Chapter 12 #2
Except nothing had felt normal since the break-in at Molly’s.
Every person she passed in town. Every odd interaction.
Every misplaced glance or bit of gossip, she questioned it all.
She’d never been a paranoid person, not by nature.
But lately, it felt like suspicion had become muscle memory.
Sweetwater had felt so friendly at first. But now she had started to feel as if the town was asking something of her, asking something of all of them.
Quiet loyalty. Unspoken rules. Look the other way. God only knew how Molly must feel.
Directing her thoughts back to the present, she focused on her three patients. And almost an hour later, as she waved goodbye to Ray and headed back towards Molly’s ute, her mobile buzzed in her back pocket.
She tugged off a glove and answered without checking the screen. ‘Brianna speaking.’
‘Hey, it’s me.’ Hayden’s voice came, warm and familiar. ‘You finished up?’
‘Just heading back to the ute now. Job’s done. The poor girl just needed a bit of TLC.’
‘Glad to hear it,’ he said, then paused. ‘How do you feel about joining me, Gavin and his wife, Tilly, at the Rusty Rooster tonight? Just an easy pub dinner. You haven’t met Tilly yet, have you?’
Brianna blinked, surprised. ‘No, I haven’t. But I’ve heard good things from Molly.’
‘She’s been wanting to meet you,’ he said, tone light. ‘And Gavin swears it won’t be one of those nights with the footy blaring and half the town yelling over a game of pool, like it is at the Gum Boot. The Rusty Rooster is a little more quiet.’
She chuckled. ‘That does sound dangerously civilised. All right, I’m in.’
‘Great. We’re aiming for six-thirty. Want me to swing by and pick you up? Seeing as you’re still waiting on the Hilux.’
Brianna smiled. ‘Yeah. That’d be nice, thanks, Hayden.’
A few hours later, she stood in front of her bedroom mirror, fussing with a strand of hair that refused to behave.
The rest of her outfit was simple, clean jeans and a soft blouse, but she’d changed three times before settling.
It wasn’t a date, she reminded herself, just dinner with friends.
And yet her heart had other ideas. From his usual spot on the end of her bed, Sherlock watched her with his head tilted, eyebrows drawn in amused judgement.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ she muttered.
He gave a soft whuff in response.
‘It’s not like I’m nervous. I just want to look, you know, decent.’
There was another tilt of the head from her doggy mate.
‘Fine. Maybe I’m a little nervous, but only because I’m meeting Tilly; it’s certainly not because of Hayden.’
Sherlock yawned in reply, then rolled onto his side, clearly unconvinced.
She was about to argue back when the sound of tyres in the driveway reached her ears, and her heart skipped a few beats.
She gave Sherlock a look, half-annoyed, half-flustered. ‘Not. A. Date. Mr Sherlock.’
But despite what she was saying out loud, she was halfway to the door before the diesel drone of Hayden’s LandCruiser cut out.
She checked her watch. He was right on time.
Moments later, there was a soft slam of a car door, and the sound of boots alighting her steps then crossing her verandah.
Drawing in a deep breath, she exhaled then opened the front door just as Hayden reached it.
He glanced at her, then did a small double take.
Brianna felt the heat rise to her cheeks as his eyes lingered for a second longer, and she caught the way he subtly cleared his throat, like he was trying not to stare.
It was flattering, and mildly infuriating, how easily he could rattle her with a look.
‘Howdy,’ she said with a smile, trying to keep her voice even.
Hayden’s eyes warmed the second they landed on her, flicking briefly over her before returning to her face. Something unreadable, something heated, sparked in his gaze, but all he said was, ‘Evening, Doc Steele.’
Sherlock padded up beside her, tail wagging in slow approval. Hayden crouched without hesitation, scratching behind the dog’s ears. ‘G’day, mate.’
Sherlock huffed, leaning in to the attention.
Brianna rolled her eyes, but her lips betrayed her with a twitch of a smile. Traitor, she thought light-heartedly, though the warmth in her chest betrayed her again. Sherlock was a great judge of character.
With dog and man bonded, Hayden stood, and for a beat his eyes locked onto hers and the space between them became thick with something she couldn’t name but felt in every nerve ending.
The easy, safe air when she was around him felt different tonight.
Charged. Like one wrong move could tip them both into something neither of them could undo.
‘Ready?’ he asked, his voice low, a touch huskier than usual.
‘Yeah,’ she managed. ‘I’ll just grab my bag and lock up; won’t be a sec.’
And she was no more than ten, and in that very short time it felt as if her heart had beat ten times that. Hayden stepped ahead without another word and once they reached his LandCruiser jogged around to open the passenger door for her.
