Riverstone Ridge

by Mandy Magro

  Near enough now to reach out and touch her, and with her feline mate eyeing him as if about to claw his eyeballs out if he dared step a foot nearer her, Logan stole a blissful moment to drink all of Nina in, and in doing so, his blood pressure went up a few notches. She was wearing cut-off denim shorts, and her singlet was tied in a little knot at her bellybutton, revealing the glimmer of a diamanté belly stud. Silky smooth olive skin and a hint of the tribal tattoo he’d watched her get at the bottom of her back tempted his touch. The same sandy-blonde hair he’d run his fingers through that night in the swag, with its platinum highlights only visible in the sunshine, was tied up in a messy bun, befitting her wild and free personality. Her feet were bare, and a gold toe-ring twinkled on each foot, as did a dainty-looking anklet.

  As if finally sensing him standing behind her, Nina stopped pulling weeds and turned, her expression one he couldn’t quite decipher. He was dying to see those eyes that used to captivate him within seconds, but her dark glasses concealed them. It was a good thing, because he’d probably just fall right into them, like he always had in the past – if her emerald greens were anything to go by, being windows to the soul, the beautiful Miss Nina Jones had an infinite depth, one he was still yet to comprehend. Time seemed to slow and suspend, and her mouth moved to say something, but then closed again before curling into a gorgeous smile, one that would easily buckle his knees if he allowed it to. But he had more self-control than that. Just.

  He smiled and waited for her to pluck the earphones out of her petite ears which were donned with dangly dreamcatcher earrings that matched the charm hanging from her necklace. Seeing her all grown up, and knowing what he did after Bea had confided in him, there was no doubt she looked just like her father. The very thought he was keeping such information from Nina, a secret that would blow everything out of the water, was enough to send his heart into an even faster gallop. But he’d promised Bea, and he was determined to follow through on the assurance he’d given her on her deathbed, even if it damn near killed him.

  ‘Howdy, Nina … long time, no see.’ Although smiling broadly, she was still kneeling on the ground, staring at him, and still very wordless. He wondered if she could hear him over her music, and hoped to god he was having the same effect on her that she was on him, and she wasn’t about to tell him to bugger off. That was going to throw a massive spanner in the works, if she didn’t want him around. ‘How’s it going?’ It was a little lame, considering the reason she was here, but desperate to fill the gaping silence, he honestly didn’t know what else to say – she still had it, whatever it was that left him a little tongue-tied. And as much as it frustrated him, he liked it, maybe a little too much. Although, it was good to know his libido wasn’t dead and buried.

  ‘Hey there, you …’ Chewing gum, she finally stood, plucking her earphones out.

  Logan wondered if she’d just found the strength to stand. It was a nice thought. Slightly taller than he remembered and with curves in all the right places, Nina had become one hell of a womanly woman. The photos Bea had shown him over the years had not done her the justice she so clearly deserved.

  ‘Oh my god, Logan Steele, you’ve gone and …’ She eyed him up and down, quirked a brow, and then smiled wider, revealing pearly white teeth. ‘… Grown up and filled out.’

  ‘Thanks, Nina, I think,’ he said with a throaty chuckle. If he’d been overweight he would’ve taken offence to such a comment, but his hours spent in his home gym didn’t warrant it. She was complimenting him, and unlike the other women who liked to do so when he was down at the pub enjoying the occasional cold one during his time off, he liked it. One. Hell. Of. A lot.

  With Nina’s mischievous grin hooking him in, left, right and centre, he almost puffed his chest out, but stopped himself before he acted like some cocky fool. ‘And likewise, with the growing up and filling out, but in a very good way.’ He smiled a little cheekily while fighting to keep his gaze from the hint of cleavage poking out the top of her singlet. He shook his head and lifted his sunglasses to the rim of his hat. ‘Bugger, sorry, that didn’t really come out how I wanted it to, but I meant it in the most respectful of ways.’

  ‘I know, Logan, although a little bit of a wild boy at times, you were always the perfect gentleman.’ She chuckled softly.

  ‘Chivalry will never be dead with me.’ He very subtly breathed her in – she was the citrusy scent of summer and everything good in this world.

