Riverboat Point (14 page)

Savannah sat back in her chair and thought about that. Ethan did run hot and cold but she wasn't sure he should be labelled a loony.

“You have a lovely figure.”

She was startled by Belinda's change of topic.

“You're shapely with it too,” she said. “Are those boobs real? I hate mine. I'm thinking I'll go to Thailand next year for a holiday and have a boob job while I'm there.”

“No surgery.” Savannah looked down and wished the same could be said for the rest of her. She couldn't stand the sight of her damaged naked body but she knew in clothes her figure looked good.

“I find I have to skip meals to keep the weight off,” Belinda said. “How do you keep so trim?”

“Exercise.”

Belinda groaned. “I joined a gym once but I'd come home unable to do a thing for days. The trainer was ex-army. Another loony.”

Savannah chuckled. The bubbles had warmed her body. She felt relaxed. “Why did you join?”

Belinda drained her glass and laughed. “Ash said I'd put on a bit of weight. I liked the idea of those big balls and maybe a bike or a treadmill but Mr Fitness Freak had us pumping iron, hanging off walls and skipping like maniacs. He was always preening in front of the mirror and flexing his muscles. I like a good male body but there was nothing to like about him. I hated the gym. Easier to cut back on the food.” She picked up the bottle and peered at it. “Empty. Shall I get the other one?”

Before Savannah could answer Belinda let herself inside the shack. It was a pity she had obviously signed up at the wrong gym or the wrong class. There were plenty of fun ways to work off a few kilos and keep fit. Savannah was testament to that. She looked up as her visitor popped the top of the second bottle and quickly held it over her glass as froth erupted from the neck.

“Ooops!” Belinda cackled.

Savannah watched her refill both glasses. She knew she shouldn't have anymore but she was enjoying the company. She'd had a couple of close friends before her accident but in the long months of rehab they'd lost touch. In hindsight she knew it was more to do with her mood swings and periods of silence than their lack of care. Finally they'd just stopped visiting. Now she was finding it pleasant to have some female company, especially out here.

“My last boss sounds a bit like your gym instructor,” she said. “He was always strutting around barking orders and acting like he was God's gift to women.”

“Is there a man in your life, Savannah?”

“No,” she said firmly.

“I can't believe a gorgeous woman like you doesn't have a string of men chasing after her.”

“I could show you a few simple routines to keep fit,” Savannah said, keen to change the subject. “I was a … am a fitness instructor.”

“I really think I've gone off the idea of gyms.”

“You can do these exercises at home. You don't need equipment.”

“Really?”

“You should look after your inner core if you do nothing else. It's so important for women to keep all our internals working well.”

“I'm not keen.” Belinda cackled again and took another mouthful of sparkling.

“Come on.” Savannah stood up and clutched the table as her legs wobbled beneath her. Her head was light but she felt no pain. “They're easy.” She turned her chair around, lowered her hands to the seat and did some tricep dips. “These are good for your arms.”

“If you say so.” Belinda stayed seated.

Savannah went round and dragged her up.

“Come on. Push-ups next.”

“Oh no, fitness freak alert!”

Savannah dropped Belinda's arm. “I'm not a freak,” she said sharply then put her hand to her mouth. Where had that come from?

“Show me then.” Once more Belinda let out her chortling laugh. She appeared not to have noticed Savannah's abruptness.

Savannah lowered herself to the ground and did some small pulsing push-ups.

“Looks okay.” Belinda carefully lowered her glass to the concrete and then herself. She stretched out flat.

“You'll get your clothes dirty. Just your hands and your toes on the ground.” Savannah demonstrated again then looked across as Belinda attempted it.

“Your hands aren't quite right.”

Savannah eased to her feet and put a hand out to steady herself. She really had drunk too many bubbles.

“I feel like a beached whale,” Belinda groaned.

“You don't look like one. Here.” Savannah bent over and showed Belinda how to place her hands. The earth tilted and she tumbled to the floor, partly on top of Belinda. The glass toppled over and the sparkling frothed across the concrete. They both shrieked with laughter.

