by Mandy Magro
‘Yep, I ran it past him yesterday. Said he doesn’t mind who stays here.’ She shrugged. ‘Thought as much.’
‘So I’m the last to find out about this?’
Katherine shrugged, smiling. ‘Basically, yes.’
Dallas tried not to smile. ‘Bloody typical, I’m a damn mushroom around here, always kept in the dark.’
‘You sound just like your father when you say that.’ Katherine’s smile faded and she sniffled. Reaching out, she pulled a tissue from the box on the bench. ‘I miss him so much, Dallas. As much as he used to drive me batty, I wish he was still here.’ Her body trembled as she broke into sobs. ‘He was my best friend.’
Dallas was beside her in two long strides. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. This was exactly why she couldn’t know what Vivien had threatened to reveal. Katherine Armstrong’s big beautiful heart was already broken enough and it was his job to protect her, and to make her life happy again. It took every bit of his resolve to not crumble with her. ‘I miss him too, Mum. All the time.’
‘Thank God I have you, Dallas. I honestly don’t know how I would’ve gotten through the past eight months without you.’
Dallas gave her a peck on the forehead, her five-foot height making it easy for him to do so. ‘Ditto, Mum.’
Katherine gave him a tight squeeze and then pulled back, her hands still resting on his shoulders. ‘Please promise me you’ll be chivalrous to Charlize, won’t you. We don’t want her going back to the city with a bad impression of country blokes.’
‘I promise I will be, Mum.’
Katherine smiled through her tears. ‘That’s my boy. ‘ She reached up on her tippy-toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Turning, she grabbed another few tissues from the box and blew her nose. ‘Rightio, that’s enough moping about for me for today. A couple of the horses need to be shod and the back paddock fence needs repairing before the cattle push through it to get to the grass on the other side, and then end up on the bloody highway.’ She grabbed her weather-beaten wide-brimmed hat from where it was hanging on the back of the dining chair. ‘So let’s get this show on the road.’
‘Yup, no rest for the wicked, hey?’ Dallas pulled the plug from the sink and wiped his hands on the tea towel as he watched his mum pulling on her boots.
She’d had a really tough run the past couple of years with the financial difficulties of the property, losing her mother to cancer and then losing his dad. But she was such a strong woman with such a big soft heart.
Damn his father for what he had done, and damn him for leaving them with so many unanswered questions.
As much as he wished he could understand it all, Dallas didn’t want to waste any more energy on trying to figure it out in his own head, for he never would—what his father did was something he would never comprehend. He needed to keep his focus on the things dearest to him—his mum, his gramps, Rollingstone Ridge and his bull riding.
CHAPTER
5
A familiar chime pulled Charlize from the depths of the bubbles. After wiping her hands on the bath mat, she grabbed her mobile from the bathtub caddy at her feet. Her brows furrowed when she read the text.
When are you going to get past all this and forgive me? xoxo
There was no way she was going to respond. She could almost feel steam pouring from her ears. Was Alistair serious? Did he really think it was that easy to get over your husband cheating on you? In a huff she almost tossed her phone in the bath water, but stopped herself before she did something so stupid. Instead, she put the phone back in the caddy, took a deep breath and then dunked herself beneath the water, taking a few moments to let the world fade away, and allowing herself to return to the relaxed state she was in before Alistair so rudely interrupted her.
Stepping from the lavender-scented bubble bath she’d been laying in for the past half an hour, she reached out and grabbed her favourite fluffy towel from the rack. After spending the whole day trying to pack, a long soak in the tub was just what she’d needed—that and the bag of peanut M&M’s she’d devoured while soaking.
To say her two suitcases were over-filled was an understatement—she’d had to sit on them as she’d wrenched the zips shut, much to Jane’s amusement. Trying to work out what was suitable for the bush was beyond her. Nothing in her wardrobe was really appropriate, although she did own a few pairs of jeans and a flannelette shirt—who didn’t? Jane had suggested they go and get some western chequered button-up shirts and cowgirl boots and Charlize had snorted with laughter—so clichéd. She wasn’t the least bit country and she’d look like a complete idiot trying to fake that she was. And she wasn’t about to go and buy clothes she would never wear again once she returned to civilisation.
