Cassie's Chance by Antonia Paul Read Free Book Online Page A

holiday? The girl was a riot. Cassie decided to call her.
    "Hey, how's Marsden Bay?" said Vicky.
    Yes, the weather was wonderful. How many clear blue skies did one need? OK, there had been strong wind , and two of her four days had been too chilly for swimming, but Cassie wasn't going to mention the negatives.
    She listened as Vicky mentioned work, and then hit her with it.
    "So spill: who have you invited back to the apartment?"
    "No-one!" Well, that wasn't exactly true. She'd crawled over his lap, but he hadn't come in.
    " Actually," she told Vicky, "There hasn't been anyone in my apartment since I got here."
    Cassie frowned. She knew it wasn't for want of trying.
    "Girlfriend, " said Vicky breezily, "you should get out more. I bet there are guys on the beach just waiting for you."
    She burbled on for a while, telling Cassie she needed to move on from Pete, and let her hair down.
    "Be adventurous," she said. "You never know what might happen."
    Cassie wandered outside, carrying the phone, and let her friend's voice patter on. She did have to move on. She'd come to Marsden Bay to get over the past, and now she was worrying about someone else, who seemed to be simply amusing himself at her expense.
    A dull roar in the street drew her eye. Rangi's truck! The door squealed and banged shut. His smile grew larger as he came through the gateway and walked up the path through the garden.
    He'd seen her. Cassie dragged a panicked hand through her hair.
    "Um, I have to go, Vicky," she interrupted. "Someone's just come to see me. I'll tell you later."
    Her legs felt weak. She sank down onto a chair at the table. She didn't have her sunglasses; she couldn't hide her eyes. She wondered what he'd say by way of apology for leaving her hanging.
    Up the terrace steps he came in a bound, then under the magnolia, and over to the table. The width of it lay between them.
    "H i, Rangi, how come you're not working?" His presence awed her. His work tee draped over the top of his shorts, the bulge in them just visible above the table.
    She dragged her eyes up to his face as he spoke.
    I told Uncle I needed time to come see you, so he's minding the boats. He doesn't have much to do at the gallery, or at the restaurant, really. He's got plenty of staff, eh?
    She didn't do roller-coaster stuff well. "And how come you didn't come to see me yesterday? I was here painting. I'm just up the road, after all."
    She wanted her voice to sound neutral, but petulance had crept in. Too bad if he noticed.
    "I wasn't down in Marsden Bay yesterday," he said.
    Cassie looked down. He didn't know she hadn't looked for him. More than that, she'd left the beach early, avoiding any possibility they'd connect.
    "I had a day off, and stayed home, Cassandra. I'm not going to chase after you every moment.
    "I'd agreed to do some painting in the restaurant ," he told her. "It turned into an all-day job, and by opening time, I was beat. So I just had some drinks with Uncle. He has a big TV in the bar.
    He shrugged. "I figured you could use some space, anyway. You had your angry puss face on when I dropped you off here a couple nights ago."
    Egotistical prick.
    Rangi slid his glasses up. "I came to tell you I'll be away a couple of days. So you'd know and wouldn't worry if I wasn't around."
    "Worry?" She swallowed. "Why would I do that?"
    He smiled broadly. "I know you've been thinking about me. Probably constantly. But that's ok. I'll be back soon; day after tomorrow."
    Rangi, you do not own me," she said, with as much defiance as she could manage.
    H e ignored the spit in her voice and the flames in her eyes, dragging a chair out to sit opposite her.
    " This is what's happening. My Dad rang. Some fellow who chartered a boat got sick and I'm helping crew it back to Whangarei. Leaving first thing tomorrow. Guy's going to manage the hire boats."
    "Guy?"
    "That's his name."
    So this was sayonara? The start of the slow drift away from a connection he no longer wanted. At least she