The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife

by Natalia Elder

  She entered straight into the laundry, returning her borrowed oilskin coat to its hook and slipping off her gumboots. They stood tall beside the washing machine and she padded into the hallway.

  Suddenly famished, she strode to the kitchen. After giving Jesse a long pat, she washed her hands. ‘Your master will be home soon,’ she murmured to the sleepy dog.

  Jared had told her to make herself at home so she had no qualms about checking out the food supply.

  In the large upright freezer, she found some frozen chicken breasts. There was enough in the pack for two or three people so she decided to thaw them out in the microwave.

  With all ingredients found, she set about making her favourite Lemon Chicken, vegetables and rice.

  It seemed inconceivable with so much food made that she wouldn’t dish out a serving for Jared. Though he denied the need for her to make dinner for him, surely he would appreciate not having to cook for himself after such a long, arduous day.

  Her mother had always said that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.

  Zac had always liked her cooking. Zac. It only seemed like yesterday that he was so full of life, she sighed.

  Kirra set the table in the main dining room just off from the kitchen. She had discovered a beautifully-embroidered tablecloth when she rummaged through drawers to find utensils. It had a map of Australia on it with the striking floral emblems of each State within their borders. It even had famous landmarks like the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Opera House.

  While she placed the cutlery upon it, she heard the back door creak open. It had to be Jared and a shiver of anticipation skidded down her spine.

  Would he be pleased with her efforts?

  Zac had always bragged about her cooking to his mates and he would often bring home one or two of them to share dinner without informing her. Luckily, her mother had taught her how to make meals stretch further by adding more vegetables or rice.

  Tonight wasn’t such a night. She knew that she and Jared were effectively cut off from civilisation. They would be dining alone unless he chose not to eat with her. She’d eaten most nights of the past year and a half alone, so she hoped not.

  Kirra carried the dinner plates filled with the delicious, homemade meal and placed them on the table.

  Sitting down, she waited in hope that the smell of it would draw him to her.

  Within moments, Jared stood in the archway to the dining room. Divested of his coat, hat and boots, he looked every inch a virile man. His broad shoulders and toned body were obvious under his working clothes.

  Kirra drank in the sight of him and couldn’t suppress the delicious heat that coiled through her body.

  ‘It’s late. I didn’t expect you to make dinner,’ he said. He raked weathered fingers through his hair.

  All her excitement died in an instant. ‘I suppose you think this is another ploy to loosen your tongue.’

  ‘Is it?’ One eyebrow rose.

  ‘No, of course not!’ Her chin lifted with indignation. ‘All the meat in the freezer is grouped in meals for more than one person. It takes the same time to cook a meal for one as for two,’ she said. ‘I thought you’d be starving when you came home.’

  ‘I am. I usually settle for a toasted sandwich, but whatever you’ve made smells fantastic.’

  Kirra relaxed a little. She hadn’t realised just how tense her shoulder muscles were. ‘Come and eat then,’ she ordered quietly. ‘I won’t bite.’

  ‘I’m afraid my odour of milk and manure mightn’t be acceptable at the dinner table.’

  ‘Nonsense! You’re starving. Eat,’ she said, ever-the-practical person that she was. ‘As a journalist, I’ve had to gather stories from rubbish tips, backyards and alleyways. They smelled ten times worse!’

  ‘Thanks, that makes me feel so much better,’ he said wryly. But he gave her a grateful smile as he sat down adjacent to her.

  She couldn’t ignore the chemistry between them. When he smiled at her, her heart melted. He looked weary. He’d obviously had a demanding day and all she wanted to do was take him in her arms and hug him. Comfort him.

  Instinctively she lowered her eyelashes to hide her feelings. He hardly knew her and certainly didn’t trust her, after she’d landed on his doorstep without prior warning. He’d thought she was a nanny applicant!

  Jared rested his hands on the table and smoothed it out the tablecloth.

  ‘Where did you find this? It hasn’t been used since Heather died.’

  ‘Your wife?’

  His lips compressed into a thin, white line. ‘Mm.’

