'Then there's the furniture to think about. What do you want to keep, what is worth keeping?'
'I haven't been upstairs, so how would I know?'
'I removed all the contents from the rooms upstairs the day I started the renovations. I didn't touch the end room, your old bedroom. It's intact, but a mess.'
She flicked him a gaze. 'Can I see it?'
He could tell she was excited when he mentioned her old bedroom, but to go up and see the remains...he hesitated, but when he took one look at her jewel-coloured eyes, he couldn't say no. 'Okay. But you have to do as I say.'
'Yes, sir.' She grinned.
'Come on.'
Zoe stepped where he trod, moved where he moved and stood on the top floor looking down the hallway toward the end that had gone up in flames. She wrapped her trembling hands around her waist and searched her mind for a memory.
'I've got more wall frames to put up. It'll resemble a home soon enough.' Jordan's voice drew her from her attempted concentration and she turned, facing him.
'Um...thanks.'
She followed him toward the other end of the hallway, then stood back while he opened the bedroom door. Zoe walked up beside him, and leant on the architrave only to gasp at the sight.
'Oh my god.' She placed a hand over her mouth as that locked up smell hit her nostrils. Pictures hung lopsided from the walls, and some had given up the ghost and fallen to the floor. Piled on top of a single bed, a discoloured quilt and sheets were beyond restoring. A set of dusty pink curtains, which would have been exquisite in their day, hung askew over the window. Dust coated a bookshelf full of books and she wondered if any were worth rescuing.
'It's worse than a pigsty.' She shook her head at the sight before her. So this was once her room. She wasn't game enough to breathe as she glared about, stung by the realisation it was only a room, a room she no longer remembered.
Jordan reached out, and touched her forearm. 'Come on, I knew you shouldn't have come up here. I feel so bad. I should never have encouraged it.'
Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them away. 'I insisted. It's not your fault.' She sniffled.
'Come on. I'll get someone to give the place a thorough overhaul before you set foot in here again, that is after I repair the staircase.'
'Thank you.' It was all she could manage. Emotion welled in her throat and she wondered why she couldn't remember the life here with her mother and father. Blinking back tears, she felt the warm touch of Jordan's hand as he led her down the staircase and out through the front door.
They continued toward the fig tree but his hand remained resting on the lower part of her back. God it felt good. She could almost imagine he cared for her, that they were...she forced the crazy thought from her mind. How could she trust someone when all she'd known was lies, and it had taken her three years to put her trust in the Pattersons? Even still, she was wary of everything they did and said, until one day it dawned on her that they were honest and loving people. She witnessed it in the many ways they'd help all their employees. She'd learnt to trust them and in due time, perhaps she could learn to trust others.
When they arrived under the shade of the tree, she was surprised to find a table and two benches sitting on either side.
'Have a seat.'
He broke contact seconds before she sat. Her entire body zinged with such shock, and she wasn't sure if it was from Jordan's touch or seeing a bedroom that didn't exist in her mind.
Jordon sat beside her, but kept his distance. 'It's only natural to react when seeing something like that. Don't be so hard on yourself.'
'If I could remember, have my memories, it'd make things a lot easier. Looking at that bedroom, I could tell my parents loved me, that they thought a lot of me. There are so many stuffed animals, and books. I don't think there's much to salvage. '
'I'll get the cleaners to go through the house, with instructions that anything worth saving must be packed in boxes. How's that sound?'
She nodded. 'Looks like I have to put up with the motel for a while longer. Don't you think it's odd that I escaped the fire but Mum and Dad didn't?'
'The ambulance arrived not long after their room was engulfed with flames. Perhaps they were asleep and didn't know what was happening.'
Zoe nodded in thought.
'Perhaps.' She gazed up at the house, trying to recall ever being here, but nothing leapt out to soothe her nerves, announcing she was home. It certainly didn't feel like home. Perhaps when the cleaners went through, when Jordan finished rebuilding and she moved in, something might spark her mind and make her feel as though she belonged here.
