The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife

by Natalia Elder

  Jared’s eyes narrowed and stopped the Land Cruiser at the milking shed, pulling on the handbrake. ‘It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me.’

  ‘No.’ Kirra decided to tell him the truth in the hope that he would eventually trust her. ‘When we were first married, I believe he was,’ she said. ‘After that, I’m not so sure.’

  She looked away then. Emotion throbbed painfully at her temples. Jared’s hand on her shoulder was comforting and her heartbeat steadied. Frustrated air whooshed out of her lungs.

  ‘Are you okay, Kirra?’

  ‘Yes,’ she admitted, dropping her hands to her lap. ‘Some days are harder than others.’

  ‘If it’s any consolation,’ he said quietly, ‘it does get better with time.’

  Suddenly, Kirra felt as if she was a goldfish swimming totally alone in a fishbowl, then her owner had finally succumbed to buying her another fish for company.

  But why a barracuda?

  She liked to do the interviewing, not the other way around.

  On her next breath, more pent-up frustrations rolled out. She couldn’t look at Jared though. She couldn’t bear it if he judged her.

  ‘Honestly, I don’t know exactly what Zac was doing. He managed a holiday resort. He was always out entertaining. After work, I preferred to unwind at home baking, watching a good movie or reading a good book,’ she told him and somehow it seemed the right time to unburden herself. ‘I only went out with him on weekends and that was only if I’d finished all the housework,’ she continued to babble. ‘Zac loved anything fast - cars, boats, life. He lived for thrills, moment by moment.’

  ‘How did he die?’ Jared’s gentle words didn’t interfere with her thoughts, but merely gave them direction.

  ‘There was a boating accident. Too many people on the speed boat and too much champagne drunk. He fell overboard and ... and ...’ Kirra choked back her tears, refusing to cry. She’d cried enough tears to fill an ocean when he was alive.

  He didn’t touch her again. For that, she was grateful.

  ‘And there was nobody with you when you found out.’

  Her chin lifted as she filled her lungs to capacity and turned to meet his sympathetic gaze.

  ‘No, my parents drove down from Noosa immediately, but they had to return not long after the funeral,’ she said. When his eyebrows knitted together, she added, ‘They are wonderful people, really. When they retired, they bought a souvenir shop at Noosa Heads. It was peak tourist season when Zac died.

  I insisted it was foolish to shut up shop in their most profitable period, so they reluctantly went home. Besides, I wanted to go straight back to work. It was the best medicine. I was okay.’

  ‘And what about Miss Watson? Did you talk to her at work?’

  ‘Oh Elise was there, but I didn’t want to burden her with my sorrows and regrets. She’s quite a few years my junior. She’s also been trying to coax me into going on blind dates for ages.’ She bristled with annoyance. And she’s a blabbermouth!

  ‘Ah! So you have someone who cares enough about you to arrange dates?’

  ‘She gossips too much!’ she snapped, raking tense fingers through her hair. ‘Besides, I thought you said someone was playing a joke on you?’

  ‘Someone is. I’ve known for a long time that mother chooses the most attractive nannies for my son in an attempt to arouse my interest in finding another mate. However, there is more to marriage than superficial beauty and sex,’ he added pensively. ‘For it to last a lifetime, there has to be many other compatibilities and considerations.’

  She wanted to believe he was genuine, but instead, she said, ‘I suppose advertising for a wife is being a bit too caring?’

  ‘You honestly expect me to believe that mother advertised the position like a job?’

  ‘Believe what you like.’ She waved her hand impatiently. ‘Have you called her yet?’

  ‘No. I haven’t had time to make any calls,’ he said, his eyes suddenly turning to steel. ‘But I will.’

  Jared opened the door and hopped out. His shoulders squared, he strode around in front of the vehicle and opened her door thrusting out his hand to assist her down. ‘Hold on.’

  ‘I can manage,’ she insisted, annoyed with herself how much she’d revealed and inadvertently, getting off on the wrong foot!

  Rain sprayed into the cabin. In an instant, water slicked off her oilskin coat and onto the running board.

