Bella's Run (8 page)

So much for Pat Me Tuffet keeping her side of the bet! But then again, Bella couldn’t be sure . . .

Will hauled his swag down from the ute tray and grabbed Bella by the hand.

‘But—’

‘I know, I know . . . a bet’s a bet, but there’s nothing to say I can’t just cuddle you.’ Will pulled both swag and Bella into a pen under the stables’ skillion roof.

‘Are you sure you can keep your hands to yourself?’

‘No, I’m not sure, but I can try.’ He dumped the swag on the ground, unsnapped the ockey strap holding it together and gave the roll a kick so it unravelled itself.

Bella looked at the long, skinny length of canvas.

‘Are two of us going to fit in there?’

‘You betcha, cowgirl.’ Will dragged his cobalt-blue stockman’s shirt over his head.

Bella just managed to stifle a gasp at the sight of his naked chest. Reddish-gold sun-kissed hair curled and then ran in a straight line down before fanning out and disappearing below his R.M. Williams belt buckle. Thinking of the bush girl’s yardstick ‘the bigger the buckle the smaller the equipment’, she saw that Will’s buckle was a nice average size.

She shook her head.

A bet’s a bet, she reminded herself, and dragged her eyes away from the muscular chest in front of her. Flustered and embarrassed, she watched as he kicked off his boots, stripped off his Wranglers and slid into the blankets inside the swag.

‘You coming in or am I coming back out to get you?’ Will’s wicked grin flashed.

Bella turned and slowly removed her bra from under her shirt, feeding it out through her shirt-sleeve. Boots and jeans followed, unintentionally giving Will a good view of her bum. Bella turned around to see a look of agony on his face. ‘Will, are you okay?’ She dropped to the swag beside him. ‘What have you done? Are you hurt?’ Her breasts swung full and free inside her shirt as she leaned over to touch his face with concern.

‘No . . . no, not hurt . . . I just . . . um . . . bit my tongue.’

Bella wasn’t convinced. ‘Maybe I should just roll my own swag out for a while, hey?’ She moved to get back up.

‘
No!
’ said Will as he grabbed her hand. ‘It’ll be fine, Bella, jump in. We’ll just cuddle. That’s it. I promise.’

‘Well . . . okay. If you’re sure.’ Bella knew if an O’Hara made a promise it was one set in gold. ‘But one wrong move and I’m out of here.’

Leaving her shirt and undies on, Bella squeezed her way into the swag beside him, sliding her body down past his long, nearly naked length, her nerve-ends tingling at his touch. She thought she heard him groan once or twice, but other than stealing a kiss − his warm, firm lips on her mouth nearly proving to be her undoing – he settled her into the crook of his shoulder and just cuddled her in tight.

As Bella felt weariness spread through her limbs, her mind rewound back over the night. She’d had the best time. Will was wonderful. He made her feel witty, appreciated, desired. A bloke so totally in sync with her own beliefs and ideals, she felt as though she’d found a new best friend.

He’d shared his plans for the family property, ideas on how he wanted his future to pan out. Then he’d listened to her thoughts – aspirations for her job, love of the land and family. Teasing one minute, serious the next, here was a man who engaged both her body
and
mind. Passionate without being too intense, gentle but by no means a wimp. Strong, but not overbearing. And him being older had ceased to matter hours ago.

For now she was just happy and content to be held securely in his arms. She snuggled in closer and felt a kiss lightly brush across her hair. Closing her eyes she let the night’s rum and the warmth of Will’s body send her to sleep.

Will lay quietly and felt the golden head in his arms become heavy with sleep. He smiled to himself as soft snores came from the girl at his side. Gently he adjusted Bella’s body so it tucked into his more comfortably, making sure the blankets covered her so she stayed warm.

Sleep was a long time coming. He lay watching the sunrise as he gently twirled a blonde ringlet around his finger and wondered at his luck at having such a gorgeous creature in his arms.

Chapter 8

‘I’m on my way, Siobhan,’ Bella called into the microphone, silently cursing. She hung the mike back on the side of the radio, which was attached to the front carryall of her four-wheel motorbike.

It had been a couple of weeks since the boys had left.

A couple of
very
long weeks, and Bella could see the next few months before they were due to head home, dragging like a reluctant child. Siobhan was on Bella’s back to clean the guest quarters, a crowd of VIPs having recently been and gone.

Bella missed Will. She hadn’t expected that. He’d awakened in her feelings that left her confused, scared even. Life had been so free and easy up till now. She didn’t need or want this complication.

Or did she? Will made her feel so good about herself, attractive, interesting. And when he focused on her, Bella felt like she was the only person in the world. He seemed to really care, about her, about the things she believed were important – family, friends and country life.

Patty was struggling too, dragging her feet out of bed where a few weeks before she had been bounding out before the alarm. Macca was to blame for that.

Bloody Will and Macca.

They’d also brought to Ainsley Station in northern outback Queensland the sweet calls and smells of the southern mountains and home. Station life out here had lost its shine, and Bella knew her uncertainty about what to do next in life was resolved. They were going home. And Bella couldn’t wait.

But now, she needed to move her butt.

She slung her gardening tools onto the back of the motorbike, pulled on her helmet and set off in the direction of the stockmen’s quarters.

