The Cattleman's Special Delivery (11 page)

But now, as well, that sense of
difference
returned...

Were the lights in the kitchen flickering? The door was ajar. He pushed it.

‘Surprise!’

Whack!

Reece staggered backwards, stunned to find the room full of grinning faces. Ryan and Jim, the neighbours he’d been working with all day. Cath and Bill Anderson from Half Moon station. His dad, grinning from ear to ear. Jess, looking sensational in what had to be, hands down, the most attractive little black dress he’d ever seen.

Candles, stuck in bottles or in tin lids, flickered from every bench top. The table was set with a snowy white cloth and decorated with coloured streamers and the best dinnerware and silver.

‘Happy Birthday!’ everyone shouted, and before he could react they broke into rowdy rendition of the birthday song.

He felt suddenly weak as a kitten, and he wasn’t sure if his knees were still working. A rock the size of Uluru filled his throat and the backs of his eyes stung.

The last time this had been sung for him he’d been five years old.

* * *

Halfway through singing, Jess’s throat felt too tight to go on. She’d been so excited, waiting for this moment. All day her excitement had mounted as she’d worked hard and fast to pull the party together—making phone calls, cooking, cleaning, hunting through the house for everything she needed. Then, there’d been the tension of getting Rosie to sleep and keeping everyone else quiet when Reece arrived home.

And now—

Now, he looked so shocked and incredulous and downright emotional Jess wanted to cry. No one should be
that
surprised by a birthday party. Surely?

The song came to an end. Everyone cheered and clapped and moved forward to shake Reece’s hand or, in Cath Anderson’s case, to give him a kiss and a hug.

At least he was grinning now—the grin was a bit shaky and he was looking a little flushed perhaps, but his smile held as he returned backslaps and greetings. He even hugged Michael, which was nice. And then it was Jess’s turn.

Reece stepped towards her and she was suddenly super aware of him. His dark hair, damp and sexily rumpled after he’d towelled it dry. His shirt hanging open to reveal the shadow of more dark hair on his chest.

She must have been staring and he must have noticed, for he quickly did up his shirt buttons.

‘Happy Birthday, Reece.’ She dropped a quick peck on his cheek and she smelled lemon-scented soap on his skin.

His deep brown eyes were a little too shiny. ‘Did you do all this?’

‘It was Michael’s idea.’ This time she didn’t feel so bad about dobbing in his father.

‘But you organised it. You did the legwork.’

‘It was fun.’

His gaze travelled over her and his eyes were so appreciative he made her shiver. ‘Thanks,’ he said softly.

‘Can we eat?’ chimed in Michael. ‘I’m starving.’

* * *

It wasn’t a late night. Being country folk, everyone had to face early rises in the morning, but the dinner was a lively affair, the conversation convivial. The Andersons had brought wine, which went well with the baked chicken breasts, smashed garlic potatoes and a side dish of broccoli with pine nuts. The rich chocolate layer cake was a hit.

As soon as he’d eaten Michael retired to bed, and, after coffees, Reece went out onto the veranda to farewell his guests while Jess started rinsing plates and stacking the dishwasher. She was almost finished when she heard the vehicles driving away. She closed the dishwasher, turned it on. With the first soft swish of the water filling the machine, Reece came back into the kitchen.

‘That was amazing,’ he said quietly.

‘I’m glad you enjoyed it.’

‘I did. Everyone had a great time. The food was sensational.’

‘If I’d had more warning, we could have invited more people.’

‘Jess, it was brilliant. The best birthday party I’ve ever had.’

‘Really?’ It was hardly a party.

Reece was smiling as he shook his head. ‘Believe me. It was a stand out.’

She caught a flash of sadness in his eyes. It was as quick as the flick of a horse’s tail, but she knew she hadn’t been mistaken. It made her wonder about all the birthdays Reece had spent alone here with Michael and she felt the strongest urge to reach out and hug him.

Just thinking about it, she felt her skin heat again. To cover the moment, she said, ‘Would you like another piece of cake?’

He laughed. ‘Why not? Will you join me?’

It was deliciously intimate, sitting alone in the candlelight with happy memories of the party warming them as they ate second helpings of the luscious layer cake.

