Kiss It Better Read online

  ‘So if you wanted to ramp up production, the obvious change would be to increase the factory’s size and invest in single-use machines.’

  ‘You sound like Leighton.’

  ‘Do I? I think it would be a bad idea. Mick’s built JayBay’s brand on quality, not quantity. Multi-purposing the same machines protects against over-capitalisation. Although on the capital point — ’ He stopped and regarded the view. ‘— plenty of number crunchers would argue that prime beachfront land could be sold for a profit and the factory housed in some commercial lot.’

  ‘Number crunchers have no soul. Witness Exhibit A.’

  Leighton walked out of the office, saw them and jerked to a halt. Unlike the other workers who were used to observers and ignored them, he frowned and marched to the kitchen.

  Cassie grimaced. The kitchen, or staffroom, had a door out onto the veranda. As much as she’d threatened Theo with an introduction to Leighton, she didn’t want to greet her cousin. He was two years older than her, and had a tendency to rub in her sense of failure. She hitched up her trackies. The problem was she was absurdly, uncharacteristically vulnerable at the moment — and Leighton knew which buttons to push. Family always did.

  Leighton’s polished black shoes struck an assured rhythm on the veranda as he approached them. His white shirt, subdued blue tie and black trousers reflected his insistence on ‘professional standards’ in the face of JayBay’s famously relaxed vibe.

  Just by being himself, her dad had built a brand that stood for ethics, family and community. Theo seemed to get it, but Leighton refused to.

  ‘Good morning, Cassie.’ Leighton stared at Theo, forcing the introduction.

  ‘Theo Morrigan.’ Theo didn’t wait for Cassie’s response.

  The men shook hands.

  ‘A friend of Cassie’s?’ Leighton rocked on the heels of his polished shoes. He’d always done that: rocked and looked superior. It didn’t quite work though, when Theo was several inches taller in his motorbike boots.

  ‘Not yet, but I’m working on it.’ Cassie rolled her eyes at the seemingly automatic charm coming from the biker wannabe. Theo grinned at her. ‘I’m a friend of Mick’s.’

  ‘Uncle Mick’s not here.’

  ‘I told him.’ Cassie turned her back on the factory floor and leaned against a window. ‘He still wants to see the factory.’

  ‘How come?’

  Cassie smirked at Theo. ‘And you thought I was unhelpful.’

  She might as well not have spoken. Theo was studying her cousin, speculation and something more in his eyes.

  An unpleasant shiver slid down her spine. She straightened from the window. Africa had taught her sensitiveness to atmosphere. When violence could erupt at any moment, you learned to pick up on vibrations. The vibe here wasn’t for violence, but tension was strung between Leighton and Theo.

  ‘Mick asked me here.’

  Leighton ceased rocking on his heels. He stood balanced, ready to react.

  To what? Cassie stared at Theo. Strip away his good looks, biker gear and casual charm, and what were you left with? Ruthlessness. The determination was there in the strong lines of his face. So why had her dad asked him here? And why did Leighton care? Why was he radiating suspicion, and even outright hostility?

  ‘Cassie thought you might show me around.’

  ‘I’m busy.’

  ‘I’ll wait for Mick then.’ Theo strolled back to the bench and collected his helmet and jacket.

  ‘Get rid of him,’ Leighton said under his breath. His skin had the unhealthy, pasty colour of someone who’d spent the winter inside. His breath stank of too many coffees.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Just do it.’

  ‘I’m not your slave.’ A childish argument, but there was nothing childish in the anxiety gripping Cassie. She and Leighton watched Theo striding back. ‘What’s wrong, Leighton?’

  ‘Worry about your problems. You have enough.’ He walked off.

  Theo watched him. ‘I guess the tour’s cancelled.’ But he made no move to leave.

  ‘Come and see the shop.’ The shop, Aunt Gabby’s domain, was a safe place in which to deal with her confusion. It always had been. Aunt Gabby carried serenity with her.

  They rounded the oblique corner of the building and confronted the beauty of her aunt’s wildflower garden. Winding paths encouraged visitors to wander among the shrubs and groundcovers. Native orchids peeped out shyly, their colours subdued. Cute orange catspaws, small cousins of kangaroo paws, blazed cheerfully. A graceful silver gum, its slender branches bent beneath the bright burden of deep pink flowers, sheltered a bench made of driftwood.

