Page 36 of Outback Secrets

‘You must miss the water when you’re away,’ he said as she paddled back to meet him.

She ran a hand over her hair, droplets of water tumbling onto her already wet and glistening body. ‘Yes and no. I’m usually so busy I forget how much of a thrill I get surfing. I … I get it from flying instead. It’s lucky the beach is here though because if it wasn’t for this, I might never come back.’

‘You don’t like Bunyip Bay?’

‘It’s not that.’ She gestured around them. ‘What’s not to love? When I’m away I always look forward to coming home—at least I used to—but now, it always feels a little claustrophobic.’

‘How so?’

She held up two fingers. ‘Two words. My family.’

‘You don’t get along with them?’

‘Oh,’ she sighed loudly, ‘it’s not that we don’t get along, not exactly. I love working on the farm with my brothers, but they’re busy with their wives and kids now, and I miss Dad so much. It might sound weird, but when I’m not here, I can kind of imagine that he still is. Every time I walk back into the house, it’s suddenly so obvious that he’s gone, and everything feels weird.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he said, knowing exactly how weird the world could feel without a loved one. ‘I didn’t know him well, but your parents came into the pub at least once a month for dinner and he seemed like a good guy.’

‘He was. The best. Mum and I clash a little sometimes, but he was always the peacekeeper between us. She’s always telling me how I should live my life, right down to how I should dress, whereas Dad was proud of what I did.’

‘I’m sure she’s proud of you.’

Henri humphed. ‘Tilley’s not much better. She tells me off for swearing too much—says it’s not lady-like—and even the boys don’t really treat me as an equal. They all treat me like a baby yet are also constantly on at me about growing up!’

He frowned. ‘I haven’t heard you swear that much.’

‘I’ve been on my best behaviour. Anyway, enough yakking. You’re trying to distract me, aren’t you?’ She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘I saw you catch that last wave. Not bad. But let’s see if you can stay on longer than five seconds this time.’

‘Hey! It was more like ten seconds.’

‘Then prove it,’ she said, turning and paddling towards an incoming wave.

Liam paddled after her, trying to focus on the board and the water rather than the way her arms cut through the blue with the swift precision of a professional. Somehow, he managed to focus and with each attempt, he spent even longer on the board.

‘You might just be a natural,’ Henri shouted to him between waves.

Her praise felt way better than it should.

After almost an hour in the water, their fingers started to shrivel up like prunes and Henri announced, ‘That’s probably enough for one day. Wouldn’t want to tire you out.’

‘Tire me out?’ he scoffed. ‘I’ll have you know it’ll take a lot more than that to tire me out. I have awesome stamina.’

‘Is that right?’ she teased as they walked up the sand towards their gear. ‘I guess I’ll have to take your word for that.’