‘So, how long is it since you had a party?’ Jess couldn’t resist asking.

‘Twenty-eight years.’

‘Really?’

‘My last birthday party was when I was five.’

‘Oh, my gosh.’

Reece shrugged, sliced a chunk of cake with his fork. ‘Dad never managed to produce cakes or parties. Each year he’d put money in my bank account instead. I guess he hoped it would make up for the lack of a present.’

He gave a smiling roll of his eyes, as if he was trying to make light of it. ‘I wanted toys, though.’

‘Of course you wanted toys.’ Jess’s heart ached for the lonely boy he’d been. Her own childhood hadn’t been too flash with a cash-strapped single mum and the itinerant ‘uncles’, but at least she’d always had presents on her birthday. Dolls, books, a bike, perfume.

‘What about your mum?’ Jess
had
to ask. ‘Did she remember you?’

‘Sure. She used to send me clothes. I’d make Dad take a photo of me. To send back to her.’

‘Oh.’

Clothes, not toys. So not what a boy wanted.

Once again Reece smiled, but Jess could feel the pain behind his smile. She was so glad they’d made an effort today and she vowed there and then that she would always make a big fuss of Rosie’s birthdays. She wouldn’t spoil her little girl, but she definitely wanted her to grow up feeling loved and special and secure.

They put their cake plates and forks in the sink. Went down the silent passage to their rooms.

In the hallway they paused, inches apart, and Jess could feel her blood pumping. Thundering. She was sure Reece swayed towards her, and once again she could sense the same killing tension in him that was torturing her. Tonight, her emotions were brimming over. If he wanted to kiss her, she was ready.

So ready and waiting.

More than ready, truth be told.

‘Goodnight, Jess,’ he said gruffly as he pushed his bedroom door open.

‘Goodnight, Reece.’

She was talking to the door.

* * *

Perhaps it was just as well, Jess decided much later after she’d finally,
finally
cooled down. If Reece had made a move to kiss her, she might have climbed all over him and made a fool of herself. Much better to have retreated back into their corners.

Their caution was sensible. They’d become closer friends this evening without tipping the delicate balance and finding themselves in a complicated relationship. This was good, Jess told herself, although deep down she was torn between needing to know how Reece really felt about her and knowing they shouldn’t and mustn’t change anything.

* * *

Everything had changed tonight.

Reece stood in his room, looking at the familiar furniture he’d known all his life and knowing that he would never be quite the same again.

Jess probably had no idea how much she’d touched him. For her, the party was a small gesture of kindness, but she’d held out a true hand of friendship. He felt unbelievably happy, as if she’d magically erased the decades of disappointment that had blighted this dubious anniversary.

And Jess had done more than simply throw a party tonight. She’d made entertaining at Warringa look miraculously easy. This evening’s simple dinner had been so much fun, and Reece found himself wondering why he and his father hadn’t made a bigger effort to socialise. The last thing he wanted was to become a surly recluse like his dad.

But perhaps the biggest thing he’d learned tonight was that keeping his distance from Jess was not only crazy. It was impossible.

CHAPTER SEVEN

T
HINGS
changed a
little for Jess after the birthday. Reece wasn’t in quite such a rush to get away in the mornings. She usually had the radio playing softly in the background and they got into the habit of listening to the six a.m. news and then chatting about it afterwards.

And Reece seemed to make it back earlier in the evenings too. Many nights now, he was home in time for dinner, and a new pattern emerged. Sometimes, they played a game of five hundred with Michael after the meal. Other nights they watched television, which arrived at Warringa via a satellite dish. Or if Michael retired early, Reece and Jess would read for a bit—in the lounge room together, rather than separately in their bedrooms.

Jess genuinely appreciated his company, loved his quiet humour, his surprising wit, his calmness.

Two weeks later, the last of the cattle were branded and included into the herd, or shipped away to fattening blocks further south. The muster on Warringa was over and Reece spent one entire day lazing, shirtless, in a hammock on the back veranda, drinking icy beer, dozing, reading and cheering Rosie, who’d now started crawling and was turning into quite a little show-off.

Reece announced that Jess had earned a day off too, or at least a break from her normal routine.

