Noises she didn’t know she could make escaped her mouth as he feasted on her. Each lick, suck, and flick brought her closer and closer until she could hold back no longer. He held onto her hips as she bucked beneath him, prolonging her ecstasy until she collapsed in a puddle under him.
He lay on his side beside her, patiently waiting for her to recover. As her heartbeat returned to normal, she turned to him. He was grinning like a champion. And he was. He was her champion.
“You can do that anytime you like,” she said before pulling him on top of her and letting her hands explore his muscled back and round bottom.
“Do you have a condom by any chance?” he asked.
She waved in the general direction of their clothes. “In my jeans pocket.”
He lifted off her and returned a moment later with the packets. “Why, Harriet, did you just happen to have these lying around?” He teased.
“The perks of having a son in the house. He keeps plenty in his top drawer. Same place he’s kept them since he was a teenager.”
He chuckled before opening the packet and rolling the condom on. The sight of him touching himself made her hot with anticipation.
She spread her knees wide and he moved between them. He captured her mouth and kissed her before entering her slowly. She savoured every sensation as he took his time, reaching the deepest parts of her. He was so far inside her she felt their souls kiss. His hands were gripping her hips, her breasts were pressed against his chest, and his mouth moved over hers like he was ravenous. She closed her eyes and hugged him close. This was what she had been missing, what it was supposed to be like.
Then he started to speed up, just enough to make the friction ignite another slow-burning orgasm. This time they came together in a noisy, sweaty release that left her panting and sated.
With him, she had found true happiness.
Tom was the man for her—she knew it deep in her bones. He was the part of her that had been missing all these years. With him, she had found true happiness.
Chapter Twelve
Tom gazed upon Harriet for a moment before reaching out to her.
He had uncurled himself earlier, after their second round of lovemaking, to check the weather. Other districts in the north-western plains of Queensland were copping it just as bad. Some even worse. One particular report stated they had just received four inches of rain in two hours.
He lifted Harriet into his arms and she stirred, her eyelashes fluttering against her pale cheeks.
“Shh, I’m just taking you to bed,” he murmured softly.
He placed her on the mattress and covered her with the sheet.
It was cold. It should be stifling hot at this time of the year, but the rain had brought with it a chill.
Damn. The poor cattle on these flooding stations were already in bad condition due to years of malnutrition. They wouldn’t have the strength to survive flooding plains and starvation.
He climbed into bed beside Harriet and snuggled against her soft, warm body. She had surrendered herself so completely to him last night, and he had accepted her wholeheartedly.
He wanted to build a life with Harriet here on the land. It would be a new beginning for them both. But he sensed there was still heartbreak buried deep within her. Her late husband had broken her and he wondered if she would always hold just a little part of herself back, scared of being wounded again. And who could blame her?
She shifted within his embrace and, even though he couldn’t see her, he could sense her eyes on him.
He touched the tips of his fingers to her face, delicately tracing the outline of it. Her breathing grew more rapid as his fingers slid down her throat to the hollow in her collarbone, then across her shoulder.
“Kiss me?” she said on a moan, desperation thickening her voice.
He dipped his head and, unable to deny her anything, kissed her hungry mouth.
She wrapped her leg over his hip, pulling him closer. He grew hard and hot and desperate for her as he slid his hand along the sensitive curve of her breast and lower, over her belly to her hips. He cupped her soft bottom before kneading it with his fingers as she rocked against him and moaned.
Then she twisted in his embrace so her back was against him. She captured his hand and showed him what she wanted. Where she wanted him to touch her.
He followed her instruction, rubbing her hard knob as he kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear. Her moans became more urgent as she ground against his hips. He withdrew his hand long enough to sheath himself with a condom.
Then he was sliding into her, going deep. Dear lord, he had never been so deep inside a woman before. He fitted into her so well, like a jigsaw.
He placed his hand on her once more and teased her into orgasm as she pushed him in and out with her hips.
She clamped around him and cried out as she came. With a satisfied smile, he allowed his own orgasm to take him.
They didn’t need words as they lay there, hot and sated. He found her lips and she replied with a kiss that told him everything.
It was enough for them to be together in this moment. This was their second chance.
Chapter Thirteen
Harriet awoke in the best possible way—safely pressed against Tom’s warm body. She savoured the feel of his hard lines behind her and smiled at the memories of their lovemaking during the night.
The rain was still tapping on the roof. It was lighter now, no longer pounding, but it still distracted her from her daydreams. Opening her eyes, she saw the dark clouds through the open window and shivered when the breeze blew against her bare skin.
Tom pulled the sheet over her shoulders before placing a kiss on her cheek.
“I could wake up in your arms every morning.” She sighed then turned to meet his mouth.
He groaned as he finally pulled away. “We better check the weather. It didn’t stop all night.”
Harriet nodded as he slipped from the bed. “I should call Lachie and give him an update.”
