The Patterson Girls (28 page)

She glared at him. ‘Go and make yourself useful and play with the kids or something.'

Kate laughed as he waltzed into the pool area, greeted the adults, dumped his beer on a plastic table, yanked off his t-shirt and then plunged into the pool to hassle his niece and nephews. Of course they loved it and Charlie heard their squeals of joy behind her as she followed Kate into the house, trying not to ponder the sight of a shirtless Mitch.

‘You two seem to be getting along very well,' Kate noted, as she led Charlie into the laundry and opened a cupboard that overflowed with towels and swimwear.

Charlie didn't know how to respond. Kate's tone told her she thought something was going on between them and she hoped it wasn't vibes she was giving off. She and Mitch had the friendship thing down pat but over the last few weeks, the attraction she'd previously managed to ignore had grown stronger and stronger and she wasn't sure what to do about it.

Of course this realisation terrified her and the last thing she wanted was to admit it to his sister-in-law. What if it got back to him and he didn't feel the same way? ‘Mitch gets along with everyone,' she said, pretending she hadn't understood Kate's undertone. Then she grabbed a pair of bathers from the plastic tub Kate had pulled out. ‘These look great.'

Leaving no room for further interrogation, she turned and escaped into the toilet off the laundry. She closed the door behind her and called, ‘I'll see you back out there.'

‘Okay.'

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Kate's footsteps moving away. She plonked herself down on the toilet seat, needing a moment to collect her thoughts and emotions. She laid her head in her hands and let out a little cry of frustration but she couldn't hide away in here all day. Sooner or later someone would come along and ask her if she were okay. Taking a deep breath, she took off her clothes and tried on the bright red one-piece. She wasn't sure red was her colour but it would do. Folding her clothes into a pile, she left them in the laundry and grabbed a towel from the cupboard, wrapping it around her before heading back outside.

She'd just stepped off the edge of the verandah when she felt a presence behind her. Before she could turn to see who it was Mitch launched himself at her, scooping her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

‘What are you doing?' she squealed, pummelling his back as he jogged towards the pool area.

‘Mitch!' Kate used her stern mum voice as they approached.

‘Put her down!' Lisa ordered. At least that's what Charlie thought she said, but she was laughing so hard who could tell?

And no one was leaping to her rescue. In fact Tim was holding the gate open and the kids in the pool were chanting, ‘Go Uncle Mitch! Go Uncle Mitch!'

Despite not liking where this was heading, Charlie couldn't help but notice how nice his back was. Smooth, hard, tanned and fabulous. She feared her light-headedness wasn't from being upside down, but rather from being this close to Mitch. So close she could open her mouth and lick him if she wanted to.

Just when she thought he was about to hurl her into the water, he stopped and put her down on the hot paving. Her heart racing, she swallowed, disappointed that he hadn't followed through. She'd needed the water to cool her errant libido.

‘You are a bastard, Mitch McDonald,' she hissed, lifting her hands and pushing them against the hard wall of his chest. She caught him unawares and he stumbled backwards into the pool, cheers of delight erupting all around them.

‘Hah! Serves you right, little brother,' Macca called, clapping his hands as Mitch spluttered to the surface. Tim and the women roared with laughter.

Charlie couldn't quite believe what she'd done. That shove hadn't been simply about getting him back for being a larrikin; it had contained all her anger and irritation at how he made her feel. She summoned a smile, laughing along with the others to try and cover this up.

Emerging from the water and running a hand through his wet hair like some kind of sea god, Mitch shook his head as he looked up at her. ‘I can't believe you just did that.'

‘Believe it, buster,' she retorted, before turning, collecting her beer and heading over to sit with Kate, Lisa and the babies.

‘You two are a crack-up,' Lisa said.

Charlie took a sip of her beer, not wanting to talk about Mitch right now.

‘Not sure I'm buying the “just friends” thing,' Kate mused.

‘Me neither.' Lisa shook her head. ‘Mitch does not look at you like he does one of the boys.'

Charlie blinked, torn between wanting to ask more about this so-called look and not wanting to risk Mitch hearing their conversation. If she'd been on her own with Lisa, she might have confessed the less-than-platonic feelings she'd been having lately.