“Savannah?”

She looked up. Ethan was standing at the end of the verandah bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun. His damp hair was swept back from his clean-shaven face. He wore a t-shirt that highlighted the muscles of his chest and arms, and from her eye level, a pair of jeans that also hugged him well.

“Hello, Ethan.” Savannah scrambled to her feet and helped Belinda up.

“Sorry,” he said backing away. “I didn't know you had a visitor.”

“So you're the elusive Ethan.” Belinda brushed herself off and held out her hand. “I'm Belinda, or Bel as my friends call me.” She leaned in close to him. “We're neighbours.”

Savannah could see the surprise on his face.

“I met Belinda in town today. She lives on the other side of this place.”

“I see.” Ethan's expression was unreadable.

“We're usually only here for weekends and don't see many people,” Belinda said. “Ash likes the solitude but I enjoy some company from time to time.” She turned back to Savannah. “It's been fun but I really should get home. Ash will want something for dinner. I'll ring him to pick me up.”

“I'd offer but I don't think I should be driving,” Savannah said.

Belinda pulled a mobile from her hip pocket. “Ash will come.”

“I can take you.”

They both turned back to Ethan.

“I've only got the farm ute but –”

“You could take my car,” Savannah blurted.

“Aren't you both so kind.” Belinda's face was pulled in her customary tight smile. “Thank you.”

“I'll get the keys.” Savannah took a deep breath and concentrated on walking steadily. Her legs felt like rubber.

By the time she came back out Belinda had her arm through Ethan's and was chatting animatedly about football. So much for her writing him off as a loony. She looked like she was his best friend and who'd have thought she'd be a football fan?

“Here you are.” Savannah held out the keys and Ethan extricated his arm to take them.

Belinda gave Savannah a hug. “Thank you for a lovely afternoon. We must do it again before Ash and I head back to the city.”

“Yes.” Savannah nodded.

Ethan led the way to the car. Savannah lifted her hand in a wave as they backed out. She shivered. The night air was suddenly cold. She went back to collect the glasses and the platter. Two empty bottles sat on the concrete beside the table, a silent testament to her overindulgence. There was already a sour taste in her mouth and her head was fuzzy. She knew she would pay for this afternoon's frivolity.

“What a great girl Savannah is.” Belinda let out a chortling laugh. “We've had the best time.”

Ethan flicked his look between the side and rear-view mirror as he turned the car to face out. He had no idea what she and Savannah had been doing when he'd arrived but it was obvious they'd been drinking a while.

“It looked that way.”

“You sound disapproving.”

Ethan was surprised by her forthright response.

“I didn't mean it like that,” he said. If he was honest, he had felt disappointed to find Belinda and Savannah carrying on like a couple of schoolgirls. When he'd arrived home from the farm he'd taken a good look at himself in the mirror. Blake had been right. He was a mess. He'd got to work and prepared a curry, green chicken this time, and made an effort to clean himself up. Then he'd decided he should make amends after his knockback of Savannah's dinner invitation and ask her over to his place. He hadn't expected Belinda to be there.

“Savannah was telling me what a great help you've been to her.” The inflexion in Belinda's voice made it sound more like a question than a statement. He glanced across the dimly lit car interior.

“Jaxon asked me to give her a hand.”

“Ash and I haven't seen him for ages. Is he away for long?”

“I don't know when he'll be back.” Ethan kept his eyes on the road ahead, looking for the gate into Belinda's property.

“Houseboats are a big job for someone with no experience. Ash and I helped Jaxon out in the early days.”

“Did you?”

“We're not up here on a regular basis but we lent him a hand when we could.”

Ethan slowed the car and turned the nose towards the gate to Belinda's property. He stopped. The gate was shut. Up close he realised it was new. A length of chain with a padlock dangled around one side.

“We were a bit sceptical at first,” Belinda said. “It's a way out of town and we didn't think people would bother coming out here when there's already a houseboat business operating from Riverboat Point.”

