Love or Money by Peter McAra Read Free Book Online

spent the odd night here. All you need’s some food, a sleeping bag, something to drink. And a few good books.’ He stepped back from the edge. ‘It’s the kind of space I need right now, come to think of it.’ He paused. ‘But no time these days. Commitments.’
    She stood silent. Yes, she could cope with the cave’s primitive furnishings. As Hamish had said, if you brought the essentials with you, it would be enough. You didn’t need television, computer, cell phone, a fancy bathroom. The cave would be dry and snug in the worst weather. And it would deliver a priceless gift. Pure peace.
    â€˜I’d better be heading back,’ Hamish said suddenly. Perhaps, like her, he felt uneasy in the overpowering silence. Being alone with him in this utterly private place had her nerves on edge. She didn’t answer. Like a spell slowly taking effect, the still, quiet dark breathed sexy private thoughts into her head. Again she lectured herself. The guy had a partner. She mustn’t look at his muscled body, mustn’t fantasise about what might happen if the two of them, heaven knows, should ever spend time together in this magical cave.
    â€˜It’s Saturday after all,’ he said, his voice loud, cheerful. ‘Shopping, mowing the lawn. Cleaning up the kitchen.’
    â€˜We’d better go, then.’ Her words broke the invisible web that seemed to be bonding her to the place.
    â€˜I’ll go first,’ he said. ‘Then I’ll pull you up.’
    â€˜Thanks for the offer. But I’ll be fine.’ She followed him up the ladder and jumped off at the top — into those waiting arms. As he drove away, she remembered the warmth of their closeness. Yes, he was off limits, and yes, the moments she’d spent in his arms had been delicious.
    Overnight, Erin had confirmed her decision. She’d put aside any fancy ideas of living in the cottage. Her mother’s health — maybe even her life — depended on Erin selling her inheritance fast. She’d better get organised. She made a list, spelling out which rooms, which door frames and other trimmings should be painted, what bits and pieces should be replaced by a carpenter, what jobs would need a plumber, an electrician, a concreter. The garden would have to wait for another day.
    After a quick visit to the general store, she made a casserole to the recipe in her grandmother’s handwritten cookbook. All afternoon, she inhaled the rich brown beef smell she’d drooled over as a child. At dusk she took her dinner onto the veranda. As the stars came out, she knew she was back — back in the magic space of her childhood.
    Erin woke as the morning sun rose out of the sea, bathing the bedroom in coppery gold. She pulled on shorts and top. Sunday morning! Outside on the lawn, she drew breath. The air tasted as fresh as a mountain stream, flooding joy into every living thing. You simply didn’t get a morning like this in the city, ever. She’d enjoy it while she could. Slipping on her trainers, she headed for the cliff-top path again. As she looked down on the breaking waves, a gull swept overhead, carried up from the sea in an updraft. It soared over her head, looked down at her, then swooped back towards the water in a voluptuous arc. As it neared the waves, it flattened out its dive and peeled off to the north.
    Next lifetime, she’d ask to come back as a bird — have a life that was utterly free. Without the baggage of a job, deadlines, buying things you didn’t need. Without unfinished business, broken-off relationships. As she walked, Hamish Bourke popped into the space she’d reserved for enjoying the morning. She pictured his smile, wondered again what hid behind it. Had he known pain? Risen above it? How was life with his partner? Did he have real friends — close and sharing friends — as opposed to the plastic variety? At first glance, she’d