  ‘Stand back,’ she ordered. Placing her hand on the door, she jumped down with an almighty splash.

  Jared’s hands fisted his hips. ‘A stamp of independence, hmm?’ he admonished, then gave a short, sardonic laugh.

  ‘And why not? I’m used to looking after myself.’

  ‘So you say,’ he mocked. ‘We’ll see how long your independence lasts today with the dairy cows that also have a will of their own, shall we? Come. The cows are waiting to be milked.’

  Kirra’s oversized gumboots sloshed beside his, as they headed towards the dairy.

  ‘You mean the cows know when they want to get rid of their milk?’ she said, astonished.

  ‘Yes. It’s a lot of extra weight to carry around the paddock in their udders. They quickly become used to the routine once their calves have gone.’

  Kirra looked horrified. ‘Oh the poor things. I’d be devastated if someone took away my baby soon after birth.’

  Jared flashed his eyes towards her, as they walked beside each other. ‘It’s part of modern farm life. The demand for fresh milk is high today due to a marked increase in population and the great variety of dairy products.’

  ‘I keep the heifers, the female calves,’ he continued, ‘to increase the herd. The young bulls become dinner-table veal or beef most of the time, unless they’re accepted into the A.I. program.’

  ‘A.I?’ she asked, her interest piqued, as he pushed open the door and led her into a side room. She thought it stood for Artificial Intelligence, like the sci-fi movie.

  ‘Artificial Insemination. Magda comes out and injects the cows with -’

  Kirra held up her hand to stop him immediately. ‘I know.’ Her cheeks flushed crimson.

  It reminded her too much of the I.V.F. program she’d looked into, when she couldn’t seem to fall pregnant after trying for two years with Zac. The memory of the frustration and stress of that time coursed through her veins and she met his eyes with a sadness she couldn’t hide.

  His face sobered. He grimaced, clearing his throat. ‘Put these on,’ he said quietly and handed over her the overalls and straw hat she’d worn last night. ‘The cows seemed okay with you in them.’

  Kirra couldn’t speak. She felt a great ball of emotional wool jammed down her throat. She quickly changed her clothes, before he guided her into another part of the milking shed.

  ‘What are these?’ she asked, when the emotion cleared and she trusted her vocal chords to work. She pointed to two huge stainless steel cylinders that filled up most of the area.

  ‘They’re storage vats for the collected milk. They’re sealed to prevent bacterial contamination,’ Jared explained in his element, as he checked the temperature gauge. ‘A tanker driver from the Dairy Co-Op comes out every second day to take it away.’

  ‘What happens to the milk if he doesn’t come? If the bridge is out?’

  ‘Mm. That’s a worry,’ he said, grimacing. ‘Some will be fed to the heifers in buckets, but most of it will have to be tipped out. I’ll show you the heifers later if we make good time milking.’

  She gave him a genuine smile. ‘I’d like that.’

  ‘No problem,’ he said, guiding her back into the milking area. ‘If you like, today I’ll teach you how to take the cups off the teats.’

  ‘Really? Unbuckling straps is so repetitive.’

  ‘It’s still repetitive,’ he said, ‘but you’ll have a more things to keep you busy.’

  Jared jumped on the platform and she followed him, careful not to bump into him. The platform was suddenly brought to life
with the flick of a switch and the milking process began.

  Kirra watched in awe, as Jared meticulously checked each teat for infection before placing the suction cups on.

  When the first cow had finished being milked, he stopped the platform, to her surprise. ‘I’ll show you how to take off the cups,’ he said.

  Kirra stepped in closer. Stooping beside him, his manly scent was distinct and all her senses came alive.

  He deftly removed the teats and released his cow. ‘Now, it’s your turn.’

  Kirra easily flicked the next set free. The weight fell into her hands and she staggered a little. He caught her, his large hand cradling her back.

  Instinctively, she turned towards him. She could feel his breath on her cheek, every cell in her body aware of him.

  ‘Kirra?’ He stilled, a sudden awareness darkening his eyes to midnight. ‘Are you alright? Can you manage?’

  ‘Yes, I -’ Her eyes locked unblinkingly with his, as a powerful chemistry like lit phosphorus reacted between them.

