Outback Flames: Australian Rural Romantic Suspense (12 page)

'Oh and
there's something else. Do you know why my family weren't buried at
Montagreen?'

'No one had
the right. So they did the next best thing.'

Zoe shook her
head in thought and turned to watch Mike walk from the garage.

'Is everything
okay out here?'

'Yeah Mike.
We're leaving.'

Zoe stepped
closer. 'Can you follow me home?'

'I can't.
Sorry. I have to pick up Luke soon. He's at my mother’s.'

Zoe turned and
climbed into her ute. She didn't say another word, and when she manoeuvred her
car forward she didn't look up or back at him and he watched her drive off.

His guts were
on fire. 'I'll be seeing you Mike,' he called out as he turned to walk toward
his vehicle.

'Take care,
Jordan. We'll be at the pub on Friday night. You want come for a few drinks?'

Jordan raised
his hand, and shot Mike a wave. 'Sorry, not this Friday. Can't make it.'

Jordan headed
toward his mother's again. At this rate he'd be wearing a permanent path to and
fro and pretty soon he'd be able to put his four wheeler on automatic.

His nerves
were short-circuiting him out. So much for a safety switch. He cursed
repeatedly. He should have told Zoe everything up front and be done with it. He
thumped a closed fist down on the steering wheel, gathered his scattered brain
cells and pulled up in the front of his mother's house.

***

'Hey Dad.'

He'd been
miles away when Luke had climbed into the car, and over dinner that night, he
remained in a state of indecision.

'Yeah mate.'

Luke walked up
to his desk in the corner of the room and leant on the edge. 'What happened to
that pretty lady? She was nice.'

'You mean
Zoe.'

'Yeah. I
forgot her name. You should ask her to dinner.'

Jordan rolled
back on the wheels of his chair, gazed at his son. Wonders never cease. 'I
don't know her that well, but I did ask her out for a barbeque at Gran's on
Friday night.'

'Cool...You're
working for her at her house, and we had dinner with her at the pub. I think
you like her.'

Jordan reached
out and ruffled his son's crop of dark hair. 'How are you going in the girl
department?'

'Aw Dad. Sally
loved her present, but she's friends with a boy two years older than me. She
said he's mature. What's mature mean?'

Jordan leaned
forward to one side and picked him up, settling him on his lap. 'It's when you
grow older and, well, are sensible about things.' God he hoped that was good
enough for now. What type of questions would he ask when he was ten? Jordan
wasn't even going to think about that prospect.

'I'm six and
getting mature.'

Jordan
grinned. 'That you are. How about some dessert?'

'No thanks
Dad.'

'What you're
turning down dessert?'

'I don't want
to get fat.'

'Who gave you
that idea?'

'Sally said
that when you eat too much you get fat.'

'You never eat
too much.'

'You said I
was a hungry animal. Something like that.'

'A joke Luke.
It was a joke.' Jordan rubbed the back of his neck. God, the stress was wiping
him out. He had to relax a little. Let matters take their course. He grumbled.
Yeah, as if? Look what happened when Zoe left. He didn't do a thing. Not one
damn well bloody thing. He wasn't about to face something like that again, even
if the tables were turning, he wouldn't and couldn't.

Luke jumped
down from his father's lap. 'Can I watch a DVD?'

'Sure. You
need a hand?'

'I'm not a
baby, Dad.'

Luke turned
and headed toward the television on the other side of the room, leaving Jordan
in a state of incredulity. A six-year-old child and he's asking questions like
that, saying things teenagers say. God help him.

He picked up
his mobile from his desk and stared at Zoe's mobile and landline numbers.
Before he knew it, her phone was ringing and his heart started all over again, pounding
against his chest.

'Hi, Zoe
speaking.'

'Hi, Zoe. It's
me, Jordan.'

'Jordan. Is
everything okay?'

'I should be
asking you that question. Listen I apologise for not saying anything about
Benjamin. It killed me as well remember? We were like one big happy family.'

