O, Fortuna

Chapter 23

Liam grinned from the side of the road, waving his farewell the occupant of the four-wheel drive that had recommenced its journey northward to Bundaberg. Trevor would have undoubtedly taken him all the way up to the house but Liam had not wished to impede the other man's journey home any more than need be. Thanks to variety of company stuff-ups and airline delays, the maintenance crew had only left the site that morning, Christmas Eve. Trevor had another several hundred kilometres to drive before he got home to his wife and family. So what if it would only have been a matter of another five minutes negotiating the driveway up then down again, Liam had sensed Trevor's anticipation and frustration long before they boarded the flight bound for Brisbane.

For the first time in his life, Liam believed he not only understood but shared that ache to be with someone. His first mistake had been going to her bedroom but the second was far greater, impulsively going to the airport to see Grace off as he had. As he stalked up the driveway to Faridah now, reshouldering his kitbag, Liam recalled the state of mind he had been in when he had returned home that afternoon particular. Thoughts twisted without hope of being unravelled, the acceptance of how he felt about Grace being tied into knots by the circumstances they were in, that had brought them together, how different they were but only so far as skin deep.

Out of sight, out of mind had proven to be a totally redundant concept. That damned note in the kitchen with her mobile number, Deanna texting through Grace's new number, Rosa talking about the letters she had received from Fremantle, his father's decision to take a holiday at Christmas for the first time...well, ever, because Grace had asked him to. It had been a relief to get away from Faridah and back into a proper working situation again, meet new people, learn the ropes around the mining site, all of it had been the challenge he had wanted for himself.

But that did not stop Liam, try as he might not to live up to his own self-fulfilling prophecies while thinking about Grace, late at night in his temporary quarters. Sometimes it was the only way he could get to sleep; other nights it was more akin to mental torture that physical gratification. A dozen times, he had picked up his mobile with intention of calling her but every time, what he had thought to be good sense told him actually talking to her would only make him feel worse.

He could handle the loneliness, the longing, but only if he maintained the distance and the notion in his head that she really did not feel anything for him. When he heard nothing from Grace directly, pride started calling the shots and declaring his misgivings about her female character had been proven correct. Being wanted for his rebellious anatomy was all good and well but while he was in charge of it all still, Grace was not getting anything from it.

Having deposited his kitbag inside the caretaker's house, Liam moved up toward the main house, full of resolve that he commanded all 198 centimetres and 108 kilograms of himself and fully aware that she was there, all by herself. Once inside, however, he did not immediately find Grace, though her choice in music was blaring through the house from the living room. After a glance outside to the rear veranda, Liam moved back into the hallway, looking into the bedroom she had occupied on her first visit. Her possession were present but she was not and so he continued on into the study but once again, did not find Grace. Or so he thought.

Liam had turned to leave the study when he heard the sound of movement behind him and stepping back and further into the room, found Grace asleep on the sofa, in perfect blissful ignorance of all, stretched out in a criminally short strapless black dress. Inwardly groaning, Liam moved around and took a seat on the edge of the table, taking a long moment to trace the line of Grace's frame with his gaze, from her ankles to her calves, passed her knees and up to the exposed inner thigh of her right leg. His attention settled there a moment, the limits of his fresh resolve sorely tested, wanting to awaken her in a decidedly unchivalrous manner but, instead, he reached over to gently touch Grace's arm with his fingertips