Outlast the Night (18 page)

“Bless you, child,” Mrs. Armstrong said. “You’re a miracle worker.”

“No, ma’am, nothing like that.”

“Please, call me Sarah.”

Caine smiled. “I’ll see you in a month, Sarah.” He gave her his phone number and e-mail in case she needed to reach him before then and hung up. He leaned back against the headboard and smiled. It would be the perfect surprise for Macklin.

S
AM
sat on the porch of the bunkhouse, watching his kitten—he really had to name her soon or she’d be Little Bit forever—chase a leaf around the grassy area between the bunkhouse and the road. She wasn’t moving stiffly anymore, but with her mum still in no shape to take care of her, Sam had given up the idea of sending her back to the sheds, which meant she needed a name. A real name.

“What are we going to call her?” Sam asked when Jeremy joined him on the porch and handed him a beer.

“Little Bit,” Jeremy said like it was the most obvious choice in the world.

“That’s a nickname, not a real name,” Sam said. “She needs something dignified.”

She tumbled arse over head, surprising a laugh from both of them. “Yeah, like she’s so dignified.”

“She’ll grow out of the awkward kitten stage,” Sam said, “and for all you know, she’ll end up weighing twenty pounds, and then won’t that name seem silly?”

A screech overhead made them look up. A hawk, to judge by the size, glided over the valley.

“I still haven’t got used to seeing them,” Sam said. “We didn’t have a lot of hawks or other big birds in Melbourne.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Jeremy said. “They need rodents and the like to hunt, and that’s easier to do up here than in a city. I’d see one occasionally in uni, but almost always near a park of some kind.”

The hawk screeched again, diving toward the grass in the distance. “He’s found something,” Jeremy said. “I wonder what he caught.”

When the hawk began its ascent, talons empty, Sam said, “Nothing, apparently.”

“He’ll try again,” Jeremy said. “He’s hunting, no doubt about it.”

The hawk circled overhead a few more times and dove again, this time almost directly at them. Sam never saw where Arrow came from, but fur and feathers collided when the hawk tried to grab the kitten. Arrow leaped at the bird, knocking it from the air and away from the kitten. He stood over her protectively, barking and snarling at the stunned predator but not moving an inch from his post.

The hawk righted itself after a moment, shaking out its feathers. It glared at Arrow but didn’t challenge him. Arrow barked again and that was enough. The hawk launched itself skyward again, flying toward the far end of the valley.

“I guess it thought she was easy pickings,” Sam said slowly, his heart pounding in his chest.

“If he got the rest of her family, he probably didn’t see any reason not to go after the one that got away,” Jeremy replied just as slowly. “Come here, Arrow.”

Arrow turned his head in Jeremy’s direction but didn’t budge.

“It’s okay, Arrow,” Sam said. “The hawk is gone now.”

Arrow looked at them like they’d both lost their minds, but he stepped back so the kitten was in front of him instead of between his legs and nudged her toward the porch. She went happily enough, scampering up the steps with Arrow right behind her.

Sam reached down and picked her up, checking to make sure the hawk’s talons hadn’t scratched her before Arrow got there, but he couldn’t find any trace of blood on her fur. “I know what her name is,” Sam said.

“What?”

“Hawk.”

Jeremy smiled and scratched her head. “If you say so.”

Sam looked down at her precious little face and smiled too. “I do.”

“H
EY
,
mates,” Seth said, all but bouncing as he ran into the bunkhouse holding a box. “Can I hide this in here?”

“What is it?” Jeremy asked suspiciously. “And why are you hiding it?”

“It’s a surprise for Chris,” Seth said. “His birthday is today, and this is for the party tonight. He knows we’re having a party, but he doesn’t know I got him a present. Patrick picked it up when he went in to town yesterday. He just got back.”

“So what did you get him?” Sam asked.

“No way, not telling” Seth said. “If you want to know what it is, you have to come to the party tonight.”

“Everyone would have more fun if I stayed here,” Jeremy said.

“Sam wouldn’t,” Seth said.

“That’s not fair, Seth,” Sam scolded. “You shouldn’t make Jeremy feel guilty for not wanting to be in a room full of people who don’t want anything to do with him.”