'I know...it's
okay now. I'm sorry. I got over the shock. My memory of Benjamin is returning.
One question though; his room. I've never seen or been into it since I got
back.'

'Take the
stairs up to the main room and walk along to the end. It looks like a window
but it's not. It's Benjamin's room, right next to the main bedroom.'

'I'll take a
look thanks. Is there anything you wanted?'

He had a list
a mile long. Wanted hell yes, her, he wanted to say, but didn't. 'No. I wanted
to check up and see how you were doing.'

'Thanks.
Night.'

'Yeah, good
night Zoe.'

When he
clicked end his stomach was on fire. Good bloody night. It wasn't a good bloody
night as far as he was concerned. What about the other night when they slept in
each other's arms? Had that gone out the window?'

He glanced at
the clock. It was seven thirty. His mind stirred.

'Hey Luke.
We're going for a drive.'

Jordan stood
and walked over to his son just as he was about to put on a DVD. 'Come on mate.
We're going to visit Zoe.'

Luke jerked
around. 'Wow. Now?'

'Yep. Come on.
We won't be long.'

***

Jordan's
headlights cut through the darkness as he wove his vehicle down his driveway
and headed out towards his mother's. He slowed on approach to the property.
'Hey mate, do you mind staying with Gran for a few hours? I don't think Zoe has
a television.'

'Yep. Okay.
How come she doesn't have a TV?'

'She's just
moved in, and has only been shopping a few times. I expect she'll get one
soon.'

'Then I can
come over with you while you two talk and kiss and I can watch TV.'

Jordan almost
burst out laughing. 'We don't kiss.'

'Why not?
That's what adults do when they don't have kids around.'

Jordan
chuckled. He'd have to be careful around Luke from now on. It appeared the
little squirt knew more than he was letting on. He turned up his mother's
driveway.

After leaving
Luke, he headed towards Zoe's property. He didn't know what he was going to
say, but he had to see her. He had to, otherwise he'd be tossing and turning
all night wondering, and questioning so many things.

Pulling up, he
noticed the lounge room light on and a light flickered from the main bedroom
window. He practically ran from his car and knocked on the door.

He stepped
back when he heard a shuffle on the other side. 'Zoe. It's me, Jordan.'

'Hang on.
Coming.'

He slipped his
hands in his pocket and then out again. Straightened his back and watched as
the door opened revealing soft light filtering over her hair. She wore a pair
of loose pants tied at the waist and teamed with a lilac top.

'Come in. This
is a surprise. Where's Luke?'

'I dropped him
at Mum’s for a few hours.'

She closed the
door behind him, as she did he turned and slipped an arm around her waist. 'I
wanted to kiss you again. I couldn't wait.' And he did without objection.

He came up for
air, breathless and heated. 'Zoe I happen to love you. I've never stopped.' They
were soul mates who belonged together.

'It appears we
made many promises back then.' Her eyes were glassy, reflecting against the
light. 'I love you too Jordan. I'm so sorry for being away for so long. If I
had known I would have found my way back to you years ago.' Her bottom lip
trembled.

'Oh God, this
is a dream come true. I wanted so much for you to remember, remember us.'

They exchanged
another passionate kiss, her heartbeat matching his as he held her closely for
some time. She glanced up into his eyes. 'I remember it all. We were pretty
tight weren't we?'

'Yeah.' He
chuckled. 'Hopefully we still are.'

She smiled.
'Um...would you like a beer?'

'Yeah, thanks.
That'd be good.'

He followed
her into the kitchen.

'I found the
room. I had no idea. It's concealed well. I remember it now. The window effect
was something Dad put in. I have no idea why.'

'I've seen it
once before. Window to the sky perhaps. I don't really know.'

'Thank you for
cleaning it out, and doing all the work around here.'

'Well the
plumbers, electricians, and the plasterers all helped.'

She smiled,
and he would never tire of that smile.

'I went to the
police station. The sergeant isn't back for a few more days. I've got a heap of
newspapers to go through.' She passed the stubby bottle to him. 'I can only
offer the dining room chairs at present.'

