Outback Husband

by Jessica Hart

  She could hear Cal following her and turned her face away, on the edge of tears. ‘Go away!’ she muttered.

  ‘I haven’t finished,’ Cal said quietly.

  ‘I’ve said that I’ll sell! What more do you want?’

  ‘I want you,’ he said.

  There was a long, long silence. Juliet didn’t dare let herself believe what she had heard. ‘What?’ she whispered.

  ‘Juliet, I’m in love with you,’ said Cal. Did she really not know? ‘I need you. I don’t want Wilparilla if I can’t have you too. I only wanted to buy it so that you’d know that wasn’t why I was asking you to marry me.’

  ‘You want to marry me?’ Juliet sounded dazed, disbelieving, terrified that she would wake up and find that this was just a dream.

  ‘Wilparilla doesn’t mean anything without you and the boys.’ Cal took her hands in an urgent clasp. ‘Don’t go back to England, Juliet. You belong here, with me.’

  Juliet felt the warm strength of his fingers flowing through her as she looked up at him, her eyes huge and blue and starry with tears. She tried to speak but couldn’t, and Cal lost his nerve.

  ‘Don’t look like that!’ he said desperately. ‘I never wanted to hurt you, Juliet. I know I should have told you that I was the one who wanted to buy Wilparilla, but I didn’t want to lose you. You have to stay here. You have to,’ he rushed on when she still didn’t speak, knowing that he had been a fool, knowing that he sounded like a fool.

  Afraid that she would simply walk away if he let her go, Cal tightened his grip on Juliet’s hands. ‘You don’t have to marry me. I’ll stay on as manager as long as you’ll stay. I’ll even go if that’s what you want.’

  Her chest was so tight with swelling emotion that Juliet was finding it hard to breathe. ‘I don’t want you as manager,’ she managed to say at last.

  ‘You want me to go?’ Cal’s expression was dismayed.

  ‘No,’ said Juliet, shaking her head. ‘No, I don’t want you to go.’ She gave him a wavering smile. ‘You know I said I wanted to talk to you, Cal?’

  ‘Yes?’ he said uncertainly.

  ‘I was going to ask you to marry me,’ she told him, her eyes brimming with tears. ‘I knew I couldn’t bear to be here without you, but then I thought…I thought you just wanted Wilparilla after all…’

  The tears spilled over at that, and Cal let out his breath in a long sigh as her words sank in. ‘Juliet,’ he said, drawing her into his arms so that he could hold her tight against him, her face buried in his throat, his cheek resting on her soft hair. ‘Juliet, darling, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know how else to convince you that I love you. I was afraid that otherwise you’d always be wondering if Wilparilla was the only reason I’d wanted to marry you.’

  Juliet clung to him, overwhelmed by the feel of his arms around her once again. She had been so afraid that she would have to face life without ever holding him again, and now here he was, telling her that he loved her, and she was so happy that she didn’t know why she couldn’t stop crying.

  Cal kissed her hair as that was all he could reach. ‘It’s been hell while you’ve been away,’ he said unevenly, as he too let himself believe that everything would be all right. ‘We all missed you. Natalie’s been desperate, Maggie spent her whole time telling me what a fool I’d been, and even the men kept asking when you were coming back.’ His voice dropped. ‘But none of them missed you the way I missed you, Juliet. I wanted you all the time. I wanted you with me; I wanted to be able to touch you, to see you smile again.’

  Juliet tipped back her head at that, and gave him a watery smile, and he could kiss her at last: a long, long, hungry kiss.

  ‘Oh, Cal, I love you so much,’ she mumbled, emerging for breath at one point. ‘I can’t believe you love me.’ Her arms were wound tightly around his neck and she was pressing kisses over his face. ‘I’ve been so miserable since I realised that I’d fallen in love with you. I wish I’d told you now, but I kept remembering that agreement we made. Love wasn’t supposed to come into it, was it?’

  ‘We were just fooling ourselves,’ said Cal ruefully. ‘We never stood a chance. And, talking of agreements, isn’t our trial period about over?’

  ‘So it is,’ said Juliet, pulling back slightly so that she could smile up into his face. ‘I think it’s time to make your position a permanent one, don’t you?’

  Cal laughed and gathered her close. ‘Sounds good to me, boss,’ he said, and kissed her ear.

