Page 53 of Outback Secrets

‘Do you accept the dare or do you not?’

He sighed, trying to ignore the squeeze of his ribs. ‘Ask away.’ She didn’t have a lie detector, so he didn’t have to tell the truth if he didn’t want to.

‘Do you get those T-shirts you wear for free?’

‘What?’ He blinked. He’d been expecting something much more intrusive.

‘Do you get those shirts for free?’ she repeated, pointing to his black polo shirt, the one with the Bundy Rum polar bear on the pocket.

‘Yep. Hundreds of them. Can’t remember the last time I actually had to buy a shirt. It’s one of the perks of owning a pub.’

She smiled. ‘And what are the other perks?’

He shook his head. ‘That’s two questions. I think it’s my turn now. Truth or dare?’ Of course she chose truth. ‘Have you ever been out with anyone from Bunyip Bay?’

Her cheeks flushed. ‘Um … not really. I was at boarding school since I was thirteen and then never really came back to live after that, but I had the biggest crush on Adam Burton growing up.’

He laughed. ‘From what I’ve heard you’re not the only one.’

Henri nodded. ‘So, what’s it to be? Another dare or truth?’

‘Dare. But you can’t give me the same one as last time.’

‘Now I’m beginning to think you’re the chicken, but okay. I dare you to … tell me who the people in the photo that was in your bedroom are. I wasn’t sure whether the man was you or just someone that looked a lot like you. Like your dad? But if it was you … were the kids yours?’

Liam shifted in his seat. Man, she was good at this game. He almost said, ‘what photo?’ hoping he could make her think she’d imagined it, but she wasn’t stupid. Perhaps it would have been smarter for him to leave it there—removing it had only drawn attention.

‘I’m the little boy in the photo. And no, I’ve never been married. No kids either.’ He didn’t ask her truth or dare, just launched into the next question. ‘Have you ever had any serious incidents while flying?’

Something akin to discomfort flashed across her face but she covered it quickly. ‘I once got a paper cut while filling out amendments to Air Navigation Orders for CASA.’

He rolled his eyes, suddenly sensing she was hiding something. ‘Did that paper cut happen while you were flying?’

She shook her head.

‘Then it doesn’t count. Tell me the truth, Henri.’

‘Okay. Fine.’ She wrung her hands together in her lap. ‘But if you tell my mother I’ll have to kill you.’

‘Promise. My lips are sealed. What happened?’

‘I’ve had a couple of close encounters with powerlines, but that’s quite common. Sometimes they’re pesky to see and it’s over before you even realise. If the wire breaks, there’s usually no consequences. If the wire doesn’t break or jams something in the aircraft, well … it can lead to serious problems, but I’ve always been lucky. Then, not too long ago, when I was mustering up north …’

Liam’s heart thudded when Henri’s voice trailed off. ‘What happened?’

‘It was late in the day; we were almost knocking off and I was heading down near some trees to chase out cattle when the engine failed.’

‘It just stopped?’

‘Yeah.’ She sucked in a breath. ‘Well, there was a loud bang and then the prop stopped dead. I had to act fast and come down in terrain not ideal for landing. The trees were quite dense, but I found a small clearing. I managed to crash land, but the small wheels aren’t made for the rough ground. We bounced and I skidded to try and keep control, but we hit a termite mound. It all happened really fast. One minute I was airborne, the next I’m climbing out of the wreck.’

‘Geez.’ Liam found his hands gripping the arms of his chair as she spoke. No wonder Fiona Forward was constantly crossing herself. It sounded like Henri was lucky to come out of that alive. ‘Were you hurt?’

‘Not really. I walked away with nothing but a bit of bruising.’

‘How do you go back up in the air after something like that happens?’

‘Well, you just gotta get back on the horse, so to speak, don’t you?’ Henri reached for Sheila again and suddenly looked more serious than he’d ever seen. ‘A pilot I kinda knew lost his life a few years ago—but you always think it won’t happen to you. You know what I mean?’