The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife

by Natalia Elder

  When Jared arrived home, he taught Kirra how to ride ‘Billie’, ‘Blinky’s stable-mate.

  Kirra turned out to be a natural in the saddle and was excited when she handled the even-tempered mare in a short gallop in a circle.

  Holding his puppy, Caleb watched on from behind a wooden, safety fence and cheered her on.

  She rewarded him with a heartfelt smile. She really did love him as her own.

  That night, after a long soak in a bubble bath, it was only then, a keen feeling of bereft crept through her veins back to her heart. Being parted from them, even for a few days, would be pure torture.

  Still, she had tonight and as everyone brought a dish for a ‘Pot Luck’ Dinner before the Bush Dance, she had things to do.

  Kirra dressed in silk underwear, a blue denim skirt, a red silk blouse and her ankle-boots, she smiled into the bathroom mirror and brushed her hair until it shone like spun gold. Feeling light-hearted, she applied light make-up and clear red lipstick, then collected her engagement ring from the box and slipped it on her finger.

  She knew Magda or Harry would have spread the news throughout the district, so she didn’t want to let Jared down in any way. She gazed at the antique setting of the ring with its fine golden scrolls around the sparkling gemstones. It really was uniquely beautiful and she was proud to wear it to carry on Glengarry traditions.

  She thought of her parents then, and wondered if she should call them. Perhaps, she should just take Jared, Caleb and Chocolate up to Noosa for a drive and give them a lovely surprise. They loved surprises. She realised then, that she hadn’t met Jared’s mother either and knew formalities of their union had to be observed sooner or later.

  While Jared and Caleb showered and dressed, Kirra decided to make Beef in Black Bean Sauce, but with limited time, she cheated with a packet of frozen Fried Rice for sides. She thawed it out in the microwave and tossed it in a little oil in the wok she found hanging with the pots and pans.

  Both father and son looked devastatingly handsome in jeans, blue-checked shirts and boots. After some mutual appreciation of attire, Caleb put Chocolate and his bed box in the laundry for safe-keeping. Once settled, they tip-toed down the back steps and hopped into the Range Rover.

  ‘What are the people of the district like?’ Kirra said with trepidation, as they headed to the Bush Dance. ‘Will they eat me alive?’

  Jared patted her knee in a calming gesture. ‘You’ll be fine, my love.’

  ‘They’ll know we’re engaged,’ she said and chewed on a nail.

  ‘And be happy for us,’ he said with quiet reassurance. ‘They are good, friendly folk. It’s not like in the city. Nobody is a stranger here.’

  ‘Bridie will be there,’ Caleb chimed in. ‘Maybe, I’ll ask her to marry me.’

  Jared laughed in a way she’d become accustomed, hearty and joyful. ‘You’re a little young, Tiger. Maybe, when you’re eighteen. You’ll be a man then and if you still feel the same way. . .’

  ‘And Bridie does too,’ Kirra added sagely. ‘You both have to love each other and want it.’

  ‘Like you and Dad?’

  ‘Yes.’ Kirra glanced at him in the backseat.

  ‘Awesome!’ he said and punched the air.

  Kirra gave him a soft smile. He was so much more confident now. Did she do that? It warmed her heart to think so.

  When they arrived at the hall, looking beautiful with strings of coloured house lights - probably left in place since Christmas - Kirra took a deep breath and walked inside with them, one either side like the true family unit they’d become in such a few short days.

  Inside, the hall was simply decorated with hay bales and streamers. There was a stage, microphone and music equipment at one end and long white-clothed tables at the other. The tables were already laden with delicious-smelling pots of food and various non-alcoholic drinks. Country music from a juke-box was softly playing in the background.

  Jared put her offerings on the table, then began to introduce her to everyone. Kirra was deeply affected by how welcoming they were to her. They were very happy for Jared that he’d found love again.

  ‘There’s Bridie!’ Caleb said excitedly, pointing to the entrance. ‘Can I go see her, Dad?’ he asked, tugging at his father’s hand.

  Jared ruffled his hair. ‘Sure, Tiger.’

