The Bridesmaid's Best Man. Barbara Hannay

cringed, a part of her heart marvelled at how fabulous Mark had looked. In those scant, brief seconds, her senses had taken in particulars of his tall, dark, handsome gorgeousness—the hard planes of his chest, the breathtaking breadth of his shoulders, the powerful muscles in his thighs.

      Although she’d tried to keep her eyes averted, she hadn’t been able to avoid seeing the rest of him—and how very male Mark was.

      But alien, too, with his dark, stubbled jaw, and suntanned limbs, with the red dust of the Outback clinging to him.

      

      Mark cursed and his heart thundered as he flung open wardrobe doors, grabbed clean clothes and dragged them over his dusty body. It would be some time before he recovered from the sight of Sophie Felsham, in his bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel—and the equal shock of standing in front of her like a dumbstruck fool. Stark naked.

      Then again, Sophie Felsham wearing anything at Coolabah Waters would have stunned Mark.

      He swallowed. He’d never dreamed she would arrive here before they’d had a chance to talk.

      Why had she come? What did she expect from him?

      Leaving his shirt unbuttoned and hanging loose over his jeans, he hurried barefoot down the passage to the kitchen, expecting to find Haggis peeling spuds at the sink, or slicing onions.

      He was going to demand answers.

      But the kitchen was empty.

      It smelled great, however. There was something cooking in the oven—beef and mushrooms, if Mark wasn’t mistaken.

      And then he saw a piece of paper propped against the teapot. Frowning, he snatched it up.

      Mark,

      My only sister, Deirdre, is seriously ill in Adelaide and I need to visit her. I’ve tried to call you, but the sat phone doesn’t seem to be working. Sorry, mate, but I know you’ll understand. I’ve left frozen meals for you and I’ve left Deirdre’s number beside the phone.

      Apologies for the haste,

      Angus.

      P.S. A young English woman called. She’s coming to visit you. Good luck with that one.

      The note was dated four days ago. Mark scratched the back of his neck and wondered when the surprises would stop. He crushed the sheet of paper and tossed it back onto the dresser. He was still trying to come to terms with the twist of fate that had allowed Haggis’s trip south to coincide with Sophie’s arrival when he heard light footsteps behind him.

      ‘The bathroom’s free.’

      He swung around, and there was Sophie again. He inhaled sharply.

      Her hair was still damp, as if she’d dried it hastily with a towel. Wispy, dark curls clung to her forehead and her soft, pale cheeks. She was dressed in a simple white T-shirt, a slim red skirt, and she wore sandals covered in white daisies.

      ‘Hello again, Mark,’ she said shyly.

      She hadn’t used any make-up, and she looked pale and wide eyed. Incredibly pretty. Impossibly young. Her figure was so slender it didn’t seem feasible that it would expand and swell with pregnancy. With his baby.

      Something hard and sharp jammed in Mark’s throat, and he swallowed fiercely.

      ‘I—I’m really sorry about—’ Sophie’s mouth twisted into an embarrassed pout, and her eyes widened as she flapped her hands helplessly out to her sides. ‘You know—the bathroom and everything.’

      ‘Forget it.’ He spoke more gruffly than he meant to, and the back of his neck began to burn.

      How should he handle this? Should he greet her formally with a handshake? Ask her if she was feeling well? Throw his arms around her? That would be smart, given the filthy state of him.

      Stepping forward quickly, he dropped a quick peck on her soft cheek. She smelled sweet and clean, of shampoo and soap, with a hint of something else. Lavender? ‘It’s good to see you.’

      Super-conscious of his open shirt and unwashed state, he stepped back again. He felt so uncertain. There were so many questions he should ask. How was your journey? How are you keeping?

      Why have you come?

      ‘I feel terrible about turning up like this,’ she said. ‘Moving into your home when you weren’t even here. I—I thought you said you’d be back last week.’

      He nodded slowly. ‘I should have been back, but we ran into a spot of trouble.’

      ‘Oh?’

      ‘A big mob of cattle broke away. Took off for the most inaccessible country. Gave us no end of a headache.’

      A little huff escaped her, and her shoulders relaxed. ‘That sounds like hard work.’

      ‘It was.’ He picked up the crumpled note from Haggis. ‘I’m sorry my caretaker wasn’t here to greet you. He had to go away.’

      ‘Yes, I couldn’t help seeing that note.’

      It suddenly occurred to Mark that she might have been here for days. ‘When did you get here?’

      ‘This morning. I came on the mail truck.’

      ‘The mail truck?’ His mouth tilted into an incredulous smile as he tried to imagine Sophie Felsham from London arriving in the dusty township of Wandabilla and asking for directions to Coolabah Waters.

      ‘I hope you don’t mind that I used your bathroom. I know there’s another one.’

      ‘No. No, of course not.’ Mark avoided the unexpected shyness in her eyes. ‘You’re welcome to it. That’s fine.’ He ran his fingers through his dusty hair, and remembered that he was still in urgent need of a bath.

      Sophie twisted a small, gold locket at her throat. ‘I don’t make a habit of breaking into people’s houses.’

      He managed a grin. ‘No, you’ve got the wrong colour hair.’ When she looked puzzled, he added, ‘You’re not Goldilocks.’

      Her smile lit up her face, and she looked so incredibly pretty that Mark fought an urge to close his eyes in self-protection.

      Sophie pointed to the stove. ‘I took the liberty of putting one of your housekeeper’s frozen meals in the oven.’

      ‘Good thinking.’

      There was an awkward pause while he wondered if he should demand that she explain her presence here. What did she want from him—his support to have an abortion? Money? Marriage?

      ‘Look,’ he said, and then he had to stop and take a breath. ‘If—if you’ll excuse me, I’ll make use of the bathroom before I try to be sociable.’ He offered her the briefest shadow of a smile. ‘I’ve got half the Outback’s dirt and dust on me.’

      ‘Of course,’ she said with a dismissive little wave, but her eyes were worried and her cheeks had turned bright pink.

      CHAPTER FOUR

      SHE shouldn’t have come.

      As Mark disappeared back down the passage to the bathroom, Sophie felt completely out of her depth.

      In England Mark had been so different—so smooth, and almost passing for a city-dweller in his dark, formal suit—more familiar, less intimidating.

      It seemed so silly now, but before she’d left London she’d imagined she would be able to book into a hotel or a motel in a village near Mark’s place. She’d planned to call him from there, arrange to meet for a meal in a country tavern, have a nice, long talk. Take it from there…

      What an idiot she’d been. She should have quizzed Tim more closely. He could have told her what to expect in the Australian Outback. But the sad truth was, she hadn’t really wanted to know too much. She’d been