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‘I’m positive, you go and enjoy some time with my annoyingly handsome brother.’
‘Thanks, Jessie.’ Shanti waggled her brows and grinned playfully. ‘I most certainly will.’
‘Oh, yuck.’ Jess shot to her feet and covered her ears. ‘I don’t want to know any more, thank you very much.’
Laughing, Shanti rose and walked her to the door of her mum’s cottage. ‘Bye for now, I’ll see you back here around five-thirty.’ She pecked Jess’s cheek. ‘Love you.’
‘Love you, too.’ Jess gave her a hug then disappeared out the door. ‘And I’ll be here on the dot, I promise, with a bottle of bubbly,’ she called over her shoulder.
Just shy of four pm, Jess was scrambling to get all her maid of honour duties done. After one too many coffees, she felt like a frog in a sock as she used her caffeine high to her advantage. Her arms heaving with shopping bags, she hurried across the road, towards her mum’s VW. She couldn’t wait to show Shanti what she’d come up with for the wedding favours.
Backing out of the parking space, she indicated then headed towards home.Home.She rolled the word around in her head, letting it give her all the feels. It made her think of her childhood, her brother, her mum and dad, Annie, Morgan, Chiara, Nonno … all of them, in one way or another, were her quintessential home. And that made her wonder what the hell she was doing trying to live out her days in a country she loved, but didn’t feel at home in. Until arriving back in Silverton Shores, she hadn’t missed having a man around. But she did miss having Morgan around. But what if he wasn’t Chiara’s father? What then? And how would she ever leave her nonno behind if he was? The very thought made her feel trapped. Blinking through sudden tears, she brought the VW to a sliding halt, but she couldn’t do the same to her racing heart. Instead, it gallivanted faster. Her hand going to her chest, she gulped in salty sea air. And she stayed there, parked at the curb, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, for a little while longer, until she felt safe to drive home.
* * *
Right on 5.40 pm, the popping of the champagne cork was around the time her emotional day turned into one hell of a night.
Shanti wiggled her hips to a Dolly Parton song as she poured them both a glass. ‘You and I are going to have so much fun tonight.’
‘Cheers to that, my darling friend.’ Clinking glasses, Jess threw her drink back.
Shanti peered over the rim of hers, while taking a sip. ‘Whoa, slow down or you’ll be bailing on me before we’ve even left the house.’
‘Nah.’ Jess waved her hand indifferently. ‘This isn’t my first rodeo.’
Shaking her head, Shanti laughed. ‘It may not be your first night out, but it’s certainly your first big one in a long time.’
‘Fair point, Miss Shanti, I promise to pace myself.’ Jess nodded.
‘Just remember, you’re meant to be the pragmatic one.’ Shanti stabbed a finger at her own chest. ‘And I’m meant to be the daydreamer.’
‘What do you mean?’ Jess scrunched her brows up. ‘I’m not daydreaming.’
‘Maybe not daydreaming,’ A cheeky glint shimmered in Shanti’s eyes. ‘But youaredreaming about a certain someone ripping your clothes off.’
Jess knew exactly who Shanti meant. ‘Stop it,’ she said, playfully shoving her.
Shanti spiritedly shoved her back. ‘Never.’
Jess smacked a kiss to Shanti’s cheek. ‘I love you.’
Leaning her elbows on the kitchen table, Shanti smiled. ‘I love you, too, Jessica Sabatini, bucketloads.’ She tipped her glass of bubbly back. ‘Now, come on, let’s get this crazy show on the road.’
Jess leapt off the stool and to her feet. ‘Yes, let’s.’
Her voice of reason had saved her from making quite a few really bad decisions in her life, but tonight she wanted to gag it. For once, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and give herself permission to let her hair down and completely enjoy herself.
* * *
Sunset was painting the sky – it would be dark very soon. About the time Morgan liked to kick his boots off and put his feet up, not pull his going-to-town boots on and head in to join the masses of inebriated townsfolk. Dinners were one thing, but a rowdy night at the pub, that was another. He had no idea how Roberto had roped him into coming out tonight, but here he was, pulling into the chock-full car park of the Roundyard Tavern. Unlike Jess, who’d seemed excited about her night ahead when she’d basically flown like a jet out the door, hollering something about running late, he honestly wasn’t in the mood to drink or socialise. But he figured he owed Roberto for being a great mate, and that’s why he was there. And he also wanted to keep a covert eye on Jess, and make sure she got home safe and sound. It might also be a case of him not wanting some sleazy drunken bloke to lay a finger on her. But he wasn’t telling anyone that.
Stepping out of his Troopy, he clicked it locked and shoved the keys into his jeans pocket. As he walked towards the entrance of the tavern, he could hear the sound of music and laughter spilling out and onto the street, just like the drunkards would be later, at closing time.Here goes. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door. The warm glow of the interior welcomed him, but the hullaballoo didn’t. Even so, he strode in confidently.
‘Well, well, look who the cat has gone and dragged in, hey!’ The bulky doorman grinned. ‘I have to see it to believe it, Savage.’ He held out his hand. ‘It’s been a long time between drinks on a Friday night, bud.’
‘Yeah,’ Morgan said, giving his old school mate a handshake in greeting. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘Well, have a good one,’ the bloke said before checking the next person’s ID.