'That's fine.'

Zoe walked
into the dining room and Jordan followed and took a seat.

'I don't
recall seeing my aunt before the night of the fire. I've got a weird feeling
that she had something to do with it. Perhaps she and Mum had a falling out, an
argument. You know the police...'

'Slow down
Zoe. I've got something to tell you.' He had the chance to open up but his mind
went blank. He couldn't bring himself to tell her. God he had to change his
thought pattern. 'You know I was married don't you?' he blurted, although it
wasn't what he intended to say, yet his gut twisted as though it was two steps
ahead, already knowing the outcome if he confessed to what happened the night
of the fire.

'You told me
earlier that your wife had died.'

He leaned
closer. 'I searched for you for years, Zoe. Every year, twice or more, I'd
search every town around here. I ventured as far as Port Macquarie, near the
coast, back tracked and went up to the border to Queensland.'

'Really? You
did that?'

'It's true. I
even went further out west, and down south hoping that I'd spot you, hoping
that I could bring you home where you belonged. Years passed, and when I
couldn't find you I grew lonely...'

'Jordan. You
don't have to explain anything to me. It's only natural that you would have
moved on with your life.'

'The thing is,
I didn't move on. I couldn't. I might have had a few one-night stands, but when
Michelle fell pregnant, I thought I was doing the right thing by marrying her.
I thought I could learn to love her, but it was far from love.'

'It's okay.
You don't have to explain.'

'I want you to
know what happened. Michelle said out right that she hated kids, that they were
brats. In the hospital that night, she told me she was leaving the baby and me
the following morning, after the thing got out of her. Her exact words. She
wanted no part of motherhood.'

Zoe's lips
parted with disbelief. She put a hand to her mouth, appalled that a woman could
abandon her child so readily, so easy.

'She didn't
get a chance to leave. She haemorrhaged that night. I held her hand until she
died.'

Tears filled
Zoe's eyes at the hurt he'd suffered. 'I don't know what to say.'

'I only
married due to her pregnancy. It was a shock. Michelle had her good points, but
the bad ones overrode them all.' He let out a deep sigh. 'Luke and I are doing
real well.'

Zoe edged
closer, and slipped a hand against his chest. She put her other arm around his
waist and rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed that way in silence for
long moments as she listened to the racing beat of his heart. She moved back,
looked up into his eyes.

'Things happen
in life that sometimes we have no control over. Look what happened to me!'

Jordan nodded,
and ran a finger down her cheek. 'You're so beautiful, inside and out. I don't
want to lose you ever again.'

'You won't.
I'm here for good now. Um...Luke.'

'What about
Luke?'

'Well if
things go right with us...I don't know how to say this Jordan, but here goes.
I'm not sure I could care for a child.'

Jordan dropped
his arm and jerked back. 'What do you mean?'

'My brother
was in the house the night of the fire. I didn't go back for him. I left him
there with Mum and Dad. Mum said to get out through the window...' Tears filled
her eyes. 'I did, but I left them all behind. I didn't even try to help my
little brother. What kind of person does that make me? I recall hearing him
screaming when I was in the front yard. I'll never forget his screams. I failed
my entire family that night, Jordan. I failed them all.' She gasped for air.

She pushed up
to her feet, crossed her arms against her chest and tried to contain the
powerful emotion surging inside. 'What...what if I fail another child?'

'You won't.
You were thirteen. You were only a kid. It's only natural that you did what
you're mother told you. You couldn't have done anything to help them. It wasn't
your fault.'

'I did try my
door handle but it was too hot. I almost burned my hand, but that's nothing
compared...' She swallowed as uncontrollable tears dropped to her cheeks.

'Hey baby,
come on. You're strong. You've got your memory back, and that meant having the
bad memories return as well. It'll take time to adjust, to heal.'

She sniffled.
'I hope you're right. I feel so guilty about it now.'

'You didn't
start the fire. Don't assume the blame.'

Zoe glanced at
him as doubt inhibited any final conclusion.