  After dinner, Jared took to the stage and took Kirra with him, her hand resting comfortably in his.

  ‘Attention, Everyone!’ he said and the townspeople instantly quietened. ‘I’d like to officially announce that Kirra and I are engaged.’

  Kirra felt her cheeks burn, as the townspeople cheered and clapped for what seemed like an eternity. Jared tucked her under his arm and she smiled up at him, genuinely happy. To her surprise, many people took photos of them. Then suddenly, it was all too much and Kirra turned and buried her face in his chest.

  ‘Alright, folks,’ he announced over the microphone. ‘It’s time to start the Bush Dance so grab your partners.’

  An elderly man took the stage and called the dance steps with expert ease.

  Jared led Kirra off the stage and merged her into a group of dancers. It took Kirra a little while to get the gist of what to do, but following Jared’s lead, she managed to put the steps together and enjoyed herself immensely.

  Before the night was over, she’d kept her promise and had a short dance with Max. It wasn’t long though, before Jared swept her up into his arms again and her nostrils were swimming happily in his familiar masculine scent.

  On the way home, Kirra sat in the backseat with Caleb who was propped up asleep on her shoulder. She sighed joyfully, as she cuddled him in close.

  Jared gave her a knowing smile in the rear vision mirror.

  ‘Did you enjoy yourself, Kirra?’ he said, then flicked his eyes back to the road.

  ‘Very much so,’ she replied on a whisper, so as not to wake Caleb. ‘Everyone was so kind to me.’

  ‘Do you think you could settle here in the country?’ he said on a serious note.

  ‘I think so,’ she said, joy skipping through her blood. ‘My editor has asked me to write the rural news for a year.’

  ‘And after that?’

  ‘Maybe, I’ll have a shot at writing a novel,’ she supposed. ‘I’ve always wanted to.’

  ‘You won’t get bored?’

  ‘No, I can still email my family and friends and visit them sometimes,’ she replied astutely. ‘Besides, babies could take up a lot of time if they come along.’

  His shoulders visibly relaxed. ‘I’m glad you’re a practical person like me.’

  ‘I think we’re very compatible, don’t you?’

  ‘Perhaps, we should ask Elise?’

  ‘Elise?’

  ‘Yes, I rang Mum this morning to let her know the good news of our engagement before any of her friends spilled the beans,’ he explained. ‘She also rang me yesterday to see if Caleb made it home last night. She admitted she’d hatched the plan with Auntie and Elise. Apparently, Gus, a.k.a., Phil printed the fake ad.’

  Kirra frowned. ‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’

  ‘Too much happening,’ he said in earnest. ‘It completely slipped my mind.’

  ‘Why?’ she asked. ‘Why did she do it?’

  He gave a curt nod. ‘She’s fallen in love with Auntie’s neighbour, Frank Goodman. I can’t believe she kept it from me.’

  ‘Maybe, they just realised recently that they were in love,’ Kirra suggested, her journalistic mind on alert. ‘Does she want to go live with him?’

  ‘Apparently, she does,’ he said. ‘I don’t know for sure.’

  Kirra’s shoulders relaxed. ‘Are they an item?’

  ‘Mum is too old-fashioned to reveal such private information,’he said in a quiet tone, so as not to wake Caleb.

  ‘Are you happy for her?’ she queried, wondering how strong the apron strings were.

  ‘Of course. It’s not very often one comes across a soul-mate. She’s had two, my
father and this fellow.’

  ‘And we’ve also found each other.’

  ‘Yes. How lucky are we?’ he said, glancing back her and they exchanged smiles.

  Arriving back at the homestead, Kirra was grateful that Jared had thought to leave the verandah light on which shone like a beacon in the vast paddock dotted with cattle.

  When he pulled the Range Rover to a halt in the garage, the sensor light flicked on and afforded them some light in an otherwise pitch-black night.

  Jared carried Caleb inside and put him to bed, while Kirra retrieved the sleeping puppy in his bed box and put him back in Caleb’s bedroom. They kissed Caleb goodnight and padded into the hallway. Jared closed Caleb’s door.