  ‘Boss?’ She drew away again to look at him quizzically. ‘I thought you were going to buy me out?’

  ‘Not completely,’ he said. ‘I’ll buy half the property. That means we’ll be equal partners.’ He smiled. ‘But you’ll always be the boss to me!’

  ‘Oh?’ she said pertly. ‘Does that mean that you’ll do whatever I say from now on?’

  ‘Haven’t I always?’

  Juliet laughed at his expression of mock virtue. ‘You could have fooled me! I think I’d like some proof that you’re going to do as you’re told—and you can start by kissing me again!’

  So Cal did as he was told and kissed her, and went on kissing her until the glare went out of the sun. And as it began its slow slide into evening they turned and made their way back along the creek, to the children waiting for them in the homestead.

  They were married six weeks later, under the coolabah trees that Juliet had watched so often from the verandah. Her second wedding was very different from her first, Juliet thought happily as she walked down the verandah steps, hand in hand with Cal.

  Then it had been a big society wedding. The men had been in morning suits and top hats, and she had worn a long white dress with a veil and an extravagant bouquet of flowers. This time she was wearing a long, sleeveless buttermilk shift made of linen so fine that the slightest breeze lifted it and whispered its softness over her skin. There were side vents up to the knee, but otherwise the dress was utterly plain. Juliet hadn’t wanted to spoil its simplicity with any ornaments, but had allowed herself to be self-indulgent instead about the gold strappy sandals. Cal had shaken his head in baffled amusement when he’d discovered that the shoes had cost more than the dress, but Juliet loved them.

  It was just after five, and the fierce heat had gone from day. Pausing at the bottom of the steps to put on the soft straw hat that she had bought at the same time, Juliet decided to carry it in her hand instead. She glanced up at Cal, who was unfussily dressed in a pale short-sleeved shirt and moleskin trousers. He had searched through his drawers for a tie, but Juliet had vetoed that. She wasn’t used to seeing him in tie, and she wanted him just as he was.

  Catching her look, Cal smiled down at her, and Juliet felt the familiar churn of desire. She wished that they were alone, and could go straight back inside to bed, but Cal had insisted on inviting the whole neighbourhood.

  ‘What if they all think I’m just marrying you for your money?’ she had asked, suddenly struck by nerves as they’d dressed for the wedding. She’d been sitting in front of the mirror, dithering over which lipstick to wear.

  Cal had come up behind her, sliding his hands over her bare honey-coloured shoulders and bending to kiss the back of her neck. ‘I’ve been wondering that myself since you bought those shoes,’ he’d teased, and Juliet had tipped her head back in mock indignation.

  ‘Of course, they might all think you’re just marrying me for Wilparilla,’ she’d reminded him.

  ‘We know that’s not true, don’t we?’ Cal had said, dropping a kiss onto her lips. ‘You know as well as I do that I’m marrying you for that grader!’

  Juliet had laughed and kissed him back. The grader had been her wedding present to him. Cal had given her a beautiful mare of her own to ride, and she already had plans to breed from her.

  And the night before, when they’d gone to bed, he had slipped a diamond eternity ring on her finger.

  It glinted now in the sunlight as Juliet and Cal walked down to the coolabah trees, where the guests were all waiti
ng for them. The stockmen were there, looking ill-at-ease in their stiff new shirts. There was Maggie, in an uncompromising flowered shirt-waister, and Kit and Andrew, in shorts and white shirts that had been clean when they’d left the house ten minutes ago but which were already distinctly grubby. And Natalie, undoubtedly star of the show, in what could only be described as a pink satin meringue.

  Juliet had let her choose own dress when they had all gone to Brisbane to buy clothes for the wedding. She remembered being forced into embarrassing bridesmaids’ outfits as a child, and was determined that Natalie would enjoy the day that she was looking forward to so much. ‘You can wear whatever you want,’ Juliet had said generously, but had rather regretted it when, to her astonishment, tomboy Natalie had fixed instantly on this pink, frothy confection.

  Suppressing a wince, Juliet had exchanged a look with Cal, who had merely grinned. ‘You were the one who said she needed to be a little girl,’ he reminded her.

  So Natalie had got her pretty dress, and now stood proudly by the celebrant. From a distance all that could be seen of her was her smile. Juliet’s heart clenched with love for her, and her throat was tight with joy as she and Cal collected Kit and Andrew and went to join her under the trees.

