To Trap A Temptress (Southern Sanctuary - Book 2) (10 page)

Chapter
Ten

She
was so early at the breakfast buffet that the staff had only just begun laying out
the selection of fresh fruits, which suited her just fine as she loaded up her
plate, grabbed some juice and made her way to a table on the edge of the open
dining area overlooking the pool.  Already two families with little kids
were up and enjoying an early morning dip.  Watching the kids duck, dive
and play was a nice distraction from her thoughts on Drum.  Smiling she
tucked into her breakfast, nodding absently as a staff member came by offering
her a cup of coffee. 

She’d
only just taken her first sip of caffeine for the day when Case Chambers
dropped into the seat across from her wearing an almost mirror image of her own
outfit; khaki shorts, blue polo top and hiking boots.  Weird, anyone
seeing them together would instantly assume they were the perfect in sync
couple.

“Are
you okay?”  His pale blue eyes raked over her, filled with concern. 

“Why
wouldn’t I be okay?” 

“You’re
kidding right?  When you left the beach party last night the general
consensus was there was going to be trouble between you two.”

“Me
and Drum?”  Nell shook her head in bemusement.

If
everyone had been so darned concerned for her well-being why hadn’t they done
something about it last night?  Only Julie and Grant had offered her a
place to stay for the night and they had been only half serious about the
offer.  After all they recognised she was a grown up and could fight her
own battles.  How silly were the gossip mongers being, Drum may look like
a category five storm when he was upset or angry but he would never hurt innocents,
let alone her. 

“Are
you sure you’re okay…?”  Case reached out and captured her hand.
 “You can talk to me Nell, tell me anything.  I’d like to
help.”  He pointedly studied her wrists, upper arms and throat. 

It
didn’t take a rocket scientist to work out he was looking for signs of
contusions and bruising.  She wanted to tell him to let go of her, his
touch feeling wrong in comparison to Drum’s heated calloused hands. 
Goddess how silly was she being, an old friend was nice enough to express
concern for her and she was being ridiculously judgmental just because the man
got manicures.  He was a surgeon for Goddess sake; of course his hands
would be smooth and unblemished. 

“I
really am fine Case, it was just a silly fight… over nothing.  We talked
it over last night and now we’re fine.” She tried unobtrusively to shrug off
his hand.   “It really was nothing… couples fight all the time.”

“Nell.” 
He chided her as if she were a small child.  Sending her his best ‘you’re
being so brave but we both know you’re dying face.’ 

Without
being conscious of it Nell straightened in her seat, squaring her
shoulders.  Case’s manner was really starting to get on her nerves. 
“Case I’m not sure what you’re trying to get at here?  Drum and I had a
small tiff, he acted like an ass, we talked it over, he apologised and we’re
perfectly fine now.”

“You
don’t have to protect him Nell.”

“Case.” 
Nell yanked her hand back.  “Drum did not hurt me, he would never hurt
me.”

“There
are all kinds of abuse Nell not just physical… let me help you get some
distance from him so you can clear your head.”

“Honestly
Case you’re barking up the wrong tree, Drum is neither physically nor mentally
abusing me.”

Case
sent her another pitying look.  “Nell, you really do see the best in
everyone don’t you?  There’s such a thing as being too nice you know?”

Nell
couldn’t help the chuckle of laughter that burst from her.  He wouldn’t be
saying that if he could have seen her take out Drum last night with nothing
more than a simple jab of her finger. “I appreciate your concern I really do
but let me state categorically that Drum would never… could never hurt me.”

Case
gave her an exasperated half smile.  “Okay I hear you, excuse an old
friend for caring.  But I just... I’m worried about you that’s all. 
You and Drum, I’m just not seeing it, you’re so sweet, so nice and he’s like
some well-dressed thug in a perpetually bad mood.”

Nell
smiled.  “From the outside looking in maybe we don’t seem like we have
much in common but you’d be surprised.” 

And
she wasn’t just saying that to negate Case’s concerns she realised, she and
Drum really did have a lot in common.  They were both loyal and
dependable, willing to protect the innocent by use of extreme measures if
required.  They were both practical, independent, used to leading and
directing others.  They were universally known as hard workers who rarely
took time out for themselves.  And both of them suffered an image problem
and were constantly misjudged accordingly.  No wonder they butted heads so
much.

“There,
I told you she would be perfectly fine.”  Devon sauntered up to their
table sliding into an empty chair.  Looking model perfect in a dark green
silky top that bought out the green flecks in her brown eyes, tight black
shorts that show cased her toned legs and clunky black hiking boots that looked
brand new.  Tossing her long dark braided hair back over her shoulder
Devon flicked a hard look at a nearby waiter.  The waiter in question
scurried over to pour her a cup of coffee.  “You are fine aren’t you?” 
Devon directed the question at Nell with polite indifference.

“Of
course.”

“See.” 
Devon reached out and squeezed Case’s forearm.  “Our little Nell is like a
cat with nine lives, always landing on her feet.”

“I’m
allowed to express concern for an old friend Devon.”  Case pulled his arm
out from under Devon’s touch, his mouth set in a tight line. 

Hmm,
didn’t look like their relationship was going to make it past the
reunion.  Perhaps that was for the best.  Nell was not a fan of
Devon’s brand of entitled behaviour and Case could definitely do better. 
Whilst she and Case were no longer close friends they had still swapped the
occasional phone call over the years since she’d left Sydney to return
home.  Mainly when a job opportunity had opened up that Case thought might
suit her, implying without so many words that he didn’t think being a doctor
covering three country towns was fulfilling enough work for a trained
surgeon.  Little did he know the types of mystical, magical and downright
scary ailments and injuries she had to deal with on a daily basis thanks to her
extended family.