  Cassie paused a moment to sniff the tiny, bell-like flowers of a boronia. The scent was so rare and elusive that it was her habit to enjoy it during the short flowering season. She’d missed it last year. The delicate perfume wove subtle hints of eucalyptus, rose and mint.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ Theo said.

  Still cupping the flowers, she agreed. Couples had even had their bridal photos taken here. Aunt Gabby’s love for the garden shone through. ‘JayBay is special. It’s not just Dad’s company. Everyone loves it and feels as if a bit of it belongs to them. It really is like a family, with everyone doing a bit extra. As with Aunt Gabby’s garden, it’s about more than money.’

  ‘I know, Cassie.’ Theo shed the air of tension and threat that had coloured his dealings with Leighton. ‘I like and respect your dad. I know how generous he is sponsoring charity initiatives and scholarships. It’s generated a lot of goodwill for the JayBay brand, even if that wasn’t his reason for it. JayBay Beautiful has fast become an iconic Australian company because people feel the honesty of it.’

  ‘The love,’ she said.

  ‘Love can break your heart,’ Theo said.

  Their gazes met and held. She thought of how much she’d loved her work and how its loss had broken her.

  So deep did she fall into her thoughts that his touch to her cheek surprised her. She froze for a moment, caught by the gentleness of the caress and the aching need for tenderness it woke in her.

  Then his mouth twisted and he dropped his hand.

  She turned away clumsily, opening the door with the sharp jerk the handle required and gesturing him in

  ‘After you.’ He put a hand above her head on the edge of the door, making it clear that she should go first.

  His greater height, size and the respectful courtesy all hit her with renewed sexual impact. The scents of the shop and the factory swirled out and surrounded them.

  Theo’s motorcycle boots and her bare feet exaggerated the difference in their heights. She’d have to go on tiptoe to put her nose to his throat and breathe in the scent more compelling than any beauty product: raw man.

  Or she could be sane and scoot inside.

  She scooted. The familiar clutter and colour of the shop gave her a chance to reach for common sense just as she huddled inside her dad’s old sheepskin coat. She might be superficially attracted to Theo, but she wasn’t at the mercy of her hormones — and he wasn’t attracted to her. He was kind, charming and sexy, but he had his own agenda. He had a reason for being here, one that he wasn’t willing to share. One about which Leighton entertained suspicions.

  And that moment on the veranda where he’d touched her with tenderness?

  Cassie buried it.

  Fortunately, in the JayBay shop it was easy to find a distraction. The shopfront overwhelmed every sense. The colours were brighter than those in the garden. JayBay’s products had a retro style, picking up the vibrancy of Art Deco era posters and adding a modern flair. Among the shelves of products were scattered scarves and cushions, tea towels and aprons, all the impulse buys beloved of tourists.

  Even after all the years, Cassie couldn’t distinguish the myriad scents in the air. JayBay used organic oils and not only the shop products, but the scents from the factory floor were embedded in the building. After a while you didn’t notice, but just for now,
she seemed to be supersensitive.

  Theo moved around her, stepping up to a display that encouraged visitors to touch and smell and even taste JayBay’s products.

  Music played in the background; not muzak. A violin joined the purity of a flute, and the two chased each other through an intricate piece.

  Aunt Gabby glanced up from serving a group of customers: two elderly couples festooned in cameras and with maps and tourist books peeping out of their pockets. ‘Cassie, why are you wearing Mick’s revolting coat?’

  Aunt Gabby was a darling, but she wasn’t subtle.

  ‘It matches my trackies,’ Cassie said. She heard Theo’s snort of laughter.

  The customers smiled uncertainly and hurriedly finished their purchases.

  Aunt Gabby appeared plump and cuddly as always in a cream and brown alpaca-knit sweater over a mottled pale blue skirt and comfortable shoes. Her silvering brown hair was plaited and tied with a matching blue ribbon. She’d grown up with the hippie style and never changed it. She hugged Cassie, ugly coat and all, and whispered, ‘Is that gorgeous boy yours?’

  They both turned and studied Theo.

  He was taste testing edible body-paint, licking it from a finger. The paint was from JayBay’s Daredevil line.

