Outback Flames: Australian Rural Romantic Suspense (6 page)

Zoe blinked
with scepticism. 'Are you sure?'

'So Mum tells
me. Montagreen was the best cattle station round these parts. I can't believe
that woman told you your parents had no money. They made a lot of money at
Montagreen.'

'Thanks, I'll
check it out.' Another one of her aunt’s lies, but she'd find out if there was
any truth in Jade's words before jumping to conclusions.

The waitress
arrived and after a quick look over the menu, Zoe ordered steak and vegetables.

'You've come a
long way, Zoe. You're so independent. As for me, my husband is always off
shearing. He's barely home and I've got two kids. Kate, we all call her Katie,
she's four and Adam is six. They're pretty good kids.'

'How nice.
Where are they now?'
So Jordan was an uncle.

'Mum said
she'd keep an eye on them tonight.'

'Oh that's
right. You're lucky you have your mother.'

'She doesn't
mind. She said I need a break from time to time.'

'I do have a
question. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but Jordan… I know
he's your brother but did we well, were we an item?' Zoe already knew the
answer from Jordan and felt a little guilty checking out their past
relationship once again, but the trust factor wasn't running on full strength.
She didn't want any more misunderstandings, or conflict of any kind. She'd had
enough of that living with her aunt.

Zoe watched
Jade's face hint on tender pink. Her shoulders rose. 'Yes. Um. He was
infatuated with you. You were best mates.'

'That close?'

'More than
close. Lift up your hand.'

'What?'

Jade reached
out, lifted Zoe's hand from the table and turned it around. 'See there.' She
ran her thumb over a small scar on her left palm, at the hub of her thumb. 'You
both have that same scar. The blood brother, sister thing.'

Zoe blinked,
gazed at her palm. 'I thought it was from my aunt...um...I mean.'

'Your aunt?
Hell, Zoe, did she hit you?'

'Please don't
tell anyone, but yes. Several times. She threatened if I ever left she'd make
up stories, get the authorities onto me.'

'Oh that's so
mean. You should report her.'

Zoe looked up.
'God no. I can't. It's best forgotten. I don't want her to know where I am.
It's best this way.' Her words hinged on desperation. Zoe couldn't go through
any more turmoil. She wanted her life at Montagreen to be peaceful and happy; a
place she could finally call home, a place where her aunt would never be able
to touch her, a safe place.

'You can trust
me not to say anything.'

'Thanks.' She
quickly thought of something else and glanced at the scar on her hand, having
no recollection of ever doing such a thing.

Pulling up in front of the house
at eight the next morning, Zoe stretched her body and stepped from her ute. She
turned, wondering what happened to her furniture, as it was supposed to arrive
fifteen minutes earlier.

She grabbed
her suitcase, and hauled it indoors and up the steps. It was unusual that she
hadn't spotted Jordan's vehicle parked out front. After returning to her car,
she picked up a box and put it safely inside.

She stopped
and glanced about. She had pictured the transformation in her mind. The front
door opened to a large foyer with a spiral staircase winding up to the
bedrooms. She breathed in the scent of lacquer and paint. Everything looked new
and fresh. She walked through to the lounge room, and then on to the dining
room, running her hands over the freshly painted cream walls. She spun around,
pleased with the restoration, and retraced her steps until she arrived beside
the lounge room window.

She peered
out. The fig tree stood tall, green and proud. A stray tear escaped her eye. A
noise behind startled her and she turned back.

'You're here
early.'

A grin edged
to her lips. 'It must be all the excitement. Um...I'm sorry about the other
day. My emotions are pretty strung out lately.'

'I
understand.'

For long
moments she stared at Jordan, who appeared to have only moments ago climbed
from bed. His hair was ruffled, his eyes sleepy and dreamy and all she wanted
to do was rush up to him and lean into his shoulders. She swallowed, and drew
in a slow composing breath.

'When are you
moving in?'

'I have.' She
grinned. 'I haven't much personal stuff and a delivery truck should have been
here.'

'They'll be
here soon. I passed an unmarked truck on the way. I was here earlier, and the
guys should be almost finished laying the carpet.'

'No one else
is here.'

'They only did
your room first up. The rest of the carpet hasn't arrived.'

'I can live
with that.'

When she
finished speaking a truck was pulling up directly out front of the house. Zoe's
heart leaped to her throat. Finally, though she had some serious shopping to do
after they had left. Linen, phone connection, crockery; all the little bits
that make a house a home. But she had to be careful she hadn't much left of her
savings. It was this point she wondered where she'd ever get the money to buy
cattle and to hire help. She had enough savings left to pay Jordan and for
necessities. But that was it. She recalled what Jade had said last night about
her parents’ fortune and wondered if it could possibly be true.

'It's really
is good to see you again, Zoe.'

