Wilderness Liaison

by Anne Ashby

  Chucking her purse onto the table, Jodie swore as it skidded off onto the floor. Leaving it where it lay, she stomped into the kitchen and leaned against the bench.

  What had got in his craw anyway? Why had he said those things? I detest townies. To have Shal suggest I’m one myself is ridiculous. My lifestyle is as different... She scrutinized her lounge.

  I don’t care about wealth or material possessions. I don’t! Burying her head in her hands, she tried to find a way to dismiss the truth of Shal’s words—and her own thoughts.

  Jodie groaned. He’s not right, I don’t think like a townie. I might be proud of my house, but how much satisfaction do I gain living in an upmarket part of town?

  Lifting her head her gaze fell on her state-of-the-art home theatre system. Shaking fingers rose to her trembling lips as she remembered its cost. It had been very expensive.

  She surveyed the rest of the room. Nothing was second-hand, except for a couple of antique side tables she’d found a few years ago. She knew they were worth double what she’d paid for them.

  Disgust puckered a sour taste in her mouth. While scoffing at others, she’d also been collecting material possessions beyond her needs.

  I’m as grasping and materialistic as any other townie. Good Lord, I’ve spent the last few years pretending to be something I’m not.

  I’ve accused Shal, and denigrated so many others for presenting a false image of themselves, and I’ve been doing the same thing.

  She gasped as she accepted the truth. I have changed with the environment I’ve chosen to live in. I’ve become as focused on image as everyone else.

  Stalking into her bedroom, she threw off her glad rags, grabbed some running clothes, and yanked them on. She needed some fresh air to come to grips with the realisation of her silly, idealistic views. Not caring it was late at night nor safe to be out alone, she grabbed her keys and hit the road.

  ****

  Jodie had run for hours before she was able to find peaceful acceptance. Crawling into bed not long before dawn, she wanted to talk to Shal, but forced herself to wait until morning.

  Admitting how right he’d been wouldn’t be easy—not when she’d made such a fool of herself with her disdain for townies. Living with the guilt of my own stupidity would be so much worse, she decided. It’s a wonder Shal has put up with me for this long.

  Dragging herself out of bed and off to work took all Jodie’s energy that morning. Putting off calling Shal was cowardly. Well, she’d been a coward for so long, what were a few more hours?

  This can’t be discussed over the phone anyway, she justified. I have to face him. If she had a gap in her day, she’d ring and arrange to meet him.

  Or maybe a text would be simpler. He couldn’t ask awkward questions then. As if by telepathy, Jodie’s cell phone rang just as she entered the university block.

  Before she could do more than answer, Shal asked, “Any chance you could get an extended lunch break today? I have something to show you.”

  “Ahh, maybe. I’ll check.” She hurried into her office and flipped open her diary. “Actually, Shal—”

  She could hear other people talking to Shal in the background.

  “Sorry, I’ve got a meeting, babe. Can you check your schedule?”

  He wouldn’t be using an endearment if he was still angry with me, would he?

  “How long do I need?”

  “At least an hour-and-a-half, even two if you can swing it?”

  Jodie checked her lecturing schedule. “I can manage it from eleven.” She heard his quiet sigh, and took it for relief. “Actually, Shal, that suits me very well because I do need to talk to you.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing...nothing that can’t wait.” Coward, coward, whispered a voice inside her head as she defused the concern in his voice. “I’ll need to do some work tonight, though, to catch up.”

  “That’s okay, I don’t mind. I’ll cook tea while you work.”

  Jodie was left staring at the phone. Her stomach churned as she wondering what he was planning.

  Will admitting what an idiot I’ve been make a difference to how he feels?

  Shal wasn’t very communicative when he squealed into traffic the second her car door closed. In seconds he swung onto the North Western motorway.

  She felt a twinge of apprehension, but pushed it away. Everything about him signalled a commitment on his part to their relationship. Look how he’d offered to prepare tonight’s meal while I work, just like a married couple might.

  She hoped she wasn’t allowing wishful dreams to transport her into the realms of fantasy.

  “Where are we going?” she queried, as they neared the Waitakere Ranges. “Can we stop and talk for a moment once we get off the motorway?”

  There was a strange haunted expression on his face as he glanced at her. His fingers gleamed white around the steering wheel.

  “Ah, sure. We have quite a drive, though.” He was being mysterious. “Could we talk on the way back?”

  Relieved to have the moment delayed, Jodie agreed.

  “Put on a CD and relax.”

  Choosing something mellow, she leaned back and immediately felt her eyelids grow heavy. Perhaps she’d rest her eyes for a moment.

  Jodie slept during their drive and was unaware of Shal’s sneaky grin as he turned into a secluded driveway. He punched numbers into a security device to open two tall gates and drove up a long, winding gravel road through mature native bush.