Naked, Tom stretched his arms high, working out the kinks. Harriet grew warm watching him. He was everything she liked in a man—wide shoulders, strong, solid arms, sun-kissed hair, dirt under his nails, and crow’s feet around his eyes that bore evidence of a life full of laughter. His body was still lean and trim from years of a hard outdoor life.
After showering and dressing, the pair set about making breakfast. The generator purred, reminding Harriet to refill the diesel. Who knew how long it would be before the electricity came back on?
They listened to the two-way radio as they ate. Some properties were evacuating, the water having already crept into the houses. Helicopters had even been called in to help in the most dire situations.
“Our properties are on higher ground,” Tom explained. “But if it’s this bad here, I can only imagine what it’s like there.”
Tom’s phone played its familiar tune and he reached for it. “It’s Brian. I’d better take this.”
Harriet turned the radio off before cleaning up the dishes.
She’d just finished wiping the table when Tom ended his call.
“Brian said they’re flooding there too. Sounds about as bad as it is here. He checked the weather though and it sounds like it’ll start easing off now.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief. “I hope so. The rain is great, but enough’s enough already.”
“I agree. The last thing we need is a torrential flood on top of this drought. I’m sure it’s already done substantial damage to many properties.”
“I should call Lachie. Then I have to feed the chooks and check on the dogs and Molly,” said Harriet as she reached for her phone.
“I’ll do the animals while you call him. When I can, I’d like to drive over to my place and see if there is any damage. I see there’s a few branches down outside. Who knows what my place will be like,” Tom said as he picked up the scrap bucket from next to the sink.
She called Lachie with an update. He seemed cert
ain the rain would ease and they’d be able to return to Brigadier Station in the next few days. Adam was doing better and being well nursed by his wife. Abbie, he admitted, was eager to get back to the country. Her mother was already starting to rub her the wrong way.
As she said her goodbyes, Harriet noticed a sliver of sunlight slicing through the window. Putting the phone away in her pocket, she peeked through the glass and into the sky. The grey clouds were thinning and the rain had stopped. Not a minute too soon.
Tom strode across the driveway and back to the house. Her heart hiccupped at her good fortune. This was a man she could place her trust in. A good, country man with country values and sensibilities, not like some of the jokers she had met around town.
After checking the weather and local reports, Tom deemed the roads between Brigadier Station and his property safe enough to cross, so the pair climbed into Tom’s ute and started for his property.
“Lucky I had this ute raised up or we’d never make it,” Tom said as they sluiced through deep muddy puddles along the road.
Harriet gripped the armrest as they bounced over a pothole. “Lucky it’s a four-wheel drive.”
Tom pulled the ute up in front of the house and they both climbed out. Harriet was glad she’d opted for her gumboots as she slid and landed with a splash.
They surveyed the house. Gum tree branches lay haphazardly on the ground, their leaves scattered by the wind, creating a floor of mulch. “Trimming those trees was on my list,” Tom said, hands on his hips.
Harriet touched his arm. “You would have lost power too. Do you have a generator?”
He shook his head. “Nah, hadn’t gotten around to that yet.”
“Well you can stay with me for as long as you need.”
His turned to her, his hand brushing the hair off her face before he kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”
They wandered around the property, picking up debris and litter and assessing the damage. A large drum had blown against a corrugated wall of the machinery shed, creating a big dent. “It could have been worse,” Tom said. “I can fix that up, no worries.”
Inside the house, there was a broken window and a puddle on the floorboards where rain had gotten in. Tom set about taping it over with plastic while Harriet found a towel and wiped up the water.
“That should do it,” he said, standing and stretching his back out. “Lucky I was planning to renovate this place.”
Harriet still held the wet towel in her hands as she looked around the house. “It must be exciting to start fresh with a place like this. You could do so much with it.”
He caught her glance then. His voice was soft and low when he said, “It’ll need a woman’s touch.”
She swallowed hard as he closed the distance between them and swept her into his arms, the towel falling to her feet.
He claimed her mouth with a searing kiss, hot and slow and deep, his body pressing so close against her she could feel every solid, taut inch of him. She ran her hands over his back and snaked them under his shirt. His skin was warm to the touch and the contact sent her pulse skipping with delight.
They drew apart to drag in ragged breaths. Tom held her gaze, his eyes dark, saying everything she needed to know. He wasn’t going anywhere. He was here to stay, and he wanted her with him.
Chapter Fourteen
Tom spent the next two days with Harriet at Brigadier Station. They settled into an easy, comfortable routine.
The rain was drying under the harsh December sun, making the air heavy with humidity.
“One station has reported a loss of at least half their cattle,” Tom said as he read from his laptop. “The cattle that didn’t drown have died of starvation.”
Harriet’s heart broke for her outback neighbours. It could so easily have been them. “That’s terrible.” She placed a mug of tea in front of Tom before sitting next to him on the verandah.
In the paddocks around them the land was already improving. The thirsty earth had sucked in the moisture and was sprouting new growth.
