Say You'll Be Mine

by R. J. Groves

  Unfortunately, their uncle had had the same fascination with fighting as their dad, except the person he’d liked to beat on was Shannon. Sylvie had always been fine. Their uncle doted on her and never dared lift a hand towards her. But Shannon hadn’t been so lucky. It was around that time they’d started at the Bridgetown Public School, where he’d met Robbie, and it was not long after that he’d started spending a lot of time at Tanner Station. And that’s where he’d found his passion for farming.

  He took a sip of his tea, fighting back the bad memories and focusing on how Mr Tanner had been more than willing for Shannon to follow him around all the time. He’d suspected that Robbie hadn’t been so passionate about farming until after Shannon had started showing an interest, or perhaps it was just the fact that Shannon was spending time with Robbie’s dad, but Robbie had been a tad standoffish to start with before warming to the idea. Mr Tanner had shown both boys the ins and outs of running a dairy farm, from feeding and milking to helping the cows through difficult deliveries. When Shannon was older and had been around for a few years, Mr Tanner began to show them the business side of it. Not all of it was pretty, but Mr Tanner stressed the importance of ensuring humane and honest practices no matter what.

  They’d taken him under their wings, and Shannon had begun to thrive. He’d found a home and a family who loved him, even if he wasn’t biologically theirs. Losing Mr and Mrs Tanner was worse than losing his own parents. And in his eyes, he always owed them a debt. Which is why he had to watch himself with Jannette.

  Shannon’s eyes drifted towards the main house, where the light in the main front room was on. Normally he’d stay at the house for a while and have a yarn with Robbie before he came back to the shack for an evening cup of tea, but tonight he wasn’t sure he could stand it.

  He’d almost kissed Jannette, and Robbie had caught him red-handed. Sure, Robbie hadn’t said anything, but he hadn’t needed to. Shannon had picked up on the tone in Robbie’s voice, and he was sure Jannette had, too. The way she’d shuffled away from him, quickly slipping her dirty shoes off. And then the hurt flashing across her face when he’d practically dismissed her after their moment. But he was also sure that if Robbie hadn’t interrupted when he had, Shannon might have done something he could have grown to regret.

  Or would he?

  Kissing Jannette …

  His body responded at the mere thought of it, his jeans growing tighter. He let out a groan as he adjusted himself, the thought both frustrating and exhilarating. No, he could never regret kissing Jannette if he got the chance to.

  But kissing his best friend’s little sister …

  Oh, but she wasn’t so little anymore.

  He’d always liked her, but he’d always thought that crush had been because he’d thought she was adorable. And nice. He’d always been a shy guy, and she’d been one of the few girls to talk to him in his high school years. He’d always thought that was the reason he’d had a special spot for her. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  Now, Jannette was all woman. Sweet, slender, delicious woman with lips so supple he could barely stop himself from tasting them. But who was he kidding? She wouldn’t like a guy like him. He had little to offer her, a simple life compared to what she would now be used to. But while simple compared to city life, farming had still always kept him busy. And for him, there was nothing simple about it. A part of him wished she would see that. A part of him didn’t want her to leave in a few weeks when Robbie was out of his casts and well on his way to recovery. And a part of him wanted her to choose the country life over the city life.

  But that was all the idiot, selfish part of him talking.

  She’d left the country years ago and had never come back until Robbie had asked her to. She’d come back for her brother, not for Shannon. Had she even known that Shannon would be there? Had Robbie talked to her about him the way he’d updated Shannon on Jannette’s achievements over the years? Maybe she was even in a relationship with someone who treated her right, and he should be happy for her if she was, but he couldn’t ignore the twinge of jealousy.

  In a few weeks, she’d be on her way back to her life—whatever that entailed now that she’d closed the business. And perhaps those few weeks couldn’t come quick enough so that he could go back to living his life as he normally would.

  Even if it would be impossible for him to go back to a normal life by the time she left.

