A Safe Pair of Hands Read Online Free

dreaming about that gorgeous new
junior solicitor!” one of the others laughed.
    “ I am NOT!” Sadie denied hotly, although her guilty blush told
its own story.
    “ So come on then and have a dance!” Jacquie
challenged.
    The bar had a small dance floor with a chunky funky jukebox
squatting in the corner.
    Laughing and shouting, the party moved over to the floor and
for the next hour music blared out and the group enjoyed some
energetic dancing.
    “ Heavens its nine o’clock!” one of the women suddenly gasped.
“I’d better get home before my family divorces me!”
    Several of the other women all agreed reluctantly, leaving
only Sadie, Jacqui and a couple of the younger girls, to carry on
the evening.
    “ See you all on Monday! Have a great weekend, you
all!”
    The group split and Sadie’s half decided to go in search of
some food.
    It was gone eleven o’clock when the girls ended the evening on
the pavement – planning to share a taxi home.
    “ Cos’ it makes sense,” Jacqui declared bossily. “We do all live
within five minutes of each other; after all!”
    A sleek silver Mondeo car slid to a halt by the kerb – just
ahead of them.
    “ Hello again ladies!” the voice was familiar enough to Sadie to
cause her skin to prickle, but she was obscured from vision by
Jacquie who for some mysterious reason, suddenly stepped in front
of her.
     
    Sadie looked across at Nicholas, who had sat silently as she
told her story, almost as though she was reliving it. “It’s funny
how some people can look straight at a person and know what they are like!”
she said a little enviously. She gave a short bark of laughter and
Nick winced at the bitter edge to it. “Me, I’ve never had that
knack!”
    She looked away again as his eyes darkened with some
emotion.
    “ I looked at Rick Matherson and I saw our handsome new junior
solicitor. I saw a man who seemed to be falling in love with me!”
her lips twisted as she remembered her naivety back
then…
     
    Rick had given them all a ride home, and even though Jacquie
had obviously not been happy about it, he had made sure that Sadie
was the last one to be dropped off.
    “ Ring me when you get home ducks,” Jacquie murmured to Sadie as
she stood on the kerb beside his sleek car.
    Sadie was in the front seat – something else that Rick had
arranged, and she smiled at her friend as Jacquie leaned into the
window to kiss her on the cheek.
    “ Happy birthday again, Sadie, and…” she looked across to the
smirking man behind the steering wheel. “I know who you are, so
make sure that she gets home safely.”
    He continued to grin at her obvious threat, and Jacquie’s
scowl deepened.
    Sadie suddenly realised that her friend really did not like
one Rick Matherson, and her surprise made her look across at the
man uneasily.
    He caught her look as he set the car in motion once
more.
    “ Where to now then?” he asked in an easy carefree tone that
relaxed her shoulders and made her breath again.
    “ Turn left at the end, and straight down to the bottom,
please,” she requested huskily.
    When he pulled up outside her parent’s house, Sadie was
surprised when Rick climbed out of the car and walked quickly
around to open her door for her, and help her out.
    He had not done that with any of her friends.
    “ Thank you.”
    He did not let go of her hand immediately as he looked up at
the house. “I’m guessing that you don’t live here on your own,” he
said with obvious regret.
    She followed his gaze, to see that her parent’s bedroom light
was still on – visible behind their drawn curtains, despite the
lateness of the hour.
    “ No, this is my parent’s house, and since it’s getting late – I
really should get inside.” Again she felt that fluttering in her
stomach, as he turned her around and pulled her closer to
him.
    “ I can see that you won’t be inviting me in for a – nightcap,”
he murmured. “So I’ll just be wishing you a good night.”
    Sadie