sunglasses couldn’t dim the impact of Ray’s smile as he helped her down from the scale. Despite her exhaustion Mandy smiled in return; Anthea had been right about Australian men. Compared to Sutter, they were marvelous.
But then, so was a rabid gorilla.
“There’s a good ‘un,“ Ray said soothingly, steadying her. “Tough flight?“
“Yes,“ Mandy said, her voice cracking from dryness and relief that her torment had ended.
“No worries, luv,“ Ray said, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze as he removed the backpack. “Earl will have us out to Lady before you can say vegemite. Just don’t try eating the stuff. Bloody awful. I’ve got to stow your gear now, but if you need anything on Lady, ask for Ray.“
Rather mournfully Mandy watched as the handsome, energetic young man vanished through a back door in the terminal. She hadn’t understood much of what he had said, but his smile had been like the local air conditioning – nearly overwhelming yet basically wonderful. She turned her attention back to Sutter. His mouth made as thin a line as his glittering jade eyes.
“Look, you have no idea how sorry I am,“ she said wearily, pushing the sunglasses up on her forehead so that she could rub her aching eyes. “Believe me, this wasn’t my idea.“ She tried to smile placatingly at Sutter, but her lips kept curving down rather than up.
Sutter’s glance was more comprehensive and less approving than Ray’s had been. All that kept Sutter from venting his anger and frustration over his ruined vacation was the certainty that Mandy was on the ragged edge of exhaustion. There wasn’t a bit of sauciness left in her.
Obviously Anthea had been right; Mandy needed a vacation as much as he did. Equally obviously, she hadn’t been prepared for this one. The conservative suit, nylons and heels she was wearing fairly screamed of Anthea’s old-fashioned office.
“How much warning did you get?“ Sutter asked reluctantly, feeling unwilling compassion stir for the wilted waif standing in front of him, silently pleading with him not to be angry.
“Warning?“ Mandy made a choked sound and shook her head.
“She means well,“ Sutter said, taking Mandy’s arm again and hustling her toward the door through which they had just entered the terminal. “C’mon, kid. They’re waiting for us. You can flake out on the way over.“
Mandy barely had time to pull her sunglasses into place before she stepped into Bundaberg’s natural outdoor sauna. It took a moment for her to realize that Sutter was taking her toward the landing strip, not the parking lot. She slowed. His grip on her arm tightened.
“Is the car around at the side?“ she asked.
“What car?“
“The one that… oh, no. No. ”
Behind her sunglasses, Mandy’s eyes widened in horror. Ahead of them was a plane that looked like an overgrown white dragonfly. The tiny twin engines were revving, making conversation impossible as Sutter dragged her closer to the open passenger door. She tried to speak but was too exhausted and too frightened to make her tongue work. Her legs weren’t working very well, either, but Sutter didn’t seem to notice. He simply swept her along, ignoring her futile attempts to stop. When it came time to scramble into the plane, she balked. She couldn’t do it. She simply couldn’t.
“N-no,“ she stammered. “I d-don’t like small planes.“
“If you think this is small, wait until you see the runway at the other end. Come on, get in,“ Sutter said impatiently, wanting to get out of the sun. “We’ve waited an hour for you already.“
Mandy tried to think, to explain, but all she could do was stare in horror at the little plane that seated eight, including the pilot. Suddenly she felt herself being boosted aboard. She tried to fight, but it was like her worst nightmares; her muscles turned to sand, every movement was in slow motion except the world around her and it was hurtling forward so fast that nothing could
But then, so was a rabid gorilla.
“There’s a good ‘un,“ Ray said soothingly, steadying her. “Tough flight?“
“Yes,“ Mandy said, her voice cracking from dryness and relief that her torment had ended.
“No worries, luv,“ Ray said, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze as he removed the backpack. “Earl will have us out to Lady before you can say vegemite. Just don’t try eating the stuff. Bloody awful. I’ve got to stow your gear now, but if you need anything on Lady, ask for Ray.“
Rather mournfully Mandy watched as the handsome, energetic young man vanished through a back door in the terminal. She hadn’t understood much of what he had said, but his smile had been like the local air conditioning – nearly overwhelming yet basically wonderful. She turned her attention back to Sutter. His mouth made as thin a line as his glittering jade eyes.
“Look, you have no idea how sorry I am,“ she said wearily, pushing the sunglasses up on her forehead so that she could rub her aching eyes. “Believe me, this wasn’t my idea.“ She tried to smile placatingly at Sutter, but her lips kept curving down rather than up.
Sutter’s glance was more comprehensive and less approving than Ray’s had been. All that kept Sutter from venting his anger and frustration over his ruined vacation was the certainty that Mandy was on the ragged edge of exhaustion. There wasn’t a bit of sauciness left in her.
Obviously Anthea had been right; Mandy needed a vacation as much as he did. Equally obviously, she hadn’t been prepared for this one. The conservative suit, nylons and heels she was wearing fairly screamed of Anthea’s old-fashioned office.
“How much warning did you get?“ Sutter asked reluctantly, feeling unwilling compassion stir for the wilted waif standing in front of him, silently pleading with him not to be angry.
“Warning?“ Mandy made a choked sound and shook her head.
“She means well,“ Sutter said, taking Mandy’s arm again and hustling her toward the door through which they had just entered the terminal. “C’mon, kid. They’re waiting for us. You can flake out on the way over.“
Mandy barely had time to pull her sunglasses into place before she stepped into Bundaberg’s natural outdoor sauna. It took a moment for her to realize that Sutter was taking her toward the landing strip, not the parking lot. She slowed. His grip on her arm tightened.
“Is the car around at the side?“ she asked.
“What car?“
“The one that… oh, no. No. ”
Behind her sunglasses, Mandy’s eyes widened in horror. Ahead of them was a plane that looked like an overgrown white dragonfly. The tiny twin engines were revving, making conversation impossible as Sutter dragged her closer to the open passenger door. She tried to speak but was too exhausted and too frightened to make her tongue work. Her legs weren’t working very well, either, but Sutter didn’t seem to notice. He simply swept her along, ignoring her futile attempts to stop. When it came time to scramble into the plane, she balked. She couldn’t do it. She simply couldn’t.
“N-no,“ she stammered. “I d-don’t like small planes.“
“If you think this is small, wait until you see the runway at the other end. Come on, get in,“ Sutter said impatiently, wanting to get out of the sun. “We’ve waited an hour for you already.“
Mandy tried to think, to explain, but all she could do was stare in horror at the little plane that seated eight, including the pilot. Suddenly she felt herself being boosted aboard. She tried to fight, but it was like her worst nightmares; her muscles turned to sand, every movement was in slow motion except the world around her and it was hurtling forward so fast that nothing could
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