The sky was bright; the warm wind whistled around the collar of her long-sleeve chambray shirt and the sun kissed her cheeks as she rode. The day was improving rapidly. You couldn’t stay disgruntled on such a beautiful, Queensland morning.

She felt her mobile phone vibrate in her back pocket. Surprised, she reached around with one hand to retrieve it while using her other hand to bring the bike to a halt. She hauled off her helmet and could hear her mother’s voice even before she got the phone to her ear.

‘Bella? Are you there? Hello?’

‘Yes, Mum. I’m here. Sorry I missed your call on Sunday night. How are you?’ she said to the woman who was the anchor in her young life.

‘Good, thank you, darling. I wasn’t sure I would get you.’ The relief of reaching her daughter was obvious in Francine Vermaelon’s voice. ‘And you?’

‘Yeah, I’m good. We just had a visit from cousin Macca and Patty’s brother Will. We had a good time.’ Bella just managed to keep her voice level. ‘Why didn’t you tell me they were up this way?’

‘I don’t know. Must have just slipped my mind.’

‘They’ve gone now. They should be just about home.’

‘Oh good,’ said Francine. ‘Rhonda will be so pleased to see that rascal back again. He didn’t lead you or Patty into any trouble, did he?’ Her laugh tinkled down the phone.

‘No, Mummy dear, he was as good as gold.’ As good as tarnished gold anyway. Quickly Bella changed the subject.

‘How are Justin, Melanie and the kids?’

‘Good, sweetheart. Mel’s five months’ gone now. She’s already counting down to her due date.’

‘What about Beccy and Joel?’ asked Bella.

‘Beccy just won Champion Rider for her age group at the gymkhana on Sunday, and Joel’s decided he wants to be a dairy farmer because you get to go home to have lunch with your family.’ Her mother laughed again.

Bella giggled. Joel was a card, a steady, placid little boy who loved helping his dad and Bella’s brother Justin on the farm. Beccy, on the other hand, was a dare devil. Anything that moved quickly and she was on it, in it or doing it. Bella reincarnated, said Francine, although Bella didn’t see herself like that at all.

‘Anyway, darling, I’ve got to go. Mobile calls cost the earth. Just wanted to remind you it’s your father’s birthday tomorrow. Justin and Mel are putting on tea for him at their place, so give us a call there, okay?’

‘Okay, Mum. Thanks for reminding me. You lose track of the date up here. And give Beccy my congratulations. I’ll check out her winning ribbons when I get home. I’ve bought them a nursery rhymes CD as a present but I’ll have to get something else instead. I forget how quickly they’re growing up.’

‘Yes, they are, my darling, just like someone else I know,’ her mother added. ‘Miss you. We’ll talk to you tomorrow night. Don’t forget to ring. Your father will be counting on it.’

‘Okay, Mum. Love you. Bye.’ Bella clicked her phone shut and shoved it back into her pocket, amazed there’d been mobile reception. She’d had to rely on a Sunday-night call from the stockmen’s quarters phone and email to stay in touch. Even her brother, who was five years older, had sent her a couple of emails over the year.

She knew they missed her at home. Twenty-two years before, her parents had almost given up hope of having another baby – then surprise, surprise, she’d come along. And life had been Hells Bells ever since, her father was fond of saying. Bella smiled at the thought of home. Cranking up the motorbike, she shook her hair in the breeze, pulled on her helmet and rode on, a grin as wide as the horizon spreading across her face.

As she drove up to the quarters, she could see Patty letting one of her plant horses go in the paddock. ‘What’s going on?’ yelled Bella as she reefed off her helmet.

‘Finished mustering.’

‘This early in the day?’

‘Yeah. Truck was due early arvie, so we pulled out all stops and had the mob in by lunchtime. Have you eaten?’

‘Nope, and I haven’t got time. Siobhan’s on my case and I’ve got to clean the guest quarters . . . now!’

‘What’s her hurry?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Bella. ‘But I’d better move. I just hope those toffy company VIPS weren’t too messy. The last lot were ferals.’

‘I’ll come help you if you like, though it’ll cost you.’

‘Like what?’

‘Mmm . . . let me see. How about lending me your new Ariat boots for the Burrindal B&S at home in December?’

Bella had to weigh that one up. It was big. She’d only bought the prized boots a few months earlier, shelling out a couple of hundred dollars of her hard-earned cash. It was just her luck to have a best friend with the same size feet. Then again, those guest quarters were mighty big and she really hated cleaning.

‘It’s a deal but, girl, you are going to
work
.’

The guest quarters stood alone on a rise looking down over the sweeping alluvial flats of the Ainsley River. They were in an impressive long, low brick building with broad verandahs shading all sides, and had been built primarily to house pastoral company visitors, Ainsley being only one of a group of stations held by the owners.

Bella and Patty entered through the laundry door. The cleaning products were in a neatly packed box above the laundry wash trough, the vacuum placed in the doorway where, Bella assumed, Siobhan wanted her to trip over it.

Avoiding the vacuum, they made their way into the main hallway of the house and came to a halt in front of the formal lounge bar, which, sadly, was empty. ‘A drink would’ve helped us get through this. Wonder if they left any liquor in any of those little bottles Siobhan puts in each bedroom,’ said Bella.