She opened those big brown eyes of hers and smiled up at him.
"Good morning," he whispered, his finger lightly tracing patterns across her collarbone.
"Morning, yourself."
Her phone chimed from the living room where she had happily forgotten it the night before. "What time is it?"
He twisted his head to see the digital clock on the bedside table. "Just after six."
She stretched. "I haven't slept this late in years."
He chuckled. "You call this late?"
She kissed his chin. "It is when you live on a dairy farm. Dad will have been up since four."
Justin's thoughts turned to Boyd, and he tried to swallow down the emotion.
“He would have been proud of you.” Freya stroked the hair around his ear. “I'm sure he loved you and just wanted you to be happy.”
“Is that why he never wrote to me? Never came to visit me?” His voice was full of venom, not directed at her—he hoped she knew that. “Did he think I’d be happier without him in my life?”
Freya rolled onto her side and ran her fingers over his chest. “Maybe he didn’t want to be a distraction. Maybe he thought you were better off without him.”
He closed his eyes. “I was happy without him. I had my stepdad, and he was great. But now I realise that I'll never have the opportunity to know Boyd, my real father. I'm so angry with him, because he never gave me the chance to know him."
She softly wiped away the single tear that rolled down his cheek. "You did miss out. But he missed out on knowing you and that was the greater loss." She kissed his cheek, then looked him in the eye. "I wouldn't give up knowing you for anything."
He saw the sincerity of her words, the honesty and empathy with which she lived her life.
She slipped her arm around him and rested her head against his chest. Justin lay back, feeling her body rise and fall with every breath.
An unfamiliar sense of peace swept over him.
"Stay." After having made love to her again, Justin leaned across the bed, and pulled Freya in for another kiss.
"I can't. I have to go to work." She gave him a longing look before pulling on her jeans.
He admired the way they clung to her thighs and backside. Her body was perfect, and his fingers itched to discover it again and again and again.
And God, it felt right. Perfectly, wonderfully right.
He threw back the sheet covers and pulled on his jeans before following her to the living room. The air was cold against his shirtless chest and he shivered.
"It's been raining," she said from the window. Outside, low clouds blanketed the fields. "The mist should rise soon. We need the rain though, so we can't complain."
He went to her and touched her shoulder, letting his hand glide down her arm until their fingers linked. He brought her palm to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss against it. "When can I see you again?"
Her smile lit up her face as though she had been hoping he would ask just that question. "How about lunch? You can come to the café, or we can try somewhere else?"
"Only if I can have you for dessert," he teased as he pulled her in for another heart-stopping kiss.
"I'm sure that can be arranged." She held him close against her for a moment before letting go, gathering her belongings, and slipping out the door.
He leaned against the doorframe and watched her drive away. He could still smell her intoxicating scent in the room, on himself.
He was so grateful for having met Freya. This amazing, sexy woman who seemed to understand him and know him like no one else.
Shit.
Falling in love with her wasn’t on the agenda. Though as his heart continued to thump and his skin tingled at the memory of her touch, he had the uneasy feeling it was already too late.
Shaking his head, he walked back to the bedroom where he showered and shaved. He was making the bed when his phone rang. He answered the call and greeted his lawyer.
"I've got some news, Justin. We've had an enquiry about the farm, from a solicitor acting on behalf of a property developer.” The lawyer paused dramatically. “They have made an offer."
Justin's head was spinning. Faced with the chance to sell, he realised he’d been leaning towards leasing the estate out to the Montgomerys after all. When did that happen?
"What does a developer want with a dairy farm?"
"They want to turn it into a housing estate."
Justin heard the hesitation in the lawyer’s voice. A housing estate. All Justin could picture were cookie-cutter houses crammed onto tiny blocks of land. His father's farm would be carved up into little chunks and sold off for top dollar.
The idea didn't sit well with him, but he also had to think about himself and his future. He had to at least consider this.
"What kind of an offer are we talking about?"
"A very generous amount. I think you should come into the office."
Chapter 11
Freya drove straight to the café and parked in the staff parking. She didn't want her mum or dad to pick up on her post-coital glow and tease her about being out all night.
She wanted to keep her budding new relationship with Justin private—for a little while longer at least. She wanted to revel in their love bubble as long as she could without having to think about what might happen tomorrow.
The café was bustling with the breakfast crowd. Tourists often came up for a hearty meal of bacon and eggs or pancakes before touring the working dairy farm.
The guides were as entertaining as they were informative, and guests were often so happy by the end of the tour that they’d stop by the shop and fill a cooler bag or two of Emerald Hills produce. They’d buy milk, yogurt and cheese to take away with them, and share the stories and experiences they’d enjoyed with their family and friends.
Freya made her way to her office, a small little room near the kitchen, where she shut the door and opened her laptop. She had advertising campaigns to review, videos to edit, and media releases to send off. All the jobs she should get done, instead of daydreaming about Justin and their incredible lovemaking.
