Read Out Of Place (Face the Music Book 2) for Free Online Page A

away.
    Anonymity.
    He glanced at his board shorts and faded surf t-shirt. In some places he didn’t exist.
    Olivia needed to get home, grab Ethan, and then head out to check out some day care centres. After making a few calls yesterday she’d narrowed down the list—many didn’t have vacancies—and while at the moment she was hoping for one day a week, next year, depending on her job situation, she’d try for a couple more. She wasn’t sure if her mother would be relieved or hurt, but Olivia needed a plan that involved more than crossing her fingers and hoping that she wouldn’t lose her job.
    The reality of sending her baby to childcare instead of letting him be at home scared her. She hadn’t wanted Ethan to go in case something happened to him. His start in life hadn’t been the best—not that anyone would realise from looking at him. But keeping him home wasn’t fair on him. He needed to make friends and play with other kids on a more regular basis.
    Hot air rushed out of her car as she opened the door. She waited until she was sure her face wouldn’t melt before leaning in and putting the key in to get the car and AC going. Nothing happened.
    She tried again, this time with the accelerator down. Then she remembered that flooding the engine would make it worse.
    “Shit.” Olivia glared at her car. Of all the days it could pull this crap. She tried once more. “Please. Please. Please.”
    The patron saint of dodgy cars wasn’t listening.
    The car park was conveniently empty of anyone who might help. She was going to have to go back into the café and ask for a jump-start. Sadly, it wasn’t the first time and she had a set of leads in the boot. All she needed was a volunteer.
    Yeah…the people who drove these nice cars with their fancy electrics and shiny new car warranties weren’t going to help her out.
    She slammed the car door and walked back to the café.
    The surfie guy was nursing his coffee. He looked vaguely familiar. Then she remembered that he’d been here the other day too. He’d sat near her, but hadn’t said anything. She’d kind of wanted him to at the time…by the time she’d got home she’d forgotten about him.
    As she walked up to the counter, she glanced over her shoulder at him. He was worth a second look, even if his hair was too short. Military short or just got out of prison short? She hadn’t seen him in here before. Was he was on holiday?
    With a sigh, she turned her attention to the staff behind the counter. “Hey. My car won’t start. Can any of you offer me a jump?”
    “Sorry, I rode.”
    “Bus. Three more weeks until I get my licence back.”
    Damn it. It was okay. She wasn’t late yet. She was used to adding in cushion time in case something came up.
    Fucking car. If she’d got it serviced two months ago, this wouldn’t have happened. And if she didn’t have a job she wasn’t going to be able to pay for it in the new year either. Between now and then she had Christmas to worry about.
    Someone walked up behind her and she sidestepped so they could get served. She was cluttering up the front counter as tried to work out what to do. She really didn’t want to have to call her mother.
    “I can give you a jump-start.”
    She knew before she looked that it was him. The surfie guy.
    No one else in the café would bother. The old couples were involved in their own conversations and the well-dressed people would simply pretend they hadn’t heard a thing—wouldn’t want to risk getting their hands dirty.
    “Are you sure?” Why was she giving him the chance to change his mind?
    “Yeah. I was leaving anyway.” He smiled and it lit his eyes, too light to be brown. Hazel then.
    Her lips started moving before she stopped. She shouldn’t be smiling at him. She didn’t know who he was. But he’d offered to get her car going and she couldn’t say no.
    “I’m in the car park behind.”
    “Beachfront. I’ll come around.” He walked off without waiting. She