The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife (13 page)

Without haste, lest she scare the cattle, she steered
her car over to the barn.  

Stepping out onto the slippery, muddy ground, it was
slow progress, but with a determined effort, she made it to the entrance of the
barn. Taking a deep breath for courage, the smell of fresh hay, animals and
burned kerosene was strong and comforting all at once. It was as if she
belonged here on the farm and could never be abhorred by it.

Jared was at the
far end of the barn. Several hurricane lanterns lit up the area.  As she
neared him, she realised he was slicing off part of a hind hoof of a
temperamental cow. Roped down, it mooed loudly and shook its head about.

‘
You
’
re hurting her,
’
she blurted out.

Jared looked up and gave her a piercing stare.
‘
No. There are no nerves in the hoof,
’
he bit out.
‘
She doesn
’
t want to be immobilised that
’
s all.
’

Kirra strode over to the cow and stroked its head in
comfort, then started humming. To her amazement, the cow settled down.

‘
Thank you.
’
Jared
continued to tend the hoof.
‘
What brings you
out here?
’

Kirra stopped humming. She wanted to say that she
missed him, but that wouldn’t do after she’d experienced the raw emotion that
had poured out of him after their love-making. Instead, she said,
‘Max
Miller rang. He and his brother will be back at work
tomorrow morning.
’

‘
Thank goodness for that,
’
he said, his face visibly relaxing and the tension in the air between
them eased a little too, before he dressed the hoof.
‘
Now, I can catch up on the accounts.
’

He was in work
mode. She knew that. But she was on holidays. Was she being selfish because she
wanted to spend time with him, but she knew better than to complain? She knew
from being around her father and Zac, when a man was in work mode, all his
thoughts were on the jobs that had to be done. Who knew how pressing the
accounts were? Perhaps, she could help him with that too, as she managed all
her home finances with success.

A yawning silence brought the tension between them
back in full-force. A small cry escaped from her lips and his steely-blue eyes
locked with hers.

‘What is it, Kirra?’

Kirra swallowed hard. ‘You know.’

He nodded grimly. ‘But there’s nothing I can do about
it now,’ he said, shifting uncomfortably to his haunches.

Kirra could see he was aroused by her nearness and
though it gave a surge of triumph in her heart, making it swell and beat
faster, she stood and took a step back, her hands coming to rest low on her
hips.

‘I’d better go,’ she
said,
before I make a fool of myself.
She turned on her heel, then
abruptly turned back when she remembered the rest of the message. ‘
Oh, I forgot.’

Jared’s gaze narrowed. ‘Mm?’

‘Max is bringing a Kelpie puppy over for Caleb,’ she
said, her eyes shining with delight. ‘Apparently, Bridie promised him one from
the litter.
’

He grunted, wiping the sweat from his brow, before
pushing his fists on thighs to stand.

‘I’m sorry,’ Kirra said quickly. ‘I shouldn’t have
come out here.’ Heaven knew he didn’t need more responsibility.

‘No need,’ he said softly, giving her a reassuring
smile. ‘I was expecting the puppies would be ready to leave their mother soon.’

The tension eased between her shoulder blades.
Perhaps, she wasn’t intruding in his man cave after all. Her eyes followed his
muscular frame that she desperately wanted to roam her hands over, as he
released the cow back into the corralled area, then led another cow out and
roped it down. He lifted one of the hind legs to examine the hoof.

Kirra felt herself
instinctively drawn to him again like an electromagnet that was being turned on
and off, taunting her senses. She came a little closer, fascinated by the work
he was performing. This cow had a calmer temperament and Jared performed the
surgery with expert ease.

Remaining quiet until the hoof was dressed, she said,
‘
I
‘
ve made dinner.
’

He glanced up at her and gave her a perplexed look,
but he wasn’t annoyed.
‘
I didn
’
t expect you to.
’

‘
It
’
s the least I can
do. I enjoy cooking. It
’
s no hardship.
’

His smile reached his eyes.
‘
I
’
ll make this the
last one, then.
’
He released the cow and returned it to the recovery
area.
‘
I
’
ll finish up here
and be home soon.
’

Home?
From the
determined look in his eye, she knew not to read anything into it, so she drove
back to the homestead.

Once there, she hunted around for a cardboard box and
an old blanket to make a bed for the puppy. Excitement coursed through her
veins. She
’
d always wanted a puppy as a child, but couldn
’
t have one. Her father was allergic to cat and dog
fur. She
’
d had to settle for fish but that wasn
’
t the same. Without a second thought, she decided that
she would take good care of it until Caleb came home. When satisfied with the
puppy
’
s make-shift bed, she placed in the corner of the
laundry.

Admiring her handiwork, she was about to go into the
kitchen, when Jared pushed open the back door.

