Ridge Creek Reunited (Ridge Creek Duology) (22 page)

“Hey there,” Bill greets me with a friendly smile. Towball moves his piercing blue eyes to mine, winks and then continues to make a play on the pool table without saying a single word.

“No dramas on the roads on your way back from the last house?” I ask Bill conversationally. I haven’t seen him for a few days since he delivered the last of the cameras and wiring to Luke at the fourth house.

“Nope,” Bill replies as he eyes the pool table to assess his next play. “You guys finished what you were up there to do I take it?”

“Yep,” I reply sinking into the couch and crossing my legs. Making conversation with these guys is going to be
hard work.
Something I’m starting to lament when Emma suddenly appears at the doorway to the communal room. She’s looking slightly better than the last time I saw her. This time she’s dressed and her hair’s in a ponytail.

Scanning the room, she lays her eyes on me and starts moving towards me with purpose. At this point Jake notices her and instantly loses interest in his conversation at the bar. Watching her move across the room, I notice him nod to the two men he’s talking to before he lifts from his seat at the bar to follow Emma. We both sense that she’s a woman on a mission and she has something to say.

Arriving just before Jake, Emma throws herself down on the couch next to me. “God, you have no idea the sacrifices I make for you,” she mutters before she sighs and leans back into the couch.

She then shifts her attention to the pool table where she smirks at Towball, nods at Bill and then turns her eyes to Jake as he arrives in front of us both. “Boss man,” she greets him cheekily.

“Emma,” Jake replies softly before his eyes turn serious. “What’s up?”

“Patricia’s up, that’s what,” Emma announces looking annoyed. Moving her attention to me she continues. “I forgot to say before, but she’s moved into your old house.”

“What!” I let out a small screech. “That
bitch
is in my house?”

“I know,” Emma continues looking livid. “She moved pretty fucking quickly didn’t she?”

“I’ll say,” I hear Jake murmur from above us.

“She’s a squatter at this point though. She can’t apply to VCAT to administrate the affairs of a missing person on your behalf for another sixty days. From what I hear however, she’s already filled out the paperwork. Because she’s your only known next of kin, they’ll likely grant it to her. Which means they’ll then give her access to your accounts and she’ll have full responsibility for your affairs, including your house and your car for the next seven years. She can’t sell them, but she can use them and spend the cash you left in your accounts. After seven years she can then make another application and they’ll likely sign everything over to her. That is, unless you resurface to reclaim what’s yours.”

“That’s so
wrong,
” I announce unhappily. “That bitch doesn’t deserve a cent from me and now she’s taken over my house?”

“Didn’t think you’d like it,” Emma announces. “The way I see it, you need to decide what’s going on with her and Stephen and then you can decide how to deal with this. Let it slide for the minute, get your DNA results and go from there. It might not be worth the energy. You might want to just let it go.”

“Let it go my ass,” Jake rumbles from above us. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

“Agreed,” Emma nods as she looks up towards Jake. “But right now, we should
hold.
”

Drawing in a huge breath I consider Emma’s news. “I agree,” I announce before letting all the air go again. There’s just too many unknowns at this point for me to do anything. Which sadly means I have to think about my other problem. The DNA test for Patricia.”

“What’s the problem?” Jake asks. “I’ll send someone to sort it out. At least we know where she is.”

“That’s a small bonus,” I agree halfheartedly. “We still have the problem that we need to stick a swab in her mouth and it’s not likely she’ll do it for no reason.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Towball suddenly announces from the pool table where I now realise both Bill and he have stopped playing their game to listen. “I don’t suppose she needs to be conscious does she?”

“Um…” I widen my eyes a
s I look at Towball who looks sincere.

Is he serious?

“No she doesn’t,” both Jake and Emma agree at the same time.

Oh my God, they’re all serious.

“Thank you brother,” Jake nods to Towball before returning his attention to me. “Let’s roll, Ma’s waiting.”

Still reeling from the thought that Towball plans to visit my mother, knock her out and take a DNA sample, I stand up in a slight daze.

