He chuckled and reached across the table. Stroked one fingertip gently over her knuckles. A totally non-erogenous zone, yet a quiver rippled through her. ‘Nice way to play it careful,’ he said. ‘Just know that I’ll be holding out until you find that time, though.’
It was fortunate she was sitting down, because his words, his nearness, left Jemma slightly unstable. ‘Which obviously we’d have if I agreed with Gerard that a rural office would be a goer.’
Hamish sat back. ‘I can hear the reticence in your voice. That’s not what you want, is it?’
She wrinkled her nose. ‘I think …’ She sighed, frustrated with her own whirling thoughts. ‘I’ve done a minimal amount of research and I can see why Gerard is weighing up his options. But there’s that whole second-best issue. I cannot lose to Rohan. Not after the years I’ve spent setting myself up.’
‘Setting yourself up to basically be in charge of the firm?’ Hamish said quietly.
‘Mmm. That.’
‘So, kind of like if you had your own practice … ?’
She pinched the bridge of her nose. How was it that Hamish could see so clearly what had been totally invisible to her? ‘Maybe that’s something I should have considered, but now it’s too late.’
Hamish frowned. ‘Because Gerard wants in?’
‘Yeah. Thing is, it was only the embryo of an idea in my brain, a passing thought. Now Gerard’s interest makes it seem so much more viable. But I’ve missed the boat.’
‘He’s not put anything into action, though? So you could steal a march on him?’
Jemma shook her head firmly. ‘It wouldn’t be right. Not after everything he’s done for me, for my career.’
There was a certain relief in knowing that she wouldn’t be risking failure and embarrassment; that would all be on Gerard. But so would the success and accolades.
‘Anyway,’ she continued, ‘long-distance relationships are all the go, right? So regardless of what happens with work, I’m sure we can sort it out.’ She was proud of herself for not stumbling over the word ‘relationship’, but nothing short of amazed at how calmly she was accepting the whole concept. There was a sense of logic to it that appealed. ‘So, that’s me sorted. What was it you wanted to discuss?’
‘It’s Ethan.’ Hamish paused a beat, as though waiting for her reaction.
She carefully schooled her features. She’d known Ethan would be trouble from the first time she’d seen him.
‘And Tara,’ Hamish continued.
‘Not really two names I want to hear in the one sentence, particularly given your concerns about Tara. Or are they unconnected?’ she added hopefully.
‘Connected,’ Hamish retorted. ‘It may be no big deal, but they think they might have been caught on video breakinginto a piggery. Well, not breaking in, but … I don’t know … maybe trespassing?’
Her breath came more easily. ‘Looks like you’d better get that kettle on.’
As he brewed the mugs of tea, Hamish filled her in on what proved to be a very short story.
‘Do any of them have legal rep?’ she asked, but broke off as the back door opened.
‘Speak of the devil,’ Hamish said. ‘That’ll be Ethan.’
As Ethan entered with two young women in tow, Hamish did a quick round of introductions. ‘Jemma, Ethan, Tara, Charlee.’
‘We’ve run into one another before,’ Jemma said to Tara. ‘That shirt is absolutely banging.’
From the corner of her eye, she caught Hamish’s surprised expression, but she was on a mission; Tara was hanging out with the local druggie and if Hamish was too blind to see it, Jemma wasn’t. She’d follow through with their original plan, get close with Tara, then expose Ethan. Which was unfortunate, but Hamish didn’t need to be hanging out with him; she couldn’t cut contact with the substance abuser in her life, but he certainly could. Nothing good would come of trying to support Ethan.
‘Thanks.’ Tara glanced down at the fluffy sweater that moulded to her curves. ‘This was from Hamish.’
‘It was?’ Hamish sounded like he almost choked.
‘Yeah, you got some of the CWA ducks started on spinning weird-as stuff to make jumpers. Haven’t you seen any of it?’
‘My idea was dog hair,’ Hamish protested.