Kirra gasped, one hand flying to cover her mouth.

Briefly, he touched her shoulder and electricity
zapped her. She pulled back a little, unable to move anywhere in the small
confines of the room.

‘Sorry, if I frightened you.’

Kirra eyes widened and she dropped her hand to her
waist in a protective gesture.

‘Don’t look at me like that.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like you think I’ll hurt you.’

‘I know you won’t and for the record, I don’t think
you bumped off your wife, even though you weren’t charged.’ How could she? She
never would have made love with him, if she’d thought otherwise.

‘Thank you,’ he said, running
strong, straight fingers through his hair. ‘I’m not used to people being in the
laundry.’

Kirra smiled. ‘I’m not usually a laundry loiterer,’
she teased, rocking back and forwards heel-to-toe. ‘I’ve been busy,’ she added,
pointing to the puppy’s bed. ‘What do you think?’

‘
What’s this?
’
he said,
as he pulled off his gumboots.

‘
I
’
ve made a bed for
the puppy,
’
she said proudly.
‘
It
’
ll need somewhere to sleep until Caleb gets back.
’
She rewarded him with a smile when he didn
’
t complain, then asked,
‘
Who
’
s Bridie?
’

Without taking his eyes off her, Jared washed his
hands at the laundry tub.
‘
Max
’
s sister and highly-likely Caleb
’
s girlfriend.
’

‘
But he
’
s only four.
’

‘
Seven, nearly eight,
’
he corrected.
‘
I
’
ve had
‘
Blinky
’
for three years.
’
          

‘
Oh.
’

Jared stepped into her and wrapped her in a loving
embrace, before kissing her thoroughly.

Breathless, desire stirred in her loins, as she looked up and met his
bedroom eyes.
‘
What
was that for?
’

‘
For being you.
’
He kissed
her lightly on the forehead.
‘
I want to take you
to bed again, but I
’
m famished.
’

A ripple of pleasure sizzled through her body.
Knowledge of such power over him gave her a little thrill. Zac had never wanted
her so much. She thought it was her fault because she
’
d made him wait so long initially.

‘
Come, eat!
’
she said
ever-the-practical,
‘
Man cannot live on sex alone.
’

He laughed and slipped his arm around her waist.
‘
I
’
d like to try.
’
He strolled with her into the kitchen. When Jesse
rose her head to look at him, he hunkered down and said, ‘Hi, girl! I’ve missed
you.’ After a good scratching behind the ears, he stood and washed his hands at
the sink.

‘
So this living on sex alone is a fantasy of yours,
then?
’
she teased, scooping the delicious-smelling stir-fry
on two plates.

Jared found some cutlery, two wine glasses and a
bottle of good-quality Cabernet Shiraz.
‘
I think it
’
s every red-blooded man
’
s fantasy.
’

They carried the
dinner and accessories into the dining room and placed them on the traditional
tablecloth.

Pleased that they were back at ease with each other in
the house, Kirra sat down.

Jared placed a candle on the table and lit it with a
match.

Such a simple romantic gesture made her heart sing.

He sat down adjacent to her and took her hand in his.
His eyes shining, he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it, before
closing his eyes for a moment.
‘
You
’
re an angel,
’
he said.
’
I feel very blessed to have you with me.
’

‘
Thank you.
’

 
‘
Wine?
’
he said, showing her the label. 

‘
Yes, please, half a glass.
’
She
’
d disciplined
herself, not to drink too much. When she did go out with Zac, he
’
d inevitably imbibed until he was over the limit and
she would always be responsible for driving them home.

Jared poured them both half a glass.
‘
I can
’
t drink too much.
Occasionally, I
’
m called out in the middle of the night to help
deliver a foal or calf.
’

Was he testing the waters to see if she would want to
fit in with his lifestyle?
She
wondered, but was glad that he took his work seriously, responsibly. She couldn
’
t say the same for Zac.

Kirra lowered her eyes to her plate and swallowed
hard. The reality of her farcical marriage came home to her all of a sudden,
like a destructive tidal wave.

What a fool she was to put up with him for so long!
    

‘
Having second thoughts, Kirra?
’
His low, ominous tone broke into her thoughts.
‘
Don
’
t you want to stay
with me?
’

Kirra
’
s eyes flew up and
met his levelly.
‘
No. It
’
s not that. I love
it here.
’

‘
City girls often do like the novelty of a Farm-Stay,
’
he said, regret in his tone.
‘
But once they return to the city with all conveniences
on their doorstep, they soon decide which they prefer.
’

‘
Are you talking about the nannies?
’

‘
Yes, most didn
’
t settle
well into country living. It
’
s been hard for
Caleb especially.
’