“Excellent!” Emma chirps from beside me as she too jumps up. “Knew you’d sort everything out boss man. I’ve got shit to do. See you both next week. Have a great time.”

And with that, she heads straight back to the doorway and hurries through.
As I watch her disappear, I once again wonder what’s going on with Zane. If he didn’t come back here, where did he go?

“Let’s roll,” Jakes voice cuts through my thoughts.

Banishing Zane from my thoughts, I nod and grab for my shopping bag. Reaching in, I grab a DNA kit and move to the pool table where I place it in front of Towball. Silently, he picks it up and slides it into his jacket pocket.

Whispering a quiet, “Thank you,” I turn and head for the door to the shopfront with Jake not far behind me.

*****

Arriving at Holders a short while later, Ellen is waiting for us at the front doors. I assume it’s hard to sneak up on her when you
’re riding a Harley. Even at an idle, Jake’s bike makes the restaurant windows rattle.

Greeting us with her usual warm cuddle she shuffles us straight to a table near the counter and cash register towards the back of the room. Wondering why she’s forgone the usual window seat option, I soon realize why. Asleep in a doggie basket near the base of the counter is Pierre.

“He sleeps a
lot,”
Ellen chuckles.

“He’s grown!” I exclaim as I see that’s he changed shape and his legs are quite a bit longer. He’s lost a lot of puppy fat and is looking like a young dog, not a puppy.

“He has,” Ellen chuckles again. “It may have something to do with his newly acquired taste for fine foods.”

“Oh my God, you’ve been spoiling him,” I scold softly as I take my seat.

“I assure you I’m not the only person who’s been spoiling him my dear. The chef has developed a soft spot for your baby boy and he’s been preparing special treats for him every day.”

“I don’t want to wake him up, it seems unfair. He probably doesn’t even remember me anyway,” I mumble miserably as I watch my gorgeous puppy sleeping.

Smiling softly to me, Ellen drags a chair across and sits at the table with us. “You’re meal is on its way. How have you both been?” She asks with that kind, comforting voice of hers that soothes the soul every time I hear it.

Jake responds quickly. “Good Ma. Got our business sorted and now headed to Sydney for the weekend. I want to visit Jim and Arianna will visit Stephen.”

I guess that’s his cue for don’t mention the houses to Ellen?

Receiving his message loud and clear I decide to sit in silence and not add to the conversation. Shifting my eyes back to Pierre, I zone out a little as I once again let my mind wander to thoughts of Stephen and wonder what it will be like to visit him in his own home in Sydney. I can only imagine how opulent the place will be.

Feeling a soft hand settle on mine, Ellen drags me from my thoughts. “It’s very good news that Victoria has signed the divorce papers, yes?”

“Um, yes?” I agree hesitantly wondering why she’s focusing her attention on me. Surely Jake’s the one who should be most relieved about it.

“She came in here and asked me about you. She seemed calm. She signed the papers at this very table and gave them to me. I think she’s truly sorry for her behavior.”

Shifting my eyes to Jake I see a blank look on his face. He looks detached from the conversation. A surefire sign that it’s affecting him more than he thinks.

“She asked where you came from and whether you planned to stay. Do you plan to stay in Ridge Creek?”

“Yes I do,” I answer without hesitation at the same time as Jake announces firmly, “Yes, she does.”

Chuckling, Ellen slides her eyes to her son and smiles. “This is very good.”

Jake’s blank green eyes soften a little and the corners of his mouth lift minutely. Tipping his head to the side slightly, a lock of shiny, black hair falls down to shadow his cheek. “Yes it is,” he agrees softly.

“You might see Victoria in Sydney,” Ellen announces suddenly. “She led me to believe that she was headed to her father’s after she left here to take some time-out.”

Clenching his jaw suddenly, Jake rolls his eyes. “Of course she’s already in Sydney. She’s got a supernatural ability to
piss me off.
”

Lifting her hand to place it softly on Jake’s, Ellen tries to soothe him. “Calm down dear, Jim will likely keep her clear of you.”