  She didn’t feel the car stop, or hear the soft click of his door as he exited. He disappeared momentarily into a beautiful three-levelled house nestled against a slope. Sunlight reflected from its mass of windows.

  A gentle hand touched her arm. Forcing her eyes open, Jodie stared into the warm gaze of the man she loved.

  “Oh, Shal. I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “I can’t believe I fell asleep.”

  His warm smile rested on her as she exited the car and straightened.

  “Where are we?” Her eyes rounded as she took in the immaculate gardens and the enormous house.

  Without speaking Shal drew her up the steps toward a magnificent kauri double door inlaid with long lead-light windows that caught the sun. Wondering whose place this was, she felt Shal move aside.

  Not wanting to meet anyone without him at her side, she swung around to beg him to stay close. Her heart gave a tremendous thump and begin racing.

  Her gaze fixed on him. In slow motion it travelled over his dark hair, his strong face, his visibly knotted jaw, past his broad shoulders all the way down to the one knee kneeling on the terracotta paving. As the blood began pounding in her ears, her eyes darted to a red, heart-shaped cushion in his hand. A soft gasp escaped as her eyes fell to the box on the cushion—a large, rectangular box.

  “Take it,” he urged.

  It was bigger than the box she’d hoped he might be giving her one day. Fascinated, while just a little disappointed, Jodie chewed her bottom lip.

  She didn’t need presents, and except for thoughtful small tokens, he’d never given her anything expensive. Her eyes rose to his enigmatic face, before being drawn to a vein throbbing on his neck. She saw panic flash across his face as she hesitated.

  “It’s the key to my heart...and my castle. Come share with me.”

  Unable to control the shake in her hands, Jodie reached over and opened the box to reveal a golden key. She stared, tongue-tied. Her legs were shaking so much she was surprised she could still stand.

  “Try it.” She jumped at the sound of his voice, her befuddled brain worrying his knee must be getting sore.

  She lifted the key and approached the door in a daze. The key fitted, of course, and the door swung open. The first thing she saw was a little table, placed right inside the door, bare except for a much smaller black box sitting prominently on it. She stared at him as he joined her, her mouth dry as a kids’ sandpit. Her heart was doing a jackhammer impression.

  Shal picked up the
box and opening it, presented an emerald and diamond ring for her inspection. “Will you marry me, Jodie?”

  She was struck dumb.

  “I’m dying here. Aren’t you going to say anything?”

  “I-I—”

  “Jodie Mathieson—at a loss for words.” She watched his eyebrow rise. “That’s a revelation.”

  Jodie could only smile through eyes awash with tears and nod her head, again and again.

  His fingers were shaking, too, as he slipped the ring onto her finger and carried it up to his lips. The kiss they then shared held a benediction of trust and love.

  An expression of intense relief and satisfaction crossed his face. “Come and look around.” He grabbed her hand and drew her further into the house.

  “Is this house yours?”

  “Yep, signed up this morning.” She heard the excitement in his voice, although he masked it with a hastily added comment. “I gave myself an out, though, twenty-four hours to get my fiancée’s approval. So you have to decide today whether you’d like to live here.”

  Shal towed her from room to room while she tried to catch her breath. Each room was more incredible than the last. Through every window she saw tall, mature native bush.

  “Can you afford something like this?” she demanded, shocked and scared at the cost of such an elegant home. She’d have been happy to share his apartment, or have him shift into her little villa in Parnell. She hadn’t known he had this sort of money.

  He shrugged. “My apartment was freehold, and I sold a few shares. I figure if I make some clever investments, we might own it outright by the time our grandchildren are at uni.”

  Anxiety spurted through her. She dreaded he might have hocked himself up for her.

  He assured with a smile. “Forget it. It’s okay. I promise.” His extreme confidence seemed to wane a little as he slid open a huge sliding glass door, allowing her access onto one of the balconies on the top level. “I wanted to buy you your own bush.” He was biting at his bottom lip.

  Jodie’s voice disappeared as she tried to formulate a response. Instead silence reigned. Her legs threatened to collapse beneath her as she clung to one of the balcony supports. A lump took up residence in her throat as she looked over a carpet of tall, thick trees to the Sky Tower and Auckland city beyond.

  “The house is an added bonus. I told the real estate agent I wanted at least ten acres of bush in the Waitakeres. I didn’t care how much it cost, as long as it was mature bush.”

  Jodie had difficulty taking this all in. Her mouth opened but no words passed her dry lips. Not surprised he’d understood her dreams, the shock of having them realised was too much to comprehend.