  Chapter 3

  Jannette watched the few-days-old calf bounce around the enclosure. Being the first of the season’s births, little Clarabelle was all alone in the pen, though it didn’t seem to deter her from making use of the space. Jannette stuck her hand in the enclosure for Clarabelle to lick her fingers, the feeling both strange and weirdly satisfying.

  Over the past few days, Jannette had plodded around the farm doing odd jobs. On her first day, Shannon had assured both her and Robbie that he had the milking all under control and therefore didn’t need her help. She tried to ignore the niggling thought that he’d only said it so he didn’t have to be around her. Considering they were currently living only a few hundred metres away from each other and both working the farm, she was surprised that she’d only really caught distant glimpses of him over the past few days. Then again, her main job had been looking after Clarabelle while Shannon took care of the rest.

  She’d accepted the task at first, grateful that the rest of the farm work would be taken care of. But after she’d had time to think and realised that she had plenty of time between feeds and not much else to do, she’d grown annoyed that she had no other jobs. She’d managed to find one of her mother’s old recipe books and had experimented with making bread and rock cakes—neither of which turned out half bad—but it still wasn’t enough to keep her mind off the reason she’d been given so little to do. Was Shannon really wanting to avoid her that much? Or did he and Robbie both think she wasn’t capable of manual labour? Well, she hadn’t come out to the farm just to bake bread and cakes and feed calves for a few weeks—as sweet and mesmerising as it was watching them guzzle down their milk.

  ‘She looks happy.’

  Robbie’s voice startled her, and she spun on her heel to face her brother, ready to tell him just what she’d been thinking about. ‘She does,’ she started. ‘I don’t know how she’ll go when she has to share the pen but—’

  ‘She’ll be fine.’ Robbie patted Jannette on the shoulder in a way she took as a little dismissive. ‘Kid, I need you to drive me up the back. Shannon’s found a fence that needs mending and another calf to bring back down. Looks like the season’s properly starting.’

  ‘I can do it,’ she found herself saying.

  ‘Great, I’ll wait at the ute, then.’

  ‘No, I mean I can do it. The fence. And bring the calf back.’ Robbie stared at her, his brow furrowed. ‘Shannon will be there to help, right?’ She twisted her hands together, trying to ignore the butterflies arcing up in her stomach.

  ‘Yes, he will be,’ Robbie said slowly. ‘But are you sure? Fencing can be fiddly.’

  ‘You’re talking to a seamstress here,’ she reminded him, plopping a hand on her hip. ‘I can work my way around fiddly.’

  ‘It’s different to a needle and thread, kid. Are you sure you’re up for hard work?’

  ‘Are you sure you even need me here?’ His jaw clenched, but she continued anyway. ‘Seriously, Robbie, why ask me to come if Shannon is doing everything anyway? You wanted help, and I’m here to help. Besides, Clarabelle has just had a feed. She’ll be fine until her next one, and I’ll be back for it.’

  ‘I won’t be able to talk you out of it, will I?’ he said, a hint of a smile gracing his lips, but she was sure his eyes said something different—something she couldn’t quite read.

  ‘Nope. Just tell me where to go and what I’ll need to take and I’ll be off.’

  ‘It’s all in the ute. And just follow the road up the back until you see the cluster of trees. That’s where he said he’ll be. Jus
t … just be careful, kid.’

  His last statement made her frown, but she had no time to dwell on it. Careful of what? The livestock, she assumed. Or maybe there were more dangerous animals up that way. How exciting. She practically skipped back to the house at the idea of being able to do a bit more with her hands. She took the steps up the porch cautiously, careful to avoid the step that her heel had gone through a few days before, and went inside. Even though she’d be spending time with Shannon with this job, maybe it would be just enough to work through the awkwardness. And maybe the next few weeks wouldn’t be so bad.

  Jannette slipped off her borrowed oversized gumboots and exchanged them for a pair of old work boots she’d found in the attic along with a dusty Akubra hat. They’d been hers before she’d left, and while the boots were old and falling apart a little now, they were the closest fit and she’d have to make do with them until she had a chance to go into town to get new ones.