‘Your kids are all good swimmers,' she said, in an aim to redirect the conversation.

Whether they guessed her plan or not, both women smiled proudly.

‘Logan could swim practically before he could walk,' Kate said, gesturing to her oldest son who was diving into the deep end. ‘And Leo and Laura are also fish. I guess it helps having a pool at home. I'm sure this one will be the same,' she added, pointing to the rocker.

And they were off. Charlie sat back and listened as her friends chatted about their kids. She enjoyed the conversation and kept having to rein in thoughts about what it would be like if she and Mitch ever got together and had a family. When the kids finally got fed up with swimming, the guys started the barbeque. Kate set a blanket under a tree for the kids to eat on and the adults gathered around the outdoor setting on the verandah.

‘Wow, this table is amazing,' Charlie marvelled as she ran her hand over the smoothly finished wood. It didn't look like the kind of thing you picked up at Bunnings.

‘Thanks.' Kate beamed and glanced at her brother-in-law. ‘Mitch made it.'

Charlie looked to Mitch and an uncharacteristic flush spread up his neck and into his cheeks. He shrugged as if it was nothing.

She knew he did some cabinetmaking when he wasn't driving trucks but she hadn't seen any of his craftsmanship in years. ‘You've been holding out on me,' she scolded. ‘Maybe we should hire you to make some new tables for the restaurant.'

‘You couldn't afford me,' he scoffed.

Sadly, he was probably right, but she rolled her eyes, happy that Mitch was still bantering with her and didn't appear to have noticed her earlier annoyance.

The rest of the afternoon and evening went all too quickly. Charlie had fun kicking a football with Mitch, Macca, Tim and the kids and then sneaking off to have cuddles with the babies. Kate asked her about hula-hooping and both women expressed their hope that she'd considering running some exercise classes in Meadow Brook. Although Charlie didn't know how she'd fit that in between her normal motel work and the makeover, she promised to give it some thought.

The only sombre moment in the conversation was when Tim asked after Macca and Mitch's dad, Rick.

The two brothers exchanged sombre expressions and then Macca shrugged. ‘Who knows, really? He tries to put on a brave face when we're around, but it kills me to see him locked up like that. He loves it when we take the kids to visit though, doesn't he, love?'

Kate nodded as Macca reached out to squeeze her knee.

‘I just wish there was more we could do,' Mitch mused. Charlie looked at him, wishing there was something she could do to ease his guilt and anxiety. She knew how much better she felt now that she was home and able to keep a closer eye on her own father. If only there was a care facility in Meadow Brook and Rick wasn't all the way in Port Augusta.

Finally, Lisa's kids started grizzling and she and Tim decided to make a move.

‘Do you want to head home now too?' Mitch asked. As designated driver, he'd stopped drinking hours ago.

Charlie yawned, tiredness washing over her. ‘Yes, we'd better. I've got the usual early start in the morning.'

Everyone thanked Kate and Macca for their hospitality and all agreed they should do it more often, then Lisa and Tim bundled their small people into the wagon and Charlie climbed into Mitch's ute beside him. She clicked her seatbelt into place, glancing at Mitch's gorgeous profile as she did so. Totally dry now, he was wearing the board shorts he'd swum in and a scruffy old t-shirt—but even in the daggiest clothes he'd still look hotter than any other guy on the planet.

Charlie sucked in a breath, suddenly experiencing an intense urge to lean across and touch his face. Guessing the alcohol was affecting her senses, she closed her eyes and sank back in the seat, trying to forget that Mitch was sitting mere centimetres away. It was ridiculous—they'd been friends for years and had been working alongside each other sometimes hours on end for weeks—but she couldn't deny it was getting stronger.

And she couldn't forget Kate's insinuations or Lisa's comment about the way Mitch looked at her. Could they be right? Something deep inside her tightened at the thought. As far as she knew he hadn't been seeing any other women since she'd landed back in town but it had only been a month and she'd kept him pretty occupied at the motel.

‘You okay?' Mitch asked.