“I fuckin’ hope so,” Jake growls as his eyes move to his right to lock on something behind Ellen’s head. “I think this is us.”

Turning to look behind her, Ellen see’s the waiter standing behind her holding t
wo bowls and nods. “Yes, your lunch is here. I’ll leave you to eat in peace. We can have another quick chat before you leave, yes?”

“Sure Ma,” Jake agrees as he leans forward to press his lips to his mother’s cheek. “Thanks for the heads up.”

Ellen nods, rises from the table and with her usual grace, swoops down to press her lips to my cheek. She then glides off towards the back of the restaurant and out the kitchen doors.

Sydney

Twenty four hours later, Arianna…

As our plane descends into Sydney International Airport I start chewing as if my life depends on it. I’ve decided I officially hate flying. The pain in my ears as we lifted into the sky and now the pain as we again plummet back toward Earth is enough to make one want to put a bullet in their own brain. No wonder I can hear babies crying all over the place. They must feel like their heads are exploding.

“You’re gunna break a tooth if you keep that up,” Jake chuckles next to me as he starts stuffing his magazine into a pocket inside his jacket. “Minties are dangerous.”

“They’re the only thing that seem to help,” I grumble as I continue to chew savagely at my third Mintie in as many minutes. “I can’t believe people choose to go through this twice a day just to get to work. You can take your flying and you can jam it. It sucks, big time. Next time, we drive – or ride.”

“A few minutes of earache is nothing compared to eight hours in a car or on the back of a bike Arianna,” Jake reminds me as he turns his beautiful green eyes to mine. “Don’t be a baby, you’re stronger than this.”

I suppose I am. It still sucks though.

Finishing my third Mintie and reaching for a fourth, Jake’s hand stops mine on its way to the Mintie bag. “Got a better idea,” he announces as he leans across, grabs me by the back of my hair and kisses me senseless. It doesn’t take me long to realize that breathing through my nose and tangoing with Jake’s tongue works brilliantly. I barely notice our final descent into the airport.

Aware the plane is now rolling on tarmac, I come up for air and grin at him. “Oh my God, that worked
much
better than Minties.”

Moving away so he can lean back on his headrest, Jake’s eyes sparkle mischievously. As he often does, he looks pleased with himself. “It could however prove awkward if it’s not you sitting next to me on any future flights…” I add.

“Not gunna happen,” Jake growls instantly losing his smug look.

Ignoring his minor tantrum, I start gathering my rubbish and magazines as well. Seconds later, the plane rolls to a stop and a flurry of activity breaks out as everyone rushes towards the exits.

Half an hour later, having collected our luggage and hired a car, I find myself jog-walking along next to Jake as he hurries us towards the rental car terminal. Even carrying all the luggage, nothing is slowing him down.

“Where’s the fire?” I pant as I struggle to keep up.

“Stephen Bradford thinks we’re on the next fight, I want us clear of this place before its scheduled to arrive,” Jake announces scanning the people around us as we approach the rental car park.

“Why on Earth did you do that?” I ask confused. “He probably would have sent a car or something. It would have saved us hiring one.”

“Exactly,” Jake announces as he stops to look at the car keys he’s holding. Checking the tag, he glances around at the car park signs and then veers off to the left. I follow.

“What would have been wrong with that?” I mumble as I once again pick up my pace to keep up.

“I’m not looking to be chauffeured around town. I also don’t need Stephen Bradford knowing my every move while we are here. I have some business to conduct.”

“Oh,” I pant as I realize what he’s saying. “Gotcha.”

Noticing the flash of the parker lights on a sleek, white Audi parked straight ahead, I assume we have reached our destination. “You hired an Audi?”

“Yep,” Jake flicks me a quick grin as he heads straight to the boot to toss our luggage in. “Wanna drive?” He asks, lifting his eyebrows and once again looking smug.

“Sure!” I agree instantly. Who
wouldn’t
want to drive a new Audi?

