The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife (8 page)

A rush of strangled air expelled from her lungs. His
warm, sweet breath feathered her temples and sent waves of pleasure through her
entranced mind.

‘
Jared?
’

The cow above them mooed its displeasure and startled
her out of the rapturous spell he
’
d cast over
her. She struggled out of his embrace.

He let her go. ‘Kirra, are you alright? You looked like you were about
to faint.
’

‘
I must be out of my mind. I hardly know you,
’
she said, berating more herself than the man before
her who had taken a step back, while she straightened her coat.

What was she doing? Surely, she wasn
’
t that sex-starved to succumb to the first man who
tried to kiss her!

She shook her head, remonstrating herself inwardly.
But she couldn
’
t comprehend what had just happened. He hadn
’
t even tried to kiss her. He had only held her, slowly
and gently arousing her sensitive emotions.

‘
I
’
m sorry if I
frightened you,
’
he said, finally releasing the long-suffering cow.

‘
You didn
’
t,
’
she said, not fully composed.
‘
I just don
’
t need a
man in my life right now.
’

‘
Oh I think you do, Kirra.
’
One eyebrow arched towards his unruly dark hair.
‘
From your reaction to my touch, I
’
d say that you need the love of a man very much.
’

‘
I don
’
t need anyone,
’
she bit back.
‘
I like
being on my own.
’

He shook his head in disbelief.
‘
Not many people like that all the time,
’
he said in a quieter tone.

‘
You live alone.
’

‘
No, I don
’
t. My
mother and son live with me.
’

‘
That
’
s not the same as
having a partner.
’

He grunted.
‘
Arguing isn
’
t getting the milking done,
’
he said, as hooked up the cups.
‘
See how you go with taking the teats off. If it
’
s too much for you, let me know.
’

‘
I
’
ll be fine,
’
she bit back.

He strode away and immediately recommenced work as if
nothing had happened between them.

Kirra couldn’t believe it! He’d deliberately cut short
their conversation. She now knew that he hadn’t been with anyone since his
wife’s death. But why? He was obviously a virile man. Her imagination triggered
with all kinds of scenarios. If he wouldn’t let her ask any questions any time
soon, she was going to combust with curiosity.

As the platform began to move, Kirra quickly unbuckled
the strap behind the cow
’
s back legs. The cow reversed out, turned and
sauntered towards the paddock.

She did her best to concentrate on her work at hand.
She thought she’d managed quite admirably once she became used to the weight of
the cups and worked out an easy way to hang them up. She
’
d felt better humming to herself and the cows seemed
to co-operate as well. Pride swelled in her chest.
She could really do this!

When all the cows were milked, Jared sauntered over to
her. He seemed relaxed now, the tension released from his muscles after such a
long work-out. Kirra, however, felt every one of her tired muscles and
straightened her neck to release a kink.

His eyes zeroed in on the long, white column of neck
flesh.
‘
I
’
ll do the clean-up
if you want to take a shower before I make that country breakfast I promised
you.
’

Kirra met his eyes and watched his darken to midnight.
So the man wasn’t immune to the chemistry that she was feeling between them.
‘
No, I
’
ll stay and help,’
she said, in a business-like tone, rubbing the back of her neck. ‘I’m still
fresh. It
’
ll make it quicker.
’

‘You look tired,’ he said, ‘but I’m too hungry to
argue. Let’s get it over and done with.’

Together, they cleaned the milking machines, before
Jared snatched up the high-pressure hose and washed the entire area with smooth
efficiency.

‘
Can I have a go?
’
Kirra
asked.
’
It looks like fun.
’

‘
Fun?
’
He looked
puzzled, but handed it over.

With a smirk on
her face, she directed the hose straight at him.

‘
You little witch!
’

Kirra laughed, breaking the tension between them.

He grabbed the hose and turned it on her.
‘
How do you like it?’

‘
Just fine,
’
she said
and let out a delighted squeal.
‘
Stop it!
Stop it!
’
She squealed again.

Drenched, Jared turned off the hose.
‘
Let
’
s get back to the
homestead,
’
he said, his temperament lighter,
‘
and get out of these wet clothes.
’

‘
I
’
m all for that,
’
she said cheekily.

FRESHLY-SHOWERED, JARED strode into the kitchen. After feeding and
tending to Jesse, he set to the task of making breakfast.

While he gathered the bacon and eggs from the
refrigerator and heated the pan, he tried not to think about what had just
happened in the milking shed.