She was roused two hours later by a rapping on the door and looked up as Greer walked in with a steaming cup of coffee.
"Good morning." Greer gave her a wink and handed her the cup, which Freya sipped gratefully.
"Thank you. I really needed a caffeine hit."
Greer sank into the couch opposite. "Late night?" She quirked an eyebrow at her sister.
Freya peeked at her from behind the cup while trying to hide her smile.
"That good, huh?"
Freya nodded. The idea of spending every night in Justin’s bed—sharing life’s delights and challenges—took root.
"I'm so jealous. I miss being in love." Greer's voice was lined with despair. She hid it well, but Freya knew her sister better than anyone. "So, when are you going to see him again?"
"We're meeting for lunch."
"Overnight visits, then a lunch date? It’s getting serious."
"Hopefully." Freya's phone pinged beside her and she smiled when she saw Justin's name on the screen.
Her expression fell, and her stomach clenched, as she read his message.
"Is that him? What's wrong?" Greer asked.
"He has to cancel lunch. Apparently, he's got a meeting with his lawyer."
"Maybe they're working on the lease agreement. I know how keen Dad is to take it on."
Freya hoped that was the reason. It would be great for Emerald Hills to run Boyd's farm—hell, it would be great for Maleny. Keeping farms in the community meant keeping local jobs and opportunities. Plus, Justin would still have a link to them—a reason to visit and check in on things.
But her gut told her it was something else. “I have a bad feeling.”
“I’m sure it will be okay.” Her sister walked around the desk and hugged her. “He’ll probably call you later with good news.”
Freya smiled at her, hoping she was right.
What if he was having second thoughts? Or regretted their night together?
What if he was one of those guys who lost interest in a girl after sleeping with them?
She didn't think he was that kind of man. Nothing he had said or done had made her think he was anything less than honourable. Normally she was a good judge of character and could tell if a person was being honest or not.
She had always had such a good feeling about Justin.
Why did he suddenly need to meet with his lawyer? Especially when he had been so eager to be with her that morning? Surely the leasing paperwork could wait.
What could possibly have changed?
Justin's heart and head pounded as he drove up the dirt driveway to the Montgomerys’ house. Pulling up next to Freya's car, he was greeted by Denver. As he closed the car door, he bent down and scratched the dog's head, hoping he would receive as friendly a greeting from the residents inside.
The door swung open, and he looked up to see Freya standing in the outline of the doorway, the light from inside shining around her silhouette, throwing a dark shadow across her face. He took his time climbing the stairs, practising what he would say in his mind.
"This is a nice surprise." Freya reached for him and he moved into her embrace. He held her tightly, breathing in the scent that was so perfectly her.
He wanted this. He wanted her, but the news he brought could change everything. What would she say? How would they all react? His chest tightened uncomfortably.
After a long time, he pulled back. “Is your father home?”
She nodded and looked at him with questioning eyes. “What’s wrong, Justin?"
"I have news. News I need to tell all of you."
He watched as she swallowed, then held the door open for him to come in.
Her father greeted him with his usual friendly handshake and waved him onto the couch. They sat and exchanged niceties while Freya rounded up her sister and mother.
Justin declined the drink Mark offered, thinking once they heard his news, they may not want him to stay.
"Well, don't keep us in suspense," Nina said when they were all gathered.
Justin took a deep breath before sharing his news. "I spent today with someone who has made an offer to buy Boyd's farm."
He was met with raised eyebrows and open mouths. He continued, "It's a property developer from Noosa. They are very interested in buying it."
The silence was deafening. He could see their faces falling as though this was the worst news they could have received.
"I appreciate you telling us this,” said Mark. “Are you going to accept the offer?"
"There are still some details to be looked at before they can finalise the offer, so I honestly don't know. But I wanted to be honest and open with all of you. From my perspective, it would be easier for me to sell the farm and use the money to invest and help my family."
"But a property developer—they'll turn it into a housing estate." Freya's voice was quiet but serious.
"The region is growing, Freya." Nina turned to her daughter. "People need somewhere to live."
"But they need the dairy farms too. What's going to happen when they all close, and this land becomes housing? It'll be just another suburban jungle like down the range."
"Emerald Hills will still be here, sweetheart," her father said. "We're not going anywhere; you're making our business too profitable for us to have any reason to sell."
Mark turned back to Justin with eyes full of understanding. "Thank you for telling us. We appreciate your honesty and openness. My offer to lease the farm is still good. I'd love to be able to buy it, but I'm sure what the developer is offering is more than we could ever afford."
The figure that Stephen had mentioned was more than most people could afford. It came with a lot of digits. Justin would be set up for life; he could stop working if he wanted to. His whole family could. The developer still had to dot some i's and cross some t’s, but they had already done substantial research and planning. Stephen suggested that they had had their eye on Maleny for a long time, just waiting for a suitable property to become available.
