Chapter Two #2
‘None of your business.’ She copied his posture, crossing her arms, and Emmett couldn’t help but notice the way it shifted her breasts up in her low-cut singlet. His irritation mounted. He shouldn’t be noticing those things about her.
‘Be realistic, Piper. You can’t camp forever.’
‘Says who? I’m not some ten-year-old kid you can just boss around, Emmett. You haven’t changed at all.’
Frustration ate at the restraint keeping his impulse to throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his house in check. He knew how stubborn she could be and the tiny part of his brain that wasn’t angry recognised her point. She wasn’t a kid anymore.
He swiped her phone from the camping table and put his number in it before hitting save. ‘I’m not happy about this. You keep that door locked at night and if you have any trouble at all, big or small, day or night, you call me, and I’ll be here.’
‘Like I’d call your grumpy arse.’
‘Don’t call me and you’ll see how much grumpier I can get.’
She pressed her mouth shut and inclined her head as if he’d issued a challenge she was rising to.
He cursed silently and put her phone back on the table. ‘I’ll see you later. Come on, Major.’
The German Shepherd was at his side immediately and they stalked away from Piper’s campsite.
‘Bye, grumpy arse.’
He rolled his eyes and refused to look back. She always had to get the last word in. That hadn’t changed.
Emmett opened the passenger door, letting Major curl up in the footwell, his favourite place, and headed around to the driver’s seat.
Before sticking the key in the ignition, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through the list. Thankfully, Carter had protected his phone number and still had the same one since he left Euronga.
He pressed call and waited.
‘Emmett? Mate, it’s been ages! How’s it going?’
Emmett grinned at his oldest friend’s voice. ‘Life was a hell of a lot quieter before today.’
‘What’s happened today?’
‘Went to drop a patient off at the hospital and who should be the new nurse on shift?’
Silence came through the line, raising Emmett’s suspicion.
‘Piper. It was Piper.’
‘Piper’s in Rush Creek?’
‘You didn’t know?’
Carter’s frustrated groan held a hint of relief. ‘Not specifically. We knew she was travelling to Queensland for a new job, but we didn’t think it’d be that far over the border.’
‘She didn’t tell you?’ He went for the door handle but was stopped from opening it by Carter’s voice.
‘All we know is that something happened that led her to quit her job, break up with her boyfriend, buy a refurbished Kombi and move interstate. When Mum and Jonathan demanded specifics, she plastered a fake smile on her face and told them she wasn’t in any trouble, she just needed a fresh start.’
‘And you believe her?’
‘Piper’s never lied to us. Omitted things, yes, but never outright lied, so I don’t think she’s in trouble, but I don’t know what she’s trying to get away from.’
Concern replaced Emmett’s anger. What could’ve been so bad that she’d moved so far away and was camping in a Kombi? Who hurt her? It had to have been the ex.
Emmett ran a hand across his jaw. He shouldn’t have pushed her to live with him. She was right. Why should she listen to a man she hadn’t seen in ten years? He may as well be a stranger to her.
‘Have you tried talking to her ex?’
‘Heath’s not answering calls from any of us so Jonathan went around to the apartment he and Piper were living in, but it’s been cleaned out. We haven’t been able to catch him at the hospital either. Maybe I should fly up.’
Emmett thought back to the stubborn streak in Piper’s eyes.
‘To be honest, Carter, I don’t think she’d appreciate it.
Stubborn Piper struck when I offered her the spare room at my place so she wouldn’t be camping on the banks of the creek.
I might’ve pushed her a little too hard but she’s pretty adamant about doing things her way. ’
‘Of course she is,’ Carter said dryly. ‘I hate to ask this, given how long it’s been since we caught up in person, but would you mind keeping an eye out for her?’
‘Consider it done,’ Emmett said without hesitation.
The Hendrixes’ house had been a second home to him, and he owed them for everything they did for him and his mum.
All the precious years they gave them together, not caring when they couldn’t make rent, helping out with appointment transport and visiting her in the hospital.
The Christmases. Making sure Piper was both safe and happy was the least he could do.
‘Thanks, Emmett. I knew I could count on you. Piper always used to complain that it was like having two older brothers when we lived in Euronga.’
Emmett’s stomach twisted. Yeah, he really shouldn’t have been checking her out. ‘No problem, mate. I’ll let you know if I find out any more about what’s going on for her.’
‘Appreciate it, Emmett. She’s too young for a midlife crisis.’
After hanging up, Emmett threw his phone up on the dash and looked at Major as he twisted the key. ‘Guess we’re going camping.’