'You too
Jordan. I hope we can become good friends.'

She noticed a
flicker of disappointment pass over his eyes, and his muscles went rigid.

'I thought we
were already friends.'

'I said good
friends.'

'I should get
to it. A few more cupboards to go and it's all yours.'

'Thank you for
doing such a great job.'

'No worries.'

'I'll write a
cheque for you later today. Is that okay?'

He nodded, and
left her gazing at his wide shoulders as he left the room. She directed the
delivery men to carry her bedroom suite up to her bedroom, and then a timber
dining table and chairs was centred in the dining room. That was about it. It
didn't take them long until the truck was heading away from the property.

Moments later,
she wandered up to one of the spare rooms, where she found Jordan hanging
cupboard doors.

'It looks
great. Um. I'd offer you a cup of coffee or something but I'm heading into town
to grab some necessities. Oh, I've got a refrigerator arriving sometime today.
Could you show them to the kitchen?'

'Will do.' He
stopped what he was doing and turned. 'How did you go with your memory last
night?'

She shrugged.
'No dreams. Nothing. It's locked in there. I guess it's as stubborn as I am.'
She laughed.

'It'll come
and if you ever need someone to talk to, well I'm here.'

'Thank you.'

'I'll also be here
when you get back. How about when you return you make that coffee and we can go
over a few things?'

'Sounds like a
plan.'

He grinned and
his eyes lit up, warming her belly.

As she took
the stairs, she ran her hand down the timber banister, freshly coated with
clear lacquer. She couldn't wait to give her visitor the first cup of coffee
made in the new Montagreen.

***

Zoe couldn't
believe two hours had passed while grocery shopping. She should have expected
it. Starting from scratch was expensive. She paid the shop assistant and pushed
the trolley towards her ute, only to be stopped as someone called her name.

Her gaze flicked
in all directions. The thought of her aunt sending someone to find her and drag
her back haunted her. She dropped her shoulders, reminding herself that he aunt
had no hold over her, and she didn't know where she'd gone. For all she knew
she could be overseas. Zoe turned on the heel of her boot, facing the direction
she'd heard the voice.

'Zoe
Montgomery.'

'Yes, that's
me,' she said to a man in his fifties, who was apparently trying to catch his
breath as he stood before her.

'I'm Daniel
Stanford. I was a friend of your mother and father. I was told you were back in
town and I thought it might be you in the supermarket.'

'Hello Mr
Stanford.'

'Dan will do.'
He smiled.

'Dan.'

'I never
thought I'd see you again. You were listed as missing.'

'I know, but
I'm not now. I'm here. I ended up living with an aunt.'

'Was it the
aunt who met with your mother a few days before the fire?

Zoe screwed up
her face. 'Met with my mother, a few days—'

 'Yeah. I'm
not sure what the meeting was about.'

'That does
sound weird. How come you know so much?'

His cheeks
flushed. 'I'm your parents’ solicitor. Your mother changed her will three days
before her death, the same afternoon after she met up with her sister.'

Zoe stilled,
her mouth gaped and all the blood drained from her body. What had her aunt been
scheming? 'I thought Mr McPherson was my parents’ solicitor. He's the only one
listed in the phone book.'

'He was your
parents’ solicitor up until about two months before the fire.'

'That's
interesting. I had no idea my parents had a will. I picked up the deeds to the
property a while back.'

'McPherson
kept the deeds to the property as your parents instructed. They updated their
will as I said, but lodged it at my office three days before the fire. They
were going to move the deeds in my care, but it didn't happen.'

'Thank you for
letting me know.'

'As I said no
one knew where you went. We contacted your aunt, although it took a while. She
told the authorities she hadn't seen you. That she had no idea where you were.'

Zoe frowned as
heat surfaced over her face. That was typical of her aunt. But why would she do
such a thing, especially lie to the law?

'There's one
problem though. I have their old will, and the new one has been misplaced.'

Zoe screwed up
her face. 'Misplaced?'

'I am sorry.
But we can go off the old one until it's located.  Listen, I have to go. Could
you make an appointment with my secretary to see me regarding the will?'

He dug into
his suit jacket and handed her a card.

Zoe reached
out and took his card. 'Thank you.'

'I'm glad you
returned. I've been hanging onto everything. I've been waiting for this day but
discovered yesterday that the recent one is missing. I'm sorry about that.'

'I'll give
your secretary a call.' Zoe watched him rush off, feeling as though her feet
were glued to the spot. A will. It seemed mighty important, and as for her aunt,
Zoe was horrified. Why the meeting, and why three days before her mother's
death?

As she pulled
up in front of Montagreen, Jordan was packing some tools into the back of his
four-wheel drive.

Zoe stepped
from her ute as he approached.

'Need a hand?'

She glanced
up. 'Yes, if you don't mind.'