'Tell me a little about yourself, Zoe? You know a bit about me. It's your turn.'
She finished taking a sip of coffee and placed her cup down. 'There's not much to tell, really. I worked as a jillaroo. When I was fifteen I started as a cook and went from there.'
'Fifteen years old. You mean after you left school.'
Zoe’s gaze ran over a fence in the distance, and she rolled her lips, reverting her gaze to Jordan. 'I didn't attend school.' She waited for his response.
'You what? You didn't go to school?'
'You heard right. When I left here, my aunt insisted. She said she had no money to send me to school, that she wasn't well off. We lived on the borderline of poverty.'
Jordan jerked back. Furrows formed across his forehead.
'It's no big deal now, Jordan. I'm a qualified jillaroo and I love it. That's all that matters.'
'You need to get a few certificates for that don't you?'
'Yes. I studied by correspondence when the time arrived. My aunt didn’t know though.'
'She sounds like a witch of a woman.'
Zoe laughed. 'I don't like speaking ill of anyone, but she wasn't a nice person.'
'I can't believe she didn't let you finish school.'
'She had her reasons and I compensated.'
'You did a great job.'
'Thank you.' She glanced at him. Jordan was so appealing it scared the life out of her. She pulled her gaze from the dangerous undertow shadowing his eyes. There was something about his eyes. The river blue changed with his moods and little needles of fire purred low in her belly each time they made eye contact.
She returned her gaze to her coffee cup, picked it up and took a sip.
'Have you had a chance to report you're not missing?'
Zoe thought about it. 'Sort of. To the local constable. Um...I forget his name.'
'Constable Matthew Berry.'
'Yes, that's him. I went with him to the police station after meeting you and Jade. The sergeant is away on holidays and the constable said I might have to go and make a full statement when he returns. I don't want to make a statement. I've had enough dramas in my life.' Zoe looked over her shoulder toward the road, and back again.
'But shouldn't you tell them what happened to you?'
'They know I'm safe and not missing any more. That's all they need to know.'
'Well here goes, there's only one way to start this.'
He appeared hesitant. His jaw line hardened. Zoe drew in a slow breath as her anticipation rose.
'We knew each other before you left here.'
'How?'
'We went to the same school, and we used to sort of hang out together. You were thirteen and I was fifteen.'
'And?'
'This is difficult to say, but there's no way around it. Do you mind if I take your hand?'
She frowned, but held out her hand. 'Go on. What have you got planned?'
'It's not planned.' He took her hand, and his mind swung back to when they were kids. He'd dreamt of this moment. His heart was killing him. The pressure was unbelievable.
'We kissed once, but that's all.'
She raised her eyebrows. 'What was it like?' She grinned, a cheeky playful grin that had his heart of the verge of busting through his chest. 'Well, sweet, nice, not so nice, hot, longing, not long enough.'
He chuckled. 'It sound
s weird doesn't it?'
Zoe laughed. 'Just a tad.'
'There's no way around it. It was a knock out.'
He edged closer, and slipped a hand around her waist. She glanced up at him but before he could say any more, his lips were over hers. The sensuality of warmth, softness, and pure female enticed his mind to soar, while parts of his anatomy filled with heat.
The kiss continued, long, breathless and fulfilling. Jordan broke from the kiss and their gaze locked for several heart-stopping seconds. Her glassy eyes sparkled like early morning dew over green grass. God, she was so feminine. Yet earlier he would have believed she didn't hold a feminine bone in her body by the way she lifted the cleaning equipment from her ute, but the curves under her jeans gave her away.
'Well, how do I rate in your books now?' she said on a whisper.
'You have always rated tops, Zoe. Always.'
His arm remained around her waist, and somehow her legs ended up over his, resting close against his stomach.
'You have answers, don't you?' She kinked an eyebrow.
