A disastrous end to their mission.
Fervently praying she was doing the right thing, Kate padded Steve’s broken leg with a thin blanket and then splinted it to his good leg. After that, she covered him with another blanket to help prevent shock.
To her relief, Noah pronounced her efforts ‘perfect’.
‘Steve couldn’t have been in better hands,’ he told her, with a surprisingly cheerful wink.
Then he put through a phone call to the Flying Doctors, and he and Brad cleared out space in the back of the truck and carefully lifted Steve in.
In keeping with the Outback’s reputation for hospitality, Brad insisted that Noah, Kate and Liv spend the night as his family’s guests.
‘It’s no trouble,’ he insisted. ‘I’ve already rung Annie, my wife. She has a roast on, so she’s popping a few extra spuds in the oven.’ He gave them another of his enormous grins. ‘And there’s an empty cottage you’re welcome to use.’
When they turned the final bend in the track, and Kate saw the appealing white-timber homestead surrounded by pretty gardens, she felt as if they were arriving in something like paradise. Tonight, for the first time in what seemed like weeks, they would sleep in proper beds with decent mattresses. They would shower with more than a bucket of warm water and they would sit on chairs and eat at a table.
Steve would be safely in Roma Hospital, and the Radnor cattle would be safely herded into one of Brad Jameson’s spare paddocks.
Bliss.
The Jamesons’ young daughters, Polly and Meg, were ecstatic when Liv turned up on their doorstep. After the first shy introductions, the three girls quickly thawed.
Polly was very impressed that Liv had been allowed to accompany her father on a cattle drive. Meg wanted to show Liv their new puppies. The little girls disappeared, only to race back minutes later, giggling excitedly and demanding that Liv must sleep in their room.
‘I can make up the stretcher bed in the girls’ room just as easily as in the cottage,’ Annie Jameson said.
The shining delight in Liv’s eyes was answer enough.
Kate could hardly wait to indulge in a hot shower. As soon as she’d bidden stoic Steve a teary farewell at the Jamesons’ airstrip, she went straight to the truck to collect her gear.
Noah was already there, dragging his swag out of the back.
Kate frowned at him. ‘What are you doing? Surely you’re not going to sleep in that swag tonight?’
His eyes glittered with a strange light. ‘I don’t have much option.’ Without another word, he hefted the heavy swag onto his shoulder and marched to the cottage.
‘Wait, Noah. What are you talking about?’
‘Come and see for yourself.’
Puzzled, she followed him into the small timber cottage nestled within a grove of bottlebrush trees. The interior was neat, functional and homely, with old fashioned cream linoleum flooring and pretty floral curtains at the window.
A double bed with a white waffle-weave spread dominated the large room. A small kitchenette took up the far corner and a door led off to the bathroom. Kate looked for another door. ‘Is this all there is?’
‘This is it.’
‘But—’ She watched as Noah set his swag on the floor and her pulse went haywire. ‘Do the Jamesons think we’re married?’
‘They obviously assume we’re a couple.’
‘I—I didn’t think to explain to Annie.’
‘It’s not exactly something you rush to point out when you first meet people, is it? “How do you and, oh, by the way, I’m not sleeping with this woman”.’ His tone was dry as dust, but his eyes betrayed amusement.
‘I suppose the Jamesons saw a man and a woman and a little girl and—’
‘Assumed we were a family.’
‘Yes.’ Thinking aloud, she said, ‘But they would be horrified if they knew you were sleeping on the floor, Noah.’
He gave a brief shrug. ‘They would, but I won’t impose on them further by asking for a separate room.’
‘No, we couldn’t do that. They’ve been terribly kind as it is.’ Kate set her pack on the floor beside Noah’s swag. ‘If anyone sleeps on the floor, I should. I haven’t been chasing after a stampeding herd.’
‘You know I couldn’t possibly allow that.’
‘But I’m sure you were looking forward to a comfortable night in a proper bed.’
‘I’ll survive.’
