Page 15 of Lost In Kakadu

“You gave it to me.”

“No, I didn’t. I offered to share it with you.”

“I was hungry. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

He stabbed the fire. “Why wouldn’t I mind?”

“Well, you people are so conscious of?—”

“People? What people?”

“You know … gay.”

“Do you even know anyone who’s gay?”

“Of course not!”

His first impulse was to fight back, but she wasn’t worth it. And he was too exhausted to care. “Let’s just get through the night and after we’re rescued you can go back to your narrow-minded life.”

“That will be just fine with me.”

He tossed the stick into the fire and stormed toward the plane. His mind raged. It had been many years since he’d had an argument over his sexuality. And Rodney had been there to support him that time.

“Where are you going?” Abigail called behind him.

“Away from you.”

His silhouette was a tall, dark shadow projected onto the trees. In the distance the smooth, white bark on a large gum tree radiated in the firelight. He diverted to it to relieve himself, then returning to the cases, rummaged for his jacket. The temperature had plummeted since sunset, and he was grateful for the added layer of clothing.

Reluctantly he returned to the plane, each step was heavier than the one before.

The chair beside Rodney was as cold as his heart and his fingers trembled as he touched Rodney’s cheek.

But he recoiled at the coolness of Rodney’s skin and tears prickled his eyes.

When he couldn’t fight them anymore, he put his hands over his face and wept.

With Rodney gone, he was now completely alone.

Chapter Seven

Flame tongues licked the rough bark beneath a log keeping Abigail distracted, but she was jolted away from the flames by the heart-wrenching sound of Mackenzie crying. Never before had she heard a man cry. It sounded so deep and primal.

Closing her eyes, the warmth smothered her eyelids as tears trickled down her cheeks.

How could you leave me, Spencer?

But Spencer had abandoned her many times. The last time, when he’d failed to meet her at the steps of Parliament House, had been one of the most humiliating. And yet he’d brushed aside her anger with the flick of his hand, trivialising her embarrassment.

Earlier in the evening, when she’d slipped into an elegant ball gown, she’d almost felt beautiful, but Spencer hadn’t even noticed her. His eyes were already on the three young women whom he’d captivated with one of his over-exaggerated stories.

She jumped at rustling in the bushes and scanned the blackness for signs of movement. But she couldn’t see anything, and rolling her shoulders, she tried to release the tension jammed into her neck.

Returning to her suitcase, her gaze darted all over the place and dancing shadows played havoc with her mind as she wrapped a silk scarf around her neck.

With nervous glances over her shoulder, she crept toward thebushes, quickly pulled her skirt up, relieved herself and then dashed back to the plane.

She looked up into the macabre scene.

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