his hand lightly through Andrew’s hair and reached down to kiss his son. ‘Can you keep a secret?’
The little boy nodded and a grin crossed his face as David held out the chocolate cookie.
‘We’ll have a midnight feast.’ David smiled down at his son who was the image of his mother. Dark hair that curled onto his neck, olive skin and almond-shaped green eyes, long lanky limbs. All of the features that had hit him like a freight train when he had first seen Gina on the catwalk in Milan. ‘But brush your teeth as soon as you wake up in the morning or Mummy will know our secret.’
‘I will, Daddy.’ Andrew finished chewing and David pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his son’s face.
‘Just getting rid of the evidence. Now go to sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Promise? Cross your heart?’
Determination filled David at the need in Andrew’s voice. It was time to make some hard decisions about his career. ‘I promise, and after I talk to Mummy, I might have a big surprise for you.’
He waited until his little son snuggled into the pillow and closed his eyes.
The sleep of the innocent.
It had been a long time since he’d slept like that.
Chapter 5
Friday
Makowa Lodge
Ellie opened her eyes and watched the sunlight play across the wall of her bedroom. She’d left the slatted wooden blinds open to let the air circulate, and to wake up with the early light.
But she hadn’t needed it. All night she’d tossed and turned through unsettling dreams. Images of her mother wandering between dead mango trees and past the crocodile-filled rivers in a khaki shirt and her old cardigan had woken her in the early hours. She’d still been awake when the sun rose but had drifted off into an uneasy doze.
Now she rolled over and groaned into her pillow. Her head was aching and her eyes were scratchy.
She’d been looking forward to coming back to Makowa Lodge and getting back to work, but that was before she’d seen that ugly slash in the ground at the back of the old farm. It would be a few days before she could get out there again, but Ellie intended looking at it from ground level to see what was really happening. It was too close to the national park for comfort. Her mother would hear the truth, if and when there was anything to tell, but first Ellie wanted to be one hundred per cent sure of her facts. Panos had been lying to her – she was pretty certain of that – and if there was exploration happening on his property she would fight tooth and nail to protect the park. No matter who owned the land, it must be subject to regulations.
She would go down to the farm to ease her mind and try to get rid of this niggling feeling that maybe – just maybe –
some
of Mum’s theories weren’t so farfetched. Why had she put those newspaper clippings of Panos and that man in the folder?
And what about Kane McLaren and his connection to Sordina? Was it just a coincidence that he had turned up when he did? Or was he somehow involved? He was supposed to be a pilot, but he said he wouldn’t be flying. Ellie shook her head and the smooth cotton of the pillow rubbed against her cheek as the thoughts circled her mind.
No, if he was involved with Panos, he’d have no reason to be working at the lodge. Or would he?
Ellie stared at the ceiling and watched the fan spinning lazily in slow circles, barely moving the air.
Why did Kane unsettle her so much? She’d worked with many pilots over the years, some of them difficult, and yet he’d somehow managed to take over her thoughts in the less than twenty-four hours she’d known him. He’d bothered her from the minute she’d introduced herself on the tarmac yesterday. Was it his arrogance, and his attitude to her as a pilot? Why should she care what a macho engineer thought of her ability? She knew she was one of the best pilots in the Territory and didn’t need to prove herself to anybody.
Today they would be together again, set to
The little boy nodded and a grin crossed his face as David held out the chocolate cookie.
‘We’ll have a midnight feast.’ David smiled down at his son who was the image of his mother. Dark hair that curled onto his neck, olive skin and almond-shaped green eyes, long lanky limbs. All of the features that had hit him like a freight train when he had first seen Gina on the catwalk in Milan. ‘But brush your teeth as soon as you wake up in the morning or Mummy will know our secret.’
‘I will, Daddy.’ Andrew finished chewing and David pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his son’s face.
‘Just getting rid of the evidence. Now go to sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Promise? Cross your heart?’
Determination filled David at the need in Andrew’s voice. It was time to make some hard decisions about his career. ‘I promise, and after I talk to Mummy, I might have a big surprise for you.’
He waited until his little son snuggled into the pillow and closed his eyes.
The sleep of the innocent.
It had been a long time since he’d slept like that.
Chapter 5
Friday
Makowa Lodge
Ellie opened her eyes and watched the sunlight play across the wall of her bedroom. She’d left the slatted wooden blinds open to let the air circulate, and to wake up with the early light.
But she hadn’t needed it. All night she’d tossed and turned through unsettling dreams. Images of her mother wandering between dead mango trees and past the crocodile-filled rivers in a khaki shirt and her old cardigan had woken her in the early hours. She’d still been awake when the sun rose but had drifted off into an uneasy doze.
Now she rolled over and groaned into her pillow. Her head was aching and her eyes were scratchy.
She’d been looking forward to coming back to Makowa Lodge and getting back to work, but that was before she’d seen that ugly slash in the ground at the back of the old farm. It would be a few days before she could get out there again, but Ellie intended looking at it from ground level to see what was really happening. It was too close to the national park for comfort. Her mother would hear the truth, if and when there was anything to tell, but first Ellie wanted to be one hundred per cent sure of her facts. Panos had been lying to her – she was pretty certain of that – and if there was exploration happening on his property she would fight tooth and nail to protect the park. No matter who owned the land, it must be subject to regulations.
She would go down to the farm to ease her mind and try to get rid of this niggling feeling that maybe – just maybe –
some
of Mum’s theories weren’t so farfetched. Why had she put those newspaper clippings of Panos and that man in the folder?
And what about Kane McLaren and his connection to Sordina? Was it just a coincidence that he had turned up when he did? Or was he somehow involved? He was supposed to be a pilot, but he said he wouldn’t be flying. Ellie shook her head and the smooth cotton of the pillow rubbed against her cheek as the thoughts circled her mind.
No, if he was involved with Panos, he’d have no reason to be working at the lodge. Or would he?
Ellie stared at the ceiling and watched the fan spinning lazily in slow circles, barely moving the air.
Why did Kane unsettle her so much? She’d worked with many pilots over the years, some of them difficult, and yet he’d somehow managed to take over her thoughts in the less than twenty-four hours she’d known him. He’d bothered her from the minute she’d introduced herself on the tarmac yesterday. Was it his arrogance, and his attitude to her as a pilot? Why should she care what a macho engineer thought of her ability? She knew she was one of the best pilots in the Territory and didn’t need to prove herself to anybody.
Today they would be together again, set to
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