“Chris doesn’t feel that way,” Seth insisted. “Jesse and I don’t feel that way. You come over to the house all the time. Patrick and Carley don’t feel that way. They invite you over every time they do something. The only ones who feel that way are Neil, Ian, and Kyle, and Ian and Kyle probably only feel that way because Neil does.”

“The fact remains that if I’m there, Neil, Ian, and Kyle will spend the evening scowling at me and generally ruining your brother’s party,” Jeremy said.

“Nope, not accepting it,” Seth said. “If they want to ruin the party, we’ll make them leave.”

“I appreciate the support, Seth, but I promised Macklin I wouldn’t turn his station into a war zone.”

“So don’t,” Seth said. “Come to the party, drink a few beers, and have a good time. If they make a big deal out of it, they’re the ones causing problems, not you.”

“I’ll take care of Neil,” Sam said before Jeremy could argue more. “He likes Chris. He’ll play nice so he doesn’t ruin Chris’s birthday as long as someone makes him think about it before he gets there. Molly and I will keep him in line.”

“Thanks,” Jeremy said.

“I’ll go find him now,” Sam said, “and I’ll see you both at the party later.”

Sam left the bunkhouse and went in search of Neil. Fortunately nobody had been sent out into the upper paddocks that day, so there was a limit to where Neil could be. Sam found him in the sheds repairing worn leather on some of the station’s bridles.

“Hi, Sam,” he said when he heard Sam come in.

“Hi,” Sam said. “Got a minute?”

“Sure,” Neil said. “This has to be done, but it’s not something that requires a lot of concentration. What’s going on?”

“Seth and Jesse planned a birthday party for Chris tonight,” Sam said.

“Yes, I know. They invited everyone,” Neil said.

“Yes,” Sam agreed. “They invited everyone. That includes Jeremy.”

Neil frowned.

“And that’s why I’m here,” Sam said. “To remind you not to act that way tonight. You don’t have to talk to Jeremy, but you can’t spend the evening glaring at him. When it’s your birthday, you can choose not to invite him, but Chris wants him there, and you can’t spoil Chris’s party just because you don’t like him.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Neil protested.

“Not on purpose,” Sam agreed. “I know you’d never do it on purpose, but if you aren’t thinking about it, you’ll act the same way you do at dinner every night, and that would spoil the mood of the party. Just don’t scowl at him, okay?”

“I’ll try,” Neil said. “If I forget, remind me.”

“I will,” Sam said, “and I’ll tell Molly to do the same.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “You know, I really think you’d like him if you’d give him a chance. You have so much in common. The only thing keeping you apart is his last name.”

“I just don’t understand why he’s here,” Neil said.

“Because his brother kicked him off Taylor Peak,” Sam replied. “You’ll have to ask him why. That’s not my story to tell, at least without his permission. I know you can’t imagine a situation that would make us fall out like that, and really I can’t either, but Devlin isn’t either of us. He’s more like Dad, and I can think of plenty of situations that would have made Dad wash his hands of either one of us.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true,” Neil said. “I’ll try to tone it down. It’s just I have reason not to trust Taylor.”

“Which Taylor?” Sam pressed. “Have you ever actually had a problem with Jeremy? Or has it always been with his brother?”

Neil hesitated for a moment. “I guess it’s always been with Devlin or with his jackaroos. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember Jeremy ever being involved in any of the dustups.”

“Then try to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Sam asked. “He’s done that and more for me.”

“I’ll try,” Neil said.

W
HEN
they got to the canteen for dinner, Sam had to smile. Seth and Jesse had outdone themselves. The canteen was draped with streamers and a huge banner proclaiming that Chris was turning twenty-one. Kami had a huge spread laid out, far more than the year-rounders could eat, but that didn’t seem to matter. He’d made all of Chris’s favorite dishes, set out buffet style. Sam figured they’d be enjoying Chris’s birthday dinner for a week.

“Did you talk to Neil?” Jeremy asked softly when Sam joined him.

“I did,” Sam said. “He promised to be on his best behavior for Chris. It’ll be fine. You’ll see. Let’s grab a plate before the rissoles are gone.” Sam had already learned that Kami’s rissoles were everyone’s favorite.