'Yeah, some. They're hard to explain.'
'If it's too difficult for you to talk about, don't. I can find out from the local police, the sergeant when he returns.'
Jordan didn't know if that was a good idea or not, as his heart continued to pound in the after effects of their kiss. He'd loved the girl, and here she was a woman, one he wanted to get to know much more deeply. 'I could fill you in a bit at a time.'
'Sounds good.' She smiled and god she'd knock him off his feet if he were standing.
'Could we take it slow?'
Zoe grinned. 'Isn't it the woman who wants to take it slow? But I agree. After all, I've got a lot to do, a life to find out about, and well...I didn't plan on a relationship with anyone. After being through what I went through it's not something I've had a lot of practice at. I'd make your life difficult.'
'No you wouldn't. You'd make my life complete, Zoe. I swore to you when I was fifteen that I'd take good care of you.'
'You did? That's a surprise.'
As they chatted about the past Zoe could sense the sincerity in Jordan's voice. He meant well, but she couldn't remember him or their past, so there was no use dwelling on the what ifs and what could have been. She'd have to concentrate on the here and now if she ever hoped to make some progress in life.
'I need to put my mark on a place where I once existed before ever thinking of going down that path.'
'I know. I know it'd be hard. But can you think about it?'
She smiled. 'Yes. I will.'
'What's wrong with being mates first?'
'Nothing. I wouldn't mind a mate.' She smiled, and his heart softened.
'I've got something for you.'
'What is it?' He swung a bag onto the table and rummaged around inside, dragging out an old photograph album and placed it on the table in front of them. He opened it to the first page.
'Jade said you didn't have any photographs. I found about six or seven you might be interested in. There may be some in the house, but I haven't seen any.'
Warmth charged through her body as she glared at the album sitting on the table. Her breath must have died somewhere in her throat and she sucked in another desperate gulp. As she looked up, her gaze locked with his.
'I thought you'd be pleased. I'm sorry. If you don't want...'
He was about to pick up the album and she reached out, touched his hand. 'No. It's not that. It's a shock that's all. After so long. My aunt...she never had any photographs, or so she said. I didn't see any at her house. She told me everything was destroyed in the fire.'
'I can't imagine why she'd do such a thing.'
'You don't know my aunt.'
'What's her name, in case she comes snooping?'
Zoe looked up, as horror coursed through her body. She checked the front yard, and turned back.
'She doesn't know where I am, or who I'm with. I told her I was leaving one afternoon, but I don't think she believed me. I didn't tell her where, when or how. Her name is Patricia Mayberry. She never married, although she's living with a male I was forced to call Uncle William. His last name is Shearer.' Zoe closed her eyes, withdrew her hand and wrapped her arms around her waist.
'I shouldn't have bought up the subject.'
'She...please don't repeat this to anyone.' Zoe glanced at Jordan and he nodded.
'They...meaning my aunt and William threatened to kill me if I told anyone about what had happened. They even said I'd be dead before I made a hundred kilometres from the property.'
'You're joking?'
'No. It certainly isn't a joke. It's real.'
'I don't know what to say. No wonder you're so jittery.'
'After what I've been through, I know what they're capable of. Getting an A.V.O. wouldn't be enough to stop them. That would be inviting them in, especially if they know where I am. I don't want to fear them further.'
'Don't you think they'll come looking for you here in Munna?'
'Not here. They don't know I found out anything about Montagreen. I told them I would have loved to go to the coast. I used to have pictures of the ocean and stare at them often. My aunt told me I was off with the fairies. You know, I haven't even seen the ocean. They say that at times it can be like one big lake. Imagine that. A lake.'
'Perhaps one day you can go there. Run over the sand.' Jordan sighed. 'I'm sorry for bringing up the subject.'
'I need to talk about things, although mentioning their names gives me the creeps. When the constable pulled up in town, I thought perhaps Aunt Patricia sent them looking. It scared the crap out of me. Although I doubt they'd ever go to the police, they might make a false allegation. I can't be too careless.'
