Murfey's Law (23 page)

‘Well, that
 is interesting.’ Mrs Westerly turned and began to walk back up the path towards her front door. 

‘Wait!’ Lori called out, ‘aren't you going to tell me why you didn't come to the meeting? What if I had decided to go ahead and sell the shop, and no one had turned up? I'm pretty sure that by not attending the meeting you would be aware that you would have been giving up any right to vote.’
 

She stopped in her tracks and turned, smiling for possibly the first time ever. ‘Miss James, I didn't come to your meeting because I gave up my right to a vote when I sold my share, along with everyone else, to someone who has a much more vested interest in keeping you in that shop and in Murfey's Beach than I do.’
 

‘Jenny!’ Lori banged on the front door of number twenty-one. ‘JENNY!’ 

‘Alright! Keep your knickers on!’ Jenny pulled open the door with a grin.
 

Lori, looked down at her feet. ‘Didn't get the time to change your shoes then?’
 

‘Ah,’ she'd been caught out, ‘so you know?’
 

‘Yes, I had the pleasure of Mrs Westerly telling me. Although we had a delightful little chat the two of us, I would have loved it even more if you had told me yourself.’
 

‘Well it wasn't my place to!’
 

‘I beg to differ, I think it's very much your place to tell me. You do hold a seventy thousand dollar share in the shop now after all.’ Lori tried to be angry but was finding it very difficult, little bubbles of excitement popped inside her chest and she grabbed Jenny's hands.’I rejected the offer.’
 

‘That is absolutely wonderful darling! I'm so relieved. But, on your other point, I hate to break it to you however, that
 you are barking up completely the wrong tree. I sold my share just like the rest of the investors did. The buyer was extremely persuasive.’ 

‘You what? Who the hell has bought the bloody shares then, if it's not one of the inv... Oh shit!’
 

‘Indeed.’ Jenny grinned from ear to ear.
 

‘Where is he?’ Lori felt as though her heart was about to burst.
 

‘I don't know darling, I promise.’ She squeezed Lori's fingers in hers. ‘But you should probably go find him and put him out of his misery don't you think?
 

Cursing the boys for living in the steepest street in the village Lori ran without stopping the whole way there. Taking the steps to the house two at a time she flew round the wooden deck and burst in to the large open plan living space. 

‘Oh my god! I'm so sorry!’ She shielded her eyes and squealed with embarrassment. ‘Where's your bloody brother?’
 

Jonah jumped back from the massage table where Tyler lay stark naked, face down thankfully, and covered in something very oily and very sensual smelling.

Tyler burst out laughing. ‘Put your hands down you silly prude!’ 

‘No! Just tell me where he is.’ Lori got the giggles, setting Jonah off too.
 

‘I don't know, but if I had to guess, I'd say he wouldn't have gone very far, he took his board.’ Jonah shook with mirth.
 

‘Ok, thank you!’ She turned on her heels and disappeared back the way she'd come.
 

As she flew past the side window and down the steps Jonah returned his hands to Tyler's broad, strong shoulders and chuckled. ‘I take it she's staying then.’
 

Back at the shop Lori stopped momentarily on the verandah to catch her breath. Glancing to her right she looked at the pair of armchairs and felt a great weight lift off her shoulders. It no longer mattered to her what had happened in the past, because now she had her whole future to look forward to. ‘Thanks Dad.’ 

The grass in the garden tickled her toes as she walked purposefully through it to the top of the stairway cut into the rock. A striking bluey green sea filled her view. On the beach families were playing without a care, mother's enjoying the joyous shrieks of their children and fathers just enjoying the beautiful change of scenery from the stark grey surroundings of their well-paid jobs. The surf had picked up a little today and although still a little choppy there were at least a few good waves rolling into the shore, blown by a strong warm wind from the north.
 

