hum of quiet conversation greeted them as they stepped further inside. A pretty woman dressed in black broke into a smile at the sight of them, or more accurately, at the sight of Ethan. The two embraced warmly; tears sparkled in her eyes as she spoke.
"It's sure good to see you. We worried."
"I'm all right, love," he said.
"Had a rough go, did you?" she asked in an accent much like his. Because her concern was readily apparent, Jordan wondered if here stood the woman she'd imagined waiting somewhere for him.
"A bit," he said, "but things are better now." He turned to Jordan . "This is Lacey, Kevin's partner for life, partner in business and one of my best friends."
Jordan refused to validate the feeling of relief that flooded through her. She was tired. She was disturbed by Terry's death. She was definitely disturbed. But certainly not by Ethan Caldwell.
Lacey led them to a booth whose walls were hung with photos. Stark red deserts, a yellow river lined with trees and flowers unlike any she knew and a house standing alone on a vast tract of land, the low hanging eaves of a metal roof shading its wide veranda.
"Ethan took those. Of home," Lacey explained. She put down two menus and added, "I'll be back with some wine."
Jordan pointed to the bottom photo. "Is that the cattle station?"
A tinge of the pain she'd seen before washed over his features. He nodded and cleared his throat. "My folks died there, in a fire, when I was sixteen. I was out larking about with my mates. By the time I got there it was too late to save them. It still hurts, even after all the years."
"Unfinished business,” she said. “Like with my parents.”
That's why I'm going to help you, Jordan thought. You and Drew will be able to let go of the accident, let go of the guilt. Because all your questions will have answers. "How do you work things out with someone who's gone?" Ethan asked.
"It isn't easy."
"Sounds as though you tried. Did you get it done?"
"To a degree, but never to my satisfaction."
“Well, well," boomed a cheerful voice from behind Ethan. "Sure’n I’d about given you up for lost, boyo."
Ethan's surprise was unmistakable, but the eyes that rolled in droll amusement held an obvious affection for the newcomer. "Give us a break, Kevin, and ditch the brogue."
She smiled as Ethan moved over to make room for the brawny redhead fixing them with an injured look.
"Ah, but mate," Kevin protested, "I always favor our new customers with a bit of color and atmosphere. They seem to appreciate it."
"A bit of blarney, you mean," interrupted Ethan, exactly mimicking Kevin's lilt. Then in his normal speech he continued, "Well, Jordan ’s not a customer. She's a friend. And I believe she'd appreciate you more without the window dressing."
"Is that true, darlin'? Would you prefer my plain old Aussie way?"
She laughed. "Yes, but promise you'll dust off the brogue once in a while, just for fun."
Kevin smiled at her. "You're beaut, love." Then he glanced at his friend. "I expect you've noticed she’s beaut?"
Ethan nodded. "I've noticed."
"Glad those drongos didn't knock you senseless the other night," he said with a satisfied nod. "All healed, are you?"
"Almost."
"And just aching for another go at it, I'll wager."
Ethan groaned. They'd obviously had this discussion before. "I have no choice," he insisted, and leaned back against the padded booth.
"What d'you suppose you'll accomplish," continued Kevin, "except to get beat up again if you're caught." His voice went soft, his concern for his friend as clear as his wife's had been. "They nearly did you in the first time, mate. Don't look for trouble."
"I'm not looking for trouble, Kev, but I've gone over everything and I can't find any errors. I've got to get onto the site and see for myself where the failures occurred."
As the conversation continued, Lacey brought the wine and three glasses. Kevin poured the pale gold liquid as Ethan talked. The two men sat shoulder to shoulder,
"It's sure good to see you. We worried."
"I'm all right, love," he said.
"Had a rough go, did you?" she asked in an accent much like his. Because her concern was readily apparent, Jordan wondered if here stood the woman she'd imagined waiting somewhere for him.
"A bit," he said, "but things are better now." He turned to Jordan . "This is Lacey, Kevin's partner for life, partner in business and one of my best friends."
Jordan refused to validate the feeling of relief that flooded through her. She was tired. She was disturbed by Terry's death. She was definitely disturbed. But certainly not by Ethan Caldwell.
Lacey led them to a booth whose walls were hung with photos. Stark red deserts, a yellow river lined with trees and flowers unlike any she knew and a house standing alone on a vast tract of land, the low hanging eaves of a metal roof shading its wide veranda.
"Ethan took those. Of home," Lacey explained. She put down two menus and added, "I'll be back with some wine."
Jordan pointed to the bottom photo. "Is that the cattle station?"
A tinge of the pain she'd seen before washed over his features. He nodded and cleared his throat. "My folks died there, in a fire, when I was sixteen. I was out larking about with my mates. By the time I got there it was too late to save them. It still hurts, even after all the years."
"Unfinished business,” she said. “Like with my parents.”
That's why I'm going to help you, Jordan thought. You and Drew will be able to let go of the accident, let go of the guilt. Because all your questions will have answers. "How do you work things out with someone who's gone?" Ethan asked.
"It isn't easy."
"Sounds as though you tried. Did you get it done?"
"To a degree, but never to my satisfaction."
“Well, well," boomed a cheerful voice from behind Ethan. "Sure’n I’d about given you up for lost, boyo."
Ethan's surprise was unmistakable, but the eyes that rolled in droll amusement held an obvious affection for the newcomer. "Give us a break, Kevin, and ditch the brogue."
She smiled as Ethan moved over to make room for the brawny redhead fixing them with an injured look.
"Ah, but mate," Kevin protested, "I always favor our new customers with a bit of color and atmosphere. They seem to appreciate it."
"A bit of blarney, you mean," interrupted Ethan, exactly mimicking Kevin's lilt. Then in his normal speech he continued, "Well, Jordan ’s not a customer. She's a friend. And I believe she'd appreciate you more without the window dressing."
"Is that true, darlin'? Would you prefer my plain old Aussie way?"
She laughed. "Yes, but promise you'll dust off the brogue once in a while, just for fun."
Kevin smiled at her. "You're beaut, love." Then he glanced at his friend. "I expect you've noticed she’s beaut?"
Ethan nodded. "I've noticed."
"Glad those drongos didn't knock you senseless the other night," he said with a satisfied nod. "All healed, are you?"
"Almost."
"And just aching for another go at it, I'll wager."
Ethan groaned. They'd obviously had this discussion before. "I have no choice," he insisted, and leaned back against the padded booth.
"What d'you suppose you'll accomplish," continued Kevin, "except to get beat up again if you're caught." His voice went soft, his concern for his friend as clear as his wife's had been. "They nearly did you in the first time, mate. Don't look for trouble."
"I'm not looking for trouble, Kev, but I've gone over everything and I can't find any errors. I've got to get onto the site and see for myself where the failures occurred."
As the conversation continued, Lacey brought the wine and three glasses. Kevin poured the pale gold liquid as Ethan talked. The two men sat shoulder to shoulder,
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