She adjusted the thin strap of her black-and-white floral dress. Her last Glenalla trip, she’d visited the general store and this shorter-than-normal dress had been her only option. She checked that the sprig of fragrant daphne remained tucked in her casual top-knot. Perfume was another thing she hadn’t packed in her mad rush to leave to search for Seth. She wriggled her toes. Thankfully, she’d also managed to buy nail polish in Glenalla, because until Tish brought her a pair of wedge-heeled sandals, the fuchsia polish was the only thing on her feet.
Freckle barked, telling her someone had arrived. She checked her hair again. Tonight was all about Tish and Travis, not her and Ewan. So why did she feel like she was in her senior year and about to be collected by her prom date?
Heels clattered on the verandah. Kree swung open the front door and inhaled the scent of Tish’s light perfume, interspersed with Ewan’s woody aftershave. She quickly ushered them inside, before Fudge and Freckle could jump all over them. She shut the screen door and left the wooden door open.
‘Sorry, we’re a little early,’ Tish apologised as she hugged Kree in the hallway. ‘The boys basically pushed us out the door so they could watch a movie with Pru.’
‘Your timing’s perfect. So, I take it Braye and Darby didn’t mind you going out?’
As Tish shook her blonde head, Kree couldn’t help but stare. Out of her shapeless gardening clothes, and wearing a fitted, black dress that clung to her petite curves, Tish was stunning. She’d twisted her naturally pale hair into a loose bun and a light dusting of make-up intensified the green of her eyes and the glow of her flawless skin. Pearls gleamed in her ears. Polished and glamorous, she looked like she should be doing a fashion shoot for a high-end, glossy magazine instead of coming for a pot-roast dinner. Travis didn’t stand a chance of resisting her tonight.
‘I thought you might like these.’ Tish handed her a bouquet of delicate, pink Pierre de Ronsard roses wrapped in white tissue paper and clear cellophane. ‘And these. I hope they fit.’
Kree peered into the bag at the black sandals. ‘Thanks, I’m sure they will. I checked on the web and your size six is the same as ours.’
‘Wonderful.’ She took the flowers from Kree and handed her the sandal bag. ‘I’ll let you try these on, and go and find a vase to put these in.’
Kree stepped to the side to let her pass and then turned to Ewan, who was still standing just inside the front door, a bottle of red wine in his hands. As she met his eyes, her sensible stomach flip-flopped. It wasn’t only Travis who didn’t stand a chance – when it came to Ewan, she didn’t either. It didn’t matter that the day she’d leave drew closer, or that she had a promise to fulfil. All she could think of and breathe in was the man watching her.
He walked forward, a half-smile on his face, and stopped to kiss her cheek. She placed her hand on the crisp cotton of the blue-and-white checked shirt tucked into his jeans, and stood on tiptoe. Without her shoes she was that little bit shorter. Beneath her palm, the steady thud of his heart pounded. His mouth lingered on her cheek.
‘You look and smell great,’ he said huskily.
‘Thanks.’ She lowered her heels to the floor. ‘Tish looks so beautiful, Travis will be a goner.’
‘Fingers crossed.’
She curled her own fingers to stop them following the line of Ewan’s clean-shaven jaw. ‘Do we need some sort of game plan?’
‘Maybe we try to give them as much alone-time as possible?’
‘Good idea. I’ll pencil you in for washing-up duty so they can enjoy a long, romantic, after-dinner coffee?’
The corner of his mouth kicked into a grin. ‘Yes, I’ll take one for the team.’
Through the screen door, car headlights shone. Kree could hear running water from the kitchen, as Tish filled the rose vase.
‘Travis is here.’ She pulled Tish’s sandals from the bag and bent to slip them on, wincing as muscles twinged in her thighs.
‘Sore from mustering this morning?’
‘Sore might be an understatement, but I’ll soon get used to riding again.’ She straightened and adjusted the dress strap that had slipped down her shoulder. ‘What a difference shoes make. Now I don’t feel so much like a hobbit.’
But Ewan didn’t respond. Instead he stared at the shoulder she had just returned the dress strap to. She didn’t have time to ponder the tension flickering in his cheek as Freckle barked a happy chorus.
