Outback Flames: Australian Rural Romantic Suspense (11 page)

She pushed her
aching body upwards finding it difficult to stand, and rummaged around in her
handbag, looking for a tissue. Having dragged one out, she wiped her eyes and
blew her nose. She glanced about, unaware that time had slipped by so fast. The
last rays of sunshine dappled through the tall gum trees beside the cemetery,
leaving a soft hue of gold settling over the land.

'I'll come
back soon Mum, Dad, Benjamin, with flowers.' She turned and made her way back
to her ute, exhausted and full of despair. Sobs caught in her throat and she
coughed several times. She climbed behind the driver's wheel, and blew her
nose.

Why weren't
they buried on the property, at Montagreen?

'Jade. Where are you?'

'I'm in the
kitchen with Mum.'

Jordan paced
into the kitchen, and slammed to a stop when he spotted his sister and mother
in a silent embrace. 'What's going on? You guys okay?'

They moved apart,
brushing at their tears. 'It's happy tears, that's all.'

Jordan
wondered why women cried happy tears, when the only tears he knew were sad
tears.

'What's the
happy occasion?' He approached his mother and put an arm around her shoulders.
'Are you sure you're okay?'

'Yes darling.
I'll let Jade tell you.'

Jordan looked
at Jade. 'Tell me what?'

'It's Zoe.'

The moment
Zoe's name was mentioned, his heart kicked against his chest triple time. 'What
about Zoe?'

'She...I ran
into her in town. She was at the coffee shop. She's got her memory back Jordan.
She remembers all of us. Isn't that sweet?'

'Where's she
now?'

'I don't know.
She took a pile of newspapers from Mr Johnson and was in a hurry to leave. She
said she'd talk later.'

Jordan knew
what that meant. Zoe would see his name highlighted on every damn headline for
weeks after the fire. His gut churned.

'I have to go.
Did she say she was heading home?'

'No...I don't
know where she was headed.'

'Thanks Jade.
Mum. I'll come back later. I've got a lot of explaining to do.'

'Are you sure
you don't want one of us to come with you for a bit of moral support?'

He hesitated.
'No thanks. It's something I should have done the day she arrived, and to hell
with the consequences.' He grimaced at the prospect.

Jordan jumped
into his vehicle and ploughed over the road on a mission. If Zoe had her memory
back, she'd remember him. That was a good thing, right, but he had to tell her
something that would unearth fire, and he hated fire. It could destroy lives
and so it had. He hesitated in his thoughts, wondering if she already knew what
had happened after she had disappeared.

Half an hour
later, he jammed on the brake, but Zoe's ute wasn't in sight. He ran to the
door, gave it a few hard raps and stepped back. He inched about, and fidgeted
like a schoolboy about to go to a prom, but in Jordan's case it'd probably be
the death of any relationship with Zoe. His stomach dipped.

There wasn't
an answer. He swung back, slid his gaze over the trees into the scrub, and then
stepped from the veranda. His strides clipped the dry grass as he headed along
the length of the house and he ran the last few metres. Zoe wasn't in sight.
Defeat crowded him. He dug his hands into his pockets, feeling mighty out of
sorts, and made his way back to his vehicle.

'Where in the
hell are you, Zoe?'

The engine
kicked over. He swung the vehicle into reverse and planted his foot on the
accelerator, fishtailing down the drive. Once out on the main road, he headed
back into town and crawled along at snail’s pace checking out the surrounding
houses and the few shops in the main street. Her ute wasn't anywhere in sight.
He had no idea where she’d got to. Imagine that! They were practically lovers,
well they were, and almost a couple and he didn't have one hell of a bloody
idea where she'd go to think, to be alone. Not one.

A slow burn
filled his gut, and he turned his vehicle around and headed back to his
parents’ property. After he pulled up, he sat in his vehicle for some time,
unable to move, unable to do much of anything. What if Zoe never spoke to him
again? He couldn't lose her now, not all over again. He couldn't go through all
that pain. It'd kill him.

He climbed
from the car and slammed the door, noticing his mother standing on the front
veranda with a look of concern. Shit. Look what he'd done. He'd brought his
personal problems down around his family...again. He couldn't believe what he
was doing. 

'Hey Mum.'

'Jordan. Did
you find her?'

'Nope.' He
walked up to her and slipped an arm around her waist before planting a kiss on
her cheek. 'Sorry to upset you. Everything will sort itself out.'