'I'll keep an eye out for you, if that's okay. I won't let anything happen to you.'
Her lips thinned. 'Thank you. I'd like that.' God what was she doing? But sitting here with Jordan everything seemed right. Fate was dealing her a deck of hearts and she didn't mind his company, in fact she loved his company.
He looked at the album, gave it a few taps and picked it up. 'They're great photographs. There's a couple of your mother and father taken about six months before the fire.'
Zoe wanted to reach out, wanted to see for herself but something inside prevented her from lifting a page for a sneak peek into a past that haunted her. Her aunt said the opposite to everything she'd found out so far, and she wondered how many more lies she'd uncover.
Jordan moved the album between the two of them on the table and opened it to the first page. 'You ready?'
She swallowed. 'I'm not too sure. Although I've had years to prepare for something like this.'
'That's your Mum and Dad. Rebecca and James. They were great people, well respected in Munna and the surrounding area. Your mother always fussed when having visitors.'
Zoe lowered her head.
Oh my god. Oh my god. My mother. My father. Me. Who's that boy? Who? Mum, Dad. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to blink them away. Her right hand moved to the album, her left hand followed and she picked up the album, brought it closer and studied the first photograph. She ran a shaky index finger over her mother's hair, and over her beautiful face. Zoe realised she looked much like her mother with the same hair colouring and eyes. Swallowing was difficult. Her father had dark hair with streaks of grey at the temples. He appeared a little older than her mother. Her hands trembled and she set the album down.
'They're...they're beautiful.'
'I could leave them with you, if you like. It's almost knock off time.'
'Thank you...' Tears rolled down her cheeks and she sniffled.
Jordan slipped an arm over her shoulder. 'Hey. They're supposed to be happy photographs. Your parents loved you heaps, Zoe. You were special to them and you always will be no matter where or what form they're in...'
Small whimpering sounds emitted from her throat. She sniffed. 'I know. Thank you.'
He gave her a tight squeeze, trying to reass
ure her she wasn't alone.
'I hate to leave you like this. But I do have to go.'
Zoe licked her lips and glanced up. 'I'm okay.' She lowered her head to look at the photographs. This wasn't the first time she'd cried. She cried every night at her aunt’s during the first few years.
'I was skinny wasn't I?'
'No you weren't. You were perfect.'
Zoe looked at the photographs again, only to whip her head back up, glaring at Jordan. 'You're the little boy, aren't you? I can see the eyes, the resemblance.'
'Yeah. That's me.'
'Wow I look happy, don't I?'
'You sure were.'
'So the house partially burnt. I still don't know who caused it or why.' Zoe tucked a stray piece of hair behind one ear, and looked up at him. 'I'll ask the police like I said. It's okay. No big deal.'
'All I know is that someone wanted your parents dead. No one knows why. There wasn't anything to go on except a prehistoric bomb that looked as though it could have been made by a kid.'
'A kid.'
'Yeah. A kid.' Jordan eased upwards to his feet.
'Where are you going?'
'It's three. Knock off time for me although I'm not working. I've got things to do.'
'I thought you'd work at least until sunset.'
'Not in your life. Nope, knock off is before three. Keep the album, copy them, do whatever you want. I'll see you tomorrow.' He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead, and drew back. 'You have my mobile number if you need someone to talk to.'
Zoe nodded and watched him leave while her insides did a crash dump. Her mind followed as emotions tumbled through her body. When he drove away, tears pricked the back of her eyes, and sprinkled down her cheeks. She wiped them away and glanced back at the photographs.
The fig tree...her parents...Jordan. She squinted, leaned forward. They all seemed so happy. It was all here, but her memory was locked away in the photographs with those people. Perhaps Jade could add something. After all waiting for the sergeant to return could take weeks.
Outback Flames: Australian Rural Romantic Suspense Page 4
