Free The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots by Loretta Hill Page B

protested, her eyes flicking to Lena’s again. ‘He’s good-looking, sweet, intelligent and –’
    ‘He’s Gavin.’
    ‘He’s a great engineer. All the guys really admire him and he’s –’
    ‘About as mature as a ten-year-old,’ Lena finished for her. ‘Have you seen the flag he’s had erected?’
    ‘Yeah,’ Sharon chuckled softly. ‘I think it’s kinda cute.’
    ‘Kinda cute?’ Lena covered her mouth as realisation struck her. ‘ You like him.’
    ‘I do not.’
    ‘You do too.’
    Sharon blushed. ‘Okay, you got me.’
    Lena sat up eagerly, a silly grin stretching across her face. ‘Are you going to ask him out?’
    Sharon choked. ‘And have the whole of camp follow our romance like The Bold and the Beautiful ? I don’t think so.’
    Lena laughed. ‘Well then, stop bothering me about my love-life.’
    ‘Hey.’ Sharon lifted her hands briefly before returning them to the wheel. ‘What’s between you and Ethel is none of my business.’
    Lena whacked her on the back of the head with her rolled-up drawings.
    The bus rounded the corner and the TCN site offices came into view. Lena saw Bulldog standing outside talking on his mobile and her nerve endings tightened. She wondered who he was talking to. Was it that girlfriend Radar had alluded to? Certainly a private conversation as he was taking it outside.
    It’s none of your business. Stop thinking about him that way.
    She tore her gaze from Bulldog and focused instead on the buildings behind him. That’s when she noticed someone had erected two smaller flags at each corner of the roof of one of the TCN dongas.
    Oh brother! How old are they? Five? There’s going to be trouble in Wickham tonight.
    The bus rolled out onto the wharf and the salty sea air hit her as the land fell away. Lena breathed deep, her excitement building with the inflation of her lungs. Two minutes later, Sharon pulled up right beside the skid and waved good luck.
    Climbing the ladder to the deck of the skid, Lena took stock of her surroundings. It was a great morning. The sun was out but not full force. A gentle breeze tickled her neck and the sound of languid waves soothed her tension. If there was a pro to working on site, that was it.
    The one and only.
    She hadn’t expected Mike to greet her, and he didn’t, turning his back instead and looking out beyond the handrail while themen worked below. This time, however, there were no whales. No distractions. No excuses.
    ‘Mike,’ Lena said firmly. ‘We need to talk.’
    Predictably, he grunted.
    ‘I’m serious,’ Lena said. ‘I had a chat with Dan Hullog the other day –’
    That got his attention. ‘You saw Bulldog without me?’ he demanded, finally looking at her.
    Okay, maybe not perfect but at least he’s talking to me. ‘It wasn’t a meeting,’ Lena told him. ‘We spoke about the headstocks in the gym.’
    ‘In the gym?’ Mike’s voice clearly denoted his contempt. ‘That’d be right, wouldn’t it?’
    ‘The gym?’ A head popped up over the side. It was the rat-faced little man Lena had spoken to the last time she was there. She’d found out later from Radar his nickname was Fieldmouse.
    ‘What’s that?’ He was up and over the handrailing in a flash, winding a rope around his arm as he came. ‘You go to the gym?’
    ‘Sometimes,’ Lena answered distractedly.
    ‘When?’
    ‘Does it matter?’ she returned in exasperation. She turned back to Mike. ‘The fact is, Mike, we’re running ten per cent behind and we need to pick up the pace a bit.’
    ‘Like that’s news,’ Mike smirked.
    Lena squared her shoulders and tried to infuse authority into her voice. ‘Mike, I didn’t come out here to argue with you. I came to warn you.’
    ‘Really.’
    ‘If you don’t cooperate with me, I’ll fix this without you.’ She held her breath.
    Mike threw back his head and laughed. Lena just stood there watching him. She was, in fact, glad to have confirmation that he was abandoning her. She