Seaside Proposal by Narelle Atkins

Author:Narelle Atkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin

Chapter 9

Billie crossed her arms over her torso. Why did it have to be Gus who was good friends with Zach? The one guy she’d disliked the most at Beachside when she was nineteen years old. Back then she’d been naive enough to believe people who attended church tried to follow the teachings in the Bible.

Zach raised an eyebrow. “Are you coming inside?”

“Yes, of course.” She pulled her mouth into a smile, determined not to let Gus’s presence ruin her reunion with Zach.

She entered the apartment with Zach, Gus trailing behind. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room overlooked a large outdoor entertaining area on the balcony.

“Wow.” She stood by the windows, her gaze roaming over the familiar landmarks on Sydney Harbour and the northern foreshore suburbs. “I could spend all day staring at this view.”

Zach laughed, staying close by her side. “That’s what my mom says, even though she lives on the waterfront in a house overlooking Manly and the ocean beaches.”

Gus cleared his throat, making his presence known. “I was going to make some espresso. Would either of you like a cup?”

Zach nodded. “Thanks, that sounds good. Billie, what would you like?”

“I’ll have the same.”

Gus narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want a cappuccino or a latte?”

“Gus makes great coffee,” Zach said. “He used to work as a barista when he was at university.”

“Okay.” She tried to ignore Gus’s smug smile and not let him rile her up. “A latte would be lovely.”

“You’re very welcome,” Gus said. “Any sugar?”

“No, thank you.”

“I’ll be back soon.” Gus left the living room.

Billie let out a deep breath, returning her attention to Zach. “So, why aren’t you out sailing on a Saturday?”

“My yacht’s temporarily out of action while I wait for my marine mechanic to undertake some routine maintenance.”

“That’s frustrating.”

He shrugged. “Work has been crazy and I’ve had a chance to catch up on a few things the past couple of weekends.”

“That’s good. I have a lot of work to do to get my apartment in order.”

“Do you want some help unpacking? I don’t have any plans for the rest of today.”

“Thanks, that would be helpful. I won’t need to bother Sean to help me rearrange some of the heavier furniture.”

“You got it.” He pointed to the leather sofas positioned around a coffee table. “Please take a seat. Gus shouldn’t be too long.”

She sat beside Zach on the sofa opposite the windows. “It’s going to be strange returning to my job in Manly next week, after three months away.”

He lounged back, his arm draped behind her on the top of the sofa cushions. “It took time for me to adapt to the faster pace of life again. And I missed you.”

Her heart warmed. “I missed you, too.” She slid closer to him on the sofa, remembering the fun times and long chats they’d shared over the summer.

Gus returned to the living room and placed two mugs on the coffee table in front of Billie and Zach. “I’ll be back in a minute with the Tim Tams.

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