Abby and the Bachelor Cop

the old Abby emerging, and it was no longer an issue. This was the Abby who held to her friendships no matter what, who’d never stopped loving Sarah, the Abby with a heart so big…

So big she could ignore her parents’ hatred?

So big she could take on the Finn boy?

And then he paused. Another vehicle was approaching, travelling fast. Its speed gave it a sense of urgency and he and Abby paused and waited.

It was a silver Porsche.

Philip.

For ten years Abby had never seen Philip angry. She’d seen him irritated, frustrated, condescending. She’d always felt there was an edge of anger held back but she’d never seen it.

She was seeing it now. His car skidded to a halt in a spray of gravel, and the hens clucking round the yard squawked and flew for cover. Kleppy dived behind her legs and stayed there.

Philip didn’t notice the hens or Kleppy. He was out of the car, crashing the door closed, staring at her as if she were an alien species.

Raff was suddenly beside her. Taking her hand in his. Holding her against him.

Uh-oh.

She should pull away. Holding hands with Raff would inflame the situation.

She tugged but Raff didn’t let her go. Instead, he tugged her tighter. His body language was unmistakable. My woman, Dexter. Threaten her at your peril.

How had it come to this?

‘So that’s it,’ Philip snarled, staring at the pair of them as if they’d crawled from under Raff’s pile of weeds. ‘You slut.’

‘It’s not polite to call a lady a slut,’ Raff said and his body shifted imperceptibly between them. ‘You want to take a cold shower and come back when you’re cooler?’

‘You sabotaged the case,’ Philip said incredulously, ignoring Raff. ‘The bank accounts… Suddenly you leave, and my briefcase’s gone and in comes Finn and the Prosecutor has a whole list of new evidence. You gave it to Finn.’

‘Baxter’s a maw-worm,’ Abby said, trying to shove Raff aside so she could face him. This was her business, not Raff’s. ‘I didn’t know there was anything in your briefcase to convict him, but if there was we shouldn’t have been defending him.’

‘It’s what we do. Do you know how much his fee was?’

‘We can afford to lose it.’

‘You might.’ He was practically apoplectic, and she knew why. She’d had the temerity to get between him and his money. Philip and his reputation. Philip and his carefully planned life.

‘So what about this?’ He hauled the diamond out of his top pocket and thrust it towards her, but he was holding it tight at the same time. ‘Do you know how much this cost? Do you know how much I’ve done for you?’

‘You’ve been…’ How to say he’d been wonderful? He had, but right now it didn’t seem like it.

‘I’ve sacrificed everything,’ he yelled. ‘Everything. Do you think I wanted to practice in a dump like Banksia Bay? Do you know how much money I could have earned if I’d stayed in Sydney? But here I am, doing the books of the Banksia Bay yacht club, stuck here, seeing the same people over and over, even mowing your parents’ lawn.’

‘I could never figure out why you offered to do that,’ she whispered, but he wasn’t listening.

‘I’ve done everything, and you throw it all away. For this?’ His tone was incredulous. He was staring at Raff as if he were pond scum. ‘A Finn.’

‘There’s some pretty nice Finns,’ she said mildly and Raff grinned and tugged her a little closer. Just a little, but Philip noticed.

‘You’d leave me for this…this…’

‘For Raff,’ she said and she gazed steadily at Philip and she even found it in her to feel sorry for him. ‘I’m sorry, Philip, but I’m not who you think I am. I’ve tried…really hard…to be what everyone wants me to be, but I’ve figured it out. I’m not that person. I’m Abby and I love bright clothes and sleeping in on Sunday and I hate business dinners and I don’t like spending my whole life in legal chambers. I like dogs and…’

‘Dogs,’ Philip snarled. The new, brave Kleppy with his brave new life had emerged from behind Abby’s legs and was nosing round Philip’s feet, checking him out for smells. Philip looked down at him with loathing. ‘That’s what this is about. A dog.’

‘I know you don’t like dogs,’ Abby said. ‘It was generous of you to say you’d take him…’

‘Generous?’ He gave a laugh that made her wince. ‘Yeah. I’d even put up with that.’ The word made her know exactly what he thought of Kleppy.

‘Because you love me?’ she asked in a small voice and Raff’s hand tightened around hers.

‘Love.’ Philip was staring at her as if she’d lost her mind. ‘What’s love got to do with it?’

‘I…everything.’

‘You have no clue. Not one single clue. Enough. You and your parents have messed with my life for ten years. That’s it. I’ve paid a thousandfold. I’m out of here, and if I never see this place again I’ll be delighted.’

He turned away, fast, only Kleppy was in the way. He tripped and almost fell. Kleppy yelped.

Philip regained his feet but Kleppy was still between him and his car. And suddenly…

‘No,’ Raff snapped, but it was too late. They were both too late.

Philip’s foot swung back and he kicked. All the frustration and rage of the last two days was in that kick and Kleppy copped it all.

The little dog flew about eight feet, squealing in pain and shock.

‘Kleppy!’ Abby screamed and ran for him, but Philip moved, too, heading for another kick. Abby launched herself at him, throwing herself down between boot and dog.

Philip grabbed her by the hair and hauled her back… And then suddenly he wasn’t there any more. Raff’s body was between hers and Philip’s. Raff’s fist came into contact with Philip-she didn’t know where; she couldn’t see-but she heard a sickening thud, she saw Philip lurch backwards, stumble, and she saw Raff follow him down.

He had him on the ground, on his stomach, his arm twisted up behind his back, and Philip was screaming…

‘Lie still or I’ll really hurt you,’ Raff said in a voice she didn’t recognise. ‘Abby, the dog…’

She turned back to Kleppy but Kleppy was no longer there.

He’d backed away in terror. Whining. Horrified, she saw him bolt under the fence and into the undergrowth beyond.

He was yelping in pain and fear and he ran until he was out of sight.

She couldn’t catch him. Beyond Raff’s fence was Black Mountain. Wilderness.

‘Kleppy,’ she yelled uselessly into the bushland, but he was gone.

She turned and stared back at Philip with loathing and distress. ‘You kicked him.’

‘He’s a stray.’

‘He’s mine. I can’t believe…’ She gulped and turned back to the fence, knowing to try and follow the little dog into the bush would be futile.

‘He was running,’ Raff said. He was hauling Philip to his feet, none too gentle. ‘If he’s running, he can’t be too badly injured.’

‘More’s the pity,’ Philip snarled, and Raff wrenched him over to the Porsche with a ruthlessness Abby had never seen before. He shoved him into his driver’s seat like she’d seen cops put villains into squad cars, only this was Philip’s car and he was sending him away.

Or not. Before Philip could guess what he intended, Raff grabbed the keys to Philip’s car and tossed them as far as he could, out into the bush.

‘You’ve lost your keys,’ he said conversationally. ‘Abby, get the handcuffs. They’re in the compartment on the passenger side of the patrol car.’

‘What…?’ she said, and Raff sighed.

‘You want to hold your fiance or get the cuffs.’

‘He’s not my fiance.’ It seemed important.