At the bottom of the steps Lori picked her way carefully across the same path that she always took, and stood at the edge, her feet precisely where she'd been sitting the day he'd kissed her. Warmed by the morning sun she could feel the heat seeping through her soles and up her ankles. A salty breeze lifted her dress and twisted her hair in corkscrews around her face. As the waves rose and fell below where she stood Lori closed her eyes, counted to three and stepped forward, dropping perfectly into the swell at its highest point. Under the water her dress ballooned in front of her face and she kicked her arms and legs powerfully, propelling herself back up to the surface with ease. Above the water she brushed her hair back off her face and wiped her eyes, twisting around to face the rocks.
 

‘There you are.’
 

Sat on his board, his eyes even darker than normal, ringed with the same black as Jonah's and carrying the same sadness she saw in her own eyes, Zeb stared out to the horizon.
 

He was definitely better at rock climbing that she was, but insisting she do it all by herself, Lori scrambled untidily up in to the cave.
 

Settled beside him, her bare shoulder brushing his arm Lori took a deep in-breath and spoke carefully, ‘When did you start buying the shares?’
 

Keeping his eyes straight ahead Zeb replied quietly, ‘Before Christmas.’
 

‘Before we kissed?’
 

‘Yes.’
 

‘I'm so sorry Zeb,’ she twisted to face him, ‘I never should have lied, and when I tried to explain how I'd let things get ahead of me I just made it worse.’
 

He turned and looked into her eyes, his gaze flickered down to her mouth as she carried on.
 

‘I tried to tell myself that all I wanted from you was a fling. You awoke parts of me I hadn't known existed and that was even before anything had happened. I thought that if I kept calling it something meaningless then I could keep my feelings for you in check and I wouldn't end up getting hurt.’
 

‘And how did that work out for you?’ He narrowed his eyes. It was the first glimpse Lori had that all was not lost.
 

‘Pretty crappy really,’ she laughed softly watching his lips twitch.
 

‘So, when do you leave?’ He looked away from her and out to where the tops of the waves turned to white spray.
 

‘I don't. I couldn't go through with it and so I called and told them I wasn't selling.’
 

Zeb nodded slowly, taking her words in.
 

‘Zeb?’ Lori put her hand on his arm. ‘Can I ask you why you bought the shares?’
 

He turned back to her and smiled. ‘That's easy, I did it because I'm in love with you.’
 

The grin spreading across his face was infectious, making Lori giggle. He looked so happy to see her laugh again, as though this was all he wanted. Lifting his hands to her face, pressing his fingers into her wet hair he breathed against her mouth, shivering as her hands found his thighs and she pulled herself round and on top of his lap.
 

‘Now tell me,’ he continued, ‘why did you pull out of the sale?’
 

‘That's easy too,’ she lost herself in his eyes and ran her tongue across his lips, ‘I did it because I'm in love with you.’

Outside the bedroom window, in the tree that stood on the fence line between the shop and Jenny’s house, a flock of noisy Rainbow Lorikeets screeched and squealed as they tussled for the flowers that had just come in to bloom amongst the leaves. The sun was just beginning to break over the horizon and shafts of very early morning light shone through the glass and onto the bed where Lori lay.

Stretching languidly she sat slowly up and reached for the phone to check the time. She’d slept better than she’d expected to, considering the build-up of stress and emotions over the past few days. For all her borderline neurotic planning and organisation there was nothing more she could do now.

Downstairs the familiar click of the front door sent shivers down Lori’s spine. She hoped she was hearing things. Straining her ears listening for other noises, she snarled angrily as the sound of footsteps thudded steadily up the wooden stairs and stopped on the landing.

‘Go away!’ She shouted at the closed bedroom door.

Disobediently, the handle twisted and the door crept open. Lori threw herself back down into the mattress with force and yanked the bed clothes over her head, gripping them so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

‘I said go away!’ She tried again.

‘No,’ Zeb growled back at the peculiar talking bed.

‘I took your key off you remember?’ Lori’s muffled voice snapped.

‘And I can pick locks remember?’ He teased, stepping heavily across the floor to the edge of the bed.

‘What do you want?’
 Lori kicked her legs under the covers, she was getting a little claustrophobic but was absolutely determined not to come up for air.