  ‘What happens now?’ Kirra said huskily. Her heart hammered out a rapid tattoo, as she looked up into his soft grey-blue eyes.

  One dark eyebrow rose and a breath caught in his throat. ‘You want me to make love with you?’

  ‘There’s always the kitchen table,’ she teased on a whisper. ‘We haven’t fulfilled that fantasy yet.’

  He laughed. ‘Tonight, I’d prefer the softness of a mattress underneath me.’ He wrapped her in his arms then, and kissed her senseless. ‘Your room or mine,’ he muttered against her swollen lips.

  ‘Yours,’ she breathed and he slipped his arm under her knees and carried her into his bedroom.

  It was the first time she’d been into his bedroom. To her surprise, the walls were painted in pastel green and the curtains on the window were cream. She’d assumed it would be more masculine like his study. There was an oil painting of cows in the paddock on the wall above the king-size bed and a framed school portrait of Caleb when he looked a little younger on an adjacent wall. An antique chest of drawers and a wardrobe stood just inside the door.

  Jared pulled back the bedcovers and sat down with her.

  ‘You can redecorate if you like and buy a new bed,’ Jared said matter-of-factly.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said and kissed him on the mouth. ’You’re so good to me in every way. It’s like karmic reward. I’m so lucky to have found you.’

  ‘I don’t want you to leave tomorrow,’ he said throatily, cupping the back of her head with his large hand. ‘Am I being selfish? I want to wake up beside you every morning.’

  ‘Then we’ll have to make it a short engagement,’ she said ever-the-practical and trailed kisses down his neck. She tasted the salt of his skin and licked the notch below his Adam’s apple.

  Jared growled and slid his hand under her skirt and up the length of her thigh.

  Kirra felt a rush of excitement and anticipation as he pulled the scrap of silk to one side and gently rubbed her sensitive nub between two deft fingers. Her feminine core moistened and she moaned against his neck, when he slid both fingers into her passage and began to move them in time with her, licking and panting. His length harden against her thigh, but the power of his ministrations overrode any thought of other than her own pure pleasure. She promised herself that she reciprocate later.

  Coming hard and fast against his fingers, an ecstatic cry escaped her lips and she leant against his rock-like chest.

  When her breathing returned to normal, she sighed in contentment and said, ‘I want you to love me forever and ever.’

  ‘I will,’ he vowed. ‘Let’s go to bed.’

  They both stripped down to bare skin and hopped underneath the bedcovers. They made deep, exquisite love all night, like there was no tomorrow.

  And when exhaustion overcame them both, Jared cradled her in his arms and Kirra nestled into him.

  She was home.

  But if she didn’t complete her unfinished business, she knew it would continue to haunt her and possibly affect their marriage.

  Chapter Eleven

  DEEP IN THOUGHT, Kirra stared unseeingly at the magnificent boats that sailed on the Brisbane River from the balcony of her Kangaroo Point apartment. Normally, it brought her joy when she ate breakfast there before heading off to work, but today, a distinct wretchedness tore at her heart.

  She hadn’t realised how hard it would be to say goodbye to Jared and Caleb the day before.

  She’d extended her stay until her two week’s holiday had almost ended. Caleb had returned to school so she’d been able to take him there and meet his teacher. She’d also offered to help the teacher by changing the home reading books for the children while she was there and later, when she returned.

  Jared had had his mornings filled with patients - pets of the district families. Kirra had ended up making countless cups of teas, when their owners wanted to get to know her better.

  Mrs Rutherford and her daughter had come in on Wednesday to clean the house and do the ironing. Kirra had chosen to do the laundry and share the cooking with Jared because she liked those aspects of housekeeping.

  On Thursday, Mrs Rutherford offered to take her to the local co-op for more fresh produce supplies. The fruit and vegetables, eggs and bread were the best quality she’d seen. They were bigger, tastier and more colourful than in any supermarket she’d patronised in the city.

  When Friday had come, Kirra had said goodbye to Caleb before he’d caught the school bus.

  Caleb had cried and it almost undid her, her heart squeezing in pain. In the end, even though, she’d promised him that she’d come back, she’d decided to leave her watch with him as collateral.