Jordan approached her, and
slipped his arms around her waist. 'We've got a hell of a lot to get through.
Let's do it together?'

A muffled
'okay' rose from her lips.

'It doesn't
feel right leaving you here alone tonight, not while you're in this condition. No
one should be alone when they're so distraught.'

'Well, stay
with me the night.'

'I suppose Mum
can watch Luke. I'll give her a ring.' He stepped back, dragged his mobile from
its holder on his belt and hit connect to his mother's home number.

Zoe walked
into the kitchen, organised some savoury snacks on a platter, grabbed another
beer from the fridge and poured herself a glass of wine. When Jordan finished
his phone conversation, he walked over toward the breakfast bar.

'It's all
good. Mum doesn't mind. Luke was watching a DVD, and she has pyjamas for him.'

'You're lucky
you have your mother living close by.'

'Don't I know
it?'

'Here, take
these.' She held out the platter, and the stubby. Jordan took them from her
hands, and headed for the dining room. She started to follow, but kept on
walking. 'It's more comfy upstairs. I'll eventually order a lounge and whatever
else I need.'

'Sounds like a
plan.'

She grinned
and he accompanied her up the stairs.

'Have you any
idea about how many cattle you'd like to run?'

'I haven't got
as far as that. I'm going to take some time out for a few weeks.'

'A wise
decision seeing you have so much to deal with.'

'I want to
investigate the fire. Find out what my aunt was doing in town, and settle it
all. Then I can have a fresh start, a completely new start.'

Walking into
her bedroom felt comfortable, as though they'd done it many times. Jordan
placed his beer and the snacks on the bedside table while she took a quick sip
of the wine. As the glass left her lips, he moved closer, took the glass from
her hands and set in down.

'I want you to
be forever happy Zoe. You've been through enough for one woman.'

She murmured
and glanced up into eyes that seemed to hold the answer to her pain. His hands
went to her hips and he pulled her closer until their lips met with tenderness.
The heat from his touch filtered through her skin, right to her bones. She
eagerly accepted his kiss, wanting more. He broke the kiss, and mumbled, 'I
love you and as I said, I won't be losing you again.'

Her lips
tugged at the sides. 'So many lost years...I can't believe I'm home where I
belong. I can't believe...I'm here with you, sharing, and talking to you. It's
been a tough road.'

'Shush. Let's
forget about it for a while. Concentrate on the here and now.'

And she did by
slinking her arms around his waist, and he eased her onto the bed where two
souls united, clinging onto a love that had endured the years, a love that had
surpassed any other. Zoe thought she'd explode, and she did. Under Jordan's'
touch, under his heart, his strength and love as he took her to a place where
she wanted to stay, where reality slid aside and she slipped into the realm
where her body and mind were disconnected to the present.

When she was
breathless and lying on her back, Jordan propped himself on his elbow beside
her, and ran a finger down her left cheek. 'To the heavens and back. Do you
remember that line?'

She grinned,
and wriggled up further onto the pillow. 'Yep. I sure do. It all seems so
surreal.' She turned toward him, snuggled against his strong chest. His hand
slipped around her waist and she closed her eyes, hearing his solid heartbeat
strong and full of vitality.

She slept.

***

Sergeant
McPherson was sitting on the edge of a desk when Zoe walked into the police
station the following day. He turned. His dark hair was thick, and dark circles
formed under tired eyes.

'Sergeant
McPherson.'

'Yes. I
presume you're Zoe Montgomery.'

'That's
correct.'

'So you are
really back from the dead.'

Zoe raised her
eyebrows, grinned. 'Dead woman walking. You're not the first person to say that
line.'

'I heard
you've been looking for me.' He stood, and took the few paces toward her. 'We
combed this area fifteen years ago looking for you. Not a trace. Zilch. Nothing
came up.'

Zoe nodded. 'I
know. Thank you. But it's good to finally meet you. You're a hard man to track
down.'