  “See that roof over there?” She leaned against the balcony rails, bemused and very shaken as he swung his arm, pointing out the boundary of the property.

  Jodie’s blurred eyes tried to focus as they followed his pointed finger. “That was another bonus. The agent approached them, too. They’re retired. Their only child lives in Melbourne, and has no interest in returning to live here when they get too old to manage it. So I’ve negotiated to buy their property as well. Using a reverse annuity scheme,” he reassured her. “So as from tomorrow morning, all that land,” he pointed further, “will belong to us as well. The house and garden remains theirs until they die.”

  Jodie sank onto an inbuilt seat next to the spa pool she hadn’t even been aware of. Her shaking legs were no longer capable of holding her upright.

  “Twenty-two acres in all.”

  Jodie’s stunned eyes followed him as he paced around the balcony.

  “I must be going crazy,” she muttered, trying to come to grips with this.

  “In a couple of years...”

  A couple of years? Jodie’s mind was numb with the enormity of what he’d done. This place was worth a million dollars, maybe even more.

  “When we get a little more financially set, I thought we’d get a predator fence around the place.” Excitement flashed across his face as he continued pacing, enthused by his plans.

  “If we fence these two sections we could attract birds here, and plant those endangered plants you told us about on the tramp.” He looked like an eager little boy as he approached her. “Will that work? Is the land okay, the soil and stuff? Will we be able to do something worthwhile here?”

  Worthwhile? Oh my God! She covered her face with her hands, unable to take in all he was saying.

  “What’s wrong?” he wrenched her hands away and gripped them in his. “Don’t you like it? Won’t it do?”

  “Like it?” she croaked. “Oh Shal, of course I like it!” She felt tears running down her cheeks. “I love it. It’s too incredible to even imagine. But the cost...?”

  She couldn’t believe he just shrugged as if that didn’t matter.

  “Money’s no good unless you’re doing something worthwhile with it, Jodie.” His fingers were gentle as they traced her tears. “Don’t worry about the cost, darling. Your husband-to-be’s a financier.” He grinned. “I appreciate your concern, but I promise I haven’t over-committed us.”

  “You’re sure? I couldn’t bear it if you made things difficult just so you could do this for me.”

  “You leave the finances to me. I’ll leave the conservation to you.”

  Jodie wandered along the balcony, dumbfounded at the treasure he’d purchased. How long will it take for my feet to come back to earth?

  Her eyes turned from the section to the house. He’d rushed her through it so fast she’d seen little, but she suspected it included every modern comfort available to man. But it’s not the house Shal has bought for me. He’s recognised the property—the bush—held so much more appeal than any man-made structure. He’s seen right into my very soul and without asking, knew where my dreams lay.

  Beyond the immaculate gardens surrounding the house and pool, there was a stand of native bush where she could one day provide a safe haven for native flora and fauna nearing extinction.

  Her eyes gaped at Shal. His agitated movements showed uncharacteristic nervousness.

  Haven’t I shown enough reaction for him to realise what this means to me? She smiled, tears building up in her eyes again. “Do you have your phone? I left mine in the car.”

  He frowned as he took it from his shirt pocket and handed it to her.

  “How can we go back to work after this?” She called the university and apologised for the emergency which precluded her returning that day.

  “I can’t take all this in. It’s too amazing, too incredible.” Her eyes fell to her finger. She touched it to reassure herself there truly was a ring there. “It’s too wonderful.” She took his hand and rubbed it against her cheek. “You’re too wonderful.”

  She looked over the balcony to where the driveway disappeared into the trees. “Do you think the owners will be back anytime soon?”

  Jodie felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach as his lazy gaze travelled the length of her body before returning to her face.

  He shook his head. “You forget...we’re the owners, babe.

  “Now, I remember you needed us to talk about something...” His eyes were intent on the circular motions his thumbs were making around her nipples. “What’s on your mind?”

  She knew what was on her mind and it wasn’t talk. Hooking her fingers into his belt, she careered inside, almost tripping as she drew him, laughing, after her. “The carpet looks quite soft,” she murmured as she unclipped the buckle.

  Waves of excitement flowed over her as he inched up her skirt and slipped his fingers under the delicate elastic of her briefs.

  “Let’s find out, shall we?”

  A word about the author...

  Anne Ashby grew up in a very small coastal town in Southland, New Zealand. An eagerness to travel, fostered by her mother, led her to join the Royal NZ Navy, where she enjoyed a very satisfying career.

  She has travelled extensively and lived in Singapore and in Maryland USA. Anne has a keen inter
est in genealogy, an obsession for rugby, and a definite dislike of housework.

  When not reading or writing, Anne finds plenty to occupy her time with her family commitments. She currently lives in Wanganui with her husband and two of their four children.

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