‘Ouch!’
‘Sorry.’
‘It’s really in there tight,’ he grunted, and she could feel his fingers trying to work the earring free.
‘Just get it out.’
The sound of a throat clearing made them freeze. Jenny tried to turn her head to see who had appeared without them hearing.
‘I’m not sure what I’m interrupting here, but I, um … Mum? Are you okay?’ Brittany asked.
Jenny smothered another curse. ‘I’m fine. My earring is stuck in my shirt.’
‘Oh. Okay.’
She heard the awkwardness in her daughter’s voice and muttered some more choice words. ‘I was bending down to—’
‘No. Stop. I don’t want to know,’ Brittany cut in quickly.
Jenny swayed between feeling mortified and indignant. ‘It wasn’t what you’re thinking,’ she said, letting out another gasp as the earring pulled on her ear.
‘I’m trying not to think of anything. I’m going to head upstairs. Come on, Sophie, time for your bath.’
‘Brittany!’
‘She’s already gone. I think she’s traumatised.’
‘She’s not the only one,’ Jenny said through tightly clenched teeth, then gave a sigh of relief as her ear came free and she could straighten up. This was so bloody embarrassing.
‘There you go,’ he said, stepping back. ‘You okay?’
‘Nothing disappearing into a hole right now wouldn’t cure.’
He grinned but schooled his face into a concerned glance. ‘Your ear okay?’
‘It’s fine,’ she said touching it tentatively and wincing. ‘Thank you.’
‘You ready to go?’
Oh God, they still had to get through an actual date. ‘Sure.’
‘The good news is the night’s got to get better from here, right?’ he quipped, following her to the door.
She really hoped it didn’t get worse.
The black four-wheel drive in the driveway didn’t surprise her; it looked much like the man himself: big, a little rough around the edges, but kinda sexy.
‘Where are we going?’
‘I thought maybe you’d have had enough of the gossip for a bit, so I booked a table over in Hamwell. I’ve been wanting to check out some of the competition anyway.’
She found herself able to relax a little into the leather seat. At least they could eat their meal without the whole damn town watching on like it was some live show for their entertainment.
‘Is this okay?’ he asked as crooning country music softly filled the cabin of the ute.
‘It’s fine.’
‘I wasn’t sure you’d actually answer the door tonight,’ he said once they were out on the dark road heading out of Barkley. Tonight the moon was almost full, throwing a blue-silver light across the mostly flat paddocks either side of the road, the trees creating dark silhouettes and standing out like soldiers along the ridges of the hills in the distance.