  ‘There’s not many of you left, the chivalrous types, I mean, let me tell you.’ She finally lifted her glasses, nailing him to the spot as their gazes locked. A long moment passed, and both of them sucked in a sharp breath. ‘It’s really good to see you.’ She breathed out and then clasped her bottom lip between her teeth.

  ‘Yeah, you too.’ Logan felt as if the earth shifted beneath him – what the hell? Double whammy, there it was again – but this time ten times stronger – that intoxicating power she’d had over him still as fierce, still as entrancing, as ever. He knew they might still have a connection, but he hadn’t been prepared for this, whatever this was. Suppressed yearning shortened his breath as the already small distance between them seemed to close to mere inches, as if a cord was pulling them back together. ‘You’re looking really good, I have to say.’

  For god’s sake, man, pull yourself together!

  A blush rose to her cheeks. ‘Why, thankya.’

  Something familiar sizzled between them, hotter than the sun beating down upon his back. He couldn’t help but subtly admire her full lips, the fine dusting of freckles across her petite nose, and the depth of her green eyes with those familiar gold specks that sparkled in the sunlight. Despite the dark rings shadowing her eyes, she was simply, undeniably, stunning.

  The quiet was moving towards uncomfortable – he needed to put a stop to it. ‘You settling in okay?’ He wished he could just push past the barriers that time and distance had placed between them, and instead take her into his arms so he could comfort the grief shadowing her eyes. He felt awkward standing still, like he was a teenager again, trying to act normal in front of a girl he had a crush on.

  ‘Yes and no.’ Her hand fluttered to her chest, as if to stop her heart from tumbling out. ‘It’s really hard being here without Bea.’ She tried to smile, but her lips instead twitched and then pressed together. She cleared her throat and shook her head, blinking faster. ‘I keep expecting her to suddenly appear, you know, to tell me this is all some silly mistake, or some horrible practical joke.’ She shrugged. ‘Sounds stupid, huh?’

  ‘Oh, Nina, it’s not stupid at all. It’s very normal to be feeling like that, it’s just a way for you to cope.’ Logan’s heart broke for her – accepting a loved one’s death was a long, hard process, one he was still coming to terms with himself.

  She nodded, sniffled and straightened, her arms wrapping around herself.

  Oh god help him, he so wanted it to be his arms wrapped around her right now – she needed comforting, but he was hesitant to give it to her in such an intimate way just yet. Instead, he stepped a little closer and placed a hand on her shoulder, dipping his head so he held her gaze with his. ‘If it’s any consolation, I do know what you’re going through. Bereavement is a hard pill to swallow. Just know, I’m not far away, if you need an ear, or a shoulder, or just someone to hang with to pass the time.’ He was babbling, and for a man who only ever spoke words worth speaking, this was odd for him. He tried his best to rein in his nerves. ‘I’m on leave at the moment, so I have plenty of spare time if needed for any or all of the above, okay?’

  Her teary gaze flickered over his face, examining him. Smiling sadly, she reached out and gave his arm a squeeze. ‘Thanks, Logan, that means a lot.’ She held his gaze for a long moment, her beautiful green eyes sad, but also sincere. ‘Bea told me all about the accident when it happened. I’m so sorry you had to go through something so horrendous, Logan. I really am.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, it was damn tough, and at times I
wanted to just lie right down and die too so I didn’t have to live with the crushing heartache any longer.’

  She sucked in a shuddering breath. ‘I can’t even imagine the pain you felt.’

  ‘Yes, you can, you just lost someone you love dearly, very suddenly.’ His voice filled with deep understanding and compassion.

  Nina blinked, but the building tears still fell. She half laughed as she wiped them away. ‘Far out, I’m an emotional bloody wreck at the moment. Sorry.’

  Her sad expression made him want to comfort her with a gentle caress. ‘Oh, Nina, bloody hell, don’t apologise.’

  She nodded and looked to her feet, sniffling.