‘What do you think I want?’ Zeb’s voice rumbled in the room making Lori’s naked skin prickle in response.

‘No way! You’re not meant to be here, you’re not meant to see me, we most certainly are not going to do that.  Not this morning, no way.’

‘Are you quite done with telling me what I can and can’t do?’ He chuckled.

‘I will be when you go awaaayy!’ Lori squirmed as Zeb’s hands met the cool covers protecting her from his direct touch.

‘You could always keep the sheet over your head if you like.’ He snorted at the reaction this brought. Lori sat bolt upright and gripped the cotton fabric to her chest, her hair messy and smothering her face she flicked it off and stared icily at him as he continued, ‘Oh hey! There you go, now I’ve seen you, you may as well let me in.’

Lori’s knuckles whitened as she strengthened her hold while he tried to tug the sheet away from her. ‘Now you’ve done it. Any bad luck will be entirely your fault. If the world blows up tomorrow, it was your doing. Don’t say I didn’t warn… Hey! Put that back on!’

Zeb was grinning down at her from his position above the side of the bed where she sat. Undoing his heavy utility belt he dropped it carefully to the floor as he had done nearly every morning for over a year now. The press studs on his blue police overalls popped one by one, making Lori shudder with exhilaration at every extra inch of his bare chest that they unveiled. ‘Are you sure you want me to put it back on?’

Not trusting herself to speak Lori just sat and stared as he dropped the overalls to the floor and kicked off his underwear too just for good measure. The ache between her legs hummed as he stood completely naked and fully aroused with his hands on his hips and a dark brooding look in his eyes. Wrestling with her mind, Lori’s body won over and she let go of the covers, dropping the sheet into her lap and causing her nipples to tighten under his gaze. As she stretched out her legs and lay back into the pillows she smiled. ‘Seeing as you’ve ruined the superstition now, you may as well stay and make it up to me.’

‘Now that, I should have no problem doing.’ Zeb dropped to his knees on the bed and crawled on top of her. Looking down into her eyes he breathed heavily. Lowering his arms like a push up, the muscles strained under his beautiful smooth tanned skin and he dipped his face to hers. Their lips met and Zeb’s tongue searched for Lori’s.

Brushing her fingers from the back of his neck to the front she traced a line from his Adam’s apple straight down the centre of his chest and lower, stopping just below his belly button. Her touch so close, made him kiss her harder with longing and he mimicked what she had done. Balancing on one elbow, their mouths still entwined, Zeb traced his hand under her chin, down her neck and between her breasts, stopping at the bottom of her ribcage. As the kiss grew faster, Lori grazed her teeth over his tongue, biting it gently while his fingers returned to tracking downward, across her waist and over her mound. Feeling her lust for him he pushed her legs apart and pulled out of the kiss. Holding her gaze he lost himself in her eyes for a moment and then with unrestrained desire, rocked his hips forward and entered her making her arch her back with a moan.

‘Holy shit, this is it girls, are you ready?’ Lori grabbed for Sara and Kristy’s hands.

Her own were clammy and shaking. Already on her third application of make-up she tried her best to hold it together and took several long deep calming breaths in an attempt at keeping her omelette on the inside of her stomach. When Jenny had arrived in the shop not long after Zeb had snuck back out again she had insisted that in today’s heat there was no way Lori would be allowed to skip breakfast.

‘Ready,’ Sara and Kristy spoke in unison.

As Lori had known they would, her two favourite girls had hit it off the minute they’d met. Max and Sara had arrived in Sydney a week ago and had hired a car to drive down the coast. They were staying in the eco camp and the three couples shared as much time together as they could around Zeb’s shifts. Tomorrow Max and Sara would be flying back to London. Business was still thriving for Hunter & Hunter and Lori was so grateful they’d insisted on taking the time off so as not to miss out on today.

‘Alright, me too.’ Lori stood up and swept her hair back behind her shoulders. ‘Sara, you first, then me, and Kristy, you go at the back so if you trip on the stairs we’ll break your fall.’

