Take Me As I Am

4. Excerpt

Excerpt

Kate drew open a drawer, rifled through the various bits of paper and took out the most worn of the postcards. The Noosa beach smiled at her, white sand, blue water, the pristine tropical colours making it look too good to be true. There was a surfer on a wave, people sunbathing on the beach, colourful umbrellas dotted here and there. Kate had flown up as soon as the postcard came to her. Had inquired at every hotel within the vicinity, hand-knocked on every rented property there, but her search had been futile. Olivia was not there. Or had not wanted to be found.

Sighing, she placed the postcard back to the top of the pile. Olivia could be anywhere. And she had not heard a whisper of her since then. That was the thing that worried her more than anything. No wonder she thought she was interested in David Wright. Maybe it was just for comfort. Maybe, right at the back of her mind, she was starved for affection. Any sort. Even if it crossed lines and boundaries that had been drummed into her since she was a girl. David Wright was not the man for her. Not in the kind of way her father would approve of.

He was a tradesman. Worked with his hands. Hard physical labour. And was working for her right at this moment. Her father would be appalled if he knew she’d deigned to nearly kiss him, after the Greg disaster. Albert had made it perfectly clear he wouldn’t stand for another of her slip-ups.

Albert Moore would never have a daughter be seen with anyone except the very highest of Australian society. No-one would be good enough for his daughter. In the past he’d sorted out various men she should talk to at parties. And she’d talked to them under Albert’s watchful eyes. Been the dutiful daughter.

And been bored to death.

Maybe that’s why she’d chosen Greg. She’d thought she’d loved him. Thought she’d known him. But she hadn’t had a clue. It had been up to Albert to educate her about Greg and when he did she knew she’d made the biggest mistake of her life. She sure as hell wasn’t going to make another like that. She couldn’t stand to see the disappointment again on his face.

Her eyes roamed to David working outside. He had musical talent, that was for certain. Actually more than just talent. A God-given gift. But unless Jack had pushed, she’d never have known how he could sing. He certainly didn’t show it off or bandy it around.

She frowned, trying to work out why she couldn’t seem to shake him from her mind. There was something indefinable that had her seeking him out time and time again. Much to her continued annoyance.

Just then, he straightened. With a quick turn of his head, he looked right at her, eyes finding hers. Gasping, she ducked her head back to the computer screen. It had gone blank again. She knew he watched her, but she refused to lift her gaze to him. As inconspicuously as she could she lifted her hand and untucked her hair from behind her ear, creating a curtain of hair. A shield between him and herself.

All she knew was that this wasn’t the time, or the place. And he wasn’t the man she should be hooked on. Hair wasn’t shield enough. She’d have to find something else to keep herself away from him, otherwise she knew, without a doubt, if she didn’t, the worst would happen.

And she wasn’t stupid enough to do it again.