  The warmth of her reply, the heat of her touch, and the shatter of his own heart bearing witness to her pain caught him off guard and reminded him of the anguish he’d felt the night he’d identified Jessica and Violet’s bodies, but he recovered quickly. No matter his own demons and dark shadows now. He wanted to be here for Nina, to shoulder her grief and heartache, and to carry her through it as best he could. He sucked in a short sharp breath and forced a smile, wanting to change the subject to try and help her – he knew, from experience, that it always helped when someone brought the conversation back to the present.

  ‘I know I’ve already said it, but damn, it’s really good to see you, Nina.’

  She glanced back up with a tiny smile. ‘Yeah, same, Logan.’ She sucked in a shaky breath, as if trying to centre herself. ‘It was inevitable we would run into each other, and I was really worried it would feel weird, seeing you again after all this time, but to be honest, it feels …’ With her tears wiped away she shoved her hands into her pockets and half shrugged. ‘Kinda normal.’

  ‘Yeah, it does, hey, kinda like we’re back in the good old days.’

  She tipped her head and sighed. ‘Wouldn’t that be nice, to go back there for a day or two, both of us reckless and free without a care in the world?’

  ‘Yeah, it would be real nice.’ And so would kissing you again.

  They both smiled at each other as time stalled, rewound, and they were suddenly teenagers again. Logan could feel their connection in his bones; what couldn’t be seen with the eye was felt within every fibre of his being. Evocations of them galloping bareback across the paddocks while hanging on for dear life; laughing until they cried; all the times they’d mucked out the horses and helped Bea around the place; playing board games when it was raining; quarrelling over stupid little things that seemed so important at the time; and then that kiss. That mindblowing, knee-buckling, blow-his-damn-socks-off kiss in the stables, which eventually led to them making love beneath the stars that one poignant night at the paddock party, two years later. It all came rushing back to him in an instant, as did the ache and regret he’d felt the day he’d called over to see Nina only to be told by Bea that she had left for the city and didn’t want to be contacted. Ever. It had almost broken him.

  ‘So …’ Nina exhaled, breaking the drawn-out silence filled with so very much.

  ‘So …’ Logan swallowed down the raw emotion, feeling stupid for even allowing it to surface. ‘… I’ve come bearing welcoming gifts.’ He held up the brown paper bags and flashed a grin he was far from feeling right that very second. ‘Good old-fashioned lamingtons.’ Their very first kiss, while hidden in the shadows of the stables, flashed through his mind again and again, as if on replay, and he hoped to god it didn’t show on his face.

  ‘Well, in that case …’ She offered a bashful smile and thumbed over her shoulder. ‘… I better welcome you inside and pop the kettle on, hey. I don’t want Bea looking down on me, shaking her head because I’m not opening the doors of the homestead to a welcomed guest brandishing delicious baked goods.’

  ‘Sounds like a perfect plan of attack to me; anything to get out of this heat.’ Anything but stand here looking into those come-hither eyes of yours, he thought. Although very resilient, there was only so much he could take.

  ‘Great, follow me then.’ She bent and scooped the mammoth ginger cat from the grass and cuddled it into her. ‘And this is Tom; by the way – a word of warning, he’s a bit of a shorttempered one, and a little suss on newcomers, but he’ll come round once he knows you and make you wonder why you were ever wary of him in the first place.’

  ‘Hey there, buddy.’ Logan considered giving Tom a pat, but with the steely gaze he was still copping, he decided otherwise. ‘He seriously looks like he’s about to claw me to death.’

  ‘Ha-ha, yeah, like I said, moody and suspicious.’ And off she strode, up the front steps, towards the flyscreen door.

  Logan followed, unable to stop himself briefly admiring her behind. And those long legs of hers, in those little shorts … it should have been illegal. Like a match tossed to dry grass, all his senses fired to life, igniting dark and dormant parts of his heart and soul. It had been a very long time since a woman had sparked this intense feeling inside of him.

  He sighed quietly as he stepped inside …

  This was going to be a very long four weeks.