The simple, old-fashioned gesture made her pulse flutter even harder. ‘Chivalry’s still alive in Sweetwater, I see,’ she teased lightly.
She climbed up and into the luxury four-wheel drive, hiding the small, involuntary smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth.
The Highwaymen’s version of ‘Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys’ lasted almost the entire drive from her front door to the Rusty Rooster’s – everything was so close in this little country town.
Hayden pulled into a park out the front and flicked her a sideways glance. ‘Here we are.’ Then, in a flash, he was out and circling around to open her door again.
She tried not to think about how natural it looked, him standing there, waiting for her. ‘You don’t have to keep doing that, you know,’ she said as she slid down, her ankle boots landing on the gravel.
‘Maybe I like doing it,’ he replied simply, his hand brushing hers as she steadied herself on the step.
Her stomach flipped at the casual honesty in his tone, but before she could reply, he nodded towards the pub doors. ‘Come on then. Let’s get in there before Gavin drinks the place dry.’
She laughed, falling into step beside him. Their shoulders brushed as they crossed the short distance to the entrance, and though neither mentioned it, the spark of contact lingered all the same.
The quaint, cosy pub was already humming with locals winding down from the day, the scent of fry oil and beer curling beneath the ceiling fans.
Gavin was at the bar, leaning casually with a schooner in hand, chatting with a woman Brianna gathered was his wife.
She was striking – tall, with a dark braid slung over one shoulder and a direct, knowing gaze.
Her blue sundress was simple but stylish, and her laugh carried across the room with warm confidence.
As they approached, Hayden greeted her with a grin. ‘Bri, this is Tilly, Gavin’s better half.’
Tilly extended a hand with a bright smile. ‘So, you’re the vet everyone’s been talking about. It’s about time we met.’
‘Hey, Tilly, great to meet you,’ Brianna said, shaking her hand.
Tilly’s grip was firm, friendly. Brianna liked her within an instant.
After a few moments, Tilly leant in conspiratorially. ‘Honestly, I’m just glad to be out of the house. A whole dinner without someone flinging mashed banana or yelling about who stole whose crayons.’
Brianna laughed. ‘How many kids?’
‘Two. Twins. A boy, Danny, and a girl, Jasmine. They are gorgeous, wild and completely exhausting.’ Tilly grinned. ‘Gavin and I haven’t had a meal that didn’t involve cutting someone else’s food in over a month.’
‘Sorry to butt in, you two, but just deciding where to sit.’ Hayden nodded towards a booth in the corner. ‘That one’s free. Let’s grab it before the darts crowd rolls in.’
They’d just started to move when the barmaid’s voice rang out behind them.
‘Well, well,’ Sharon called as she approached, a tray balanced expertly on one hand. Her red lipstick was immaculate and matched her locks of fiery-hued hair, and her eyes were sharp. ‘You bring the cavalry, Hayden?’ she added, tossing him a teasing glance.
‘Just good company, Shaz,’ he replied with a smirk.
‘Better company than you usually keep,’ Sharon shot back, raising an eyebrow at Gavin.
Gavin chuckled. ‘You wound me, Shar.’
Sharon’s eyes swept to Brianna, briefly curious. ‘You’re the new vet, huh?’
‘That’s me,’ Brianna said evenly.
‘Mmm.’ Sharon nodded, then shifted her piercing gaze back to Hayden. ‘Heard Molly’s café got broken into. Rough go, that.’
Hayden’s brows creased. ‘Yeah, it’s been tough for her.’
‘I bet, given it’ll be more than what it seems,’ Sharon said with sureness.
Brianna stiffened slightly. The tone in this woman’s voice didn’t seem to carry an ounce of compassion. ‘What makes you think there’s more to it?’ she couldn’t help but ask.
Sharon’s sharp eyes flicked back to her.
‘Break-ins like that? It’s never just bad luck.
I’d bet there was foul play in it somewhere.
’ Her eyes lingered and thinned. ‘Ah, don’t fret, sweetheart.
I’m just like everyone else in this town, nosey and guesstimating.
’ She laughed now, so loud and sudden Brianna startled.
‘Jack always said I had the nose of a bloodhound and the memory of a steel trap.’ She let the words hang before lowering her voice and turning back to Hayden.
‘He told me things, Pierce. Back when he and I were …’ She half shrugged. ‘Anyway, that’s not my story to tell.’
Hayden’s jaw tightened. ‘If you know something that could help Molly, you should just spit it out, Sharon.’
But Sharon only gave him a sly smile and a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘Now, now, Pierce. You know me. I don’t meddle. Just make observations.’ She turned to go, then glanced back over her shoulder. ‘Watch yourselves, darlings. This town remembers more than it says.’