Real Men Don't Break Hearts(30)

…

A bumblebee droned in the flowerbeds around the patio. When Ally had arrived at Mr. Cummings’s house, he’d insisted on serving her tea in the garden. “I’ll be renting out this house when I move to Queensland,” he said. “I know I should sell, but I can’t bring myself to part with it. I’ll miss this garden, especially my roses. I planted them for Roseanne, you see.”

Ally didn’t see. Roseanne was the scheming bitch who’d run off with another man and bled Mr. Cummings dry at the divorce. Why did he still miss her?

“But I’m all set,” he continued on a brighter note, folding his hands across his comfortable paunch. “Nate Hardy and I settle tomorrow, and then you’ll have a new landlord.”

Ally wriggled in the wicker chair. “That’s what I’ve come to see you about today.”

“You’re not still worried about getting Nate as your landlord, are you? He’s assured me he has no intentions of making any changes.”

She didn’t want to think about Nate as her landlord. Not when she was currently sleeping with him.

“Actually, it’s my current landlord I’m worried about.” She set her teacup on the table and smoothed down her skirt. “About the rent I still owe you—”

“Oh, pshaw.” He gave her a languid wave. “I’d be happy to forget about that.”

“No, no, I don’t want you to forget about it. It’s very important to me. I have most of the money, but I’m about five hundred dollars short—”

“You mustn’t worry about a small sum like that. Especially a nice young woman like yourself.”

Ally pressed her lips together. She’d just ignore that patronizing comment for now. “I want you to know I’m good for it. I’m going to have a massive sale in the next few days, and I’m positive I’ll be able to pay you everything by the end of next week.”

“Capital, capital.” He beamed at her cherubically.

She said her good-byes and drove back to Burronga where Tyler had been minding the store for her.

“Mr. Cummings is a sweet man, but he drives me batty sometimes,” she said to her friend after she’d told her what had happened. “He honestly believes I won’t have the money ready by next week.”

“You do realize that paying Mr. Cummings back just means you’ll be behind your rent with Nate.”

“I know that.” Ally flipped the door sign to Closed and moved to the register to count the day’s takings. Even as she busied herself she was aware of Tyler watching her closely.

“So that’s all you’re saying?” Tyler said when the pause had stretched to half a minute.

“About what?”

Tyler waggled her eyebrows. “About a certain hunk of a man?”

Ally blushed, lost track of her counting, and laid down the bundle of notes. “Okay, you got me. Yes, I have been seeing Nate.”

Her friend let out a triumphant whoop. “I knew it!”

“How exactly did you find out?” Ally was pretty sure Jess wouldn’t have spread the gossip.

Tyler rested her elbow on the counter and leaned in. “Have you forgotten what a small town we live in? If I spent every night of the week with a certain man, the news would get around, no matter how careful I was.” Her grin widened. “And you, my little daredevil, have not been very careful.”

Ally’s cheeks grew hotter. “It’s not a big deal, honestly. Nate and I are just… It’s just a casual thing. Nothing heavy.”

“And you’re fine with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? Most people have flings.”

“You’re not most people.”

She frowned at that. “Maybe I want to be.”

“I bet your family doesn’t approve.”

Her stomach clenched. Jess had been muttering her disapproval ever since Ally had confessed about Nate. The way she carried on made Ally’s connection with Nate sound so sleazy, but in all honesty Ally couldn’t say she felt ashamed. When she was with Nate he made her feel wonderful, free, uninhibited. He made her laugh and blush; he made her oh, so hot. They weren’t hurting anyone, so why was Jess convinced that Ally was on a path of certain self-destruction?

She tossed back her head. “Jess was the one who advised me to ‘have some fun’ in the first place, but now she’s changed her mind because it’s Nate. She thinks I’ll get hurt, but she doesn’t understand that I’m perfectly happy with the way things are.”

“Oh, I understand. You know what I think about relationships. Nooo thank you.” Tyler’s earrings jingled as she shook her auburn hair vehemently. “Yup, you and I are on the same wavelength now. No-strings-attached sex is the best. We don’t need all the muss and fuss. We’re the ones calling the shots. When we need a man for a bit of fun, we can just call him up, no problem.”