Blowing out the candles at the end of the bath and then switching on the overhead light, she had a chuckle to herself when she saw how red her skin was. Alistair used to love scorching hot showers and baths just as much, which was rare for a bloke. It was one of the few things they still shared—the one thing that would give them some form of intimacy outside of the bedroom, which was also lacking towards the end—and the memory tugged at her heart. There was a lot of Alistair she didn’t miss, but there were still parts of him she ached for. Way back at the beginning of their relationship they’d been best mates, and passionate lovers, and it was sad to think of what they’d lost along the way. She was to blame, too, with the long hours she put in at work, but she never would have given up on them like he had; never would have slept with someone else.
Having had the last few weeks to really look back on things, she had to reluctantly admit that Jane was right. Once he knew he had her, Alistair had stopped making much of an effort. His ritzy lifestyle, work and friends always came before her, no matter what.
She longed for the kind of man who would put her happiness first, who would love her for who she was and would protect her with his life, a man that wanted to plan having a family together down the line. And she so wished it could have been Alistair. But after so many failed chances, and now committing the ultimate relationship sin of cheating, she had to come to terms with the fact he would never be that man. Yes, she was career-driven, and had put a lot of focus into climbing the ladder to where she was, but she still always tried to balance that with time for her husband. Now she had two choices. She could either suck it up and accept him for who he was, and decide to forgive him and trust him again, or she could walk away and start the whole dating scene again.
But right now neither choice appealed.
Charlize huffed as she towel-dried her hair. As much as she hated to admit it, Jasper was right; she needed this time away to get her head straight. And being the optimist she usually was, she was going to do her upmost to make the best of it, keeping her eye on the prize—a promotion and her very own office.
She smiled. It sure would be a dream come true. But the bush and her, she couldn’t imagine that. There was just too much dust and dirt for her liking, and creepy crawlies that made her shudder at the mere thought of them. The only positive she could think of right now was that she loved horses, thanks to her father’s fondness for horse racing and the many weekends she’d spent at the track with him as a young girl. They were such magnificent graceful creatures. Not that she could ride, but she loved to touch them and smell them. Maybe she’d get the chance out in Grenfell.
An hour later, the pale pink-hued blush of the summer evening had begun to creep through the apartment’s open French doors, bathing the lounge room in beautiful soft light. A gentle breeze fluttered the parted silky curtains and candles flickered from various spots around the cosy room. The scent of Nag Champa incense mingled nicely, creating a peaceful ambience along with the Norah Jones CD playing softly in the stereo.
Waltzing in from the kitchen, she sighed in pleasure as she placed her plate of takeaway salmon, cucumber and avocado sushi on the coffee table, along with the tubes of wasabi and Japanese mayo and a bottle of soya sauce. She
sat down on the couch and got herself comfortable beside a snoozing Bruce. With his eyes still shut, the pug snuggled into her leg and she gave him a gentle pat, thankful for his unwavering love and company. When she’d moved out, Alistair had tried to claim Bruce, just to spite her, but it was over her dead body he was going to keep him. She’d picked him from the litter and had sat up with him every night until he’d settled into his home away from his doggy parents. She’d been the one to wipe his little wrinkly face every day, and without her around he’d never be fed, or walked or, most importantly of all, loved. They were best mates, she and Bruce, and he needed her just as much as she needed him. He’d been her shadow for the past three and half years, and it was going to remain that way.
Apart from her adorable pooch’s company, she was all on her lonesome. Jane was on a date for the evening and Charlize was making the most of her alone time by donning her favourite PJs and watching Dirty Dancing for the hundredth time. Patrick Swayze was her dream man—suave, charismatic, sexy and oh so manly—and by God the man could dance. She’d love to meet a guy that could sway her like that across the dance floor. A couple of work colleagues had tried to drag her out and normally she would be up for a night on the town, but after the last few weeks she was burnt out and needed some time to regroup. Besides, she didn’t want to risk running into Alistair either, which was well on the cards. She also had a little bit of research to do for the story, so this, right here, was her idea of a perfect Saturday night in.
