by Tania Joyce
Troy stared at the folder as his chest swelled. Relief surged through his veins. Becoming a business partner was one scenario he’d never contemplated.
Leaving the United States and the death of his wife, Nicola, behind him, being able to do something he loved every day gave him purpose. Coming back to the Hunter Valley after twenty years of absence had astounded him, delivering one surprise after another. First, he found work here. Second, he found out he had a grown son, Conner. Third, he’d rekindled old friendships. Some not as well as he would’ve liked. And now Nick and Maria wanted him to become a partner.
Troy put the folder down and wiped his hand down across his face. There was so much to consider. Money—that shouldn’t be an issue, he had a handsome sum stowed away. Nicola’s life insurance payout, his savings and his small inheritance had never been touched. Grounding—was it time he had stability again and put his roots down, like those fifty-year-old grapevines in the front paddock? Reality—he loved this place, but this decision would impact the rest of his life. He was content with the way things were. Buying in was such a huge commitment. He was a viticulturist and left the business side of things up to others. He glanced between the two of them as he toyed with the idea. “I’m honored you think so highly of me. Thank you. For a moment there, I thought you were going to sack me.”
Nick laughed. “Hell no. Sorry to have caused you concern.”
“When do you need an answer?”
“Is one or two weeks long enough?”
“I’ll have an answer for you in one.”
Troy’s shoulders relaxed as he looked out over the rolling hills covered in grapevines toward the Brokenback Mountains that flanked the Valley in the distance. He had never been one to make plans or set goals or have any real driving ambition. Maybe it was time he did. Was this the opportunity he had to take? Life had dealt him enough blows, maybe it was time something went his way.
Chapter 1
January–Six Months Later
“That’s the last one.” Kelleigh Johnstone hoisted the final cardboard box on to the top of the others piled high in the back of her sister’s garage. As she wiped her sweaty hands on the backside of her shorts, she couldn’t believe her entire life was packed away into a measly half a dozen large storage boxes.
“Thank goodness,” Francesca wiped her brow. Kelleigh could see her sister struggled in the heat inflicted on them thanks to the brutal, energy-sucking heatwave unleashing itself over Melbourne. Fran shouldn’t be working so hard in her pregnant condition but had insisted on helping Kelleigh move the last of her belongings out of her apartment. “Let’s go and grab a cold drink.”
Kelleigh followed Fran into the small kitchen and sat down at the table. Placing her elbows on the surface and leaning forward, she rubbed her fingers into her temples to relieve the tension while her sister fetched cool drinks of iced water.
“I can’t thank you enough for this, sis,” Kelleigh said. “It won’t be for long. I promise. After this work trip, I’ll find somewhere to live and then clear all my stuff out.” She swirled the ice around in her glass. Who was she kidding? Where would she be able to find somewhere affordable in the inner city of Melbourne? She barely had enough money to buy food, let alone pay rent.
Fran sat down at the table; her growing baby belly nudged the edge. “There’s no rush. It can stay here for as long as you need. It’s the least I can do to help you. I wish I had the money to loan you, but with my income, a mortgage and bills to pay, I’ve nothing spare.”
Kelleigh reached across the table and squeezed Fran’s hand. “No. No. You’ve done so much for me already by letting me crash on your floor for the past few days while I’ve moved out of my apartment, and now letting me store my stuff here.”
Yes, she was in a world of hurt, but at least her problems didn’t affect anyone else. No one was relying on her. With Fran’s boyfriend out of work and a baby due in two months, Kelleigh wished she could do more to repay her sister. She leaned forward and knocked her forehead several times on the wooden surface of the table. “I’m sorry, Fran. I can’t believe this has happened to me.” She sat back up with a rush to her head and stared at nothing in particular on the ceiling. “I thought I was an intelligent woman. How could I have been so naïve?” Numbness still consumed her. The shock the life she knew was over still clouded her mind. “I’ve wasted five years of my life with someone I thought loved me. How could Rodrigo have done this to me? He’s left me with nothing. Absolutely nothing. No. Wait. Yes, he did. He left me with a humungous debt that is going to take me a lifetime to pay off.”