  She grabbed the keys to the ute and plopped her hat back on her head, detouring to the kitchen before leaving. It was almost lunchtime, and no doubt Shannon would be getting hungry after working hard all morning. She sliced off enough of the freshly baked bread to make some sandwiches, spread some jam on it, and cut the sandwiches in triangles. After rummaging through the cupboards to find a container, she placed the sandwiches and a few rock cakes in, snapped the lid closed, and grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge.

  Hopefully he wouldn’t look too far into her bringing some lunch with her, but the reality was she’d probably be making more the next day and, well, there was plenty there.

  The drive to the trees was longer than she’d remembered, but soon enough they were in sight. And so was he. He must have seen the car coming before she’d seen him, because as he came into sight, he lifted a hand in a wave. She waved back, though she wasn’t sure he would have seen. A saddled horse grazed in the shade not far from him, and Sparky sniffed among the trees. And as she neared, she could have sworn the breath got knocked from her. He had his back to her now, but she could see how nicely his light blue jeans fit him and his dark blue singlet hugged his body so snugly she could see the ripple of his muscles as he manoeuvred a fallen branch off the fence. His black Akubra only completed the look. She rolled the ute to a stop near him, and it wasn’t until she’d climbed out that he turned to face her.

  And his face dropped.

  Or that’s what it looked like to her. It may have just been surprise, but he didn’t seem particularly happy to see her. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t hurt a little. She shook the thought from her mind. What should it matter? She’d already resolved to keep things friendly but not too friendly with him. She was there to help, nothing more, nothing less. A fling certainly wasn’t on the cards. Because that’s all anything with him could really be, right? A relationship certainly wouldn’t work if she was only going to be there for a few weeks. No. If she were to have anything with him—or anyone—over the next few weeks, it would have an end date. So what was the point?

  ‘Hey, cowboy,’ she said, despite herself. She rounded the ute to the passenger side and pulled out the container of food and the bottles of water.

  ‘Jenny,’ he said, taking off his hat to run a hand through his hair.

  She almost dropped a bottle of water as he did. His hair was as brown as she remembered it being, and no longer the unkept mop he’d once had, but short and neatly trimmed. And his arm as he’d lifted it—thick and sinewy from daily hard work. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered that arm wrapped around her.

  ‘What are you doing up here?’ he continued as she rebalanced her armful.

  ‘I heard you needed help.’

  ‘Ah … yeah. But I could probably do it myself. Just needed the tools.’

  She bit into her lip, slowing her pace as she neared him. ‘Robbie would have helped, right?’

  She had to admit, her question made him look a little uncomfortable. He turned his gaze to his flannelette shirt draped over a wooden fence post and walked slowly towards it. ‘He might have tried to, but this is nothing I can’t manage myself.’

  She bit harder. Right. So he was avoiding her then. ‘Well, I figure four capable limbs are better than two in casts, don’t you?’

  ‘Nothing against your limbs, Jenny.’ She noticed him glance down at her legs as he’d spoken before looking away, picking up his shirt. ‘It’s just not the same as feeding calves.’

  Ouch. So he didn’t think she was capable of hard work—just because she’d chosen the city life and a fancy career, no doubt. God, he was just like Robbie. ‘You’re forgetting I grew up here, Shannon.’

  He shook out his shirt, his muscles rippling as he did, then started picking off splinters from the back of it. ‘Growing up on a farm and working a farm are two very different things.’

  She narrowed her eyes, for some reason determined to prove that she was just as capable as he and Robbie were. ‘Mmm, sure. All right, cowboy. You do you. But please, don’t feel like you have to dress yourself because of me,’ she said as he stuck one arm in the sleeve and paused, focusing on her. She wandered over to a shady spot near a wooden fence post and sat down, leaning against it. She placed both bottles of water on the ground next to her and lifted the container of food. ‘I’ll just be over here eating this. I mean, I brought enough to share, but if you’re not hungry …’

  His eyes flicked to the container, and she could tell she’d caught him. Seemed the always-hungry Shannon he’d been as a kid was still there after all.