‘Why don’t we go out to the gorge tomorrow,’ he suggested. ‘Take a picnic lunch and swimming gear.’

‘I didn’t know you had a gorge. That sounds interesting.’

The gorge was quite spectacular, actually. In many ways it was too good to keep hidden. More than once, Reece had considered reducing the cattle herd and starting up a tourist venture. Michael was dead set against it, though.

At least Jess’s reaction to the scenery was gratifying. Her jaw dropped next day when they arrived at the head of the gorge and she saw the rocky escarpments falling away beneath her to the deep aqua-green cavern of water below.

‘It’s beautiful. But I’ll have to hang on to Rosie.’

‘Don’t worry. I can drive you to a safer spot where we can swim.’

‘Are there crocodiles?’

‘Not where we’re going.’

She sent him a wary smile.

‘You can trust me, Jess.’

‘Of course I can,’ she said softly. ‘You showed me that on the night I first met you.’

The shining look in her eyes made Reece want to leap high mountains, fight off wild beasts, light protective fires at the door to her cave.

Actually, Reece did light a small fire when they reached the rock pool where he planned to swim. He made billy tea and they drank from tin mugs, sitting on a rocky ledge and dangling their feet in the cool water, and he enjoyed holding Rosie, who seemed super excited about her new surroundings.

After their tea, Jess changed into her swimsuit behind a rock. She knew she shouldn’t feel super self-conscious about appearing semi-naked in front of Reece, but she did, of course. At least the costume was a one-piece in figure-slimming, stretch-mark-hiding black. She stripped Rosie down too and carried her to the water.

This would be her baby’s first swim.

It helped to concentrate on Rosie, rather than on the tall, broad-shouldered figure nearby. Reece in bathers was a distraction Jess tried to ignore. With little success.

The water was surprisingly cool and at first Rosie squawked with terror, but she soon adapted, and her cries changed to delighted chortles as she splashed madly, thrilled with this new game.

It wasn’t long before Reece appeared at Jess’s side, all strapping muscles and sleek satin skin, glistening with water. Jess tried not to stare. She really tried.

‘You should have a swim,’ he said. ‘I can hold Rosie for a while.’

‘That’d be great. Thanks.’

It wasn’t actually possible to hand the baby over without touching him and, of course, the connection sent a live current shooting through her. So maddening when she was trying extra hard these days to remain immune. But just being with Reece, she felt restless and edgy, as if she’d swallowed fireflies, and there was a permanent, yearning ache low inside her. It was so unhelpful to be constantly attracted to her boss.

As soon as Reece had a safe hold of the wriggling babe, Jess dived quickly away, and she stayed underwater, skimming over the sandy bottom, over the pebbles and reedy clumps to eventually surface, lungs bursting, at the far end of the pool. At a safe distance.

Rolling onto her back, she floated, looking up at the red rocky walls and the cobalt-blue sky. There was an occasional tree growing out of the wall, miraculously rooted, despite the heavy rains and winds that came with the wet season.

It was a typically picturesque outback scene, the sort of postcard-perfect image many people overseas associated with Australia.

Concentrate on the scenery. Forget Reece. You’re lucky to be seeing this place.

So much was different about her life now—the lovely big homestead, the wide open spaces and now this spectacular gorge. She couldn’t imagine going back to living in a tiny flat in the city. But that day would come, of course.

For now, she had to make the most of this fabulous opportunity. Not only was she a full-time mum, but her latest bank statements had arrived, and the horrible amounts that she owed were finally beginning to creep a tiny bit downwards.

Everything could be perfect here.

All she had to do now was swim back to the other end of the pool and take no notice of Reece’s spectacular muscles.

Which was impossible, of course, but at least she could busy herself with towels, and with getting herself and Rosie dry.

Michael rolled up the bottoms of his trousers and waded in the shallows. They ate their lunch in the dappled sunlight of an overhanging paperbark, and after lunch Michael curled in the shade and had a nap. Reece took off his shirt—Jess prayed for strength—and he made a sling to carry Rosie and then persuaded Jess to join him on a hike.

‘The walking will put her to sleep,’ he suggested.