Fran tilted her head, her eyes washed over with sympathy. “Rodrigo had everyone fooled. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Karma’s going to have fun with him when his turn comes around.”
That did make her feel a smidgen better. She hoped she was there to watch. If only she could track him down. Four weeks ago, while she was at work, the asshole had disappeared from her life with nearly the entire contents of her apartment and his car. Leaving her with nothing.
How stupid had she been to trust him with their finances? She’d believed in his goals and dreams and supported his ventures, that’s what you did when you committed to a relationship and lived together. But no. Rodrigo, her tall, dark and handsome man, was nothing but a sham and a fraud. His car audio shop had gone bankrupt, he’d left a debtors’ list behind him as long as his arm, he’d maxed out her credit cards and had taken out every last cent in their bank account.
“You know what?” Fran said. “This work trip is just what you need. A month away from all your problems will help you clear your head. You’re not the first one to be scammed by their partner. You’ve done all you can and now it’s up to the police and lawyers to find him. Life with Rodrigo is over, get over it. It’s time to start anew.”
Kelleigh glared at Fran across the table. She hated it when Fran was right, and she did need to start focusing on the positives. She had a good job, she had her sister … and she wasn’t pregnant. She shuddered at the thought; definitely grateful not to be carrying Rodrigo’s child. But the very thought of starting again at thirty-three years of age seemed like such a daunting task. It wasn’t until everything was gone that she realized she’d been living in a bubble for so long, and Rodrigo had controlled every aspect of her life.
With a sigh, Kelleigh’s shoulders relaxed and she directed a heartwarming smile toward Fran. Her sister had been her strength, dragging her around to endless meetings with police, lawyers and the banks over the past few weeks. How could she ever thank her?
Kelleigh jumped when the door banged open. Jamie walked in, tugging his tie loose. He walked over and gave Fran a kiss on the cheek.
“How’d the interview go, babe?” Fran asked, her eyes full of hope.
“Not good. I didn’t have enough customer service experience for their liking,” he said as he flopped onto the chair beside Fran and took her hand in his. “So much for catching up with the owner on a Sunday. It’s okay, I have another two interviews tomorrow. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Jamie looked at Fran with a sparkle in his eye and rested his hand upon her belly. “How’s bubby doing today?” His voice softened as he nudged in closer to her. “Can I get you anything?”
A twinging ache flared in Kelleigh’s chest as she watched her sister and Jamie adore each other. Feeling like an intruder, she shuffled around uncomfortably on her chair. Rodrigo had never looked at her like that. Never swooned at her like that. It was definitely a good thing he was gone. If she ever started dating again in the future, she made a mental note to ensure that her new man must look at her the way Jamie looked at Fran.
Kelleigh cleared her throat loudly and slid the chair back from the table. “It’s nearly lunchtime; I’d better get going; I’ve a big ten hour drive ahead of me. I don’t want to get into Sydney too late on a Sunday night. Then, tomorrow morning, I’ll head straight out to the Hunter Valley. The area of Pokolbin is only about a two or so hour dr
ive from the city; I’ll be there in time for my meeting at eleven o’clock.” Kelleigh picked up her bag to leave and headed for the door.
Fran and Jamie followed her out to the car. Hot sunshine blazed against her face. Kelleigh turned and wrapped her arms around her sister, held her tight, and squeezed. “Thank you for everything. I wouldn’t have made it through these past few weeks without you. You’re the best. You take care of yourself and bubby. I’ll call you when I get to the hotel tomorrow.”
Reluctantly Kelleigh let go of Fran, kissed Jamie goodbye on the cheek. She opened the car door and got in. She hated this car, but it was the only thing left to her name. It was one thing Rodrigo hadn’t gotten his hands on. But, like everything else, it had to be sold to help pay off her debts. She wouldn’t miss the ugly electric blue coupe at all when she returned to Melbourne after this project. She grimaced as she turned the key and the loud turbo engine roared to life and the air conditioning blasted into her face. “Come on, you ugly heap of metal. Let’s get to Sydney!”
