The Goodbye Girl (8 page)

Going by the gleam in
Nick’s eyes, he appreciated the view.

Not about to back down,
she cocked an eyebrow.  “Is pain your pleasure, Nick?”

“Depends
.” His voice was even but a dark thread slid through it like black velvet.

Or maybe that was just her libido cranking up.

“On what?”  She deliberately made her voice lazy.

“On what the pain leads to. Where the pain is from.”  Yeah, there was definitely sexual innuendo there.

Not used to that from a man who looked like Nick, Bree nevertheless continued to portray a not-easily impressed woman.  Even though her panties were getting damp.  “Hernia.  Bulging disc.”

“Honey, bringing you down would cause me anything but a hernia or bulging disc.”

“My, you are full of confidence, aren’t you?”

“I know my capabilities.”

“So your home planet is Krypton?”

He didn’t even blink.  “More like Gotham City.”

“Are you likening yourself to Batman?”

“Are you likening yourself to
Little Lottie?”

Nice manoeuvre.  “So you’ve
read the Richie Rich comics.  I’m impressed.”

His lashes - too thick and dark to be decent on a man, surely? - lowered slightly.  “I aim to please.”

She just bet he did.  However, before she could reply, Alex came back into the kitchen.

“Man, I am starved.”  Moving around the kitchen bench, briefly coming between Nick and Bree’s locked gazes, he
touched Harly’s shoulder before turning to the cupboard.  “I’ll get the plates out.”

“Ah…yeah.”  Harly tore her fascinated gaze from Nick and Bree.  “Thanks.”

Alex must have heard something in her voice, because he glanced over one broad shoulder.  “Everything all right?”

“I think so.”

“It’s fine,” Bree assured him.

Alex’s gaze cut to Nick, who just smiled slightly.  “Hmmm.”

That ‘hmmm’ had Bree straightening.  Alex obviously knew something was between her and Nick, he had to know seeing as how he was Nick’s friend and in the same Battalion.  She had to delve a little deeper, see if she could trip them up.

Presuming they were here for something covert, and not just a holiday.  She could end up with
egg on her face if she wasn’t careful, but man, she hadn’t faced a possible conspiracy for a long time.  She’d forgotten how thrilling it could be…

…or maybe it
was the way Nick was watching her, his gaze following her every move as she stood up...

…or maybe the way Alex was narrowing his eyes slightly, as though trying to silently warn Nick about something, and that something was her, she just knew it.

Oh yeah, conspiracy or not, something was up.  She just had to find out what it was, but neither did she want to cause unpleasantness.  Harly was her friend, and even though she’d just met Alex, she liked him.  As for Nick, well…she liked him, too, or what she knew of him from their letters.  He’d gotten her sense of humour, had been more than happy to chat to her about everyday things.

Time would tell if that was still friendliness or something deeper.

Conspiracy!

Paranoid much?

Hell, yes
.

Hopping down off the stool, she went around the kitchen bench and opened the cutlery drawer.  “I’ll get the tools of the trade.”

Pushing away from the table, Nick straightened.  “I’ll wipe the table down, seeing as I was perched on it.’

“Good idea,” Alex said.  “Arse flavour is not my cup of tea.”

“I didn’t know tea came in that flavour.” Nick wet the dishcloth in the sink and brushed past Bree on his return to the table.

“Have you
already forgotten the tea we drank most of this year?”

“Oh yeah
, definitely arse flavoured.”

Harly rolled her eyes and Bree grinned as she gathered the forks and knives. 
Picking up the clean tea towel, she crossed to the table where Nick was leaning over as he wiped it down.

Talking of arses, the man had a nice one.  It filled out
his jeans, just as his muscular thighs had the tough material hugging it.  Lucky jeans.  Not that she could talk.  Her way had always been to look and not touch.  Okay, maybe a grope here and there in a passionate embrace, but there she’d drawn the line.  She’d seen too much to want to go down that route.  Besides, she’d yet to meet the man who could make her willingly drop her panties.

Straightening, Nick took the tea towel from her fingers with a murmured “Thanks” and wiped the table dry.

Listening with half an ear to Harly and Alex talking as they dished up the meal together, Bree set the table with the knives and forks.

“Nick, there’
re drinks in the ‘fridge if you don’t mind pouring them out,” Harly said.

“No worries.  What’s everyone having?”

“I’ll have another iced coffee.” Alex popped a slice of roast lamb into his mouth as he carved the leg.

“Stop that.”  Harly smacked his hand lightly.  “I’ll have
Diet Coke, thanks, Nick.”

Nick’s gaze swung to Bree.

“Diet Coke, please.”

Nick poured the
drinks, joining Alex in an iced coffee.  Setting the glasses on the table, he stepped back.

“Take a seat.” Harly picked up two plates.  “We’ll bring the food.”

Bree found herself sitting opposite Nick, who was taking a leisurely sip of his drink, his gaze tracking around the room before finally coming to a stop on Bree.  Not once did he shift his gaze while Harly and Alex put the plates on the table.

Not one to show discomfort, Bree met his gaze full on.  “So, how long are you here for, Nick?”

Picking up the knife and fork, he cut into the steaming meat.  “A few weeks.”

“Only a few?”  She was
surprised to feel a flash of disappointment.

“Seven,” Alex said.  “Don’t let his poor grammar fool you.”

Harly forked up some roast potatoes.  “Bree, I’m hearing things.”

“Poor love,” Bree replied.  “Have you seen a doctor?”

Nick grinned.

