pissed off at the turn of events tonight and needed someone to blame. The only comfort he could offer, and for some reason he wanted to offer her some, was the idea that there might still be hope for closure. ‘The police station in Dungog is open tomorrow morning if you want to make a report.’
She looked a little embarrassed then, flicked her eyes across the road one more time.
‘We could go into Dungog tomorrow,’ Louise offered.
‘I’m not sure now. It looks like it but . . .’ Jodie shrugged, put an arm around Corrine’s waist.
‘Here, let me,’ Matt said, taking her other side.
‘Oh, you are a lovely man,’ Corrine cooed. He suppressed a smile, held onto her until Jodie opened the rear door and then lowered her inside.
Jodie slid in behind the wheel. As Matt leaned down to the window, she suddenly pushed the door open and lurched out again. Her cheek collided with his shoulder. He reached out to steady her and heard a sharp intake of breath as she recoiled as far as she could without dragging the door off its hinges. He raised an eyebrow, wondered if her personal space was always the size of a backyard pool.
‘I forgot your coat. Sorry.’ She took it off, held it out at arm’s length.
He gave her his best impression of a good guy. ‘No problem.’ He closed the door when she got back in and bent to the window as she wound it down. ‘You girls try to stay out of any more trouble this weekend, okay?’
Corrine leaned forward and spoke over Jodie’s shoulder. ‘Make sure you drop by for a drink if you’re in the Old Barn’s neighbourhood this weekend. So we can say thanks.’
Matt stood up, looked down at Jodie, thought of the kickarse way she’d handled Kane Anderson and the cool roll of her laugh and how it might be interesting to listen to it over a couple of drinks. ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’
7
Jodie held onto the steering wheel with clenched fists. Getting a grip, literally. Or trying to. She knew if she let go, her hands would be shaking from the adrenaline that was still pumping through her.
‘Are you sure you want to drive?’ Louise asked. She was in the front passenger seat again.
‘I can do it if you’re not up to it,’ Hannah said from the back.
‘I’m fine, really.’ She needed to drive, needed to feel in control of something. And after everything she’d fielded tonight, she wasn’t going to be comfortable with anyone but herself at the wheel. ‘Besides, I’ve only had one drink, which is better than the rest of you.’
‘Okay then. Let’s roll on take two of Fringe Dwellers Weekend Away, Episode Eight,’ Lou said and snapped her hands together like a movie clapboard. Jodie could see her grin in the light from the pub. Her derring-do grin, the one that had talked them all into their first weekend away eight years ago, that had goaded them into leaving the kids with their husbands to remind themselves they were people as well as mothers. It was Lou who’d come up with the Fringe Dwellers title for the way they’d all hung back from the kiddie craft table at playgroup. At the time, Jodie had just been relieved to find some other mothers who’d missed out on the scissors-and-glue gene. Eight years and countless coffees and babysitting and family dramas later, these three women were Jodie’s best friends.
‘Lights, camera, action, Jode,’ Hannah called from the back seat.
Jodie pushed the gearstick into first, over-revved the loan car’s old engine and shuddered into forward motion.
‘Just get us there in one piece, will you?’ Corrine said.
Jodie checked the rear-view mirror and winced at the expression on Corrine’s face. She’d seemed fine in the pub but maybe Jodie wasn’t the only one trying to hide how she really felt at the way the night had gone.
As she steered the loan car away from the kerb, she saw Matt Wiseman raise a hand in farewell. Jodie lifted a hand in return and watched him out of her window as she moved past. He was one
She looked a little embarrassed then, flicked her eyes across the road one more time.
‘We could go into Dungog tomorrow,’ Louise offered.
‘I’m not sure now. It looks like it but . . .’ Jodie shrugged, put an arm around Corrine’s waist.
‘Here, let me,’ Matt said, taking her other side.
‘Oh, you are a lovely man,’ Corrine cooed. He suppressed a smile, held onto her until Jodie opened the rear door and then lowered her inside.
Jodie slid in behind the wheel. As Matt leaned down to the window, she suddenly pushed the door open and lurched out again. Her cheek collided with his shoulder. He reached out to steady her and heard a sharp intake of breath as she recoiled as far as she could without dragging the door off its hinges. He raised an eyebrow, wondered if her personal space was always the size of a backyard pool.
‘I forgot your coat. Sorry.’ She took it off, held it out at arm’s length.
He gave her his best impression of a good guy. ‘No problem.’ He closed the door when she got back in and bent to the window as she wound it down. ‘You girls try to stay out of any more trouble this weekend, okay?’
Corrine leaned forward and spoke over Jodie’s shoulder. ‘Make sure you drop by for a drink if you’re in the Old Barn’s neighbourhood this weekend. So we can say thanks.’
Matt stood up, looked down at Jodie, thought of the kickarse way she’d handled Kane Anderson and the cool roll of her laugh and how it might be interesting to listen to it over a couple of drinks. ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’
7
Jodie held onto the steering wheel with clenched fists. Getting a grip, literally. Or trying to. She knew if she let go, her hands would be shaking from the adrenaline that was still pumping through her.
‘Are you sure you want to drive?’ Louise asked. She was in the front passenger seat again.
‘I can do it if you’re not up to it,’ Hannah said from the back.
‘I’m fine, really.’ She needed to drive, needed to feel in control of something. And after everything she’d fielded tonight, she wasn’t going to be comfortable with anyone but herself at the wheel. ‘Besides, I’ve only had one drink, which is better than the rest of you.’
‘Okay then. Let’s roll on take two of Fringe Dwellers Weekend Away, Episode Eight,’ Lou said and snapped her hands together like a movie clapboard. Jodie could see her grin in the light from the pub. Her derring-do grin, the one that had talked them all into their first weekend away eight years ago, that had goaded them into leaving the kids with their husbands to remind themselves they were people as well as mothers. It was Lou who’d come up with the Fringe Dwellers title for the way they’d all hung back from the kiddie craft table at playgroup. At the time, Jodie had just been relieved to find some other mothers who’d missed out on the scissors-and-glue gene. Eight years and countless coffees and babysitting and family dramas later, these three women were Jodie’s best friends.
‘Lights, camera, action, Jode,’ Hannah called from the back seat.
Jodie pushed the gearstick into first, over-revved the loan car’s old engine and shuddered into forward motion.
‘Just get us there in one piece, will you?’ Corrine said.
Jodie checked the rear-view mirror and winced at the expression on Corrine’s face. She’d seemed fine in the pub but maybe Jodie wasn’t the only one trying to hide how she really felt at the way the night had gone.
As she steered the loan car away from the kerb, she saw Matt Wiseman raise a hand in farewell. Jodie lifted a hand in return and watched him out of her window as she moved past. He was one
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