‘I’ll rescue Travis,’ she said, already on her way to the door, ‘if you tell Tish he’s arrived.’
‘Hi, Trav,’ she said as she held open the screen door. ‘Come inside where it will be safe.’
‘Hi, Kree,’ Travis said with a laugh as he sidestepped Freckle and avoided tripping over Fudge to make it through the doorway. Kree quickly closed both doors behind him.
He gave her a peck on the cheek and offered her a large box of chocolates.
‘Thanks, these will be perfect with coffee after dinner.’
But Travis wasn’t listening. Tish had walked into the empty hallway, the flower-filled vase in her hands. ‘Kree, where would you like these? Dining room table?’ She smiled. ‘Hi, Trav.’
‘Yes, thanks, the dining room table would be perfect,’ Kree replied, her eyes on Travis.
The sight of Tish would throw any full-blooded male, let alone one who harboured deep feelings for her. Travis stood stock-still, his calm and collected, ‘Hi, Tish,’ belied by the rapid beat of the pulse in his neck.
Kree moved towards Tish. ‘How about I put the roses on the table? Maybe you could take Travis to wherever Ewan is? He seems to have disappeared.’
Tish passed her the heavy vase. ‘He’s in the kitchen, uncorking the wine to let it breathe.’
Kree turned at the dining room door to see Travis kiss Tish’s flushed cheek and the two exchange shy smiles.
Dinner passed in a laughter-filled blur. Stories were swapped, wine glasses refilled, plates emptied and pumpkin pie tried and liked.
Kree pushed her dining table chair away from the table. ‘Any coffee orders to go with Travis’s chocolates?’
‘Count me in.’ Ewan pushed back his own chair. ‘And after all that pumpkin pie, I need to move. I’ll come and help.’
As the kitchen door swung shut behind them, Kree turned to Ewan. ‘Things are going so well. They only have eyes for each other.’
Ewan placed the dessert dishes on the already full bench. ‘Now I know what it means when people say they feel like a third wheel. I don’t think they knew we were there.’
He unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and pushed up his sleeves. Kree glanced away from the flex of his toned arms. Ewan had a habit of toying with the charms on wine glasses. But for some reason tonight, she’d found it difficult to pry her attention away from the gentle strength of his large hands. Kree moved to open Travis’s chocolates. The magic of the intimate dinner was supposed to be working on Tish and Travis, not on her.
‘I know. We’ll go slow making the coffee and I’m sure they won’t even notice.’ She tipped the brightly wrapped chocolates into a crystal bowl.
‘Good idea.’ Ewan turned on the hot tap, found the dishwashing detergent in the cupboard below and squirted a generous amount into the sink.
‘Maureen and Don are the only people I know who don’t have a dishwasher.’
Kree cast an eye over the mountain of plates and glasses. ‘Maybe after a couple of family dinners, when their four kids bring home their partners and children, they might decide to get one.’
‘Here’s hoping, for Maureen’s sake.’
Silence fell between them as Kree pulled a clean tea towel out of a drawer and wiped the plates draining in the drying rack.
‘Did Seth really hit a golf ball into your fiancé’s car?’ Ewan asked without looking at her.
‘Yes, unfortunately. Just another of the many accidents that involve my baby brother. But in Seth’s defence, Ray did park in the middle of Seth’s golf course, because he didn’t want leaves to
fall on his car.’
‘I can relate to that.’
‘I’m sure you can. Those precious boy toys of yours can’t ever get dirty.’ Kree paused in her drying. ‘You and Ray might both be way too attached to your cars, but that’s where your similarities end. Seth likes you.’
‘So, Seth wasn’t exactly cut-up when you broke off the engagement?’
‘No.’ Kree sighed. ‘And to be honest, neither was I. I feel bad saying that, but it’s the truth.’
Ewan nodded, attention still on the dishes. ‘And how about Ray? Was he cut-up?’
‘I think he was more … annoyed. He’d had our lives planned and doesn’t cope with change easily.’
‘So, another control freak?’
‘Yes.’ Kree took a new plate to dry. ‘I met him at college and our similarities drew us together. It seemed natural for our life plans to then merge.’