She blinked open her eyes, realised they were already halfway down the driveway and summoned a chirpy smile to her face. ‘Yep. I had a great night. Thanks for dragging me out.'

‘Anytime.' Mitch grinned and then reached up to turn on the overhead light. ‘And I hope I'm about to make it even better.'

Charlie's heart stopped at his words, tingles racing up her spine.
Was this it?
Was he going to pull the ute over to the side of the road and confess he felt exactly the same way she did?

‘Oh?' She only just managed to speak, licking her lips in anticipation.

‘Check under your seat.' His hands still sexily caressing the steering wheel, he nodded towards her feet.

Confused, she leant over, felt beneath her seat and drew out a thick, yellow envelope. ‘What's this?'

‘Look inside.'

She slid her finger beneath the seal and then drew out the papers inside, frowning as she read over the first page. ‘It's an application form. For an online course.'

‘Yep. In naturopathy.'

‘But I don't understand.'

Mitch reached over and grabbed her hand—she tried not to react to his touch. ‘You've been doing amazing things in the motel, Charlie. I'm proud of you, and your dad's proud of you, but you gave up a big dream to come home. This way you can study towards your degree and be around for Brian.'

‘I …' Emotion clogged her throat at the thoughtfulness behind Mitch's gesture. She didn't know what to say. ‘Do you really think I can do this on top of everything else?'

‘Of course you can. Besides, I'll help.'

Her insides lit up with excitement and possibility. In less than a month she'd already achieved so much at the motel, so maybe this wasn't such a crazy idea. ‘Oh, Mitch. I could just kiss you,' she said, hugging the paperwork to her chest.

His cheeks flared red and he scoffed, ‘Steady on, Charles. Don't get carried away.'

The words were like a slap in the face—a bitter announcement of how he felt. He cared about her—he wouldn't have gone out of his way to find out this course information if he didn't—but as a mate, or like he would a sister. Just the mere idea of her kissing him had brought a horror-stricken look to his eyes.

That hurt, but she was the one to blame. Mitch had never given her any indication that he ever wanted more.

He might have grown from a skinny, nerdy boy into a strapping, gorgeous man—inside and out—but Charlie hadn't changed. Why would he ever find her plain mousey looks and nothing body attractive?

‘It was a figure of speech,' she said quickly, hoping she'd hidden her dismay. ‘Don't get your knickers in a knot, I'd rather kiss a toad.'

‘That's not very nice, Charlie-Warlie.' But he didn't sound offended. He'd recovered from her mention of kissing him and was now tapping his fingers on the steering wheel along to the Australia Day countdown on the radio.

Charlie shoved the paperwork back in the envelope, then reached up and turned off the overhead light, making the ute dark again, just in case there was anything on her face that might give away her feelings.

‘I was thinking,' Mitch said as he tore along the Eyre Highway towards Meadow Brook, ‘that maybe next special day we should have some sort of party at the motel instead.'

‘What type of special day?' she asked, something twisting inside her at the way he said ‘we.'

‘St Patrick's Day is the next big one, unless you count Valentine's Day—but that's only good for couples. We could decorate the bar and restaurant with green streamers and balloons, have a special green cocktail, green food and encourage everyone to drink Kilkenny and Guinness. What do you reckon?'

‘Green food?' That didn't sound appetising at all.

‘Hey, I thought you'd love the idea. Most veggies are green.'

She laughed because she couldn't help herself. ‘Okay. We'll talk about it,' she promised as he turned into the motel car park.

‘We could even dress up!'

Charlie rolled her eyes, picturing Mitch in a leprechaun outfit. ‘Whatever.'

‘I've got a trip the next couple of days, but are you up for beers and pizza this Friday night?' he asked as she reached for the door handle.

With her face turned away from him, she closed her eyes and took a moment. The way she saw it, she had two choices; either repress the feelings she had for Mitch and let things go on the way they were, or tell him how she felt and risk losing the best friend she'd ever had.

Fact was, option two wasn't an option at all.

‘Yeah, that'd be great. I'll see you then,' she said and then climbed out of the ute.