She gave a dramatic sweep of her arm and pointed to the bed. ‘Honestly, I don’t see why we couldn’t share. This is a big bed—queen-size at least.’ She knew this proposal would have been a lot simpler if she hadn’t recently kissed Noah and then cried all over him. ‘We—we could make a barricade of pillows down the centre.’
‘Forget it, Kate. I am not getting in there with you.’
Did he have to be quite so cutting? ‘I’ll sleep so far over on my side of the bed, I’ll put a dent in the wall.’
‘Now you’re being childish.’
‘Right.’ The word emerged as a tight, angry squeak, which completely destroyed Kate’s attempts to hide her agitation. Frantically, she rummaged in her pack, searching for her shampoo and clean clothes.
‘Kate?’
Her head snapped up. Noah was slouching elegantly against the kitchen counter, arms folded casually, long legs stretched in front of him. No man had the right to look so divine when covered from head to toe in dust.
He smiled slowly. ‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’
‘What?’
‘Isn’t there a very important reason why we shouldn’t even consider sharing that bed?’
She blushed profusely. ‘I—I’m not sure. Is there?’
With an exaggerated version of a sincere, furrow-browed look, Noah shook his head at her. ‘Dear me. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the minor matter of your boyfriend?’
Oh, help. What must Noah think? How could she have forgotten about Derek—again?
Beneath the pressure of Noah’s slow, burning gaze, she felt her cheeks grow hotter and hotter. Hadn’t he guessed when she’d kissed him the other night that her feelings for Derek had waned to the point of extinction?
On the other hand, she didn’t want Noah to think she was cheap and fickle. If he thought she could two-time Derek, he might also think she’d thrown herself at him simply because he’d been the nearest male on hand. In reality, her secrecy had bothered her ever since that night by the billabong. It had lain uneasily in her chest, like an indigestion pain.
Keeping quiet about Derek might have been justified on the night of the fateful phone call to Munich. But afterwards she’d found it all too convenient to throw up the white lie as a shield to protect herself from embarrassment.
Now, however, she’d run out of excuses. It was time to set the record straight.
Hugging her shampoo and her change of clothes, she cleared her throat. ‘Actually—’
‘Actually…?’ Noah’s eyebrows lifted expectantly.
‘I—I’ve broken up with Derek.’
His eyes widened.
‘I’ve been meaning to tell you. I’ve wanted to tell you for some time. It happened before—’ Kate’s brave confession was interrupted by a jaunty rat-a-tat-tat on the door.
A flash of annoyance crossed Noah’s face, but he opened the door to reveal Brad, grinning broadly.
‘Just wanted to make sure you’re comfortable and to see if there’s anything you need?’
‘Everything’s wonderful,’ Noah told their host politely. ‘The cottage is perfect. Very comfortable, thanks.’
Kate prayed that Brad wouldn’t come right into the cottage and see Noah’s swag in the corner. She felt suddenly exhausted and she didn’t think she could cope with their host’s confusion, or the necessary embarrassing explanations.
Brad said, ‘Annie asked me to tell you that dinner’s only ten minutes away.’
‘Right. Thanks.’ Noah spoke over his shoulder to Kate. ‘You’d better get cracking in t
he shower, sweetheart.’
Sweetheart? So Noah was going along with this charade? Kate hoped Brad couldn’t see her blush.
‘I’m heading for the shower now.’ Grabbing the folded towel from the end of the bed, she hurried into the bathroom.
Inside, she sank against the door. She could hear the sound of the cottage’s front door closing, and then the reassuring silence that meant Brad Jameson had left.
At least that hurdle was over. And she’d cleared another hurdle by telling Noah about Derek.
The last hurdle was still ahead of them—an awkward night alone together.
The thought made her body flash with hot and cold shivers. Her heart pounded.
Calm down, Kate. Calm down.
She didn’t really think Noah was going to fall in love with her just because Derek was out of the way. How pathetic.
She’d given her boyfriend the boot.
Noah couldn’t believe how happy that news made him. His veins were bubbling with joy. He felt like giving three cheers and doing cartwheels—for about five seconds—before cold, cruel common-sense returned.
