Nobody but Him by Victoria Purman Read Free Book Online Page B

back. I think they wanted to catch up for a coffee.’
    There was no choice, really. They were his guests after all.
    ‘Sure. A coffee sounds great.’ A woman would have sensed the lack of enthusiasm in his voice. He was relieved they weren’t there to see through him.
    Julia stood on The Strand, pulling her coat about her, staring in shock and awe up and down the main street of Port Elliot. She had to blink twice to take it all in. Despite the cool weather, the footpaths were crowded with parents with strollers and trailing toddlers, people with dogs of all shapes and sizes on leads, retirees in sensible shoes, young guys with dreadlocks and girls in shorts and hoodies, giggling at the boys. Young lovers ambled, hand-in-hand and arm-in-arm, stopping to admire the shop windows, clearly filling in time before they could head back to their bed-and-breakfast accommodation and get naked.
    At one end, The Strand hit the main road between Victor Harbor and Goolwa, and at the other, it reached the coast, providing a stunning view over Horseshoe Bay.
    But that was about the only thing she recognised. Could this really be the same street she’d walked thousands of times in her childhood? Its historic stone buildings and cottages had been transformed into stylish cafes, art galleries and there were at least three boutiques that Julia could see as she looked south. She was relieved to find that the local charity shop, from which her mother had lovingly but chaotically selected her daughter’s wardrobe, was still there. She made a mental note to donate her mother’s clothes back to it. Half of them were probably pre-loved and bought fromthere anyway. Karma, she figured. It really was about what goes around, coming back around.
    Julia stepped onto the road, checking the traffic before heading over to a particular shop window that had caught her eye. It was filled with a display of stunning blue ceramic glazed pots, hand-carved three-legged stools and a giant red fabric poster with intricate green swirls stencilled on it. It was as fashionable as anything she’d ever seen in Melbourne. She just had to have a little look.
    Julia stepped into the shop, her arrival announced with a tinkling bell over the door.
    ‘Hello. How are you?’ A woman of about Julia’s age, with jet-black hair cut in a stylish French bob, sat behind a curved wooden counter. She was dressed from head to toe in black and looked like the editor of a fashion magazine, rather than someone reading one. She narrowed her eyes at Julia, hesitating before speaking.
    ‘Julia?’
    ‘Yes?’ Julia stepped closer, trying to see behind the woman’s bright red cat’s eye glasses.
    ‘Julia Jones?’
    Julia shrugged. ‘Last time I looked.’
    ‘Oh my God. I thought it was you!’
    Julia took another long look and bit her lip in frustration at the social faux pas she feared she was about to commit. Who was this woman? A fashionista from Melbourne? Someone she’d met at a party once? A friend of a friend? A client?
    ‘It’s me! Stella Ryan. Don’t tell me you don’t recognise me. We worked together in the Middle Point general store for two whole godforsaken years.’
    And then it hit her. Julia’s face broke into a huge grin.
    ‘Stella! Wow! Look at you!’
    Stella did a little twirl and then checked Julia out from head to toe. Julia was relieved she’d chosen her tan leather boots, with her skinny jeans tucked into them, to pick up the highlights in her vintage coat. She hadn’t brought many clothes with her to Middle Point but was very glad of this particular outfit. Especially given this unexpected competition for best dressed.
    Stella gave a couple of quick claps and laughed. ‘It’s so good to see you!’
    ‘You too! This shop is truly stunning.’ Julia glanced around the white-painted interior, which formed the perfect backdrop for the riot of colourful items for sale. Stella nodded with obvious pride, her bright red lips parting in a happy