Page 28 of Outback Secrets
Chapter Eight
Henri’s phone rang a couple of hours later while she was still working on the header and she wasn’t surprised to see Frankie’s name on the screen when she dug it out of her pocket.
‘Hey there,’ she said.
‘Don’t “hey there” me! Is it true what I’m hearing about you and Liam?’
Henri smiled—Frankie was never one to beat around the bush—but then her stomach dropped; it was one thing lying to her mother who was always pestering her, but could she lie to her best friend?
She glanced over at her brothers, who were trying to seem like they weren’t eavesdropping. ‘Look, I can explain everything, but not right now.’
‘So, there is something to explain?’ Frankie sounded ridiculously excited.
‘Yes, but—’
‘Dinner, tonight. You and me. Or will you be too busy with lover boy?’
Henri rolled her eyes. ‘Lover boy will be busy working late, as you know. I’d love to have dinner with you.’ She paused a moment. ‘Will it be just you?’ No way she was spilling her guts with Logan or anyone else there.
‘Yeah,’ Frankie said. ‘Sorry if I haven’t been very available since you came home, but it’s a bit of a crazy time.’
‘You don’t need to explain. It’s fine.’ Even though she had been feeling a little neglected, she wasn’t planning on admitting it. If she hadn’t been feeling so tender herself, she probably wouldn’t have even noticed. ‘I’ve been keeping busy.’
‘That’s what I’m hearing.’ Frankie laughed again. ‘Anyway, I gotta go, but I’ll catch you tonight at the pub. Seven o’clock, okay?’
‘Yep. I’ll see you then,’ she said, then sent a quick text to her mum.
Won’t be home for dinner tonight, meeting Frankie at the pub.
Is that code for meeting Liam? You know you don’t have to make excuses to me. Macy is staying over anyway, so we won’t even miss you.
Henri didn’t bother replying, but sure enough when she returned to the house later, she found her mother and niece making pizzas.
‘We’re going to have a Christmas movie marathon tonight,’ Macy told her. ‘Mum thinks it’s too early to start watching them, but Granny says it’s never too early. What do you think, Aunty Hens?’
I think I’m glad I’m going out tonight.Most festive flicks were far too cheesy for her liking.
‘Sounds like fun,’ she said, squeezing Macy’s shoulder before starting down the corridor to wash off the day’s grime.
‘Will you be staying at The Palace again tonight?’ her mum called, and Henri almost tripped over her own feet.
Shit. Of course she might assume that.
‘Um … yeah, is that okay?’ she asked, turning back. ‘I’m going to start teaching Liam to surf, so it’ll be easy to be there in the morning anyway.’
Fiona gave a knowing smile as she dropped a dollop of homemade tomato paste onto one of the dough bases. ‘You don’t need to make excuses to stay over at your boyfriend’s house, Henrietta. You’re a grown woman.’
‘Thanks,’ she replied, silently wondering why half the time her mother still treated her like a child then.
The nerves hit the moment she walked into her bedroom. What would Liam say about this? she wondered as she threw her toothbrush and toiletries into a bag. Granted, she’d already spent one night in his apartment, but as she’d been drunk at the time, this did not alleviate her sudden anxiety.
This hadn’t been part of the deal. And as far as she knew he only had one bed.
She gulped at the thought of them having to share it, visualising them perched right at the edges almost falling out so as not to accidentally touch each other.
Of course, she could just stay in Cecil. That way her mum would think she’d been with Liam, but she wouldn’t have to inconvenience him. Again.
Feeling better, Henri finished packing and hitched the bag on her shoulder, then headed out.