Truth was, Derek’s departure meant one thing and one thing only: Kate was free. Kate, not Noah. This news didn’t change a single detail of his own situation.
He was still a battle-scarred divorcé. He was still a single father with a vulnerable daughter who needed stability and certainty in her life. And he was still a cash-strapped cattleman with a drought-stricken property, living a world away from Kate’s home.
As his jubilation settled, he heard the sounds from the next room of the shower turning on. Heaven help him; he could picture the soft roundness of Kate’s breasts and butt, her lovely pale skin glistening with water, her bright hair turning dark beneath the shower’s spray.
Hell. He’d been fighting off images like that ever since he’d left Radnor. Now, without her boyfriend as a barrier, spending this night alone with Kate was going to be harder than ever.
Perhaps he should give up any pretence at gallantry. Perhaps he should just crawl into bed right alongside her tonight, and…
And completely stuff up her life.
Oh, sure, that would be really smart.
Shoving his hands deep in his pockets, Noah crossed the room to the window and looked out without really seeing the view, while he thought about the kiss beside the billabong.
The memory of it made his body ache. He wanted Kate. So much. But twice now—not once but twice, for crying out loud—he had kissed Kate and everything had been beyond fabulous. Until he’d called a halt. And Kate had ended up in tears.
How could he have been so stupid—twice? What kind of monster toyed with the emotions of a lovely girl like Kate? He knew she wasn’t the type to cry at the drop of a hat. He was really messing her around.
His own emotions weren’t too stable either.
Hell. He only had to touch Kate’s hand and he was a lost man. How could he try to pretend that sex with her could ever be just sex without strings?
In the bathroom, the shower stopped. Kate would be drying herself with the towel.
Erase that thought right now, man.
Noah gritted his teeth to cut off a sigh. He knew very well that many people would see Kate’s lack of a boyfriend and his lack of a wife as a green light for a raging affair.
So why was he holding back?
The answer, he unwillingly conceded, was fear.
His fear of another failed relationship. His fear of being distracted from his important role as Liv’s father, and his fear of messing with Liv’s emotions. Again. The poor kid loved Kate. She’d be devastated if he started something with Kate that ended in failure.
He couldn’t risk it, couldn’t do that to Liv.
And his fears extended to Kate, too. How could he possibly be the right man for her? She deserved a man who wasn’t weighed down by his past, a man could commit without fear. She deserved a family of her own, and the whole happily-ever-after package.
Slowly, unhappily, these truths settled in Noah’s head as if they were engraved on tablets of stone. He turned from the window, collected his things, ready for his turn in the shower, grateful that he’d thought the situation through and had it sorted finally.
Now, at least, he knew how to handle the night ahead. He just had to keep everything straight and fixed in his head. Sex with Kate was out of the question. Anything approaching sex with Kate was out of the question. Thinking about sex with Kate was out of the question.
Bottom line, he had a whole bunch of other problems that demanded his attention—a thousand four-footed problems, to be exact.
CHAPTER NINE
THE DINNER WAS delicious—a glazed-beef rib roast served with horseradish cream, a bowl of steamed green beans, and a platter of beautifully roasted pumpkin and potatoes.
Kate sipped an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon and decided that living in the Outback brought unexpected bonuses. The people here might work extremely hard, but their challenges and isolation helped them to truly appreciate civilised luxuries other people took for granted.
Not that the dinner conversation focussed on the dark, mellow richness of the wine. Everyone was more concerned with Noah’s need to get a thousand head of cattle into Roma without Steve’s assistance.
Brad didn’t hesitate to state his opinion. ‘You’d be crazy to attempt it on your own, Noah. I’m afraid I’m short staffed right now, or I’d willingly give you a hand.’
‘You’ve done more than enough to help already,’ Noah insisted. ‘It’s OK. I’ll ring around in the morning. There’s sure to be a spare ringer somewhere in the district.’
‘I don’t like your chances. All the young fellows around here have rushed to make the most of the mining boom. There’s been a shortage of rural workers for at least six months now. But try the stock and station agents in Roma. You never know your luck.’
