‘Ah, Cat, there you are.’ A familiar voice halted her outburst as she turned to see Tony Marsh making his way towards them with what looked like the keys to her car in his hand. ‘Debbie said you were looking for your keys. Sorry, I accidently slipped them into my pocket,’ he said as he reached them both. He was a big teddy bear of a man, grey haired, smart and dignified, with a genuine smile on his face. Unlike this discourteous heathen who had just been confronting her.
‘I see you’ve already met Luke.’ Tony smiled at them both, seemingly unaware of the hostile atmosphere fizzing between the pair of them.
‘You’re Gareth’s nephew?’ Everything clicked into place as Cat turned to look at him.
He nodded. ‘And you, I gather, are Cat, one of the famous Trevelyan twins.’
‘That’s right,’ she answered tightly, irritated by the sarcastic edge in his tone.
Arms crossed, he leaned casually against one of the benches, watching her with the beginnings of a smirk on his face. Of course, she should have guessed, she thought, glaring at him. While he might not look anything like his cousin he possessed the same arrogant attitude. Although, at least Jordan was a ladies’ man who knew how to sweet talk and reel them in, even if he did dump them soon after. His cousin, she decided, had the sensitivity of a Neanderthal.
‘Cat?’
She shook herself out of her thoughts, hearing Tony’s voice, aware of the keys being dangled in front of her.
‘Ah, right, thank you.’ She turned her attention away from Mr Angry in Overalls and smiled sweetly as her fingers closed around the fob. ‘Everything okay?’
‘Yes, all good. I’ll need your signature before you leave. Debbie has all the paperwork.’
With a smile and a final thank you to Tony, she walked out of the bay without a backward glance. The next time her car needed attention, she would ask Harry to bring it here. No way was she planning to set eyes on Luke Carrack ever again.
‘Is she always like that?’ Luke asked as he watched Cat leave.
‘Like what?’
‘Stroppy, rude, used to getting her own way.’
‘Cat Trevelyan?’ Tony’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. ‘Not at all, why would you say that?’
Luke relayed what had just happened in the service bay, something that drew a smile from the older man.
‘Ah yes, Kieran. A bit of a pest. He’s harmless really, but that doesn’t mean I approve of his over familiarity with the opposite sex. It seems he underestimated Cat though.’ He chuckled. ‘After what he did the other evening she’s obviously been waiting for the right opportunity to pay him back.’
‘And what exactly was that?’
‘Touched what he shouldn’t have.’
‘You mean he did to her what she just did to me? Where did this happen?’
‘In Ship2Shore,her brother’s club. I gather it was mistaken identity but Kieran has this habit of brushing everything off as if it’s a huge joke. If only he’d had the sense to apologise, but that’s Kieran for you. I guess when she saw who she thought was Kieran leaning into the boot of that car she decided to act.’ Tony paused thoughtfully. ‘I have to say in her defence, one backside in overalls looks pretty much like another.’
‘Sorry, that’s no excuse.’ Luke winced as he reached up to touch the back of his skull, which still throbbed painfully. ‘Not when I’m the one who ended up with this damn lump on my head.’
‘It might be an opportunity to have a quiet word with Kieran,’ Tony said matter-of-factly. ‘After all, if it hadn’t been for him none of this would have happened. And coming from you, the boss’s nephew, it will probably put the fear of God into him too. Not a bad thing, eh? Make him think twice in future.’
Luke nodded. ‘Maybe I’ll do that,’ he said, watching as Tony wandered back to his office. He rubbed his head again, still feeling aggrieved. While Kieran Maddern might be the cause of the problem he was only part of it. Cat Trevelyan hadn’t even attempted to say sorry for what she had done. Something he wasn’t going to forget in a hurry.
Arriving back at the hotel, Cat killed the engine and sat there for a moment. She knew she shouldn’t have given her run in with Luke another thought, but for some reason she kept seeing him standing there, full of his own self-importance, only too keen to put her in her place. Okay, maybe what she had done was dangerous, even stupid. He could have been concussed, cut his head open. That would have meant a trip to ED, stitches, even an overnight stay. Rubbish, she damped down on such over-dramatic thoughts. Of course that would never have happened. She was simply overreacting.
Remembering Jodie’s over-the-top praise, she decided to give her a call and relay her own experience.
‘So you got to meet him after all?’ Jodie’s excited voice echoed down the phone. ‘What did you think?’
‘Well, actually I …’ Cat drew out a heavy breath.
‘Ah, you’re a fan already, I can tell. I’m not surprised. I have to say he has that effect on people,’ Jodie interrupted. ‘You know the women around here are in shock. I mean, they can’t believe he’s related to Jordan. And he’s so nice … horrible word, nice, but he seems to go out of his way to be helpful.’
‘Excuse me,’ Cat interrupted, determined to halt more of this endless praise which was beginning to annoy her, ‘are you sure we’re talking about the same man?’
