So, I came up with this idea. I find myself not being able to stand long, drawn out, complicated stories at the moment so I figured, why not write a collection of short and sweet stories to make people smile. So, here's number one. Yes, beware cliche's, after all, what can make you smile more than a cliche?

I don't have a specific target or limit on what I write or how much... or even when so updates will come as they please, trickling out of my head onto the paper.

Enjoy.

Rogue

Summary

Caroline Rogers has it all, her perfect life. What happens when it all starts falling apart? Can the trip back home be just what she needs?

The Shortie Collection

Story One- From Past To Present

Caroline Rogers, at twenty-eight, was at the peak of her life. Her career was blossoming as a successful police-woman in the middle of Sydney, she was in good health and Harold, her boyfriend of five years had recently proposed. To her, nothing could be much better.

She had yet to introduce Harold to her family, almost certain her absurd, rowdy, half-insane relatives would not warm up to her fiancé immediately. He was her safe-ground and she knew exactly where she stood with him, no surprises coming from that direction, which was a good thing in her line of work.

Her cousins upcoming birthday would be the perfect time to introduce the two extremes of her life. She figured it would be the best chance she had of having him meet her entire family in one shot.

Caroline had never imagined herself planning to marry a conservative accountant. In her teenage years she had barely envisioned marrying anyone at all, in fact, preferring to be wild, impulsive and unattached.

Nearing thirty made her start thinking seriously about her future. Once she retired, what was she going to have? She wouldn’t have her job, probably few friends and only her family who lived well and truly out-back. Did she want to end up alone like her boss?

Her answer was an instant negative. No matter how much she liked her boss, she didn’t want to end up living her life for the job. Sometimes, yeah, being a police officer was her life but she always needed a break, a chance to get away for a while.

So, she had gone out, profiled a few guys and come up with safe, reliable Harold Smith. A background check revealed he hadn’t even had a speeding ticket.

& & &

The first sign something was off with Harold appeared one afternoon when Caroline was let off her shift early and phoned him to see what he was up to. It was only a week until her cousins birthday and she knew Harold was nervous. What sane man wouldn’t be?

“Caroline?!”

“Good guess, Harry. I have a surprise for you. I got off early so I though we could go out-”

“Harold… who is that?” a third voice chimed in from the background, a very female voice.

“My… uh… my fiancée, Mrs. Hollander. I won’t be a moment. Look, Caroline, I’m with a client. Do you think you could call me back later?”

“Sure. It’s okay. Sorry to disturb you.” she apologised, only to have the dial-tone in her ear.

Caroline attempted to shrug off the unknown voice, convincing herself that safe, dependable Harold would never even think of cheating. She trusted him after all.

& & &

“Look, I just don’t think this is working, Caroline. I’m sorry but I just can’t handle... you. I’m sorry.” Was his farewell as he shrugged pathetically then shut the door to the apartment behind him.

& & &

“Carrie. Oh my God, look at you. Been stocking up for the winter, I see. Just joking, dearie.” Caroline’s Aunt Martha trilled, her over-sized Melbourne-cup-day hat bouncing around her ears with enthusiasm. She had always been critical of her niece’s larger-than average build and did not understand that a police-woman could not afford to be petite and delicate. Caroline had long given up trying to convince her, her barbs become little more than an annoyance.

After she had gotten over the initial shock of Harold's farewell through the use of a long couple of hours in the shooting galley, Caroline had packed her bags and headed out west to her parents farm. It was the same as she remembered, a little dryer, dustier, barer but drought did that.

She was greeted loudly by her cousins, Aunts and Uncles, extended family and everyone’s friends. Hugs and cheek-kisses were tossed around with gusto, making her smile despite herself until she tumbled into her cousin and his girlfriend, an old friend.

“Lisa. Jude.” she hugged them both.

Throughout school the pair had danced around each other until Caroline and her cousins’ best friend had played matchmaker. In a story-book romance they had eventually fallen together and had been together for the best part of nine years.

“Happy birthday, Ugly.” she grinned at her cousin, presenting him with a thick envelope containing a cheesy card and tickets for two to Hawaii. It wasn’t every day your cousin turned thirty after all.

“Thanks, Brat. Where’s this fiancé of yours?” he asked eyeing the ring she had forgotten to take off then searching for the mysterious Harold, oblivious to the look Caroline gave him.

“Um... He couldn’t... Make it.” she shrugged after collecting herself. Lisa shot her a knowing look, guessing there was something she wasn’t telling but let it lay, hoping she would tell her in her own time.

The birthday boy and his girlfriend were herded off by their guests to elsewhere and Caroline aimed for a beer. Her father caught up with her by the eskies, enveloping her in his typical bear-hug that he saved especially for her. His greeting made her want to cry, an unusual thing for her.

“Hey, hey. What’s this sweetie?”

Caroline went on to briefly outline what had happened with the fiancé her father had yet to meet.

“Lucky he got it over with now, Carrie.” he growled at the completion of her short story, “Sounds like we would have had to chase him off anyway. What a tool!”