  ‘If he’s not, hurry up and introduce yourself,’ Aunt Gabby continued. Then she peered dubiously at Cassie and her voice rose. ‘Give me that coat. I’m sure I’ve got a comb somewhere.’

  Cassie pulled away. ‘Theo is Dad’s friend.’ He ambled over and she made introductions. ‘Theo wants to see the factory.’

  ‘Of course he does.’ Aunt Gabby beamed. ‘It’s small but perfect. A jewel. Cassie, nip home and change. Put some shoes on. Then you can show him around.’

  As if she was eight years old. ‘He’s already peeped in the windows.’

  ‘That’s for visitors. Theo’s a friend.’

  ‘Hardly, Mum.’ Leighton stood in the doorway between the shop and factory floor. ‘More like a competitor the size of Tyrannosaurus Rex. I Googled you, Morrigan. Cassie, I told you to get rid of him.’

  ‘Leighton,’ Aunt Gabby chided.

  ‘It’s all right, Mrs Frazer. Mick is expecting me at noon. I can wait outside for him.’

  ‘Nonsense. I’ll make you a cup of tea and there are muffins in the kitchen. Poppy brought them in. Carrot and walnut.’

  ‘This is not a bloody high tea,’ Leighton exploded. ‘Get out, Morrigan.’

  ‘No.’ Who did Leighton think he was? ‘Dad invited him.’ Cassie went into a stare-down with her cousin.

  Aunt Gabby’s head tilted to the window. Cassie heard it, too. Her dad’s car. ‘Dad’s here.’

  ‘Screw it.’ Leighton shifted in the doorway, half ducking back into the factory before reclaiming his ground. His body language screamed defiance.

  Why? Her dad had invited Theo. It wasn’t as if he were an enemy invader.

  Her dad opened the shop door with typical impatience. Mick wasn’t tall or imposing, but he had presence. Blue eyes, like Cassie’s own, scanned the room. He nodded at Theo. ‘I guess you’ve introduced yourself.’

  ‘He failed to give a few pertinent details,’ Leighton said. ‘Like the fact that he’s CEO of Brigid Care.’

  Cassie blinked. Every family in Australia had something by Brigid Care in the bathroom cabinet: antiseptic cream, painkillers, vitamins, first-aid kits…They were a trusted name and had been for generations. The company was more than a century old and competed successfully with multinational pharmaceutical corporations.

  ‘And that’s partly why I asked him here.’ Mick pushed the shop door closed behind him. The click echoed in the sudden silence of the recorded music ending. ‘But mostly I asked a favour.’

  ‘I’ve read the financials,’ Theo said, abrupt and cryptic.

  ‘Is it Leighton?’ Mick asked starkly.

  ‘Is what Leighton?’ Cassie demanded.

  Her cousin swayed in the doorway. ‘Uncle Mick…’

  Theo gave her a push towards Aunt Gabby. ‘Mick, let’s talk in your office.’

  ‘No.’ Cassie caught Theo’s hand. His was warm and strong. ‘Dad?’

  ‘Someone’s been stealing from JayBay,’ Mick said. ‘I asked Theo to look into things. I needed someone from outside, someone without an emotional entanglement.’

  ‘A competitor?’ Leighton’s voice was raw with disbelief and strain.

  ‘Theo understands the complexities of a family business.’ Mick wore a red flannel shirt, faded from many a washing, over a grey T-shirt and grey work trousers. His boots were muddy. He was no one’s conception of a beauty product manufacturer, but he had the strength that Leighton, for all his professional appearance, lacked. He could also look a person in the eyes.

  ‘Dad, if someone,’ she carefully refrained from staring in Leighton’s direction, ‘borrowed some money,— ’

  ‘I inspected the records,’ Theo said. ‘It’s systematic fraud.’

  Aunt Gabby gasped.

  ‘No.’ Cassie put an arm around her aunt’s shoulders. Leighton might be the obvious suspect. He was responsible for JayBay’s accounts. But he was her cousin. She’d grown up with him, accidentally bloodied his nose in a game of beach cricket and wedgied the girlfriend who’d dumped him in high school. He’d been there when the tissues fell out of her training bra — and he hadn’t told anyone. ‘It can’t be Leighton.’

  Except that Leighton was crumbling before their eyes. His face had flushed red and was now very pale. He had a white-knuckled grip on the doorframe. ‘Uncle Mick, if we could talk privately.’