Patrick and Carley joined them at the table after they’d all heaped their plates high with food. Sam had given up trying to eat less since he’d gotten to the station. Kami’s cooking was too good, for one thing. For another, everyone scolded him for not eating enough. He’d worried about gaining weight, but Jeremy had been true to his word about teaching Sam to ride, and that seemed to be enough exercise to keep the weight off, so Sam had stopped worrying about it.

“Seth and Jason have a whole playlist set up for the party,” Carley told them. “It’s been a huge discussion at our house the past week, in between their lessons. Which songs, which order, what’s sure to make Chris and Jesse have a dance… you’d think this was rocket science, not music.”

“Music is very serious business when you’re sixteen,” Sam said.

“Fifteen and seventeen, but I suppose you’re right,” Carley said. “I have to remind myself of all the mix tapes we used to make and share when I was in high school.”

Jeremy laughed. “You’re dating yourself there, Carley.”

“I have a fifteen-year-old son. Nobody thinks I’m from anything other than the Stone Age.”

“Lies,” Patrick said. “A pack of bloody lies. You can’t possibly be a day over twenty.”

Carley sent her husband a fond look and turned back to Sam and Jeremy. “You should dance tonight too.”

“You and Molly are going to be in high demand,” Jeremy replied. “You’re outnumbered.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean with me,” Carley said. “You should dance with each other. Nobody here will care.”

“Maybe not,” Sam said, “but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” Carley demanded.

“Because my divorce isn’t final,” Sam said.

“It’s a dance, not a marriage proposal,” Carley scoffed. “You’re not breaking any laws by enjoying yourself with a friend.”

Alison wouldn’t see it that way if she found out, but Sam didn’t want to say that aloud. He already knew Jeremy’s opinion of her. He didn’t need everyone else’s as well.

As soon as most people had finished eating, Seth and Jason set up the stereo and started the music and their demands that Chris and Jesse (and anyone else who wanted to join them) get up and dance. Chris didn’t look convinced, but Jesse grabbed his hand and pulled him into the center of the room, where tables had been pushed back for this very purpose.

The dance was awkward, neither of them knowing how to follow well, but Sam could see the easy affection between them, and the smiles on everyone else’s faces assured him that Carley was right and no one cared that two men were dancing together.

The song ended, and Seth yelled, “Who’s next in line to dance with the birthday boy?”

No one moved for a minute, and then Kyle, one of the jackaroos who’d helped Macklin save Chris’s life, stood up. “Why the hell not?” he said. “It
is
his birthday.”

Everyone laughed, and before long, Ian cut in on Kyle, spinning Chris around the dance floor with far more style than Kyle or Jesse had managed. When Neil cut in a few minutes later, Sam let out a huge sigh. He still couldn’t believe how far Neil had come. Molly cut in after that, leaving Chris looking incredibly uncomfortable until she took pity on him and started leading too. Before long, almost everyone in the room had taken a turn.

“Go on,” Jeremy said, nudging Sam toward the dance floor. “It’s his birthday.”

“You haven’t danced with him either,” Sam said.

“Dance with him, and then I will,” Jeremy promised. “And then I’ll dance with you.”

Sam hesitated over the last piece of the offer, but some of the others were dancing together, even ones who weren’t couples and weren’t even gay as far as Sam knew, so he thought maybe it would be okay. Everyone else would think it was the same as Kyle and Ian dancing, or everyone dancing with Chris. He didn’t really think Alison had spies on the station since she couldn’t have expected him to come up here before he did it, and no one new had arrived since he got here, but if word did somehow get back to her about the party, he could insist the dance with Jeremy was just another dance, not something so much more.

He weaved through the dancers until he could cut in on Carley dancing with Chris. She ceded her place with a smile and a laugh. Chris grinned at him. “I wondered how long it would take you to come out here.”

“I’m not much of a dancer,” Sam said.

“And any of the rest of us are?” Chris retorted. “It’s not about the dancing. It’s about having fun.”

It was fun, Sam had to admit. He’d expected to feel self-conscious about dancing in general and about dancing with a man in particular, but nobody was staring at them. Nobody was laughing or sneering. Everybody else was having fun too, in much the same way. Sam let himself relax and enjoy. Jeremy cut in far too soon.

Sam took a step back and let Jeremy and Chris spin away from him. Before he could feel awkward about standing there, Molly grabbed his hand. “My turn,” she said. “So are you going to dance with Jeremy?”