.

jammed on her brakes. Just in time, too.

      ‘If they dig up one more road around here,’ she muttered, ‘I’m going to scream.’

      ‘No screaming,’ John said in droll tones. ‘Can’t abide screaming women.’

      When she glared over at him, Scarlet was astounded to find him smiling at her.

      ‘John Mitchell,’ she said, her mouth twitching. ‘You’ve actually found a sense of humour.’

      ‘I have today, it seems. Which is just as well. I’m almost home.’

      Which they were.

      The street where Scarlet lived was no different from most streets on the Central Coast, full of a motley collection of houses of all different shapes and sizes. It was a family-friendly street where the inhabitants actually stayed put, rather than moving every seven years or so, as seemed to be ingrained in the Australian psyche. Of course, it was in Terrigal, which had been voted recently one of the ten most desirable places in the world to live.

      It would be difficult to find anywhere better to bring up a family. Admittedly, they didn’t have ocean or lagoon views in their street, but that made the houses more reasonably priced. They still enjoyed the wonderfully mild climate which came from living near the sea. On top of that they were so close to everything, not just the beach. Erina Fair shopping centre was only a ten minute drive away and Sydney a little over an hour.

      Scarlet could never understand why John didn’t come home more often.

      ‘Looks like a big turn-out,’ John said once Scarlet turned the corner into their street.

      ‘You have your mother to blame for that. If she didn’t put on such a good spread, she wouldn’t get so many people accepting her invitations. It’s always like this when it’s your family’s turn for the Christmas party. Look, there’s your mum and sister on the front porch, waiting for you.’ No father, though, she noted. ‘I’ll just stop in our driveway and you can get out. I want to put the car in the garage.’

      ‘Fine,’ he agreed, hopping out and taking his bag from the back seat before slapping the car on the roof and shouting thanks to her.

      She pressed the remote for the garage door, watching John in the rear-vision mirror whilst she waited for the door to roll its way slowly upwards. He really did look amazing today. Great buns in those jeans. Great body all round. If he’d been anybody else, she might have been tempted to flirt with him.

      Just the thought made her laugh. Flirt with John Mitchell? What would be the point in that?

      Scarlet laughed again. She was still amused over the idea when she returned to the party.

      CHAPTER FOUR

      SCARLET looked for John straight away. When she couldn’t spot him anywhere amongst the crowd of partygoers who’d all gathered under the outdoor entertaining area, she wandered back inside the house. But the only person she found there was his mother, getting a couple of bottles of wine out of the fridge. The large open-plan living room was empty of people, with no sign of John anywhere.

      ‘Ah, Scarlet,’ his mother said. ‘Thank you so much for getting John. It was very good of you.’

      ‘No trouble, Mrs Mitchell. Where is he, by the way?’

      ‘Upstairs in his bedroom,’ Carolyn retorted, sounding a bit annoyed. ‘Said he had to go get my anniversary present but I think he’s just avoiding talking to people. Look, could I bother you to go up there and bring him down? All the food is ready. You look lovely today, by the way, dear,’ Carolyn rattled on before Scarlet could accept or reject the request.

      Strangely, she didn’t mind the mission. It would give her the chance to see if he still had all those girlie posters over his walls.

      He didn’t. The room was stripped bare of all boyish paraphernalia. John was standing by the window, staring down at the street, his bedroom being at the front of the house. His bag had been slung on top of the bed, unopened. Scarlet glanced around but couldn’t see any present anywhere.

      ‘I’ve been sent to bring you downstairs,’ she called from the open doorway.

      He turned from the window and smiled a rueful smile. ‘Poor Scarlet,’ came his ironic remark. ‘You’ve been given all the awful jobs today.’

      She didn’t deny it. The strange truth, however, was that she hadn’t minded driving him home as much as she’d thought she would. And she didn’t really mind coming up here to collect him. But she wasn’t about to tell him that.

      ‘Did you find your mother’s present?’

      ‘I did,’ he said, and patted the right hip pocket of his leather jacket.

      ‘Something small and sinfully expensive?’

      ‘Could be.’

      ‘Let me guess—a real ruby.’ What else would a geologist son give to his mother on her ruby wedding anniversary?

      ‘You always were a clever little minx.’

      ‘And you always were a sarcastic bastard.’

      He scowled at her for a second, then smiled. ‘I tell you what. I promise to go down and face the small talk if you promise not to leave my side.’

      ‘And what, pray tell, do I get out of that deal?’

      His smile broadened. ‘My suddenly sparkling company?’

      ‘Not good enough, I’m afraid. I have no faith in your company becoming suddenly sparkling. I will need more of a bribe than that.’

      ‘Would a real diamond do the trick?’

      Scarlet wasn’t sure if he was serious, or just teasing her. Whatever, she was tempted to do some teasing of her own.

      ‘I have no use for a diamond,’ she replied haughtily. ‘Unless it’s sitting atop a band of gold and comes with a proposal of marriage.’

      The look on his face was priceless.

      ‘No?’ she went on saucily. ‘Pity. You’re not bad looking, after all. And you’re filthy rich. Not to mention not gay. What more could a girl possibly want?’

      ‘Nice try, Scarlet. You had me going there for a while.’

      She grinned. ‘I did, didn’t I? Revenge is sweet.’

      ‘Revenge for what?’

      ‘For all the times you made me want to kill you.’

      ‘Mea culpa,’ he said, his tone droll.

      ‘You’re right there. But today is meant to be a happy day, so I’ll put aside my petty grievances and do what you ask, without payment of any kind. Not that I thought you meant to give me a diamond for real.’

      ‘If I did, you’ve missed out now. Still, be a nice, sweet, agreeable companion for the rest of the day and I might give you one.’

      ‘In your dreams, lover.’

      He laughed. ‘You’re right there, Scarlet.’

      John knew full well that that was one thing he would never be—Scarlet’s lover. Which was a pity. She looked utterly gorgeous today in that purple and black outfit. Shame she wasn’t one of those girls who could enjoy a fling without always looking for a ring on their finger in return.

      But that was the way she was and nothing would ever change that. Which was also a pity. John suspected one of the reasons Scarlet hadn’t found her Mr Right was because she had ‘desperately seeking marriage’ written all over her. What she needed to do, in his opinion, was lighten up.

      Perhaps he would tell her that later today if he found the right opportunity.

      ‘Come on,’ he said, flashing