Curled up on the couch with her laptop balanced on a cushion, she typed the name that had been on her mind all day and then pressed search. Raising her glass of red wine to her lips, she took a sip and rolled it around on her tongue, savouring the taste of the rich fruity bouquet bursting with flavours of cherries and blackberries. Her eyebrows instantaneously shot up as the screen flashed to life. A Google search brought up eight thousand and eight-five results for Dallas Armstrong’s name. Impressive.
She plucked a piece of sushi from the plate, topped it with a good dash of wasabi, mayo and soya sauce, and then popped it in her mouth as she pushed the images tag. Seconds later a page full of pictures flashed up and she almost choked on her mouthful of food. Jasper wasn’t lying. Dallas Armstrong was one smoking hot and very manly looking specimen.
Shoving another piece of condiment-topped sushi in her mouth and then jiggling on the spot when the intensity of the wasabi burnt her nose and mouth, Charlize picked one of the images out of the twenty or so on her screen that appealed most to her. She tapped on it and expanded the photo so she could get a real good look.
This bloke was going to rock a calendar shoot, no doubt about it. The photo showed a taller than average man in his late twenties with his jeans low-slung, holding a stockwhip in his very capable looking hands—the very essence of masculinity. His shoulders were broad in his button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal tattoos on his forearms. His wide-brimmed hat shadowed his face in the most eye-catching way. The photographer certainly knew what he or she was doing. Strong cheekbones and an angular jaw shadowed by short stubble captured her gaze at first, then his firm full lips curled ever so slightly into the cheekiest of smiles, and then the way his button-up blue shirt hung open just enough to provide a tantalising glimpse of his very muscular chest. Lordy lordy lordy—Dallas Armstrong was a country stud if ever she saw one!
Charlize sucked on her lower lip as the word lickable came to her mind. An involuntary sigh escaped her as her nether regions tingled. And oh my god, she was going to witness him naked! Gasping, she mentally slapped herself for thinking and feeling such things. The fact that she was finding him appealing was foreign to her, and wrong in so many ways. She’d never found a man dressed like a cowboy even remotely attractive, but this bloke had an edge about him that was hard to ignore.
In a flurry she reached out and slapped her laptop shut, not wanting to succumb to his handsomeness, but within seconds she was opening it again as she glanced around the apartment like a naughty child about to get caught doing something forbidden. She just couldn’t help herself. Dallas Armstrong’s strong features met her gaze once again. His ocean blue eyes were deep and intensely challenging—making her crave to know the person within. She’d always liked a challenge, especially when it came to men. Perhaps that would explain why she’d ended up with a man like Alistair. But she’d gotten burnt in the process. Lesson to be learnt there, she thought.
‘Note to self: Stay away from unruly men,’ she mumbled as she flicked back to the full screen of photos and picked another shot. ‘Yeah right, and pigs might fly too,’ she muttered once again. Being a little bit of a wild girl herself, she’d find a man that was more on the goodie-two-shoes side very boring.
This shot showed a slightly younger Dallas atop a fearsome looking bull, beside a man she gathered was his father. How anyone would willingly get on a cantankerous creature that had the power to kill you in seconds blew her mind. If she was in his place, she’d be terrified—but he was smiling! This bloke was either extremely tough, or extremely insane, or maybe even both, and she was about to spend a week with him finding out. Her belly summersaulted in both excitement and apprehension. This could turn out to be quite the adventure, if she allowed herself to go there with an open mind.