  She’d unwittingly crossed the line. She really wanted to know how his wife had drowned and if he had come to terms with it, but it was too soon and she didn’t want him to clam up completely.

  She met his eyes with warmth in her heart and said with sincerity, ‘It was the only one I came across while preparing dinner.’

  He seemed to relax a little then.

  Unsettled by the attraction and compassion for him clamouring in her heart, she picked up her fork and began to eat.

  Jared picked up his fork and ate too. Hungrily!

  ‘This is as delicious as it looks,’ he said after several mouthfuls.

  Kirra smiled. ‘Thank you. It’s my favourite. I love Chinese Food!’

  He cleared his throat. ‘Thank you for your help tonight at the milking shed,’ he said, giving her that crooked smile of his. It sounded like he meant it.

  ‘I thought I was more of a hindrance than a help.’

  ‘No, it would have taken me a lot longer than three hours to milk them alone.

  ‘Why don’t you employ farm hands?’

  ‘I do, but the Miller boys can’t make it to work.’

  ‘Why not?’ She couldn’t hold back her journalistic mind any longer. ’Are they sick?’

  ‘Yes, their whole family have had the flu,’ he replied. ‘They’re over the worst of it, but I know the creek in front their property flooded yesterday.’

  ‘Does that happen often?’

  ‘No. We’ve had an excessive amount of rain this year.’

  ‘The La Nina cycle is probably to blame … Do you think the bridge near your place has washed away?’

  ‘Only time will tell,’ he said, matter-of-factly. ‘Once the water has receded, I’ll know for sure.’

  ‘Why haven’t you replaced it already?’ she couldn’t help but wonder.

  ‘The river is part of reserve land on the other side. The Local Council own it. It’s sturdy enough,’ he explained. ‘But they won’t replace it unless it starts to disintegrate.’

  Kirra nodded. ‘You’ll need my help then in the morning.’

  His jaw tensed and wall of tension rose between them.

  ‘Look, I know I’m a novice, but I’m a quick learner,’ she added hastily in the gap.

  Finally, he said, ‘That won’t be necessary. I’m sure you’ll want to have a sleep-in.’

  ‘Nonsense! I must earn my keep, Mr Glengarry. Whatever you think of me, I’m not a freeloader.’

  ‘You can drop the formalities, Kirra. Call me Jared. Everyone else does. Besides, we may be stranded here indefinitely.’

  ‘Indefinitely?’ She exhaled slowly. How could he be so unperturbed about their imposed togetherness? If she could sprout webbed feet at the moment, she would swim as far away as possible from him.

  Jared eyed her levelly. ‘You’re concerned about the article you need to edit, I gather?’

  ‘No. . . . Yes.’ She’d forgotten all about it.

  ‘You can use my study. I have a computer and internet. You can email it through before your deadline.’

  Kirra was surprised. ‘You trust me not to write about you?’ she said. ‘I could easily string together a story from what I’ve seen already.’

  His eyes narrowed to slits. ‘Give me your word,’ he commanded. ‘It’s our code of ethics here in the country.’

  She remained silent, not because she planned t
o write about him. But because she put her foot in it again and she hadn’t meant to.

  Jared stood abruptly and gathered up the dirty dinner plates. He carried them into the kitchen.

  ‘Okay,’ she said, trying to make amends and followed him to the sink, ‘I won’t.’

  Jared turned around. ‘I believe you,’ he said. His shoulders relaxed somewhat. ‘I’ll load the dishwasher. You know where my study is.’

  ‘My article can wait until tomorrow. It’s not due ‘til Monday,’ she said. ‘I think I’ll have an early night so I can get up at five.’

  He gave her a piercing look and shook his head. ‘You obviously don’t take no for an answer.’

  ‘I’m a journalist remember.’

  ‘How could I forget?’

  She folded her arms across her chest. ‘What’s it to be?’

  He let out a frustrated sigh. ‘Set your alarm for four-thirty.’

  Kirra gave him a brief hug. ‘Thank you.’

  His body was stiff and unyielding.

  ‘What was that for?’ he said gruffly.

