Broken Hill Havoc (Broken Hill High Series 5)

“What?” I gasp in surprise. “You didn’t hear her squealing from here?”

“I take that as she liked the idea?”

“She sure did,” I tell him. “Um… when are you guys actually leaving? I realized I forgot to ask in all the excitement.”

A softness appears in his eyes. “We’re due to leave next weekend.”

“That soon?” I gasp.

“Yeah, you know how it is with my work. There’s never much notice. But your mother and I will be in touch all the time.”

“I know,” I sigh before pausing a while. “I’m going to head out for a bit. I’ll be home for dinner.”

“Ok,” he says as his eyes move back to his laptop screen. “Drive safely.”

With that, I walk out the door with too many thoughts floating around in my head and no idea where to begin sorting them, though I know one thing that’s bound to help.

I drop down into my car and fifteen minutes later, I’m pulling up at Nate’s shop. I walk towards the entrance and lean against the wall, watching him work in nothing but a pair of lose hanging shorts. I don’t doubt he already knows I’m here, but watching him work is too damn good to interrupt.

“What’s going on, babe?” he says with his eyes still trained on the engine before him.

“Got some news,” I say, pushing off the wall and walking forward.

He turns and looks at me, and just like that, every last thought leaves my mind, and everything is suddenly right in the world.

Chapter 4

I hurry out of my morning History lecture and race towards my car. I have all of about three minutes to get my ass in my car and get to the home inspection. I told dad to make it for half-past ten but nooooo, he had to go ahead and schedule it for ten o’clock on the dot. I mean, I get his work is important, but so are my classes.

I drop down into my R8 and bring her to life before peeling out of my parking space, hoping I manage to remember the directions to this place as I seriously don’t have a spare minute to look it up again.

Shit, he’s going to have the shits with me if I miss this appointment. I swear, he’d probably bail out of the whole thing just to teach me a lesson. I’m lucky Brooke is already there to save my ass. She wouldn’t let this slip through her fingers for anything.

I weave through the traffic, inwardly cursing my father for having such a tight schedule. Oh, man. He’s going to have the shits. I can just see it now, he’s going to give me ‘the look’ and it’s going to suck big time. It’ll be silent and terrifying at the same time while he somehow manages to look as though not a damn thing has happened to the people standing around us.

Mom has a pretty nasty ‘look’ as well, but dad takes me back to my childhood and has me wanting to grovel at his feet for forgiveness. I don’t know how he does it, but when I have Nate’s kids one day, I’m going to have to hope I have one hell of a terrifying ‘look’. After all, Nate’s kids are going to be more than a handful. They’ll keep me busier than I ever thought possible and I can’t freaking wait.

I turn left. Another left. Right. Then one last left. And finally, I see Brooke’s Mercedes up ahead and dad’s car parked on the other side of the road.

I pull up behind Brooke’s car to see dad, Brooke, and a guy in some fancy suit who I assume is the realtor, standing out the front of the beautiful little cottage. The second my eyes take in the home behind them, I find myself gawking while ignoring the fact that my father is busily glaring at me as Brooke is shooting me looks suggesting things are a little awkward and I better hurry the hell up.

With dad’s piercing stare, I quickly unbuckle and throw my door open before hurrying up to them. “Sorry,” I say towards the realtor, reaching out to offer him my hand while purposefully avoiding my father’s sharp glare. “I’m Tora. My lecture only just let out. I came as quickly as I could.”

“No problem at all,” he says, taking my hand and giving it a quick shake. “My name is Jacob. What do you say we get this show on the road?”

“With pleasure,” I smile moments before dad steps in and takes over.

Dad and Jacob lead the way in, however, it seems they’re both gentlemen and open the door for me and Brooke, allowing us to pass the threshold first.

Brooke latches onto my hand as we step into the empty home, each with a gasp sailing out of us. “Oh, my god,” she murmurs beside me, squeezing my hand impossibly tighter. “I love it already.”