  If only he hadn’t asked her about Zac, she might have been able to fight this intense attraction, but he’d listened to her without judgement and had shown her compassion by squeezing her shoulder which definitely wasn’t sexual harassment!

  His eyes narrowed in puzzlement. ‘Kirra?’

  Heat curled in her loins. She gasped in surprise, bowing her head, as the heat rose rapidly to her face.

  With his index finger, he gently tipped up her chin and a tremor of anticipation coursed through her.

  Through lowered eyelashes, she looked at him. His erratic breathing surprised her and her breath caught in her throat.

  Could he see the desire in her eyes? She wondered.

  ‘Jared, I -’ Of its own volition, the tip of her tongue touched her top lip and she sucked her bottom lip. Sensing the tension rising in his body, she stilled.

  Delicious heat radiated out from her loins, down her trembling thighs and up to her knotted stomach muscles which were strangely loosening. Feeling her control slipping towards oblivion, she closed her eyes.

  The cups slipped free. She didn’t hear them hit the floor. Her eyes flew open, when she felt her waist hit a wall of muscle, as he pulled her to him with one smooth action of his forearm. His other hand deftly held out the cups, she suddenly realised.

  A rush of strangled air expelled from her lungs. His warm, sweet breath feathered her temples and sent waves of pleasure through her entranced mind.

  ‘Jared?’

  The cow above them mooed its displeasure and startled her out of the rapturous spell he’d cast over her. She struggled out of his embrace.

  He let her go. ‘Kirra, are you alright? You looked like you were about to faint.’

  ‘I must be out of my mind. I hardly know you,’ she said, berating more herself than the man before her who had taken a step back, while she straightened her coat.

  What was she doing? Surely, she wasn’t that sex-starved to succumb to the first man who tried to kiss her!

  She shook her head, remonstrating herself inwardly. But she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. He hadn’t even tried to kiss her. He had only held her, slowly and gently arousing her sensitive emotions.

  ‘I’m sorry if I frightened you,’ he said, finally releasing the long-suffering cow.

  ‘You didn’t,’ she said, not fully composed. ‘I just don’t need a man in my life right now.’

  ‘Oh I think you do, Kirra.’ One eyebrow arched towards his unruly dark hair. ‘From your reaction to my touch, I’d say that you need the love of a man very much.’

  ‘I don’t need anyone,’ she bit back. ‘I like being on my own.’

  He shook his head in disbelief. ‘Not many people like that all the time,’ he said in a quieter tone.

  ‘You live alone.’

  ‘No, I don’t. My mother and son live with me.’

  ‘That’s not the same as having a partner.’

  He grunted. ‘Arguing isn’t getting the milking done,’ he said, as hooked up the cups. ‘See how you go with taking the teats off. If it’s too much for you, let me know.’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ she bit back.

  He strode away and immediately recommenced work as if nothing had happened between them.

  Kirra couldn’t believe it! He’d deliberately cut short their conversation. She now knew that he hadn’t been with anyone since his wife’s death. But why? He was obviously a virile man. Her imagination triggered with all kinds of scenarios. If he wouldn’t let her ask any questions any time soon, she was going to combust with curiosity.

  As the platform began to move, Kirra quickly unbuckled the strap behind the cow’s back legs. The cow reversed out, turned and sauntered towards the paddock.

  She did her best to concentrate on her work at hand. She thought she’d managed quite admirably once she became used to the weight of the cups and worked out an easy way to hang them up. She’d felt better humming to herself and the cows seemed to co-operate as well. Pride swelled in her chest. She could really do this!

  When all the cows were milked, Jared sauntered over to her. He seemed relaxed now, the tension released from his muscles after such a long work-out. Kirra, however, felt every one of her tired muscles and straightened her neck to release a kink.

  His eyes zeroed in on the long, white column of neck flesh. ‘I’ll do the clean-up if you want to take a shower before I make that country breakfast I promised you.’

  Kirra met his eyes and watched his darken to midnight. So the man wasn’t immune to the chemistry that she was feeling between them. ‘No, I’ll stay and help,’ she said, in a business-like tone, rubbing the back of her neck. ‘I’m still fresh. It’ll make it quicker.’