This time Ally had to lower her gaze. Who was calling the shots between her and Nate? For the past week they had spent every night together, either at his place or hers, but they never made any plans to see each other in advance. It was usually just a quick phone call at the end of the day, and she’d become accustomed to her stomach knotting up with anticipation as the clock ticked past five and she waited for her phone to buzz. But it was Nate who’d called every time, she realized, while she’d just waited. Nate was the one calling the shots, and she hadn’t even noticed until now.

“Sure, I call him up whenever I want,” she blustered. Oh, yeah? The clock stood at five-fifteen now, and he hadn’t called yet. Did she have the nerve to ring him? Yes, she could do that. Maybe. On the other hand, maybe she should play it cool and do something else tonight. She didn’t want to make herself too available or he’d take her for granted.

“But you don’t want to ring the man too often,” Tyler said, “or he’ll think you’re desperate, and there’s nothing more pathetic than a desperate woman.”

Great. Why did Tyler have to echo the exact thing she’d been thinking? Ally rubbed her forehead. She wasn’t used to these games, this scheming and second-guessing.

“Quite right. Don’t want to let things get out of control.” After all, who’s to say Nate was going to stick around Burronga? What if he got tired of the whole change-his-life thing and ran back to Sydney? She didn’t want to be left behind nursing a broken heart.

“A girl has to look out for herself, because the man’s not going to do it for her.” Tyler picked up her handbag from behind the counter. “Gotta go, see you later.”

Alone, Ally concentrated on counting the register, all the while trying not to glance at the clock every five seconds. The minute hand ticked on, and still there was no call from Nate. Her stomach felt hollow, and a dull ache squeezed her shoulder blades together. Damn, this was just a foretaste of what would happen to her if she let things with Nate carry on at the current delirious pace. She had to draw back. She had to mark the boundaries and protect herself. Protect her heart.

She almost jumped when her phone started buzzing. Her hands went clammy when the caller ID told her it was Nate.

“I couldn’t ring earlier because I was talking to a prospective client,” he said after she’d cautiously greeted him. “I’ll be home in twenty minutes. Do you want to get pizza tonight?”

“Actually, I have other plans. I hope you don’t mind.” She marveled at the steadiness in her voice, grateful he couldn’t see how shaky her hands were.

There was a short, fraught pause. “Other plans?” His tone was deadpan.

“Yeah, I, uh, I’m going to a—a Tupperware party.”

“Ri-ight.”

His drawl spiked along her spine and her face felt ready to burst into flame. Why didn’t he just call her an outright liar?

“So I’ll see you around,” she managed to get out.

“Yeah, sure. Have fun at your…Tupperware party.” He hung up before she could sputter anything more.

She pressed her cold fingers to her throbbing cheeks. Well, she’d shown Nate and herself she wasn’t just hanging around pining for his attention. She’d asserted herself, stated her independence, regained control. Only problem was, she couldn’t stop thinking about spending the night with Nate. Sharing pizza and wine with him, talking about their days, then making love, and afterward drifting to sleep with his naked body curled around hers. Instead, all she had was aching frustration and no prospect of relief. Why was a casual fling with Nate becoming so complicated?





Chapter Twelve

The bronze tail was buried in the bowels of the shed. Nate had to squeeze past piles of dusty old junk to get to the back—if he hadn’t known the tail was there, he’d never have found it. He tossed aside a broken guitar and spied what he’d been searching for lying in the far corner. Cobwebbed and dull beneath a thick layer of dirt, the piece looked like just another bit of rubbish, but when he heaved it up, he experienced a slight thrill, a vestige of the charge he’d gotten from stealing it, followed by a swift bite of guilt.

He hauled the bronze tail out onto the grass; it was heavier than he remembered. He must have been a determined little twerp to have hacked it off Colonel Clifton’s horse and carted it all the way home before stuffing it in the back of Robbie’s shed. He’d known it would be safe there—Robbie never bothered clearing out that shed—and he could have left it rotting there forever. But he knew now he couldn’t.