“Have
you told Nell our news yet?”  Devon’s smile was all smugness and flashing
white teeth.

“That
would be premature.”   Case’s mouth remained in a flat grim line.

“But
she’s your good friend, I thought sure you’d want to share the happy news of
our engagement.”

“You
two are engaged?”  Wow, Nell hadn’t seen that coming.  So much for
thinking she could read body language.  Weirder still that the front desk
had told Drum the two weren’t sharing a room if they were so far advanced in
their relationship, Devon had never struck her as particularly coy or old
fashioned.

“We’ve
discussed it...”  Case managed a half smile.  “Nothing official yet.”

“As
good as.”  Devon shot Nell another smile, the smugness now ramped up to
bordering on gloating. 

“Well…
congratulations to the both of you.”  She forced a smile of her own,
imminently grateful as she sensed Drum slide up next to her silently, a full
plate in his hands.

“Congratulations?” 
He moved into the last available seat at the table.

“Devon
and Case were just telling me they’re engaged, um, well to be engaged.” 
Nell summed up the situation.

“Congrats.” 
Drum echoed flatly before moving his concentration to the contents of his
plate. 

Nell
eyed his outfit; chocolate brown shorts, matching polo shirt and well-worn
scuffed hiking boots.  “You found hiking clothes?”

“Housekeeping
elves are on the ball.  I opened up the closet and there they were waiting
for me.”

Nell
hid a frown.  Did he mean the resort housekeepers or actual elves? 
It was hard to tell sometimes when magic was afoot.  After all they still
had no reasonable explanation why Drum had turned up here in the first place.

“I
didn’t see your name on the sign-up sheet for the hike.”  Case was acting
rather sullen for a newly engaged man as he glared at Drum’s choice of attire.

Drum
shrugged.  “Where Nell goes I go.”

“I
feel the exact same way about Case.”  Devon all but purred.

“Who
knew we’d have so many similar interests, the paddle boat excursion yesterday
and the hike today.”  Drum chewed thoughtfully eyeing Case suspiciously.

“Nell
and I always had a lot in common.”  Case crossed his arms over his body
defensively. 

Nell
hid a frown as she scooped up the last two strawberries on her plate and
devoured them.  Besides sharing a house and interning at the same hospital
they really hadn’t had much in common had they?  She had been pretty sure
even back then the only reason Case had asked her out at all was because their
schedules had sync’d up and she was in a word - convenient.

“Here.” 
Drum pushed a plate containing a croissant in front of her.  “You’ll need
fuel for the hike.”

Nell
eyed his full plate.  “You sure you can spare it?”

“Not
really, I am a growing boy, but this will make us even for the one I snitched
from you yesterday.”

Nell
laughed, breaking open the still warm pastry and slathering it with apricot
jam.  “We are not keeping scoring are we He-man?”

“Aren’t
we?”  He sent her a knowing look. 

Nell
did her best to ignore the warm colour flooding her cheeks and concentrate on
eating her croissant.

“Fighting
in public last night and now sharing food off the same plate.  Sounds to
me like you two are starting to get serious as well.”  Devon commented
even though her attention was trained on Case, a small wrinkle in the middle of
her forehead as if something about her soon to be official fiancée was puzzling
her.

“Don’t
try and play match maker Devon, the role doesn’t suit you.”  Case pushed
back his chair abruptly.  “I’ll see you all at the hike.”

Devon
watched him leave, her mouth set in a tight flat line. 

“Is
everything okay?”  Nell couldn’t help but ask.  “Case seems kind of…
out of sorts.”

Devon
sent Nell a cold look.  “Too nice to even call a spade a fucking shovel
aren’t you.  My darling fiancée is beyond pissed… out of sorts?” 
Devon chuckled.  “Let’s just say there’s a lot of pressure from both sides
of the family to get this marriage signed sealed and delivered.”

“Maybe
you should slow down, give Case a chance to adjust.”  Nell couldn’t help
but offer some practical advice.

Surprisingly
Devon didn’t jump down her throat.  Instead she uttered a soft almost
defeated sigh.  “Trust me, this marriage has been a long time coming. 
My mother and aunts have been planning my big day for what seems like forever.”

 “Maybe
for the sake of you two getting along you might want to think about asking Case
his opinion on a few things.”  Nell couldn’t help but mediate.

Devon
pushed her chair back, issuing a heartfelt put upon sigh.  “I suppose I’d
better go check up on him… later.”

“Wow.” 
Nell watched Devon sashay out of the still relatively empty dining room; the
woman always did know how to make an exit.  “I wouldn’t lay money on those
nuptials going ahead.”

“I
don’t know.”  Drum buttered his toast.  “It seems to me Devon gets
what Devon wants and it appears she’s set her eyes on the good Doctor.”

“But
I don’t think he even likes her very much.” 

“You
heard her, their families know one another; lot of history, lot of pressure.”

“Maybe.” 
Nell acknowledged reluctantly.  “Family expectations can be a pretty heavy
load to carry around, let alone defy.”

“Speaking
from experience there Doc?”

“Definitely...” 
Nell mused on her large extended family and the lodestone they placed around
the necks of all her generation.

“You
talking about your job at the clinic?”

“No…
that was my choice.  I kind of like that I get to be a jack of all trades
there, family physician, surgeon, hospital administrator and researcher. 
I was thinking more along the lines of the continuation of the Sanctuary as a
whole.”

“How
does that work?”

Nell
smiled.  “The old fashioned way… procreation.”

“Count
me in.”

“It’s
okay for you to be flippant, the only items on your daily agenda are wake up,
fight magical evil, eat, sleep and do it all over again.”

“Yeah
no pressure there Doc.  You don’t think after a hundred years I might want
to mix things up a little?”

“And
do what exactly?”

“Maybe
find something a little more fulfilling to do in my off hours.”