The sound of a vehicle rattling over the cattle grid had Harriet rising from her chair and peering around to see who their visitor was. “Darcy.”
Tom followed her through the house and they arrived at the front door in time to find the ute doors open and people spilling out.
Darcy, Meghan, Lachie, Abbie, and Hannah all waved in greeting, and Harriet hugged them all in turn. “I wasn’t expecting you all. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Darcy smiled brightly at his mother. “These guys needed a ride from the airport so we decided to pick them up on our way. Did you forget we were coming for Christmas?”
Harriet frowned. She and Tom had been so wrapped up in their own love bubble that she had completely lost track of the days. “Oh, my gosh, tomorrow is Christmas Eve.”
“Too right. You better start cooking up the feast, Mum.” Lachie laughed before turning to Tom and shaking his hand. “Thanks for all your help the last few days. I really appreciate it.”
“No worries,” Tom said.
Hannah wrapped her arms around Harriet’s waist. “I missed you, Gran.”
She hugged her granddaughter back and kissed the top of her head. “I missed you too, sweetheart.”
“Noah and Riley are arriving tomorrow. It’ll be a full house,” Meghan said. Her hand rested on her small balloon-shaped belly.
Harriet gestured to her daughter-in-law’s belly. “Look at you! You’re showing.”
Meghan smiled proudly. “Now that the morning sickness has passed, I can’t stop eating.”
“Well, let’s go inside and out of the sun.” Harriet waved them inside.
Tom pulled up alongside her. “Maybe I should head home. Let you guys catch up.”
Harriet held his arm. “Please stay. I’d like you all to get to know each other.”
The grin that split his face made her melt. “Alright then.”
There were no awkward questions about why Tom was there or what his intentions were toward their matriarch. Instead her sons pulled him into easy conversation and asked what his plans were for his new property. Harriet could tell by his relaxed stance and easy smile that he enjoyed their company as much as they did his.
Tom easily fitted in with her family and their lifestyle, and she hoped that they would come to love him and accept him into the family.
“It’s quite the place you have here,” Tom said as he followed Lachie back to the house. They had spent the last hour roaming around the cattle and machinery shed discussing their next steps, now that the earth finally had some moisture in it.
“Thanks. There have been a few times over the years when I’ve wanted to throw in the towel and let the banks have it,” Lachie said as he paused to take in the view. “But my family have worked this place for generations. I don’t want to be the one who loses it. What kind of example would that be for my daughter?”
Tom nodded. He knew exactly what the young man meant. “Brian was so eager to take over our place, but he doesn’t know all the late nights I stayed up worrying how we would pay for feed or school fees.”
Lachie put his hands on his hips. “He’ll find out soon enough. It’ll take some time before any of us start turning a profit again.”
They continued onward to the house and Tom wondered at Lachie’s maturity and wisdom. Like Tom, he’d never been to Ag College or TAFE. Everything he’d learned had been from his father and from living on the land. Brian had taken every course and done extremely well, but it was different learning something in books than it was actually putting it into action. Tom often wondered if Brian was too much of a dreamer when what a grazier needed to be was a realist.
As if conjured by his thoughts, Tom’s phone buzzed in his pocket and when he pulled it out, he saw Brian’s name on the screen.
“I’ll meet you up there.” Lachie waved at the house before leaving Tom to take the call in private.
Tom sighed heavily before answering.<
br />
“Dad, where are you?” Brian was agitated. Panic started to bubble up in Tom. What had happened now?
“I’m visiting a neighbour. What’s wrong?”
“I’m here at your place. It took quite a beating in that storm,” Brian said, his voice calmer now.
Tom frowned. “My place? In Julia Creek? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see the property and have a chat. You going to be long?”
Tom funnelled his hand through his hair. He’d been enjoying spending time with Harriet’s family. “I’ll just finish off here and come on over. Won’t be long.”
He disconnected the call and headed back to the house, all the while wondering what could possibly have brought Brian all the way here when he should have been on his own property dealing with the aftermath of the rain. Now wasn’t the time to be traipsing around the muddy outback unless you had a bloody good reason.
Harriet waved as Tom threw an apologetic glance at her before putting his ute in gear and driving away from the house.
As much as she didn’t want Tom to leave her, family was just as important to him as it was to her and she couldn’t blame him for hurrying off to see his son. Especially when he had come such a long way.
But what was he doing here? It was several hours drive from Hughenden to Julia Creek and Lachie had said the roads had been treacherous, even in a raised four-wheel drive. Whatever Brian wanted to see his father about, it must have been important.
Small fingers threaded through her hand and Harriet turned to her granddaughter.
“I like Tom. He’s nice,” the six-year-old said.
“Me too.” Harriet smiled. “Now, shall we go make some gingerbread men?”
Hannah bounced on the spot, a delighted expression bright on her face. “Can I decorate them with icing and chocolate buttons?”
“Of course you can.” Harriet stroked Hannah’s hair before turning and walking together back to the house.
Christmas at Brigadier Station Page 7