Chapter 2
The dirt road was heavily corrugated and still in desperate need of repair after the long-forgotten spring rains. Troy Smith lurched from side to side as his Landcruiser bounced over the divots on his way past Gumtree’s vineyard. With each bump his knee ached profusely. Almost throbbing uncontrollably. With one free hand he rubbed and massaged his kneecap, hoping it was the rough road causing him grief, and not his intuition.
Keeping an eye on the fence line as he drove along, he peered up toward the endless blue sky; Troy noticed the hot summer’s day was getting away from him. His neighbor Larry Peterson’s steers had broken out of their paddock last night and made a downright mess among some of the vineyard’s trellises. Troy’s plans for working in the field today had to be put on hold after spending most of the morning getting the animals back into their rightful place. Now he had to find Jett, Larry’s farmhand, to fix the broken fence and prevent the cattle from getting back in among the semillon vines.
As his Landcruiser crawled over the top of the hill, Troy’s attention was drawn to a bright blue car a hundred meters ahead of him, stuck on the side of the road, angled precariously in the steep ditch. A Mini Coupe! He chuckled at the stupidity of the driver. Of all things to be driving on a dirt road. It was probably some young kid hooning around pretending to be a rally driver. Deep scrape marks had embedded tracks into the road’s rough surface. Idiots.
As he drove closer, his eyes widened when he saw a woman walk around from the front of the car. City folk. Definitely not from around here. He shook his head when she nearly lost her balance, her high-heeled stilettos wiggling on the rocks. Her professional attire of white blouse and black pants wasn’t going to stay clean for long against all the dust and grease as she squatted down and attempted to undo the nuts of the car tire. He sighed. He couldn’t leave her stranded out here in this heat, so he pulled up on the road across from her and hopped out.
“Would you like some help with that?” he asked, waiting for the woman to acknowledge his existence.
She stood up straight with her back to him, wielding the tire wrench in her hand with an excessively tight grip. He heard her inhale deeply before swinging around to face him. Troy stopped still as he laid eyes on her. His knees buckled beneath him and he had to take a step back to regain his balance. Was it the heat of the day playing tricks on him, a mirage? He stayed motionless as she glared at him with stunning emerald green eyes. Please help me, God! With raven-black hair falling loosely across her shoulders and flawless skin shining golden in the sun, she had an uncanny resemblance to Nicola, his deceased wife.
His mouth fell open, unable to form any words as his heart lurched in his chest.
“Thank you, but I’m perfectly capable of changing a car tire,” she said through a tensed jawline, pointing the bar in his direction.
With that, she turned back to the car, placed the head of the wrench on the nut of the tire and tried to turn it.
Blinking, he took hold of his senses. Silly nonsense. He must need food or something; maybe his blood sugar was low, making his mind play tricks on him. She looked nothing like Nicola. Taller. Slimmer. A momentary lapse, that’s all.
She continued to struggle, and he wondered how long it would be before she accepted his offer. Waiting patiently, he leaned back against the side of his car, crossed his arms and ankles and watched, amused by her futile attempts to loosen the nuts. He smiled when a guttural groan came from her throat as she channeled all her energy and force against the bar; it failed to move an inch.
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” he questioned again, keeping a cautious eye on the bar in her hands. “You’re going to get your clothes all ruined.” He glanced over her slender frame, noting she wasn’t one of those designer-label types, like Jessica, but still totally out of place. The clothes. The coupe car. The attitude.
“I’m fine!” she said as she strained on the tool with all her might.
“Okay then.” Troy said, turning to get back in his car. Not that he had any intention of leaving her stranded here in the middle of nowhere.
“No wait!” came a soft pleading voice. “I’m sorry. If you don’t mind, I could do with a hand. I can’t seem to loosen any of the nuts.” From the distraught look on her face, defeat had taken its toll.
