

Falling into step beside him, Bree remarked, “I like your style, soldier boy.”

“That’s why we fit so well together, hunter.”  Nick entwined his fingers through hers, tugging her close to his side.  “So, are we going hunting again tonight?”

“I thought we could sit inside and watch a movie instead.”

“Really?”  Surprise was evident in his tone.  “But what about those lights?”

“Yep.  That’s what I mean about not
being so dedicated.”

“You don’t believe in UFOs?  After last night?”

“So you admit it was UFOs!”

“I admit it was unidentified lights.  That
doesn’t mean its aliens.”

Bree laughed.  “Y
ou don’t cave easily.”

“I probably never will.”

“No biggie.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Sure.  No skin off my nose if you don’t believe.  Heck, people all over the world believe in things other’s don’t.  It’s nothing to get in a frazzle over, depending on the couple and the disagreement, of course.”

“You are something else, Bree Ford.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Honey, it was meant as
one.”

She squeezed his
hand.

He returned the squeeze.

“Anyway, the dedication,” Bree continued as they crossed the road.  “I’m dedicated, I believe.  But I don’t let it rule my life, not like my Mum did, and not like a lot of other hunters who make it their entire career, living and breathing it.”  They started ambling down the other side of the street back in the direction they’d walked.  “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just not for me.  Been there, done that, over it.  I like to go spaceship spotting if there’s something nearby, but I’m not fanatical about it.  It’s just a hobby now.  Some people like to knit beside the fire, I’ll go on a hunt if I  believe its valid.  If I really don’t feel like going out, I won’t.  After last night, I’m thinking a cosy night in is much more appealing.”

“Agreed,” he said.

“But I believe.  I totally believe.  The greys, the talls, the aliens.  They
are
out there somewhere, near or far, they’re visiting our planet for their own purposes.”

“You don’t believe they come in peace?”

“Nick, really.”  Bree wrinkled her nose.  “If those aliens had come in peace they’d be walking amongst us now.  I think they study us, as abductees will verify.  For what purpose I have no idea.”

“You’d think being
so advanced that they’d have learned enough about us over all those years of experimenting,” he commented.

“Exactly!  That’s what I don’t get. 
Being so advanced, why the continued experiments?  You know what I think?”

“I’m really going to enjoy hearing this theory.”

That comment deserved to be ignored.  “I think they experiment on us to take the results back to their own planets to benefit them.  We’re the guinea pigs.”

After a few seconds silence, he murmured, “You might have a point there.”

Satisfied, she nodded.

“So maybe it’s just a pervert thing they have of probing.”

Amused, Bree replied, “You and your probing.”

“It’s nothing to
laugh about, honey.  Probing is deadly serious stuff.”

“I’ll protect you from the probing, all right?”

“But who’s going to protect you from the probing?”

“I don’t get probed.”

“You will tonight.”

That had her
missing a step.

Laughing, Nick steadied her.

“What did you say?” she asked, astonished.

“Tonight.”  He winked.  “I’m going to
probe you.”

Her mouth fell open.  Did he really just say…?

“I’m going to eat dinner first, then feast on you.  Then I’m going to probe you really decadently and-”

“Hey, hey,
hey
.”  She held up one hand.  “Let’s get this straight.  I’m not into the whole anal probing.”

It was his turn to look stunned.  “What?”

“I’m sorry, but if we’re going to be truthful-”

“
Jesus.  Bree, I didn’t mean
anal
probing.”  He started laughing.

“I’m just saying.”  Placing her hands on her hips, she frowned up at him.  “What?”

“Oh Bree.”  Slipping his arms around her, he drew her against him.  “Oh God, you make me laugh at the most unexpected things.”

She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing
or a bad thing right now.  “Nick-”

“Okay, let’s get this straight.  I’m
not into anal sex.”

“Thank goodness for
that.”  She slumped against him.

“Oral sex, however, that is
definitely on the cards.”

Holy crap
.  Bree’s cheeks flamed at the matter-of-fact way Nick calmly stated it.

“And as for sex positions, there are quite a few I like and will definitely enjoy showing you.”  He dropped a kiss on top of her head.  “Oh hell yeah, will I ever.”

“Just keep holding me,” Bree muttered.

“My pleasure.”

“I just can’t look at you right now, so…”

Nick started shaking with
laughter.

“
Laugh it up, soldier boy.  I-” Bree halted, realisation dawning.  Tipping back her head, she met Nick’s twinkling eyes.  “Someone has been spilling secrets!”  At his innocent expression, she accused, “Bloody Sarah has been shooting off her mouth.”

“Actually, Paul told us what was being discussed at the hairdressers the other day. 
Honey, you are such a raunchy bunch.  I’ll never be able to walk in there without feeling sexually harassed.”

“You d
ill.”  Reaching around, she pinched his backside, not an easy job with the jeans he was wearing.

“I promise you, Bree, I’ll only let you sexually
harass me.  In fact, I insist on it.”  Grinning, he kissed her lightly.

Feeling happier than she could remember,
she resumed walking beside him down the street.  “Ditto, soldier boy, ditto.”

~*~

Tall, thin and dead quiet, Bill sat in the chair eyeing Bree in the mirror while she flipped the cape around him.

Picking up the water bottle, she sprayed his hair.  “So, how’s life treating you?”

“Fine.”

“Doing anything today?”

“Work.”

“And a hair cut?”

Bill eyed her a touch sourly.

“Uh huh.” 
Picking up the comb, she ran it through his hair.  “So, what would Sir like done to his luscious locks?”

“Trimmed. Without the running commentary.”

“Just think what you miss out on.”

“Just think what I won’t.”

“Okay then.  One silent trim coming up.”  Not insulted in the slightest, Bree started trimming.

Voices came from the front bench and
then Bella led Harly to the next chair.

Settling into it,
Harly smiled at Bill.  “Hi.”

He grunted.

Used to him, Harly nodded to Bree while Bella flipped the cape over her and fastened it at her nape.

“Can’t talk,” Bree told her.  “I’m in the middle
of a silent trim.”

Bill didn’t blink.

“Fortunately, that doesn’t include me,” Bella announced cheerfully, squirting water on Harly’s hair.  “Sure you only want a trim and not a totally different cut?”

“Just a trim.”

“Are you and Bill related?”

“N
ot that I’m aware of.”  Harly flashed a smile at Bill.

Stoically, he kept his gaze on the mirror.

Amused, Bree shifted the stool around to start a different section of his hair.

“So, Harly, while I’m giving you the totally
boring
trim you always have,” Bella said, “tell me about your holiday.”

“Alex and I are going to the city for a week to visit his parents, and then we’re off on a quiet little week away at the beach.”

“Nice.”  Bella clipped sections of Harly’s hair.  “Who’s looking after your animals?”