It was hard for Justin to wrap his head around. Boyd had been dead for less than two weeks, and there was already an offer of lease on the table from Mark, and now this purchase offer.
He tried to avoid listening to the niggling whispers in the back of his mind. What would Boyd want?
Nina stood and opened her arms to him. He hugged her briefly and thanked her for understanding.
"I'm here if you need to talk about anything." Mark shook his hand.
Greer wished him luck before Freya walked him to the door and down the front stairs. The silence between them was almost unbearable. He wished she'd say something. Anything.
When they reached his car, he lingered at the door, wanting desperately to fix this, to touch her and tell her everything would be okay.
"Thank you for telling us." She regarded him with huge brown eyes overflowing with something he didn't want to see—disappointment.
"Everything was going so well." He reached his hand out to stroke her cheek. “We've only just begun."
She placed her warm hand over his and pressed against it, her eyes closed. "This doesn't have to be the end …"
He wanted to believe her. Maybe he would have if only she'd looked him in the eye when she said it.
He knew he should drop his hand, walk away, and leave her to get on with her life. But he was caught, held by a need he wished didn’t exist. "I'm sorry. I really am."
She let go of his hand and took two swaying steps backwards. "So am I."
And with those simple words, his heart broke.
Chapter 12
Freya spent the night tossing and turning. Her head churned with thoughts of deceit and betrayal. But the more she thought about it, the more she came to see Justin’s point of view.
As much as she didn't want another housing development taking over the precious farmland still had left in town, she could see that the responsibility of owning a farm was not something Justin wanted. And leasing it out certainly wouldn’t make the same amount of money as a sale.
Freya was nothing if not determined though, so she spent the cold, early hours of the morning staring up at the ceiling, formulating a plan.
If Justin was going to sell, she was going to make him see exactly what he would be giving up, and how it would affect the town she loved.
After the morning milking, she ran to her car, threw her things into the back, and drove as fast as she could over to Justin's farm. If he had already left, then there would be no chance for her plan to work.
She let out a loud sigh as she drove over the rise and saw his car parked in front of the house. She pulled up beside it and climbed out of her car.
Leaves and grass, still wet from the early morning fog, glistened in the sparse sunlight. A huge cobweb adorning a bush sparkled, as if made from silver thread, and a kookaburra burst into his signature laugh from a tree close by.
Finding the door open, she let herself in, calling out a hello when she didn't see him.
"Freya?" Justin appeared from the hallway door wearing only a towel haphazardly wrapped around his hips. His chest and abdomen gleamed with water, and his hair was still damp.
Heat rose through her body as she drank him in—his dark silky hair, the line of his jaw with a five o'clock shadow, and the natural curve of his sensual lips. Lips that had loved her only yesterday.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have barged in." She half turned, unsure what to do.
He moved towards her and touched her arm. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?"
She met his eyes. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I was so rude." She swallowed. "I get it now. Farming doesn't mean the same to you as it
does to me, and that's okay."
His lips curled in a smile as he stepped closer. She became acutely aware of his closeness, his size, his smell, and most of all, his understanding.
"I was so scared. I thought I'd lost you." He reached out and stroked her hair.
She let her eyes close briefly at his touch. "I don't want you to go." Opening her eyes, she let herself get swallowed up in the depths of his eyes. "I'd like to show you why your farm is so important to the community, and to me. Then if you still want to sell, that's your decision."
His hand stilled, and his body tensed. "Then what? If I decide to sell, that's it for us?"
She put her hands on his bare chest. "No, it doesn't have to be. I mean, I'll respect whatever decision you make."
"I have to go back to Brisbane. I have work and an apartment." He raked a hand through his damp hair.
“Please, can you just stay for a week? That's all I ask."
He took her hands in his, meeting her eyes with a look that was so full of hope and determination, it took her breath away. "It's a good thing I own my own business. I'll need to check in with work, but I'll give you a week. At least some of that time needs to be spent working though."
Her voice brightened, and she knew she would have accommodated anything he asked. "We can find time to work. All we need are our laptops and Wi-Fi."
She ran her hands up and around his neck, revelling in the feeling. Then she kissed him. It was a soft, gentle kiss. It started slowly and built with heat and desire. She felt his hands move across her back and down her spine, until they were cupping her bottom. The towel between them dropped and his uncovered manhood pressed against her.
He pulled back and gave her a smouldering look that was so intense, she practically melted right there and then.
“Bloody hell.” His voice was thick with lust. “You should come with a warning.”
Freya felt a glow of pride.
After working up a sweat in the bedroom, Justin and Freya showered, dressed, and set up their laptops at the dining room table. Freya had had the foresight to pack hers before coming over. This was just another sign of how well she already knew him.
The Dairy Farmer's Daughter Page 8