Troy raised an eyebrow as he approached her. “What makes you think I’ll do any better?” he said as he took the tool from her hand.
“Well …”
Color rose in his cheeks as he saw her eyes scan his body, over his arms and torso and back up to his face. Tingles crawled across his skin as she assessed him up and down. “You do look a little stronger than me.” She said stepping away from the wheel.
Kneeling down in front of the tire, he placed the bar into position and pried the first nut off with little effort. Thank God! He sighed with relief. Grateful that the nut released and he wasn’t made to look a fool in front of this damsel in distress.
As he undid the third nut, he paused and wrinkled his nose. He smelt oil … and fuel. Dropping down onto his side to lie on the dirt, he peered up underneath the car. He didn’t like what he saw. Oil sump punctured. Black liquid trickled out and pooled all over the ground. Axle bent. Muffler broken and a whole lot of other damage he could add to the list.
He stood up and dusted his hands off on his jeans. “I don’t think changing your tire is going to help much. You won’t be driving this thing anywhere. Just how far did you drive with the tire blown?” He glanced back along the road and saw the scrape marks went for about fifty meters and grimaced. “The entire underbody is cactus.” As he listed off the damage, he watched her face pale in horror.
“Goddamn it!” She cursed and punched her fists into the air. With force she kicked at the rocks on the road in her high-heeled shoes. Troy could understand her frustrations. He stood still, watching her outburst as she continued to abuse nothing in particular. She stormed back over to her car, bent down on her knees and looked underneath. After assessing the damage, she stood back up and kicked the tire again and again. “This is not what I need right now, you useless heap of junk!”
Troy rubbed at the back of his neck. Someone was having a bad day. “It’s okay. I’ll help you. Are you a member of the NRMA Roadside Assistance? If you like I can call Dennis for you; he’s one of the local reps who’ll be able to tow this into the workshop in Cessnock.”
“Thanks, but I can call them.” She yanked open the car door, ripped open the glove box and searched in the car’s documentation folders for the number. She stopped and dropped her face into her hands. A moment later she walked over to him and held out the book with trembling hands. “Which number do I call?”
Troy wiped away the sweat starting to accumulate on his brow in the heat of the midday sun. He scanned down the list of numbers and found the correct one. As she dialed the number and spoke on the phone, her voice chimed regardless of her constant cursing and swearing. She held him intrigued as s
he glared at her watch or thumped the bonnet of her car with brute force with her clenched hand. She sure was a feisty one. Temper. Attitude. Maybe a hint of crazy thrown in. It was best he helped her on her way quickly as possible.
After her call she walked over toward him, eyes directed toward the ground. Gone was the swearing and abrupt behavior, replaced by a gentle tone and normalcy. “Um … they put me through to Dennis. He’s on a job at the moment and won’t be able to get here for at least three hours.” Her green eyes met his, making his breath hitch in his chest. “I don’t really want to sit out here in the middle of nowhere in this heat for that long. Is there somewhere nearby where I can wait? Or I’m staying over at Harrigan’s; it’s not far from here. Is there any chance you could give me a lift? I’ll call Dennis back to pick me up from there.”
Troy nodded. Psycho-lady had gone, replaced by a smooth-talking, sweet and alluring woman who would have any man do as she commanded. Of course he’d help her; he was a gentleman after all. “Sure. I can do that.”
She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. When she looked at him again, the tension fell away from her face and was replaced by the biggest, warmest of smiles. “Thanks, that would be great.”
He couldn’t deny this was one of the most attractive women he’d seen in a long time. Her smile held him captive and a long-distant memory of the same sensation flared up in his mind. He hadn’t had a reaction like this since he met Nicola. Bah! What nonsense. Now if he could get his knee to stop tingling and itching like he had some contagious rash, all would be fine. He flicked at a fly that buzzed around his face, thankful for the distraction.
“I’m Kelleigh, by the way. I’ll just grab my bags, if that’s okay.” She thumbed toward the trunk of her car.
“Troy,” he said tipping his chin toward her. Still bamboozled by his reaction.
