Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Current Day
Through the window, a blue jay bobbed on a branch. There were no leaves. The sky was a grey colour, and although it was toasty warm in her room, a shiver ran through Matilda’s body as she looked at the frost-covered grass outside. The bird fascinated Matilda. She’d never seen a blue jay before, but she’d googled it the moment she saw it since it was beautiful. Its plumage was brilliant in contrast to the grey landscape. It was larger than she’d thought it would be, and when it flew off, she was disappointed to see it go.
She hugged herself in the soft bathrobe provided by the bed and breakfast and then padded across the thick carpet to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and waited, but nothing happened. No water, not a drop. She’d had a shower without any issue the previous evening, but now she couldn’t get it to work. She turned the handle back again, then forward. Again, the shower remained dry.
With hands on her hips, she stared at the shower for a few moments, then went to the bed and sat before picking up the phone to call reception. She reported the issue with the shower, then lay on the bed to watch the news while she waited for the promised handyman to come to her room.
She didn’t know what to make of Rita. The woman had seemed very friendly, had come across warm and open. But she was hiding something. It seemed as though she’d closed off when Matilda mentioned Tyler. It could be in Matilda’s imagination. She might be making it all up. But it was a feeling she had, one she couldn’t quite explain.
Another thing on her mind was the issue with Cam. Well, not exactly. What really bothered her was that it didn’t bother her. Which was silly, when she thought about it. But why wasn’t she thinking about him every moment of the day? Why wasn’t she heartbroken that he’d asked for space? She should’ve been mourning the loss. He hadn’t called or texted, hadn’t checked in with her, sent an email or photo. They’d had a few close calls in the past when she’d almost ended things between them, and he’d bombarded her with romantic gestures or poetry via text messages, begging her to give them another chance because they belonged together.
And now, nothing. She had told him she needed to think and he should stop harassing her. But Cam never listened to anyone.
Even though that should offend her, it didn’t. She felt almost a sense of relief. Which made her even more despondent because that meant it was time to move on. If she wasn’t upset about things ending between them, then they shouldn’t reconnect when she returned to Australia. It wasn’t working out. He wasn’t her soul mate, and if she was honest with herself, she’d known that for a long time. She’d let their relationship continue because it was easier than confronting him to end things. He hadn’t wanted to move on, had always clung to her like she was his life raft, and she’d let him because it was nice to be needed, to be wanted.
With a sigh, she flicked through the channels, looking for something to watch but not really wanting to get into anything deep. She found a news channel and left it there, letting the reporters’ voices sooth her while she returned to her thoughts.
She was soon interrupted by a knock at the door. Gathering her robe around her, she tightened the tie around her waist and hurried to open it. When she saw him standing on the threshold, she gasped audibly.
It was the tall man from the petrol station.
“You?” she asked.
He frowned. “Coffee lady?”
“What are you doing here?” Nerves fluttered in her stomach followed by a stern indignation. She raised her chin.
“I’m here to fix the shower? You called the desk and said it wasn’t working.”
“Oh? You’re the handyman?”
He nodded, eyes glinting with delight at the situation. Of course he was enjoying it, she was uncomfortable and that made him happy. “Ryan Merritt, at your disposal.”
“Thanks for your promptness. I’m Matilda Berry, come with me. I’ll show you to the shower.” She spun on her heel.
“I know where the shower is,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Of course.” She stepped aside. She followed him into the bathroom. Why did she always act so proper and formal when she was irritated? She pronounced every word precisely, even as anxiety clustered around a rapid heartbeat in her chest. She didn’t know why he made her so uncomfortable, but he just had to fix the shower and then he would leave and she wouldn’t have to see him ever again.
He stepped up to the shower and leaned down to press something below the tap, then turned the lever and water spurted out. He moved away, scratched his head. “Looks fine to me. What seems to be the problem?”
Embarrassment flooded through her. “Uh … sorry. I didn’t know about that button thingy.”
“Right, well, you’ve got to press the button first, then the water comes out.”
She wanted to slap herself on the forehead, but he already thought she was stupid. There was no need to confirm it for him.
“I haven’t seen that before. I’m not sure how I made it work the first time.”
He shrugged. “It’s not very common. There are a thousand different types of faucets. This one tricks a lot of folks. Sometimes the button stays stuck.”
She crossed her arms. “Well, thanks.”
“No problem. Since neither one of us is holding hot coffee, I think we’ll get through it unscathed this time.” He strode back to the front door.
She frowned. “You know, that was an accident. The floor was slick.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re not from ‘round here, are you?”
“No, but I don’t see how that’s relevant.”
“A local would’ve known the floor was slick. You didn’t even slow down.” His eyes narrowed. “What kind of an accent is that anyway? British?”
“No, I’m Australian,” she said, indignant at his mistake. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was his whole demeanour—tall, handsome, smug, rude. He had a vibe she didn’t like. It made her want to squirm with irritation.
“You’re a long way from home.”
She waited for another snide remark, but it didn’t come.
“Well, thanks again.”
“You’re welcome. Call the desk if you have any other problems. I’m here for another hour or so.”
She shut the door behind him, confused. He seemed to like teasing her at every opportunity, had been rude multiple times, and yet hadn’t poked fun about the shower incident and offered to help with anything else she needed. He also smelled really good. She leaned against the door and inhaled slowly, his aftershave still clinging to the air around her. What was that smell? Whatever it was, she liked it. Cam wore a kind of fruity scent that made her nose itch, and she always felt a little sick whenever he overdid it. But this scent was masculine, warm and rich, without being overpowering.
She yawned wide, then headed for the bathroom. It was time for a shower and then she was going to bed. It was early, but she couldn’t stay up any later. The jetlag was killing her.
The shower switched on easily now that she knew about the button. She stepped into the stream of warm water, wondering at how much more luxurious showers were here than at home—such a heavy stream of water.
It was already dark outside, and she’d skipped dinner since she was too tired to face going out and didn’t have anything in her room that would qualify. She’d make up for it with a big breakfast in the morning. And hopefully, when she caught up on her sleep, she could figure out her next move. Because right now, she was at a dead end. Returning home to Brisbane without having discovered anything about her biological family wasn’t an option.