LITMIR.BIZ

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smile faltered. 'I … I'm not sure. Perhaps I read it somewhere.'

      She turned towards the lounge, but not before Daniel noticed her hand rise to rub at the base of her neck.

      As he zipped up his jeans Daniel wondered how Kirri would react when he demanded to know why she'd left him, and the nerves in his stomach fought his growing pangs of hunger. He walked into the living room. She wasn't there! A sudden, irrational fear flared inside him, only to be replaced by a terrible anger. Then he turned and saw her standing on the verandah, gazing out at the bay as though deep in thought. For a minute he stood and watched her, forcing himself to calmness, trying to drag his wayward emotions under control.

      She must have felt him staring because she turned and looked straight at him. There was a sadness and a wariness in her eyes which took him by surprise. For a few seconds that felt like minutes she simply looked at him, then her expression changed, and it was the old, familiar, bubbly Kirri who walked towards him. Her pale blue dress was swirled with turquoise and green and it reminded him of the ocean in the way it curled around her legs as she walked.

      'Have you had breakfast?' she asked. 'I could cook something for you, if you like.'

      He shrugged. 'Beans on toast would be fine.' He waited for her to tease him about eating like a cowboy, like she had so long ago, but she only smiled, walked into the kitchen, and hung her shoulder bag over a chair. As he watched her move around the kitchen, finding the can of beans, filling the kettle, taking milk and butter from the refrigerator, his mind fought his emotions.

      How could he reconcile the heartless manner in which she'd ended their relationship with the caring, guileless person she still appeared to be? What she had done to him was unforgivable, but with every minute he was with her he had trouble remembering the anger and hurt that had fuelled his every waking moment for so long.

      'Have you had breakfast?' he asked abruptly.

      She shook her head, the red curls dancing on her almost bare shoulders. 'No. I didn't feel like eating this morning.'

      'You've lost -' He stopped, suddenly afraid to bring up the past, to see her reaction. 'You're too thin,' he amended. 'You should eat more.'

      The fire in her hair seemed to flame in her eyes. 'I'm perfectly healthy!'

      He spread his hands in a conciliatory gesture. 'I was only expressing concern, not criticising.' He watched the fire damp down. 'Have breakfast with me. I'd like you to.'

      'All right. I'm sorry I bit your head off. I have a grandmother who is forever trying to feed me up, and I just get a bit sensitive.'

      Daniel wanted to ask if the man she was living with also thought she was too thin, but his tongue couldn't wrap around the words. Instead, he took cutlery from the drawer and set the table on the verandah.

      Kirri watched Daniel as they ate. She hadn't been sure what had made her come to see him this morning. Her concern for his wellbeing was only partially the reason. Now, she finally acknowledged to herself that he drew her like a magnet. There was something compelling in the intense vibes that encompassed her every time she was in his presence. Something that made her need to know more about him.

      'How long have you been in Australia, Daniel?'

      He chewed the last mouthful of his toast before he answered. 'A week. A business associate in Sydney had a heart attack and died and I came over for the funeral.'

      'Were you good friends?'

      'No. I'd met him a few times when he'd flown over to Seattle. He was a friend of my father's.'

      'Did your father come out with you?'

      'My father's dead.'

      Daniel looked at her as though he expected some sort of a reaction, but Kirri was at a loss to know what he expected her to say. After a brief silence he continued.

      'Jim Weyburn and my father were partners in a construction company in Sydney. When my father died, his half of the company passed on to me. Now that Jim's dead, his son Philip will inherit his share of the business, and I flew over to meet him as well as attend his father's funeral.'

      'So now you're on holidays.'

      'Sort of.' Daniel sighed, and Kirri had the distinct feeling that he would have preferred to have been able to say yes. 'Jim's death seems to have put Philip in a bit of a panic. I thought I'd have a look over the company books while I was here, but he's been putting me off. Said he has to have time to sort out his father's affairs and look after his mother. Two days ago he offered me this holiday house of theirs so I could take a break until he's ready.'

      A magpie swooped down and perched on the verandah rail, cocking an enquiring eye at them. Kirri cut some crust off her toast and placed it on the rail close by. Cautiously, the magpie hopped closer until he was able to peck greedily at his prize.

      She looked back to see Daniel staring at her, a strange expression on his face. 'Are you … Do you have family back in Seattle?' She mentally kicked herself. She'd almost asked him if he was married. It was suddenly important for her to know, but she didn't want to appear too interested. Even so, she felt her cheeks warm.

      'No.' Daniel looked at her as though it was important to him that she knew he wasn't married. 'My only relatives are my mother's parents, and they live on a ranch in Wyoming. My grandfather runs it for a retired rancher.'

      'Have you always been in the construction business?' No sooner had the words left her mouth than Kirri realised how many questions she had been asking. Normally she wasn't so inquisitive, but … She bit her lip. The attraction she felt for this man was startling not only for its newness, but also for its strength, and she felt a need to know more about him.

      'Until my father died I was a park ranger.' Hell, Daniel thought, even that didn't bring a flicker of recognition from her. He was beginning to feel that he had stumbled into one of those weird television shows where you wake up in a parallel universe. Daniel's head had been aching before, but now it began to pound with tension and frustration. 'My father had logging and construction businesses, but he'd always hoped that one day I'd take over from him, so he insisted on teaching me about them.'

      Kirri smiled. 'Rangers are into conservation and loggers cut down the trees. It must have been quite a switch for you.'

      'It was at first. My grandparents are very attached to the land and they instilled their love of nature in me. I'd always felt that I'd rather work at preserving the forests than destroying them. Until I had to take control of my father's business, I hadn't really appreciated how well he worked within the restrictions placed on the logging industry.'

      Daniel had a sudden mental image of his father, red plaid shirt and blue jeans splattered with mud, as he inspected the trees his men were logging. Even now he found it hard to believe that the big, vibrant man who'd taken him camping and fishing was no longer alive. It was only since his father's death that Daniel had realised his own passion for caring for the environment had been shared by his father. His father had respected the land and what it could yield as much as he'd cared for the welfare of his employees.

      Kirri glanced at her watch. Daniel followed her gaze. Silver chain band, conventional face. A businesswoman's watch. Not the chunky adornment she had worn in New Orleans. Had the man she was living with bought her this new one? Jealousy surged through Daniel so fiercely his head began to pound harder.

      'I'd better get to the gallery. Jenny might -' Kirri frowned as she looked at him. 'Daniel, are you all right?'

      'Just my head,' he mumbled, wondering if he could cope with the emotional strain of confronting her now. Later, he decided. After he had the police interview out of the way. 'Could you give me a lift to the police station? I think I'd be a safety hazard on the road right now.'

      'I'd be happy to.' The smile she flashed him was beautiful in its compassion and eagerness to please, and confusion and anger roiled up in him again.

      'You fool!' The words hissed through the mobile phone at Brett Lewis. 'I can't trust you to do anything right, can I!'

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