He couldn
’
t imagine
Heather even attempting to help him milk the cows. She was so debilitated by
her phobias, post-natal depression ramping up to real mental illness. 
There was nothing he could have done to prevent it. He
’
d done his best caring for her. He knew firsthand how
difficult it was living with someone with mental illness, but how he longed for
someone to work beside.  To have fun with.

Fun had been so far
divorced from his life that guilt crept into his mind just thinking about
it.  Fun! When Heather was dead . . .  Could he?

Kirra was so different from Heather - brave, yet
vulnerable all at once. Her husband had obviously not appreciated her and he
cursed him for making her wary of men.

But it didn
’
t matter
how she came to him. An angel had landed on his doorstep and there was magic
between them. He would kick himself if he didn
’
t explore it while he had the chance.

Was it really a concern that she
’
d come out to Glengarry Homestead under false
pretences?

Though he
’
d like to
get to the bottom of it, he couldn
’
t help
feeling that he was falling for her big time!

He
’
d wanted to kiss
her - still did - but, she was so skittish and the cows had waited long enough
to be milked.

Then she
’
d turned
the hose on him and he
’
d come alive. It was a wakeup call to him.

How long had it been since he
’
d had any fun?

He
’
d
been celibate for years. He
’
d told himself if he kept busy to the point of
exhaustion, he could live without it.

Kirra came into the kitchen, dressed in a floral skirt
and a yellow top. Her honey-blonde hair bounced around her shoulders. She
looked radiant, and Jared felt like the sunshine had come into the room with
her.

His heart beat faster beneath his chest and while he
shook the fry-pan with sizzling bacon, he gave her a crooked smile.

‘
I
’
m starving,
’
she said, bending over give Jesse a pat.
‘
I could eat a horse.
’
             
‘Don’t let my horses hear you say that,’ he teased, his gaze drawn to her
smooth, shapely legs and bare feet. ‘They’ll run away and never come back.’

Straightening up, Kirra laughed. ‘It’s a metaphor.’

‘I know. Bacon and eggs, hearty enough?
’

‘
Yes please and cereal and orange juice and toast.
’

‘You are hungry!’

‘Calories out,
calories in,’ she said, giving him a smug smile, when it registered that he
seemed to be enjoying their banter. ‘Must be the country air.’

He
’
d
changed into a black t-shirt and a fresh pair of well-worn jeans. The yellow
daisy apron he could lose, was tied about his waist, but it was practical and
kind of cute. He probably knew bacon fat splatter was hard to wash out of any
kind of material.

His eyebrows arched.
‘
We might have to ration our food supply at this rate.
’

‘
I guess I
’
m not used
to so much physical activity in the morning. My energy is spent.
’

‘
I
’
ll handle the
evening milking alone. I promised you time to rewrite your article.
’

‘
Yes, about that,
’
Kirra
said, heading towards the sink. She washed her hands thoroughly.
‘
Can I use your phone to call Elise before breakfast to
find out what changes are necessary?
’

‘
Sure.
’

‘
I can
’
t believe I left
my mobile phone at home,
’
she said, annoyed with herself.
‘
Elise should still be at home at this hour. Her fiancé
plays Rugby League Sunday afternoons now that the season has started. Elise
loves to cheer him on.
’

Jared scooped up the bacon and shared it between two
plates.
‘
Rugby League style of football is such a dangerous
game. There are many injuries. They have such little protection.
’

‘
But it’s so exciting! Phil plays on the wing and when
he makes a break down the side-line, then dives in the corner to score a try,
it certainly gives an adrenaline rush more than anything I know.
’

‘
More than anything?
’
he mocked
wryly and gave her a challenging glance.

‘
Certainly not. I mean, yes. Oh!
’
She blushed in confusion, knowing exactly what he
meant.

‘
You look so beautiful when you blush.
’

The comment only made her cheeks rosier.
‘
I
’
ll set the table,
’
she said, doing her best to ignore his virile body
and potent scent.

He cracked three eggs into the fry-pan.
‘
You still have a few moments to make your call,
’
he said.

‘
Can I take some juice with me?
’
she asked, her stomach rumbling.

He nodded and handed her a glass of it.

Accidentally brushing his finger-tips, instantly
zapped her with a spark of awareness so powerful, she almost dropped the glass.
She had to get away, before she did something far worse than drop a glass.

‘
Thanks,
’ she murmured,
taking a quick sip. ‘Sweet!’  The homestead was
quiet, as she pirouetted and rushed out into the hallway, so out-of-sorts, she
didn’t have a clue where she was going.