Jade opened
the security door, leaving it to bang behind her. 'No go, eh?'

'No.'

'Have you
tried her mobile?'

'I haven't got
her number. I don't know where she is.'

'Here. Where's
your phone? I've got Zoe's number.'

Jordan raced
to his vehicle, and grabbed his mobile from the side pocket of the driver's
door and ran back to Zoe. His heartbeat raced with anticipation.

'Here you go.'

Jade took the
phone and punched in the digits before handing it back to him. 'Store it as a
contact.' She looked over at her mother. 'Come on Mum. I'll make us a cuppa and
then I have to head off.'

Jade held the
door open as her mother walked through and Jordan heard it close behind them.
His mobile kept ringing out, and he kept trying. He walked to a bench and sat
down facing the front yard. After his fourth attempt he'd lost count of how
many times he'd tried and it continued to ring out. He hit end, and slipped the
phone into his pocket, clasped his hands together in front of his legs and
dropped his head.

He'd wait her
out. Wait until she returned home, although he had to pick up Luke soon. He
tried ringing the house several times and gave up, then he eased from the seat
and walked inside.

'How'd it go?'

'No luck.
She's not answering.'

'I'm sorry
Jordan, I don't have any answers. Why don't you try Mr Johnson? Perhaps he
knows. After all, he gave her the newspapers. He'd know what was in them.'

Jordan glanced
at Jade. 'Hell, you do have a brain.' He rushed up to her, planted a kiss on
the centre of her forehead and raced for the door.

***

After idling
through the main street, he reversed his vehicle into the kerb and climbed out.
He jammed his Akubra on his head and glanced about, hoping he'd spot Zoe. She
wasn't in sight, and neither was her ute. This wasn't the city. How could a
person vanish, just like that? He grimaced and a cold tremor wound through him,
urging him to sprint toward the cafe.

He slammed to
a stop when Mr Johnson looked up and shot him a startled gaze.

'Sorry to
frighten you Mr Johnson. This is important. Zoe Montgomery. Do you know what
she was reading in the papers you gave her?'

'Slow down
Jordan. You'll give us all heart attacks at that rate. She seemed interested in
the fire that night. You'd remember that wouldn't you?'

'Yeah. Okay,
get on with it.'

'I gave her a
few old newspapers. They were the older ones. They dated back from the day
after the fire and earlier. I do have more out back from that day onwards.'

Jordan's blood
slowed. 'Could I borrow them please? I promise I'll return them.' He had to get
his hands on those papers and any more that were hanging about the town and
hope she didn't go to the paper and ask for their archives.

'I guess I
won't be needing them. Read the things inside and out over the years.' He
turned and disappeared through a small door.

Jordan turned
back and glanced out into the street through the wide window. He heard Mr
Johnson return and swung back. 'Thanks for this Mr Johnson.'

'Isn't it
about time you called me Tim? Mr Johnson was about when you were a kid.'

Jordan
grinned. 'Thanks Tim. I'll return them in a few days.'

'No bother. I
won't be needing them. They're a fire hazard. You'd know all about that
wouldn't you, being a volunteer firey?'

'My worst
nightmare.' In more ways than one he was about to add, but thought better of
it.

Mr Johnson
chuckled and passed the newspapers to Jordan. He grabbed at them as though his
life depended on it.

'It must be
something important by the looks on your face.'

'It's one of
the most important things in my life. Thanks.' Jordan turned and paced to the
door making sure he closed it without a sound. When he reached his car, he
opened the back door and dropped them onto the seat. There were heaps of them,
about twenty or thirty. They'd cover a lot of history.

After closing
the car door, he took a brief glance up the street and headed toward the garage
that Mike Peterson owned.

'Hey Mike,
how's business?'

Mike looked up
holding a spanner in his hand. 'You of all people should know Jordan. What a
question to ask. What is it this time?'

'What do you
mean?'

Jordan stopped
at arms’ length, and watched him work on an engine of an old Holden.

'Last time it
was to get Sally to make eyes at Luke, remember?'

'Yeah well,
things have changed since them. He can get his own girls now.' Jordan chuckled.

'It worked
though didn't it? As soon as one kid takes interest the others follow.'

'Sure did. Um.
Mike. I want to know if you have any old newspapers hanging about the place.
Like any dating back fifteen years.'

