The sun had already dropped below the horizon and the sky burned orange and purple and hot pink. There was a possibility the power was off and she wanted to get the generator going before it was fully dark. Subduing her demons was easier in daylight but she breathed deeply and stepped through the front door.
##
“Damn.”
The sound of metal clunking on metal drew Alex to the shed. His torch played over rusty corrugated iron walls and weathered wooden beams as he located Lizzy bent over a large generator. He was grateful she’d gone to the lengths she had to accommodate his request, but without electricity, they couldn’t start the computer.
As Lizzy reached over the top of the machine, her rear end faced him. Wild thoughts of getting down and dirty raced through his imagination. If the power wasn’t restored, that would be one way to pass the evening. If Lizzy was willing.
“Can I help?”
“Thanks. Can you train the light just here. This cantankerous piece of machinery has met its master if only I can get two hands on it.”
“Mistress.”
“What?”
“If you master it you’re its—never mind.” Putting a lock on his imagination, he trained the torchlight where Lizzy indicated. She tinkered while he made a mental list of information he wanted to copy from Jeb’s computer. With a flick and a flourish of her hand, the generator clunked into life. As it chugged a light came on behind him. Lizzy turned, her face bathed in yellow light. A smudge of oil marked her cheek and knuckles but a satisfied smile softened her mouth, which had pulled into a straight line the moment they entered the house yard.
“Good job.”
“Thanks. Come on, let’s put the kettle on while the computer regains power. Donna said it’s old and takes some encouragement to start.”
He followed her into the house, feeling as though he’d regained control after the anxious couple of weeks since Jeb’s final email. Access to his former partner’s files should convince Lizzy that his research was legitimate and that she could trust him. How far he could trust her remained to be seen.
Mugs of tea in hand, they entered the office. Lizzy took the chair at the desk and Alex placed a dining chair beside her. “I’ll move a couple of these piles of folders onto the dining table and make a bit of room.”
Lizzy switched on the computer and sat back. “Thanks. Donna said she did Jeb’s paper work and kept the filing up to date. I’m a little surprised it’s so untidy.”
“Jeb was out here by himself after the Flying Doctor took her to hospital, wasn’t he? And she hasn’t returned since the baby was born.” Alex carried the first stack of folders through the door and placed them on the dining table. If they could find the missing attachment quickly, he’d email it to Brisbane and then take time to study the information.
“True. Looks like he was lost without her.”
Alex moved another pile. A framed photo of Lizzy’s sister-in-law standing in Jeb’s arms lay face-up on the desk. Both appeared happy and carefree, in stark contrast to the man Alex had met and the woman sobbing over her baby puking on his suit.
Lizzy picked it up and a small frown puckered her brow. “They look so happy. It must have been taken while they were dating.”
Alex pointed at the photo. “That looks like a ring on her finger. Maybe at their engagement party?”
“They didn’t have one. I heard they ran away and came back married soon after our father died.”
“Eloped, did they? Did you know Donna very well when they married?”
“I met her for the first time when she was in labour with my nephew. You could say my family was dysfunctional.” She put the photo aside and looked at the screen. “I should have asked Donna if there was anything she wanted me to bring back to her. Post-natal depression has hit her hard and I have no idea of her real feelings for Jeb. I thought she was afraid of him but that photo suggests there was more to their relationship, at least in the beginning.”
The computer screen came to life at last and Lizzy pulled a scrap of paper from her shorts pocket. “I’ve got the last password Donna used. Let’s see if it still works.” She typed it into the log in box and tapped her nails on the desk while the system whirred.
Willing the screen to open, Alex leaned over her shoulder as she sat back. Her shoulder bumped his chest and she turned her head at the same time he turned his. Noses bumped and he found himself gazing into her startled eyes. The scent of warm skin and hot woman reminded him of the fantasy he’d contemplated in the generator shed.
Her breathing hitched and she tilted her head—just a little—like she was contemplating kissing him. Green eyes darkened and her breath brushed his cheek. He leaned towards her.
The computer pinged and Lizzy blinked and drew back. She licked her lips and turned back to the screen. “We appear to have a problem.”
He turned to the screen and Lizzy edged away. At least one of them retained some common sense. For that he should be grateful. How close he had come to seeking her mouth but they were business partners. What he needed was her co-operation and her property for his research.
“What’s the problem?” Alex hadn’t been present when Donna had described the set up and her system of folders on the computer.
“For once, Donna was focussed and clear-headed this morning. I asked her for help in locating your data on the homestead computer and she described precisely where to find various files.”
“And—?”
“They’re missing. They should be sitting on the desktop.”
“Maybe the screen is on the fritz. It’s an old computer.” An edge of frustration coloured his voice as Lizzy began methodically checking other places.
“Did you know anything about his system when you asked him to send you research data? Did you check compatibility and—?”
“Jeb rejected the latest Mac Air when I offered it. ‘I know how to use mine. It takes too long to learn new programs,’ he said. I should have insisted he took it.”