“Well that’s bad luck then,” he announces ignoring me and heading for the driver’s seat.

“Asshole,” I mumble as I move towards the passenger side. “Not funny.”

“You can have a drive later. Let’s go surprise Stephen with our early arrival.”

Rolling my eyes, I open the passenger door and slide into the super soft, luxurious leather seat. “Nice,” I mutter as I take in the sleek, modern interior of the car.

Going through his usual ritual, Jake leans in the door to slide the driver’s seat all the way back and adjusts the angle on the backrest so it leans right back. Pausing briefly to remove his leather jacket and fling it on the backseat, he then slides himself into the driver’s seat and starts adjusting the mirrors. Finally looking like he’s finished adjusting
his cockpit and is ready to drive, he pulls his phone out of his pocket and turns aeroplane mode off. A serious of beeps signal that his phone is flooding with messages.

Grabbing my own phone out of my handbag, I too turn off aeroplane mode but get nowhere near the same response. My phone remains silent. Clearly I don’t have any friends and contacts missing
me.

Hearing Jake chuckling, I shove my phone back in my handbag and turn to see him scrolling through some photo
graphs on his screen. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he mutters as he closes his phone and goes to slide it back into his pocket. Turning his eyes to mine, he falters. Staring at me for a brief moment, he seems to come to an internal decision before tossing his phone into my lap. “Look at the messages from Anton Angel.” He then plugs an address into the Audi’s navigation system and starts the engine.

I have barely picked up his phone before we are rocketing through the car park and towards the exit. “Again, where’s the fire?” I squeal as I’m thrown back into my seat.

“It’s a rental and it’s an Audi. Thanks to Emma, it’s also rented under the fake names we bought the plane tickets in. Time to have some fun.”

“That won’t stop the Police pulling you over,” I squeal again as he shoots straight out into heavy Sydney traffic, cutting several cars off as he goes.

“They’ve gotta catch us first,” Jake chuckles ignoring my squeals as he slams through the gears looking relaxed.

“Dear God,” I mutter. “You an Emma should hook-up. You two are made for each other.”

Knitting his brows and looking annoyed, Jake is quick to respond. “Not interested in your crazy friend.”

“Why not, everyone else is,” I ask happy that he sounds annoyed but also interested why he wouldn’t be interested in Emma. Mainly because I can’t understand why anyone
wouldn’t
be interested in Emma. She really is the whole package. Smart, good-looking, funny, rich.

“First and foremost, whenever we went somewhere, she’d argue who was going to drive,” Jake explains flicking me a grin with his green eyes sparkling.

“Well that’s true,” I agree as I pick up his phone and start to scroll through his messages. Seeing the listing for Anton Angel I open up the message feed. Scrolling down I start laughing. Hard.

“Oh my God,” I manage to choke the words out as I attempt to gather my composure.

“He’s a funny man,” Jake agrees.

And that he is. Flicking through the photo’s he’s messaged to Jake while we were on the plane, I can see why Jake was chuckling earlier when he checked his messages.

Anton’s been sending selfies.

Two of them.

The first, he’s wearing a ridiculous bright green sombrero as he reclines next to a backyard pool. The accompanying message says:

You have a good realtor.

The second photo is a selfie of Anton, this time wearing a ridiculously ugly floral shirt. He sitting at a bar somewhere with a very attractive blonde woman sitting on his lap. This message says:

Wish you were here.

“Why is he sending you selfies?” I ask as I shut Jake’s phone and hand it back to him.

“Seemingly, Stephen Bradford is paying him a grand a day to be in Ridge Creek watching you. This wage is paid even if he’s not on duty and you’re with me. Since you’ve been with me for the last two weeks, Anton’s well… relaxing.”

“A
thousand
dollars a day
!
” I squeak as I realize just how much money that is and that right now, Anton is earning it doing little more than holidaying. “No wonder you two came to an
agreement.
” I muse.