  They’d wanted to be married as a family, with the three children standing in front of them before the celebrant. Unfortunately, the happy idea was rather marred by the boys, who were showing off, pushing and shoving each other beside Natalie until Juliet separated them with an apologetic glance at the celebrant, who duly paused. Natalie was given the hat to hold and Kit was sent to Cal’s side, while she took Andrew’s hand firmly in her own. The celebrant suppressed a smile and continued.

  After this minor interruption, the brief service went without hitch, and they were married at last. Radiant with joy, Juliet smiled at Cal and, unable to wait any longer, he kissed her. They were both still holding onto a twin at that point, but the brief kiss they had intended wasn’t enough, and at the same moment they let go of the sticky little hands so that Cal could gather her into his arms for a proper kiss.

  Kit and Andrew seized the opportunity to resume their fighting, but Juliet was oblivious by then. She was unaware of anything except the sheer joy of being in Cal’s arms and knowing that a lifetime together lay ahead. Cal, too, had forgotten their audience, until Natalie got restless and tugged at his arm.

  ‘Dad!’ she said loudly. ‘We’re all waiting!’

  Everyone laughed at that, and a cheer went up as Cal reluctantly released a blushing Juliet. ‘They must think that was a hell of a grader you gave me,’ he murmured wickedly to her.

  Juliet, Maggie and the children had spent the week clearing out the old woolshed. It was many years since sheep had been run at Wilparilla, but the woolshed remained and it was a perfect place for a party. Children ran in and out, and the sound of music and laughter spilled out into the quiet outback night.

  It was well past the twins’ bedtime, and they were beginning to flag. Juliet, who had been keeping an unobtrusive eye on them as they raced around with the others, touched Cal’s arm. ‘I think it’s time I took the boys to bed,’ she murmured.

  Cal glanced over at the group of children chasing each other round one of the trestle tables. ‘I’ll get Natalie and we’ll go together.’

  Natalie wasn’t at all ready to admit that she was tired, but Cal extricated her eventually, and the five of them began to walk back along the track to the homestead. Once they’d left the excitement behind, Kit and Andrew’s footsteps began to drag, until Cal picked up one and Juliet the other, and they carried them, the small blond heads drooping against their shoulders.

  Walking between them, and swinging off her father’s free hand, Natalie was still chattering about the wedding when she interrupted herself with a huge yawn. Cal’s eyes met Juliet’s over her head and he smiled. ‘Time you were in bed too, young lady.’

  ‘Oh, Dad, I don’t want to go to bed!’ Natalie reached for Juliet’s hand. ‘I don’t have to go to bed yet, do I, Juliet?’ she pleaded. ‘I’ve been looking forward to the wedding for ages and as soon as I go to bed it will all be over.’

  ‘It won’t be over, Natalie,’ said Juliet lovingly. ‘That’s the wonderful thing,’ she explained, smiling at Cal with her heart in her eyes. ‘It’s just begun.’

  Kit and Andrew were already half asleep by the time Juliet laid them in their beds. She tucked them in and smoothed the hair from their foreheads as she bent down to kiss them, her heart too full for words. Next door, Cal had persuaded Natalie into bed, too, and she was struggling to keep her eyes open as Juliet kissed her goodnight. Her arms were tight around Juliet’s neck as she hugged her.

  ‘It was a good wedding, wasn’t it?’ she murmured sleepily, and Juliet’s eyes stung with tears as she kissed her again.

  ‘It was the best,’ she said.

  Cal was waiting for her in the doorway. Taking Juliet by the hand, he drew her out of the room and closed the door with a last goodnight to Natalie.

  ‘I suppose we should go back to the party,’ Juliet said half-heartedly, but Cal was already pulling her into their room.

  ‘We can go back later,’ he said. ‘I’ve had to wait all evening to get you to myself so that I can tell you how much I love you.’

  The door closed behind them, and Juliet melted into his arms. The party, the guests, what everyone would think—all was forgotten as they kissed. And after a while it was Juliet who reached behind her and turned the key in the lock.

  ISBN: 978-1-4603-6495-6

  OUTBACK HUSBAND

  First North American Publication 2000.

  Copyright © 1998 by Jessica Hart.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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