Page 54 of Cinderella and the Outback Billionaire

‘Tell her yourself. Get up.’ It was Bridie as he’d never heard her before. ‘Piper, take the cat to the kitchen and give him some food. And stay downstairs until I return, okay?’

Surprisingly, her daughter did what she was told.

Reid warily sat up and put the pillow behind him, out of easy reach. ‘Something you want to say?’ He’d never been at the pointy end of Bridie’s displeasure before. He didn’t like it.

‘Yes, I have something to say. I’ve been wanting to say it for a while. Stop sulking around feeling sorry for yourself. Get up, get active, and go and sign off in person on the job you set up, and give the woman you pursued some kind of praise and closure when it comes to the enormous project she took on for you.’

Ouch.

But he did have decent arguments to present in his defence. ‘One: Ari has benefitted from my patronage, and I don’t owe her anything,’ he declared coolly.

‘And two: I don’t see how it’s any of your business to tell me how to run my business.’ Never mind that those lodges were half hers and they were in business together.

Bridie glared at him. ‘I say this with love in my heart for you, Reid, but you’re being an arse.’

‘Playboy, remember? Not a good bet when it comes to women wanting anything more than a quick once-over. I saw, I conquered, I’m done.’ Surely that load of steaming excrement erupting from his mouth would get Bridie gone?

His sister-in-law merely tossed her hair behind her shoulders and crossed her arms. ‘Bull.’

‘You’ve just never seen my playboy ways up close.’

‘If you mean I’ve never seen you happier than when I went to collect you from Ari’s work site five weeks ago, then no. I’ve never seen that before. And then you pass out on a rock face and decide you’re no good to anyone—which is blatantly untrue—and ghost the woman you’re in love with and who is in love with you! So, you tell me...what’s going on?’

‘She’s not in love with me. I was a means to an end, nothing more. It’s fine. She’s fine.’

‘I’m not buying it, Reid. You care for Ari more than you’re letting on. I can see it in you. You’re letting good things go because of a minor...physical...’ she waved a hand towards him ‘...glitch.’

‘Does this pep talk have a point?’

‘Yes, and I’ve made it. Get out there and engage with Ari. Sign off on her work. Tell her it’s genius, because it is.’

‘I said I’d sign off on the job and I will.’

‘And don’t leave her hanging on a personal front,’ said Bridie. ‘You’re better than that. I don’t care what playboy hat you think you’re wearing. One way or another, clear the air.’

‘The air is clear.’ He’d scorched the earth while he was there, but surely the air had cleared. He was letting Ari go for her own good!

‘Good.’

‘Are we done?’

Bridie hovered uncertainly. ‘I do love you, you know. I don’t think you’re useless or unworthy or whatever’s going on in your head. So there are things you can’t do any more. So what? Reorient towards what you can do.’

So they weren’t done... ‘Bridie, you’ve had your say and I love you for it. I’ve heard you out. And I think I’ve taken advantage of your hospitality for quite long enough. I’ll be on my way home within the hour.’

‘Which home?’

‘Cooper’s Crossing.’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘There’s no one else there.’

Reid smiled mirthlessly. ‘Exactly.’

An hour later, an anxious little girl stood in front of the screen door that would lead Reid to the waiting helicopter and pilot. He had his carryall in hand and his wraparound sunglasses in place and did he not look like an uncle who was going somewhere?

Whoever said the blocking of one sense would stimulate other senses knew what they were talking about. He’d added another sense since his eyesight had dimmed. He now had the unwanted ability to read other people’s body language.

He refused to call it reading someone’s emotional aura.

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