“If Stephen’s stupid enough to waste his money that way, we both figure someone should take advantage of it. What I find more interesting is that Anton appears to be top-notch at what he does. This means he’s a workaholic who for the first time in a very long time, is enjoying some down time.”

“Sounds like he has less of a life than me,” I mumble as I start to scan our surroundings and note that I can already see Sydney Harbor looming before us.

“You have a life,” Jake rumbles reaching across to squeeze my hand briefly before returning his hand to the gear stick to change gears as he approaches a set of traffic lights.

Following his hand with my eyes, I watch as his massive fingers wrap gently around the shiny silver knob on the gear stick.

Such huge hands that can be so gentle.

Letting my eyes travel along his arm, they meet the bottom of his elaborate tattoo before winding upward to disappear under the sleeve of the white Harley tee he’s wearing. His arms are all muscle and sinew. They fill the sleeves of his shirt with huge biceps that even in rest, strain against the cotton of his shirt.

“I suppose I do,” I agree with a sigh as I realize that right here, right now, I do have a life. A much better life than the one I had before. Even though I may feel a sense of loss now and then, there is no place I would rather be than right next to Jake.

For every minute of every day.

For now and forever.

Which is a scary thought because forever is such a long time and I have yet to explain my newfound feelings for my hulk of a boyfriend
to him
so he understands just how much he means to me.

Which is going to be a problem. Mainly because I don’t do those sorts of conversations.

Ever.

Raised in a loveless environment, the thought of telling someone that I care about them,
love
them in fact, does not sit well. It’s like the words are going to jam in my throat and come out sounding strangled so there’s no point in saying them. My only hope is that I can
show
him how I feel and he manages to work it out for himself.

Realizing this is yet another thing for me to stress about, I sigh and refocus my attention on the road ahead. Jake is still zigging and zagging through the traffic, clearing enjoying himself.

“We’re almost there,” Jake announces turning into a side street that’s lined with massive homes. The houses are getting bigger and bigger as we get closer to the harbor. Seeing the opulence around me I’m suddenly glad we’re driving an Audi. At least we look like we belong here.

Finally slowing the car and turning into a driveway, we roll to a stop in front of a massive pair of elaborate wrought iron gates. The gates loom between us and a modestly sized white brick home with high roof peaks and plenty of glass windows. There’s a speaker box near Jake’s window so he hits the button to lower his window and leans closer to speak.

“You’re early,” I hear a voice echo through the speaker outside before Jake has chance to speak. Jake nods his agreement and I can only assume the speaker has a camera as well because the gates slowly start opening in front of us.

The driveway is short and pulls directly up to three sets of roller doors. Creeping forward, one of the roller doors lifts to reveal an empty parking space. Jake shrugs as he pulls forward and parks the car inside. “I was expecting a valet, but this will do.”

Shutting the engine off, we both turn to see the roller door closing behind us. Not sure what to expect next, I look across to Jake and shrug. “I sure hope this is the right house.”

“Could be awkward if it’s not,” Jake agrees as he reaches for the door handle. Pausing momentarily he adds, “Time to find out, but before we do let’s clarify something. If at any stage you feel uncomfortable here, let me know. We do not have to stay here and you do not have to feel pressured, full stop. If anything and I mean
anything
gives you cause for concern or doesn’t feel right, we move on. We can go to a hotel or if you want to, we can just go home. It’s your call.”

Not waiting for me to respond, he swings his door open. Realizing he doesn’t expect a response, I reach for my own door handle just as a white paneled door connecting the garage to the house swings open and Stephen appears. Grinning widely, his bright blue eyes lock straight on mine and he sends me a warm smile.

His eyes then drift to Jake who is now standing next to the car and he nods. The smile no longer lifting the corners of his lips, he looks at Jake suspiciously. “You changed flights?” He asks as he continues to move towards my side of the car.

Not waiting for him to arrive, I quickly open my own door and lift from the car. I’m barely standing on my feet when I’m suddenly embraced and Stephen’s lips land on my forehead. “Welcome home Pe… Arianna.”