When Only Diamonds Will Do

She held on and the next ten minutes were breathless until they hit the outskirts of Bunbury and finally made the hospital.

‘Thanks so much,’ she panted. ‘I—’

‘Just go.’ He gestured.

‘Wait here, though,’ she ordered, ‘I’ll get the news. At least you deserve to know if everything’s all right. Besides I owe you some money.’ And she flung herself out of the car and up the hospital stairs.

Reith Richardson grimaced, hesitated for a moment then put his car into gear and was about to drive off when Kim reappeared and danced down the steps.

‘Seven pounds, ten minutes ago, a boy, mother and son are both fine—’ she beamed through the window ‘—and I can’t thank you enough. However, here’s the thing, I can’t pay you because I forgot to bring any money!’

‘I never expected to be paid for a couple of lousy phone calls, so forget it, Miss Theron.’

‘Well, I wish I could but I didn’t bring anything, actually.’

He stared at her. ‘You mean—no credit cards, no cash card?’

‘Nothing,’ she said ruefully. ‘Not that it’ll be a problem when my car arrives—but I just would love to take some flowers with me when I’m allowed in to see Penny. They have a florist here but—’

She stopped as Reith reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred dollars.

‘Oh, thank you so much! But look, I need your address so I can repay you.’ She fished in her pocket and brought out a scrap of paper and a pen.

Reith Richardson opened his mouth to tell her to forget it again, but he changed his mind as he put the money into her hand. ‘Have dinner with me, only if you feel like it.’ He named a restaurant and a time and, as she stepped back looking thoroughly surprised, he drove off.

At ten to seven that evening he was sitting at a table for two in a luxury restaurant that overlooked the bay. It was a blue and tinsel evening, deep blue sky and water through the wide windows, silver-white patterned moon looming in the sky.

Rather than the moon, he was contemplating the beer he’d ordered and a few other things. Would Kimberley Theron take up his invitation? Why had he issued it in the first place? Was there something about her that intrigued him—obviously, he thought impatiently—but what was it?

Her looks, her body, her legs? Had to be more than that …

‘Penny for them?’ the object of his thoughts murmured as she pulled out the chair opposite.

He stood up and had to smile in admiration.

She’d changed from her denim skirt and cotton blouse into a dusty-pink linen dress, sleeveless and round-necked, which she wore with a string of bauble-sized glass beads and emerald cork-soled platform sandals. Her hair was loose and casual and a pair of diamond earrings nestled in the red-gold strands.

She looked sensational but she also looked different, a more mature—no, that was the wrong word, he decided—a more sophisticated version of Kimberley Theron.

She slid into her chair with a sigh of relief, looked appreciatively at the moisture-dappled bottle of champagne in an ice bucket and said, ‘How nice. Nice to sit down, nice to think of a deliciously cool glass of bubbly. Today,’ she added as he sat down, ‘has been one of my wackier days.’

He poured her champagne. ‘Wacky? How are mother and son, by the way?’

‘They really are fine, despite his early arrival. And despite me arriving too late—not your fault,’ she hastened to assure him. ‘Wacky? Yes. When I got Penny’s call, she sounded so lost and scared I just dropped everything and…well—’ she smiled at him ‘—you know the rest of it. Incidentally—’ she reached into her purse and withdrew a hundred-dollar note, which she slid across the table towards him ‘—thank you so much.’

He let it lie on the table.

‘I gather you’ve got your resources back?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, my car got delivered to the hospital so I was able to go home and change, et cetera.’ She sipped her champagne. ‘Mmm…Delicious. Tell me something, Reith—what do you do?’

‘This and that.’

She looked comically askance at him but she was frowning. He’d changed his cargo pants and sweatshirt for jeans, a navy shirt open at the throat and a beautifully cut finest tweed sports jacket. And he wore a sports watch that would have cost a small fortune. All in all, he looked right at home in this very expensive restaurant, not to mention darkly attractive.

‘That sounds rather evasive.’ She traced the rim of her glass with one slender finger as she withdrew her senses from the masculine onslaught of the man and thought of his answer to her question.

‘It’s also true.’ He shrugged. ‘I specialize in buying and rescuing companies in trouble.’

Kim frowned. ‘What’s the appeal in that?’

He studied her for a long moment. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, usually one has a vocation; you’re drawn to medicine or law or farming or something.’

‘It’s the challenge,’ he said. ‘It’s always a learning curve but some business principles, supply and demand, for example, always stand whether you’re dealing with fashion or minerals or sheep. What do you do?’

She took another sip of champagne and looked thoughtful. ‘I teach. English,’ she said and smiled at his expression. ‘Thought that might surprise you,’ she murmured.

He grimaced. ‘Why?’

‘Why did I think it would surprise you? I get the feeling you don’t approve of me, Mr…um…Reith.’ She eyed him with a glimmer of wry humour in her blue eyes. ‘It’s quite a strong feeling,’ she added gently.

‘You did nearly cause me to wipe myself out,’ he reminded her.

She laughed. ‘Yes, well, I’ve already confessed to having a…an unusual kind of day. I’m generally a much more organized person.’

His lips twitched and he shrugged.

Kim planted her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. ‘You couldn’t have said it more eloquently if you’d actually spoken the words.’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘What?’

‘You find that hard to believe?’

‘I …’

Kim sat back and interrupted. ‘Not that I mind. We’re a bit like ships in the night, aren’t we?’

He didn’t answer, merely studied her.

‘Would you mind if we ordered dinner?’

‘Not at all.’

‘That’s the other thing I messed up today,’ she confided. ‘I haven’t had a thing to eat since breakfast. And do you mind if I order lobster? I always have lobster here; I can thoroughly recommend it.’

‘Be my guest,’ he murmured.