  ‘It’s not a crime, Jared. Most people like a hug after a trying day,’ she explained. ‘You looked like you needed one.’

  ‘Well, I didn’t.’

  The rebuff hurt. Tears stung at the back of her eyes. Kirra held her head high and marched out of the room.

  Jared sat in the kitchen for a long time after Kirra had gone to bed. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to be touched by a woman.

  Heather had never given him spontaneous hugs and she’d never helped him in the dairy.

  He’d handled himself badly. Kirra had felt so soft and giving. He’d hurt her. He knew she was trying to make the best of a difficult situation.

  She was getting under his skin, but he didn’t know if he could trust his heart to anyone again.

  Tomorrow, he’d make time to get to the bottom of this absurd ad. What if she was just stringing him along to get a story?

  But what if she wasn’t? What if she really did want to get married again?

  To him. . .

  Chapter Three

  IT WAS BARELY dawn when Kirra awoke to the intermittent knocking on the door of the granny flat. She rolled over lazily onto her back and yawned, stretching out like a cat after a fitful nap.

  Her breasts rode up against the silkiness of her nightdress and it was then she became aware of where she was.

  She was in Jared’s homestead and yesterday’s incredible events flooded back to her.

  ‘Kirra,’ Jared’s calm, deep voice called out from behind the door. ‘Are you awake?’

  ‘Yes.’ Kirra jumped out of bed. She was aware that the enigmatic man she had known for less than twenty-four hours was dressed for work and not more than twenty feet away from her.

  Spurred into action, Kirra changed into the clothes she’d worn the night before. ‘I’m almost ready,’ she called out, before ducking into the en suite to freshen up. The cold water she splashed on her face woke her up good and proper! She towelled her face dry and applied a light moisturiser. A quick brush of her locks and a couple of slashes of copper colour across her lips and she was done.

  Determined to put a cheery smile on her face like it was just a normal start to her day, she headed to the door and flung it open.

  Jared’s imposing frame filled the doorway. He was clean-shaven and smelled of soap mingled with a spicy scent. His green-checked shirt and jeans fitted his body perfectly and she could help lick her lips.

  He gave her a wry smile. ‘I see you’re a morning person.’

  ‘Yes.’ Her heart skipped a beat. ‘Sometimes, I have an early start when I have to cover news as it happens in the middle of the night.’

  ‘I’ll make you a hearty country breakfast when we return,’ he said. ‘It’s my turn. Don’t look so surprised.’ Amusement sparkled in his grey-blue eyes. ‘I don’t mind sharing the cooking if you enjoy it too.’

  ‘It’s just. . .just Zac -’

  ‘Your husband?’

  ‘Yes. He never cooked anything in his life for me. He would’ve had to read a recipe book to know how to boil an egg! That’s if he’d bother reading one. The routine of day-to-day living bored him terribly.’

  His eyes narrowed. ‘And you, Kirra, did it bore you?’

  ‘Oh no, I craved for some regularity in our lives,’ she blurted out, surprised that he was interested in her life.

  He nodded, then turned and strode down the hallway towards the laundry, his squared shoulder swaying in a purposeful way.

  Disconcerted, Kirra followed him, then quickened her pace to catch up and walk beside him. ’Are we late?’

  ‘No. I have a lot to do today.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘I have ten cows with foot-rot. They need treatment,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘If this darn rain doesn’t stop soon, there’ll be more of them.’

  In the laundry, he handed her the oilskin coat and gumboots that she’d borrowed yesterday and said, ‘Put these on.’

  She took the protective clothing from his grasp. Their fingers touched and fire sizzled up her arm. She stepped back. Being near him, touching him today was going to be torture on her senses. She had to be more careful, if she was going to concentrate on her task.

  ‘I’m sorry that I took your mother’s gear yesterday without asking,’ she said, pulling them on once again.

  Jared pulled his own oilskin coat and gumboots. ‘They belonged to my wife, but she never wore them. She suffered from Agoraphobia.’

  ‘The fear of the open spaces?’

  ‘Yes. She never left the house after Caleb was born.’