“I can search for deleted files, backups etcetera if you like?” She glanced at him. He glared at the screen as though he’d turned off a switch and disconnected from the man ready to kiss her.
“Yes. Did Donna mention using a USB or virtual storage?” He pulled open the top drawer of the desk and sifted through a tray of stationery items.
“I didn’t think to ask her. I assumed we’d find what we needed and get out of here at first light.” Her jaw clenched and she hit the keyboard, creating a random repetition of letters in the search box. She placed her hands either side of the keyboard and, closing her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. Tension rolled from her in palpable waves but when she opened her eyes, her fingers tapped lightly and accurately on the keys once more.
Alex admired her self-control. The prospect of spending longer than one night looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack rattled Lizzy but she gritted her teeth and methodically continued her search. If the file was there, she would find it.
But fifteen minutes later, she shook her head and conceded defeat. “It’s not there. I think tomorrow, we’ll have to fly back to Mt. Isa and talk to Donna.”
Alex looked up from the folder in his hands. “There must be backup copies. Most people save their work to the cloud. We just have to find where Jeb saved his.” Alex replaced the papers and closed the filing cabinet drawer. Not even a physical copy was filed in the folder labelled ‘Carter Cattle and Research’. All the other folders related to ‘Craeborn’ business.
Raking a hand through his hair, he looked around the office. Trusting Jeb Campbell had been difficult and he’d never been totally comfortable with handing over control of the data collection. Why hadn’t he thought to ask about Campbell’s backup system? “I know you said mobile phones don’t work out here but we could radio Donna. Ask her about storage devices.”
“Aunt Trish doesn’t have a radio.”
“There must be somebody who does.”
Lizzy s
tood and stretched. “Emergency services, but we’re not wasting their time on this.”
“Of course not.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants and stalked from the room onto the wide front veranda. The night was dark but the stars were big, and brighter here than in Brisbane. Behind him, the screen door squeaked and soft footfalls followed him.
“Are you hungry? We might as well eat.”
Another thing he was grateful for. Lizzy was practical and level-headed. She didn’t fuss or offer false reassurances.
“I got the hotel to pack a picnic dinner. Come on.” He headed to the kitchen and opened the cooler bag. A stack of white boxes, each neatly labelled, and a bottle of cabernet shiraz stirred the appetite he’d ignored as they searched the office. “Looks like we’ve got a main meal and dessert and a decent red to go with it.
“Great. I could murder a steak but I’ll take whatever’s going.” Lizzy opened and closed several cupboard doors, taking out plates, cutlery and wine glasses. Together they filled two dinner plates, before carrying them to the doorway. She stopped and eyed him. “There used to be a screened area at the side with a table and chairs. Do you want to eat there?”
“Sounds good.” Alex carried the glasses and wine and cutlery and followed as she led the way out via the back door. A hurricane lamp hung on a peg and when he’d set down his load, he went back to retrieve and light it.
When he returned, Lizzy was standing away from the spill of light from the window, peering intently through the screened window. The light from the lamp threw her shadow in front of her. “Turn that off.”
Alex wasn’t used to being told what to do but her softly spoken command had him lowering the wick and plunging them into darkness. “What is it?”
“Someone’s out there.”
“Where? All I can see is a ghost of the lamplight.”
“Coming out of the barn. There, to the left of the building. Torchlight, see?”
Alex caught sight of a wavering light heading away from the shadowy outline of the outbuilding. “Are there any employees on the property?”
“Donna said they’d all be away on muster.”
Adrenaline surged through his body. “I’m going down there to find out who’s creeping around the place.”
“Jeb’s gun is in the cabinet in the office. I’ll get it.”
He caught her elbow as she brushed past him. “Do you know how to shoot?”
“No, but—”
“Then leave it where it is. Only carry a gun if you know how to use it properly.” He headed out the back door, torch in hand, but by the time he’d made it through the yard gate, the sound of a motor reached him. He was too far from the barn to have a hope of catching up with their nocturnal visitor but he could check the building for Lizzy.
Running footsteps pounded behind him and Lizzy pulled him to a stop. “Sounds like we’ve missed them. But since we’re out here, I want to check—shit! Smoke, and it’s coming from the barn.”
He switched on his torch and they ran towards the building and pulled open the door. The gust of wind created by their entry fanned a blaze that had taken hold of a pile of hay bales.
Lizzy grabbed a garden fork and raked the burning bales from the pile.
Hanging off a nail beside the door was a fire extinguisher. Alex grabbed it and, on the assumption Jeb had got it right, aimed it at the blaze. Hissing and foaming, the spray covered the flames and it felt as though they were winning the battle. “Looks like we’ve done it.”
“Don’t be too sure. We need to get these bales outside.” Digging the fork into a foam-covered pile, she pushed it towards the open door.
“Why?”
“Fire right inside the bale could erupt again.” As though she’d planned the demonstration, flames burst out of the bale Lizzy was dragging. With a mighty push, she shoved it into the night.
Keeping an eye on the rest of the hay, he gingerly set the extinguisher on the floor and picked up a shovel. The bales were heavy and Alex’s respect for Lizzy’s skills and strength increased. She worked with focus and determination and control.