  ***

  Shannon stared at the container of food, his stomach letting out a grumble. Normally he was back at the shack for lunch, but time had got away from him after a busy morning. That, and he’d been worried he’d bump into Jannette. Seemed he hadn’t needed to worry about it, because she’d brought herself to him and, well, there just really wasn’t any way to avoid her now.

  He’d been surprised when she’d hopped out of the ute and Robbie hadn’t been with her. He’d known she was going to give Robbie a lift, but he hadn’t expected she would be coming instead and had intended on staying to help. Really, it was more of a two-person job. Even if the second person simply just held things for the first. And it wasn’t that he didn’t think she would be able to help, but that he wasn’t sure he could stand to be so close to her without touching her. But how could he tell her that?

  What had surprised him more when she’d rocked up was how she looked. Unlike that first day when she’d arrived, she was at least dressed more appropriately. She wore old work boots, tight black jeans, a light brown Akubra, and an oversized blue flannelette shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the top few buttons undone, and tied in a knot at her waist. Her golden hair was braided and trailing down the middle of her back, ending somewhere just below her shoulder blades. He hadn’t realised how long her hair was when she’d had it piled in a bun a few days earlier. But there was something about her now that looked a little more like she belonged on the farm. Not that it mattered.

  Not that it changed anything.

  Even if she looked sexy as hell.

  He watched Sparky wander over and settle himself near her, accepting a morsel from her sandwich, and he realised he still had only one arm in a sleeve and hadn’t moved for a few moments. His arm was already starting to overheat, and as much as he wanted to cover himself up around her—because surely that was the gentlemanly thing to do—he wasn’t sure he could deal with the heat. Especially since his whole body felt like it had grown a few degrees hotter since she’d stepped out of the ute.

  Shrugging his arm out of the sleeve and draping the shirt back over the fence post, he walked closer, peering into the container. ‘Are those rock cakes?’ God, the last time he’d had rock cakes …

  Well, the last time he’d had them, Jannette had probably made them. He remembered loving them as a kid, and wondered if Jannette had still been making them over the years. And who she might have been making them for. He pushed the last tho
ught aside as she smiled up at him.

  ‘If I recall correctly, they were your favourite, weren’t they?’ she said, passing him the container as he settled himself one fence post over.

  Close enough for the food, but still keeping enough distance between them—he hoped. He couldn’t trust himself to be too close to her, especially after he’d almost kissed her last time.

  ‘You remember that?’ he said, taking a sandwich and a rock cake from the container and putting the container between them. He bit into the rock cake first, closing his eyes to savour the taste. It was just as he’d remembered—maybe better.

  ‘Sure, I mean, I guess,’ she stammered. He glanced towards her, noticing her cheeks flushing as she studied her sandwich. ‘I found Mum’s old recipe book and when I saw the recipe, I don’t know, I guess it just triggered my memory.’

  In other words, she’d paid it no thought until she’d found the recipe book. He wondered if maybe she had forgotten about him over the years, but then reminded himself it shouldn’t really matter. He finished off his rock cake and bit into his sandwich, the flavours instantly transporting him back to the good part of his childhood.

  ‘Mmm, you made the bread, too?’

  ‘I did,’ she said, biting into her lip as she looked over at him as though waiting for his verdict. ‘Is it okay?’

  He nodded, taking another bite. ‘It’s good.’

  Her smile was wide, her cheeks turning another shade of pink, and she shifted her gaze to the view ahead of them, eating her sandwich. They ate in silence for a while, though he didn’t feel it was uncomfortable. There was a nice breeze, nice food, and the view was spectacular given the back paddock was up the hill. He’d always loved this place, and he’d always hoped maybe one day it would be his.