  ‘You look tired,’ he said, ‘but I’m too hungry to argue. Let’s get it over and done with.’

  Together, they cleaned the milking machines, before Jared snatched up the high-pressure hose and washed the entire area with smooth efficiency.

  ‘Can I have a go?’ Kirra asked. ’It looks like fun.’

  ‘Fun?’ He looked puzzled, but handed it over.

  With a smirk on her face, she directed the hose straight at him.

  ‘You little witch!’

  Kirra laughed, breaking the tension between them.

  He grabbed the hose and turned it on her. ‘How do you like it?’

  ‘Just fine,’ she said and let out a delighted squeal. ‘Stop it! Stop it!’ She squealed again.

  Drenched, Jared turned off the hose. ‘Let’s get back to the homestead,’ he said, his temperament lighter, ‘and get out of these wet clothes.’

  ‘I’m all for that,’ she said cheekily.

  Chapter Four

  FRESHLY-SHOWERED, JARED strode into the kitchen. After feeding and tending to Jesse, he set to the task of making breakfast.

  While he gathered the bacon and eggs from the refrigerator and heated the pan, he tried not to think about what had just happened in the milking shed.

  He couldn’t imagine Heather even attempting to help him milk the cows. She was so debilitated by her phobias, post-natal depression ramping up to real mental illness. There was nothing he could have done to prevent it. He’d done his best caring for her. He knew firsthand how difficult it was living with someone with mental illness, but how he longed for someone to work beside. To have fun with.

  Fun had been so far divorced from his life that guilt crept into his mind just thinking about it. Fun! When Heather was dead . . . Could he?

  Kirra was so different from Heather - brave, yet vulnerable all at once. Her husband had obviously not appreciated her and he cursed him for making her wary of men.

  But it didn’t matter how she came to him. An angel had landed on his doorstep and there was magic between them. He would kick himself if he didn’t explore it while he had the chance.

  Was it really a concern that she’d come out to Glengarry Homestead under false pretences?

  Though he’d like to get
to the bottom of it, he couldn’t help feeling that he was falling for her big time!

  He’d wanted to kiss her - still did - but, she was so skittish and the cows had waited long enough to be milked.

  Then she’d turned the hose on him and he’d come alive. It was a wakeup call to him.

  How long had it been since he’d had any fun?

  He’d been celibate for years. He’d told himself if he kept busy to the point of exhaustion, he could live without it.

  Kirra came into the kitchen, dressed in a floral skirt and a yellow top. Her honey-blonde hair bounced around her shoulders. She looked radiant, and Jared felt like the sunshine had come into the room with her.

  His heart beat faster beneath his chest and while he shook the fry-pan with sizzling bacon, he gave her a crooked smile.

  ‘I’m starving,’ she said, bending over give Jesse a pat. ‘I could eat a horse.’ ‘Don’t let my horses hear you say that,’ he teased, his gaze drawn to her smooth, shapely legs and bare feet. ‘They’ll run away and never come back.’

  Straightening up, Kirra laughed. ‘It’s a metaphor.’

  ‘I know. Bacon and eggs, hearty enough?’

  ‘Yes please and cereal and orange juice and toast.’

  ‘You are hungry!’

  ‘Calories out, calories in,’ she said, giving him a smug smile, when it registered that he seemed to be enjoying their banter. ‘Must be the country air.’

  He’d changed into a black t-shirt and a fresh pair of well-worn jeans. The yellow daisy apron he could lose, was tied about his waist, but it was practical and kind of cute. He probably knew bacon fat splatter was hard to wash out of any kind of material.

  His eyebrows arched. ‘We might have to ration our food supply at this rate.’

  ‘I guess I’m not used to so much physical activity in the morning. My energy is spent.’

  ‘I’ll handle the evening milking alone. I promised you time to rewrite your article.’

  ‘Yes, about that,’ Kirra said, heading towards the sink. She washed her hands thoroughly. ‘Can I use your phone to call Elise before breakfast to find out what changes are necessary?’

  ‘Sure.’