The Goodbye Girl by Angela Verdenius Read Free Book Online Page A

fastening a tool belt around his waist.  “Real men don’t need uniforms to attract women.  Take me for instance-”
    “ Here we go.”  Smithy rolled his eyes under his shaggy brows.
    “Women pant after me.”  Bundy waved his hand around.  “Paul had to clear the place before I came, give me the all clear before he’d let me out of the ute.”
    “Jesus,” Paul said.  “Am I paying you to gab or what?”
    “Or what,” Bundy replied without batting an eyelid.  “So once all the sheilas are cleared away - protesting mightily, mind you - he lets me out.  In fact, Paul told me he’d hired two professional soldiers to guard this manly body.” He ran his hand down his skinny chest, his bow legs with the knobbly knees hairy and decidedly unattractive.  “Guard this body well, boys.”
    Smithy gagged.
    “I know.”  Bundy nodded.  “It’s hard to stop the jealousy, but I understand.”
    “You’ll understand my foot up your arse if you don’t get to work,” Paul muttered.
    “I didn’t bring my tank,” Alex stated.  “How about if I just stand guard with a shovel?”
    “I’ll patrol the perimeter,” Nick offered.  “Divert the lovely ladies with my manly good looks.”
    “Son,” Bundy replied kindly, “why would the sheilas go for you when they can have this?”  He held out one hairy leg with a mud-spattered boot on the end.  “This is a man’s leg.  It’s tough, hairy, and full of muscle.”
    “Sinew.” Paul folded the plans.  “Sinew and bone.  Your leg is bloody unattractive .  Put it away before I bring up my baked beans on toast.”
    “Baked beans on toast? ” Mack looked around.  “You’re not coming into close quarters with us, are you?”
    “I’m the boss,” Paul returned.  “I fart where I want, when I want.”  He lifted the corner of his lip.  “I even had a double helping of baked beans knowing we’d be working real close together.”
    Alex tu rned to Nick.  “I’m joining you in patrolling the perimeter.”
    Nick laughed.
    Maryanne came out of the back of the café bearing a cardboard box with six takeaway mugs in it, steam escaping from the lids.  “How are you boys holding up out here?”
    Smithy, Mack and Bundy swarmed her.
    “Good , if we actually get going,” Paul answered.
    Maryanne cast him a look.  “Becky feeling the hormone surges?”
    Paul shuddered.  “God, please, don’t bring up the hormones. ”
    Nick and Alex looked at each other then back at Paul.
    “ Becky’s pregnant again?” Alex queried.
    Paul nodded, a grin breaking out.
    Alex pounded him on the back.  “Congrats.”
    “Yeah, man.”  Hands in the pockets of his jeans, Nick grinned.  “Number two, huh?”
    “Yep.”  Paul was obviously pleased as punch.  “Got a bun in the oven.”
    “Shall I tell Becky that?” Maryanne asked dryly.
    “Why not?  She quite elegantly told her sister that I got her knocked up.  In comparison, ‘bun in the oven’ is quite mild.”
    Shaking her head, Maryanne headed back inside.
    Standing with the men drinking hot coffee, Nick felt relaxed, yet eagerness pulled at him, too.  He liked Alex’s friends, had grown to know them well, but his urge to discover who The Goodbye Girl was, was uppermost in his mind.  Draining the last of his coffee, he informed Paul that he had a few things to do, but as soon as he was free he’d be back to help.
    Leaving Alex hefting several planks of wood with Smithy, Nick went around the café into the main street.
    A s small towns went, Whicha was small.  Small and friendly.  It shouldn’t be too hard to find Bree.  How to do it without being too obvious was the question, however.
    Pondering, he swept his gaze up and down the street.  It was early morning, shops just starting to open.  As he watched, a now-familiar blue van came up the road to disappear behind the hairdresser.
    Hello, his other mystery woman was a hairdresser.  Or maybe just a customer?
    Attention caught, he kept