Free Catch of The Day: Destiny Romance by Carla Caruso Page A

though she’d just banged her funny bone – hard. ‘Oh . . . hi.’
    Alex scratched his stubble. ‘It’s probably too late to tell you there’s a gate a few metres down. Might have been an easier mode of entry.’
    She sighed. ‘It figures.’ Savagely, she wiped her heel on the grass. ‘Why are you here anyway?’ she asked a little rudely, as though it were his fault he’d caught her in a compromising situation. At least the curious eyes had slid away again.
    He gestured at his camera, bristling slightly. ‘I do work for other people, you know. Besides, I should ask the same thing of you.’
    Winnie pulled a face, which didn’t diminish the attractiveness of her features, if city social climbers were your thing. ‘I’m trying to find a farmer for a story – Chester Wyatt. Not that I have a clue what he looks like. I’ve left numerous messages on his answering machine to no avail, which is why I’m here. There was no other way around it. You don’t happen to know Chester?’
    ‘I’ve met him once or twice, but I haven’t seen him around today.’ Alex shrugged. ‘He must be pretty important for you to get your high heels dirty, though.’ He couldn’t help teasing her, even when she was down in the dumps. It was like a curse.
    ‘Yeah, the big-time cattle breeder is about to become a reality-TV star. Though he’s a total enigma, by all accounts.’ Winnie’s eyes suddenly glinted. ‘Speaking of enigmas, I had another idea for a
Beach Life
story on the drive over.’
    ‘Oh, yeah?’ he asked hesitantly. Already he didn’t like where her train of thought was headed.
    ‘Yeah, I thought a good piece would be for me to go on a cray-fishing boat and document a morning’s work – preferably your boss’s boat, seeing as he’s a contact of yours. Don’t you reckon it would make a fantastic photo spread, too? Cray fishing
is
a major industry of the town.’
    Alex tightened his jaw. The last thing he needed on a busy morning’s fishing was Winnie draping herself over the deck, moaning about seasickness and asking like a whiny kid when they’d be back on land. The confined space and long hours at sea together weren’t worth contemplating.
    ‘Uh-uh.’ He shook his head. ‘I’d be too busy fishing to take photos. I don’t exactly rest on my laurels out there. It wouldn’t work.’
    Winnie rested a hand on her narrow hip. ‘Well, you must have taken some pics on board already. I didn’t think you’d be able to help yourself as a photographer, with all the sunrises and marine life you’d see. So it would only mean taking a few extra pics of the skipper in action – surely that’s possible. And I’d just come along for the ride to observe.’
    Alex kneaded his shoulder. ‘I doubt my boss’d agree.’
    Winnie stuck out her bottom lip, which looked more succulent than he cared to admit. ‘But I’m desperate for stories and you’re part of
Beach Life
’s team. Couldn’t you at least try to persuade him? I’m vegetarian, so I’d be putting myself out on a limb, too.’
    Alex was silent for a moment, wondering how to untangle himself this time, before conceding gruffly, ‘I guess I could ask.’
    ‘Fantastic.’ Winnie clapped her hands together, as though the decision was already made. She was a wily one. How did he keep getting roped into her misadventures? ‘Just think what a good day’s work it’ll be for you – you’ll get paid two times over for the morning.’
    ‘Great,’ he murmured unenthusiastically.
    Sidestepping more cow dung, Winnie leant to pat the snout of a brown and white cow that had lumbered closer behind a railing. Alex had to swallow a laugh. None of the locals treated the livestock like pets.
    ‘Winnie!’
    A whirlwind of pearls, ironed denim and vanilla perfume hurtled in Winnie’s direction.
Eden Delaware.
She leant in to air-kiss Winnie before pecking Alex on the cheek. He shouldn’t have been surprised that the pair were already