  Having said her goodbye to Jared earlier that morning in bed, she’d left quickly.

  Jared had been stoic. He’d consoled his son and tried to be upbeat about it.

  The sun shone through the high-rise buildings of Brisbane’s CBD. Kirra sighed deeply. Gathering up her empty teacup and plate, she padded back inside, reluctant to get started. She knew the task ahead of her was a difficult one, but she knew it must be done if she was to be totally at peace and move forward in life.

  Kirra looked around at the modest, but tastefully decorated apartment in shades of azure, peach and cream.

  She and Zac had taken out joint life insurance policies as a requirement to obtaining a substantial bank loan, so she now owned the apartment outright.

  She’d talk it over with Jared first of course, but she thought that she might rent it out. During school breaks, they could use it for holidays. There were lots of fun things to do in the city. There was a park not far from the apartment where a beautiful beach had been man-made beside the river. There were also many theme parks to enjoy in the vicinity. Caleb would love those.

  Procrastination wasn’t getting her anywhere. To accomplish the heart-wrenching task she must do, she had to be practical and just do it. She placed the china in the dishwasher and headed into the bedroom.

  Opening the side of the wardrobe that had once belonged to Zac, she stared at the numerous suits, shirts and ties. He’d always had a thing for trendy clothes and shoes. He’d had such a sound fashion sense, she would give him that.

  She picked out her favourite suit that she liked on him and hugged it. She could still smell his scent and the cologne he used to wear, and she breathed it in deeply one last time.

  A pang of regret washed over her. She’d loved him once. A long time ago, it seemed, now that she was in love with Jared.

  Quickly, without engaging her heart further, she bundled all his belongings into garbage bags, ready for the local charity shop.

  Next she collected all the photos around the place of her and Zac, took them out of their frames and put them into a shoe box for safe-keeping. When she had time, she’d scan them onto a disc.

  She also decided that she’d keep their wedding album, her marriage certificate and her rings as a record of their lives together. It was part of her history and she wanted to share them with future generations, if they were as interested in genealogy as she was.

  Feeling physically and emotionally spent by late afternoon, she went to bed early, unable to summon up the energy to perform the last task.

  That night, she slept more soundly than she’d ever done in the apa
rtment. It was as if her grieving open wound had begun to heal.

  As the sun dawned over the CBD, with a little spring in her step, Kirra took down the urn filled with Zac’s ashes from the cabinet in the living room.

  Leaving without having breakfast, she hoped to beat the traffic. Though the Pacific Highway from Brisbane to the Gold Coast was four lanes each way, it was still a thoroughfare that joined the two popular tourist destinations. Hopping into her Subaru, she strapped the urn into the passenger side seat belt and much to her delight, had a smooth hour long drive listening to her favourite Mozart CD.

  When Kirra arrived at Kirra Beach near Coolangatta at the end of the Gold Coast strip, before coastline crossed the border into New South Wales, she parked the car.

  It was still early at this popular beach after which her parents had named her. The sun was low in the sky and welcomed the new day with a golden glow. Surfers in wetsuits rode expertly on curling waves. As they came close to the shoreline, Kirra padded across the white sand and climbed a short way out onto the rock wall, the urn strapped in a Dilly-bag slung over her shoulder.

  For a long time, Kirra stared unseeingly at the vast blue ocean. A salty tang in the mild breeze tickled her nostrils and awoke memories of her and Zac’s life together, winding through her mind like a tumultuous storm.

  Kirra Beach was where they’d had their first date. They’d celebrated their anniversaries there. Zac loved surfing and sailing. He’d been happiest there. And that’s where she decided that he would rest in peace. She forgave him then and saying goodbye, she scattered his ashes into the Pacific Ocean. They sank below the surface and an undercurrent took them out to sea.

  Breathing in deeply, the burden lifted. Immeasurably relieved, she closed her eyes and looked into her heart. After what seemed like forever, but was only a few moments, her own peace came and she forgave herself. Her heart had healed and moving forward became a real possibility.

  She’d hadn’t the strength or desire to have total closure before, but spending time with Jared had helped her to feel and work through her grief.