'I was up
north. I'm sorry for any inconvenience. Oh...you can call me Andy or Andrew.
Most people do.'

Zoe nodded.
'Do you mind if I take up a bit of your time about the fire that night, the one
at Montagreen?'

'Come on. Come
with me. I've got a few questions for you as well.'

Zoe braced
herself as he led her down the small corridor and she walked into an office at
the far end. She took a seat beside the window with a view to the street.

'What would
you like to know Miss Montgomery?' He eased onto a seat opposite her.

'It's Zoe.
Call me Zoe. I've heard my aunt visited my mother three days before the fire.
Do you know why?'

His eyebrows
rose. 'I'm not too sure. It could have been something to do with money.'

Zoe's insides
warmed.

'Apparently
they argued quite extensively that afternoon. Mr Johnson who owns the coffee
shop was about to call us. He mentioned it to me the following day.'

'Really?'

'Not much
commotion goes on in Munna, so when it does, folks aren't used to it. Before we
go ahead with this, Constable Berry told me he'd questioned you, and that he
didn't get much from you. Where have you been for the last fifteen years?'

Zoe stilled.
She couldn't bring herself to tell him anything of her past. Besides, there
wasn't a reason to tell him every detail. 'I'd rather not say at this stage. I
would like to, but I just can't.'

The sergeant
glared at her, studied her as though it was the first time he'd ever heard such
a statement. 'If someone has hurt you, held you against your will or whatever
has happened we can haul them in and charge them.'

She hesitated,
looked at the dirty, worn floorboards below her feet, then flicked her gaze
upwards. 'No. I don't want to press charges against anyone.' Her nerves carved
up her stomach, and she fidgeted in her seat.

She couldn't
even begin to speak about her aunt. It'd be impossible. Zoe thought she would
have overcome the pain of those years, grown up a little. It didn't matter how
much she tried, her aunt had destroyed a part of her she doubted she'd ever get
back, and she left fear in its place.

'You seem
reluctant to provide us with any information. Is there something wrong? Is or
has someone threatened you?'

'No...not
really. I am. It's well...I don't know how to explain things and I don't want
any trouble.'

'Trouble? You
won't get any trouble from us. Do you mean you fear the person who is
responsible?'

Zoe nodded,
crossed one leg over the other and adjusted her handbag.

'They're
already breached the law. Are the people you stayed with responsible for
kidnapping you the night of the fire?'

How could she
expose her aunt, and not cause trouble? But she couldn't lie on purpose,
especially to the law. 'I didn't know I was missing or the police were looking
for me.'

'Interesting.'

'I don't want
to press charges against anyone.'

His forehead
creased. 'Are you sure?'

'As I said I
don't want to cause any trouble. I've been through enough already. I lost my
memory for fifteen years, sergeant. Naturally during those years I had
flashbacks, nightmares, dreams, call them what you want. But I couldn't
remember the fire, my parents, or my past.'

'That's pretty
tough. Did you get some help during that time?'

'No. The people
I were with were not wealthy people. They barely had enough to go round. Things
changed a little when I turned eighteen. They weren't that bad, but still I
wasn't to leave the area, not that I would have at that time, as I had nowhere
to go. I worked next door for a few years as a jillaroo. The people I stayed
with kept a close eye on me.'

'They had no
money, yet they took you in.'

Zoe bit down
on her lip, twisted in her seat. 'Yes.'

'And they
treated you harshly. It doesn't make any sense.' He leaned forward as though
trying to access the situation, trying to read the expressions over her face.

'It doesn't
make any sense at all. What I'd like to know, have you any idea of who started
the fire?'

'You don't
know?' He moved forward, propped his elbow on the desk peering over at her.'

'I was lied to
for fifteen years, so I don't know much lately, and who knows I could be lied
to again and not recognise or get a hint of what's going on.'

'You're not
going to like this...'

Zoe
straightened in her chair and squinted at the sergeant. ''What is it? Like
what...you know who started the fire?'

'Jordan
Townsend was at the scene of the fire. He was charged with lighting the fire
and the death of your family. He did his time. He got out on parole, and he's
been back in Munna since.'

