Page 11 of A Chance to Believe

The girl stiffened, her eyes widening. ‘No. I’m an adult, not a stupid kid.’

‘No. I thought not.’

‘I’m nearly seventeen. I’m going for my licence soon.’

Cassie nodded. ‘I thought so. Although I bet you can already drive.’

‘Of course I can.’ The tone was scornful. ‘Dad lets me drive the Landcruiser on the property. He’s going to buy me my own car when I get my licence.’

‘Lucky you. For your birthday?’

A tinge of colour blotched Kimberley’s throat. ‘Sort of. I’m paying for part of it myself. Dad pays me for working on the property and I’ve been saving up.’

‘Sensible. It’ll feel more like your own car if you’ve paid something towards it.’

‘Yes. I was thinking of something like your car. Is it good for driving in the city? I’ll be going to university next year, in Brisbane.’

‘It’s perfect for city driving. Economical and nippy. Still good for long trips.’

‘That’s what I thought. I was thinking of getting it in blue, but Dad said he’d prefer a safer colour.’ The animation drained from her face, and it turned sullen. Cassie guessed the mention of her father had reminded her of the reason Cassie was here.

‘Yellow is good,’ Cassie ventured, but the moment was gone.

‘I came to tell you dinner will be in about half an hour. In the family room where we had lunch. I have to go do stuff.’

At the door, she hesitated. ‘I have friends coming over in the afternoon tomorrow. Are you going to be around?’ Her glance dropped to Cassie’s stomach.

‘I usually have a rest in the afternoon. You won’t see me if you don’t want to.’

‘Good.’ She looked self-conscious at the rudeness of the comment.

‘Don’t worry, Kimberley. I know how awful it is for someone your age to realise old people have sex.’ Cassie patted her belly. ‘It’s hard to pretend otherwise in this case.’

Kimberley flashed a rare smile. ‘Yeah. I mean, I know Dad does it, but mostly I don’t have to think about it.’ She shuddered. ‘I know women think he’s attractive, but he’s nearly old enough to be a grandfather.’

Cassie nodded solemnly. ‘Nearly forty. I don’t know how he still pulls the women.’

The girl narrowed her eyes. ‘You’re stirring, aren’t you? I mean, it’s different for you.’

‘Being geriatric myself.’

‘You must be at least thirty.’

‘Good guess. I turn thirty this year. Definitely all downhill from here.’

For a moment, Cassie thought Kimberley might take offence at the teasing, but she smiled.

‘That was rude of me, wasn’t it? I guess I’m not used to seeing Dad as a hottie. To me, he’s a dad. I’ve never met anyone he’s dated before. At least not for years and years. He doesn’t bring anyone here.’

Cassie resisted the temptation to ask about the woman he’d wanted to marry. She had her own secrets, so she couldn’t justify intruding on Shayne’s privacy. Kimberley would have been a pre-schooler, so she probably had little to say about someone who’d only touched on her life briefly. ‘What about parties?’

‘They’re mostly my friends and maybe their parents. Barbeques and pool parties. Family, of course. Grandad and Grandma and Nana Smith. He says he’s too busy to worry about socialising. He goes out to the pub and to local dances, but he doesn’t drink or dance much.’

She thought of the housekeeper’s obvious pride in his work. ‘How does Parker feel about it?’

A genuine grin lightened up Kimberley’s face. ‘He is always moaning that he never gets a chance to do any fancy cooking. He was a chef before he came to work here, in those big resorts on the coast up north.’

‘You were lucky to get him.’ She wondered why a chef would give up restaurant work for the lifestyle on a rural farm.

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