  ‘That must have been hard for you,’ she said. Her journalistic mind activated once more.

  He grunted. ‘Mother came to live with us to help her.’

  Before she had a chance to probe further, he opened the back door and ushered her out into the garage.

  When he opened the passenger-side door of the Land Cruiser for her, it surprised her. She thought chivalry died a long time ago!

  Placing her hand on the door and one of her gumboots on the running board, she attempted to gain some leverage. The board was slippery and she somehow lost her footing, the weight of the oilskin coat pulling her backwards.

  Large, strong hands cushioned her shoulder blades. A gasp caught in the back of her throat, as Jared slipped one of his arms under her knees. But before she could protest, he’d lifted her high up into the cabin.

  Dumbstruck by even more chivalrous action, she could only stare at him. If that had happened at her office, he would be up for sexual harassment, inappropriate behaviour or something! But she couldn’t imagine Jared working in a big city office.

  Steadily, she exhaled, though her heart was shaking like a tambourine and clamoured beneath her breast. ‘I could have managed by myself.’

  ‘Not taking any chances,’ he replied, his jaw set. ‘I’m liable if you get hurt.’

  ‘Work, health and safety, eh?’ she teased in a vain attempt to dissipate the tension in the air.

  ‘Something like that.’ He closed the door and walked around the back of the Land Cruiser.

  Though he didn’t say another word, he was smiling a little when he climbed into the driver’s side seat and ignited the engine. It looked good on him.

  For some unknown reason, Kirra didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot today. They had worked together well for a couple of hours yesterday. Surely, she could make the effort to do it again? Her arms were still a little sore, but she’d survive. Her muscles would get used to it. Swallowing her pride, she said, ‘Thank you. I’m not really a morning person. Well, I am. Just not this early.’

  As the sun rose over the mountains, she turned towards it and a smile touched her lips. It had been ages since she’d seen the sun rise. Not since she was a teenager when she used to go with Zac to watch him surf. Knocking that memory on the head – she definitely didn’t want to think about Zac today - she told him, ‘I usu
ally set the alarm for seven o’clock.’

  He nodded, but he didn’t look at her. ‘You weren’t forced to come, you know?’

  ‘I know. I wanted to, remember,’ she refuted hotly. ‘My body clock will adjust.’

  ‘Better belt up then. The water has gouged out plenty of ditches in the ground.’ His gentle, low voice caressed her ears and calmed her heartbeat.

  Feeling out-of-sorts by his considerate nature, she reached up and pulled the seatbelt across her body, before he put the four wheel drive into gear.

  ‘Was your marriage a happy one, Kirra?’ he asked out-of-the-blue.

  Kirra gasped in surprise and the cabin instantly filled with tension. Why did he want to know about her?

  She swallowed hard. ‘Of course. Of course, it was,’ she said in a higher pitch than normal which sounded unconvincing even to her ears. ‘I thought we agreed not to ask any personal questions.’

  ‘You’re forbidden to ask me.’ He turned his head suddenly and their eyes clashed. She thought she saw a mischievous glint flare or was it something else? She wasn’t certain. ‘Nothing was said about me not asking you.’

  ‘That’s not fair, is it? Not sharing.’ She knew she sounded childish.

  He shook his head, before changing his foot from brake to accelerator. ‘You haven’t earned my trust yet.’

  Kirra folded her arms across her chest, not impressed. ‘Then tell me why I should trust you with my personal life?’

  He shrugged, then concentrated on steering towards the milking shed. After a moment, he said, ‘I get the feeling that you’ve bottled up a lot of emotion for some time and you need an independent ear to listen. You haven’t spoken to anyone about your marriage, have you?’

  ‘No,’ she blurted out, flabbergasted, but her heart was filled with sadness. ‘It’s nobody’s business what went on between Zac and me. That’s private.’

  ‘Everyone needs a friendly ear to gain perspective in their lives, Kirra,’ he said wisely, as the engine whirred and clunked in time with her heartbeat. ‘Was Zac good to you? Was he faithful?’

  Kirra whipped her head around towards him and her mouth dropped open at his incredulous gumption.