  ‘No more secrets,’ Mick said. ‘I won’t prosecute, Leighton. I won’t even ask for the money back.’ His sister burst into incoherent tears and vows of reparation. ‘No, Gabby. JayBay can cover the loss. I bear some of the responsibility. I wasn’t watching things at JayBay. I got interested in the Kimberley project and — ’ He broke off. ‘Leighton, I can’t keep you on. You’ll always be part of the family, but I can’t trust you with the business. Pack your stuff and leave.’

  Leighton had cheated them all, everyone who loved and supported JayBay. The security that JayBay had always represented to Cassie, shattered under her feet. There was no solid ground anywhere, only pain and confusion. Aunt Gabby pulled away from her.

  Mick watched Leighton stumble back onto the factory floor and on to the office. Aunt Gabby followed him, head down and weeping.

  Theo tugged Cassie back and wrapped both arms around her, keeping her there.

  ‘Let me go.’

  ‘You can’t soften heartbreak. Give them time to get over the shock. Thieves never think they’ll be caught.’

  She flinched at the dismissal of her cousin.

  ‘Secrets and lies,’ Mick muttered. ‘I’m finished with them. Cassie?’

  She looked at her dad.

  Booted feet braced and arms folded, Mick made his announcement. ‘I’m selling JayBay — to Theo.’

  Chapter Two

  Theo felt the moment when Cassie’s shock at her cousin’s fraud and her aunt’s pain changed into something far more volatile. She stiffened against him and then wrenched free, whirling around to glare at him. The glare might have been more effective if she didn’t have to brush the hair out of her eyes first.

  They were startling eyes, though: a deep blue, the colour of summer seas, intense and honest: qualities he could appreciate.

  Her brown hair frankly needed a cut and the comb her aunt had suggested, but it was a rich chocolate colour and felt like silk when he touched it. Those incredibly blue eyes dominated her thin face, but it was a face tanned from living and doing, and the underlying bone structure guaranteed beauty even as she aged. Her figure…well, he was taking a chance on that, what with the horrendous jacket and baggy trackie pants, but her toes were cute, somehow vulnerable with their lack of nail polish. She was a mess, but an intriguing mess.

  And she was a fighter.

  ‘What evidence do you have that Leighton stole
from us?’ she challenged him.

  ‘Apart from his reaction?’ He sighed, sharp and annoyed, even as he understood her desire to lash out a stranger and to protect family. ‘Leighton didn’t try very hard to hide his fraud. He added a fake supplier that got paid regularly.’

  ‘I didn’t notice one,’ Mick said. ‘I looked at the financials when I felt something wasn’t right. Growth plateaued too abruptly. I wouldn’t have missed something so obvious.’

  Theo didn’t argue, but he doubted the assertion. Mick Freedom was an enthusiast. The wonder of it was that he’d run JayBay this long. Perhaps the dedication of all involved had made up for his wandering interest. Mick had already moved onto a new project, the idea of commercialising the farming and utilisation of some of Australia’s indigenous plants. As he gave more and more time to getting it off the ground, he would have trusted Leighton to manage JayBay’s finances…and opened the door wide for fraud.

  ‘Leighton used a name very similar to an old supplier, one whose contract with JayBay terminated soon after Leighton took up his role as finance manager.’

  Cassie gripped the edge of the shop counter. ‘But then where would the supplies have come from? If the product wasn’t arriving someone would have noticed.’

  ‘One of your current suppliers expanded their product base. Leighton took advantage. Actually, he negotiated a pretty good new contract with them. The increase in their payment would have appeared to Mick like an inflated but just barely acceptable change.’

  ‘Pict Blue Chemicals,’ Mick said.

  ‘That’s the company.’

  Mick stared at the floor. ‘I thought Leighton just needed to toughen up at the negotiating table.’

  ‘It can’t be Leighton.’ Cassie crossed the room to Mick. ‘Leighton isn’t stupid and that sounds like a really simplistic method of fraud. Someone must have set him up.’

  ‘Who?’ Mick put an arm around her. ‘He’s the only one with the knowledge and the access.’

  ‘But he came back to Jardin Bay to be with family. Why would he do this to us?’

  ‘Maybe he didn’t have a choice,’ Theo offered.