Mike
straightened his back, glanced at him. 'I have some but I've got no idea how
old they are. They're in the back office sitting in a corner. You can have them
if you like. I never have time to clean up in there.'

When Jordan
was satisfied he'd collected every newspaper within sight, he returned to where
Mike was wiping grease from his hands. He glanced up. 'Looks like I have a
customer.'

Jordan glanced
out through the workshop to the bowsers, and his breath punched from his lungs.
Zoe. He ducked back, and watched Mike walk toward her car. While they were busy
chatting he ran the few blocks to his vehicle, dropped the papers on the back
floor, and closed the door with relief.

Where in the
hell does she disappear to all these times? It was for a week once, or was that
two and now all day today. Anyone would think he was a crazy man keeping an eye
on her as he was doing. He gave himself a mental shake, shoved his hands in his
pockets and casually headed back to the garage to where Zoe's car was parked.

'Jordan.
Hello.'

'Hi Zoe.
Filling up I see.'

'Yeah. You?'

'No. I came
down to see Mike. Um.' He was lost for words. God she looked good even here at
a damn garage with her hair falling freely to her shoulders, and a pair of
tight jeans and a little red top that showed her cleavage way too much for his
liking.

'Jade said you
have your memory back.' He kept his voice low, hoping Mike wouldn't be able to
hear their conversation.

Zoe looked up
at him, gave him a strange look. 'I sure have. Some things are still unclear,
but I believe everything will be much clearer as the days go by.' She pressed
her lips together, grinned.

'It's great to
hear...so you remember...us.'

She nodded.
'Sure do.' A grin lit up her face.

He cleared his
throat. 'Do you want to come over for a barbeque at Mum’s this Friday night?
You've been back for a while now and you haven't met...well you haven't seen
them since you've been back. They'd love to see you.' Hell. Why didn't he
invite her to his place? She hadn't been there and it'd do her good to see
where and how he lived.

'I'd like
that, thanks.' She smiled and God, didn't he treasure her smiles. He walked
closer and the previous tension he'd bottled inside began to fade. What
prompted him to act so damn stressed out when it was obvious she hadn't gone
anywhere, or found out anything?

'I was out at
the cemetery today.' Her cheerful disposition changed, and his gut clenched.

'How'd that
go?'

'I wanted to
discuss something with you but this isn't the place. It's about my little
brother, one I had no idea about.'

Jordan's
insides duck-dived. He shifted his feet, stepped to one side. He'd wanted to
tell her about Benjamin, but he didn't want to witness the hurt, and the pain she
would have suffered. He grimaced.

Mike finished
filling up the tank, and took a few steps toward them. 'You two know each
other?'

'Yeah, Mike.
Do you remember Zoe Montgomery? It's been a while since she's been in town.'

'Hell no.' He
wiped a hand over his dark hair, glanced at Zoe. 'I'm sorry I didn't recognise
you. I've been off with the fairies lately. It's good to see you Zoe.'

Zoe squinted.
'I'm sorry too. Um...Mike.' She glanced at Jordan.

'Mike.... Mike
Peterson. He went to the same school as we did, although he's a year older than
me.'

'And wiser,'
Mike said.

Zoe smiled.

Mike put out
his hand but withdrew it. 'A bit on the greasy side. It's good to see you again
Zoe. Where have you been all these years? Everyone was concerned. You caused a
mighty ruckus through the community.'

'I'm here now
and I'm fine. I need to pay for the fuel.'

'Righto,
follow me.'

Jordan's gaze
trailed after her as she walked beside Mike into the shop connected to the
garage. He leaned back on her car and crossed his arms. As he waited for her
return, he wondered the outcome, and held himself in check. Musical laughter
caught his attention and he glanced up, spotting Zoe and Mike in a bout of
laughter. Mike seemed to be enjoying her company. His gut twisted, and the muscles
in his body tensed. The sooner the town knew she was his woman, the better off
everyone would be.

Zoe opened the
door and approached him, coming to a standstill at arms’ length. 'Why didn't
you tell me I had a brother?'

'You didn't
ask.'

She propped one
hand on her hip. 'Don't you think that would have been one of the most
important factors to tell me when I returned?'

'Zoe.' He
reached out but she ducked from his touch. 'I didn't want to tell you
everything up front. It would have been too much for you to take. You had so
much going on when you arrived. Well, I thought it better...we thought it
better if you found out about things gradually.'