Harly ignored
her quip.  “I’m hearing talk that you believe in UFOs.”

That was
Harly, right to the point.  No mucking around, one of the reasons why Bree liked her.

“I do.” 
She slanted a glance at both Nick and Alex.  Hmmm, Alex looked surprised, but Nick was just eyeing her closely.

Like he knew.

Conspiracy!

Geez, settle down.

“Seriously?” Alex raised both eyebrows.

“Yep.”  Calmly, she chewed on a piece of broccoli.

“UFOs?”

“Yep.”

“So you believe in aliens?”

“Yep.”  She got a real buzz out of seeing people stare at her in disbelief.  Kind
of like the way Alex was doing right now.

Nick just kept eating and watching.

“Have you seen any UFOs for real?” Harly asked.

“Will you throw me out the door without letting me finish this meal if I say yes?”

Harly rested one wrist on the table, her knife poised over her plate.  “Where?  Here?”

“Ah, now…”  Bree smiled slightly.  “There have been unidentified lights seen in a field.”

“Charlotte said that.”

“Probably car
lights,” Alex said.

“Or tractor lights,” Nick added.

“Oh yes, because farmers always run their tractors in wet fields at night.”  Bree speared a piece of carrot.  “It’s good for the soil.”

“Is that a trace of sarcasm I hear?” Alex asked.

“Might be an echo, do you think?”

“Of my sarcasm, you mean?”

“Were you being sarcastic?”  She opened her eyes wide.

Nick laughed.

“Maybe a little,” Alex admitted.

“I also heard that you went out to that field last night,” Harly continued.

Alex shook his head.  “You didn’t.”

Nick
’s gaze never left Bree.

Not in the least perturbed, she forked up potato, dipped it in gravy.  “I parked there for awhile.”

“Did you see anything?” Harly asked.

“Lots of rain.”

“So it would be a wasted effort, right?”

“Not so.  UFOs can tour around pretty well under cover of rain.  Easily explained away if seen.”

“So you were out there after dark in that storm?”  Alex frowned.  “That’s dangerous.”

“I didn’t park on the side of the road where I originally planned,” Bree explained.  “I stayed in the parking bay, which while it didn’t give as good a view, certainly gave me an experience.”

Harly stopped eating.  “What happened?”

“Something hit my car door.”

Harly’s eyes widened, Alex’s narrowed, and Nick’s gaze sharpened.

“Rocked the van, too.”  Bree paused, thinking back to the event.  “Propelled me right out of the seat.”

Nick straightened.  “You were sitting beside the door?”

“I was on a hunt.  Had the food, the drink, and a prime view from the driver’s seat.  Well, until I ended up being shoved across the brake.”

“You were shoved across the brake?” Harly looked worried.

“Kind of.  I got jolted by the force of the blow to the driver’s door.”  Bree cut another piece of meat off, loaded it with some broccoli.  “To be honest, I got a fright and scrambled the rest of the way.”
  And ended up pressed against the passenger door, staring at the dent in the opposite door, her heart pounding out a rhythm it certainly wasn’t meant to do.

Thinking about it, she grinned a little.

Her gaze met Nick’s, to see complete disapproval.

“You were alone,” he stated bluntly.

“How could you possibly guess that?”

“You went into the passenger seat and not once did you mention anyone else in the van with you.”

She pointed the fork at him.  “Good deduction, Sherlock.”

Harly was appalled.  “You were alone?  Bree!”

Bree shrugged.

“So you drove off?” Alex took a mouthful of iced coffee
, swallowed.  “Without seeing anything?”

“Are you kidding me?”

Nick started frowning.  Ohhh, he wasn’t pleased.  Was he going to guess what she’d done?

“You got out.” He almost growled it.  “You got out
alone
to inspect the damage, didn’t you?”

Yep, he’d guessed.  “Of course.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.”  Harly shook her head.  “That was dangerous.”

“Incredibly dangerous
,” Alex agreed.  “What on earth possessed you to get out of the car?”

“Are you kidding me?  What if an alien had been standing there and I missed it by being a wussy and running at the first sign of something unusual?”

“What if it had been a human attacker?”

Wow, it had been a long time since anyone had taken her to task for doing what, to her, was normal.  “I think he’d have smashed the window and grabbed me
before then.”

“Which could have happen
.” The frown still creased Nick’s brow.

“But didn’t.” 
She smiled reassuringly around the table at the three faces looking back at her with expressions ranging from awed - Harly, to concerned - Alex, down to slightly angry - Nick.

Really?  Angry?  Why on earth would Nick be angry?  Bree blinked at him.

“Do you go out on many hunts, Bree?” Nick asked.

“Not as many now as I used to.”

“Alone?”

“Most often now, yes.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Kind of don’t have a choice, Nick.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to go out with glory hunters and nutters.”

It was Nick’s turn to blink.

Alex’s mouth dropped open and
Harly glanced away, glanced back at Bree, then looked down at her plate.

Bree’s lips twitched.  “Let me guess.  You all think I fall into the last category anyway.”

“Oh, no-” Harly began.

“Sweetie, I’m not worried.  You can all think what you like.”  Completely unconcerned, Bree took another mouthful of food.

“It’s not that we think you’re a nut,” Alex began.

“Alex, please, I can tell you’re a man who speaks the truth.  Don’t stop on my account.
  I promise I won’t be offended.”

He hesitated and glanced at Harly, who bit her lip.

“Go on.”  Bree gave a ‘come-on’ gesture with her hand.

“My mother always said if you don’t have anything nice to say about people, you shouldn’t say anything.”