Zoe felt the
weight of her world shift. It was as though the ground was about to open under
the force of an eight magnitude on the Richter scale. Stunned and unable to
fathom what the sergeant said, she licked her lips. 'Did you say Jordan was
charged...with the murder...the fire?' She'd heard right the first time, but
refused to believe Jordan was the culprit. She didn't want it to be him. It
couldn't be him. Horrified, her nerves raced. Her body thrummed, ached as her
nerves set alight, pinging throughout her system. 

'I know it's
come as a shock. Jordan did his time, and was out on parole for five years.'

'Parole...five
years?'

She tried to
swallow but it caught in her throat and she coughed several times.

The sergeant
poured her a glass of water, and passed it across the desk. 'Here. Have a
drink.'

She took the
glass and while she drank its contents, a few splashes made it over the rim of
the glass onto her hand. 'Thank you.'

'You're pretty
pale. Are you feeling okay?'

'I will be. So
it...was Jordan...'

'He was
convicted, sent to juvenile detention until he was eighteen. He did time in
prison, and was released on early parole. Other surrounding factors were
brought in front of the court but nothing could be proved.'

'What
surrounding factors?'

'We had to
take everything into account, like most crime scenes. There were several
factors surrounding the night of the fire. A Molotov cocktail
bomb was
thrown through the window, and/or an electrical fault. That's just a few. There
was evidence the window was smashed before the fire started. No one believed it
at first. It could have been a rock, although nothing was found. It was a long
drawn out process. Jordan was out on bail and in the care of his parents until
the court appearance.'

Unease, as
thick as rope wound through her, made its way over her skin and tightened. How
could Jordan not tell her he went to prison for burning her house and
killing...killing her family? Impossible. Tears threatened but she willed them
to stay put. Her body trembled. She shook her head, unable to believe such a
statement.

'I can't
believe that Jordan was responsible, I really can't. Surely there's a mistake.'

'Like most of
the town folk. It was a hell of a punch to the community.'

'Is it all
right if I call back some other time? This has hit me like an out of control
bushfire.'

'I gathered
that. It was a surprise when Constable Berry told me that Jordan was doing the
renovations at Montagreen.'

Zoe pushed to
her feet. She reached across the table and they exchanged a brief handshake.
'I'll give you a call.'

She turned and
willed her feet to move through the door and down the hallway as tears dropped
to her cheeks. She made a quick exit and dashed through the front door. Once
outside, she headed toward her ute, and when she sat behind the steering wheel
she couldn't hold in the turmoil of heartache and disappointment.

Jordan. Jordan
was responsible for her parents’ death, and her brother's death. Impossible.
Jordan did admit to being at the house that night, and he admitted to having an
argument with her father the afternoon before the fire, and she'd spotted him
running across the front lawn. Nausea latched onto her insides, and she opened
the car door and vomited onto the street several times, looking up every so
often to check to see if anyone was about.

She grabbed
some tissues from the glove box and wiped her mouth, turned the rear vision
mirror making sure she hadn't missed anything, and gasped. She was white all
right, the shade of icing on a wedding cake. She grabbed her sunglasses from
her handbag, and dropped them over her eyes.

She turned the
ignition, her ute rumbled into a start, and she veered in the direction of
Montagreen. Her world had slipped out from under her feet for a second time.

Her heartbeat
was all over the place as it pounded out a foreign rhythm against her chest.
The deep ache inside increased to such an extent she thought a heart attack
would follow.

How could
Jordan act as though nothing had happened and promise her the world? She'd gone
and done it again. There was no one else to blame. She shouldn't have trusted
him so quickly. Shouldn't have slept with the man. Her body numbed and she
couldn't remember the drive back to Montagreen which terrified her.

***

It took the
duration of the drive to replace her tears with anger as it brewed like a
looming storm. Jordan was lucky he wasn't within sight. There was no telling
what she'd say or do to him. She never wanted to see him again. Never.