‘What changed?’
‘He resented Seth, and I guess I changed. I went from being an organised audiologist to a disorganised artist who’d paint and forget to cook dinner.’
‘And Ray liked his dinner on time.’
‘And his breakfast and lunch as well.’
‘So I’m guessing you inherited your artistic talent from your father?’
‘And my mother. They were both artists. I paint because it is who I am, but also because it makes me feel closer to them both.’
‘I take it Seth doesn’t share the painting genetics?’
Kree laughed. ‘You’re one hundred per cent right. He can’t sit still long enough. I’m sure whatever past ancestor he does take after didn’t paint either.’ She placed the dry plate on the pile beside her. ‘But that’s enough about me. Tell me more about all those hot dates Travis said you had at uni. You haven’t always been a confirmed bachelor?’
Ewan shrugged. ‘There’s really nothing to say. Yes, there were hot dates, but unlike Travis, I never found “the one”.’
‘Well, you’re not bald or toothless and your stomach’s not hanging over your belt yet, so there’s still time.’
Ewan grinned and stopped washing, his hands still in the water. ‘Did you just pay me a round-about compliment?’
Without thinking, she flicked his denim-clad butt with the end of her tea towel. ‘Now, why would I do that? The most eligible bachelor of the district doesn’t need any compliments from me.’
He took his hands out of the water and suds slid down his tanned forearms. ‘Did you also just kangaroo-tail hit me?’
Kree backed away from the glint in his eyes. ‘Kangaroo-tail what? I’m an American, remember?’
His grin widened. ‘I can see you need a lesson in kitchen warfare. Where are the tea towels?’
‘Not in here.’ Kree stood in front of the drawer. ‘And I’m already an expert. I have Seth for a brother.’
Ewan held out a wet hand. ‘Tea towel.’
‘No way. Golden rule of kitchen warfare. The person with the only tea towel is victorious.’
Ewan moved closer. So close she could see the lighter flecks in his grey eyes, so close she could feel the heat from his body. ‘Is that right?’
‘You bet.’ She smiled and put the tea towel behind her back.
But the action closed the distance between then. Her breasts brushed his chest. His reaction was instant. His gaze darkened to near black and fastened on her mouth.
Her breathing grew shallow. Kissing Ewan again was the last thing she should be doing. But also the first thing she’d thought of when she’d seen him standing in the hallway. Eyes not leaving hers, he placed an arm either side of her as though reaching for the hidden tea towel. But he made no effort to tug the cloth from her hands.
Her breath caught. His mouth was so near, she only had to stretch a little taller. Even before the thought finished, her head tipped and her heels left the floor. She knew the second Ewan’s control broke. Hunger streaked across his eyes. His hands claimed the small of her back and he dragged her close. His head lowered. His warm breath fanned her lips.
‘Are you two grinding the coff –’
Tish’s question and then stunned silence proved more effective than iced water on flames.
Ewan stiffened. His head lifted. And instead of holding her against him, his hands carefully eased her away and set her on her feet.
‘Sorry,’ Tish continued, tone contrite. ‘Definitely no rush on the coffee.’ The kitchen door clicked shut.
But the moment had been shattered. Even before he slid his arms from around her she knew he’d emotionally withdrawn.
‘Ewan, it’s okay,’ she said as he stared at her. Eyes once intent with need were now bleak and dawn-grey.
‘No, it’s not. I crossed the line and Tish saw me.’
‘There’s no line to cross. And Tish is always telling you to lighten up and have some fun.’
‘That’s the problem, Kree.’ He paused and raked a hand through his hair. ‘Whatever this thing is between us, for me,’ his voice deepened, ‘it’s more than … fun. And Tish would know.’
Desperate to touch him and stop the pain rasping in his words, Kree folded her arms. Instinct told her now wasn’t the time to physically reach out to him. ‘And that’s a problem because …’
‘Because Tish worries too much as it is.’ He swung away to plunge his hands in the sink water and continue with the dishes.
‘Ewan, this isn’t just fun for me either.’ She came to stand beside him. ‘I feel it too … this thing between us. And the force of it scares me.’