‘Or you could accept my help.’
The three adults at the table stared at Kate. Noah’s face revealed shock, Brad’s looked amused, while Annie’s smile shone with admiration.
Noah shook his head. ‘That’s impossible, Kate. I need you to drive the truck and to look after Liv.’
‘Ah, now that’s where I can help,’ Annie intervened smoothly. ‘I’d be happy to have Liv stay with us. Our girls would love her company.’
She was almost drowned out by a chorus of girls’ voices. ‘Yes, Mummy! Yes, yes!’
Kate could see the consternation in Noah’s eyes, but she was almost certain he wasn’t too concerned about handing his daughter over to people he barely knew. The Jamesons were old friends of her uncle’s. And people in the Outback accepted help from strangers as readily as they offered it.
No; Noah was more likely upset because he couldn’t explain to the Jamesons that she was no use to him. She was new to the Outback—a city girl from England. But he couldn’t reveal that without exposing the fact that they weren’t actually married, that they weren’t even a couple.
How silly. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she did neither, because Brad was watching her over the rim of his wine glass.
‘You shouldn’t have any more problems with the cattle,’ he said quietly. ‘You’d probably reach Roma in about four days from here. And you won’t have any shortage of grass or water from here on.’
Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Noah toyed with the stem of his glass.
Annie chimed in. ‘Honestly, Noah, you should consider leaving Olivia with us.’
At the other end of the table, Liv’s eyes had almost popped right out of her head. ‘Can I stay here, Daddy, and play with the girls and the puppies?’
‘We’ll see, Liv.’ Noah avoided Kate’s glance. ‘I’m hoping we’ll be able to get another man to help us.’
‘Of course, it won’t be as easy without the truck,’ Annie continued, blissfully unaware of the undercurrents whizzing back and forth across her dining table. ‘You wouldn’t have your gas fridge, and that would be a nuisanc
e, but you could manage with dried food for a few days. I have plenty to spare. You just add water and boil, and the meals are surprisingly tasty.’
‘And I have spare saddle-bags I’d be happy to lend you,’ offered Brad.
Noah acknowledged their kindness with a stiff inclination of his head. ‘That’s very generous. Thank you. And I’m sure you’re right. The cattle are generally a quiet lot. They were only stirred up today because they’d been too long without water.’
His mouth turned square as he attempted a pained smile. Again, he avoided eye contact with Kate. ‘Just the same, I think it’s too much pressure on Kate. I’ll ring the stock and station agents first thing in the morning.’
Kate insisted on helping in the kitchen after dinner and, by the time she’d finished, Noah had disappeared.
Brad, settled in a cosy armchair in the lounge, looked up from the cattleman’s journal he was reading. ‘He said something about needing an early night. Can’t blame him after, the huge effort he put in today with that mob.’
As Kate said goodnight, she pictured Noah, already in the cottage preparing for bed, and her skin felt suddenly too tight for her body.
Stomach aflutter, she left the homestead by the back door. A pale river of lemon light spilled down the stairs and across the lawn, reaching almost but not quite to the cottage. Kate’s stomach tightened another notch, and nervous tremors rose to fill her chest and her throat.
In front of her, the cottage sat in darkness. Why? Where was Noah? She hurried forward, pushed at the door gently and it opened to reveal a small shaded lamp on the bedside table, shedding just enough light for her to see that the big white bed was still made up, as she’d left it.
And in the corner lay Noah’s swag, unrolled and…
Occupied.
Ashamed of her disappointment, Kate crept forward. She could see Noah’s dark head and the bronzed satiny curve of his bare shoulder. He was lying very still with his eyes closed. She stole closer and looked down at him, as besotted, confused and surprised as she’d been on the day she’d arrived at Radnor, when she’d found him asleep in the chair on the veranda.
So much had happened since then. She’d inherited a potential fortune, she’d broken up with Derek, and she’d morphed into a capable Outback woman. And yet, when it came to her relationship with this man, almost nothing had changed.
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