Page 87 of Outback Secrets

Henri grabbed the crutches and tentatively stepped under the water. It wasn’t the most relaxing shower she’d ever had, but it did the trick, and when she shuffled back to Liam’s bedroom—barely managing both crutches and a towel—she found him sitting on the bed, waiting for her.

‘Are your crutches wet?’ he asked, clearly amused as he rushed to help her.

‘Yep. I wouldn’t recommend showering with these things, but I was desperate.’

‘I could have helped you,’ he said. Once she was settled on the bed, he rested the crutches back against the wall.

‘Are you kidding? No thanks.’ It had been bad enough last night with her mum—she’d felt like she was three years old again—no way she wanted Liam playing nursemaid.

‘Yesterday you seemed quite excited about the idea of us sharing a shower.’

‘Yesterday a shower would have been sexy, today …’ She shook her head and pointed to the tray sitting in the middle of the bed. ‘Never mind, is that a Bunyip Burger?’

He nodded.

‘Please tell me that’s for me, because if not, I’ll fight you for it.’

He grinned as he lifted the tray and placed it on her lap. ‘It’s for you. Although if the fight led to make-up sex, maybe it’d be worth it.’

‘Trust me,’ Henri said, lifting it to her mouth, ‘bringing me one of the best burgers this side of the equator pretty much guarantees you sex anyway.’

She should probably get dressed before eating, but … priorities.

‘Oh my God, this is so good,’ she moaned after the first mouthful.

‘Macca certainly knows how to make a burger.’

‘What does he put in the patties that gives it that extra …’ She couldn’t think of the right word. ‘That extra something?’

‘That,’ he said, ‘is a state secret.’

‘You tell me, you’ll have to kill me?’

‘I can’t tell you, because even I don’t know.’

‘What? You serious?’

‘Yeah. I know a lot of secrets about lots of things in this town, but that’s not one of them. Macca guards his “extra something” with his life. And that’s why I treat him like a king. The Palace menu wouldn’t be the same without him.’

‘So … these other secrets?’ Henri asked, her interest piqued. ‘Care to share any with me?’

He winked. ‘They wouldn’t be secrets if I did that, now would they?’

‘Tease.’

As she got stuck into her dinner, Liam sat down on the edge of the bed and turned his attention to her ankle. She was kinda getting used to the sight of it, but it was the first time he’d seen it in all its bruised and swollen glory.

‘Geez. You don’t do anything by halves, do you? Is it still really sore?’

‘A bit,’ she admitted through another scrumptious mouthful.

‘Shouldn’t you still be wearing a bandage?’

‘Yeah, but I took it off to shower. I’ll put it back on later.’

‘Let me. It’ll be easier if someone else does it.’

‘Okay, thanks,’ Henri said. ‘I left it in the bathroom.’