‘I know.’ His hoarse words echoed in the quiet of the kitchen. He reached for the forgotten tea towel and dried his hands. Then jaw set, he framed her face with gentle hands.
‘Which makes it worse. I’ve already hurt too many people I care about. I can’t now hurt you.’ He pressed a too-brief kiss to her mouth. The warmth of his touch ebbed from her skin as his arms lowered to his side. ‘I have to do what I should have done earlier. I have to walk away.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
‘Sorry, Whisk,’ Ewan apologised as he braked the quad bike to an abrupt stop. He turned to check the kelpie was okay on the flat back section of the bike. Whiskey grinned with his usual doggy enthusiasm.
Ewan faced the UltraBlack cattle again. Worry hammered at his temples. His first tally was a cow short. He couldn’t afford for anything to happen to even one of the in-calf cows. The fences were good in this paddock, but that didn’t mean they were escape-proof. In a previous mob, feral dogs had pushed a cow through a fence and he’d found her weeks later at Old Harry’s.
He counted again and this time his tally was correct. He released a deep breath and swung the quad bike in a wide arc towards the gate. He was due in at the coach house in under an hour for the second working bee. Already, he’d be late.
Despite all the UltraBlacks being accounted for, the knot of tension in his stomach refused to unravel. Dinner last night may have brought Tish and Travis closer, but it had wrenched him and Kree apart. Never had she appeared more beautiful than when she’d opened Berridale’s front door and smiled at him. Never had his need to touch her been stronger than when she’d bent to slip on her sandals and her dress strap had slid down her satin-smooth shoulder. And never had words been as hard to say as when he’d told her there couldn’t continue to be anything between them.
All night, the image of her wide eyes had haunted him, and her hushed words had whispered through his dreams.
‘I understand,’ she’d said into the strain sucking the air out of the room like a dry summer wind, ‘why you believe you don’t deserve to be happy, and why you think you will only end up hurting me. But in any relationship there’s no guarantee things will run smoothly.’ She’d paused, her chin tilting. ‘So, while I do understand, I don’t agree. But I can see you’ve thought deeply about this and that there’s no changing your mind.’
Ewan raced the quad bike along the track to the machinery shed. All he could do now was survive Kree’s last weeks in the
district. Thankfully, the working bee would involve many townsfolk and there would be little opportunity for the two of them to be alone. Kree was also living at Berridale again, which made it easier to keep his distance. She mightn’t agree with his decision and – if he were honest – he mightn’t be sure that he’d made the right call, but as painful and hard as it would be, he’d ensure things stayed casual and platonic between them. Then, when the time came for her to leave, they’d both have their hearts intact.
Ewan drove along Glenalla’s main street and gave a soundless whistle at the sea of dusty vehicles lining the kerbs outside the pub and coach house. It had been years since he’d seen so many locals in town. Even cantankerous and reclusive Old Harry had come to lend a hand.
Kree should be so proud of all that she had achieved for Glenalla in such a short time. Her generosity and kind-heartedness would be sorely missed, by more than just him. He studied the faded and bare buildings as he parked. If the streetscape could look even half as vivid and dramatic as the murals in the pub, he had no doubt tourists would come. He followed the footpath to the Cobb and Co. station. And now, also thanks to Kree, there would be a place for tourists and locals to congregate.
‘Have some of those sausages got my name on them?’ he asked Jordy as he approached the portable barbeque she’d set up in the park. On a nearby trestle table plastic plates, bottles of sauce and loaves of bread were all neatly arranged. His stomach growled as the smell of cooked sausages reminded him he’d missed morning smoko.
‘Only if you go inside and do some work. Kree gave me strict instructions not to feed any slackers, especially late ones.’
Ewan laughed. Jordy had Bill’s work ethic, as well as his dry humour. Whoever the fly-by-nighter was who’d passed through town and fathered little Mikey, he was a fool for not staying around.
‘Okay, I’ll take my late-slacker butt inside to earn my lunch.’
‘I’m sure you’ll have no problems finding something to do. Mrs Jessop has already ear-marked jobs for you and Cassandra.’
Down Outback Roads Page 17