Kristy laughed and then grabbed her burgeoning belly and groaned, ‘Stop making me laugh it feels like my skin will split open.’

‘Eeek! I hope not, mind you, Tyler’s on hand to catch the baby if it does decide to come today,’ Lori giggled.

‘Isn’t Tyler the vet?’ Sara chipped in as she began the cautious descent down the stairs. ‘We’ll need to watch he doesn’t tie a rope around the baby’s feet and pull it out like a calf.’

‘Tyler will be going no where near my special area with a rope thank you very much.’ Kristy waited for Lori’s dress to move ahead a few steps before she followed it.

The three of them had to pause momentarily as their hysterics returned.

‘Coming down ladies?’ Tyler’s head appeared in view at the bottom making the three of them lose their composure for another couple of minutes.

In the kitchen Jenny and the two girls fussed around Lori while Tyler took back off outside to warn of their impending arrival. When they were certain that everything was as ready as it could be Jenny handed Lori the flowers that Mr Kelly had picked especially for her. They were an exquisite hand tied bunch of pretty pastel blooms from his cottage garden, interspersed with native greenery and tied with a simple white ribbon.

Kissing all three of her charges Lori nodded silently, letting them know that she was ready.

Jenny went first, heading out through the shop and the back room, she crossed the deck and stepped down into the lawn. Walking slowly along the grassy pathway between the rows of chairs she stopped at the end of the garden and gave Zeb a squeeze, brushing her hand affectionately across his cheek before turning left and sitting in the front row.

Next, Kristy and Sara walked side by side along the exact same path, stopping to kiss Zeb at the end of the garden too, before sitting down in the two empty chairs beside Jenny. Simon leant forward and squeezed his wife’s shoulder.

‘Ready?’ Lori looked down on the floor to her right.

Bob had been washed and brushed to perfection, scrubbing all trace of the smell of seaweed from his fur. Around his neck a little white ribbon had been tied in a bow. Over the past year he had grown so much older. The energy he had fourteen months ago when Lori had first met him was now waning, and rather than swim with Lori and Zeb like he used to, now he preferred just to lay on the warm rocks above them and watch the world go by.

Matching Bob’s slow pace, Lori walked bare foot through the grass, past her guests. To her left she saw Victor and gave him a wink. He’d recently told her that Jonah had been helping him learn to surf, the internet that was, and he’d come across a chat room for older local singles looking for love anywhere between Green Bay and just south of Fisherman’s Bay. Striking up a torrid online affair over several weeks he’d explained to Lori how excited he was to discover, in recent conversations around today’s events, that his new found love FoxyNonna, was also on the guest list. Apparently she would be bringing with her a single stem of Iris, to match her outfit. Lori walked on and to her right, someone sat in a huge lilac hat and matching shawl caught her eye. As she and Bob passed by, the woman, who indeed had an Iris in her lap, looked up at Lori and gave her a smile. Shocked to her toes Lori stifled a giggle, smiled politely and carried on. No wonder Mrs Westerly had seemed to soften her abrasive disliking of Lori lately. She was getting her sext on.

At the last row of chairs Lori stopped, Jonah called Bob over and helped him up onto the seat of one Jack’s pair of armchairs that had been set up to get the best view of the occasion. The other chair remained purposefully empty.

With his hand extended, Zeb waited for Lori to step forward and take it.

Dressed in a divine floor length white chiffon empire line gown she filled his heart with so much love he thought it would burst in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to be right here, where they stood now, her hands in his.

‘Lorikeet James, do you take Zebediah Turner to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour, respect and trust him? Do you promise to remain his friend, faithful partner, and one true love?’

‘I do.’ Lori tried to swallow down the lump in her throat and trembled as she watched his eyes fill with tears. Their fingers, intertwined, squeezed each other so tight it felt like they’d never let go.

‘And Zebediah Turner, do you take Lorikeet James to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour, respect and trust her? Do you promise to remain her friend, faithful partner, and one true love?’

As he watched the tears roll down Lori’s cheek he nodded, sending his own tears tumbling from his lashes. ‘Against my better judgement… I do.’