Temporary Intrigue by Judy Huston Page B

the accident,” Dimity said. “And he’s thinking of doing some junior coaching.”
    A shout from the kitchen told them dinner was ready.
    As he got up, Josh glanced again at the two paintings on the wall.
    “I really like them. Where did you get them?” He looked at them more closely, taken by the way the artist had captured the contrast between the shyness of the animals and the ruggedness of the Australian bush.
    “Take a bow, Dim!” crowed Sandra.
    “You did these?” He looked at Dimity, startled, then remembered the studio. “They’re great,” he added as she nodded.
    That quick smile lit up her face. The unexpected thud of his heart as he watched was, of course, merely a result of standing too quickly.
    Now close to her, he could see her mouth was a very attractive shape indeed: soft, slightly quirky, with a touch of vulnerability.
    Her voice broke through his thoughts while strangely echoing them.
    “Did you get the lipstick stain off your shirt?”
    “I’ll let the dry cleaner deal with it.” He spoke absently. His gaze had moved to her eyes.
    Yes, definitely the green of those mountain pools.
    “Are you two coming?” Sandra was watching with interest from the door.
    “Sure.” He gestured to the two of them to go ahead.
    “Do you do much painting?” he asked Dimity as they all sat down around the kitchen table.
    “As much as I can.”
    “She’s even been teaching me to draw,” said Sandra. “She’s a great teacher.”
    “Sandy’s fiancé, Kevin, is working in Hong Kong for a few months so she has time on her hands,” Dimity explained, offering Josh a plate of bread rolls.
    “How’s she doing?” he asked.
    Dimity chuckled.
    “I don’t know about being a great teacher, but I’m an honest one. Stick to your day job, Sandy.”
    They all laughed except Leigh, who had come to the table in her pyjamas and sat watching sourly while Shane brought the pot roast over. Apart from a slight limp, Josh couldn’t see that he had any problem moving around.
    It was a pleasant, relaxed meal. Everyone opted for second helpings of the pot roast which Shane served while regaling them with humorous stories of life as a chef in Sydney. While the rest of them laughed, Leigh showed little interest in anything except her food. Josh wondered what Shane saw in her.
    He glanced across at Dimity and their eyes met. She smiled, making him feel once again as if a trip hammer had been let loose inside his chest.
    “Dim, I forgot to ask if you handed my CV in at the hotel yesterday,” Shane said.
    “Yes and no.” Daring them to laugh, Dimity looked at Josh and Sandra, who both bent their heads studiously to their plates. “I’ll explain later,” she told Shane, who was looking puzzled.
    “You could have taken it in yourself,” Sandra said to Shane with a touch of censure in her tone. “I saw you and Leigh walking past the salon in the afternoon.”
    Shane looked slightly embarrassed.
    “We made a snap decision to go out for lunch.”
    “At the Sea Haven,” added Leigh smugly.
    Josh knew little of Newcastle, but some of the restaurants that provided competition for Global had been pointed out to him during his visit. He remembered the Sea Haven, a stylish, glass and chrome establishment overlooking the city’s main beach. He also remembered it as being quite a distance from the main business area. Shane mightn’t like hoofing it to the local bus stop as a means of getting to and from work but it seemed he didn’t mind a walk when lunch was in the offing.
    At the mention of the restaurant, Dimity whistled.
    “You’re living high,” she commented teasingly.
    Leigh turned defensive.
    “Well, we saved money on parking. We used the shopping centre car park near Sandy’s place because it’s free for three hours, and walked from there.”
    Shane shoved his chair back abruptly, making Josh jump.
    “Do you have to keep treating me like a kept man?” he demanded furiously, glaring across the table at