  CHAPTER

  9

  Hot dang … Nina was fighting to take a breath. Struck senseless when she’d turned to see Logan Steele standing behind her, she’d been unable to bring herself to stand for fear of tumbling right into his big strong arms. Fit as a Mallee bull, and easily over six feet tall, she’d found herself instantly lost in his arresting sky-blue eyes when she’d finally found her nerve and lifted her sunglasses. Tall, dark, handsome, broad-shouldered, charismatic, and with the hint of that tattoo peeking out of the collar of his button-up blue shirt, he was one sweet temptation of the rich and decadent kind – one she knew she needed to try and curb before she did something she could very well regret. They were old friends, and that was it – she couldn’t let it go any further, ever.

  Logan’s smile was easy as they retreated into the coolness of the house. With his extremely manly presence close behind her, she felt a shiver all the way from the top of her head right down to the tips of her toes – it had been a mighty long time since a man had had this effect on her just by being near her. If she were being honest, it was probably when she’d been around him the last time, all those years ago. Just like the Pistol Annies song ‘I Feel a Sin Comin’ On’ – a catchy tune that would have her hips swaying as she sang along – if she gave in to her lustful desire for Logan right now, she could most certainly feel a sin coming on. But by hook or by crook, she had to stop it in its tracks, because there was no way she was going to jump into the sack again with him, no matter how tempting he was. He deserved better than that, than what she could give him, especially after what he’d been through, losing a wife and young child. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the heartbreak he’d suffered.

  As they headed into the kitchen, he hovered nearby, placing the paper bags on the kitchen bench before removing his Akubra to hang it from the back of a chair. Placing Tom down on the floor, she swallowed down mighty hard as she threw this whole-lotta-man a subtle sideways glance. Jesus. H. Christ, he was savagely handsome, and his voice was oh-so-rough, oh-so-deep, and toe-curlingly masculine. And his strong hardworking hands, far out, they were ones she’d love to feel all over her – all the things the city guys she’d dated over the years had been lacking, in her opinion.

  ‘So Bea told me you’re the head honcho at upholding the law round these parts now.’

  Logan looked up from where he was flicking through the cooking magazine she’d tossed onto the dining table this morning. ‘Yup, I’ve been in charge of the station for almost eleven years now, and was a constable before that for seven-ish years.’

  ‘Wow, now that’s dedication.’

  Logan chuckled. ‘I suppose, but it’s easy when you love your job.’

  Dropping her gaze to his mouth, Nina’s insides exploded again. It had felt so good, so right, when she had kissed those lips in the stables, and a whole lotta heaven when he’d trailed them down her neck and over her breasts when he’d made such
sweet, slow, love to her that night in his swag. ‘That’s great, that you love it. It’d be really tough, otherwise, dealing with crooks and drama all the time, wouldn’t it?’

  ‘Sometimes, but I’ve grown a pretty thick skin over the years.’ He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. ‘And I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.’

  ‘Yeah, you suit being a copper, that’s for sure.’ Unable to ignore how his muscles had sorted themselves out and turned him from an adolescent boy to one hell of a man, she fought not to lose her composure.

  He eyed her mischievously. ‘And just what’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘You were always a bit of a stickler for the rules.’

  He looked at her as though she’d just gone and punctured his heart, in a jovial kind of way. ‘I was not.’

  ‘Oh, yes, you were.’ Teaspoon in hand, she turned and rested her back against the kitchen bench. ‘If I recall, I was the wild one, and you used to rein me in whenever I needed it, even when I was being super stubborn.’

  He rubbed his chin, grinning. ‘I just liked keeping you out of trouble, and safe, that’s all.’

  ‘Well, thank you, for being my knight in shining armour when I needed you.’ Nina turned back around and flicked the kettle on, then busied herself more than she needed to to make two cups of coffee.

  ‘Anytime,’ was his husky reply.

  Her back still turned to him, she smiled to herself, glad he couldn’t see her doing so. Here he was, the man she’d compared every other man to, with her, alone, his air of authority enthralling, and looking exasperatingly drop-dead gorgeous in his country get-up. When she’d first laid eyes on him, she’d gone from feeling emotional and torn to flustered and acutely alert. Arse-hugging jeans, a shirt a little too nice for just knocking about in – he’d clearly gone and made an effort – and a well-worn Akubra shading his handsome chiselled face. Good god, she hadn’t been able to look away from so much manliness. He reminded her of happier times, but also of the huge mistake she’d made and tried to cover up by running away.