“Dad!” But he’d made her laugh for the first time since It had happened... And she couldn’t help but agree.

“Look, if you go say hi to your mum, I give you my full permission to get embarrassingly drunk with your cousin.” her father grinned, his silvered hair making him look older than he appeared, though he wore the same charming, devilish smile he always had.

& & &

Although she didn’t take her father up on his offer of complete alcoholic bliss, she went and spoke to her mother for a time before spotting an old friend of hers... Well... If he could be called that.

“Army brat!”

“Carrie-bear!”

Caroline laughed as she was enveloped by the towering man. Easily one of the tallest at the party and close to the broadest of shoulder, dark-haired Mathew Lucas had grown into a highly attractive weapon. Gangly limbs had filled out and a cheeky-smirk had developed into a swooning grin.

Matt had been Jude’s closest friend since Primary School and had played a key role in Caroline’s match-making. Together they had pushed the pair into their relationship and neither had looked back since.

“Whatcha been up to, Carrie? Hear you’re getting hitched?” he asked dubiously, eyes scanning the crowd, similar to Jude.

“Yeah... Well... About that...”

“Speech. Speech. Speech.”

Caroline looked towards the centre of the noise, the rowdy chanting interrupting her explanation. Jude stood in the centre of the crowd, trying to hide behind Lisa who was laughing at her boyfriends antics. Apparently Jude was uncomfortable in front of crowds.

“Speech. Speech. Speech. Speech.”

Carrie laughed as Jude surrendered and the crowd cheered. After stumbling through his ‘thank you for coming’ speech and ‘thank you Aunty Chris and Uncle Jack for letting this insane bunch invade your farm for me’, Jude turned to Lisa, took her hands and got down on one knee.

“I can’t ask you this poetically or romantically enough but I’ll have a crack at it and hope you don’t turn me down for being an outback hick. Lisa Danver, I’ve loved you since the first day I met you, I want to spend forever and a day with you, by your side. Will you marry me?”

Caroline hadn’t cried when Harold had asked her, then again, he hadn't been so meaningful with his proposal so she could understand why Lisa found it difficult to answer her cousin immediately. She nodded, teary and the biggest, brightest smile she’d ever seen from him spread over Jude’s face as she threw herself into his arms.

A cheer went up from the family and friends watching and Caroline clapped for them, joining in with the noisy congratulations. She had to laugh when Jude patted his pockets then almost died. Apparently the ring wasn’t where he’d left it.

Fiddling with her, now void engagement ring, Carrie made her way to her panicked cousin, slipping Harolds' ring into his palm. He grinned widely again, taking his fiancés' hand and slipping it on. Perfect fit.

Lisa jumped into his arms again, crying and slapped a happy kiss on him, enticing loud cheers and whistles from the onlookers. For the second time that day, Caroline hugged her cousin and her friend, kissing their cheeks in congratulations before being dragged away by the number of people wanting to give their own best wishes.

& & &

“Lucky you had that ring handy.”

Caroline jumped, sloshing beer to the ground with a frown when Matt snuck up on her, approaching her from behind.

“What? Oh, that. Yeah, well, I don’t exactly need it anymore and… Jude would lose his head if it wasn’t screwed on tight.” she laughed, turning to face him, “Did you have something to do with that, by the way?”

Most guests had either bunked down for the night or started for home, wherever that may have been. Caroline and he cousins best friend stood on the large back balcony, near the warmth of the fire Carrie had previously been entranced in.

Mathew gave her an innocent look, pressing his hand to his chest in mock surprise,

“Who? Me? I don’t know what you’re on about.” he grinned, winking at her and making her stomach swoop uncharacteristically.

She couldn’t help but think it was a little like back in High School where they had tricked their friends into their relationship. Only this time he had been the main orchestrator and she the one to tie up the loose ends. The thought made her smile. They worked well together, even accidentally.

“Would you kids come in off that balcony. It’s freezing out there.” Carrie’s mother called from inside the house, rugged up in thick pyjamas.

Caroline rolled her eyes playfully but started for inside, expecting Mathew to follow. He caught her hand instead and pulled her back,

“So, you’re not getting married to this guy, Harold?” he grinned, much like Jude when she shook her head. “Good. He sounds like a tool.”

“That’s what my dad said.” she told him, narrowing her eyes. Was this some sort of conspiracy or something?

“I know.” he replied before leaning down to press his lips to hers in a slow kiss, taking her by surprise. “Good.” he repeated when he finally released her, kissing her nose lightly.

Caroline blinked, dazed as he led her into the house, settling them down in the lounge with her parents and the newly-to-be-weds, as if nothing had changed. He just grinned at her questioning look as the group moved onto the topic of setting the date for the big day.

Throughout the conversation knowing looks were shot in Caroline’s direction as Mathew held her hand. No one bothered to comment but she had the distinct feeing her matchmaking had just been turned back on her.

She wasn’t sure if she appreciated it but, as Mathew kissed her goodnight, she decided she’d like to find out.