At last, she tipped her fork tines-down and leaned on it. “Reckon we’ve got it beaten now. That was a close thing though. If we hadn’t been on our way here, by the time we saw the flames from the house, it would have been too late.”
Alex tossed the shovel into the corner and picked up his torch. “There’s no more we can do here tonight. In the morning, I’ll take a look around outside.”
“We’ll take a look. This is my property and, little as I wanted it, I’ll be damned if someone’s going to torch it and get away with it.” Anger radiated from her as she strode from the barn, regal in spite of the black smudges and dishevelled clothes.
He walked quickly and joined her. “Okay, we’ll search together. But for now, do you want a drink? I’m buying.”
Chapter Four
“The tracks lead into the water. It’s useless.” Lizzy kicked at the tyre tracks, sending the ridge of dry dirt tumbling into the rut. Beside her, Alex crouched down and examined the tread.
“We know a couple of things. These tracks were made by a quad bike, and the arsonist knew his or her way around, both on and off the property.” Alex dusted his hands off on his backside as he stood and followed the line of tracks down to the creek.
“I want to follow the creek along and see if I can pick where the tracks come out of the water.”
“Good idea. You take this bank and I’ll take the other.”
Before Lizzy had time to protest, Alex waded through the shallow water and turned south.
The arsonist had picked his escape route well. Low water levels covered his tracks from anyone following but he had to have come out somewhere.
Picking her way through straggly bushes and low trees, Lizzy mirrored Alex’s passage in a parallel course. Gritty-eyed from lack of sleep, her frustration levels rose the further south they trudged. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she called, “Alex.”
He emerged from the bushes some distance ahead. “Got something?”
“No. Let’s head back the other way.” She wiped her forehead with her arm and looked up at the sky. Last night’s tension was more than concern over someone wilfully setting fire to her barn. Simmering below the surface, unresolved anger with her father vied with sadness for the mother she’d known such a short time. When Jeb had refused to allow the Flying Doctor to take Donna to hospital, memory of her father doing the same had roared back and she’d confronted him with the only weapon she had. Anger. At least out here, there were no sad vibes imbued in the landscape. Just heat and dust.
And the mystery of an unknown arsonist.
“How far does this creek go?” Alex was calf-deep in the middle of the creek as he waded across.
“I’m not sure. It starts on Tait land somewhere beyond those low hills.” Isolated by their father’s edict, they’d never played with the Tait children or visited their home, even though her mother had wanted to socialise with their nearest neighbours.
The touch of Alex’s hand on her shoulder brought her back from the ghosts of her past.
“Here, have a drink, Lizzy. You’re pale.” He took the cap off and held out a bottle of water.
She sat on a nearby log and took the bottle, grateful for his thoughtfulness even though his assumption was wrong. Heat she could deal with. But the wave of memories everywhere she looked battered her hard-won calm. ‘Craeborn’ was her darkest times and her greatest loss. If they didn’t find what Alex was looking for soon, even her rigid self-control would crack.
Rolling the cool plastic bottle across her forehead, she glanced up and forgot the heat of the morning and the attack on her home. A different heat stood before her, dark eyes watching her intently. His gaze sizzled through her, stealing her breath.
Desire flared in her womb. A fly landed at the corner of her parted lips and she closed her mouth. When had their roles reversed? She was supposed to be the one di
ctating the progress of a relationship. She was the one who always maintained control, and yet this dizzying sense of being out of control was euphoric.
And dangerous. Was Alex playing on their attraction to suit his own agenda?
She lowered the bottle to her lap.
“Feeling better?” His voice was husky.
Good. Glad she wasn’t alone in this crazy attraction, she nodded.
He held out a hand and drew her to her feet. Suddenly they were toe to toe, chest to chest. Whether through his desire or her subconscious, she didn’t know or care as her hands grasped his shirt. His lips filled her view and she tilted her chin up. To hell with it. Living on the edge had a wild appeal. Why shouldn’t she enjoy the opportunity for pleasure packaged as Alex Carter?
A muscle clenched in his jaw. He released her hand and stepped onto the faint path of her passage through the bushes. Holding back the branches, he gestured for her to precede him. “After you.”
Stunned by the abrupt loss of body contact, Lizzy stared at him. When was the last time a man had rejected her offer of a kiss? She cleared her throat and adjusted her Akubra. Eyes fixed on the path she’d created, she stepped around him, careful to avoid even accidental contact.
Their search in the other direction proved equally fruitless and did nothing to allay Lizzy’s concerns. Was the arsonist just out to get his jollies or did someone with a grudge against her family light the fire? As the midday sun made dense balls of their shadows, she called it quits. Sweating and hungry, they returned to the homestead.
At Alex’s insistence, she radioed a report of the incident to the police before contacting base to extend her absence from work.
Johnno was in the office when she called and joined her conversation with the despatcher. At mention of the fire, he questioned her at length.
Heartbreak Homestead (Hearts of the Outback Book 2) Page 3