'Looks like
you bought the entire supermarket.'

'It does,
doesn't it? I can't believe the price of things, but most are necessities.'

The bags were
placed on a granite bench top. Although her mother had timber, Zoe had insisted
on durability. Zoe rummaged around in one of the bags and drew out a tin of
coffee. She turned to face Jordan who stood on the opposite side of the bench.

'I ran into a
man called Daniel Stanford. Do you know him?'

'Everyone
knows Dan. He was a solicitor here in town, but he said he wasn't taking on any
more clients. He's a good bloke.'

Zoe continued
to unpack a kettle. 'I found out he's my parents’ solicitor as well, although
the deeds to the property were lodged with Mr McPherson. I have to ring and
make an appointment with Mr Stanford. My parents have a will. They updated
their will three days before the fire. It seems odd though. He also told me
that my mother met my aunt here in Munna, on that same day.'

Jordan rubbed
a hand around the back of his neck, and pulled up a chair. 'It does seem odd.
Or it's a coincidence. What else did he have to say?'

'Not much.
I'll give him a call this afternoon. They said the phone will be hooked up by
then.'

'Good thing.
Living out this way alone, well you never know.'

Zoe hesitated
while she made the coffee. She didn't take into consideration about living so
far away from everyone, although Jordan's parents’ house was half an hour’s
drive down the road. She glanced up, and tucked a stray piece of hair behind
one ear.

'I've only
realised, I don't know where you live.' A light chuckle escaped her lips.

'I live closer
to town. I bought a house on a few acres four years ago.'

'I imagined
you on a property, a cattle station perhaps.'

He hesitated
before he answered. 'I've got my parents’ property to be concerned about.
There's enough work there to keep me going until my carpentry business picks
up. Although in a town of one thousand people, I can't see myself making a
fortune. I may go into cattle in the future.'

'Why the
carpentry work?'

He grinned. 'I
don't mind working for Dad, but there'll come a day when I'll want to break the
ties. The carpentry keeps me busy, and I don't mind working with my hands. Take
this place for instance. I got such a kick out of seeing the final product. It
gives me a sense of achievement.'

God he hated sitting
there. He wanted to rush around the bench and tell her that he'd fallen in love
with her all over again, that he'd never really stopped loving her. Although,
if she had her memory, he knew things would be a lot different in a bad way,
not a good way. For a start, he wouldn't be sitting where he was.

He cleared his
throat. 'So do you want to go over anything, or do you have any questions?'

She looked up.
He loved that certain look she'd give him. It was as though she doubted him,
yet at the same time he wondered if she battled some type of sexual attraction
she had for him by the way her mouth opened, the way she'd lick her lips. Her
body language spoke words. Then again he wondered if he was beginning to
imagine it, since after all, he had wanted Zoe for years.

'Were my
parents well off?'

'Apparently
so. But you'd know that wouldn't you?'

'No. As I said
I don't remember a thing.'

'This was the
richest cattle station in the area. My parents had a hard job keeping up.'

'Really.'

No wonder Dan
was excited to see her, and she wondered if her parents had left her any money.
Her aunt had insisted that they hadn't a penny. That was the reason she worked
seven days a week since the age of thirteen. To pay her way, her aunt had
stated. She cringed, and caught Jordan staring.

'Are you
okay?'

'Yes. I'm
fine. Probably a little tired.'

He stood and
walked around the bench toward her, stopping so close she could swim in the
river of his eyes.

'I care a
great deal about you. I'm here to help Zoe. All you have to do is holla.'

She nodded.
'Thank you. I need all the friends I can get. Um...here, here's your coffee.'

'Thanks.'
Jordan took the cup and walked back to one of the dining room chairs, feeling
as though he wasn't and wouldn't get any closer to Zoe than he was at that
point. He understood it was only natural she wanted to set things up, start a
new life, but he didn't want to be a friend, or a good friend. He wanted more.
His gut churned, and his heart squeezed bloody tight.

'I've got so
much to do this afternoon.'

The sound of a
car pulling up was a godsend. She didn't know how to handle anything more than
friends even though her heart was tugging her in the opposite direction, a much
deeper, dangerous direction.

'So much for
going through the past. I can tell you this though; we had a great time having
cut sandwiches your mother used to bring us out under that tree.' He nodded in
the direction of the lounge room window, to where the tree stood in its
magnificent glory.

'So my parents
didn't mind me seeing you.'

Jordan
laughed, rested an open palm on the edge of the bench top. 'Your father wasn't
too happy at first, considering your age, or your mother as well. But seeing I
was a neighbour they tolerated it. Your father gave me a talking to one day.'

Zoe's eyes
rounded. 'What did he say?'

'Men's stuff.'
He grinned, and Zoe had an idea what their conversation would have been like.