“Jaxon's been busy enough.”

“How do you find it with houseboats coming and going?”

He turned to look at her. In the dim light, her eyes bored into him, her lips curled into a half smile revealing bright white teeth and the gold around her bronzed neck gleamed. She was a good-looking woman.

“I can't say I was keen on the idea. I like my quiet patch of the river without too many comings and goings.”

She leaned closer. “Just how Ash and I feel.”

Ethan opened his door. “I'll get the gate.”

“Don't worry,” she said. “I'll walk from here. The dog will only go mad if a strange car comes in.”

Ethan looked back at the gate with its warning sign. “What kind of dog?” he asked.

“Ash has a Rottweiler, Brutus. Here he comes now.”

Ethan looked past the gate where the headlights picked out a dark shape approaching. He heard the barking above the noise of the idling engine.

Belinda opened her door and leant out.

“Be quiet, Brutus,” she commanded. “It's only me.”

The dog stopped just short of the gate and quieted.

“Sit,” she bellowed then turned back to Ethan.

“Thank you for driving me.” Her voice was sugary. She leaned closer. The smell of her sweet perfume wafted around him. “Perhaps next time we could go to your place – where it's quieter. Savannah was teaching me pulse push-ups. Maybe you already know how to do them?”

She raised an eyebrow, rested a hand on his thigh and pressed her lips to his cheek. It was no peck on the cheek, more a lingering caress.

He eased away. “Not so quiet at my place either, I'm afraid.” He tried to keep his tone light. “I have Jasper.”

“Is he as good-looking as you?” Belinda's face was still close to his. Short of getting out of the car he could hardly back off any further.

“In a doggy kind of way.” Ethan attempted a chuckle. “Jasper's a great woolly German Shepherd.”

She sat back. Her lips curved up in a meaningful smile.

“I'll have to remember that when I come to visit then.”

She turned away from him to slide out of the car. At the door she leant down.

“Thanks again, Ethan.” His name came out as a soft whisper.

“No problem.”

She closed the door. The smile he'd been holding back spread across his face. He waited for her to open the gate and close it again. She hooked the loose chain together and snapped the padlock shut, then gave a wave as she set off along the track.

Ethan reversed out and turned back the way he'd come. He let out a long slow whistle. He was well aware of what Belinda had been offering. Once he might have taken up the offer but that was another part of his life he'd vowed to change. No more one-night stands. Anyway there was this Ash she kept talking about. Maybe the relationship wasn't close but Ethan wasn't one to cut another man's lunch.

He pulled Savannah's car in under the carport, switched off the engine and put his head back. The smell of Belinda's perfume lingered. He could still feel the pressure of her lips where she'd kissed his cheek. It was no simple thankyou kiss. She had made him an invitation.

Just another part of the evening that had thrown him off balance. For a brief moment earlier he'd been embarrassed when he'd come across the pair of them on the verandah. He assumed Belinda had been truthful when she said Savannah had been teaching her how to do push-ups. It was certainly a more palatable explanation than what had crossed his mind.

He got out of the car. Perhaps Savannah would still want to eat. The only sign of food had been a cheese platter. He'd seen a totally different Savannah tonight, sprawled across Belinda on the floor, her head tossed back, laughing, eyes sparkling. He'd thought her a good-looker right from the start but tonight he'd seen something else. It was probably the alcohol but she'd appeared relaxed, happy. Then he had another thought. Maybe it was the female company she preferred.

The back of the shack was in darkness so he went round to the front, where the light from inside illuminated the verandah. No harm in inviting her over for a meal. He was only trying to be friendly with Jaxon's sister, not take her to bed.

He stopped at the door. Savannah was inside at the table, her head in her arms. He slid the glass open.

“Hello, just returning your keys.”

He jangled them up and down but she didn't respond.

“Savannah?”

He stepped inside. On the table in front of her were a glass of water and a packet of painkillers. He couldn't help smiling. Little Miss “I can do everything” couldn't hold her drink.