Free The Girl he Never Noticed by Lindsay Armstrong Page B

the cause of his distraction. ‘The whole darn program seems to have disappeared down some bloody cyber black hole!’
    Cam glanced at Liz. She grimaced, but pulled up a chair next to Bob and, after a few questions, began tapping the computer keys. Within a few minutes she’d restored his program.
    Bob looked at her properly for the first time, clapped her on the back, and swung round to Cam. ‘I don’t know where you got her from, but can I have her? Please?’
    Cam grinned. ‘Maybe. She has to make up her mind.’
    They were walking back to the house, not talking, both lost in their own thoughts, when his phone rang.
    ‘Yep. Uh-huh… This afternoon? Well, OK, but tell Jim he’ll have to fly straight back to Sydney.’
    He clicked the phone off and turned to Liz. ‘Change of plan. Our legal adviser needs to see me urgently. He’s flying up in the company helicopter and staying the night. I—’
    ‘How will I get home?’ Liz interrupted with some agitation.
    ‘I wasn’t planning to keep you here against your will,’ he said dryly. ‘You’re going back to Sydney on the chopper.’
    Liz went red. ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled.
    He stopped and rested his hand on her shoulder, swinging her round to face him. ‘If,’ he said, ‘you really don’t trust me, Liz, we might as well call the whole thing off here and now.’
    She drew a deep breath and called on all her composure. ‘I haven’t had time to wonder about that—whether I trust you or not,’ she said. ‘I was thinking of Scout and my mother. I’ve never been away from them overnight before.’
    His hand on her shoulder fell away, and she thought he was going to say something more, but he started to walk towards the house.
    She hesitated, then followed suit.
    The helicopter was blue and white, and the legal adviser looked harassed as he climbed out of it. The helicopterpad was on the other side of the house from the menagerie.
    Liz felt harassed as she waited to board, but hoped she didn’t look it. It was now late afternoon. She’d spent the rest of the afternoon in Mrs Preston’s company, being shown over the house. It was impossible not to be impressed—especially with the nursery wing. There was a playroom that would be any kid’s dream. All sorts of wonderful characters in large cut-outs lined the walls—characters out of
Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland
and more—and many toys. There was a small kitchenette and three bedrooms…
    On the other hand Cam Hillier, waiting with her beside the helipad, looked casual and relaxed. He had Archie with him, and it was obvious the little boy was delighted at this unscheduled change of plan.
    ‘Can I think this over?’ Liz said.
    ‘Sure,’ he agreed easily, and advanced towards the legal adviser. ‘Good day, Pete. This is Liz, but she’s on her way out. In you get, Liz.’
    Is that all? Liz found herself wondering as she climbed into the chopper and started to belt herself up. Then she stopped abruptly.
    ‘Uh—hang on a moment,’ she said to the pilot. ‘I forgot to ask him—can we just hang on a moment?’
    The pilot shrugged rather boredly. ‘Whatever you like.’
    So Liz unbuckled herself and climbed out, and the two men on the pad turned back to her, looking surprised.
    ‘Uh—Mr Hillier, I forgot to ask you if you’ll be in the office tomorrow and at what time?’
    ‘Not sure at this stage, Liz.’
    Liz paled. ‘But I’ve rescheduled some of today’s appointments for tomorrow!’
    ‘Then you may have to reschedule them again.’
    She planted her hands on her hips. ‘And what will I tell them this time?’
    He shrugged. ‘It’s up to you.’
    Liz took an angry breath, but forced herself to calm down. ‘OK,’ she said with an airy shrug. ‘I’ll tell them you’ve
gone fishing!’
    And with that she swung on her heel and climbed back into the chopper. ‘You can go now,’ she informed the pilot, her eyes the only giveaway of her true mental state. They were sparkling with