Kirra opened the first door she came upon and slipped
inside. The room was dark and she groped on the wall for the light switch. When
her fingers felt a familiar lump, she flicked it and the room came alive in the
vibrant glow of an antique chandelier.

The furniture and décor was all chocolate brown and
beige. So masculine and business-like, it was such a stark contrast from the
rest of the homestead.

There was a wooden door engraved with the word,
‘
Surgery
’
at the
rear of the room. Though tempted, she didn
’
t open it.

An old-fashioned upright telephone stood proudly on
the chunky walnut desk which looked out of place beside the modern technologies
of computer and all-in-one printer, fax and scanner. Behind it, there was a
ceiling-high wall of books on shelves and there were stacks of newspapers in
the corner. An overwhelming sense of intrusion flowed through her. It was
definitely his room - his retreat.

A few newspapers lay opened in front of the leather high-backed chair on
the desk. Absentmindedly, her eyes flicked over them while she dialled Elise
’
s number.

Shock waves of realisation rippled through her and a
flare of outrage made her slam the receiver down before it was answered.

The newspapers were all
Brisbane Bulletins
!
Every last one of them. All were opened on pages where her previous articles
were printed.

How dare he check up on her?

What was he expecting to find? A serial she
’
d written about her past romantic adventures? Did he
think he would be the next Prince Charming of the newspapers? She
’
d already told him that she wrote fact, not fiction.
And she thought he might be starting to respect her.
Ha!

As her eyes rolled up in disgust, something glinted
and caught her eye. She reached up and plucked a small gold-framed photograph
from one of the middle bookshelves.

Simmering down a little, she examined the picture with
a trained, investigative eye. A young, pixie-faced woman looked away from the
person taking the photo. The redhead, sitting on a hospital bed, looked like
she’d just given birth. Pale-skinned and freckled, she held out a newborn baby
away from her. It was an odd photo. Why would Jared choose to display such a
photo? It wasn’t a happy snap. Surely, there were more flattering photos taken
of them?

Was this his wife and son? Come to think of it, this
was the only photograph she
’
d seen in the
entire house. It had to be them.

His wife seemed plainer than she
’
d expected. She didn
’
t seem at all his type. But then, what was his type? Not that she cared.
Maybe, she
’
d also responded to a newspaper ad for a wife.

Kirra carefully replaced the photograph back in its
exact position.

Calmer, she redialled Elise
’
s number.

As she waited, her eyes trailed over Jared’s
extensive, well-used library of textbooks and fiction. Many were related to
veterinary science, she noted.

Elise
’
s cheery voice
came on the line.

Kirra glanced down at the newspapers again.
‘
Hi Elise. It
’
s Kirra.
What needs to be changed in the article? Length? Material?
’
This was the journalist in her talking now - calm,
precise, business-like.

‘
Oh, it … it was too long.
’

‘
Can
’
t Reece edit it?
’

‘
He already has. I … I just wanted to see if your new
man was more important than your job.
’

‘
That
’
s absurd!
’

‘
He sounds dishy on the phone. Phil reckons it must be
love at first sight if you
’
re still there
after two days.
’

Kirra sighed.
‘
I have no
choice. It
’
s flooding out here and the bridge is cut.
’

‘
How wonderful!
’
she
clucked.
‘
You could be there indefinitely with dishy Jared.
’

Suspicion spiked in her mind.
‘You sound so
familiar with him. On first name basis are we?’

‘
He answered the phone yesterday,
’
she said, then rushed on.
‘
Jared Glengarry - veterinarian. If his voice is
anything to go by, he must be stunning in the flesh. What
’
s his son like?
’

‘
Caleb is holidaying on the Gold Coast with his
grandmother.
’

‘
Wow! So it
’
s just you
and him alone together. How absolutely cosy?
’

‘
It
’
s not cosy at all!
’
she refuted hotly.
‘
He
’
s got me milking cows!
’

Elise laughed.
‘
I can
’
t imagine it.
’

‘
Well, it
’
s true.
’
Her voice became hoarse with emotion and she inhaled
deeply.

‘
Kirra, are you alright? Do you want me to call a
Rescue Helicopter to save you from him?
’

‘
Don
’
t be ridiculous.
They have more important things to do. I
’
ll be okay.
If the situation becomes intolerable, I can always commandeer his dinghy or
take up mountain-climbing.
’

‘
Is it really that bad?
’ Elise sounded glum.