Opening up another page, she then typed in Dallas Anderson riding bucking bull, YouTube. Spoilt for choice, she clicked on the newest clip titled Mareeba Rodeo, nervous and excited about what she was about to see. She’d never watched bull riding before—she’d never had a reason or interest to, but for the next eight seconds she sat frozen to her seat with her hands placed over her racing heart and her eyes and mouth wide. She didn’t even breathe. The eight-second buzzer rang out and she gasped in a breath as Dallas leapt off the bull as though jumping off a step—as effortlessly as that. She impulsively clapped her hands. The crowd whooped and hollered as he threw his hat up in the air, his smile once again captivating her. She had to give credit where credit was due. This man had balls. She didn’t know any city bloke that would do what Dallas just did. She chuckled, thinking that the most dangerous thing Alistair ever did was driving his Porsche over the speed limit.
In a stunned daze, Charlize only registered her mobile phone ringing just as it was about to go to message bank. She quickly snapped it up from beside her. Glancing at the screen she noted it was a private number. She prayed it wasn’t Alistair being a smart-arse by blocking his number. She really didn’t feel like listening to his pathetic excuses again.
‘Hello?’ Nervous she was about to hear his voice, it came out as more of a question than a greeting.
‘Hi my sweetheart.’
Grace McGregor’s singsong voice made Charlize smile from ear to ear as she breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Oh Mum, how are you? How’s dad? Where are you?’ Her parents were travelling in Europe. They texted each other regularly but spoke only once a week, and she loved hearing about their adventures. Charlize wanted to jump through the phone and feel one of their amazing hugs. She could really do with some unconditional love right now.
Grace laughed. ‘One question at a time. Your father and I are wonderful. And we are presently sitting at the famous Caffè Florian in Venice enjoying the most expensive caffè macchiato we’ve ever had and a bignè al cioccolato to go with it.’
‘A what?’
‘It’s a choux pastry filled with chocolate cream, and oh my goodness, Charlize, it’s to die for.’
Charlize’s mouth watered. ‘Oh stop it, Mum, you tease. You know how much I love chocolate.’
‘Your father wants to order another one but I’ve put my foot down, gently of course, and reminded him of his high cholesterol.’ She tutted. ‘You’d think I wouldn’t have to, considering he’s the doctor and I’m the nurse.’
Charlize heard her dad in the background saying something about her mum being a big meany. She laughed at their banter. They’d always been the same—best friends and lovers. What she’d give to have a love as deep and absolut
e as theirs. She swallowed down the lump forming in her throat and tried to muster a happy voice, not wanting to dampen her parents’ happy vibe. ‘You two crack me up.’
‘So how are things going back there, sweetheart? And be honest. No sugar coating anything, because remember I have eyes everywhere and I’ll find out anyway.’
‘Yes, I know Jasper always keeps you updated,’ Charlize said with a light chuckle. ‘Things are going okay. I’m still trying to come to terms with what Alistair did. I don’t know whether to call it quits with him, or not. He’s been begging me for a second chance.’
Grace sighed, and took a few moments to answer. ‘Sweetheart, you know what your father and I think about it all, but it’s not our place to tell you how to run your life. We can only give you advice and hope you make the right decision. After what Alistair did, he really doesn’t have the right to call you his wife anymore. I’m sorry to say such a thing, but we love you with all our heart, Charlize, and we only want what’s best for you.’
‘I know, Mum, and I love you both so much for allowing me to be myself, and letting me make my own decisions, and mistakes for that matter. I’m just so heartbroken and confused at the moment, that’s all, and I need a clear head to work it all out—which I reckon I’m going to get on this crazy assignment Jasper is about to send me on out in the middle of nowhere.’
‘Yes, Jasper told me all about it, and I must be honest and tell you, your father and I had a little chuckle between ourselves when we pictured you living the country life for a week.’
‘Oh geez, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mum,’ Charlize said lightheartedly.
‘Look, love, as much as you’re going to struggle with the slower pace of life in Grenfell, and the fact you won’t have everything you’re used to at your fingertips, I’m sure you’ll benefit from the time away. Country air has a way of revitalising you from the inside out and making you see things from a completely different angle.’
